No tornadoes locally; Scott remains without power

Marsh Foundation hosting service

Submitted information

A reminder that local pastors, leaders, and musicians will be hosting a community-wide Good Friday service at 12 p.m. Friday, April 3, in the Bagley Auditorium of the Marsh Foundation in Van Wert. Enter either the front doors facing Lincoln Highway or the back doors on the north side of the building. Parking is in front off Lincoln Highway or the back.

Participating in the service are pastors Gerld Baker (retired); Brad Custis, Church on the Horizon, Rick Eberle, Trinity Global Methodist; Gary Ginter, (retired); Vanlal Hruaia, First Presbyterian; Matt McGovern, Trinity Friends; Aaron McGranahan, Promise Church; David To, Trinity Global Methodist, and Bill Watson, Pentecostal Way. Musicians will include Greg and Kathy Pysh, Annette Hoverman, and Mark Tschantz and friends.

The service will include music, prayer, the story of Good Friday in a scriptural dramatization, and much more. A procession of the cross will begin at the Greenhouse on the Marsh campus beginning at 11:30 am.

The entire community of Van Wert is invited to attend.

Defendants appear for court hearings

VW independent staff

A dozen hearings were held between March 19-April 1 for defendants facing various charges in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over all of the hearings. 

Bond/intervention in lieu violations

Adam Stripe, 48, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by failing to appear at a court hearing. Judge Burchfiel set bond at $25,000 cash or surety and a pre-trial conference was set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 15.

Jeffrey Kallas, 25, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by failing to appear to probation and failure to provide change of address. Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety and a pre-trial set conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 15.

Nicholas Burgoon, 26, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond and intervention in lieu for receiving an additional charge. Judge Burchfield ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for 9 a.m. May 13.

Brandon Cooper, 28, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by failing to appear for a court hearing. His surety bond was continued and sentencing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 22.

Haley Capetillo, 25, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her bond and intervention of lieu by failing to appear in court and failing to complete her treatment program. Judge Burchfield ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for 9 a.m. May 20.

Logan Linton, 33, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond and intervention of lieu by failing a drug test and failure to engage in treatment. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and sentencing was set for 9 a.m. May 20.

Emily Apple, 39, of Paulding, admitted to violating her bond by failing a drug test, but denied violating her intervention in lieu. She was released on a surety bond and a further hearing was set for 9 a.m. April 7.

VWHS Theatre production…

Submitted information

The Van Wert High School Theatre Department will present Disney’s “Frozen: The Broadway Musical” next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 9-11. All performances will be held at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center and will begin at 7 p.m. The cast and crew have been working since January to put on three spectacular performances.

The cast will showcase their vocal talents and acting abilities, as they take to the stage and bring the audience along on a journey throughout the land of Arendelle. Elsa and Anna must work with unlikely heroes Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf to calm the forces of the eternal winter. This storyline is filled with magical moments, comedic relief, and features music that fans both young and old will find themselves singing along to.

Tickets are available through here or can be purchased at the box office the evening of the show. The cost of a student ticket is $5 and adult tickets are $10 for general admission. Reserved seating is also available for $12.

Yost laments capital punishment gridlock

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — With Wednesday’s release of his eighth and final “Capital Crimes report,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost renewed his call to end the unofficial moratorium on executions that goes back eight years.

“During my years as attorney general, not a single sentence has been carried out – a mockery of the justice system and of the dead and their families,” Yost said. “For the worst-of-the-worst killers, Ohio is wandering in a wilderness of lawlessness and desert of justice.”

The Capital Crimes report, an annual statutory requirement of the Attorney General’s Office, provides the procedural history and other information on every case that has resulted in a death sentence since Ohio’s death-penalty law was enacted in 1981.

From 1981 through December 31, 2025, the report says, 337 people have received a combined 342 death sentences. Of those, only 56 sentences – one in every six – have been carried out, and none of those since July 2018, more than seven years ago. In the same period, 41 inmates died of natural causes or suicide while waiting on Death Row. An additional inmate, Samuel Moreland, 72, died this past February, almost 40 years after he was sentenced for the murders of two adults and three children in Dayton.

Van Wert County currently has no active Death Row cases. The dates back to 1982, when John Spirko was sentenced to death for allegedly killing Eglin Postmistress Betty Jane Mottinger. His death sentence was communited to life in prison in 2008 by then-Governor Ted Strickland. Spirko, who will turn 80 in June and is imprisoned at the Marion Correctional Institution, continues to seek a new trial.

Ohio has the nation’s fifth-largest Death Row population, with 113 inmates facing a combined 115 death sentences. In 2025, one Death Row inmate died, another had charges dismissed and a third was deemed ineligible for the death penalty due to serious mental illness. No additional people were added to Death Row.

On average in Ohio, a condemned inmate spends nearly 23 years on Death Row – mostly due to the numerous avenues for appeal – before an execution date is set. For the first time, the report includes a state-by-state comparison showing that Ohio ranks 12th among 28 capital-punishment states in the length of time that inmates spend awaiting execution.

Also contributing to delays is the reluctance of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide lethal-injection drugs for executions. In the report, Yost reminds Ohio’s elected leaders that pathways exist for Ohio to fulfill the justice it promised.

Lodge 62 donation…

Van Wert FOP Lodge 62 is proud to support local youth and the community. Lodge 62 recently made a donation to the Convoy Sports Center as a Grand Slam Sponsor. The FOP Lodge remains committed to supporting youth programs and making a positive impact in the community. Shown above are FOP Lodge Trustee Deb Ebert (left) and Megan Speaks (right) representing the Convoy Sports Center. Photo submitted

More data center answers available

Submitted information

Residents with questions about a planned data center in Van Wert can find the answers and more via new information posted to a website created by the Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation.

The expanded information can be found by clicking here then on any or all of the 20 tabs on the page to see detailed answers. Users accessing the site on a smartphone or tablet may need to tap the menu icon to view the answers.

The Van Wert Economic Development team compiled the detailed answers to address specific inquiries from members of Van Wert City Council regarding the proposed data center project.

Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt postponed

VW independent staff

Due to an inclement weather forecast, Promise Church’s Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt has been postponed by one week from this Friday, April 3, to Friday, April 10, at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.

The free community event will feature 10,000 glow-in-the-dark eggs filled with candy, prizes, and gift certificates. Some eggs will contain special numbered tickets redeemable for larger prizes at the designated prize table following the hunt.

Participants will be divided into three age groups: ages 4 and under, 5-8 and 9–12. Families are encouraged to arrive early to line up in their designated age group areas before the official countdown begins at 9 p.m.

Roundabout, other road projects on tap

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Construction of a roundabout at U.S. 224 and Lincoln Highway in Van Wert is expected to begin in early June. It’s one of several projects planned this spring and summer by the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 Office.

The estimated start date for roundabout construction at the intersection just west of the Van Wert city limits is June 4. Lincoln Highway will be detoured approximately 60 days, while U.S. 30 traffic will maintain one lane in each direction.

In addition, crews will rehabilitate the U.S. 224 bridge over the railroad between U.S. 30 and Lincoln Highway, including replacing the deck, abutments and painting the bridge over the railroad. Construction of a restricted crossing U-turn at the intersection of U.S. 30 and John Brown Road will occur as well. John Brown Rd at U.S. 30 will close approximately 45 days. All of the work should be complete by the end of October and the entire project is expected to cost $7.1 million.

Four other ODOT projects are planned for Van Wert and Van Wert County, including one that is scheduled to begin next week. On Monday, crews will begin to construct a new shared-use path and sidewalk, including curb ramps and crosswalks along Fox Rd. between Shannon St. and Washington St., and on U.S. 127 (Washington Street) between OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital and the city’s water plant. Work is expected to run through mid-August. According to the ODOT District 1 Office, the estimated cost of that project is $343,000.

Two projects are slated to begin on May 1. Workers will resurface Ohio 117 between Venedocia St. Marys Rd. and Biner Rd. (between the Allen County line and the Mercer County line), including the Ohio 116 overlap, and Ohio 697 between the city of Delphos and Ohio 116 with asphalt concrete via full-width paving method. Ohio 697 will be detoured for approximately 45 days. Ohio 117 will be detoured approximately for 15 days, and Ohio 116 will be detoured for approximately 15 days. Access to all properties will be maintained. The project is expected to cost approximately $2 million.

Strong storm rolls through the area

VW independent staff

Tuesday night became a bit wild as a powerful storm system blew through the area. The Scott area appeared to be most affected, with numerous power poles down and a gas leak. At one point, a tornado warning was issued for Scott, along with other parts of Paulding and Van Wert counties, but it’s not known if a twister actually touched down. Tornado warnings were also issued for Defiance, Putnam and Allen counties.

After the storm, Dutch John Rd. at Elm Sugar Rd. was closed off to traffic.

A second storm system moved in about 45 minutes to an hour after the first one and brought heavy rain, plus ping pong ball size hail that was reported by the Wren Fire Department. Check back for updates.

VWFD’s Ankney earns a promotion

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Van Wert Fire Department has announced the promotion of Captain Brian Ankney to the position of deputy fire chief, which became effective on Sunday, March 29.

Deputy Chief Ankney began his career with the Van Wert Fire Department on February 6, 2001. Through dedication, professionalism, and a strong commitment to service, he has steadily advanced through the ranks. He was promoted to lieutenant on August 8, 2017, and later to captain on January 7, 2021.

Chief Jon Jones said throughout his career, Ankney has demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational knowledge, and a deep commitment to the safety and well-being of both the community and department personnel.

“Brian’s experience, leadership, and dedication to the fire service make him well-suited for this role,” said Fire Chief Jon Jones. “We are confident he will continue to serve the City of Van Wert with professionalism and integrity.”

As Deputy Fire Chief, Ankney will oversee daily operations, supervise personnel, lead training, manage the Fire Inspection Bureau, and support emergency response. He will also assist with department administration, policy development, training and compliance, fire prevention efforts, and represent the department in the fire chief’s absence.