Roundabouts, R-Cuts, bypass discussed on radio show

Three local issues get SOS approval

VW independent staff

The wait is over — ballot language has been approved for three local issues that are now officially on the November 3 ballot.

Van Wert County Board of Elections Director Pam Henderson confirmed that the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office recently approved the language for each issue:

• A 1.2 mill renewal levy for fire protection in the village of Venedocia.
• A 1.8 mill renewal levy for fire and EMS services in Jackson Township.
• A 1-mill renewal levy for fire and EMS services in Washington Township.

Those issues will join several others, none of which are countywide.

• A pair of 2-mill renewal levies in the village of Convoy, both for operating expenses.
• A 1.4 mill levy in Liberty Township (excluding the village of Ohio City) for fire protection.
• A 1-mill renewal levy for current expenses in Union Township.
• A 1-mill levy for the Tully-Convoy Park District for current operating expenses and future improvements.
• A 2-mill renewal levy for permanent improvements in the Crestview Local Schools district.

The only issue that will be voted on countywide is State Issue 3, a statewide constitutional amendment dealing with voting and photo identification.

The deadline to register or update information in time for the November election is October 5. Early in-person voting will begin the following day.

Deadline approaching…

The deadline to purchase Eggerss Stadiuim tribute pavers for 2026 is Friday, September 4. Forms and payment must be in the Van Wert City Schools Treasurer’s Office by then to be included for the stadium dedication scheduled for September 18. Any submissions received after September 4. will be installed for the opening of the 2027 season. A link to the form can be found here. Text or call John White at 419.203.1217 with any questions. Van Wert independent file photo

Retirees group to meet in September

Submitted information

The Van Wert County Chapter of PERI (Public Employee Retirees Inc.) will hold a chapter meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 9, at the Van Wert County Board of Elections, 1362 E. Ervin Rd., Van Wert.  The speaker will be Van Wert Mayor Kenneth Markward.He’ll share the latest activities in Van Wert and will answer questions from members.

Retired employees and guests are welcome. Join PERI at 9:30 a.m. for coffee and donuts, followed by the business meeting. Enter at the east door. This will be the last meeting of the year.

Fast donates red nets to parks dept.

Submitted information

State Farm Agent Tisha Fast recently teamed up with the Van Wert Parks Department to bring a little more “swish” to local basketball courts by donating new State Farm Red Nets.

The donation is part of the State Farm Red Nets initiative, a nationwide effort designed to replace missing or damaged basketball nets and help turn public courts back into welcoming spaces where kids, families and neighbors can play and connect. State Farm provides the signature red basketball nets at no cost, with the goal of strengthening communities and creating a renewed sense of neighborhood pride.

Fast was excited for the opportunity to bring the initiative home to Van Wert and partner with the Parks Department.

“Being a good neighbor is about finding ways to give back right here in our own community,” said Fast. “We hope these red nets encourage kids and families to get outside, enjoy our parks and make some great memories together.”

The new nets will be used on basketball courts throughout the Van Wert parks system, giving local players a fresh reason to hit the court.

Man arrested on 24-count indictment

VW independent staff

A Van Wert County man facing two dozen charges for alleged sex crimes that occurred more than 10 years ago is now in custody.

Jesse E. Mullennix, 49, of Ridge Township, was arrested Monday morning. Van Wert County deputies served a warrant issued by Mercer County Common Pleas Court charging him with 12 counts of rape and 12 additional counts of sexual battery. The rape charges are all first degree felonies, while the sexual battery charges are third degree felonies. 

Mullennix was transported to the Mercer County line, where he was transferred to the Mercer County Sheriff. He remains in the Mercer County Jail.

Mercer County court records show Mullennix was indicted by a Mercer County grand jury last week. According to the indictment, the alleged crimes occurred between January of 2015 and July of 2016 and involved sexual conduct with a child less than 13 years old.

Mullennix is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. In the meantime, his bond is set at $500,000.

Two injured in two-vehicle accident

VW independent staff

CONVOY — Two people were taken for treatment of injuries after a crash at U.S. 30 and Convoy Rd. in Tully Township.

According to a report from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Monday when a 2012 GMC Acadia operated by Nathan Vanover, 49, of Convoy, was traveling westbound on Convoy Road and failed to yield to a 2025 Jaguar F-Pace driven by Kylee Moody, 44, of Van Wert, who was eastbound on U.S. 30.

Vanover was transported to Parkview Health by Convoy EMS for treatment of serious injuries, while Moody was transported by Convoy EMS to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital.

The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, Convoy Fire & EMS, 2 A’s Auto Sales, and Knippen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

Monday blaze damages N. Race St. home

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The Van Wert Fire Department was summoned to a home in the 400 block of N. Race St. on Monday, after a blaze broke out in the back of the house.

Crews were dispatched at approximately 3:40 p.m. and upon arrival, firefighters saw flames coming from the rear corner of the home. No one was in the structure at the time but some pets were in the home at the time. Several of them were located in the home and brought out but unfortunately, some did not survive.

Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control quickly, but fire and smoke caused heavy damage to the home.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Along with the fire department, the Van Wert Police Department and Van Wert County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) were at the scene to provide traffic control.

CERT is now working to raise support for the home’s resident. After meeting with the resident, it was determined that clothing and monetary donations are needed.

If you are able to donate, please include the following case number with your donation so CERT can ensure they are distributed to the correct person: Case No. 157491.

Adult female: pants, 12/14W; shirts, XL; footwear, 8,
 
Donations should be taken to:

Annexation request, QTS update heard

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

If all goes as planned, more than 800 acres of nearby land will be annexed into the city of Van Wert.

Monday night, local attorney Charles Koch informed Van Wert City Council that a meeting was held last month with the owners of approximately 684 acres of land on east side of the Mega Site, which adjoins the property now owned by QTS, the company that plans to build a massive data center there. Since meeting with the land owners, Koch said he’s prepared a conditional zoning petition and annexation petition on that property, along with a separate 155 acres of land on the south side of Van Wert, adjacent to Industrial Drive.

“We all recognize that without the property being properly annexed or zoned, nobody is going to commit to purchasing those properties,” he said.

Koch went on to say that he filed the petitions with the Van Wert County Commissioners on Monday. A hearing will be held on them today (Tuesday) and Koch said he expects them to be approved by the commissioners then filed with Van Wert City Auditor Erika Blackmore on Wednesday, which will start a 60-day waiting period, with a possible conclusion on October 26. He also requested Council President Thad Eikenbary refer the petitions to the city’s Planning Commission for review and a recommendation to council for final approval. At some point during the 60-day waiting period, a public hearing will need to be scheduled to allow city residents to share input.

Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Brent Stevens was also Monday’s council meeting and said both properties are available to whoever may be interested. He also said the 684 acres won’t necessarily be purchased by QTS.

“We’re working with some different deals out there,” he explained. “We get leads from JobsOhio, they send them to us on a regular basis. It’s just annexing the land in so it’s part of the city and then people that are looking at buying it can go out and have a look at it and say ‘this makes sense, you’ve already got that hurdle out of the way.’”

Outside of annexation, he said negotiations with QTS concerning incentives and development benefits connected to the $10 billion data center are close to complete.

Behavior at council meetings addressed

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s probably an understatement to say some of this year’s Van Wert City Council meetings have been tense and at times, a bit chaotic. While much of the acrimony has centered around council’s approval of annexation and zoning of land for QTS’s planned $10 billion data center, there have been other topics that have drawn sharp criticism from some who attend council meetings. That criticism and other sharp remarks have come from city residents and those who live outside the city. Other times, discussion has strayed from business related to the city.

Shortly after the start of Monday night’s meeting, Council President Thad Eikenbary addressed some of the behavior at recent meetings and he laid out expectations moving forward.

“The purpose of a city council meeting is to conduct business of the city following the approved consent agenda,” Eikenbary explained. “These meetings are open to the public, they are not meetings of the public. Your comments to the administration and/or the council should pertain to items related to council and the business that we have at hand.”

Contrary to popular belief, there is no law that requires time for public comment but Eikenbary noted that at each council meeting, there are four specific opportunities for the public to speak. It’s different than the vast majority of other governing boards, which typically offer one chance to speak at a meeting.

“Following those four times that you have address council and/or the administration, please do not continue to just repeat points that have been made over and over and over again in the past,” he said. “We can hear you – it’s in the record, so please don’t spend the time repeating things over and over again.”

He also reminded those in attendance that they are only to address council if they are recognized by the president (of council) to do so. When that happens, he said each speaker is to state his/her name and address for the record, then will have two minutes to speak. Each person will have one opportunity to address council once in each of the four opportunities provided.

Roundabout work, other projects continue

VW independent staff

As the summer season begins to wind down, crews are continuing work on a number of planned road construction projects. Here is the latest Van Wert County work list from the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 Office.

U.S. 127 between U.S. 224 in Van Wert County and Road 162 just north of the village of Paulding will be restricted to alternating one way traffic through the work zone today through October 1 for resurfacing. Work will occur during daytime hours Monday through Saturday. Traffic will be maintained by flaggers.

This week, Ohio 116 between the Auglaize County line and Wren Landeck Road will be restricted to one lane through the work zone for pavement.

Pavement repair work is also slated for U.S. 30 near Chenowith Road (mile marker 18.5) in Ridge Township.

Construction of a new single lane roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 224 and Lincoln Highway continues just west of the Van Wert city limits. Work began on July 30 and the closure is expected to last approximately 60 days. The official detour is U.S. 30 to Ohio 49, back to U.S. 224. That roundabout will become the second one in Van Wert County, with the other being at U.S. 224/U.S. 127/Marsh Rd. Future roundabouts are planned at the intersection of Ohio 118 and Wren Landeck Road and the intersection of U.S. 224/Van Wert Decatur Rd.

At the same time as roundabout construction, nearby U.S. 224, between U.S. 30 and Lincoln Highway is closed for rehabilitation of the bridge over the railroad. That project also began on July 30 but will take longer than the roundabout, with an estimated completion time of six months. The official detour is the same, U.S. 30 to Ohio 39, back to U.S. 224.

Ohio 697 between the city of Delphos and Ohio 116 recently re-opened following a closure for full-width paving. However, lane restrictions or moving operations may take place for finish work.