VW independent staff/submitted information
The Van Wert and Convoy Fire Departments are teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association to promote Fire Prevention Week October 5-11, and this year’s theme, “Charge Into Safety: Lithium-ion Batteries in Your Home.” This year’s focus on lithium-ion batteries works to better educate the public about how to buy, charge, and dispose of/recycle them safely.
Most of the electronics in our homes – smartphones, tablets, power and lawn tools, laptops, e-cigarettes, headphones, and toys, to name just a few – are powered by lithium-ion batteries. If not used correctly or damaged, they can overheat and start a fire or explode. “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home” provides the information, guidance, and resources needed to use lithium-ion batteries with caution and care.
“Lithium-ion batteries are powerful, convenient, and they’re just about everywhere,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “Making sure the public knows how to handle them safely is critical to minimizing the potential risks they present.”
In coordination with NFPA, Van Wert and Convoy Fire Departments and local State Farm agent Tisha Fast are encouraging all residents to actively support this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign by following these tips and guidelines:
Buy only listed products
- When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, take time to research it. Look for a stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab on the packaging and product, which means that it meets established safety standards.
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:44 pm
VW independent staff/submitted information
The Lima Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal UTV crash which occurred on Defiance Trail near Bloomlock Road in Allen County’s Marion Township.
It occurred shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, when a 2021 Polaris Ranger, operated by Rachel A. Berelsman, 28, of Spencerville, was traveling northwest on Defiance Trail and traveled left of the center line, then went off the left side of the roadway and struck a utility pole. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Berelsman was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported by H&H Funeral Services to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office. The Lima Post was assisted on scene by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Delphos Fire and EMS, Able Towing, H&H Funeral Services, and the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
POSTED: 10/06/25 at 6:04 am. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff
A pair of power outage affected AEP customers in the Van Wert area on Saturday.
The first outage occurred at 9:37 a.m. affecting 749 customers. Power was restored at 11:11 a.m. and the cause of the outage remains under investigation.
The second outage was on a much smaller scale – it affected just one customer and happened after a squirrel made contact with AEP equipment. It occurred at 10:36 a.m. and power was restored at 1:53 p.m.
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:43 pm. FILED UNDER: News
It’s been a number of months since the non-functional Van Wert National Bank clock was taken down for repair assessment, but there’s no word on what may be needed or if the clock will eventually be re-installed. The iconic clock, which is owned by the Van Wert County Foundation, was removed and refurbished last year but after just two months, it wasn’t working properly. It was disassembled and sent to a different restoration company for further evaluation. Van Wert County Foundation CEO Seth Baker did not respond to requests for an update on the clock. VW independent file photo
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:43 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
The Van Wert Soil & Water Conservation District has partnered with Heidelberg University’s National Center for Water Quality Research to offer residents the opportunity to have their well water tested.
If your drinking water comes from a private well, you are responsible for your water’s safety. If you have never had your water supply tested, it is always a good idea to educate yourself on what is present in your drinking water and provide yourself with some baseline information in the event there are changes in the future that may impact the quality of your water supply.
Should you test your well water? Your well has an increased likelihood of contamination if:
- Your well is more than 20 years old
- Your well was dug or driven rather than drilled
- Your well is shallow
- Your soil is sandy
- A chemical spill is known to have happened nearby
- Your well is near possible sources of contamination, such as: cropland, feedlots, landfills, industrial sites (active or abandoned).
Even if your well fits none of these categories, you cannot know the quality of your water without testing. Contaminants may have entered the ground without your knowledge or before you lived at the site.
Due to supply and testing equipment issues, the only test kit Heidelberg is offering at this time is the basic nitrate test, which includes testing for nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, chloride, sulfates, fluoride, soluble phosphorus, silica, and conductivity. The cost of the kit is $30, which includes shipping, made payable to Van Wert SWCD.
The test kits will be for sale Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24. The samples must be returned to the Van Wert SWCD between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, October 27. Please take the sample right before dropping the kit back off so that it is as fresh as possible. Participants can expect their confidential results back in two to four weeks from Heidelberg University.
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:41 pm. FILED UNDER: News
The Parkway High School student government is inviting the Panther community to the school’s annual homecoming football game this Friday night against Fort Recovery. This year’s homecoming court includes (back row, left to right) junior attendant Piper Eguia, sophomore attendant Maria Buogo and freshman attendant Hadley Stover. Senior queen candidates are (front row, left to right) Addison Fisher, Jordyn Schaefer and Brittyn Bruns. The homecoming parade and powderpuff football game were held on Sunday. Photo submitted
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:40 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff
The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and 14 other law enforcement agencies participated in last week’s Ohio ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force “Operation Perp Rally.” While no arrests were made locally, the effort did result in 17 arrests, mainly in northeast Ohio.
During the four-day operation, law enforcement officers posed as minor children on various social media platforms in an effort to identify and arrest child explotation predators interested in engaging in sexual activity with whom they believed to be minor children. Those arrested, ages 24-60, initiated contact and expressed their intentions, then traveled to a pre-arranged location in Cuyahoga County believing they were meeting a minor.
Charges against those individuals range from third to fifth degree felonies and include compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, importuning and possessing criminal tools.
ICAC is run under the direction of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and is funded in part by a grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
POSTED: 10/05/25 at 8:40 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
OHIO CITY — The “In Case Of Death” series continues this Wednesday, October 8 at St. Paul’s Church in Ohio City. This study is to aid in preparing our affairs so that it will be easier on the ones who must deal with our estate.
This week, the church will feature a talk from a local attorney who will discuss wills, trusts and the legal aspects of being the executor of someone’s estate. There will be a time of questions and answers to follow.
During the October 15 session, local bank representatives will give us information about transferring accounts, dealing with loans, safety deposit boxes and how to avoid scams that occur following someone’s death.
“In Case Of Death” wraps up on October 22 with a local funeral director who will offer help in planning funerals, cremation, selecting gravesite and headstones, and related items.
These sessions are open to the public and are helpuflu to anyone, regardless of age. Each meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last around an hour. St. Paul’s Church is located at 6077 German Church Road, Ohio City.
VW independent staff/submitted information
It’s a staple of any high school football season and the festivities will kick off in Van Wert next week.
That of course is homecoming, and Van Wert High School’s student council is proud to announce this year’s homecoming court and schedule of events.
2025 Van Wert homecoming court members include freshman attendants Ixchell Castillo and Cal Byrum; sophomores Jaida Watson and Austin Deitemeyer; junior attendants Noelle Byrum and Quintin Parrish; senior queen candidates Brenna Kimmet, Maria Parrish, and Harmony Schuerman, and senior king candidates Tristan Blackmore, Brock Stoller, and Carter Wright.
The annual homecoming parade will kick things off at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 8. The parade will proceed from Jefferson Street to Fountain Park, with the traditional Powder Puff game, pitting junior girls against senior girls will follow at Eggers Stadium. Admission to the Power Puff game is $1.
The presentation of the court and announcement of homecoming queen and king will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 10, at Eggerss Stadium, before the football game against Ottawa-Glandorf, which will kick off at 7 p.m.
The annual homecoming dance for all high school students will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at Van Wert High School.
POSTED: 10/04/25 at 12:28 am. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor
PAULDING — A Grover Hill man charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of another Grover Hill man has changed his mind about switching legal counsel and has been found competent to stand trial.
Corbin Delgado, 21, requested different legal counsel in a handwritten letter dated September 17 and addressed to Paulding County Common Pleas Court Judge Tiffany Beckman.
“I Corbin Delgado wish to request new legal council (sp) for ineffectiveness of council (sp),” he wrote. “John Hopkins refuses to effectively represent my case based on both the facts of the case and my wishes as his client. He continues to cause undue delay and is misrepresenting before the court.”
However, court records show Delgado withdrew the request during a hearing held earlier this week.
“Counsel for Defendant advised the Court that he had spoken with his client prior to convening,” court documents stated. “As a result of that conversation, Counsel believed the concerns raised by his client had been resolved…Upon the Court’s inquiry, Defendant indicated the same, and further, his desire to maintain his current representation.”
John Hopkins of Ottawa is Delgado’s court-appointed attorney.
During the same hearing, it was noted a recent mental health evaluation found Delgado competent to stand trial. Prior to the evaluation, he requested to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Delgado is facing charges of murder, an unclassified felony; felonious assault, a second degree felony, and assault, a first degree misdemeanor. The charges, which were passed down by a grand jury in June, are tied to a late May attack.
(more…)POSTED: 10/04/25 at 12:27 am. FILED UNDER: News
By Megan Henry/Ohio Capital Journal
A new law took effect in Ohio this week that requires everyone under 21 to complete driver’s education training before getting their license.
Ohio’s law previously only required those age 17 and younger to go through driver’s training — meaning those 18 and older were previously able to skip the training and simply apply for a driver’s license.
Under the new law, Ohio drivers younger than 21 will be required to complete driver’s education training in order to get a driver’s license, which includes 24 hours of education in the classroom and eight hours with an instructor on the road.
“We know that a driver is safer if they’ve had driver’s training,” Governor Mike DeWine said during a press conference Monday.
This new law came out of Ohio’s two-year state operating budget DeWine signed into law in July.
“What is happening is a number of teenagers didn’t ever get driver’s training,” DeWine said. “We know inexperience is really the number one killer, the number one cause of crashes.”
Nearly 60 percent of at-fault teen drivers were 18 to 19 years old at the time of fatal traffic crashes in 2024, according to the Ohio’s Teen Crash Dashboard. Nearly 100 teen-related fatal crashes were reported in 2024 and the teen driver was at fault in 67 of those crashes. 70 percent of those were the fault of the teen driver, according to the state data.
(more…)POSTED: 10/04/25 at 12:26 am. FILED UNDER: News
