Lots of thunder, lightning and rain hit Van Wert County

Local organizations receive donations

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING — Members of Paulding Putnam recently donated $13,512 to 17 local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

Thanks to the 80 percent of members who round up their electric bill and donate to this fund, Paulding Putnam has provided more than $814,835 to northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities since 2010.

Participating members round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, with the extra pennies being used to help fund charities and groups in their communities. Each quarter, the funds are dispensed to local causes that applied for funding.

The most recent donation recipients include

• Children’s Hunger Alliance: $1,000 to provide weekend meal program for students in Paulding and Putnam counties
• Crestview Local Schools: $500 to purchase make up supplies for Shrek the Musical
• Defiance Area Youth for Christ: $1,000 to support the annual trip to Boundary Waters, Minnesota
• Delphos Jefferson Middle School: $264 to purchase “Pay it forward” t-shirts
• First United Methodist Church: $350 to purchase back to school supplies for Van Wert County students in need
• Friends of the Paulding County Parks: $1,000 to help with Port-a-John fees
• Lima Symphony Orchestra: $1,500 to support the Young People’s Concert
• Love, Inc. of Van Wert County: $1,500 to fund essential electrical repairs for homeowners
• Miller City Volunteer Fire Department: $1,770 to purchase an AED for an emergency response vehicle

Retail crime crackdown nets arrests

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Authorities have filed criminal charges against 46 people as part of a crackdown on organized retail crime across the state, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced on Tuesday.

“A team approach gives law enforcement the upper hand to dismantle theft groups that harm Ohio’s businesses and consumers,” Wilson said. “Credit to our task forces for leading the charge on these investigations and holding thieves accountable.”

The coordinated operation, carried out last week, targeted organized theft rings responsible for stealing merchandise from local stores and reselling it through illicit networks and online marketplaces. Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually.

Three regional task forces operating under the attorney general’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) spearheaded the sting as part of a nationwide Organized Retail Crime Blitz Week.

Results of the operation

In Ohio, the task force efforts yielded the following successes:  

Northwest Ohio Regional Retail Crime Task Force: 12 people face charges of theft and trespassing. Recovered $976 in stolen merchandise.

Tactical Crime Suppression Unit Organized Retail Crime Task Force (southwest Ohio): 12 people face charges of theft, trespassing, resisting arrest, falsification, obstructing official business and/or public indecency. Recovered $2,150 in stolen merchandise.

Fraud and Organized Retail Crime Engagement Task Force (central Ohio): 22 people face charges of theft and trespassing. Recovered $7,055 in stolen merchandise.

Beyond the criminal charges, the task forces gathered key evidence and intelligence throughout the week that will be used to advance ongoing investigations of theft rings and fencing operations across Ohio.

The FORCE Act

The OOCIC task forces were established following the enactment in 2025 of the Fight Organized Retail Crime and Empower Law Enforcement (FORCE) Act. Co-written by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the law established tougher criminal penalties and authorized the creation of law enforcement collaboratives to investigate organized retail theft statewide.

Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

Council votes down proposed smoking ban

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

By a 6-1 vote, Van Wert City Council has officially rejected a proposed smoking ban in city parks.

The legislation was proposed earlier this summer by Councilman At-Large Hall Block, who was the only member to vote yes on the ordinance’s third and final reading during Monday night’s meeting.

At a previous meeting, there were questions about how practical such a law would be in terms of enforceability.

Before the vote, Van Wert County General Healh District Medical Director Dr. Paul Kalogerou gave a brief presentation on the dangers and consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke. Despite citing several sources, including research from the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society, a handful of people in the audience who said they are smokers disagreed with the information he shared.

Also prior to the vote, Block suggested that if council were to reject his proposed ordinance, members may want to reconsider a ban on smoking marijuana in city-owned parks. 

“I feel like we’ve got a little bit of a juxtaposition here when we have the ban on marijuana use in parks, which is also a legal but harmful drug,” he stated. “If we don’t ban cigarettes, should we unban marijuana? I think we should really consider that before we take any action.”

“I would rather have our parks be free from smoking and marijuana use but I think we should be consistent across our laws – if we’re banning marijuana from the parks, we should ban smoking in parks,” he added. “If we’re not banning smoking, we shouldn’t ban marijuana – that would be my argument.”

Stormy night…

While heavy rain came down, frequent lightning lit up the sky Monday night. This video was taken outside the WKSD/WERT radio studios on Mendon Road in Van Wert. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued until 2 a.m. and several Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued for Van Wert County and the surrounding area. Video by Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

YWCA shares capital campaign progress

The YWCA of Van Wert County has announced significant progress in its capital campaign as the organization moves closer to breaking ground on its new facility next spring. With millions of dollars secured through federal, state, foundation, and private investments, the project has reached several major milestones that position it for the next phase of development.

The new facility, which will be constructed on Lincoln Highway across the street from the Marsh Foundation in Van Wert, will expand access to youth programming, survivor services, community partnerships, and health resources while ensuring the YWCA continues its 110-year legacy of serving Van Wert County for generations to come.

YWCA of Van Wert County President & CEO Kimberly Laudick said since launching the campaign, the community has demonstrated incredible confidence in the vision of a new YWCA. She also said thanks to the generosity of donors, grant partners, elected officials, and community advocates, the project continues to move forward with tremendous momentum.

Recent project milestones

Over the past several months, the YWCA has continued securing funding while architects finalize building plans and preparations begin for the construction bidding process.

Recent milestones include:

• $1 million approved through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsored by Senator Jon Husted.
• $250,000 secured through the State of Ohio Capital Budget.
• Submission of a $1.3 million Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant application through the Federal Home Loan Bank.
• Approval of grant funding and award of the asbestos abatement project for the current YWCA building. This important investment will prepare the historic facility for future ownership and redevelopment, ensuring it can continue serving the community in a new capacity.
• Approval for up to $2.5 million in New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) through a Community Development Entity.
• More than $3.2 million in private donor pledges secured to date.
• Construction bidding is anticipated to begin this fall, with groundbreaking planned for spring, 2027.

Open house to be held for playground

Submitted information

Lincolnview Local Schools will host an open house for the new Lincolnview Elementary playground at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, August 13. The program will start at the Track & Field/Soccer Complex and then will proceed to the new playground for all students to play on. A snow cone truck will also be there to give out free snow cones to Lancer students, parents, and community members.

Wrenway Park ready for annual tournament

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

There are many sports venues around the country. Some are big, some are small, some are old, some are new, and some are unique and quite famous – Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Fenway Park in Boston are two that come to mind, but during the third weekend of August, a small venue in extreme southwest Van Wert County takes center stage.

That’s when Wren hosts the Wrenway Park Wiffleball Warehouse Tournament, which transforms the tiny village (estimated population 150) into “The Wiffleball Capital of Ohio.” Each year, 16 teams compete for the coveted and undisputed wiffleball championship.

Appearing on Sunday’s Mayor’s Conference/Commissioners Corner radio program on 99.7FM WKSD/WERT 1220AM/104.3FM, Jack Davis, who serves as commissioner of the annual event, shared some of the history of Wrenway Park and the tournament itself.

The tournament has been held at the same location since it debuted in 1992 but it wasn’t known as Wrenway Park for the first couple of years. However, the tournament quickly took off and the site became what it is today. It features elements from other famous ballparks, including the “Green Monster” from Boston’s Fenway Park, the tall stacks from Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and a clock modeled after Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Davis noted the ballpark was designed by Mike Wortman, who decided how the field would be laid out in the available space.

“That’s how it became the shape that it is today,” Davis said. “As you know, a baseball field is a 90-degree angle for second and third (base), but this is more like a 70-degree angle. You just watch the games – everybody that rounds first, they’re going right to the pitcher’s mound – you need to made that wide turn as you round first base.”

Despite its small dimensions at the ballpark – 125 feet to straightaway center field and 122 feet down the left and right field lines – you won’t see a lot of home runs during the tournament.

Lincoln Highway “Buy Way” sale on tap

VW independent staff/submitted information

The month of August brings with it back-to-back sales that go right through Van Wert County.

The U.S. 127 Yard Sale wrapped up on Sunday and now, the 22 annual Lincoln Highway “Buy Way” Yard Sales will take place east to west across Ohio this Thursday through Sunday, August 13-15.

The historic Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental road for automobile travel in the United States, dedicated in 1913 and extending from New York City’s Times Square to San Francisco’s Lincoln Park. Combined, various routes across Ohio comprise over 400 miles today.

Sales in previous years have seen families, neighbors, and groups of all kinds selling their wares from yards, porches, barns and garages; under tents and in open-air locations.

The idea began in 2005 and has spawned a variety of activities from Convoy to East Liverpool on the Ohio River across from West Virginia. A number of communities have group sales in public parks and other locations. Van Wert County communities on the Lincoln Highway from west to east include Convoy, Van Wert, Middle Point and Delphos. There will be a bit of disruption just west of the Van Wert city limits – Lincoln Highway, at its intersection with U.S. 224 is closed to all traffic for construction of a roundabout. A detour is posted.

Visit historicbyway.com for sale locations and activities along Lincoln Highway.

Scholarship awarded…

Harper Roop, a 2026 Van Wert High School graduate, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Jared Fleming Running Scholarship. It was created in memory of 2013 VWHS graduate Jared Fleming, a 2012 state track and field champion and former Ohio State University student-athlete. It will be awarded annually to a VWHS graduate who demonstrates excellence in running, leadership and perseverance. Roop will attend Miami University, where she plans to double major in kinesiology and nutrition/dietetics before pursuing chiropractic school. The scholarship has been established as a permanent fund through the Van Wert County Foundation. For more information or to contribute, contact the Van Wert County Foundation. Shown above (left to right) are: Van Wert High School Athletic Director Trent Temple, Austin Fleming, Harper Roop, Kim Fleming and Jay Fleming. Photo submitted

Saturday morning crash…

Ohio City Fire and EMS was called to the intersection at U.S.127 and Ohio 709 for a three-vehicle accident late Saturday morning. The Buick and Honda collided at the intersection, then the Buick struck a motorhome. Both cars were towed from the scene while the motorhome sustained light damage. No one was injured. Bob Barnes photos