Lincoln Ridge Farms to host a very charitable evening

Man arrested after Monday night incident

VW independent staff

An out-of-state man is facing criminal charges locally, in connection with an incident near the Van Wert city limits.

On Monday, October 19, Van Wert County deputies arrested Rodney Barnswell, 41, of Folcroft, Pennsylvania, for burglary, a felony of the second degree. The arrest was made at a residence in Ridge Township. 

According to information from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, Barnswell was suffering from what appeared to be a serious self-inflicted injury and was transported to a hospital in Lima, before being transferred to a hospital in Columbus for treatment.

No other information has been released by the Sheriff’s Office, but other sources said Barnswell had walked away from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility on Lincoln Highway. Scanner traffic indicated along with the burglary, there was at least one attempted break-in to a vehicle. Scanner traffic also indicated that Barnswell was the subject of a search that stretched all the way to Stripe Rd., and included a K-9 unit and drones. The Sheriff’s Office, the Van Wert Police Department and the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were at the site of his arrest.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident remains under investigation and additional charges could be filed.

Choir concert Monday…

The vocal music department at Van Wert High School will present its Fall Choral Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 26, at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. The doors will open at 7 p.m. The Freshmen Choir, Sophomore Women’s Chorus, Select Acapella Choir, and Concert Choir will be featured. They will present an inspiring evening of music they celebrate the themes of joy, strength, and the power of music with songs such as “I Will Lift My Voice and Sing!,” “I Sing Because I’m Happy,” and “They Are Mother”. The evening will conclude with a combined performance of the Van Wert High School alma mater and Cougar fight song, including a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The concert is free and open to the public. Photo submitted

Lincolnview BOE hears from young student

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s not often that someone gets to meet a comic book creator, but members of the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education had that opportunity during Wednesday night’s monthly meeting.

Mason Welch, a fifth grade student at Lincolnview Elementary, won the Brumback Library’s Summer Reading Program comic book contest with his original 12-page comic book featuring the superhero duo of Super Spaghetti and Mega Meatball and the evil villain, Dr. Garlic Bread. Welch wrote the story, drew the pictures and did the coloring.

He’s sold over 50 copies of the comic book so far and he recently took part at a signing event at Alter Ego Comics in Lima.

“My dad asked the owner if I was allowed to come and sign some comic books and he said yes,” Welch explained. “A bunch of my friends came, some teachers came and even some random people bought some.”

Welch told the board he’s working on a second comic book and hopes to develop additional adventures featuring his original characters.

The board also honored six students who earned perfect scores on math state assessment tests last spring. Three are now fourth grade students – Benjamin Muhlenkamp, Alexandria Roehm and Raelynn Truman. The other three are current eighth graders Hayden Garay, Reid Kill and Black Morris.

During his report to the board, Superintendent Jeff Snyder noted this week is National School Bus Safety Week and he urged drivers to stop when they see the flashing red lights go on.

“Don’t drive around the buses, look for kids, whatever you can do to make sure people are safe,” he said. “We try to be very efficient getting our kids to school, we try not to hold up a whole row of cars but it’s people’s patience that gets the best of them if they’re running behind.”

Treasurer Kaitlyn Edelbrock informed the board that two new buses purchased with permanent improvement money were delivered in early September.

Math whizzes!

Talk about smart – these Lincolnview students earned perfect scores on math state assessment tests that were administered this past spring. Shown above (front row) are Raelynn Truman and Alexandria Roehm. Back row: Blake Morris, Hayden Garay and Reid Kill. Not pictured; Benjamin Muhlenkamp. They were honored during Wednesday’s Lincolnview school board meeting. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

Van Wert Hospital chosen for ODH award

VW independent staff/submitted information

OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital is one of nearly two dozen Ohio hospitals chosen to receive Rural Health Transformation Program awards totaling $92 million to manage chronic illnesses and expand access to preventive, primary, maternal, and behavioral healthcare in rural areas. 

The awards, administered by the Ohio Department of Health, include:

• $31.4 million to establish or expand Clinically Integrated Networks (CIN) and Rural Health Innovation Hubs
• $30.3 million to improve maternal care
• $30.3 million in one-time investments to 22 rural hospitals

“Our goal is to provide the best and most timely patient care as close to home as possible, and to create networks that effectively coordinate quality preventive and follow-up care, all of which are essential for the best patient care,” said ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.

Rural Hospital Investments

22 rural hospitals are receiving a one-time investment of $1,377,479 for specific quality-improvement projects. For example, some projects include opening behavioral health units to support access to substance use disorder treatment and mental health services, adding on-site MRI services, and/or adding or expanding diagnostic services in areas where current capacity is limited or patients are placed on waitlists. These investments allow rural hospitals to improve the quality of patient care and bring services to patients in their own communities. 

Elks donation…

Van Wert Lodge 1197, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, recently donated $943 to Convoy Fire & EMS. The department used the money to purchase two sets of Milwaukee battery powered shears for cutting windshields at accident scenes and a Milwaukee battery powered fan for smoke removal and ventilation at structure fires. The money was distributed by the Ohio Elks Association in the form of a Community Service Grant. To date, thru the Community Service Grants, Van Wert Elks Lodge 1197 has distributed $38,467.53 back into Van Wert County to assist the city, county and villages. Pictured above is Convoy Fire Chief Rob Miller and Lodge Community Service Grant Chairman Michael C. Stanley. Photo submitted

NSCC celebrating one year in Van Wert

VW independent staff/submitted information

Northwest State Community College is celebrating one year since the opening of the Van Wert Campus at 520 E. Sycamore St. Registration for the next semester is now open.

The Van Wert Campus offers programs for an array of student groups, including traditional learners, college credit plus students, learners on path to transfer credits, and workforce development. Programs include computer science, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, industrial maintenance and the full suite of business-related programs. Students can also complete all their general education courses prior to transferring to a four-year university.

For those who haven’t had the opportunity to see the Van Wert Campus, the school is has planned several upcoming “Visit Days.” Visit Days are designed as a ‘one-stop’ shop, allowing potential students to apply for admission, discuss financial aid options, and register for classes all in a single visit. Tours of the facility will be available from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesdays, from 1-2 p.m. on Thursdays , or by appointment for groups.

NSCC officials said by choosing the Van Wert Campus, local students can access high-demand career pathways close to home, while taking advantage of Northwest State’s exceptional affordability. They also noted attending NSCC costs a fraction of the price of standard four-year universities. More than half of all NSCC graduates complete their degree with no student loan debt.

The Van Wert Campus services Van Wert and Paulding counties and all surrounding communities. More information can be found here.

Man gets long prison sentence in drug case

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A Van Wert man arrested in connection with a large-scale drug discovery in the city was in court for sentencing on Tuesday.

Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin D. Burchfield sentenced Devon Couch to a total of 15 to 20 1/2 years in prison on four charges: possession of cocaine, a first degree felony; possession of drugs, a second degree felony; possession of hashish, a second degree felony, and possession of marijuana, a third degree felony.

Couch pleaded guilty to the charges, all of which carried firearm specifications, last month.

During Tuesday’s hearing, defense attorney Zachary Maisch requested the mininum sentence of 12 years.

“To put it boldly, we believe that the 12-years of mandatory prison is sufficient,” Maisch said. “His demeanor has changed immensely from the approximate 250 days he’s been sitting in jail. He has started programs while being incarcerated in the Van Wert County Jail. He’s attending NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting and he’s started what’s called ‘Time Well Spent.’

Couch also addressed the court, apologized, and noted he has a newborn son and requested leniency.

“I do think I’m showing responsbility for my actions  and I know they were a mistake,” he said.

Prior to the sentence being imposed, Van Wert County Prosecutor Dillon Staas, IV referred to testimony by Van Wert Police Lt. Rob Black, who said by far, it was the most cocaine he had ever seized in a case. He also recalled text messages sent by Couch.

“The text messages recovered from Mr. Couch’s phone regarding his intentions – what he was willing to do to avoid being caught – which included violence on police officers,” Staas said.

Solar project addressed at meeting

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The general public had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the proposed Butterfly Meadows solar project Tuesday evening.

A two-hour public information meeting was held at Vantage Career Center, and the open house-style presentation gave anyone interested a chance to speak directly with representatives of the developer, Houston-based Panthera Grid Partners.

A steady stream of people filtered in to learn more details about the project.

“We’re pleased with the turnout and the opportunity to connect directly with community members,” Marketing and Communications Director Becky Zavala said. “Attendance was slightly lower than at our previous meeting, but we had meaningful conversations with those who attended, including several adjacent neighbors who have a particular interest in the project. Overall, attendees seemed genuinely interested in learning more, asking questions and better understanding the project. These conversations are valuable to us as we continue engaging with the community and addressing questions and concerns.”

The project was originally planned to span approximately 4,000 acres, primarily in Hoaglin, Union and Pleasant townships, along with nearly 40 acres in Van Wert. However, plans have been scaled back considerably, to approximately 1,700 acres and the project remains in the design phase.

It was noted that Butterfly Meadows will pay in excess of $35 million in property tax revenue to Van Wert County over its lifetime.

Heppeard makes donation…

Dalton Heppeard, a 2018 Van Wert High School graduate, is continuing his tradition of giving back to the Van Wert CEO Program. For the eighth consecutive year, he donated a portion of his Apple Festival earnings to support students currently in the program. This year also marks Heppeard’s final year participating in the Apple Festival. As a high school senior, he participated in the CEO Program while working with Bee Gee Realty. He credits his experiences at Van Wert High School and in the CEO Program with making a lasting impact on his personal and professional life, inspiring him to give back to the program that helped shape him. Van Wert High School CEO Program Coordinator Bob Spath (left) thanked Heppeard (right) for his generosity and continued commitment to the program. Photo submitted