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BELLEFONTAINE EXAMINER
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Vol. 123 • No. 86
50 CENTS
ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE @ www.examiner.org
CITY COUNCIL
Action on
street issues
postponed
Income tax
collection,
Camp Myeerah
acquisition
discussed
BY REUBEN MEES
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
rmees@examiner.org
Two street issues were discussed at Bellefontaine City
Council’s Tuesday meeting,
but no action was taken on
either.
In the first, a proposed road
into the Link Construction’s
new industrial park along
north County Road 32 came up
for a public hearing.
In order to obtain a
$250,000 grant for the new
road, which would serve the
IEG/M3 plastic injection mold
making business, Link must
dedicate the road to the city,
which would then maintain it,
City Engineer Tim Notestine
said.
“It’s a benefit to the city to
be able to attract businesses
and it creates a lot of frontage
(Link) can potentially sell to
other companies,” Mr.
Notestine said. “And the city
stands to get the income tax
from the people who work
there as well as the property
tax.”
Logan County Area
Chamber of Commerce
Director Paul Benedetti also
supported the proposed dedication, citing its benefits to
attracting business, but
Councilman Jerry Pitzer said
he would not support the proposal if it comes down to naming the street Lock & Load
Road as the company desires.
“I would not vote for this
project if this is going to be the
name of the road,” the councilman said. “I find that very
offensive, especially having
lost a family member to gun
violence.”
The issue could come up for
a vote at the April 8 meeting
after Link signs necessary documents and an ordinance is
drafted, City Law Director
Howard Traul said.
The other street issue was
the Henry Street extension —
See COUNCIL on Page 9
Turnover roils at pet shelter
Accusations abound of
mismanagement, improprieties
BY REUBEN MEES
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
rmees@examiner.org
Several key leaders of the
Top of Ohio Pet Shelter have
resigned their posts amid a
dispute over the way the
organization should be run.
Last week, former board
president Larry Mawhorr, who
was also performing some
duties of the executive direc-
tor, resigned his post and was
followed Monday by former
executive director Lori
Plummer and humane agent
Carol Souza.
In the interim, the remaining board members voted to
approve Gail Friend as the new
executive director.
Despite the changes in
leadership, Logan County
Commissioners said they have
been assured that the changes
will not affect the shelter’s
ability to accept animals or the
county’s contract.
“We don’t see it affecting
the way we do business with
them and Benji Avila (Logan
County’s dog warden) has said
he has spoken with them and
was assured that he will still be
able to take dogs there,”
Commissioner John Bayliss
said Tuesday.
Ms. Plummer and Mr.
Mawhorr said they believe the
moves made by the existing
board and direction they want
to take the pet shelter violate
board policies and ethic guidelines while Ms. Friend and
other board members allege
the past leaders were mismanaging the shelter and are
launching an investigation into
specific instances.
“Over the last two weeks
there has been major changes
within the board of directors
that I believe violate the Ohio
Attorney General’s guidelines
for a 501c3 (nonprofit) organization as well as the Ohio
See PET on Page 9
Riverside to begin Ohio Model
United Nations program
BY MANDY LOEHR
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
mloehr@examiner.org
Riverside High School students will
have a new opportunity to learn about
other cultures next school year, as the
board of education approved at their
Tuesday evening meeting a motion to
begin an Ohio Model United Nations
charter.
High School Principal Andy McGill
said the school will be working with the
OMUN parent company, the Ohio
Leadership Institute, to have a staff
member trained in the curriculum and
then organize the student group.
“I already have a staff member who
has expressed interest in leading the
chapter,” he said.
“I see a lot of great things coming of
this program. I think it will be a new
avenue for students who are successful
to gain new skills and confidence, an
opportunity unlike anything that we
have available right now.”
Mr. McGill said the program will
begin at the high school level, and then
it likely will be available to middle
school students in the future.
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
rmees@examiner.org
See PROGRAM on Page 7
An undisclosed number of people
have been laid off work and hundreds
of area residents did not receive meals
they were counting on Tuesday, but the
woman tasked with overseeing Tri
County Community Action refused to
offer any public comment on what
direction the agency is headed or how
long the situation may last.
Rebecca Tumblin was named interim director of the agency after the
board of directors placed Denise Birt
on unpaid administrative leave last
week.
Monday, a lack of funding forced
the board to cancel the Meals on
Wheels service, which delivers meals to
about 300 seniors and homebound
individuals daily. Senior nutrition sites
throughout Logan, Champaign and
Shelby counties served by the agency
were closed Tuesday and volunteers
had no explanation as to what to tell
those who arrived.
“I’m very troubled. ... it’s as
bad as it sounds and some
things may be even worse.”
Adam Brannon
Bellefontaine mayor
It was unclear to what extent other
programs, such as tax filing assistance,
the Home Energy Assistance Program
or Transportation Logan County,
would be affected.
Ms. Tumblin refused to return telephone calls seeking comment about
the public impact and instructed a
receptionist at the office to tell an
Examiner reporter who went to the
Patterson Street office Tuesday afternoon that “she was not available.”
Don Lewis, a volunteer at the Young
At Heart Center in Lakeview, said he
got a message Tuesday morning from
See COUNTY on Page 6
EXAMINER PHOTO | NATE SMITH
Hardware, hand tools and heavy machinery will
be up for bid beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the
Bellefontaine Armory, 1021 S. Main St.
NEG equipment to be
auctioned Tuesday
BY NATE SMITH
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
nsmith@examiner.org
The general public will be afforded a chance
to bid on machinery and assorted hardware purchased by way of the National Emergency Grant.
Inventory appraised at about $45,000 will be
auctioned beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the
Bellefontaine Armory, 1021 S. Main St., under the
direction of auctioneer Mick Lile.
Items to be auctioned off include several tools
including name brand chain saws. Vehicles such
as a mini-van will be up for bid. Trailers, too, as
well as heavy machinery including a backhoe and
skid loader are among the items to be auctioned.
See AUCTION on Page 9
Crash claims driver
BY THE BELLEFONTAINE EXAMINER STAFF
EXAMINER PHOTO | T.J. HUBBARD
Wanda B. Fetters, 79, was claimed in a two-vehicle crash that occurred about 4:30 p.m. on County
Road 10 near Township Road 179.
TOTAL MARKET COVERAGE
BELLEFONTAINE
E EXAMINER
BY THE EXAMINER STAFF
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TODAY’S TMC
ADVERTISERS INCLUDE:
Tri County interim administrator
refuses to discuss impact of closures
BY REUBEN MEES
TMC
Reach…
Response…
Results…
A Tuesday afternoon crash claimed an elderly Bellefontaine
woman.
Wanda B. Fetters, 79, was pronounced dead at the scene of a twovehicle crash about 4:15 p.m. on County Road 10 at Township Road
179, troopers of the Marysville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol
report.
Troopers said Ms. Fetters was driving a southbound car on T.R.
179 when her vehicle failed to stop at the intersection and traveled
into the path of a northwest bound pickup truck on C.R. 10. The pickup then struck the driver’s side of the Fetters’ car.
The impact forced the vehicles off the south side of C.R. 10, where
the car struck a tree and the pickup came to rest near the road.
The truck’s driver, Marvin C. Tuente, 58, of Maria Stein, sustained
non-life threatening injuries.
Troopers were assisted by Bellefontaine Fire and EMS, Tri-Valley
EMS and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
The drivers each were wearing seat belts, troopers said. Alcohol
and/or drugs are not suspected as factors.
Damage to the vehicles was heavy.
Ms. Fetters served as a Mary Rutan Hospital Guild volunteer for
several years and was the recipient of the RSVP Volunteer of the Year
award in 2012 for logging 348 hours of volunteer service.
• A NEW LEAF FLORIST
• ADECCO
• ALDI
• ALLEN TIRE
• ANDERSON
• BALLOON GALLERY
• R.E. BECKER HOMES
• BUCKEYE SPIRIT
• CALVARY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
• CARMAN BUILDERS
• CITIZENS FEDERAL
• CURLY'S MEATS
• DONATOS PIZZA
• EASTON WATER SOLUTIONS
• ERWIN INSURANCE
• FISHER’S FLEA MARKET
• GALVEZ INSURANCE
• GREEN HILLS
• HARLEY JACKSON AUCTIONEER
• HELMUTH BARNS
• HOCHSTETLER LUMBER
• HOLLAND THEATRE
• INSURANCE CENTER
• JENNINGS FARLEY FUNERAL HOME
• KENTON CARPET
• KEY LOCKSMITH
• KIWANIS
• KofC FISH FRY
• L.A. TAN
• LaROCHE FOR JUDGE
• LOGAN COUNTY SOLID WASTE
• LIBERTY NATIONAL BANK
• LOGAN COUNTY LIBRARIES
• LOGAN DENTAL
• LOVING HANDS
• MADRIVER KNIFE
• MARYSVILLE OBGYN
• MATHEWS-ACURA
• McCULLA’S
• McKEESTOWN TRADING POST
• MARY RUTAN FOUNDATION
• MARY RUTAN HOSPITAL OBGYN
• NATIONAL SALT DISTRIBUTORS
• PETERSON ELECTRIC
• RELIANT MECHANICAL SERVICES
• REPUBLIC SERVICES
• ROYER REALTY
• RUSH OPTICAL
• SHOFFSTALL FUNERAL HOME
• SNYDER’S HEATING & COOLING
• STEVE AUSTIN’S AUTO GROUP
• SUICIDE PREVENTION COALITION
• TRADE-N-POST
• THOMPSON ELECTRIC
• TRANS. RESEARCH CENTER
• TRI POINT AUTOMOTIVE INC.
• WATER’S EDGE POOLS
• WHITE’S FORD
• WPKO
• YODER’S COUNTRY FURNITURE
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