ASHLAND COUNTY – The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released the anticipated construction projects affecting highways in Ashland County for the upcoming week. All outlined work is contingent upon weather conditions and is subject to change.
New Construction Impacts:
State Route 89 Culvert Replacement: Commencing Monday, May 20, State Route 89, spanning between Glenn Street and Perry Township Road 395, will undergo closure for the replacement of two culverts. The designated detour route will redirect traffic northbound on State Route 89 to U.S. Route 30 west, leading to State Route 60 north, then onto U.S. Route 42 north to U.S. Route 250 east, eventually reconnecting with State Route 89. Estimated completion of this project is slated for Friday, June 7, 2024.
Continuing Construction Impacts:
U.S. Route 42 & State Route 302 Intersection Improvement: The ongoing transformation of the U.S. Route 42 and State Route 302 intersection into a single-lane roundabout continues to affect traffic flow. State Route 302 eastbound, stretching from U.S. Route 42 to Township Rd 251/1080 intersection, remains closed to facilitate construction. However, the intersection at U.S. Route 42 and State Route 302 remains accessible for motorists. During this phase, access along State Route 302 is reserved exclusively for residents and emergency personnel, with entry permitted solely from State Route 302 westbound. The designated detour for other motorists redirects traffic westward on State Route 302, leading to State Route 301 north, then U.S. Route 224 west, followed by State Route 58 south, eventually reconvening with State Route 302. Phase one of this project is expected to persist from April 2024 until June 2024, with the entire project estimated for completion in October 2024.
State Route 89 & State Route 302 Intersection Improvement: Similar to the U.S. Route 42 and State Route 302 intersection project, the conversion of the State Route 89 and State Route 302 intersection into a single-lane roundabout is underway. State Route 302 eastbound, from State Route 89 to U.S. Route 42 intersection, is closed to facilitate construction. Nevertheless, access along State Route 89 is maintained for motorists, while access on State Route 302 is restricted to residents and emergency personnel, who must enter from State Route 302 westbound. The designated detour for non-resident motorists follows the same route as the U.S. Route 42 and State Route 302 intersection project. Phase one of this project is anticipated to last from April 2024 until June 2024, with the entire project scheduled for completion in October 2024.
As motorists navigate through these construction zones, patience and adherence to designated detour routes are encouraged to ensure the safety of all travelers and construction crews. ODOT advises drivers to remain vigilant and follow all posted signage and instructions.
For further updates and additional information regarding these construction projects, individuals are advised to consult the Ohio Department of Transportation’s official website.
Jeromesville, Ohio – The Village of Jeromesville woke up to unsettling news as two local businesses, Fickes Furniture on North High Street and the American Legion on Huron Street, were reported to have been burglarized overnight.
According to Chief Deputy David Blake of the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Fickes Furniture suffered damage to their safe but reported minimal loss. The American Legion, however, had an undisclosed amount of cash stolen from their ATM and other machines.
Chief Deputy Blake asked to residents for any information that could aid the investigation, including surveillance footage from Ring Cameras or other sources capturing activity in the area. Those with relevant information were urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 419-289-3911.
Jeromesville Mayor Randy Spade expressed concern for the affected businesses, emphasizing the impact on the local community. “These are small business owners,” Mayor Spade stated, “and it’s disheartening to see them targeted.” He also expressed disappointment at the lack of respect shown towards the American Legion, an institution serving veterans.
As authorities continue their investigation, residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of community cooperation in maintaining the safety and security of Jeromesville.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced $10.25 million in three multistate settlements with the largest wireless carriers in the United States to resolve the 50 attorneys general investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices.
Ohio is due to receive more than $478,000 under the agreements with AT&T Mobility together with Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless together with TracFone Wireless.
“In a time when we rely heavily on our phones to stay connected, it’s unacceptable to make false promises about what consumers might expect from their wireless carriers.” Yost said. “Ohioans deserve transparency and honesty from telecommunications companies, and this agreement ensures that they will receive just that.”
Key components of the settlements involve assurances that the wireless carriers will change their advertising and business practices going forward to avoid vague “unlimited” data claims, unclear “free” phone offers and undisclosed conditions for monetary incentives for switching carriers.
Under the agreements, the carriers must:
Make sure that all future ads are truthful, accurate and not misleading.
Clearly disclose restrictions on “unlimited” data plans.
Transparently disclose incentives for switching carriers.
Clearly disclose all material terms and conditions for consumers to receive “free” devices or services.
Explicitly state when an offer involves a lease agreement.
Justify claims of cost savings with clear comparisons.
Appoint a dedicated employee to handle consumer complaints from Attorneys General offices.
Train customer service to comply with the terms of these agreements.
To view Ohio’s agreement with AT&T Mobility and Cricket Wireless, click here.
To view Ohio’s agreement with T-Mobile, click here.
To view Ohio’s agreement with Cellco dba Verizon Wireless and TracFone, click here.
Residents and commuters in Ruggles Township, Ashland County, should prepare for a temporary disruption in travel as the CSX Railway crossing undergoes rehabilitation work. Kelly Hickey, Administrative Assistant/Safety at the Ashland County Engineer’s Office, announced today that the crossing located on Township Road 126, County Road 1181, and Township Road 1101 will be closed for a period of five days, beginning Monday, May 13th, and ending on Friday, May 17th.
The rehabilitation work is essential for maintaining the safety and integrity of the railway crossing, ensuring smooth and reliable transportation for both road and rail users. During the closure period, alternative routes should be planned, and drivers are advised to follow detour signs and instructions to navigate around the closed crossing.
It is anticipated that the railway crossing will reopen to traffic by the end of the day on Friday, May 17th, allowing normal travel to resume along the affected roads. However, residents and commuters are encouraged to stay updated on any changes or delays by contacting CSX Railroad directly at (800) 232-0144.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced $10.25 million in three multistate settlements with the largest wireless carriers in the United States to resolve the 50 attorneys general investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices.
Ohio is due to receive more than $478,000 under the agreements with AT&T Mobility together with Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless together with TracFone Wireless.
“In a time when we rely heavily on our phones to stay connected, it’s unacceptable to make false promises about what consumers might expect from their wireless carriers.” Yost said. “Ohioans deserve transparency and honesty from telecommunications companies, and this agreement ensures that they will receive just that.”
Key components of the settlements involve assurances that the wireless carriers will change their advertising and business practices going forward to avoid vague “unlimited” data claims, unclear “free” phone offers and undisclosed conditions for monetary incentives for switching carriers.
Under the agreements, the carriers must:
Make sure that all future ads are truthful, accurate and not misleading.
Clearly disclose restrictions on “unlimited” data plans.
Transparently disclose incentives for switching carriers.
Clearly disclose all material terms and conditions for consumers to receive “free” devices or services.
Explicitly state when an offer involves a lease agreement.
Justify claims of cost savings with clear comparisons.
Appoint a dedicated employee to handle consumer complaints from Attorneys General offices.
Train customer service to comply with the terms of these agreements.
To view Ohio’s agreement with AT&T Mobility and Cricket Wireless, click here.
To view Ohio’s agreement with T-Mobile, click here.
To view Ohio’s agreement with Cellco dba Verizon Wireless and TracFone, click here.
Perrysville, OH – On Sunday, June 16, Pleasant Hill Lake Park will again host hundreds of athletes from around the area and the State of Ohio for the Pleasant Valley Triathlon, Duathlon & Aquabike.
Athletes will swim up to 1500 meters in Pleasant Hill Lake, bike up to 25 miles through Ashland and Richland counties around the park, and end with a run inside the park. There are multiple distances athletes will participate in from the beginner-friendly super sprint (mini) distance to an Olympic distance. Each exciting distance will start and end at Pleasant Hill Lake Park.
The Pleasant Valley Triathlon is organized by Columbus-based event organizer, HFP Racing and is owned and operated by 1984 Lucas High School graduate, Craig Thompson.
The event is open to the public for participation.
Please be advised there will be bicyclists on the roads surrounding the park and in the Mohican area on Sunday morning, June 16th, 2024.
More information, volunteer opportunities and event registration are located at: https://hfpracing.com/race/pleasant-valley-triathlon-duathlon-aquabike/
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — On a day set aside to raise awareness nationally about fentanyl-related overdose deaths, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released data from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s laboratory highlighting the ongoing prevalence of the synthetic opioid in Ohio.
“Illegal use of fentanyl continues to wreck Ohioans’ lives, causing addiction and death,” Yost said. “Unless the pills you’re taking were prescribed by your doctor, you can’t be sure what it is – don’t risk it.”
Three years ago, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) established May 7 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day, an effort to educate Americans about the public health crisis that illegal fentanyl poses and engage them in the fight to prevent more tragic deaths.
Last year alone, the DEA says, more than 70,000 Americans fatally overdosed on illegally made fentanyl. In Ohio in 2023, the total number of fentanyl-related opioid deaths was 3,579, according to Yost’s Scientific Committee on Opioid Overdose and Prevention Education (SCOPE), which monitors such deaths statewide using Ohio Department of Health data.
Those 3,579 deaths represent 98% of the 3,651 overall opioid fatalities in Ohio last year — reinforcing the breadth of the state’s challenge with illegal fentanyl.
“These numbers are frightening if you look at them as numbers,” Yost added. “They are heartbreaking when you realize they were someone’s loved ones.”
Fentanyl update
As the largest criminal drug lab in the state, BCI’s laboratory tests a majority, but not all, of the drug evidence seized by law enforcement agencies in Ohio.
The BCI lab continues to process a high number of cases involving fentanyl, which in the first quarter of 2024 was the second-most-often identified substance in drug-evidence samples (after only methamphetamine). Since 2018, fentanyl has posed an increasingly larger public threat than heroin, whose prevalence has steadily declined in recent years.
Fentanyl is manufactured for doctors to control patients’ pain within a controlled environment. When fentanyl is illicitly manufactured in clandestine laboratories and mixed with other substances by drug traffickers — and/or used recreationally — it can be lethal.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl often contains forms of fentanyl whose structure is chemically modified, making their potency and toxicity unknown. To date, BCI has identified at least 33 distinct versions of chemically modified fentanyl.
Fentanyl can be found in many forms, including pills and powder, and is often combined by traffickers with heroin, cocaine and/or other drugs. When consumed, complex mixtures of drugs can create dangerous interactions in the body, amplifying the danger. One sample recently analyzed by BCI contained 11 controlled substances.
Carfentanil update
Carfentanil, a fentanyl analogue that is roughly 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, continues its ongoing presence in Ohio.
The drug was first detected in Ohio drug samples in 2016 and caused a spike in overdoses in 2017. Five years later, the public threat posed by carfentanil seemed to be abating, with BCI’s lab identifying the drug in only five samples in all of 2022.
In September of last year, however, AG Yost issued a warning about an uptick in carfentanil prevalence. Since Oct. 23, the BCI lab has identified a combined 36 items containing carfentanil in 14 counties, with the majority of those seized in northeastern Ohio.
Carfentanil is often found with other drugs and has been identified in market tablets and powders, including those similar in appearance to materials used to manufacture oxycodone tablets.
Safety
If you believe you have been exposed to fentanyl or carfentanil, you should seek immediate medical attention and notify law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers and first responders should wear proper personal protective equipment and use caution in handling evidence suspected of containing carfentanil or any fentanyl-related substance, particularly in cases where an overdose has occurred.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost testified before the House Criminal Justice Committee this afternoon in support of legislation Office Also Launches ‘HT 101’ Guide to Aid Communitiesthat would expand the eligibility of human trafficking survivors to have their criminal records expunged.
“Once the nightmare of human trafficking is over, many individuals begin another battle – putting their lives back together and starting over,” Yost said. “The journey to recovery is made even tougher when survivors are barred from employment, housing or education because of their past involvement with trafficking.”
House Bill 385, sponsored by Reps. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania), would remove the predicate requirement for those applying for expungement of fourth- and fifth-degree felonies and all misdemeanors.
Currently, a trafficking survivor must have one of three predicate charges to be eligible to apply for expungement: solicitation, loitering to engage in solicitation, or prostitution.
“These predicate charges exclude both sex trafficking victims who were never convicted of those specific crimes, as well as labor trafficking victims, who would not have solicitation charges,” Yost testified. “The statute also ignores the modernization of traffickers, who increasingly use the internet and cellphones to commit their crimes.”
Survivors would still have to provide clear and convincing evidence that the crimes they committed resulted from being trafficked.
Also testifying during today’s hearing were multiple trafficking survivors, including Natasha Cooper, who serves on the Ambassador Advisory Commission of Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative.
“Even though I have more than four years clean and have accomplished a great deal, I am still affected by my past,” Cooper told the House committee. “If I had my record expunged, this would help me move forward in life in so many ways — it would help me with more diverse employment opportunities, (provide) greater access to safe and stable housing and give me a sense of pride. I am a productive member of my community and want to be viewed for who I am not what my past charges have been.”
Yost also supported House Bill 385’s companion legislation in the Ohio Senate, Senate Bill 214, which has already passed out of the chamber.
On message with today’s testimony, AG Yost also announced a new “best practices” guide for addressing human trafficking in Ohio communities.
The publication, “Human Trafficking 101: Best Practices Guide to Raising Awareness in Your Community,” was developed by the Public Awareness Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission. It is intended as a “how to” resource for anti-trafficking coalitions and community leaders statewide.
“Human trafficking is happening in Ohio, and traffickers thrive when communities are in the dark about how to handle it,” Yost said. “This guide sheds light on the basics and gives everyone the same checklist for responding.”
The guide, available through the AG’s website, focuses on four main topics:
High-Level Essentials
Myth vs. Fact
Credible Resources
Checklists for Trainings
It provides a comprehensive overview of human trafficking as well as appropriate imagery and language for groups to use. It also emphasizes the importance of involving survivors in community discussions because of the unique knowledge and perspective that lived experience provides.
Yost created the Human Trafficking Initiative in 2019 to build awareness, empower Ohioans to take action in their communities, strengthen victim services throughout the state and ensure that traffickers and “johns” are brought to justice.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive Anthony Alexander. Alexander is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Adult Parole Authority on a parole violation on the original charge of possession drugs. Alexander, 38, is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 6 feet 0 inches tall. Alexander has ties to the cities of Mansfield and Marion.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive David Greene. Greene is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office on a fail to verify address as a sex offender. Greene, 39, is described as a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes, standing 6 feet 0 inches tall. Greene has ties to the city of Mansfield and Galion.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive Nestor Salazar. Salazar is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for illegal conveyance of drugs. Salazar, 34, is described as a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall. Salazar has ties to the cities of Willard and Columbus.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive Jose Fox. Fox is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for possession of drugs. Fox, 54, is described as a white male with gray hair and hazel eyes, standing 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Fox has ties to the cities of Mansfield and Bellville.
If you have any information in reference to David Greene, Anthony Alexander, Nestor Salazar, or Timothy Fox, please contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED or Text keyword WANTED and tip to 847411 (tip411). Tipsters can remain anonymous and reward money is available.
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Joe Lyons •
May 12, 2024
Jeromesville, Ohio – The Village of Jeromesville woke up to unsettling news as two local businesses, Fickes Furniture on North High Street and the American Legion on Huron Street, were reported to have been burglarized overnight.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced $10.25 million in three multistate settlements with the largest wireless carriers in the United States to resolve the 50 attorneys general investigations into deceptive and misleading advertising practices.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive Anthony Alexander. Alexander is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Adult Parole Authority on a parole violation on the original charge of possession drugs. Alexander, 38, is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 6 feet 0 inches tall. Alexander has ties to the cities of Mansfield and Marion.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of fugitive Jose Fox. Fox is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for possession of drugs. Fox, 54, is described as a white male with gray hair and hazel eyes, standing 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Fox has ties to the cities of Mansfield and Bellville.