On the night of 02/01/2023, Loudonville Police Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Market Street and Main Street. A concerned citizen had called 911 to report a person passed out or asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle near this intersection.
Officers arrived and located the vehicle. The vehicle was on South Market Street at the intersection with Main Street. The Officers saw a male in the driver’s seat. The vehicle’s engine was turned on, the vehicle was in drive, and the driver had his foot on the brake. The driver was passed out and unresponsive.
For safety reasons, Officers quickly positioned their police vehicles behind and in front of the vehicle. They had their overhead emergency lights flashing so that the driver would immediately identify them as law enforcement. Officers made repeated attempts to get the driver to respond, eventually they were able to wake the driver up. The driver immediately lurched forward and struck one of the Loudonville Police Cruisers.
No injuries were reported.
Officers were able to get the driver to put the vehicle in park and then turn the vehicle off. A roadside investigation was completed, and the driver was arrested for OVI (Operating vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs). The driver had a BAC of 0.327, four times the legal limit (the legal limit in Ohio is 0.08).
The driver, identified as Steven Luther Dusz, age 36, of Ashland, was charged with OVI, Opened container in a motor vehicle, and Reckless operation. He was taken to the Ashland County Jail.
Loudonville Police Department Sgt. Gorrell said, “Thankfully someone saw this man in his car and called 911. It’s important if you see something that you say something, this could have had a much worse outcome!”
Reginald Canfield Age: 45
White / Male / 5’9” / 225 / Brown / Blue
Wanted by the Ohio Department of Corrections / Adult Parole Authority for sexual battery F3
Ties to Mansfield, Cleveland, and West Virginia.
Steven Drummond Age: 27
White /Male / 5’9’’ / 160 / Blond Hair / Blue Eyes
Wanted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as sex offender / and a failure to register as sex offender out of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Ties to the Mansfield and Shelby Ohio and Tampa Florida areas.
Wesley lambert Age: 31
White / Male / 5’11’’ / 150 / Black Hair / Brown Eyes
Wanted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for tampering with evidence F3
Ties to Mansfield and Shelby Ohio.
Richard Kiser Age: 56
White / Male / 5’7’’ / 180 / Brown Hair / Brown Eyes
Wanted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for a failing to provide change of address as sex offender
Ties to the Mansfield, New Philadelphia, Conneaut, Bergholz, Lawrenceburg, TN
Reward money is available for information directly leading to an arrest. Anyone with information concerning any of these fugitives can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force office at 419-774-3565 or the tip line at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833) or you can send a web tip at the following webpage http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/index.html.
Tipsters may remain anonymous, and a cash reward may be available. The Task Force’s “Dangerous Dozen” fugitives can be viewed at https://www.usmarshals.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/dangerous-dozen.pdf, which is updated monthly.
The NOVFTF Akron Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies:
United States Marshals Service, Mansfield Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Richland County Probation, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Bucyrus Police Department, Galion Police Department, Huron County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington Police Department, Loudonville Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ontario Police Department, Plymouth Police Department, Willard Police Department and Crestline Police Department.
Michael Repper won the GRAMMY® for Best Orchestral Performance on Sunday, February 5, 2023 at the 65th GRAMMY Awards.
Repper joined the Ashland Symphony Orchestra as Music Director and Conductor in June 2022.
Repper’s GRAMMY® nomination came from his work with the New York Youth Symphony. The recording took place in November 2020 during the pandemic. This nomination and subsequent win is historic for many reasons: this is the youth symphony’s debut album, the youth orchestra was divided and socially distanced during the recording, all three composers on the recording are Black women, this is the first recording of these pieces by these composers, and this is the first time a youth symphony has been nominated for Best Orchestral Performance. The producer of the album is Judith Sherman. Sherman won the GRAMMY® for Producer of the Year, Classical.
CREDIT Angela Weiss, Agence France-Presse
Repper has been the Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony since 2017. “I’m so honored to have represented the amazing New York Youth Symphony at the Grammy Awards, and that together we took home our first Grammy®. This project is a testament to the amazing impact that young people can have when they feel empowered to give it their all, and when they have the resources and opportunity to achieve their dream. My entire mission as a conductor is to connect people through music and I’m so proud that this project brought people together during the challenging time of the pandemic, and thrilled to have been able to share this tremendous music by Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and Valerie Coleman.”, said Repper.
Says Martha Buckner, Executive Director of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, “The ASO Board of Directors, staff, and musicians are incredibly proud of Michael, the youth of the NYYS, and everyone involved in the project! We are thrilled to have Repper leading us.”
Repper’s next performance with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra will be Saturday, March 4.
The recording, “New York Youth Symphony: works by Florence Price, Valerie Coleman, and Jessie Montgomery” is available on streaming platforms and at https://www.nyys.org/store/album/
The Ace Award is earned by recovering five stolen vehicles with on-the-spot apprehensions in one calendar year.
Congratulation to Ashland Post Trooper Tanner R. Guinther
Ace Award are for Troopers who diligently to look “beyond the plate” in order to remove drugs from Ohio communities and return stolen vehicles to their rightful owners.
(Ashland) – According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, from 2018-2022 there have been 5,613 fatal crashes on Ohio roadways resulting in 6,081 fatalities.
“Fatal crashes are often preventable when you’re driving attentively, responsibly, and sober,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving, and as we approach the effective date of Ohio’s strengthened distracted driving law, I encourage all drivers to begin focusing today on the habit of keeping their phones down and their eyes on the road. As more drivers put away distractions, more lives will be saved.”
From 2018 to 2022, Franklin County (538) led the state in fatal crashes, followed by Cuyahoga (445), Hamilton (294), Montgomery (275) and Lucas (207) counties. Combined, these five counties accounted for 31 percent of all fatal crashes statewide.
During this five-year period, more than one in five fatal crashes were the result of driving off the roadway. Additionally, unsafe speed, driving left of center, failure to yield the right of way, following too closely and running a stop sign were the next top contributing factors in fatal crashes statewide from 2018-2022.
“Every day our troopers and law enforcement partners see the tragic consequences of driving distracted, impaired and at unsafe speeds,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “Our troopers are committed to educating drivers on safe driving habits to make our roadways safer.”
Senate Bill 288, which was signed by Governor DeWine in January, bans the use of electronic devices while driving in most circumstances. The new law will take effect in April.
The Patrol reminds you to call #677 when you see unsafe motorists driving on Ohio roadways.
The US Secret Service from the Cleveland Field Office, Mansfield Police Detectives and members of the Northern Ohio Financial Crimes Task Force (NOFCTF) of the Secret Service, Mansfield Police Officers, and Lexington Police Officers served two (2) residential search warrants related to a crime ring involved in bank fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, and forgery.
From June 2022 through the present, the Secret Service along with Mansfield Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit have identified over $893,000.00 in potential/attempted fraud losses from counterfeit checks, fraudulent ATM withdrawals, Point of sale and PIN purchases, and cash withdrawals from Kroger’s primarily in the Mansfield area.
One of the main targeted locations was Park National Bank. The Actual Loss suffered by Park National Bank is over $491,000.00. This fraud is continuing with the latest fraudulent activity occurring on January 25, 2023, with a total loss of $11,900.08.
This investigation has focused on a group of suspects who are making counterfeit checks and altering MoneyGrams in the name of both business and personal accounts. The counterfeit checks are routinely deposited into a willing participant’s bank account. After a counterfeit check is successfully deposited, the suspects then make ATM cash withdrawals and Point of sale transactions at Kroger’s grocery stores in the northern Ohio area, including several Mansfield locations.
This joint investigation between Mansfield Police Department and the US Secret Service has identified over 50 suspects/willing participants involved in this criminal activity.
Charged with counterfeiting F-3 was Timothy Robinson. Further charges will follow as this investigation continues and officials continue to identify other participants in this ring.
It is these continuing collaborations between local and Federal law enforcement agencies that impact our communities.
If anyone has further information regarding this ongoing investigation please contact Det. Korey Kaufman at 419-755-9748.
ASHLAND, Ohio – The department of theatre at Ashland University continues its 2022-23 theme of “Standing Up, Standing Out” by presenting the musical comedy “Once Upon a Mattress” Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 16-19. All performances take place at the Hugo Young Theatre, with the Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows beginning at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s matinee at 2 p.m.
“Once Upon a Mattress” is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale “The Princess and the Pea.” The musical was written by Mary Rodgers (music), Marshall Barer (lyrics), Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller.
Teresa Durbin-Ames, associate professor of theatre at AU, who serves as the director describes “Once Upon a Mattress” as not “your typical fairytale, but fun for the entire family.”
The story focuses on a kingdom where no one is allowed to wed until Prince Dauntless, played by Tobin Grendzyski, does so. All princess candidates must pass the tests created by the prince’s overbearing mother, Queen Aggravain, played by Leanna Uselton, to determine if they are true princesses. Many ladies and knights of the kingdom are anxiously waiting for the day they can get married, especially Lady Larken and Sir Harry, played by Lauren Vladyka and Anthony Marchetta, respectively. Sir Harry takes it upon himself to help discover a true princess, traveling to the marshlands and finding Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, played by Katie Snell, to see if she can stand out and pass the Queen’s test.
Also included in the cast are Oliver Wagner as King Sextimus the Silent, Belle Ayala as the Minstrel, Tia Shanklin as the Jester, Becca Huegler as the Wizard and Lily Dowler, Connor Reis and Mattie Vermilya, who play Ladies-in-Waiting, Knights, Servants and Wenches.
The production staff is composed of Deb Logan, music director; Justin Miller, scenic designer; D. Justin Bilewicz ‘09, costume designer; Seth Morrison ’18, lighting designer; Katie Gibson, choreographer; Richard Ingraham, sound designer; and Brien Carpenter, stage manager. The student crew includes senior Tyler Rice as the technical director, as well as Mela Abarca, Jesse Baker and Mikehlah Carr on the crew.
Tickets can be purchased from the AU campus store in person or by going to ashland.universitytickets.com. Tickets are $2 for AU students, $5 for non-AU students and $10 for adults, faculty/staff and senior citizens. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.
I am honored to announce my candidacy for another term in the position of Ashland City Council, At-Large. It has been my great privilege to serve the City of Ashland in this position since February 2018. During my term of service, we have seen great achievements and significant strides forward for the City of Ashland. Our mayor, and this City Council, continues to build momentum as a strong, active, and cooperative team. It is for these reasons, and others, that I seek to continue serving as Councilperson At-Large.
It is my desire to build upon the energy we have created as a team of leaders so that we will see additional improvements in the quality of life, employment opportunities, and economic growth for our great city.
Our current mayor and city council are strongly unified in our vision for the City of Ashland. We have worked harmoniously on many projects and have made great advances toward the future success of the city. It is my intention to complete the current projects and continue moving forward on many more accomplishments. We have had, and will continue to see, many public-private ventures that will enhance the City of Ashland. Together, with the involvement of our community, we will foster a strong reputation that will make Ashland a place where people want to live, work, and visit.
I am deeply committed to Ashland and its people and I pledge to serve another term in this position to the best of my ability.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that more than 900 additional schools will receive state funding support for physical safety and security upgrades as part of the latest round of Ohio’s K-12 School Safety Grant Program.
Governor DeWine made the announcement this morning while visiting Lakewood High School in Cuyahoga County, which is one of 945 schools that will receive a combined $68 million in grants as part of the fourth round of the program. A fifth round of funding will be announced in coming weeks.
A total of $112 million was allocated for the fourth and fifth rounds of the grant program by the Ohio General Assembly as part of House Bill 45, which was signed by Governor DeWine last month. The investment more than doubles the initial allotment of of $105 million for the program provided by Ohio’s operating budget and the American Rescue Plan Act.
“When we created the K-12 School Safety Grant Program, we expected that the need for funding would far exceed the amount of money available, but I vowed to go back to the legislature and ask for more,” said Governor DeWine. “Now, with the generous support of the Ohio General Assembly, I’m proud to announce that every single qualifying school that applied for a grant will receive funding.”
So far, a total of $173 million has been awarded to 2,374 Ohio K-12 schools to help pay for physical security expenses such as new security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems, and exterior lighting. Eligible schools could receive as much as $100,000 per building.
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission is administering the program in partnership with the Ohio School Safety Center.
Since taking office in 2019, Governor DeWine has led several initiatives to support school safety, including the creation of the Ohio School Safety Center, which works to assist local schools, colleges, universities, and law enforcement agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.
Governor DeWine also created the Student Wellness and Success Fund, a $1.2 billion investment that is now a part of the school funding formula, to provide wraparound services to students. Wraparound services are programming and supports meant to build skills and fulfill a student or familial need. To date, this funding has launched 1,300 mental health programs and trained 6,500 educators and school professionals.
As part of his executive budget proposal presented to the Ohio General Assembly this week, Governor DeWine is also requesting funding to help schools with the cost of staffing a school resource officer.
Joe Lyons •
February 6, 2023
Reginald Canfield Age: 45
Steven Drummond Age: 27
Wesley lambert Age: 31
Richard Kiser Age: 56
