Jefferson Township – The Mansfield Patrol Post responded to a report of a one vehicle crash on Interstate 71 near milepost 164.6, in Jefferson Township, at 1658 hours on June 3, 2024.
The preliminary investigation shows a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer was traveling northeast on Interstate 71 northbound. The Chevrolet was driven by Nanda Gurung, 56, of Rochester, New York. The Chevrolet traveled off the left side of the roadway, striking a guardrail. The Chevrolet over-corrected and struck a bridge wall causing it to overturn. The Chevrolet then crossed the median and came to rest on Interstate 71 southbound lanes. Mr. Gurung was transported by EMS to Ohio Health Mansfield where he succumbed to his injuries.
The left lane of Interstate 71 southbound was closed for approximately two hours during the investigation of the crash but all lanes are open at this time.
The Washington Township Fire Department, Jefferson Township Fire Department, and Laurence’s Towing assisted on the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
Perry Township – The Ashland Post of the State Highway Patrol was advised of an injury crash involving a motorcycle on State Route 302 near Township Road 63 at approximately 4:26 p.m.
A 2019 Kawasaki Z900 was operated by 36-year-old Dustin Parsley of Smithville, Ohio. Pursley was traveling westbound on State Route 302 and failed to control the motorcycle. Pursley was ejected from the bike and came to rest in a ditch line on the north side of State Route 302. The motorcycle came to rest in the eastbound travel lane of State Route 302.
Pursley was transported from the scene by Metro Life Flight with serious injuries to Summa Akron City Hospital.
The Patrol was assisted on scene by The Polk Jackson Perry Fire District, The Sullivan Fire Department, and Gibb’s Towing, LLC.
Alcohol and Drugs are not suspected as a factors in the crash, however, speed is suspected. Pursley was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.
Tyler Sabo stood on the par three 8th hole, two holes down in match play, to the 15th ranked amateur golfer in the world, William Moll. The Ohio State Buckeyes, who entered the DI Men’s Championship as the 32nd ranked team in the nation finished 7th in stroke play, found themselves playing No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals.
After Moll, a graduate student, landed his shot within a couple feet of the hole, the redshirt freshman from Ashland, Ohio, one-upped his opponent spinning his ball back into the cup for a hole-in-one.
“The hole-in-one was probably the most timely shot I’ve ever hit in my golf career,” Sabo said, “there was no better feeling than to see that go in with my parents there watching and my coach by my side to celebrate.”
Sabo’s parents rarely miss any of his matches and they surely were not going to miss their son playing in the national championship despite having to travel to Carlsbad, California.
It’s a twenty-seven-hour day for us and we got up at 2am Ohio time,” said Diane Sabo via text message at a little after 9pm EDT on Tuesday(the night before the Buckeyes would begin play at the Omni La Costa North Course). “We have to park and get shuttled to the 10th hole,” she added, “which is the furthest point away.”
Tyler Sabo with parents Diane and Mark Sabo
Sabo grabbed the lead in his match on the 13th hole and took some pressure off teammate, Senior Adam Wallin. Wallin then defeated 2022 NCAA Men’s Individual Champion Gordon Sargent in 19 holes to propel Ohio State to a 3-1-1 victory.
The win would send the Buckeyes into the semifinals to play the No. 1 ranked team in college golf, the Auburn Tigers. The Tigers shot 20 under par nine days earlier to a earn a come from behind win on the last day of the Baton Rouge Regional in Louisiana.
With less than a few hours to celebrate, Sabo prepared mentally to take on his next opponent, Josiah Gilbert. Sabo came into the match ranked around 2100 spots below Gilbert in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
“Match play is totally different than stroke play,” Sabo added. Neal Shipley and Maxwell Moldovan had prepared him for his first opponent(Moll) the night before. Sabo felt since he had beaten both Shipley and Moldovan that he was ready to take on any opponent. “Having those two as competitors has prepared me for moments like that,” offered Sabo.
He pulled off a huge upset over the freshman Gilbert(1UP) though his Buckeyes fell short of beating the Tigers, 3-2. Ohio State finished 3rd out of 30 teams at the championship.
Florida Southern Hall of Fame golfer and Ashland High School golf legend, Steve Paramore, was excited about Sabo’s performance. “I was impressed with his ability to perform when the lights came on while he was on the biggest stage,” Paramore said, “he responded in the biggest moments and took on some great players.”
The 2022 First Team All-Ohio golfer from Ashland High School wrapped up his season for the Buckeyes in California but has a busy summer ahead after returning home to decompress.
Sabo is the 2nd alternate after a one-hole playoff in April at the US Open local qualifier at Brookside Golf & Country Club in Columbus. He would like to return to the final qualifier where he played just two years ago. Shipley has already qualified for the US Open.
The future is bright, and Sabo proved he belongs in the same sentence with the best golfers in college. None of us will be surprised to see this Buckeye own the course his next three years wearing scarlet and gray. We will surely be ready when he tees off on his next par 3 for the four words every golfer dreams of hearing, “it’s in the hole.”
Tyler Sabo with his Caddie, Aidan Chandler, at the US Open local qualifier
The Mansfield Division of Police would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the updated Cruising Prohibited Ordinance recently passed by Mansfield’s City Council. This ordinance went into effect May 7th 2024 however, the Mansfield Division of Police would like to give everyone time to adjust to the change.
Mansfield Police Officers will continue to conduct traffic enforcement in the Cruising Prohibited Designated Area however, Officers have been advised not to cite under the Cruising Prohibited Ordinance until July 1, 2024. Although, Officers are advised not to cite under this ordinance until July 1, 2024, Officers can still conduct traffic enforcement under this ordinance to assist in educating Motor Vehicle Operators and may take enforcement action on other traffic violations if observed.
A copy of City of Mansfield Ordinance 331.48 Cruising Prohibited is included below for reference.
331.48 Cruising Prohibited
(a) Definitions:
(1) “Designated Area” means that area of the City bound by Home Road on the west, Trimble Road on the east, Park Avenue West on south, and West Forth Street on the north.
(2) “Designated Hours” means the time between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM from Friday evening into Saturday morning and Saturday evening into Sunday morning.
(3) “Traffic Control Point” means a reference point on a street within the Designated area within the Designated hours selected by a police officer for the purpose of enforcing this section.
(4) “Cruising” means driving a motor vehicle on a street past a Traffic Control Point, within a Designated Area, within Designated Hours, by the Mansfield Division of Police, more than two times in any two-hour period. The passing of a designated control point a third time under the aforesaid conditions shall constitute unnecessary repetitive driving and therefor a violation of this section.
2 (b) Cruising Prohibited. No person shall engage in unnecessary repetitive driving, also known for the purpose of this section as cruising.
(c) For purposes of this prohibition, upon a determination that a vehicle is Cruising, the person having control and/or ownership of the Cruising motor vehicle shall be considered the person cruising, without regard as to whether that person was actually driving the motor vehicle each time it passed the traffic control point.
(d) “Control or Ownership of a motor vehicle” shall be either the owner of the vehicle as stated on the vehicle registration, if said owner is present in the vehicle at the time of the violation, or if the owner is not present in the vehicle, the person operating the vehicle at the time of the violation of this section.
(e) Exclusions. This section shall not apply to any municipal, emergency, police, fire, ambulance or other governmental vehicle when such vehicle is being operated in an official capacity. In addition, this section shall not apply to any licensed public transportation vehicle, other business vehicles being driven for business or commercial purposes, or to residents of the designated area traveling to a specific destination.
(f) Penalty. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
The Ashland County Engineer’s Office, Kelly Hickey, Administrative Assistant/Safety, has announced that County Road 700 will be temporarily closed in two separate locations for essential culvert replacements.
First Closure:
Location: A section of County Road 700 in Jackson Township between Township Road 251 and County Road 175, specifically between House #184 and County Road 175.
Dates: Monday, June 3rd, and Tuesday, June 4th.
Details: The road will be closed overnight and is expected to reopen by 8:00 AM on Tuesday, June 4th.
Second Closure:
Location: Another section of County Road 700 in Jackson Township between Township Road 101 and State Route 42, specifically between House #76 and House #63.
Dates: Tuesday, June 4th, and Wednesday, June 5th.
Details: This section will also be closed overnight, with the anticipated reopening by 8:00 AM on Wednesday, June 5th.
Motorists are advised to plan alternate routes during these closures and to exercise caution when traveling in the affected areas. The culvert replacements are crucial for maintaining road safety and infrastructure integrity.
For further information, residents can contact the Ashland County Engineer’s Office.
The Ashland County Engineer’s Office appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation as these necessary repairs are completed.
Wooster Township – On Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 4:57 AM the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Wooster Post was notified of a single vehicle crash on SR 226 south of Township Road 76 (Valley Road).
A white 2014 Volkswagen Jetta was northbound on SR 226 and drove off the left side of the roadway striking a culvert, guardrail, and overturning into a creek bed at the bottom of an embankment.
The driver of the Jetta, David E. Ellis, 64 years old, of Shreve, died at the scene of the crash. Mr. Ellis was seat belted in the Jetta. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be contributing factors in this crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office, Wooster Township Fire and EMS, Bear’s Towing, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.
James D. Taylor has been charged with Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a second-degree felony, in connection with the death of 12-year-old Tye David Miezejewski. The charges stem from an incident on May 24, 2024, in which Taylor, while operating a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, allegedly caused Miezejewski’s death.
James D. Taylor
In a video bond hearing yesterday at 2:30 PM, Taylor, represented by Attorney Patrick Farrell, appeared before Ashland County Court of Common Pleas, Magistrate Paul T. Lange. Ashland Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Tunnell represented the State of Ohio. Taylor entered a plea of not guilty.
Magistrate Lange set Taylor’s bond at $100,000, which can be met through a surety bond, a bond secured by real estate or securities, or a cash deposit. The bond conditions include several strict requirements:
Taylor must not use, consume, or possess any drugs of abuse or alcohol, and he will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing at his own expense. The use of any product containing THC is prohibited while he is on bond.
Taylor is required to seek a drug/alcohol assessment from a properly credentialed addiction treatment professional and comply with the recommended treatment plan. He must make an appointment and provide verification to the court within fourteen days of posting bond.
He will be subject to passive monitoring through Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tracking and must comply with all associated terms and conditions. He is prohibited from entering any GPS exclusion zones and must adhere to curfew restrictions from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM at his approved residence.
Taylor is barred from operating any motor vehicle.
He is also prohibited from having any contact, direct or indirect, with members of the victim’s family.
Magistrate Lange has scheduled a preliminary hearing for this case on Friday, May 31, 2024, at 10:00 AM via video.
Floods are deadly weather disasters that kill more Americans every year than hurricanes or tornadoes. As leaders in organizations whose missions include protecting lives and property from flooding, we know firsthand the devastation that flooding can inflict on our communities, and in honor of National Dam Safety Day approaching on May 31, we want to recognize the importance of that significance. Floods can literally wash away lives, homes, businesses, public infrastructure and the environment. Moreover, they pose a significant threat to communities themselves, and can forever alter the character of the places we call home.
To the challenge of preventing and reducing the impact of floods, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) each apply our respective expertise in engineering and water resource management, and a range of sophisticated—and expensive—tools including levees, dams, and flood control structures. Even with our technical know-how and resources, however, successful outcomes often depend on our working together. And sometimes, in spite of all of our best efforts and collaboration, Mother Nature wins the battle.
For more than 90 years the USACE and MWCD have been partners in flood mitigation in Eastern Ohio. The Muskingum River watershed is historically prone to flooding, and in 1913 a flood in the watershed took the lives of nearly 500 residents, destroyed 69 bridges in the area and effectively wiped away Ohio’s canal system. The cost in property destroyed and resulting economic losses exceeded $300 million. This event, which remains as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history to this day, was the impetus to creating the MWCD and starting its collaboration with the USACE.
The USACE operates and maintains the 16 dams on MWCD property and the MWCD cost shares major dam safety modifications as well as owns and operates the lakes and parks.
Just as both agencies work in close collaboration with each other, we both also partner with local organizations throughout Eastern Ohio to advance flood mitigation and prevention. First, there isn’t a monopoly on good ideas or insights, so having other frontline partners expands what you know and how fast you know it. Despite all the technology we have today, it doesn’t replace firsthand, human intelligence when working in the natural environment where things change rapidly. Second, local partnerships foster community engagement and support, which is essential for the success and sustainability of flood management initiatives. Finally, local partnerships enable the pooling of resources and expertise, maximizing the effectiveness of flood mitigation efforts.
Though the Corps of Engineers and MWCD are each large organizations, with strong budgets and the ability to hire experts in dam operations and watershed management, we still lean on each other to protect Eastern Ohio residents and their homes, farms and businesses. Similarly, together, and separately we have a network of smaller, local partners that share our missions, and which amplify our mutual success—all for the purpose of protecting lives and property. This also reinforces the fact that the best and most effective responses to disasters, should they occur, start at the local level, and are amplified by external organizations.
The lesson in all of this is that no single leader, government, or organization can ever have all the know-how it needs to fulfill such an essential, complex, and multi-faceted mission as protecting Eastern Ohio from flooding. When other missions such as the conservation of wild spaces and recreation opportunities are added, the need for collaboration becomes even more true. We are proud of what our organizations have accomplished together and of the relationships that exist with other groups that share our mission. The example of the value and success of collaboration in natural resources management is an important one that we hope other organizations can learn and benefit from as we work to make Eastern Ohio a better, more prosperous place to live and work. We will stay connected and not rest on our laurels. We know there is more work to do and we, jointly with our local partners, will identify new opportunities and challenges and take actions to protect property and lives.
In addition, in partnership with the USACE and as part of MWCD’s 90th anniversary, we invite you to celebrate Dam Safety Day with a dam tour. Saturday, June 1 from 10:00am-2:00pm the Dover, Atwood, Bolivar, Clendening, Leesville, Pleasant Hill and Tappan dams will be open to the public to discover the power of collaboration between our organizations while learning about dam safety and history.
###
Craig Butler has a master’s degree in environmental science from Ohio University and is the former Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. He has served as CEO of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District since 2020.
###
Colonel Jayson Putnam is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and has a Master’s of Science Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He has led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District since 2021
Joe Lyons •
June 4, 2024
The Mansfield Division of Police would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the updated Cruising Prohibited Ordinance recently passed by Mansfield’s City Council. This ordinance went into effect May 7th 2024 however, the Mansfield Division of Police would like to give everyone time to adjust to the change.
Wooster Township – On Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 4:57 AM the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Wooster Post was notified of a single vehicle crash on SR 226 south of Township Road 76 (Valley Road).
James D. Taylor has been charged with Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a second-degree felony, in connection with the death of 12-year-old Tye David Miezejewski. The charges stem from an incident on May 24, 2024, in which Taylor, while operating a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, allegedly caused Miezejewski’s death.
Friday, May 31 is National Dam Safety Day