Ottawa Lake
LATEST NEWS
Lucas County Children Services is there to help, not 'take your kids,' agency officials say
Lucas County Children Services officials called on the community to be proactive by reaching out to them for help before problems develop to the point that foster placement of children is used as a last resort. “We have learned that the best way to respond to child abuse and neglect is to prevent it before it occurs, as opposed to reacting to it after something bad has happened to a kid,” Randall Muth, the agency’s executive director said. Mr. Muth spoke during a “community conversations” meeting at the Frederick Douglass Community Association Center along Douglas Avenue in central Toledo. About 40 people attended the two-hour event, themed “Safe Children, Safe Families,” during which agency officials told about the services the agency provides and answered related questions. “I think there is a stigma in the African-American community that children’s services is interested in reacting, as opposed to helping the families,” Mr. Muth said. “We want the Black community members to reach out to us to prevent [child] trauma, and to have faith and trust in the agency and [to know] that the last thing we want to do is remove your children.”
The Blade forever a part of couple's wedding story as surprise is foiled
The wedding was supposed to be a surprise, but a long-standing practice of The Blade spoiled that. Alex Zak and Kristen Kranz still got married Sunday, albeit with 32 friends and family members in the know. The Toledo couple met during the pandemic, slowly started dating, and moved in together two years ago. “We knew we were going to get married at some point,” Mr. Zak said. There was no pressure to tie the knot ... until they went to three weddings over the summer, including one Ms. Kranz was in.
Culture, vibe lead Whitmer basketball standout West to Purdue commitment
Whitmer senior basketball All-Ohioan Antione West, Jr., will continue his career at Purdue University next year. West, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, announced his commitment Tuesday via social media. “I'm really happy and excited to find out what Purdue has in store for me and excited for my senior year here [at Whitmer],” West told The Blade shortly after. “All I want to do now is just play basketball. Getting the decision out of the way was a great thing.” He chose the 2024 NCAA runner-up Boilermakers from a list that also included Ohio State, Nebraska, and Dayton. Purdue and Nebraska were his two finalists.
ESPN BET Retail Sportsbook Launches at Hollywood Casino Toledo
Hollywood Casino Toledo in Ohio unveiled its new ESPN BET Sportsbook and Restaurant on Friday, Sept. 27. The revamped retail sportsbook is located on the main casino floor next to Final Cut Steakhouse. ESPN BET Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Toledo offers gamblers three betting windows, 19 betting kiosks, etc. The...
Bowling Green volleyball comes from 2 sets down to defeat Toledo
With both teams coming into their volleyball matchup on Tuesday night at Savage Arena with 2-0 starts in the Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green State University took the first of two meetings this season in the I-75 rivalry over the University of Toledo with a thrilling five-set victory Tuesday night. The scores were 22-25, 24-26, 25-18, 26-24, 15-10. The Falcons (8-6, 3-0 MAC) outlasted the Rockets (9-6. 2-1 MAC) by refocusing to take back momentum in the third set after narrow losses in the first and second sets. A close set victory of their own in the fourth set up a decisive...
Toledo gets $1M grant to enhance school safety
The City of Toledo has received a $1 million grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to enhance school safety and expand student and family support at Waite, Woodward, and Scott high schools. This federal funding, from the FY24 Enhancing School Capacity to Address Youth Violence program, will be used to support recommendations outlined in the Peace in Motion comprehensive plan. The city’s five-year plan was announced in August and aims to address the root causes of gun violence. Initiatives include community and system-level coordinated responses, enhancing youth peer support, further integrating services for youth impacted by violence, and developing a sustainability plan. Officials said the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement will use the grant to expand its efforts to foster a safer environment for youth.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.