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Rock train chugs through Walbridge with positive messages
Two women have joined forces to roll out the Rock Train of Walbridge, a chain of painted rocks radiating positivity. Lisa Hagdohl is the organizer of the Rocking the Rails group, while Jennifer Zam has the Walbridge Rocks group. The purpose of the rock train, which is located in front of the municipal building at 705 N. Main St., is to promote kindness, joy, and smiles through painted rocks. Many of the rocks have kind messages or represent Walbridge history. “The fun part about it is you honestly learn a really good lesson about kindness, because you’re putting your time and energy into something. You’re making it pretty, then you’re just leaving it behind with no expectation,” Mrs. Zam said. “It may not be posted. You’ll never know who gets it. You’ll never see it again. But you’ve done something. And that’s what kindness is supposed to be — it’s selfless and there’s no expectation.”
BGSU men's basketball has 'beneficial' experience with trip to Europe
BOWLING GREEN — A 4,000-mile trip across the Atlantic Ocean provided a world of opportunities for Bowling Green State University’s men’s basketball team recently. A handful of returners and a large group of newcomers on the team had the ability to bond while checking out historic cities, and second-year BGSU coach Todd Simon got a glimpse of what his 2024-25 squad could be capable of when the season starts later this year. BGSU’s nine-day trip to Europe, which began in late July and ended last week, included sightseeing in Munich and Nuremberg, Germany, as well as Prague. The Falcons played two games against European teams and picked up a pair of victories.
Man pleads not guilty to charges for bicyclist's death on Alexis Road; bond hearing set
A Lucas County judge has scheduled a bond hearing for Monday for a man charged with the July 30 death of a bicyclist he allegedly struck on Alexis Road and then fled the scene. Prosecutors moved last week to increase the bond for Kenneth Pegler, 55, of the 900 block of Mildred Avenue in Temperance, from $100,000 to $500,000 on the grounds he is a flight risk based on statements he made in jailhouse phone calls and tips Toledo police received on their Crime Stoppers hot line stating he planned to flee to Canada. After entering not guilty pleas on his client’s behalf Thursday afternoon in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, defense lawyer Jerome Phillips told Judge Dean Mandros that facts in the prosecutors’ motion were either unsubstantiated or, regarding a statement about Pegler owning property in Canada, false. Judge Mandros scheduled the bond hearing for 11 a.m. Monday and in the interim continued a $750,000 bond he had set Friday in Pegler’s absence following his indictment Thursday by a Lucas County grand jury.
Whitehouse mayor, council to hold ice-cream meeting
The Whitehouse mayor and council invite residents for complimentary ice cream and a conversation from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The event will be held at the Whitehouse Village Park pavilion, 6751 Providence St. Residents of all ages are welcome.
Agency hosting feedback forums on assisted living facilities
BOWLING GREEN — The Ohio Department of Aging will host assisted living feedback forums across the state in August and September. The forums will solicit opinions from assisted living residents and their loved ones, as well as facility staff and administrators. A forum will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Wood County Senior Center, 140 S. Grove St. These forums will be similar in setup to listening sessions that ran as part of the Governor’s Nursing Quality & Accountability Task Force. The May, 2023, report laid the foundation for the governor and General Assembly to pass a package of historic nursing home investments and policy reforms as part of the state operating budget, according to the Ohio Department of Aging.
Justice Bus offers free legal services at West Toledo branch library
The Justice Bus and Toledo Bar Association will be providing free legal services Wednesday at the West Toledo branch library. The Ohio Justice Bus will be available from 10 a.m. to noon at the West Toledo branch library. The mobile legal aid office will be partnering with the Toledo Bar Association Pro Bono Legal Services to offer free legal advice on domestic relations and family law matters to low-income residents. Residents can talk to a Toledo Bar Association volunteer attorney privately about civil legal matters. The clinic Wednesday will be for people with domestic relations and family law matters. Services are available on a first-come, first-served basis. People will be able to talk with an attorney for free and privately about civil legal matters related to domestic and family law such as custody, protection orders, divorce, and more. They should bring any documents that would be helpful to the attorneys.
Watch: Ryan Day names Will Howard as Ohio State's starting quarterback
COLUMBUS — Ohio State football coach Ryan Day on Thursday named Will Howard, a transfer from Kansas State, his starting quarterback for Week 1 against Akron. “Will has really taken a command of the offense,” Day said. “”You feel his experience. He has become a threat both with his legs and his arm.” Day added Devin Brown will be the No. 2 QB behind Howard. Watch Day make the announcement at the start of his press conference here:
Museum receives $500,000 for Glass Pavilion repairs, upgrades
The Toledo Museum of Art will receive $500,000 from the state for maintenance and renovations to the Glass Pavilion, officials announced Thursday. The funding was part of the two-year state budget approved by the Ohio General Assembly earlier this summer. The award was announced Thursday by state Rep. Michele Grim (D., Toledo) at a news conference at the Glass Pavilion. Museum CEO Adam Levine said the money will be used for various renovation projects at the Glass Pavilion including replacing the exterior doors and canopies, improving accessibility, and promoting more energy-efficient climate control. “As the Glass Pavilion nears its 20th birthday, we have exciting plans for its future, and these state dollars for infrastructure will help ensure that future comes to pass,” Mr. Levine said.
2024 high school football: Preseason All-Blade player of the year watch list
As the 2024 high school football season gets set to kick off next Friday, The Blade is taking a look into the crystal ball to speculate on which area players have the best chance to be honored as the 30th All-Blade player of the year come late November. The first player honored as Blade player of the year back in 1995 was Eddie Ziemke of St. John’s Jesuit, one of three Titans players to receive that recognition alongside Cheatham Norrils in 2010 and Dallas Gant in 2017. Perrysburg has had the most Blade POY honorees with four — Gus Dimmerling (2014), Chaz Westfall (2015), Cade Zimmerly (2020), and Connor Walendzak (2022). Central Catholic and Whitmer each match St. John’s with three apiece.
Men enter pleas in separate murder cases involving infant, woman
A 24-year-old man who beat his infant son to death pleaded guilty Thursday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to a single murder charge and received a lifetime prison sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years. Lawrence Lambert, of the 100 block of 17th Street, shook his head quietly when Judge Dean Mandros asked him if he had anything to say before sentencing, after which the judge said that all the law can do is hold Lambert accountable for what he had done. “You wouldn’t do to an animal what happened to that child,” Judge Mandros said before handing down the statutory sentence. Lambert was one of two 24-year-old men who made negotiated pleas to separate murders Thursday in the county courthouse. Earlier in the day, Andre Overton pleaded no contest to a murder charge, with a gun specification, for the Dec. 19, 2020, shooting death of Deneajia Smith at her home in the 1200 block of Mason Street.
One shot in in North Toledo
A North Toledo man was shot Wednesday afternoon, police said. Just before 5 p.m. crews responded to the 1300 block of North Erie Street to investigate a ShotSpotter alert. They found no one, but a short time later, Adrian Watson, 42, of North Erie Street, arrived at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center seeking treatment for a gunshot wound.
Friday Night Futbol: High school soccer teams embrace spotlight of opening games
High school soccer takes center stage under the Friday night lights this week as teams across northwest Ohio get an early opportunity to highlight the sport, its coaches, and its players. Dozens of area boys and girls soccer teams will participate in the “Friday Night Futbol” event. “Anytime our sport is in the limelight, it's a positive for us all,” Findlay girls coach Mike Aubry said. “I know that our players are really excited about the opportunity to play under the lights and get their season kicked off. Futbol Friday gives us such great publicity around the area.” In 2015, the Ohio High School Athletic Association started the statewide initiative where soccer games take place the Friday before the high school football season kicks off. The OHSAA permits the soccer games to be played one day earlier than the traditional Saturday start of the soccer season.
4 dead in multiple accidents on Ohio Turnpike near Swanton
SWANTON — Four people were killed and 11 injured in three separate crashes Thursday morning on the Ohio Turnpike near the Fulton-Lucas county line. The first crash was reported about 5:34 a.m. in the eastbound lanes on the western edge of Lucas County, just past the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Swanton post and near a mainline toll plaza that opened this spring. Two people were killed and three people were injured when a tractor-trailer hauling sulfuric acid and a passenger vehicle collided. Just before 6 a.m. in the first accident’s backup, four commercial trucks and a single passenger vehicle crashed. The accident, near Milepost 48, about a mile behind the first accident, killed one person and injured three others. And about 6:24 a.m. in the turnpike’s westbound lanes near milepost 50.8 in western Lucas County, three commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles collided. One person was killed and five others were hurt in that crash.
Community orchestras are 'a real delight'
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra has graced the city of Toledo with its spectacular programming and performances for more than 80 years. But it isn’t the only orchestra within the Metro Toledo area. The Sylvania Community Orchestra is part of the Sylvania Arts community and comprises more than 65 volunteer musicians who perform three free concerts and small ensemble performances a year. Volunteers must audition and tackle well-known works by famous composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms, and Ludwig van Beethoven. The orchestra is performing its Summer Pops Concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Olander Park, 6930 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania, with its special guest, the Ballet Theatre of Toledo.
Hendel: Troop 101 celebrates a century in Waterville
THE rain didn’t keep too many folks away from Waterville Boy Scout Troop 101’s 100th anniversary alumni event. In fact, there were 100 plus attendees for the festivities at Parker Square, a new park in Waterville, the location of the old elementary school on Aug. 2. After all, these are scouts and they are used to braving the weather. As guests caught up with each other, including some who had come back after many years, they viewed the display of the 42 cars that were entered in the Pinewood Derby car show. A chicken BBQ prepared by scouters including Luke Hertzfeld, Peter Hertzfeld, and Jim Moeller was followed by a recognition of troop scoutmasters, Eagle Scouts, and high adventure participants.
Special Events: New Perrysburg art fair and Led Zeppelin tribute band rock the weekend
Come experience an all new art fair in downtown Perrysburg from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Perrysburg Hearts The Arts. Taking place along Louisiana Avenue in downtown, this fine art fair features jury-selected artists selling wares ranging from ceramics, paintings, jewelry, photography, and more. There will also be live music, food trucks, kids activities, and the event is free and presented by the Guild of Artists and Artisans. For more information, visit theguild.org/fair/perrysburgheartsthearts/. ■ The CommUNITY Film Fest will take place on Sunday at the Maumee Indoor Theater....
Clay High School welcomes high-tech machining equipment
Clay High School seniors Donald Schmidt and Ray Jurski each spent at least 60 hours over the past couple of weeks helping install computer-controlled milling and lathe machines for the school’s advanced manufacturing machinery class. Though they were paid, their main motivator wasn’t the money, they said, but the career prospects that learning to operate the two high-tech machines opens up for them as aspiring machinists. Each spoke in an interview during an open house Wednesday at the Oregon school’s career and technology department’s lab. “It’ll just help me in general. I mean, there’s multiple opportunities there,” young Jurski said as young Schmidt nodded in approval. Dozens of people attended the event showcasing a $109,000 donation by Rich and Marion Leonhard, part owners of TRAK Machine Tools-Southwestern Industries Inc., headquartered in Rancho Dominguez, Calif.
Data center moves along in Middleton Twp., but developer still a secret
HASKINS, Ohio — Plans for a $750 million data center in Middleton Township are progressing, but the name of the company developing it is still a secret. Members of the township zoning commission and neighbors said at a meeting Wednesday all the secrecy sets a bad tone. “That’s one thing that’s just really stuck in my craw,” said zoning commission member Ross Fought, who lives on North Dixie Highway across from the site. “Everybody keeps saying ‘We want to be a good neighbor.’” “Well, not telling us who you are, not telling us who the end user is ... that’s not being a very good neighbor,” Mr. Fought said.
Religious Offerings: Sacred music and halupki
■ Holy Assumption Orthodox Church hosts its 67th annual Halupki Festival in Marblehead on Sunday. Divine Liturgy will be at 10 a.m. before festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. Admission is free and there will be a free shuttle bus running between parking areas and the festival grounds. Starting at 11:30 a.m., volunteers will serve a Carpatho-Russian Dinner, including halupki (cabbage rolls), pierogi, kielbasa, and baklava. An Eastern European a la carte will be served starting at 2 p.m., which will feature items like spanakopita (spinach pie) and halushji (cabbage and noodles), in addition to the dinner food offerings. Baked goods will also be sold. The festival will feature live polka music, an array of craft vendors, raffles, face painting, a bounce house, and a climbing wall. Festival-goers can also enjoy tours of the historic church and a demonstration of pysanky Easter egg art. Orthodox religious items will be for sale.
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