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Dana Open at 40: The LPGA's greatest moments in Toledo area
Four decades ago, an idea turned into reality in northwest Ohio. In 1982, Toledo native Judd Silverman, who was caddying for Craig Stadler on the PGA Tour, walked into the LPGA headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and told commissioner John Laupheimer that he wanted to bring a tournament to Toledo. After two years of raising money, the first tournament commenced at Glengarry Country Club (now Stone Oak). In two weeks, the Dana Open, which began as the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, will be played for the 40th time, the second-longest-running non-major championship on the LPGA Tour. To recognize the milestone achievement, The Blade looks back at the most memorable moments in tournament history.
What happened to Rite Aid?
As consumers in Ohio and Michigan scramble to change their shopping habits and transfer their prescriptions in the wake of Rite Aid’s plan to close numerous stores in both states, many are asking, “What happened?” The drugstore chain that once had more outlets than any other in the country is now in bankruptcy and scrambling to find a way forward. No single blow knocked Rite Aid out of the highly competitive drugstore market. Rather, the company’s demise can be traced to three factors. Any one of these would have been a painful blow; together, they were fatal. Corruption and mismanagement cripple the company’s finances On Jan. 8, 1999, Rite Aid’s stock hit its record price of $993.49.
Dana Open brings annual economic boon for Sylvania church
When Ken Streitenberger is asked where he goes to church, he usually answers “the church that does all the parking.” The Sylvania United Church of Christ earns that tagline for its annual “parking project” during the Dana Open golf tournament. The church, located directly across from Highland Meadows Golf Club, opens up for public parking during the weeklong tournament. Charging $10 a day, the church has capacity to park more than 700 cars at a time. “It helps with our name recognition,” Streitenberger said of the parking project. “It’s one of the things that people know about Sylvania United Church of Christ.” The church has been selling parking during the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association tournament since 1989, the year what was then the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic tournament moved to Highland Meadows. Streitenberger, a lay member of the congregation, has run the parking project for just under a decade. Before Streitenberger took over, the project was run by the church’s former treasurer, Jeffrey Crandell, who died last year.
Sylvania’s Main Street sees resurgence in business
Nick Dallas recalls that 15 years ago when there were a lot of vacancies in downtown Sylvania. “That has changed,” said Mr. Dallas, whose family has been part of the Sylvania restaurant scene since the 1970s. “If there is a store closing there seems to be another one in the wings. There is a lot more foot traffic here as well, and the events always help bring people in.” Sylvania’s Main Street plethora of shops, bars, and restaurants comes from a combination of public and private investment, allowing the continued growth and vitality of downtown. “Sylvania is a growing community, and growth always attracts new businesses,” said David Sautter, owner of Sautter’s Market, which opened in 1959. “That in itself shows that Sylvania continues to be a desirable area to live and raise a family.”
Briggs: New OSU AD Bjork on NW Ohio roots, expectations, possible Ohio Stadium naming rights, and more
COLUMBUS — New Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork’s path to one of the top jobs in college sports did not begin in northwest Ohio. But it did pass through. While Bjork came of age in Dodge City, Kan., his mom, Linda, grew up in Williamstown, just south of Findlay, on a farm where Woody ranked behind only God and family. He heard the gospel on his many childhood trips to Ohio, including from Uncle Vernon. “He was the Pied Piper always talking about Ohio State,” Bjork said. “Growing up, it was always viewed as this mystical thing: Columbus! Ohio State! You’d always talk about them, but it was never within reach, if you will.”
Metal mania: 1980s rock explosion to take over Promenade Park
Five iconic ’80s metal performers, one rowdy night. Presented by HB Concerts, the 80’s Rock Invasion features a who’s who of hair metal. There’s appearances from Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, founding Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler, and performances by bands Great White, Slaughter, and Vixen. HB Concerts CEO Hunter Brucks said he’s bringing the 80s Rock Invasion to Toledo’s waterfront because it’s part of the new face of what is today considered “classic rock.” “Classic rock as we once knew it is changing,” said Brucks. “What we used to think was classic rock was the ’60s or the ’70s groups, but now it’s the ’80s and ’90s. So that’s the direction that I felt we needed to go with a sizeable show in Toledo.”
State powerhouse Perrysburg wrestling program hones craft at elite national tournaments
The Perrysburg wrestling program has become an Ohio powerhouse through constant improvement and year-round dedication. The Yellow Jackets have finished second in the team standings at the Division I state tournament for three straight years. This summer, Perrysburg's top wrestlers continue to build on the momentum with impressive showings at elite, national tournaments. Rising senior Marcus Blaze, juniors Ayden Dodd and Alex Denkins, and sophomore Grey Burnett represented Team Ohio at an all-star tournament in Tulsa last month. The foursome combined to go 28-0 at the Junior National Duals to lead Team Ohio to a second-place finish.
Shady business: Grammy-winning Sylvania producer has song on new Eminem album
Guess who’s back ... back again ... Aossey’s back ... tell a friend. Sylvania music producer Jameil Aossey suddenly finds his name seen by millions of eyeballs this weekend, as he is the producer and co-writer of the song ‘Head Honcho,’ track number 14 on the just released Eminem album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace). This comes a little more than a year after the 40-year-old Southview High School graduate won a Grammy Award for his work on Beyonce’s 2022 album Renaissance, which saw him standing on the red carpet next to Taylor Swift. But that was then and this is now. And while Aossey is thrilled to be a part of the official history of the most successful artist of the 21st century, there’s more work to do.
Outdoors: Rain be gone, we want to fish
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl swept through northwest Ohio midweek and left rivers and creeks swelled and made travel on Toledo’s streets dicey. Wednesday’s early morning commute was quite an expedition that felt more like steering a canoe down I-75 than a Kia Forte. So it seems apropos as of now to describe the fishing recently: wet and rainy, as it has been for most of this summer. The annual down time for the grass to go dormant has not occurred yet, and it might not this year. Everything should have subsided in time for this weekend’s fishing, but that depends on whether it stays dry. Accuweather was forecasting an 80 percent chance of rain in the Toledo area for Sunday. Mario Campos, proprietor of Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters, said the water levels should recover nicely in time for a day along the shore or in a kayak.
Lucas County Dogs for Adoption: 7/13
Dogs remain available at the Lucas County Canine Care & Control Office. For information, call 419-213-2800. For a complete list of available dogs, go to lucascountydogs.petfinder.com. A $100 adoption fee includes spay-neuter, a heartworm check, microchip ID, vaccinations, and a behavioral evaluation. Dogs killed Dog killed July 6 under the direction of Kelly Sears, director of the Lucas County Canine Care & Control: Breed and description; reason; intake type and date with location found if stray. Dogs killed for poor behavior on body-handling and resource-guarding assessments are scored on a scale of 5, with higher scores being more aggressive. Dog-aggression assessments are not scored:
Editorial: Check overzealous cops
The U.S. Supreme Court has stepped into a technically complicated legal case out of Napoleon that will stand as a rebuke of overzealous police work, while also exposing Ohio municipalities to more lawsuits. The justices, helped along by briefs from multiple “friends of the court,” as well as the defendant and plaintiff parties, ruled that Henry County jeweler Jascha Chiaverini has a right to sue the city of Napoleon and its police department for malicious prosecution. Read more Blade editorials The city’s case is that Mr. Chiaverini, who manages a jewelry store, bought a stolen ring and earring for $45. He was uncooperative and resistant in returning the stolen jewelry to its rightful owners, who had quickly called him and even told him the name of the thief.
Saturday Essay: EPA’s overreaching regulations threaten Ohio’s trucking industry
As president and CEO of the Ohio Trucking Association, I am deeply concerned about the detrimental impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s newly finalized tailpipe emissions regulations for heavy duty vehicles. These regulations, under the guise of environmental protection, threaten to disrupt and destabilize the backbone of Ohio’s economy — the trucking industry. The EPA’s stringent emissions standards, particularly targeting zero-emissions technologies for heavy-duty trucks by 2030, are not just unrealistic but potentially catastrophic for both our members and Ohioans as a whole. The trucking sector, which moves roughly 73 percent of the nation’s freight by weight, faces insurmountable challenges...
Jace Jung's multi-homer game helps Mud Hens cruise past Storm Chasers
PAPILLION, Neb. — The Toledo Mud Hens’ offense exploded with six home runs, scoring 12 runs on 12 hits in a 12-6 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday night. Having dropped the first three games of the six-game set, the Mud Hens’ victory puts them at 42-48 on the season. Toledo scored runs in each of the first six innings to lead Omaha 10-3 through the sixth. Jace Jung’s two-run home run made it 2-0 Toledo in the top of the first inning. In his next at-bat in the third, he added a solo shot and finished the game 2 for 5 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
2024 state of the position: BGSU linebackers
This is the fifth story of a seven-part series breaking down position groups on Bowling Green State University’s roster entering the 2024 season. BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University’s football team had some serious talent, athleticism, and explosiveness in the middle of its defense last season. Although a couple of critical pieces of that unit are gone, the linebacker corps could be in for another productive year. Five players with starting experience, including one of BGSU’s leading tacklers in Joseph Sipp, Jr., return at linebacker for the Falcons. BGSU has two enormous holes to fill in Darren Anders, who completed his college eligibility, and Cashius Howell, who transferred to Texas A&M, but the Falcons have some newcomers who could step right in.
Whiteford, Erie Mason set for TCC's final football season
As Whiteford High School's football team has ascended to the status of being one of Michigan's top small-school, 11-player programs in the past three seasons, its base of operation — the Tri-County Conference — has simultaneously been disintegrating. The decline has become so severe that the 2024 season will be the last as a football league for the TCC, which began play in 1973. At least for the foreseeable future. In the upcoming season, Whiteford's Bobcats — the 2023 Michigan Division 8 state runners-up at 13-1 after their perfect 14-0 run to a D-8 state title in 2022 — are one of three remaining TCC football teams along with Erie Mason and Summerfield. “I don't think I knew this was going to happen at first,” third-year Whiteford head coach Todd Thieken said of the TCC's rapid erosion. “Whitmore Lake left [in 2019], and then Britton-Deerfield and Morenci went to 8-man football.
2024 state of the position: Toledo linebackers
This is the fifth story of a seven-part series breaking down position groups on the University of Toledo’s roster entering the 2024 season. When Dallas Gant transferred to the University of Toledo, the reaction was curiosity mixed with excitement. The Toledo native was a high-end recruit from St. John’s Jesuit who matriculated to Ohio State, where he had an unsatisfying four-year career due partly to questionable coaching decisions. Would he maximize his potential at Toledo? The answer was a resounding yes, as Gant became a production superstar and the team’s north star. He’s now in the NFL, leaving a void in the linebacker room. But veterans Daniel Bolden and Jackson Barrow provide experience and confidence.
NRC taking the next step toward a possible restart of Palisades nuclear plant
The historic effort to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in southwest Michigan took another step forward on Thursday night when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spent three hours listening to impassioned pleas from both sides of the issue. The event, one of many in the long process of vetting a proposal once considered unfathomable, was what’s known as an environmental scoping meeting. In layman’s terms, that’s a chance for the public to interject thoughts as the nuclear regulator assesses the viability of such a never-attempted reboot from an environmental standpoint. The comment deadline for this phase of the restart review, the draft environmental assessment, is July 29. A decision on the overall project isn’t expected until late 2025.
Free concert Tuesday at Maumee library
Music at the Maumee Library continues Tuesday with a performance by the Maumee Community Band. The performance, at 7 p.m., will be on the lawn of the Maumee library branch. People should bring their own chair or blanket. The final performance of the season will be Aug. 6.
5 reindicted in $72 million Ponzi scheme
Prosecutors on Friday secured new indictments against five of the eight people at the center of a Ponzi scheme that allegedly bilked at least 200 people out of $72 million. The Lucas County grand jury issued indictments against James M. DelVerne, 54, of Toledo; Doug Miller, 60, of Bowling Green; Gary Rathbun, 67, and Nancy Rathbun, 72, both of rural Wauseon; and John T. Walters, 53, of Perrysburg. The 154-count indictment accuses them of an array of charges, including grand theft, money laundering, investment adviser fraud, theft from a person in a protected class, tampering with records, securities fraud, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. The case centers on the former Northwest Capital, a Toledo investment firm that served as an intermediary between investors and businesses raising capital by selling accounts receivables.
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