Officials from the National Weather Service have ruled that an EF-2 tornado touched down in central Union County on Thursday evening causing significant damage to the area in and around Broadway. One Road in Union County remains closed as crews work to remove wires and shore utility lines and poles. Above, crews work to restore utilities and repair storm-damaged infrastructure on Route 739 west of Broadway. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) — The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down Thursday evening in Union County. Crews from the National Weather Service (NWS) were in Union County Friday afternoon.…
Author: Mac Cordell
A trio of individuals is in custody after allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of tools, then leading law enforcement officials on a high-speed chase into Dublin. According to police reports Joseph Lee Jones, 42; Dawn M. McCullough, 48; and Eddie Clifford Bevins, 38, all of Columbus, were arrested Friday evening in Dublin. Capt. Nate Sachs of the Marysville Division of Police said that at 6:02 p.m., Friday, employees from McAuliffe’s Ace hardware store, 1299 W. Fifth Street, called police to report a theft. The employees said a man and a woman, later identified as Jones and McCullough had walked…
A local man has been charged with allegedly attacking household members trying to keep him from getting behind the wheel. Robert Pierce Jordan, 55, of 14343 Bellepointe Road, has been indicted by a grand jury, charged with one count each of felonious assault, domestic violence, assault and operating a vehicle under the influence. According to court documents, at about 7:21 p.m., Feb. 17, the Union County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from a woman at a home in the 17000 block of Miller Road in York Township. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said Jordan had been drinking and allegedly…
Local, state and federal officials are examining storm damage in and around Broadway after a powerful storm moved through the area Thursday night. Officials believe an investigation will reveal it was a tornado that caused much of the damage. Above, debris filled the yard of this wind-damaged home on Route 739. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) — Randy Trapp said his father moved to the family’s farm on Patrick-Brush Run Road in 1947. “I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s a generational farm,” Trapp said. Trapp said that if his family and his parents want to continue to live…
A Richwood man could be facing more than four decades in prison after allegedly giving meth to three children. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Matthew R. Wurtsbaugh, 36, of 56 E. Bomford St., charging him with three counts of corrupting another with drugs, three counts of endangering children and one count of discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited premises. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips called it “a very serious situation that could have had a very serious outcome.” Phillips said that on Jan. 27, Wurtsbaugh was hanging out with three girls, all of them 12…
This week is Sunshine Law Week in Ohio. “Obviously in our democracy one of the fundamental tenants is open government,” said Marysville Law Director Tim Aslaner. “People should be able to see as much of their government and how it works as possible and to participate as much as possible and that means open meetings and access to public records.” Sunshine Week, initiated in 2005, “reinforces the principles of government openness that have been cherished since the time of our Founding Fathers,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. Local officials say they take those principals to heart. Marysville City Council…
City Council heard a first reading for creation of the North Main Corridor Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). The CRA encompasses the area for a proposed multi-use retail, office and residential development. The CRA would allow city officials to abate the property tax for development in the area. (Photo submitted) — Marysville City Council took the first step to abate the property tax on a proposed $100 million investment in the city’s Uptown. At its meeting Monday, council heard the first reading of proposed Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) for the north end of Marysville’s Uptown. Union County Economic Development Director Eric…
Patricia Hall, right, and her attorney, Daniel Sabol, smile after learning she would not be sent to prison. Hall pleaded guilty to first-degree felony theft for stealing more than $5 million from an elderly relative. She was recently sentenced to 90 days in jail for the theft. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) — The local woman who stole more than $5 million from an elderly woman will spend three months in jail. Patricia Hall, 75, of 18550 Paver Barnes Rd., was sentenced recently to 90 days in jail, five years of community control and 500 hours of community service. In…
Mike Justice says he didn’t intend to run for sheriff. “If my intentions were to run for sheriff, I would have retired in January 2023 to give me more time to campaign,” Justice said. Justice said he retired from the Union County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 30. He said at the time the sheriff’s office was down 10 deputies and two other deputies were in the hiring process for other agencies. He said he received several phone calls. “I received phone calls from two additional deputies who were inquiring if I would run for sheriff, because they did not want…
Sheriff Jamie Patton believes the lessons of the past have prepared him to lead in the future. Patton, 54, says that after being appointed in 2011, he “led the Sheriff’s Office through the difficult recovery period” that included layoffs and several years of budget cuts. He said the last couple years, with COVID and the ‘defund the police’ movement, have also been difficult. “Tough times like what we’ve experienced in the past 12 years call for strong leadership and I think I have clearly demonstrated that kind of leadership in leading my staff through those challenges,” Patton said. Patton lives…
This weekend we spring forward. Daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday. “Daylight saving time, or DST, is the period of the year when clocks are moved one hour ahead,” according to information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “In the United States, this has the effect of creating more sunlit hours in the evening during months when the weather is the warmest. We advance our clocks ahead one hour at the beginning of DST, and move them back one hour (“spring forward, fall back”) when we return to standard time (ST). The transition from ST to…
A week after the early morning fire that gutted Benny’s Pizza’s carryout building, the restaurant is open, albeit with a limited menu. “We are open in the dining room building, the patio and the pub,” said Fred Neumeier, who owns the business with his wife and sons. He said the restaurant, located at 968 Columbus Ave., is serving sandwiches and cauliflower crust pizza. He said staff is working to move a smoker from the carryout building to the dining room building so wings can be served soon. Neumeier explained that while the dining room and its kitchen were not damaged,…
City Manager Terry Emery, right, used the annual State of the City event, held Monday at Leon’s Garage, to help the community better know city council members. Above, council member Mark Reams talks about the city’s utility system and rates. Council member include, from left, J.R. Rausch, Reams, Scott Hunter, Steven Wolfe, Zack Bordner, Henk Berbee and Donald Boerger. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) — City Manager Terry Emery used Marysville’s State of the City event to help residents know their council members, particularly the new members, better. The city charter requires the city manager to provide a state of…
City officials presented a video at Monday night’s State of the City Address, highlighting key accomplishments of the city in 2023. Above, City Manager Terry Emery opens the video detailing the city finances for the year. (Photo submitted) — As part of Monday’s State of the City event, Marysville officials presented a video highlighting the accomplishments of 2023. “2023 was a year of infrastructure improvements to keep pace with current development activity in and around Marysville and it all started with city finances,” City Manager Terry Emery said, opening the video. The video was presented at Monday night’s State of…
Fairbanks school officials are working to help district students cope with the loss of a class mate. Blake Gorton, 16, an 11th-grade student at Fairbanks High School died Saturday night as a result of a one-vehicle crash. “Such a tragic loss affects us all,” Fairbanks High School Principal Janel Chapman wrote in a letter to parents Sunday. “In Fairbanks, we support each other, in particular during times of sadness. Over the coming days, let’s continue to take care of each other.” District officials said they are “hurting for the Gorton family, Blake’s friends, and those connected to him.” “This is a…