A pair of recent indictments highlights the need for consumers to do their research. Recently, the Union County Grand Jury indicted Mario Espino Puentes and Allen Eugene Vogelsang, charging them with a variety of theft related charges stemming from similar, but separate incidents. Both men allegedly approached local residents offering to perform home improvement tasks. Both got money to perform the jobs, but neither finished or even actually started. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said it is important for residents to protect themselves. “If at all possible, don’t give them money up front,” Phillips said. He said a lot of…
Author: Mac Cordell
Pictured above is a screen capture taken earlier this week from an online real estate search site. The search shows just four homes currently available in the Marysville area for under $150,000. Three of the Homes are in the $71,000 price range in the Marysville Estates mobile home community and the other at $104,900 on West Ninth Street. (Online image) And what is on market will cost you At a recent meeting, Marysville officials were again reminded of the housing shortage in the community. In the meeting, a joint work session with Marysville City Council and the city’s planning commission,…
A Fairbanks teacher, and Marysville resident, has resigned from his position following allegations that he had of a series of inappropriate relationships. At a meeting in February, the Fairbanks Board of Education accepted the resignation of Ben Keller, marching band director and instrumental music teacher for grades 5-12. KELLER Keller has been with the district since 1993. According to an educator misconduct report filed with the state superintendent of public instructions office, school administration received information that Keller was “engaging in improper relationships and interactions with former students.” Additionally, according to the report, “one of the former students who made…
Kevin T. Green was arrested Wednesday morning after law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at his home on Osborne Road. Green is charged with multiple counts of felony drug trafficking. Officials said a threat assessment conducted before the arrest indicated that using the Union County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team along with the Marysville Police Department’s Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport vehicle was appropriate. (Photo submitted) Law enforcement officials seized weapons and what they believe to be drugs following the execution of a search warrant. Wednesday morning, members of the Union County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team executed a search…
A Bellefontaine man has been indicted, charged with assaulting a senior family member multiple times over the course of a month. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Joshua Allen Artis, 39, of 1297 Township Road 190 E., charging him with one count of domestic violence. ARTIS According to court documents, on Feb. 13, Marysville Police got a phone call from Artis’ relative, who reported that she had been assaulted by her son, Joshua Artis. When police arrived, the woman was in the lobby of her independent living apartment building at 201 Professional Parkway. According to police reports, the woman…
Pastors and counselors were available Tuesday at North Union schools to help students deal with the death of a classmate. “It is with great sorrow that I inform you that an 8th grade student at North Union Middle School passed away unexpectedly last evening, March 1, 2021,” North Union School District Superintendent Rich Baird wrote in a Tuesday letter to the community. Lance Emberling, an investigator with the Union County Coroner’s Office, said the 15-year-old Magnetic Springs boy was found by a family member about 9:45 p.m. at his home, where he was declared dead. Baird said counseling from local…
City officials discuss ways to mandate upkeep of properties Marysville City Council spent the second half of a marathon work session talking about the city’s appearance. The topic was the final priority of the city’s strategic plan to be discussed by council. “The city’s vision for well-planned neighborhoods and having a vibrant economy must start with the Community Appearance priority,” according to the plan. “There are a number of attributes that contribute to a community’s character and uniqueness and that give it a ‘sense of place’ which collectively comprise the city’s quality of life. Community character affects how the city…
A Columbus man could be facing as many as three decades in prison after allegedly breaking into an ex-girlfriend’s apartment and assaulting the residents. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Sean Hill, 35, of Columbus, charging him with three counts of aggravated burglary, stemming from a Dec. 4 incident. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said Hill and his ex-girlfriend got into some type of disagreement and, about 3:35 a.m., Dec. 4, Hill went to an apartment in the 600 block of Meadows Drive. Phillips said Hill was pounding on the door before finally being able to push his way…
Now limited to seniors and those with disabilities, program plans move into public transportation The Union County Area Transportation Services (UCATS) may be transitioning to a public transportation service. This week, UCATS officials presented a business plan for the transition to bring a public transportation option to the county. “UCATS will provide on demand curb-to-curb service for all residents of Union County,” according to the business plan. “Either pick-up or drop off for a ride must occur in Union County.” Due to partial funding by federal grants, the program currently serves senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, transporting them to…
Tree trimming in the City of Marysville, shown above on Court Street this week, is expected to continue for the next week or two City officials have said their pruning does not look like tree trimming of the past. The preventative pruning is intended to keep the streets and sidewalks safe and to promote the long-term health of the tree. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) City officials want residents to know the tree trimming they are seeing this week is not the same as it used to be. “This is not what they are used to,” said Andy Evans, Marysville’s…
My home has an Amazon Alexa… It has an actual name, but I don’t know what it is, we just call it Alexa. The little black box listens for its name, and when you ask a question, it quickly searches the internet and gives you an answer. You can also ask it to do personal tasks or to even entertain you. I was a bit troubled to hear that it also records snippets of your home life. I am not afraid or ashamed of the things that happen in my home, but I still don’t want Jeff Bezos listening to…
Officials at the Coughlin Chrysler Marysville car dealership, 15777 Watkins Road, clean up and work to keep cars out of the glass spread in the parking lot after a theft this morning. The thieves drove the stolen vehicles out the glass showroom window. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) For the second time this winter, thieves drive sports cars through a Watkins Road showroom window For the second time in three months, the police are investigating the theft of high-end cars from a local dealership. Marysville Division of Police Deputy Chief Tony Brooks said that about 6:30 a.m. today, an employee…
Fairbanks Local Schools will use federal COVID relief money to fund a series of programs aimed at mitigating the loss of learning caused by the virus. Superintendent Adham Schirg said the district received about $220,000 of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding, which was part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act signed into law in December. He said that will be used for things like summer school, intervention, tutors and other measures to help students make up ground lost while students were not part of in person learning because of the pandemic. Earlier this month, Gov. Mike…
As Marysville City Council begins to look at life after COVID, one of the questions that is returning is whether or not to livestream meetings. The topic, which has been an issue for nearly a year and a half, quieted when council meetings went virtual because of the pandemic. Recently, council members began looking at when meetings might return and with those discussions came the livestreaming debate. Citizen Jermain Ferguson was at Monday night’s council meeting to urge members to consider livestreaming the meetings. He said livestreaming the meetings would “provide greater accessibility, education and transparency to local government.” As…
A position on the Marysville Charter Review Board, as well as several other city boards, could soon be more lucrative. Marysville City Council is expected to hear legislation to make a seat on the city’s Charter Review Board a paid position. The city already pays $50 per meeting for members of the planning commission, board of zoning appeals, civil service commission, parks and recreation commission and design review board. Donald Boerger recently told the city finance committee that to “create continuity” he feels members of any board that meets at least twice a year should be paid. “Any resident who…