The following are the top 10 stories covered by Crawford County Now in 2017, as voted on by the CCN news staff.
Crawford County Center for the Arts opens in Bucyrus
After nearly five years of hard work by the Crawford County Arts Council, a permanent home for art and its creators opened in Crawford Countyin December.
Four years after the council was formed, the art community now has a permanent space at 1810 E. Mansfield St., the same building that is also the location of Showplace.
“A lot of people did a lot of work to make this happen,” said local artist and former board member of the council, Sandy Laipply. “We finally have a place where people can come to view the creations of our local art community.”
The Crawford County Center for the Arts officially opened its doors on Saturday and includes a gallery, office and classrooms. Beverly Morgan, president of the board of directors, said the council partnered with the Bucyrus Rotary at their auction two years ago.
“We were able to use that money to receive matching grants from the Ohio Arts Council,” Morgan said.
Morgan said that funding for the center comes from a variety of sources including the annual golf scramble, grants through the Community Foundation for Crawford County, council membership fees, donations, grants, and revenue from the many art classes that will be offered at the location which will include painting, pottery, stain glass and much more.
9. Aumiller Park court named after 40-year BHS basketball statistician
The recreational basketball court at Aumiller Park received a facelift and was named in honor of Larry Heid in July.
Emblazoned in white capital letter on both sidelines of the now red court are the words, “Larry Heid Court.”
A crowd including current and former Bucyrus basketball players and coaches, school employees, members of the Bucyrus High School Band and members of the Heid family were among those present to see the unveiling of a plaque next to the court that shares Heid’s story.
“It’s important for us to be here,” newly-named boys basketball coach Justin Mattix said. “It’s important for the community to see us here supporting it when the community supports us so much, especially for someone who meant so much to the program as Larry did.”
The idea came when Heid’s nephew, Michael Heid, was driving through Aumiller shortly after Larry’s funeral and saw a dilapidated basketball court and the idea came to be on how to immortalize his late uncle.
8. Latest Keith appeal seeking new trial is denied
The latest attempt by Kevin Keith and his attorney to seek a new trial following his 1994 conviction for a triple murder in Bucyrus was met the same fate in June as his other appeals: denied.
Kevin Keith is shown here at his last appearance in Crawford County Common Pleas Court when his appeal for a new trial was denied prior to his execution date. His sentence was later commuted by then Gov. Ted Strickland.
Keith had filed a motion for leave to file a motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence on Oct. 31, 2016 in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Judge Sean Leuthold issued his decision denying that motion on Jan. 13 of this year.
Keith and his attorneys appealed Leuthold’s decision to the Court of Appeals Third Appellate District in Lima.
The Appellate Court issued its denial today (June 26), writing, “Over the years in his numerous appeals and post-conviction petitions Keith has challenged many aspects of his case and the evidence against him, but one fact remains clear, the evidence against Keith was simply overwhelming.”
“That was the main thing we tried to say, there was overwhelming evidence and it wasn’t just us saying that,” said Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall. “It was the Ohio Supreme Court, it was the members of the Appellate Court themselves.”
Keith was convicted after a two-week trial in 1994 of shooting to death Marichell Chatman, her 7-year-old daughter Marchae Chatman and Linda Chatman, as well as shooting and wounding an adult, Richard Chatman, and two young children, brother and sister Quanita Reeves and Quinton Reeves, at a Bucyrus Estates Apartment.
Then-prosecutor Russell Wiseman attributed the motive for the murders as revenge for a relative of the Chatmans being a drug informant.
Keith was sentenced to death for those murders and was less than two weeks away from his execution when then-Gov. Ted Strickland commuted Keith’s sentence to life without parole.
7. Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame memorial dedicated
After years of planning and fundraising, the Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame Board was able to complete a permanent memorial to local veterans at the Crawford County Courthouse in September.
“We’ve done it.”
Those were the first words spoken by Crawford County Veterans Hall of Fame committee treasurer Don Scheerer when he stood at a podium outside the Crawford County Courthouse the morning of Sept. 26.
What was done was the creation of a permanent home for those elected to the county veterans’ hall of fame.
The five pillars on the southeast corner of the courthouse were dedicated in front of various county residents as a place of remembrance and honor for those elected to the hall.
Scheerer said the next check to be deposited will take the project over the $150,000 mark in donations. The donations helped pay for the creation of the monument by Longstreth Memorials, as well as the creation of a walkway with engraved paver stones and the relocation of a cannon from the east side of the courthouse to in front of the memorial.
6. Bratwurst Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary
The Bratwurst Festival began as Colonel Crawford Days in August of 1967. The festival has grown and changed in during its 50 years in existence.
The Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival queen and her court were crowned Thursday evening during the first day of the downtown festival.
Allison Lawson was crowned queen of the 50th Annual Bratwurst Festival, Victoria Adams was named first runner-up and Sarah Campbell was second runner-up.
Lawson, a Colonel Crawford High School senior, was crowned 10 years after receiving the crown for junior princess in 2007.
Lawson was crowned by 2016 Bratwurst Festival Queen Cayte Pojman who also crowned Lawson as junior princess in 2007.
5. Schines Art Park now open to the public
After years in the making, the Schines Art Park opened at the former location of the Schines Movie Theater on South Sandusky Avenue in August.
A new park now is open in the downtown Bucyrus business district after a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.
Before the beginning of the final Bucyrus first Friday, Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser, Ohio Rep. Wes Goodman and others were present to welcome local residents to the new Schines Art Park at the corner of South Sandusky Avenue and Warren Street.
The park sits in the previous lot of the Schines Theater.
Local resident Joe Armbruster said the original project created in 2000 had nothing to do with a park, but was to renovate the theater.
“After we got the deed, we wanted to renovate the theater,” Armbruster said. “But after so long we didn’t have the money, and it was agreed it had to come down. It was so well built that it was a shame to have it come down.”
Armbruster said once it was decided that the theater would be demolished, it was desired to replace it with something to better the community. Due to the concept of the theater previously providing the arts to the community, an art park was decided to be constructed.
The park will feature one of the two projectors previously used in the movie theater. The projector was renovated and covered with a coating to protect it from rust. Armbruster said the approximately 500-pound projector will be used to show movies during future summers on the wall at the park.
4. Crestline elementary employees placed on leave after dragging student
This story was shared on social media hundreds of times and the video of the child being dragged was viewed thousands of times. While Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall opted not to prosecute the case, he sent a letter, with the approval of a Crawford County grand jury, to the Ohio Board of Education to facilitate an investigation into the incident involving teachers, Hannah Ruth and Heather Gregory.
Two employees of Crestline Elementary were placed on administrative leave after dragging a 7-year-old autistic kindergarten student on the floor in May.
Crestline superintendent Noreen Mullins said a teacher and an aide are on leave after dragging the child through the hallways of Crestline Elementary and into the schools’ office.
Mullins said the actions taken by the school employees were drastically inappropriate and will be dealt with accordingly.
3. Col. Crawford statue vandalized at Crawford Courthouse
The perpetrator in this incident, which occurred in August, has not been apprehended and the incident still is under investigation.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating vandalism at the Crawford County Courthouse.
The head of the Statute of Col. William Crawford on the south side of the courthouse was found to be missing Friday. The head has still not been located.
Crawford County Sheriff Scott Kent said security footage from the courthouse is being reviewed in attempts to find a suspect.
Kent said it is unknown if the vandalism is inspired or tied to other monument vandalisms around the country.
2. Ohio House Rep. Wes Goodman resigns amid inappropriate behavior allegations
Ohio Rep. Wes Goodman recently resigned from his position as the 87th district representative in the Ohio House of Representatives.
The district includes all of Crawford, Morrow and Wyandot counties and portions of Marion and Seneca counties.
The resignation comes as a result of allegations of unspecified “inappropriate behavior.”
House Speaker Clifford Rosenberger then released the following public statement:
“It is with deep regret that I have asked State Representative Wes Goodman to offer his resignation as a member of the Ohio House. I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behavior related to his state office. I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.”
Goodman released his own statement as well.
“Serving as the state representative for the 87th Ohio House District has been one of the great honors of my life. We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life. That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, I’m sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and my friends.”
Rosenberger announced a screening panel will be formed to select a new member for the 87th House District seat.
1. Local area hit hard by tornado
From North Robinson to Crestline, many Crawford County residents were affected by a tornado that ripped through the area in September. Galion residents were affected by a tornado that touched down in the city in November.
CRESTLINE –Vickie Frazee arrived at her home on Ohio 598 Tuesday morning to find it destroyed. Vickie said her father built the home in 1957 when she was two years old.
“We were placing the septic system and making many other repairs,” said Vickie as she sobbed in her husband, Bill’s arms.
The couple’s adult son, Chris, said his parents do not have homeowner’s insurance.
“We have lost everything,” Chris said as he fought back tears.
Chris said he was home with his dad when a tornado ripped through their ranch-style home.
“It lifted us up to the ceiling, then dropped us back down to the floor,” Chris said.
The house was lifted off its foundation and sat back down, cock-eyed to the road. The Frazee’s neighbor, Gerri Payne, said she was making a strawberry pie when she received a flash flood alert on her phone.
“I just thought I was going to have to stay up until 4:30 a.m. when the flood watch ended to see if we got any water. A few minutes later, the rain stopped and I thought that was a quick storm,” Payne said.
Payne’s boyfriend, Tim Jacobs, told Payne that might not be a good sign. The couple then heard a roaring sound like a freight train.
“I knew we had to get to the basement,” Payne said.