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City asks why tornado sirens silent
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com Oregon City Administrator Mike Beazley is reviewing why sirens were not sounded by the time a tornado tore through the city on Nov. 18, causing property damage. “This was a very unusual storm traveling about 75 mph,” Beazley said at a council meeting on Nov. 25. “We had about six minutes from the time the National Weather Service sounded the alarm, and it was on us.” The tornado was one of three that struck the area. The first twister started in Perrysburg at about 5:35 p.m., cut a 12 mile path into Oregon, where it ended at about 5:55 p.m. The width of the EF2 tornado was 150-200 yards and had an estimated maximum wind of between 120-125 mph. Clifford Smith, of Starr Avenue, said at the council meeting that there should have been enough time for the Emergency Management Agency to set off the sirens in Oregon. “We were in our living room, and the television stations were saying it’s heading to Toledo, and it’s heading for Oregon. We had five minutes to go in Oregon. If we hadn’t seen that on the television, we wouldn’t have been in the basement,” said Smith. “We lost trees, our neighbor lost siding on his house. We were close to Wynn Road. It could have moved over a half mile, and it could have been a disaster. We hear the sirens the first Friday of the month. Why don’t we hear them when it’s necessary.” “That’s something we are discussing with the Emergency Management Agency,” said Beazley. “I think that storm was passed before they got that done. I don’t think there’s a good excuse for it.” “We could have been notified 15 to 20 minutes ahead of time,” said Smith. “We should have heard it.” “We agree,” said Beazley. He also said an automated phone system to warn all residents of a tornado takes about 20 minutes.
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By the math, everyone in Ohio should be employed with two jobs. Mike Beazley See page 9
Common People, Uncommon Challenges 50 stories of inspiration
A 1940's Radio Christmas Carol
Genoa Civic Theatre will present "A 1940's Radio Christmas Carol" December 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 8 p.m. and December 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. The play concerns a group of radio performers who experience mayhem and madness during a live Christmas eve broadcast. Pictured in rehearsal are Jennifer Bommarito, Kevin Baumgartner, Emily Barringer, Sam Neifer, Ryan Cornelius, and Kevin Norwalk. For ticket information call 419-855-3103. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Traffic cameras
Court favors city in records case By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com The Sixth District Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the City of Northwood in a public records case involving photos generated by traffic cameras. Edward Verhovec had appealed a decision by the Wood County Common Pleas Court in Dec. 2012 that granted the city’s motion request for summary judgment. Verhovec had been hired as an investigator by Paul Cushion, an attorney, to submit requests to the city for all images from the six or so years the city had the camera program, whether the images resulted in enforcement actions or not. The city claimed it complied with Verhovec’s request but on June 30, 2011 he filed with the common pleas court for a writ of mandamus to compel the city to provide the images. At issue was the June 7, 2012 deposition of Thomas Cairl, the city police chief, Verhovec was dissatisfied with the chief’s
testimony and preparation and in August Verhovec filed multiple motions to re-open the deposition/discovery process. The common pleas court, in a two-sentence order, granted summary judgment in favor of the city. Verhovec’s appeal contended the order denied him a “meaningful” day in court and his due process right to prepare an opposition to summary judgment by the city’s selection of an “unknowledgeable” designee (Cairl) and the refusal to produce documents. The appeals court ruled Verhovec missed the deadline to challenge Cairl’s responses in the discovery hearing. “Appellant could have certainly filed a motion to compel or a motion for continuance of discovery prior to the discovery deadline if he felt responses were inadequate or insufficient. Instead, appellant opted to file his discovery motions after the discovery deadline had passed,” the ruling says. Also, after reviewing the chief’s deposition, the appeals court wrote it wasn’t convinced he was “unprepared.”
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Read about the heroes living in the homes next to you. In these 50 short stories, Press columnist John Szozda tells the stories of common people who have met uncommon challenges with vision, courage, passion and determination. These men and women include the Genoa grandmother who helped
by John Szozda
Verhovec’s agreement with the attorney Cushion called for him to also make similar public records requests at several other municipalities. In return, Verhovec would receive $4,000 each time he successfully prosecuted a request. State law requires public records subject to a request to be prepared and made available for inspection to anyone at “all reasonable times during regular business hours,” the appeals court ruling says, and an improper disposition of the records can result in a claim for civil forfeiture. The law allows someone “aggrieved” by improper distribution to seek injunctive relief or a civil action to recover a forfeiture of $1,000 for each violation and attorney fees. The appeals court ruled Verhovec didn’t meet the criteria for forfeiture. “Appellant (Verhovec) admitted ….he had no interest in the content of the images and was simply interested in whether they existed or not,” the ruling says. “Further… appellant concedes that his only reason for interest in the records was to satisfy his con-
solve her daughter’s murder, the Polish-American boy who survived gruesome medical experiments during WWII and the woman, once a victim of fear, who fought back against crime and founded CrimeStoppers. The
For your copy of John Szozda’s book, send $15 to The Press, Box 169-J Millbury, OH 43447 or call 419-836-2221.
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