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College Bound See Sports A supplement to The Press Newspapers December 4, 2017
Jacob Plantz Cover photo: Genoa junior guard by Russ Lytle) p ((Press file photo
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Fire depts. seek grant to study staffing By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com Three local fire departments plan to jointly apply for a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund an assessment of their personnel needs. Departments in Lake Township and the cities of Northwood and Rossford are seeking a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the agency, Bruce Moritz, the township fire chief, said Tuesday during the township trustees’ meeting. If the grant is approved, it will be used to pay for a consulting firm to study the departments’ service calls and staff levels, the chief said. “We’d like to have someone come in look at our needs and give us some recommendations. Our run volume continues to climb every year,” Moritz said. “This could give us a good format to map out our future.” The township trustees approved the application request. Josh Drouard, chief of the Rossford Fire and Rescue Department, said he expects city council to approve a similar resolution when it meets April 9. “This will help all three departments both individually and collectively,” he said.
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Scam artists cast a wider net. They know not everyone will fall for it, but some will. Mike DeWine See page 5
Jason Krizan, a 28-year-old six foot tall, 185 pound outfielder who hails from Austin, Texas, says having 12 players who have been with the Toledo Mud Hens before provides familiarity and team chemistry. Krizan, who was with the Hens and at Double A Erie last year, spoke to The Press at a Team Media Day Wednesday in the Holy Toledo Room of the Hen’s office building. New Manager Doug Mientkiewicz, a Toledo native, and his coaching staff were present with every player from the opening day roster. The Hens opened the season on Friday, April 6 at Louisville. Opening day at Fifth Third Field is set for Thursday, April 12 at 4:05 p.m. against Pawtucket. See story on page 14. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Phosphorus
High levels are heading to Lake Erie By Kelly J. Kaczala News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com The Spring 2017 Western Lake Erie Tributary Water Monitoring Summary, released last week by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, shows high levels of phosphorus headed to Lake Erie. Exacerbated by wet weather, the total phosphorus load in the Maumee River was elevated to more than twice the required reduction targets (40 percent by 2025) identified in the Binational Water Quality Agreement. Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler said more needs to be done to address the problem. “This report, which is consistent with testing as far back as the early 2000s, confirms that we haven’t moved the needle to meet our goal of reducing phosphorus by 40 percent by 2025 and we have more work to do,” said Butler. “While there continues to be significant taxpayer and private dollars spent on incentives and voluntary nutrient reduction programs, it is clear the actual water quality monitoring data shows
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stations throughout the Lake Erie basin. The report also shows some watersheds are faring better than others. However, all are well above the flow weighted mean concentration target for phosphorus. The flow weighted mean concentration measures phosphorus loads relative to stream size and flow.
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Resolution approved In other business Tuesday, the township trustees approved a resolution supporting a bill pending in the Ohio legislature that would allow police departments in townships with populations of 5,000 or more to patrol and make warrantless traffic stops on interstate highways. Currently, police departments in townships with populations of less than 50,000 residents lack statutory authority to make warrantless stops. HB 255 had a hearing last September before the House Transportation and Safety Committee but hasn’t had a hearing since. The township resolution notes that “… the inability of township officers to enforce all laws on roadways that fall within their
Mud Hens prepare for season opener
Fertilizer run-off Oregon City Councilwoman Sandy Bihn, who is executive director of Lake Erie Waterkeeper, said she agreed with Butler. “He’s right. The problem is, with all the money we’ve invested to reduce phosphorus, we’re not getting the reductions we need. Not even close. It seems to be getting worse, not better. If the dollars invested are not yielding the results, we need to reevaluate what we’re doing, and do things differently.” Bihn said there needs to be more accountability from the agriculture industry, since livestock manure and fertilizer runoff from farms are the primary sources of phosphorus that drain into creeks and the Maumee River before it empties into the
...with all the money we’ve invested to reduce phosphorus, we’re not getting the reductions we need. Not even close. that our efforts to improve Lake Erie are not over and we must continue to identify new ways to help reduce phosphorus going to the lake.” This is the fourth year this report has summarized water quality data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Heidelberg University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio EPA. The report evaluates dissolved reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus and nitrogen and monitoring
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