Alexandria and Granville filed a plan with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on May 1 outlining how it can provide water and sewer service to parts of western and northwestern Licking County Jersey Township officials sued the coalition filed the same day in Licking County Common Pleas Court claims “these entities conspired to take control of portions of Jersey Township through improper and unlawful closed-door meetings that violated Ohio’s Open Meetings Act” in a July 15 Jersey Township Trustee Dan Wetzel said in a release that the lawsuit is “about protecting our sovereignty No political subdivision has the right to override the will of another’s voters … Jersey Township has elected leaders for a reason and we will not allow outside officials to usurp our authority or speak for our residents.” Granville Village Manager Herb Koehler said May 1 that the coalition could supply water and sewer service to parts of Jersey Township — if property owners request it — but the coalition is not seeking to “take control” of the township the municipalities said they “vigorously deny the allegations in the lawsuit the City of Johnstown received a letter in early July 2024 from a Jersey Township trustee explicitly threatening litigation,” the release said Johnstown Mayor Donny Barnard said in the release: “We remain committed to transparency and serving the best interests of the residents of Johnstown We are confident in the integrity of our city’s leadership and governance and we trust that the court will dismiss this frivolous lawsuit.” Jersey Township is part of the rapidly growing area between New Albany to the west State Route 161 to the south and the city of Johnstown to the north and Platte and the township are seeking an injunction against coalition members Among the township's requests is for the court to invalidate some actions coalition members took after their July 15 meeting including the Johnstown City Council’s approval of a comprehensive development plan during the July meeting suggesting it is to get more customers for financial gain rather than growth management Platte referred questions to the township's attorney Tension among local government entities in western Licking County has been simmering for more than a year and is rooted in a debate over service areas for local utilities Members of the Johnstown-Alexandria-Granville coalition — known as the Municipal Utility Coalition of Licking County — have said for months that their goal is to offer an alternative to the Licking Regional Water District formerly known as the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District and coalition members say they want to manage growth according to their comprehensive development plans They have concerns that a stand-alone utility will not fully consider development plans when installing lines “We’re not at all implying that Licking Regional doesn’t have a part in the future of western Licking County,” Koehler said We think our service can complement what they offer to the benefit of all customers.” But when the Licking County Commissioners voted in 2022 to expand the Licking Regional Water service area from about 8,000 acres in southwestern Licking County to 18,182 acres stretching to the north and east of its original service area leaders from the coalition communities and surrounding townships became concerned about losing their ability to manage growth to their plans Their concerns intensified when Licking Regional Water bought about 100 acres along State Route 161 in St. Albans Township and proposed a large sewage-treatment facility and a future water-treatment facility within a few miles of Alexandria and Granville That’s when the leaders began serious discussions about forming a utility coalition “Our Plan takes direct inspiration from the Licking County FRAMEWORK report,” Koehler said in a release businesses and residents developed to plan for future growth in western Licking County The report is full of recommendations “to maintain the values and sense of community that attracted our residents and is now attracting major businesses and investment,” Koehler said organic growth while ensuring that our local schools and other critical community needs are not neglected Our ‘inside-out’ approach will allow us to increase treatment capacity and construct centralized sewers as the need arises allowing us to keep sewer rates affordable.”   Alexandria Mayor Sean Barnes said in the coalition’s response to the lawsuit: “We value our partnership with Johnstown and Granville especially in light of the growth that is coming to Licking County Collaborations such as ours are necessary if we hope to positively shape the future of the region.” Granville Mayor Melissa Hartfield said in the release that she is disappointed in Platte and Jersey Township's actions: “I believe this is a deliberate attempt to distract us from working in the best interests of our constituents.” Wetzel said Jersey Township officials “hope that this lawsuit can be resolved amicably.”  Platte and Jersey Township are serious about a sustainable future Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers (WKBW) — Daniel "DJ" Granville of the Erie County Sheriff's Office has been placed on paid administrative leave This is the latest development following a string of crashes that became public when Granville was named in a hit-and-run lawsuit The Erie County Sheriff's Office says Granville was placed on leave on April 14 Sheriff's Office chief hit parked cars as questions surround alleged cover-up The lawsuit accuses Granville of negligently and carelessly driving his county-owned vehicle before losing control and crashing into several parked cars on the night of April 11 Five officers with the Buffalo Police Department were placed on administrative leave last month as the investigation continued into their actions responding to the crashes Days after the officers were placed on leave addressed the ongoing investigation into the incident We want to hear what’s going on in your community Share your voice and hear from your neighbors ExpandThe Putnam County Public Library will host a free screening of the documentary “Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s” at 5 p.m The Putnam County Public Library will host a free screening of the documentary “Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 at the Granville Library, located at 214 S. McCoy Street. Premiering nationally on PBS on May 5, “Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s” offers an intimate look into the lives of three families navigating the complex emotional and practical realities of Alzheimer’s disease. The film captures the shifting roles within families and highlights the resilience and adaptability of those facing this life-altering diagnosis. Following the hour-long film, a community discussion and resource session will be held. Representatives from the Illinois Valley Alzheimer’s Group will provide information about local resources and support services. In addition, library staff will introduce the Library’s Memory Kits, available for checkout, and discuss how community members can participate in Alzheimer’s research through Stall Catchers, an innovative online game developed by the Human Computation Institute at Cornell University. This special program offers a unique opportunity for education, reflection, and community engagement around a disease that impacts millions of families each year. For more information, contact the Putnam County Public Library at 815-309-2038. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Donate Newsletter Police also, on the day the statute of limitations was set to expire issued citations to Granville for leaving the scene of an accident who responded to the scene and signed off on reports related to the incident The other four were Police Officers Brittany Bartels The Buffalo Common Council’s Police Oversight Committee will hold a meeting this Thursday, April 17, at which lawmakers are expected to discuss whether Buffalo cops tried to cover for the politically wired Granville who apparently was not tested for sobriety at the scene The Erie County Legislature will hold a hearing a week later as it seeks to determine what Sheriff John Garcia and other county officials handled the matter Granville had not submitted retirement papers From the moment attorney James Gardner emerged as the Republican candidate for Buffalo mayor, observers of city politics have assumed he was a placeholder that he’d drop out should the GOP decide it wanted to give the party line to someone else — to Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon in the event he doesn’t win the Democratic primary in June (It bears repeating here that Scanlon has said to Investigative Post and The Buffalo News that he would not seek or accept the Republican ballot line in the November general election.) In order for Gardner to relinquish the line to someone else or be nominated to run for a judgeship elsewhere in the state Gardner will be nominated to run for a judicial post in Yonkers Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Prominent attorney John Feroleto died last week at the age of 71. We didn’t know each other well — I refer you to Dale Anderson’s terrific obituary in The Buffalo News to learn of his accomplishments — but he had one of the warmest smiles I’ve ever encountered The Granville girls and Watkins Memorial boys track teams each won four events and took third in the team standings May 3 during Thomas Worthington’s Gary Smith Invitational Tory Reynolds covered a distance of 15 feet 4¾ inches to win the long jump for the Granville girls Grace Largent and Charlotte Turner on the winning 400 relay crossing in a time of 52.21 seconds as the Blue Aces totaled 99 points trailing the host Cardinals’ 119.5 and Dublin Coffman’s 107 and Leyah Cook matched her in the high jump (5-1) Taking runner-up were Clara Bethel in the 200 (28.28) and Sophia Poling in the 1,600 (5:20.85) for Granville Watkins’ Ellah Bigham took runner-up in the 400 (1:03.35) Ray Hardiman and Joe McIntosh won the 400 relay (44.35) trailing Gahanna’s 128 and the host Cardinals’ 103 Blankenship also won the 300 hurdles (41.81) and matching him were Apel in the 400 (50.72) and Ethan Martinez in the high jump (6-0) Adding runner-up finishes for the Warriors were McIntosh in the 100 (11.46) and John Apel in the 200 (23.46) Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGRANVILLE (WGGB/WSHM) - A portion of Main Road in Granville has been shut down following a car crash Wednesday morning Granville Police Chief Rick Rindels told Western Mass News the crash happened around 10:30 a.m “It’s a single car accident into a telephone pole and road will be shut down for another 3 to 4 hours they’re estimating,” Rindels explained at about 12:15 p.m Wires were knocked down as a result of the crash “Main Road from the Town Hall to South Lane is closed for a MVA and wires down Town Hall is not accessible,” noted the Granville Fire Department on their Facebook page Wednesday morning,“ Please use South lane no injuries were reported in this incident The Granville Recreation District is asking voters to renew a five-year, 0.75 mill levy — originally passed in 2020 — during the May 6 primary election the 0.75-mill levy would raise $428,000 annually Property owners would continue to pay about $18 per $100,000 of property value each year — or $1.50 per month the average home is valued at about $496,000 meaning residents would pay around $90 per year to support rec district programs such as the popular Concert on the Green series; drivers education classes and training; youth sports; clubs and camps the district saw a record year in programming with over $600,000 in program revenue and about 3,500 new registrations And as Granville’s population continues to grow district officials hope to expand its programming opportunities to meet the increasing enrollment “If there’s a need and people want a certain program a location to do it and can find an instructor… we will never say no on a program,” Executive Director Andy Wildman said Since Wildman began with the rec district in 2010, community engagement has grown significantly. The district passed its first levy in 2009, which supported the newly autonomous government organization. In November 2020, it introduced a levy of 0.75 mills which a majority of voters supported; that levy is set to expire at the end of 2025 funds generated by the levy have allowed the district to invest in both capital improvements and operational expenses the district used funds to create a sustainable medical benefits plan increase programming and maintain equipment Investment in new equipment has allowed the maintenance team “What used to take his team a week to paint lacrosse fields now takes one day,” Wildman said a new climate-controlled maintenance facility was built in Racoon Valley Park on River Road the district completed a $713,093 project to pave parking lots at Raccoon Valley Park and Wildwood Park In December 2023, that $713,093 was stolen when a bad actor gained access to an email thread between the vendor and lender resulting in the money being wired elsewhere The telecommunications fraud is still under investigation but no taxpayer money has gone toward that loss “Our goals were to not spend any taxpayer money” to replace the stolen funds “We have received reimbursement from all of our costs at this point.” The district will continue to work with insurance and legal counsel and it remains committed to not letting the theft affect programming should keep the rec district moving in a good direction “This funding is extremely important to keep the rec district on the trajectory that it’s going,” Wildman said “I think almost all of our board members — almost our entire staff — lives in the rec district We take the fiscal responsibility extremely seriously.” Some ongoing projects that will be supported by the levy include an updated Rotary Pavilion — built in partnership with the Rotary Club of Granville which committed $100,000 toward its construction — with concessions and restrooms at Raccoon Valley Park and new pickleball courts These projects were not completed previously due to a combination of increased project costs inflation and the moving of the district office from the school district office building to a new office on the second floor of the St Alongside these improvements, the district plans to redo the safety surface at the Wildwood Park playground continue with support staff and medical benefits for employees and continue to meet growing community needs as they arise The safety surface at Wildwood is a pour-in-place surface added to the playground in 2017 according to the rec district’s FAQ page about the levy The average life expectancy of the surface “I think the rec district is for everybody in the community That’s the important thing,” Trustee Ed Hock said But if you stay in Granville and grow up in Granville Community favorites like the Concert on the Green the annual Easter egg hunt and a community garden at Wildwood Park are a few of the initiatives the district supports with the levy “So many people moved to Granville because of the community and part of what makes the community so great is the rec district because it does serve everybody,” Trustee Kirsten Fox said To learn more about the levy, visit the Granville Recreation District website Mia Fischel writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers GRANVILLE ― The scoreboard said Granville 12 But boys lacrosse coaches Paul Kirk and Levi Jacob left the turf at Walter J Hodges Stadium also looking at the bigger picture for the future of the sport in Licking County Kirk's Blue Aces remain top dogs in the area and Jacob's Johnnies are trying to climb the ladder and challenge the top Central Ohio programs and that's why Kirk has started 74OH Lacrosse three-week summer training programs based in the county for boys and girls ages 3-12 "I've talked to Levi and (Newark coach) Caleb Nilo We want to give kids in our area the opportunity to be excited and passionate about the game because they pretty much have to go to Columbus," said Kirk who played at Licking Valley and Wittenberg and also coached at Valley and Newark "We have several ideas and we want to keep growing it in this community and take it to the next level." who played at Johnstown and Lake Erie College remembered back to when there was a Licking County lacrosse league we've been fortunate to get our middle school and youth programs going We've talked about doing intersquad games between Newark and we need to talk about possibilities at other schools and we're trying to get something going up that way." There was plenty of talent on display during the game on April 29 Even though reloading Granville dominated from the beginning (it has won three in a row after an 0-6 start against a brutal schedule) Jacob and their staffs were still coaching players up but we've been playing a lot better," said Granville senior attack Josh Boggs who scored three goals along with classmate and attack man Beckett Long We lost so much from last year and we hadn't played much together but we're finding that chemistry and coming together." Sophomore Titus Terebuh and Long quickly put the Blue Aces ahead 2-0 before Jason Hettinger got Johnstown on the board off a pass from Will Taylor But when trying to pass it back to his goalie a Johnnie inadvertently put the ball in Granville's net Boggs and Long then scored again as they led 5-1 after the first Long and Boggs struck once more before Terebuh assisted his senior brother Noble for a 9-1 halftime lead "It's a good experience," Titus said about playing with his brother (younger brother Roman will be a freshman next year) but it's much better this year and we have a connection." Noble found Boggs just beside the net with a great pass then scored himself as Granville went up 11-1 before left-hander Taylor ripped home a long shot from 20 yards out for Johnstown Woody Struthers got in on the Aces' scoring parade then Taylor again knocked one home from about 15 yards you try to look at the positives," Jacob said learn quickly from our mistakes and move forward We have to do better against the big-name brands flip that switch and play with confidence." The Johnnies and Newark are both 6-6 and will clash May 13 at White Field Granville's schedule lightens up a bit as it tries to build tournament momentum "We've gotten better throughout the season," Kirk said then they responded well against Bexley and DeSales and the effort level went up We've relied on some of the younger guys and given them a chance." Freshman Jack Vilvens made his first varsity start in goal and had been playing junior varsity "He started out the season playing a different position then moved to goalie and did really well," Titus Terebuh said Better with our pickups in practice and finishing strong." Boggs said the Blue Aces are due to win a close game and are capable of knocking someone off "We're not fighting on the field," he said dweidig@gannett.com Instagram: @dfweidig GRANVILLE — Sophia Patena has never doubted her abilities but one mighty swing early April 30 went a long way for her peace of mind The senior outfielder on Granville's softball team hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning driving in six runs for the Blue Aces in a 10-2 victory against visiting Heath in Licking County League play that’s when I sort of just go in there carefree,” Patena said “It’s less stressful when you have already had one good hit This has been a season unlike any other Granville’s three seniors have experienced but they still have time to put the proper cap on a record-setting run the program’s single-season and career record holder for home runs She also struck out six and scattered six hits from the circle “This is the last time we are going to play as a team together We are all trying to peak at the right time and come together as a team,” said Lodge who is a classmate of Patena and utility player Claire Edwards “We want to really go after it this next month.” 4-8) has been in rebuilding mode since reaching a Division II regional final last May remain dangerous with Lodge and Patena at the top of the order Lodge singled in front of Patena’s home run to the opposite field in right in the bottom of the first inning Patena then crushed a three-run homer to left in the second and a solo homer to left in the fifth “I have been using that as my motivation to get it back up there because I don’t want to have a worse senior season than junior season,” said Patena The only thing that’s a little lower is my batting average.” She is hitting just shy of .500 after hitting over .500 in 2024 Freshman Aubrey Lackey homered against Heath Junior Sydney Cottrill added two hits and a run and freshman Shannon Houser doubled and scored twice The Blue Aces also played error-free behind Lodge Lackey fielded a ball deep in the hole at short and flipped to Houser at third to allow Lodge to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning “We have asked the seniors to set the tone,” Granville coach Brooke Warehime said their talent means even if they sort of take a pitch off Our younger players learning from them have to understand you have to stay focused the entire time We have asked the seniors to really stay focused and try to lead by example Senior Shelby Moore hit a two-run homer for Heath (10-11 which was unable to gain ground on first-place Lakewood remaining two games behind in the Cardinal Division Senior Kyndall Spicer added a double and a single and sophomore Kylie Green struck out three and allowed two runs in 3⅓ innings of relief which forfeited the season’s first two wins due to using an ineligible player still have an opportunity to make it a memorable May “Our season started off better than it’s been going and I feel like these past few weeks people have been really upset with how our games have been going,” Patena said I really just want to end the season on a positive note and cherish the last few games I will have as a high school player.” ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com Instagram: @newarkurt Part of Interstate 85 was closed on Friday morning due to a crash involving an overturned-tractor-trailer near Oxford A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper said a passenger car hit a guardrail and spun out onto the roadway in the northbound lanes near Exit 206 (US 158) The tractor-trailer subsequently crashed into the car causing the 18-wheeler to flip over and catch fire Video sent to WRAL News showed flames rising from the tractor-trailer The tractor-trailer driver has minor injuries while the driver of the car was seriously hurt Troopers believe alcohol was a factor in the crash for the driver of the car Video obtained by The Buffalo News that appears to show Daniel "D.J." Granville's county-owned pickup truck on April 11 slamming into two parked vehicles on Prospect Avenue in Buffalo before leaving the scene the chief of narcotics for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office who has been under investigation after he crashed his county-owned pickup truck into seven parked cars last year has been placed on paid administrative leave by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office As previously reported Granville had been on paid sick leave for weeks starting shortly after local media exposed the incident which resulted in a citation of driving the wrong way down a one-way street a violation reduced to a jaywalking charge In a Buffalo News story that ran on April 20 confirmed Granville was still on sick leave and not on administrative or disciplinary leave Two days after local news media broke stories regarding Daniel "D.J." Granville crashing a county pickup truck into seven parked cars Connors told The News late Thursday that he had misspoken and that Granville had been placed on paid administrative leave a few days before The Buffalo News story ran He later stated that Granville was placed on sick leave initially after Granville submitted correspondence from his doctor. But after the Sheriff’s Office reopened its internal affairs investigation and saw the crash video first publicly released by The Buffalo News the Sheriff’s Office reconsidered Granville’s status and placed him on paid administrative leave A couple of days after Granville was placed on leave Erie County Sheriff John Garcia told The News he was taken aback when he first saw the nighttime video footage showing the pickup truck driven by his chief of narcotics slamming into two parked vehicles then backing up and driving away in April of last year “That was not how I imagined that accident on that evening,” he said he said he understood why Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman last week issued Granville three driving violations for leaving the scene of an accident He also said that “obviously changes a lot” regarding how his office’s internal investigation will proceed The Buffalo News spoke with Erie County Sheriff John Garcia County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Buffalo Mayor Christopher Scanlon this week about the investigations into Daniel "D.J." Granville who crashed his county-owned pickup into seven parked vehicles in Buffalo last year that Granville’s employment status had recently changed Sheriff’s Office spokesman Chris Horvatits said Friday that Granville was placed on leave on April 14 after the three Buffalo Police Department citations were issued against Granville Granville’s working status has been a subject of interest Buffalo police officers responded to the scene shortly after 11:30 p.m after Granville crashed the Sheriff’s Office pickup truck he was driving into seven parked vehicles A screenshot of video obtained by The Buffalo News shows Daniel “D.J.” Granville’s county-owned pickup truck slamming into parked cars on Prospect Avenue in 2024 Sheriff John Garcia said the video and subsequent citations for leaving the scene of an accident change matters for his office's own investigation Connors said he expects Granville to remain on paid leave while investigations by the Buffalo Police Department Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and Erie County Sheriff’s Office continue No findings have yet been released by any of these investigating agencies The disposition of three tickets issued by the Buffalo Police Department against Granville for leaving the scene of a property accident has been postponed Five Buffalo police officers have already been placed on “nondisciplinary” administrative leave in relation to last year’s crashes Granville’s sister-in-law was the supervising Buffalo police officer on the scene The matter was not publicly reported until local news media broke the story in March Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day A video obtained The Buffalo News appears to show Erie County Sheriff's Office Chief Daniel "D.J." Granville's county-owned pickup truck scree… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The Granville Drive street and sidewalk improvement project is the result of a successful petition for desired street and sidewalk improvements received by the City and authorized by City Council on October 5  This project is currently awaiting funding allocation Project ManagerLichuan Wang, PElichuan.wang@raleighnc.gov  Division ManagerSylvester Percival, PEsylvester.percival@raleighnc.govComment Form  The City plans to improve Granville Drive from Glenwood Avenue to Transylvania Avenue for an approximate distance of 2,971 linear feet to add curb and gutter and a 5 foot wide sidewalk on a typical 3.5 foot setback from the curb along the West side of the street resulting in a 27 foot back-to-back street Although some preliminary design work and surveys may have been completed this project is currently awaiting allocation for the official design and construction to proceed The timeline for design and construction has not been determined but will typically take 3 to 5 years Adjustments to the sidewalk width and setback may be include in the final design to avoid significant impacts in certain areas as needed and determined by our design consultant and Engineering Staff If you have any questions or comments pertaining to this street and sidewalk improvement project please feel free to contact us via e-mail at Petition.Specialist@raleighnc.gov or by calling (919) 996-4054 Project ManagerLichuan Wang, PElichuan.wang@raleighnc.gov   Comment Form The City has hired a design firm to advance this project along with other petitioned street and sidewalk projects The design team is currently developing a new schedule for design and construction milestones The design phase is expected to be completed by the end of this year The following projects are included in this group: The Granville Drive street and sidewalk project began as a petition request for street and sidewalk improvements along a section of Granville Drive from Glenwood Avenue to Transylvania Avenue The project will include the addition of curb and gutter along each side of the street drainage improvements and a five-foot-wide sidewalk on a 3.5-foot setback from the back of the newly installed curb on the west side of the street The improvements will be accessible to the property owners at a rate of $32.00 per linear foot of abutting front footage.  Petition was issued in March of 2021 and in August of 2021 City Staff determined that petition responses received supported 65 percent of impacted property owners being in favor of the recommended improvements who also represented a majority or more than 50 percent of the total linear footage being improved or approximately 53 percent of the footage being improved 2021 to consider adoption of the recommended improvements staff will be authorized to proceed with the official design and construction of the petitioned street and sidewalk improvement project Please make note that the public hearing will be held remotely before the City Council via WebEx or as soon thereafter as the matter can be reached on the agenda.  All interested persons either in support of or against the proposed recommended improvements are invited to sign up to speak Granville Drive Presentation Directing Resolutions Active Street Improvement Petitions City Council may initiate street and/or sidewalk improvements as an assessable project City Council will adopt a resolution of intent for the proposed improvements and notify the abutting property owners and letters by mail are normal methods of notifying property owners in the area about the intended project as well as postings to the City’s website City Council will hold a formal public hearing to receive comments from property owners and other interested parties before deciding whether or not to continue with the project Lewis Turner homered and doubled as a part of 3-for-3 performance April 22 powering the Granville baseball team to a 12-2 victory against visiting Zanesville (6-8 2-5) in Licking County League-Buckeye Division play Wilson Wells and Theo Talbott each added a double a run and an RBI each and Jakob Culver a two-run single for the Blue Aces (10-2 who lead Licking Valley by a half game in the Buckeye Wells also struck out four and allowed one hit in 2⅓ scoreless innings sparking Granville Christian in a 9-3 victory at Madison Christian in Mid-Ohio Christian Athletic League play Josiah Green and Matthew Riedel added a hit and two runs apiece and Jake Fabbro and Layton Sheppard a hit who lead Tree of Life and Shekinah Christian by one game in the loss column in the MOCAL Aiden Geiger struck out three in four one-hit innings and Riedel struck out five in two one-hit innings SOFTBALL Granville drops home game Sophia Patena recorded three hits two runs and an RBI for Granville in a 7-4 loss to visiting Liberty Union and an RBI and Sydney Cottrill a hit and a run for the Blue Aces (6-8) and four RBIs for Utica in a 12-11 loss at Grove City Christian two runs and three RBIs and Emily Meyers three hits Heights falls on roadLydia Rauch had three hits for Licking Heights in a 4-2 loss at Mount Vernon (12-2 Ali West and Savanna Christ each homered for the Hornets (8-7 Natalie Mahoney struck out eight and allowed two earned runs Lybertei Nihiser crossed in a time of 1 minute 11.4 seconds to win the 400-meter dash for the Heath girls during a meet at Licking Valley with Mount Vernon She also won the 1,600 (6:18.7) for the Bulldogs Other individual winners for Heath were Adrianne Pethtel in the 800 (2:44.5) and Bradlee Higgins in the 300 hurdles (51.6) Valley’s Allison Osborn was a double winner in throws Teammate Isabelle Cox won the high jump (4-6) Colt Bryan tied for first in the 100 (11.6) Justice Jones in the pole vault (11-0) and Dayvian McIntyre in the long jump (19-4) were victorious Valley’s Trenton Markus also tied for first in the 100 (11.6) Other individual winners for the Panthers were Anthony Blizzard in the 1,600 (4:55.5) Carson Prouty in the 300 hurdles (46.8) and Hunter White in the discus (49-6) Ashbrook win eventsTwo Northridge athletes won field events during a five-team meet at Fredericktown Dixie Ashbrook covered 13-8 to win the girls long jump GIRLS LACROSSEGranville wins at homeEdi Fisher’s five goals led Granville to an 18-1 victory against visiting Grove City Ellie Brower added three goals and Evie Sanders Ellie Gross and Annika DeJong one goal each for the Blue Aces Evan Devries won a third-set tiebreaker at No 2-3) in a 4-1 loss to visiting Teays Valley in Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division action Watkins Memorial (10-2) lost 5-0 to perennial power Olentangy Orange Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here There's nothing like the charm of a small town vintage stores and cozy community are what make the small-town aesthetic And the best small towns are right here in Ohio Not only voted as one of the best historical small towns in the nation, but also one of the best small towns in the Midwest Worthington ranks in the top three for both Worthington's 3.5-acre Village Green Park features the Orange Johnson House built in 1819 the Old Rectory built in 1845 and Rush Creek Village Worthington is also home to the Ohio Railroad Museum one of the oldest railroad museums in the country that opened in 1948 as well as the beloved Doll Museum at the Old Rectory "Worthington offers a blend of history, boutique shopping, and excellent dining. Visitors love to explore the well-preserved downtown centered on the Village Green, enjoy farm-to-table fare at local favorite The Whitney House, and visit the weekly Worthington Farmers Market for local goods," according to the article And if that's not enough, about 30 miles east is Granville, one of the best small town food scenes in the nation, which ranked in the top 10, according to USA TODAY Granville was established in 1805 and despite being a major supporter for Prohibition until 1974 Granville has ideal spots like Aladdin Restaurant Mai Chau Kitchen's Vietnamese street food and a wide range of other dining options and consider stopping by Seek-No-Further Cider Company which makes many of its ciders from local apples," the USA TODAY article read Trending features reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com Here are the highlights from recent track meets involving Chillicothe-area teams More: Highlights: Up and down couple of days for local teams in nonleague matchups Chillicothe athletes participated in the invitational 4x800 relay: Chillicothe was fourth (10.33.44) 3200M: Gabby Maranzana was fourth (11:45.53) 4x800 relay: Chillicothe was third (8:30.60) 300M hurdles: Kavon Muhammad-Pleasant was fifth (43.64) High jump: Karter Williams was fourth (5-10.00) Held at Paint Valley (top three of local coverage teams only) Adena boys came in second behind Gallia Academy 100M: Adena's Jacey Smith was first (13.45) Southeastern's Karlie Peters was third (13.61) 200M: Southeastern's Peters was first (27.43) Piketon's Moore was second (27.80) and Paint Valley's Izze Garnes was third (27.88) 400M: Paint Valley's Izzy Garnes was second (1:05.10) 800M: Waverly's Paisely Turner was second (2:42.72) and Huntington's Hayden Magill was third (2:43.01) 1600M: Adena's Vanessa Conley was first (5:52.08) Waverly's Hadlee Cisco was second (5:56.59) and Huntington's Rachel Lute was third (5:58.00) 3200M: Adena's Conley was first (12:34.57) Waverly's Brookelynn Burleson was second (12:48.30) 100M hurdles: Adena's Carsyn Savely was second (18.17) 300M hurdles: Aden'a Carsyn Savely was second (53.50) 4x800 relay: Waverly was second (11:05.78) High jump: Piketon's Ryanne Moore was second (5-0) Long jump: Adena's Jacey Smith came in first (15-4) Discus: Huntington's Madelyn Smith was first (96-7) Southeastern's Abby Millet was third (91-0) Shot put: Southeastern's Rowan Ruckel was first (38-0.50) Southeastern's Reese Ruckel was second (33-3.50) Paint Valley's Makayla Tennant was third (33-3) Pole Vault: Adena's Kali Routte was first (8-0) Huntington's Hayden Magill and Huntington's Austyn Oliver tied for second at (7-0) 200M: Westfall's Tyler Yates was third (24.49) 400M: Adena's Joey Francis was first (51.22) Westfall's Brody Williams was third (53.09) 800M: Westfall's Josh Trapp was first (2:04.63) Southeastern's Gage Renison (2:06.00) finished second 1600M: Paint Valley's Jaxson Immell was third (4:55.29) 110M hurdles: Adena's Darius Wagner was first (18.42) Paint Valley's Eli Smith was third (18.86) 300M hurdles: Adena's Wagner was second (46.81) Southeastern's Jake Wireman (46.91) was third 4x800 relay: Paint Valley was second (9:27.69) High jump: Southeastern's Daniel Morgan was second (5-8) Southeastern's Craig Branham was third (5-6) Long jump: Adena's Joey Francis was first (21-11.25) Shot put: Paint Valley's Gavin Bell was second (46-8.25) Huntington's Kalvin Manson was third (41-11) Pole Vault: Huntington's Eli Ward was third (10-0) 200M: Zane Trace's Peyton Dotson was third (23.00) 3200M: Unioto's Jayden Lewis was third (10:54.00) 4x200 relay: Zane Trace was second (1:32.19) Long jump: Zane Trace's Aaden Gigley was second (19-4.5) 400M: Westfall's Brody Williams was first (52.54) 200M: Westfall's Hope Bryant was second (30.32) 4x400 relay: Westfall was second (4:55.16) After a brief presentation outlining four possible options for managing the Granville Exempted Village School District's growth Superintendent Jeff Brown asked the more than 60 people in the room to pause in silence for two minutes Faint whispers quickly grew into full-volume chatter and then into lively discussions and furrowed brows as district residents grouped around posters describing each option “It’s hard to like any of them,” Mark Pinkerton said Elementary students attend two different buildings: kindergarten through third grade in the district's oldest building and grades 4-6 at the Intermediate School on New Burg Street One reason for that is to keep all students in each grade “banded together,” rather than designating two or more buildings for grades K-6 The thought of a third building for elementary grades “feels very foreign,” Pinkerton said I would probably stick with grade-banding because that’s what feels traditional to Granville.” but I think it would be really weird to have three elementary schools and to have K-6 all in one school,” she said The workshop was the third in a series of three public planning meetings held by the district since January The first laid out issues such as enrollment growth The district’s Strategic Planning Task Force used those priorities to develop the four options presented April 15 And that workshop was designed to allow residents to share their thoughts — pros and cons — about each of the four options The task force has been gathering information since 2022 when Intel announced plans to build a $28 billion computer-chip manufacturing campus — and bring as many as 3,000 full-time jobs to Licking County The planning process took on greater urgency when M/I Homes of Columbus proposed building a 600-home subdivision in the Granville school district part of Heath potentially adding an estimated 960 more students to the 2,600-student district The task force will use feedback from the April 15 meeting to develop a final recommendation for the school board to consider in May. Details about the planning process and recordings of the planning meetings are available on the district’s website The four options the task force developed assume 275 students per grade and all-day kindergarten the district graduates between 190 and 235 students none of the options laid out include operating costs Option 1 is based on “grade bands,” meaning all students in a particular grade would attend the same facility District residents mentioned this priority because it is how the district has been structured for many years It also reduces the opportunity for cross-town rivalries The plan includes a new facility for grades 6-8 with a location to be determined; an addition to the Intermediate School for grades 3-5; and renovations to the existing elementary The existing elementary school would house K-2 Phase 1 — construction of a new building — would cost $44.5 million with additions costing nearly $7.8 million and renovations costing more than $11.4 million The total estimated cost is almost $63.7 million Option 2: A campus conceptOption 2 is a campus concept which prioritizes the school buildings’ proximity to each other This plan is financially identical to option 1 but has a set location for the new 6-8 facility this option would not involve grade banding Option 3 is a long-range plan wherein current buildings would remain and a new K-6 building would be built in the new M/I Homes subdivision on land that the district hopes to acquire through donation The Intermediate and Elementary schools would house K-6 which also would not involve grade-banding with option 4 being somewhat closer to the district’s existing buildings all of which are north of the State Route 37 freeway The estimated cost of this option is almost $84 million Some attendees of April 15 meeting worried about the social and financial differences that some options could create and there were seven different elementary schools except that there were (some) neighborhoods with richer houses It just wasn’t quite equitable,” said Halley Bowman who added that Granville can avoid that with grade-banding Some parents wrote about the con they would face — the logistics for families who have children in different grade levels “Having three kids and having to go to three different buildings for different activities and pickups — and getting three different building emails every week — is exhausting as a parent,” Kelly Van-Buskirk said “It’s much easier to just build a community in one building.”  Van-Buskirk opposes the first two options but favors option 3 for its flexibility District resident Bryn Bird — also a Granville Township trustee — agreed “I do think that the long-range one has a lot of flexibility or a lot of options,” Bird said and I do know that staying together and being with their classmates is really important.” Suki Lucier also favored flexibility but saw it most prominently in option 4 “What I like about (option) 4 is that I think it has flexibility and scalability and some of the other options don’t,” she said “Considering the current economic forecast and uncertainty that’s going along with all that particularly the housing market and all of that age dynamics was a concern for other parents as well “I feel the sixth-graders are a bit older and have different needs,” Ashwin Lell said “Mixing them in with the fourth- and fifth-graders doesn’t sound like the right fit to me.”  “This feedback will go back to the 40 task force members,” Brown said at the April 15 meeting “They’ve been doing this work for almost two years so they have a little bit of a different perspective than most and they’ll try and synthesize it for the board to understand the different feedback that they receive.” but Brown stressed that it will all be subject to changes based on public reaction and district needs “I think there might be some options with so many cons related to the feasibility that we can drop them,” Brown said potentially long-term in the phasing that we have articulated that could be a fifth alternative that comes from this process.” Noah Fishman writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers GRANVILLE — Katie Cottrell’s defense has been her calling card for the Granville girls basketball team The senior hit two 3-pointers in addition to leading another stifling defensive performance in Granville’s 43-28 victory against visiting Newark Catholic 14-1) clinched an outright Licking County League-Buckeye Division championship “I personally have been looking forward to this game since last year when they beat us at their place,” Cottrell said This also isn’t the first time we have had to deal with this.” Cottrell and junior Delaney Varrasso took turns face-guarding NC star guard Sophie Peloquin in a box-and-one defense 11-4) scoreless in the first quarter and later closed the game on a 16-3 run She and classmate Megan Lodge are the second consecutive Granville class to cut down the net each year of their career “One of our team goals is enjoy the moment,” Granville coach Kellon Thomas said “Right now winning a league meant that every time we stepped out we had to be on our ‘A’ game doing this reflects how our season is an everyday grind.” Granville led 10-0 after one quarter and 16-7 at halftime before NC caught fire The Green Wave hit a couple of quick 3s in the third quarter to tie the game at 17 The Blue Aces regained a 27-20 lead after three quarters who were led by senior Fini Kaiser’s 12 points scored 5 consecutive points to fight back to within 27-25 “I told them in the locker room at halftime I would take our team over any in our league,” NC coach Dani Evans said but I just have the utmost faith in our girls but you have to believe in yourselves.’ We showed that in that little spark there.” and Hall hit a 3 and Lodge a layup against a desperate defense starting on JV and building your way up and proving who you are so the coaches give you opportunities,” Lodge said Senior Madison Hampton scored all 8 of her points in the third quarter during NC’s surge The Green Wave have suffered difficult road losses in recent weeks at Johnstown and Granville but they will be at home when the postseason begins a lot of games real close that came down to the end or dug back from a hole,” Evans said “This is the first game we’ve had all of our starters since Mount Vernon at the beginning of January We have had nine different starting lineups so it will be nice to get everyone healthy and some consistency going.” Granville is hoping to match its five consecutive league championships to a fifth consecutive district championship 2 Blue Aces begin their Division III trek against No Recent hard-fought victories against Johnstown Licking Heights and now NC could pay big dividends “I am really big on just having fun,” Cottrell said This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A standing-room-only crowd of parents and students filled the Granville County Public Schools board meeting Monday evening many arriving early to voice their concerns about the future of South Granville High School coach Jake Wohlfeil The outpouring of support comes after the school board recently decided to consolidate two middle schools for the upcoming 2025 academic year due to declining student enrollment are being reassigned to undetermined positions within the district “Jake has been done wrong and you know it,” said former Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss The move has left the popular coach without a team to lead prompting significant backlash from the South Granville community The district used a rubrics or elevation system to determine which teachers will be reassigned Superintendent Stan Winborne called the process "open and transparent." “This rubric was based on policy,” Winborne said to the crowd at the meeting Attendees at the meeting expressed their disappointment and urged the board to reconsider the reassignment highlighting Wohlfeil's positive impact on students both on and off the field “I think it is an unfair process with the way you did it,” said resident Guy Currin It remains unclear what specific position Wohlfeil will be assigned to in the fall He is currently appealing his reassignment believing his evaluation was calculated wrong The coach did talk to WRAL briefly as the school board went into a closed session He shared his thoughts on the support he received from the community tonight “The people who have shown support and the love is tremendous.” The consolidation of the middle schools is slated to take effect for the 2025 school season GRANVILLE — Corbin Bell might have been the happiest person to see the clouds spread and the sun appear April 19 The senior did the work throughout the winter indoor season for the Granville boys track team and he now is beginning to see the payoff Bell crossed in a time of 51.54 seconds to win the 400-meter dash on his home track to win the event during the Granville Invitational He previously ran a leg on the winning 800 relay and helped the Blue Aces cap the meet with a runner-up finish in the 1,600 relay “Getting through indoor season gives you a lot of momentum because indoor sucks,” Bell said “It’s just bad (training) weather and stale indoor air I definitely want to be sub 50 here soon.” Will Ebner and Bode Shoaps on the winning 800 relay (1:30.34) Ebner and Joseph Day were edged out in the 1,600 relay (3:30.87) by just 32 hundredths of a second but it helped the Blue Aces to a strong third-place finish in the team standings trailing Logan’s 99.5 and Westerville North’s 91 Shoaps in the 100 (10.77) and Cohen Stump in the 1,600 (4:28.34) each turned in impressive runner-up times as the Blue Aces who also received a third from Shoaps in the triple jump (39-7) and are showing the potential to battle defending champion Watkins Memorial for the Licking County League-Buckeye Division title next month I think we are going to come back and take it this year to be honest We have some freshmen coming up that are looking pretty solid so I think we will have more of a spread.” Junior Annie McCracken cleared 12 feet to win the pole vault and classmate Ayla Cook matched her on the track The Blue Aces also had a bevy of runner-up finishes it feels very competitive,” said junior Charlotte Turner “It’s a really nice change from the tri meets we have been at The main thing I like to focus on is recovery That’s really important to prevent burnout by the end of the season We are making sure we ice after practice and getting a good stretch in and warm up before races That is really important to focus on when meets are lower stakes.” Tory Reynolds and Grace Largent comprised the 400 relay (50.17) Cook and Mahl joined Turner and Avery Ogg on the 800 relay (1:47.44) Sophia Poling and Audrey Ames ran on the 1,600 relay (4:10.64) Poling (5:13.47) and teammate Elsa Tonnessen (5:18.83) placed second and third in the 1,600 and Nora Carrington placed second in the triple jump (33-0) and third in the shot put (32-6) who broke the 1-minute mark for the first time in the 400 (59.95) and Reynolds in the high jump (4-10) each placed third “It’s something I have been really striving for and it’s kind of funny because I wasn’t even focused on that this race,” Ogg said and I really wanted to be in the top couple spots Licking Heights senior Temiloluwa Jaf-ogunlayi won the 100 (12.35) and 200 (26.11) Kourtney Nicole-Rose and Neveah Lawrence placed third in the 800 relay (1:49.96) and Jackson placed a strong fourth in the 400 (59.98) Heights senior Alex Amartey won the discus (150-0) and tied for first in the high jump (5-10) He previously threw a personal-best 158-10 in the discus in a meet at Olentangy Orange on April 14 and there is a big step in my potential,” Amartey said I am definitely trying to hit at least a 165 to take the school record.” Similoluwa Jaf-ogunlayi and Cameron Gladney took runner-up in the 400 relay (43.07) and Cooper placed third in the 100 (11.00) Newark freshman Odessa Andrews-Barreau continued her impressive debut season with a personal-best performance in the 100 hurdles and I just got put in there once,” Andrews-Barreau said I am very thankful for (coach Marc Montella) for helping me out Newark’s Emma Ray in the long jump (16-1) and Grace Davis in the discus (93-5) each placed third Uriah Roberts placed fourth in the pole vault (11-6) for the Wildcats COLUMBUS ― In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season a number of heroes have emerged for Granville's girls basketball Add senior role player Megan Lodge's name to that list in the Blue Aces' biggest win to date and 11th in a row Second-seeded Granville wore down top-seeded Centennial with a box-and-one defense allowing just 10 field goals and 23% shooting and Lodge scored six consecutive points to break open a 41-30 Division III district championship win "My parents are always encouraging me to shoot and my father told me to remember Ella Schneider who scored 10 points in a district final when she had never done that before," Lodge said after Granville (23-2) marked the OHSAA's return to the Ohio Expo Center with a fifth straight district title Everyone worked to have a big part in this." whose 3-pointer from the left baseline off a Lodge assist gave the Blue Aces the lead for good at 29-26 She and sophomore post Elle Mortimer each had rebound baskets as Granville led 33-30 before Lodge's spurt that included two layups sandwiched around a short jumper against the trapping zone defense of the athletic Stars (17-2) "But we always know we can count on anyone around us Hall scored 7 of her 9 points in the second half and turned in a stellar 11-rebound performance as the winners dominated the backboards 34-21 the Blue Aces were able to slow the pace against fast-breaking Centennial which had scored over 70 points nine times Junior Delaney Varrasso held explosive guard Kennedy Houston Varrasso also set the tone offensively when she scored two quick baskets to start the game on a baseline floater and transition layup Mortimer also had a pair as the Blue Aces jumped ahead 10-0 only to see the Stars counter with a 15-0 blitz that included a pair of 3s by Houston's senior sister Varrasso broke a five-minute scoring drought with a 3 from the right corner Mortimer had a rebound basket and Dils made a jumper as the Blue Aces went up 17-15 and only trailed once more the entire game The Stars finished only 10 of 43 from the field "We've really been preparing for this game all year Our defense has worked and everyone has been doing it in practice," Lodge said "We ran the box-and-one against Newark Catholic and it helped shut down Sophie (Peloquin)." Added Hall: "They were a really tough team to slow down and do our thing but we were able to slow them down and keep them out of transition." Varrasso had 9 of her game-high 11 points in the first half for Granville No Centennial player was able to reach double figures First-year coach Kellon Thomas and his staff have re-built the Blue Aces into a new effective version after losing nearly every key player from 2023-24 as Granville starts two sophomores and two juniors while bringing a freshman off the bench and we've had some good moments and some bad moments," Thomas said "The tough times have prepared us for moments like this Hall doesn't think Granville is finished just yet "I feel like we still have a long time to keep playing," she said The Blue Aces will tip off again Wednesday in a 6 p.m They will face the winner of Saturday's game between Elida and Lima Senior A proposed 600-home development in the Granville Exempted Village School District could bring as many as 960 additional students to a system that is virtually at capacity in its elementary and intermediate schools District officials and members of a strategic planning task force which for two years has been studying ways to manage growth will discuss the challenges ahead for the 2,600-student district during a public meeting at 7 p.m M/I Homes on about 225 acres just east of Grand Pointe Drive according to Granville Superintendent Jeff Brown 37 on the west and just beyond Canyon Road on the east is in the Granville school district but in the City of Heath and the Heath zoning code allows for about five houses per acre The Granville Elementary and Intermediate schools are at 95% capacity now “Input from the community will be important in developing options for growth in the future,” he said last week will go to the board of education for their consideration The goal is to make sure the community knows how we will respond to growth.” The district plans to hold three community meetings to share information and receive feedback and the strategic planning task force members will be part of those meetings to share their findings “I like to have options within options so we can pivot to address other possibilities that might come up – not just the current development proposal or for the next 10 years but for the next 30 or 40 years,” Brown said Granville Schools have never seen a housing development the magnitude of the one being discussed for what has been farmland in Union Township. The last big development in the school district was Park Trails which is 354 houses within the City of Newark Brown said he has had several conversations with Heath Mayor Mark D While the school district has no formal say in developments such as this Johns said he wants the district to be informed as plans evolve “It’s been a relatively slow process,” Johns said last week “I think the general public thinks development happens faster than it does When there have been significant updates or significant information that Jeff (Brown) needs to know What he wants to have is accurate information as far in advance as he can get it And Johns said he has been an advocate for the school district when talking with the current landowners and the developer about school district needs as they plan the subdivision – such as a request for land for an elementary school within the development M/I Homes has donated land for schools in some other developments in central Ohio who had experience managing rapid growth when he served as an administrator and interim superintendent at Olentangy Local Schools north of Columbus “I have had multiple meetings with Superintendent Brown on development in this area,” Johns said “One of the things he made clear to me early on is that he felt it would be good for Granville Schools to have a school site located in this area because Jeff has told me about the need for a school site I have championed that with the developer,” Johns said noting that the latest rendering of plans for the subdivision show a site for a school The preliminary site plan indicates that about 14.5 acres could be available for a school Both Johns and Brown said there is no formal agreement on the school site at this point Brown said that a new school would require going to the ballot with a bond issue to pay for it. He also said that Granville Schools will need to ask voters to renew an income tax before it expires in 2028. And the district will need an additional property tax levy to operate all of its schools, according to its five-year financial forecast Brown noted that property owners in new subdivisions in the school district – even if they are within another municipality such as Newark or Heath – are required to pay property and income taxes to the district Park Trails residents pay property and income taxes, as well as a special assessment that was negotiated years ago with the developer and the City of Newark The district cannot levy a special assessment on residents of a new subdivision M/I Homes is likely to ramp up the formal planning process with the City of Heath early this year and it could take a year before plans are approved you’re looking at years and years down the road before build-out is achieved – which is a good thing,” Johns said school enrollment and other effects of growth don’t hit the community like a tsunami Heath is experiencing rapid growth and embracing it In addition to the M/I proposal, Heath is preparing for development of the Central Park project including commercial and retail businesses townhouses and assisted living – on 320 acres west of Walmart and north of the Licking County Airport That project will be in the Heath School District A subdivision of about 240 homes is planned on Irving Wick Drive east of Rt and talks have begun about another housing development on about 140 acres north of Irving Wick Drive East in the same area Those two developments would be in the Lakewood School District Rapid growth of jobs in central Ohio has left the region with a housing crisis and Johns said Heath is seeking to help address that and have heard concerns from our employers about being able to find talent,” he said “One of the things that will allow us to continue to grow is to have more people living in our labor shed We already have a lot of people who drive a significant distance to work in Licking County.” the strategic planning task force preparing for growth in the school district looked at enrollment projections and considered infrastructure such as where water and sewer lines run we’ve been going through the process of understanding the demographics and the potential growth – and how we would need to grow as a district,” Brown said and fiscal hawks from across the community We had about 40 people on that strategic planning task force.” The task force’s work shows “that Granville’s enrollment is poised to grow significantly in the next five to 10 years,” Brown said in a Dec which also said that “the district’s K-6 buildings are nearing or at capacity additional facilities will be needed to meet increased enrollment.”  The firm of Fanning Howey of Columbus will work with the district the strategic planning task force and the community to develop a master plan for the future said that while the proposed development isn’t in the village or Granville Township its residents will be part of the Granville community “There’s a lot we can do to help shape this,” he said “and understand that they will be new community members and we should welcome them.” Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here the SBI said the Granville County District Attorney's Office requested their assistance in the case adding their investigation is ongoing and they had no further updates to share we will forward our findings to the Granville District Attorney's Office for review," the SBI said With the prospect of a developer building upward of 600 houses in the southernmost portion of the school district Granville Exempted Village School District officials have been working on plans to manage anticipated enrollment growth the projections for growth and the challenges ahead for the 2,600-student district during a public meeting at 7 p.m M/I Homes of Columbus is proposing at least 540 houses which is roughly between Ohio 37 on the west and just beyond Canyon Road on the east “Any growth will challenge the district,” he said, adding that the district is growing even now. More than half of the lots and about 11 houses in the 67-home Willow Bend subdivision on River Road have been sold bringing additional families to the district “People think we have a seat at the table when it comes to managing the size and scope of such developments," Brown said so getting information and updates can be challenging.” District officials have talked with the developer and Heath officials about the possibility of the developer donating land for a new school building within the development A preliminary site plan indicates that about 14.5 acres could be available within the housing development for a school building who had experience managing rapid growth when he served as an administrator and interim superintendent at Olentangy Local Schools in Delaware County A study by Cooperative Strategies in 2022 projected an enrollment increase from the 2,535 students enrolled that year to well over 5,000 by 2050 The projection showed a steep rise in enrollment beginning in about 2025 — the same year that Intel was scheduled to begin operations at its new computer-chip manufacturing campus 10 miles west of Granville The Intel production date has been pushed back at least two years, and high interest rates and other factors resulted in a slower rate of growth than that study anticipated But the Heath housing development will bring new challenges A strategic planning task force of community leaders and residents has been considering the long-term effects of development in the area we’ve been going through the process of understanding the demographics and the potential growth — and how we would need to grow as a district,” Brown said real estate agents and fiscal hawks from across the community The task force looked at enrollment projections The task force will share details of its findings during the Jan The district also has hired Fanning Howey of Columbus to develop a master plan based on foundational work by the task force and additional input from the community Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program which is supported by generous donations from readers THORNVILLE — The fate of a bowling match rarely rests on one individual ball but Kamryn Dixon felt the pressure Tuesday The senior lifted the Granville girls bowling team to an exciting comeback victory Tuesday against host Lakewood at Village Lanes as the Licking County League champion remained perfect “I have been shaking this whole match honestly,” Dixon said “I have just been trying to uplift the whole team because we knew this match was important We just tried to keep positivity because we didn’t want our mood to affect us We give everything to Lakewood because they are our biggest competition Granville overcame a 102-pin deficit during the two Baker games Lakewood’s veterans delivered as seniors Peyton Mellring with a 185 and Amy Smith a 181 bowled the Lancers to a lead after the first game Smith followed with a 190 to bowl a match-high 371 two-game series Dixon’s games of 179 and 182 led Granville who was a first-time bowler as a freshman and helped turn the Lancers into a powerhouse “It’s really different (mentoring younger bowlers) but I am just glad I get that opportunity and that I have improved that much.” Lakewood carried a 1,527-1,425 edge into the Baker games Granville’s games 187 and 166 allowed the Blue Aces to overtake the Lancers Sydney Cottrill rolled games of 157 and 159 Nyah Painter bowled a high game of 144 with Jenna Evans bowling games of 128 and 129 and Jill Brownfield adding games of 115 and 116 “It felt surreal during the Bakers,” Dixon said and they all have an insane amount of potential and talent that I see in them.” Mellring finished with a 320 series for the Lancers Joshlynn Caudell a high game of 160 and Riley Bloise a 134 The Lancers have graduated a chunk of the core that contributed to three consecutive LCL championships and two trips to the Division II state tournament in three seasons but this season was a good lesson,” Smith said trying to keep the team together and win these matches I have been trying to help whenever I can in practice whenever they need it.” Augustus Wilson’s games of 204 and 188 allowed the Blue Aces to slip past the Lancers 1,979-1,935 Ethan Gray added strong games of 189 and 182 Hayes Pyle games of 154 and 149 and Aidan England a high game of 153 You always have to think you can get the strikes and come back We just make sure we all pick each other up if someone does bad.” Logan Streets’ games of 192 and 198 led the Lancers Cadence McNichols a 161 and Jobe Glaser and C.J “We have definitely grown a lot,” Streets said “It’s been nice to see all of us become better bowlers Me and (Seth Stonerook) have really brought us together and I am really looking forward to sectionals and hoping to qualify for districts and maybe even to state.”  The Lakewood boys celebrated an impressive 10 seniors before the match “This is kind of a team effort,” Streets said It’s great because we are all like a family A Pataskala woman wants an opportunity to avoid a felony conviction after prosecutors accused her of beating a dog that later died from its injuries at a Granville veterinary clinic 20 at Bath and Biscuits in Granville when detectives allege she viciously kicked a dog multiple times at the facility the dog died from its injuries at Granville Veterinary Clinic which reported liver damage and internal bleeding as causes of death for the dog Deputies arrested VanKannel Nov. 25 on suspicion of animal abuse before prosecutors charged her with two counts of prohibition against companion animals in Licking County Common Pleas Court 24 to both counts but is expected to change her plea during a hearing April 14 filed a motion earlier this month asking the court to grant VanKannel a hearing to determine her eligibility for intervention rather than conviction This would allow her to undergo an intervention plan that if successfully completed would allow her to avoid having a felony record VanKannel cited substance abuse and mental health issues as at least a few reasons why she feels she is eligible for intervention Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain vacated VanKannel's previous planned hearings Tuesday See states that the charges are a “direct byproduct of struggles with substance abuse and mental health” and that VanKannel would not have committed the offenses if she hadn’t been struggling with that See also wrote that VanKannel feels she has accepted responsibility for her actions discontinued actions that were destructive and is serious about addressing her substance abuse and mental health issues Bath and Biscuits owner Danielle Wilson said she immediately reported the event to the Licking County Sheriff's Office Deputies reported that Wilson provided them surveillance footage of the event “It was the worst day of my life to have to tell the owner what happened," Wilson said in the release I want to do everything to help my clients get through this They were long-time clients who had been with me for more than a decade This was their third dog they had entrusted in my care We’ve never had anything like this happen before Wilson told The Advocate she fired VanKannel Nov 25 and that she first learned the dog had died Nov receiving a letter from the dog's owner asking what had happened to it "It's completely scarred us all for life," Wilson said "It's an absolutely horrifying event that happened and we were just completely betrayed by this person." deputies allege VanKannel told them during her arrest that she had “no good reason for why I did it” and that “life has been bad.” Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@gannett.com Game Recap: Baseball | 3/14/2025 9:14:00 PM | Canyon Schneider ; Denison Sports Network Student Assistant Thanks for visiting “I’m honestly not sure what I wanted to do as a kid,” Beth Simmons said Simmons is an English teacher at Granville High School CCP Literature (first year) and British Literature so all levels of the senior level of English,” she explained Simmons grew up near Chicago and graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School and Miami University where she majored in English and was on the swim team "My goal was to swim in college,” she said She then graduated from Ohio State with a master's in education “I decided to be a high school English teacher the second semester of my senior year in college when I realized I enjoyed discussing literature and wanted to do that with high school students," she recalled but decided to go to graduate school for my master’s in education instead.” Simmons has worked at Granville High School for 28 years “And I’ve always taught primarily seniors in English,” she said “I was also the boys and girls swim coach the first nine years of my teaching career She’s also currently working on a second master's degree in composition and rhetoric “so I can continue to teach our new CCP Literature course which allows students to receive six hours of English credit from Shawnee State University and it transfers to all in-state colleges/universities.” an English and history teacher at Granville High School said "there are a lot of people who offer support for others but very few of them actually show up and help Beth Simmons is one of the people who show up and help but they also know she will help them reach that level of work They also know she will bring donuts or hot chocolate for the class if the occasion calls for it.” “I enjoy working with seniors as they come to school with interesting perspectives on literature,” Simmons responded “They’re also at the age close to being adults so you can treat them with a level of maturity.” Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com A Pataskala woman accused of beating a dog that later died from its injuries in Granville also faces charges in municipal court in which prosecutors allege she abused four more faces two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of attempted cruelty Licking County Municipal Court records show Prosecutors allege VanKannel committed the offenses Nov after deputies allege she viciously kicked a dog multiple times Nov 20 while working at Bath and Biscuits in Granville humane agents state they reviewed surveillance footage from Nov 21 at the boarding and grooming business that they allege showed VanKannel smacking pushing and dragging a dog across a platform before hitting another dog with a leash The agents allege in the report that footage from the the next day shows VanKannel throwing a ball twice at another dog before pulling its ears to lift it off the ground The report also alleges she also sat on another dog's ribs and chased it; after around 20 minutes it alleges she began abusing one of the dogs some more the agents state they interviewed most of the dogs' owners two of whom reported their dogs later exhibited different behavior At least three of the dogs didn't seem to suffer major injuries An owner of one of the dogs did not respond to multiple requests from police for an interview The agents said Bath and Biscuits sent the footage after requesting it from owner Danielle Wilson "I'm absolutely appalled that anybody would do anything like this," Wilson said Friday "That's not what I started this business for and she completely betrayed me and the family." Municipal court records did not have an attorney listed for VanKannel as of Friday afternoon She is next scheduled to appear March 25 in Licking County Municipal Court for an arraignment on the misdemeanor charges VanKannel set for hearing in April on felony chargesGranville Veterinary Clinic reported liver damage and internal bleeding as causes of death for the dog that died by Nov VanKannel pleaded not guilty to two felony animal cruelty charges in Licking County Common Pleas Court but is expected to change her plea during a hearing April 14 receiving a letter from its owner asking what had happened to it 20 and that she would have terminated VanKannel's employment had she known sooner — she claimed the clinic told her the dog had been resting comfortably on Nov VanKannel cited substance abuse and mental health issues as at least a few reasons why she felt she was eligible for intervention Her attorneys stated the charges are a direct byproduct of her struggles with those issues Some Licking County residents started a petition calling for the court to uphold VanKannel’s felony charges It accuses her of using the motion for intervention to avoid having a felony record The petition also urges people to call or email the Licking County Prosecutor's Office and Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain Court records show Marcelain receiving at least several emails from people asking him to hold VanKannel accountable the petition had accumulated nearly 8,000 signatures an increase from more than 5,000 around Feb Dozens of people in the petition have written comments expressing their support for it when deputies arrested her on suspicion of animal abuse Wilson said she reported the event to the Licking County Sheriff’s Office and implemented new hiring protocols in recent months Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com. The village of Granville anticipates disruptions to parking and some lane closures in the downtown area once crews continue working on a signalization project in May The project is scheduled to start in April but village staff expect potential traffic interruptions to begin the first week of May Village Manager Herb Koehler told The Advocate the village entered into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to upgrade stoplights and curb extensions at intersections of Broadway and Main The sequence of construction is undetermined — crews won’t work on each intersection at the same time — but the village plans to provide updates frequently as to when commuters can expect any possible delays The project is estimated to end in November but crews could complete it sooner under certain conditions They plan to work during the day and haven’t requested to work at night but could do so “There will be points in time where certain street closures will be required and detours will look very much like when we have downtown events,” Koehler said “There will be some use of East College Street to get around the construction area These closures or lane restrictions will be announced ahead of time.” crews will extend some sidewalks into the street to decrease pedestrians’ crossing times and upgrade crosswalks to satisfy existing accessibility standards They also will install two left turn arrows directing traffic from Broadway onto South Main Street and Broadway to Pearl Street The new equipment at each intersection will include smart signals that use sensors to adjust traffic and frequently clear vehicular congestion in the area Other planned improvements include incorporating rain gardens at the curb bump-outs installing clay bricks at crosswalks and mast arms at Main and Pearl streets Village staff say the updates will provide a safer more pedestrian- and environmentally friendly downtown and reduce traffic congestion “Those are two turn signals that are sorely needed,” Koehler said in January citing pedestrian and traffic safety as reasons for the additions The village isn’t planning to postpone or cancel annual downtown events during construction Crews intend pausing their work during Fourth of July celebrations before resuming it in the days thereafter Village staff in April are scheduled to meet with the contractor for a preconstruction meeting that should provide more project details Koehler said  The estimated project cost is around $2 million the village and other sources helping cover that total Residents can check for project updates in the village’s application, Go Granville, or its website and the Licking County Area Transportation Study Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com. parents voice outrage over reassignment of South Granville coach"}}))},2e3);window.dataLayer.push({event:"GAEvent",eventAction:"contentStart",eventCategory:"video",eventLabel:"Students parents voice outrage over reassignment of South Granville coach"},{name:"updated",value:"2025-04-08T00:24:33-0400"},{name:"published",value:"2025-04-08T00:24:33-0400"}]}])}),e.on("adend",()=>{e.play()})):console.warn("wralvideo returned undefined")}else console.warn("wralvideo has not been loaded yet")},window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",window.initHeroVideo)Local NewsStudents Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m Joseph Catholic Church in Granville with Father Dan Grieving officiating Military Honors will follow the mass by the Granville Veterans  Burial will be in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel Visitation with family present will be 4-6 Friday There will be a parish rosary and vigil prayer service Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen Online condolences may be sent to www.fischfh.com the son of Linus and Mildred (Klein) Goebel graduating from Spalding Catholic High School in 1968 After high school he was drafted into the US Marine Corp 1972 and then returned home to the family farm.  The couple made their home in Granville where he continued to farm In 2012 Franny and Jan received the Iowa Century Farm recognition for over 100 years of Goebel family farming He had deep roots in the family farm until the day he passed Part-time Franny did construction for Denny Gralapp trucking for Emmett Ahlers and Jeremy Sauer.  Joseph Catholic Church and the Granville Veterans Honor Guard He was very proud to be a US Marine and was proud of his service He enjoyed his 1972 Pontiac LeMans that he had purchased new and had fully restored a few years ago In recent years he enjoyed watching old westerns He loved sharing stories and playing cards with family and friends Franny is survived by his wife of 40 years He was preceded in death by his parents Linus and Mildred Goebel; his in-laws Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Click to watch This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors the Erie County Sheriff’s chief of narcotics while driving a county-owned vehicle late at night struck at least seven parked cars on Buffalo’s West Side several of them as he drove the wrong way down a one-way street Granville — who goes by DJ — was driving “in an impaired condition,” according to one of a half-dozen claims that so far have cost county taxpayers $60,000 to settle But the accident report generated by the Buffalo cops who responded to the incident gives no indication Granville drugs or other impairments at the scene or afterward The report was signed by Granville’s sister-in-law who was the supervising officer at the scene The Sheriff’s Office refused to tell Investigative Post whether Granville was disciplined for the incident or if the office’s Professional Standards Division conducted an investigation Buffalo police indicated to Investigative Post the department is “actively working on this case” and refused to share any records related to the incident because doing so “would interfere with criminal investigations or judicial proceedings.” One witness told Investigative Post the narcotics chief was taken away from the scene in a Buffalo patrol car His truck and the cars he’d damaged were towed to the city auto impound on Dart Street while Buffalo cops interviewed witnesses and collected information at the scene “They took him with them in the police car and that was the end of it,” Saleh Alabeli whose car suffered close to $11,000 worth of damage The Erie County Sheriff’s Office did not respond when Investigative Post asked if Granville was on duty if there’d been any internal investigation of the incident or disciplinary action and how much it cost to repair or replace the county-owned Dodge Ram pickup he was driving Neither has the office responded to a Freedom of Information request seeking answers to those questions nor to a request to interview Granville or Erie County Sheriff John Garcia A cell phone number for Granville found in county records was out of service The Erie County Attorney’s office was more accommodating in its response to Freedom of Information request providing Investigative Post with notices of claim for the six settlements the county has paid so far as well as the 911 call logs and the police accident report signed by Esquilin Granville’s spree began not long before midnight on April 11 of last year as he headed east on Jersey Street from Niagara in his county-owned pickup from a caller who gave a Porter Avenue address reporting a hit-and-run on Prospect Avenue near Jersey Street A half dozen other calls followed over the next eight minutes reporting a white pickup truck plowing into cars One reported that a “truck came down and struck several [vehicles],” another that “his parked car was hit.” a Buffalo patrol car was en route to the scene Two more cars were dispatched soon thereafter and another couple cars arrived shortly before midnight to piece together what had happened and create an accident report are listed as as responding to the 911 calls He then turned right — southbound — onto Prospect On Prospect he hit a third car hard enough that “the impact caused [the vehicle] to strike [another vehicle].”  and then he kept going and hit another neighbor’s car down the street,” Alabeli said “His car basically broke down when he hit the last car The police report does not indicate whether Granville was on duty Neither do the insurance records or court papers neither the sheriff’s office nor Buffalo police are talking Granville started in the Sheriff’s Office as a road patrol deputy in 2008. Before that, he worked for the now-defunct Buffalo Housing Authority Police and the NFTA Police, according to a 2020 proclamation by the Erie County Legislature honoring his service He was promoted to narcotics chief in 2017 Maria Esquilin Granville — Lieutenant Esquilin’s sister — was a Buffalo police crime technician for more than 11 years She now works for the Buffalo Sewer Authority The county so far has paid five of the six claims without the car owners or insurers filing lawsuits The one claim that did go to court was settled last month Alabeli filed a claim through his insurance company for damage to his 2019 Toyota The insurance company in turn made a claim against Erie County for close to $13,000 — which included the towing bill Alabeli said he recently received a check covering the deductible who last September filed the lone lawsuit to arise from the incident sought $18,500 for damage done to his 2022 Jeep The court papers initially identified the driver as “David” Granville The four other settlements thus far approved range from $5,000 to $10,000 The narcotics chief and his wife own two houses and two vacant lots on Buffalo’s lower West Side They are registered to vote at a house on West Avenue about six blocks from where Granville’s trail of mayhem came to an end The only clue in the accident report that Granville was a law enforcement officer was the address under his name: 45 Elm Street That struck Alabeli as “weird,” given that the report included the home addresses of the people whose cars he’d damaged I thought they didn’t want nobody to know where he lived,” he said Since joining Penn State football out of high school last season there’s been a learning curve for defensive lineman Max Granville The defensive end appeared in seven games in his true freshman season before redshirting He registered a pass breakup on a quarterback hit against Kent State and then a solo tackle against Maryland “We have a really high standard in our D-line room,” Granville said “We want to put tight ends and tackles a couple yards in the backfield every time I was getting stalemated sometimes.” Granville noted he wasn’t playing up to the standard that defensive line coach Deion Barnes has set for the unit Granville has been working to fast track his development as a pass rusher and run-stopping defensive lineman “I knew I was going to have to get better in the run game I kind of got humbled the first couple practices of spring ball I wasn’t dominant in the way I wanted to,” Granville said The defensive end has been working closely with the tight ends and tackles during preseason practice which helped Granville develop a better on-field skillset The Nittany Lion mentioned his reps against offensive lineman Drew Shelton and tight end Khalil Dinkins calling them great training partners as some of the premier blockers on the team You know the term iron sharpens iron,” he said The defensive end discussed the importance of his off-field habits Granville has also taken an increased interest in the weight room the Nittany Lion weighed in at just 225 pounds with just a few months before the start of the 2025 season so at first it probably will [slow me down] but especially if you’re eating lean foods and putting on good muscle over time I feel like I’m moving really well this way,” Granville said Barnes knows the peculiar position the redshirt freshmen find themselves Between continuing to learn as young players and now being key parts of the developing defensive front opportunities are available for the taking And then up keeping that and making sure that’s something they can do on an every-play basis it’s a different task that [the redshirt freshmen] have been asked to do,” Barnes said “They never really had to be consistent because they redshirted last year They didn’t have the experience.” Barnes reestablished Granville’s statements about expectations ahead of the 2025 season emphasizing the need for some younger talent to step up — especially at the defensive end position where Abdul Carter roamed all of last season Barnes expresses confidence that his group will continue to be a force on the front lines of the Penn State defense I’m really confident they put a lot of stuff on film that looks really good I’m pushing for that consistency and that high expectation I’m happy where we’re at now,” Barnes said “What’s funny to me is that after spending so much time telling other people’s stories I conclude my time here by writing about my own.” Jacob Francis and Jayson Archer are each accused of leading violent hazing rituals against new members The rock band debuted its unreleased single “Easy Come Easy Go,” along with crowd favorites like “Gives You Hell” and “Dirty Little Secret.” Penn State’s Blue-White Game was not televised GRANVILLE ― Granville's boys lacrosse program was one of the best teams in the state last season which reached back-to-back Division II regional semifinals and the Blue Aces are now on their third coach in as many seasons As evidenced by Tuesday's 13-7 loss to visiting Jonathan Alder Granville may be in a bit of rebuilding mode But the Blue Aces (0-3) prefer to think of it as reloading with a huge turnout of talented young players in grades 3-8 on youth night in Walter Hodges Stadium all in the pipeline We lost guys who had been playing four or five years so it's just different," said senior attack Beckett Long "Some different guys have had to step up and play new positions and our schedule has been frontloaded with good teams So it makes it tough to build against good opponents but I have no doubt that as we get more experience Senior mid Noble Terebuh admitted that with a lot of changes it's been hard for the Blue Aces to stay consistent in the early going Junior mid Bobby Higginbotham scored a minute into the game but much-improved Alder (1-2) then erupted for four goals in two minutes to go up for good at 4-1 Alder also showed growth in an earlier 4-3 loss to Kettering Alter and 9-8 defeat in double overtime to Bexley and when junior attack Woody Struthers struck early in the second scoring the next eight goals to open a 12-3 cushion early in the fourth Brody Hill and Kaiden Snyder each had hat tricks for Alder Maddox Kingry and Caleb Wiltshed both scored twice and Gavin Murphy turned away several Granville shots we used to beat up on them," said new Blue Aces' head coach Paul Kirk Kirk said Granville is leaning on Long and Noble Terebuh to bring the young and inexperienced guys along the Blue Aces started seniors Hunter Gaul (mid) Junior starters included goalie Davis Williamson Evan Spiker (mid/faceoff) and Rory McShane (defense) and we're trying to build confidence in our young guys," Kirk said A lot of guys on offense don't have a lot of varsity experience That's where seasoned players like Long and Noble Terebuh come in And a veteran staff that includes former Denison head coach Mike Caravana "We've talked about the seniors being more accountable stepping up and making plays," Noble Terebuh said I've never had failure early in the season before so I'm excited to get out of my bubble and see how I grow and become more of a leader." He will attend Syracuse and major in sports broadcasting both are focused on making sure Granville lacrosse remains at a high level they were super fun to play with," Long said making sure they're always going to be good It helps that coach Caravana and Jake Purdy both came back on staff The Blue Aces have already shown signs of putting things together they led most of the way before the Lions scored with 10 seconds left with defending state champion DeSales up next on the road Thursday But Kirk knows they will be prepared for a less challenging schedule down the stretch hopefully it will give us some momentum for DeSales," he said and I know we're going to keep getting better." and the subject of a "use of force" investigation.