— The body of one person was found after flames ripped through an apartment unit Oak Harbor Fire Department crews were dispatched to 830 Northwest Rigging Street after 911 callers reported seeing heavy flames at an apartment complex they were updated that flames were coming through a roof Oak Harbor fire arrived within six minutes units from North Whidbey Fire and NAS Whidbey Island Federal fire were also at the complex Firefighters found a significant fire in a second-floor apartment Crews searched and evacuated the other three units in the building but due to the intensity of the fire in the apartment where the flames ignited The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by fire officials and police Oak Harbor senior Brayden Butzin and freshman Brennan Butzin are starters on the same varsity baseball team and it's a blessing to play with him my final year," Brayden said High school track Broken foot pushes SJCC's Paeth 16 feet in air It helps when the older brother who takes you under his wing was honorable mention all-state at catcher Little brother plays third base and pitches a little The freshman has experienced only one setback in his career in extra innings to Eastwood in the Northern Buckeye Conference The senior hit his third career home run in the game "The pitching staff has been great," Butzin said "He's an electric guy; you can feel his presence." LaLonde has 18 strikeouts and two walks in 11 innings Brennan Butzin has a 0.75 ERA in nine innings I'm there to look out for him and seeing him do good makes me feel good about him," Butzin said We'll remember this for the rest of our lives It's the first time we've played on the same team." Brayden Butzin is batting .500 with three doubles been hit by four pitches and his OPS is 1.331 he might stand out even more for his defense Catcher is the most important position on the field You get command of everybody else — facing you — you have to be a leader Butzin will take his bat and chest protector to Division III Wittenberg University I wanted to play baseball as long as I can and I'm going to make the best of the situation," he said Older brother started as a freshman as well He's been first-team all-conference three times twice in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division and once in the NBC He'd like to play in his first regional tournament and win his first conference crown "The team goals are to win the NBC and finally get over the hump in the district final Oak Harbor lost in a district final each of the last two seasons "It builds experience and brings us closer together A couple of us have been together for four years; I feel like we can get over that hump we've got a good thing going and we hope to keep it going." The top of Oak Harbor's lineup has played a big part in a roaring start to the season with the only setback to Eastwood in the Northern Buckeye Conference Cooper Schultz: The junior is batting .390 with 16 runs and nine walks "He lays down bunts and covers a lot of ground in center field to dive and make plays Mike LaLonde: The senior shortstop is batting .33 with 12 walks and 11 stolen bases "It's easy for me when the two-hole guy swipes a bag," Butzin said Karson Lash: The senior second baseman is batting .400 and has driven in 15 runs he's raking at the plate and he's making plays all over the field." Alex Rife: The senior first baseman is batting .314 and has driven in nine runs "Alex is always there to bail out an infielder (with a scoop)," Butzin said Apr 29, 2025 | Around Ottawa County | 0 comments OAK HARBOR – The Oak Harbor Village Council is considering two ordinances that support responsible animal ownership while preserving quality of life for all residents the most common sentiment I hear is that they think everyone should have the option to keep animals like chickens but to do so responsibly,” said Oak Harbor Mayor Quinton Babcock and providing a clear framework encourages good practices and supports residents who want to responsibly raise animals.” The first ordinance is an update to existing legislation that prohibits animals from interfering with the use of neighboring or public property The original ordinance prohibited animals who created excessive smells or other issues when they were used for business related purposes outdoor animals like chickens are simply banned,” Babcock said Oak Harbor has allowed them as long as they aren’t causing problems We recently reviewed that ordinance and realized that it needed to be updated to reflect what residents expect today.” Council has discussed the ordinance over the past two months and is expected to vote on the proposed legislation during its May 5 council meeting The second proposed ordinance would establish a new permitting system for outdoor animals such as chickens While still continuing to encourage ownership the ordinance introduces a system that promotes cooperation between neighbors and sets basic considerations for outdoor animals “We want to start with the assumption that you can own animals like chickens,” said Babcock “But the biggest challenge in Oak Harbor isn’t regulations—it’s making sure neighbors can live alongside each other peacefully when the animals come home This framework is about giving both animal owners and neighbors clear expectations.” The proposed legislation would create a permit for outdoor animals and give neighbors the opportunity to provide feedback so that any concerns can be addressed Council is expected to begin formal consideration on the new ordinance at the May 5 council meeting legislation is considered at three consecutive meetings before a final vote unless there is an urgent need for earlier action Residents with questions, comments or input are encouraged to contact Mayor Quinton Babcock at qbabcock@oakharbor.oh.us Apr 29, 2025 | , BY SHERI TRUSTY DANBURY - On a recent spring day Karen Evans of Danbury Township was traveling back from Cincinnati with her boyfriend when her.. BY SHERI TRUSTY PORT CLINTON - On April 25 a crowd gathered at Adams Street Park to celebrate Arbor Day BY SHERI TRUSTY PORT CLINTON - A decade ago Tim Larcey stood in Port Clinton and decided it would be a good idea to organize a fishing tournament.. Lake Erie Marine Forecast ODNR Fishing Reports Powered by Webify Penn Cove will be filled with the canoes of the Salish people in a celebration of indigenous culture Harshman will put away his baton as his career with the South Whidbey schools comes to a close Hospital allegedly “demonstrated an inability to correct numerous deficiencies” The defendant allegedly displayed a gun and pistol-whipped a 17-year-old boy Banks sent out his analysis of the evidence and the law in a memo Friday morning OAK HARBOR – After construction caused a natural gas line leak in Oak Harbor Thursday evening 2,000 residents are expected to have their service restored on Monday (Monday) Columbia Gas is expected to be ramped back up to full capacity,” Oak Harbor Village Administrator Jerry Buhrow “The coming cold weather should not be a factor.” The Columbia Gas had 100 crews working to restore gas to all the shut-off houses Crews started relighting at approximately 8 p.m on Sunday evening restoring gas service and worked until 3 a.m attempting to restore service to 600 remaining residents The gas company crews are expected to be finished by end of day Monday Buhrow said Ohio 19 was shut down in front of the Dollar General and at Portage River Road “Trans Canada Energy has the repair made to the gas line They need to start coating the pipe and then they are going to backfill to Ohio Department of Transportation standards," Buhrow said "They are hoping by Friday to have the road back open." A natural gas line was damaged during construction Thursday afternoon south of Oak Harbor and 129 homes were evacuated between the village and Salem Township residents Residents could go to the Portage Fire Department or the Oak Harbor Police Station It must have been a bad line,” Buhrow said Columbia Gas employees then went house-to-house shutting off meters Columbia Gas had to return to each house and purge air out of the lines Columbia Gas is recommending questions go to their customer care line 800-344-4077 CDN Game of the Week: Oak Harbor at Ferndale Oak Harbor and Ferndale will battle for the fourth-place spot in the Northwest Conference and remain two games back from the top teams Oak Harbor has split its last four games and is averaging 6.4 runs per game are allowing 5.8 runs per game — the third lowest in the conference Ferndale is one of six teams in the conference averaging over 10 runs per game (10.4) but has allowed 9.9 runs per game as well The Golden Eagles have lost two straight games by a combined score of 26-7 Oak Harbor player to watch: Senior utility Loto Tupu Tupu is a utility infielder who was a second-team all-conference pick last season — the only Oak Harbor player to make the list Tupu is a threat at the plate while being able to play multiple positions to help the Wildcats’ defense Ferndale player to watch: Senior catcher Kaelin Blakley She is one of a few seniors on a young Ferndale squad looking to improve each game strong arm and leadership make her a dangerous threat to opposing squads Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext Email newstips@cascadiadaily.com or Call/Text 360-922-3092 A Dukes County Superior Court case is still ongoing Oak Bluffs’ failed appeal against the Green Villa blew more wind into the sails of the developers behind a 100-unit residential development planned on 7.78 acres near Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School The Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee ruled on April 24 that Oak Bluffs did not have safe harbor a status that allows municipalities to block special permits for 40B affordable housing projects The Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals will now need to take up the comprehensive permit application again for Green Villa which is already before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission “This means the town cannot delay the permit process any longer and will have up to 180 days to review and make recommendations for the project,” William Cumming Last month’s ruling affirms a state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities’ decision in July that the town did not have safe harbor The town board had subsequently appealed the state decision chair of the Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals According to the appeals committee’s decision the town argued that it had safe harbor based on a housing production plan that included Island Housing Trust’s 60-unit affordable housing project Tackenash Knoll The board believed that it had safe harbor based on its approval of a comprehensive permit for Southern Tier which would contribute the town’s subsidized housing inventory and represent over 2 percent of the town’s total housing stock After Cumming challenged the safe harbor claim with the state in June the town zoning board received a letter in July from the Executive Office of Housing and Liveable Communities “suspending its safe harbor status as of May 17 because the Southern Tier project had not secured a building permit within one year of the issuance of its comprehensive permit,” the appeals committee decision reads The Island Housing Trust project had not secured a building permit by May 19 two days after the town’s housing production plan certification period ended Cumming submitted a comprehensive permit application on May 20 Still, the town argued that since the project was deemed a development of regional impact, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission Act of 1977 nullifies the zoning board’s power to act on the project until the commission completes its review process The zoning board wanted the comprehensive permit review clock to start after the commission’s review was completed and not on the date Cumming submitted his application saying the legislation suspends “applicable statutory time periods for municipal actions while a project is undergoing MVC review.” rejected the arguments made by the Oak Bluffs board stating the board’s clock began ticking once Cumming submitted the application and that the town zoning officials had opened a public hearing in June “The MVC Act states the board can only grant a permit after MVC has granted ‘permission’ but is silent on whether a board is prohibited from processing and hearing an application during MVC’s review period,” Lisa V the housing appeals committee presiding officer “This decision by the State HAC is the second loss for the town which has claimed credit for affordable housing that they have not begun building,” Cumming said “The decision also confirms the minimum level of affordable housing under the law is not being built.” The project is still undergoing review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and officials of the regulatory body say the appeals committee’s decision has no sway over its process “The HAC’s decision leaves undisturbed what has been the status quo over the last nearly 50 years: 40B projects that meet the standards and criteria for Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) under the MVC Act are subject to DRI review by the MVC and the town may not grant a comprehensive permit until such DRI review has been completed,” Adam Turner Martha’s Vineyard Commission executive director Still, there is an ongoing civil case the Oak Bluffs zoning board initiated in October arguing similar issues over timing of the comprehensive permit process like with the state housing agencies The board members also claimed the developers were trying to circumvent the usual Vineyard special permit process The case also puts a spotlight on the status of the commission’s authority which the Oak Bluffs board argues is a “regional decision-making body” and not a “local board.” This gives the commission more authority in resisting projects like 40B housing projects as it needs to consider the impact to the whole Island A resolution has not been reached so far in the case “It will be interesting to see how they explain to the court why they initiated their lawsuit and/or want to continue,” Cumming said I’m so tired of rich developers bullying their way around under the guise of helping people These local stories continue to be of great interest to me as I spend a substantial amount of time away from Martha’s Vineyard which remains a second home dear to our hearts William Cumming is no friend of the island and is just another greedy developer wanting to make as much money as possible for his family and friends to the detriment of the island Edgartown should take notice as they are next in the crosshair of this cabal willing to do whatever it takes to line their pockets “in this house we believe”…… and website in this browser for the next time I comment The MV Times comment policy requires first and last name for all comments by Denise Whitaker which refused to give up on finding the money needed to replace two aging buildings with a high percentage of military-connected students cris-crossed the country to get that money after voters failed twice to approve it Visiting Crescent Harbor Elementary School it’s easy to see why they need a new building Allison Reed is just one of a handful of teachers in a portable classroom on campus where 55% of the students are military-connected Reed's husband is stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey (NASW) and their older child is at Oak Harbor High School “It’s been a roller coaster (moving duty stations) but we got about three-and-a-half more years until retirement,” Reed told KOMO News providing 40% of all the students enrolled at OHPS This is why the Department of Defense (DOD) granted the district millions of dollars to build new schools “It will be exciting to be able to go use the restroom inside of a building and not have to walk in the pouring rain,” Reed said While Reed and the rest of the Crescent Harbor campus are watching a new school rise on campus across town the groundwork for another new school building is underway “Like we're getting a state-of-the-art building The DOD saw the need for both of these schools to be replaced years ago and granted the district $136 million “Federal grants sometimes can be very laborious processes,” Brian Tyhuis The district tried to get that $26 million by putting two bond issues before voters so One Oak Harbor and Team Whidbey got to work on new collaborations “We had a large team between federal and state and local leaders coming together to put this project together to get all the approvals necessary so you could build on federal property,” Tyhuis explained Part of the process included Superintendent Michelle Kuss-Cybula flying to Washington “He also came out here and was able to tour our schools and saying we need to get this across the finish line,” Kuss-Cybula said She took his suggestions to Olympia and finally secured the money from the state's Defense Community Compatibility Account (DCCA) designed to support communities around military installations “There's no debt to the community for any of this,” Kuss-Cybula said will benefit from greater safety and noise reduction in these new buildings The construction must conform to Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection (ATFP) specs with blast protection and overly insulated windows The roof at Crescent Harbor Elementary is double-insulated The parking lot had to be moved away from the building for added protection “I think showing the dedication and investment in the schools is incredibly valuable to show that for folks who want to come here to serve that their children be well served by the educational system,” Captain Nathan Gammache the Commanding Officer for NASW told KOMO News So now that the money is secured and construction is underway naming the new building that will house three programs Principal Shane Evans had sheets of large poster paper filled with names students in the school suggested We are technically near the Salish Sea or Saratoga Passage,” Evans said Some of the issues that we ran into were like some of the names that we came up with like sounded like a retirement home or something,” Webster said Webster was one of two students on the committee that reviewed hundreds of possibilities “So we wanted to find something that spoke for the school or what they're going for with the theme of the school With like the architecture and everything,” Webster explained After reviewing hundreds of possible names the final three were submitted to the school board to take the final vote: The new school buildings should be ready for staff and students to move into Keith Jordan founded Dirty Deeds Septic to service all of Whidbey Joan Samson and Ed Hodson opened Japonica Diner on South Whidbey The company said rumors about plans to replace Red Apple with self-storage units are false so Mary Elizabeth Himes is the right person to hear from Did I ever tell readers about the time in the winter of 1993 that Skagit Valley College sent my wife… Oak Harbor Pastor Becky Bolander is into the second week of a Biking 4 Builds trip from San Diego to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Ottawa County and a new affordable housing subdivision She took off from California on April 1 and John's Lutheran Church will travel 3,500 miles eight states and climb 100,005 feet of elevation to share details of her 3,500-mile bike trip "It's everywhere here," she shared about chili options — red or green "We are in our third state," the cyclist said California to New Mexico has been a lot of climbing but in New Mexico she and riding partner Donna Minter hit some level ground But there are more hills and mountains ahead president of the county Habitat for Humanity said she thinks the bike ride and previous efforts by the Ottawa County Habitat have raised nearly $120,000 The goal is not only raising awareness of the need for affordable housing but to raise $500,000 to build 10-20 homes over the next eight years "I would like to find someone to do matching funds," she said Bolander hopes to be in Florida by early June "I started with Habitat about 40 years ago," she said She wanted to put an emphasis on the difficulty with finding affordable housing in the country Her long history with Habitat includes working on over 30 home builds and international builds in Guatemala She said she also has worked on projects involving the late President Jimmy Carter Bolander said a family working at minimum wage today has a challenge when it comes to owning a home it takes a woman raising her kids at minimum wage — 80 hours a week," the pastor said Bolander said she stays in contact about weekly with her organizers in Ottawa County Habitat for Humanity in Ottawa County has opened its own Restore sales location The store had strong sales on its first day which is also the home of the office for Habitat for Humanity of Ottawa County "It will be a good stream of income," she said and worried about Habitat's income due to federal budget reductions Bolander said her original plans were to make the cross-country bike ride last year but she was hit by a truck and survived with her pelvis fractured in five places That injury made a difference in getting back on a bicycle She said she acquired a granny-gear bike that shifts easier for this trip Bolander said that she and her riding partner are reducing the number of miles they cover a day now and eliminated long days of rest Bolander has had the opportunity to see small towns and many good people who show concern and care for two women pedaling across county "I think about home owners who work so hard to get a loan," she said Whether it is a Habitat family or a regular home owner For details on Biking 4 Builds, go to https://habitatottawacounty.org/biking-for-builds Click on the QR Code to donate to the project or call Habitat for Humanity of Ottawa County at 419-734-7074 OAK HARBOR – After a natural gas line was hit Thursday afternoon south of Oak Harbor Electrical power was briefly shut off for 3,000 customers residents living outside the Oak Harbor village limits on Ohio 19 between Portage River South Road and Ohio 163 (Water Street) were told to evacuate Residents inside the village limits on Water Street between Benton and Maple streets were also evacuated Residents were allowed to return home at 8:15 p.m Oak Harbor Village Administrator Jerry Buhrow said that 164 people were evacuated between village and Salem Township residents Residents were allowed to go to the Portage Fire Department or the Oak Harbor Police Station “This happened where they were working on the gas line they were going to shut down next week,” Buhrow said They were working on each side of the road and they had to shut the road down and they had to dig it up to make the repair.” Residents were later informed that Columbia Gas employees would be going house-to-house shutting meters off until midnight and would continue on Friday “They covered 480 of approximately 1,800 last night and anticipating a crew of 200 people working on it," Buhrow said "Everything has to be off before the fix can be made There are people just running around town everywhere." Columbia Gas employees will have to return to purge air out of lines before gas service can be restored The public notice added that gas restoration is not expected “until at least Sunday.” Columbia Gas has a customer service line for anyone with questions: 800-344-4077 “Columbia Gas does not need to meet with anybody to shut their service off for this unless they have an inside meter they have to make contact with every residence because they have to do a leak test inside the house for everybody,” Buhrow said a supplier for the Columbia Gas distribution plant Columbia Gas and law enforcement will monitor the affected areas Requests for property to be monitored can be made to the Oak Harbor Police Department at 419-898-2055 Buhrow said that State Route 19 is still shut down from the Portage River bridge to Commodore Perry Federal Credit Union Electrical power was also briefly turned off for an estimated 3,000 customers “Edison had a hard time switching to power backups so it went off a couple times when they shut the (gas) line down and they couldn’t fix it live,” Buhrow said “I think that other than Edison having to reroute power around where they had issues Buhrow estimated power to have been off for about 30 minutes MOUNT VERNON, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two suspects have been arrested following the murder of a man in Mount Vernon last month.adButlerLazyLoad("988924493565853248",100,["662102","662102","662102"],"177027"); Dave Shackleton says a teenage boy and an adult male were taken into custody in Oak Harbor on Wednesday My Bellingham Now previously reported that a man now identified as 18-year-old Alan Mora-Gomez was shot and killed at a gas station near Skagit Valley College on March 17 Shackleton says investigators used surveillance footage of the escape vehicle to identify the two suspects identified as 21-year-old Jose Lozano of Everett was booked into the Skagit County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder Police are still asking anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues by calling (360) 428-3211.adButlerLazyLoad("1327688439512946082",100,["662102","662102","662102"],"177027"); Jason Upton is a reporter and afternoon news anchor at KGMI Feel free to send any story ideas or news tips to jupton@pnwmediagroup.com No injuries were reported in either incident The cuts have resulted in laboratories having limited testing for some infectious diseases and early childhood learning programs left unsure of future funds The dog had fallen into the cave and its owner also got stuck while trying to rescue it WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – When Dave Vitt founded Kulshan Brewing Company in 2011 WWU will bring its 13-game win streak into the national softball tournament Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again The varsity career of Karder Haas coincides with her mom's tenure as Oak Harbor head softball coach The junior shortstop wanted to help Cami Haas make the program her own "I grew up around the program when Coach (Chris) Rawski was here," Haas said I wish I could have played for Coach Rawski High school softball Meet the players to watch on softball diamond in 2025 Oak Harbor advanced to a state semifinal in Rawski's final season and again with Haas at the helm last year including a championship their first year in the Northern Buckeye Conference "We've always been a successful program," Karder said "Coach Rawski established that for everybody it's winter open gym and there's a ton of girls there and it's special we have so many committed girls." but I love having her in the dugout," she said "She has a great relationship with everybody Haas played third base her first two seasons before Reese Adkins graduated "I have a bigger role with the three seniors we lost," Karder said That's what those seniors did such a good job at." Oak Harbor split two games to start the current season before an unbeaten four-game trip to Tennessee 2-2) won a sixth consecutive game when they arrived home "We always love starting off early with a trip," Haas said and we want to bring that into league play in Ohio We're capable; the goal is to get back to Akron." LaLonde takes over in circle: Sophomore Morgan LaLonde replaces graduate Alyse Sorg after LaLonde scored 38 runs playing left field last season but we know Morgan is capable of filling those shoes," shortstop Karder Haas said Geyer shifts to first base: Senior Ava Geyer moves from right field to replace all-state graduate Porter Gregory Geyer drove in 31 runs and scored 29 last season Defense strong up middle: Senior catcher Allie Giezie junior center fielder Tatum Baumgartner and junior second baseman Kaitlyn Meloche join Haas Schimmoeller returns from injury: Sophomore Haylee Robinson plays third base senior Hannah Schimmoeller plays right field and freshman Addison Laubacher occupies left field State officials expect a strong pink salmon run this year An Oak Harbor golfer is heading to a national competition later this month Feb 25, 2025 | Around Ottawa County | 0 comments This map highlights a proposed revitalization district in Oak Harbor OAK HARBOR – The Village of Oak Harbor is taking another step toward revitalizing its downtown with a proposed Revitalization District (RD) aimed at assisting current business owners and enhancing opportunities for new development The resolution is currently under consideration by the Oak Harbor Village Council who plans to vote on the measure at its March 3 meeting A revitalization district – a designated geographic area targeted for focused economic development and revitalization efforts – assists in streamlining permitting processes including the creation of additional liquor permits for establishments such as restaurants such as supporting building owners with facade improvement programs and enhancing pedestrian safety RDs help attract new businesses and investments all with the goal of improving the community’s overall quality of life the Oak Harbor RD will also open the door for additional opportunities like a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) “This proposal represents an important opportunity for Oak Harbor to continue revitalizing its downtown while supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones,” said Village Administrator Jerry Buhrow “By simplifying processes and creating more flexibility we’re making the village a great place to open a business.” The proposed district consists of downtown Oak Harbor service-based businesses and professional offices as well as a portion of the Portage River front – all of which only further supports the village’s new Comprehensive Community Action Plan Oak Harbor Mayor Quinton Babcock shared that residents asked the village to attract additional dining opportunities to downtown Oak Harbor the village placed a ballot initiative on the ballot to remove Sunday Sales restrictions imposed by state law the state’s liquor permit quota system would have deprived them of a favorable liquor permit and they would have had to spend five or ten thousand dollars to meet state-imposed requirements to sell wine or liquor on Sunday,” Babcock said we have paved the way for that restaurant to open without unneeded delay or expense.” Local business owners and residents are encouraged to share their input at any time “Our best ideas have come from our community members If anyone has any ideas for improvement or cause for concern Banks sent out his analysis of the evidence and the law in a memo Friday morning.