V-E Day was a time of celebration across the nation on May 8 as Americans greeted the news of the surrender of Nazi Germany but in Uhrichsville the celebration quickly escalated into a riot which sparked an investigation by Tuscarawas County's prosecutor and the FBI 'Why did it happen here?' began an account of the incident in the Akron Beacon Journal "They want to know what makes the people of a peaceful little Ohio town turn to mob violence then turn out in record numbers for church services six hours later."Nearly every business in Uhrichsville closed for V-E Day The stores were owned by Morris Goodman and recently by his son When the reporter for the Beacon Journal arrived in town 10 days later residents described the riot as an "unfortunate incident." They stressed that they didn't like Sam Goodman but added that it wasn't because he was Jewish How it beganThe trouble began about 9:30 a.m angered by the fact that the Star Stores were still open stopped there and shouted into one of the stores The Goodmans came outside and got into an argument with the boys a much larger group of high school boys – estimated by the New Philadelphia Daily Times at between 200 to 300 – gathered at the stores again and exchanged “provocative remarks” with the Goodmans Uhrichsville police tried to have the car towed away but several wrecker owners refused service Demonstrators began throwing rocks and bricks at the store windows shattering 13 of 17 panes of glass in the windows and doors Uhrichsville Police Chief Jack Cramer was struck in the back by one of the bricks the crowd in the streets had grown to about 2,000 people Dissatisfied with the response from the Uhrichsville police Morris Goodman called Sheriff John McIntosh for help at 1 p.m along with police from Dennison and Dover and state troopers McIntosh took Sam Goodman to another county where he was put in jail for his own safety but he was released after he denied he was at the scene "Morris Goodman is a good man ‒ we like him here It would take all day to tell you the reports that went around about Sam Goodman." The police chief defended the handling of the riot by his three-man police force saying that "there might have been bloodshed and we could have all been tried for manslaughter." He also denied reports his policemen stood among the crowd laughing while the destruction was taking place said a joint church service that evening attracted a record crowd The four ministers who put on the service were divided about the riot "Some said not to mention it," Cleland told the paper Those who opposed it said it was controversial and I intend to keep on preaching on it every chance I get I don't think they were justified in the least." Schools Superintendent Glenn Zeller said the riot was definitely not anti-Jewish because other Jewish merchants on Third Street and some Jewish boys in town took part in the riot "Goodman had bad business relations," he told the Beacon Journal The school had no plans on disciplining any students that were involved because they had been dismissed for the day and the riot did not happen on school property Complaints about the younger Goodman went back to 1940 when Sam Goodman bought the store from his father more than 1,300 of Uhrichsville's 6,500 residents went into the service "He held 'Going to the Army' sales after which he never went," Mayor Paul Wilcoxon told the paper Morris Goodman bought back the business in January "I have my wife and children to think about," the younger Goodman He added that he had been called to the Navy in February but was discharged five weeks later "I was honorably discharged for physical reasons certainly I would have been arrested before this I feel that the thing was unjust because we have courts and authorities to deal with cases like that." Both Morris and Sam Goodman asked that the incident be forgotten "I no longer live in that town," Sam Goodman said I would not have gone but state tax examiners had ordered me to go." At the May 15 Uhrichsville council meeting some council members criticized the response of the local police Wilcoxon responded by saying that had officers taken more drastic action that day he was convinced it would have resulted in bloodshed or someone being killed “The mayor reminded his audience that such an event had never happened in Uhrichsville before as far as he knew and admitted that officers were unprepared to handle such a situation,” the Daily Times reported that definite plans had been formed for coping with any future occurrences of such nature and that action would be taken letting ‘the chips fall where they may’ should it become necessary.” There was no repeat of the situation when Japan surrendered later that year Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com Bringing innovative ideas to lifeChad Milburn • 2025 2024) – The legal dispute over the city’s landlord registration ordinance is now in a judge’s hands claiming the registration fee is an illegal tax not being used exclusively for services related to rental properties During a Thursday morning bench trial in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Owner Randall Colaner testified that he had never paid the yearly fee despite owning multiple rental properties in the city “Have you seen a direct benefit to you as a landlord based upon the monies collected by this ordinance?” asked Attorney Matthew Onest “And ultimately what is your goal with this lawsuit?” “To get judicial decision stating that it’s an illegal tax all money collected if the ruling does go that way be returned to the people who paid it.” Jeryl McGaffick has been Uhrichsville’s auditor since the beginning of the year She stated under oath that registration fees go into a specific line item within the general fund and she makes the deposit and gives me the information and it is receipted in as a landlord registration fee.” Collections pay for the city’s code enforcement official Law Director Jeff Merklin believes that’s a permissible use since roughly 68-percent of homes in the city are rentals This can be found constitutional not only on the words you use but who they’re applied and that is what I would like the court to focus on in this particular case I’m not trying to say that it has but the implementation of how it’s actually happened is certainly constitutional and that’s what I would like the court to focus on: the big picture.” Judge Elizabeth Thomakos will consider the testimony and evidence from both sides before issuing a written ruling By Avery WilliamsPublished: Apr 2025 at 12:13 PM EDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInUHRICHSVILLE Ohio (WOIO) - A 22-year-old man is facing felony charges after Uhrichsville police say he led officers on a chase with speeds of 125 MPH Caleb Brown was taken into custody the early morning hours of Tuesday Police say the chase began around 3:45 a.m when officers attempted a traffic stop for speeding and a stop sign violation What followed was a pursuit through multiple cities with speeds reaching as high as 125 MPH and the chase finally came to an end when his vehicle went through a fence and stopped soon after Authorities say they arrested the 22-year-old in the area of Edwards Ridge Road SE Court records show Brown faces multiple charges including reckless operation and fleeing and eluding Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application she was a daughter of the late Tom Burton and Barbara (Page) Burton Marilyn was a huge Elvis fan and collected his memorabilia She also enjoyed doing arts and crafts throughout her life Marilyn worked as a cashier with Makos Market She always loved getting to know and interacting with her customers In keeping with her wishes there are no services and cremation care has been entrusted to Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home and Crematory This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors UHRICHSVILLE ‒ A father and son who sued the city of Uhrichsville for reimbursement of landlord registration fees that have been declared an illegal tax are now asking that their suit be turned into a class action director of city services for Uhrichsville and against the city the class plaintiffs seek to add is comprised of dozens the number and identities of which are ascertainable from defendants' records," the new filing states "Allowing a class action will prevent the defendants from having to re-litigate this issue for each individual or entity that decides to bring a lawsuit for repayment of illegal taxes collected under Ordinance 7-20." The request for a class action suit was filed on April 24 Common Pleas Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos declared the city's landlord registration fee an illegal and unconstitutional tax and prohibited the city from assessing or collecting future rental registration fees and from prosecuting those who do not register their rental properties or pay the registration fees The ruling came about after she presided over a bench trial in November in a suit brought by Randy and Natalie Colaner of Dover which owns 20 rental properties in Uhrichsville They sought to have the ordinance establishing the fee overturned It levied a fee of $25 the first year and then increased to $50 on all rental units in Uhrichsville The purpose was to pay for a code enforcement officer who would inspect rental properties and bring them up to code about 70% of the housing units in Uhrichsville are rental properties Judge Thomakos found the lack of services provided to landlords in exchange for the charge imposed on them "suggest that the assessment is not a permissible fee." She also found that Uhrichsville placed no restrictions on the use of the money collected and the work of the code enforcement officer benefited all city residents Gerald Barker owns a duplex and a single-family rental property in Uhrichsville Kevin Barker owns two duplexes in the city They were seeking return of the money they paid to Uhrichsville Prejudgment interest is interest that is added to a plaintiff's award to make up for past losses suffered prior to the date judgment is pronounced In addition to asking that their suit be turned into a class action the Barkers are now asking for monetary damages that will be determined at trial They are also asking to be awarded costs of the lawsuit “I will be following the advice of my attorney and will not be making any statement involving the ongoing litigation at this time,” Kevin Barker said in a statement Uhrichsville Mayor Jim Zucal had no comment The case has been assigned to Judge Michael Ernest A bench trial has been scheduled for May 21 UHRICHSVILLE – Police say a 22-year-old Uhrichsville man is facing felony charges following a high-speed pursuit that reached over 125 miles per hour through Uhrichsville Caleb Brown led police and deputies on the dangerous chase early Tuesday morning at one point nearly colliding head-on with a police cruiser observed a 2020 Nissan Rogue speeding and not stopping at a stop sign on Jaycee Drive near Trenton Avenue He began the pursuit along US 36 toward Dennison The vehicle continued to Eastport Road toward Midvale and eventually made it to U.S Two Tuscarawas County Sheriff deputies joined the chase Police say Brown exited US 250 at Schoenbrunn turning toward Uhrichsville on Brightwood Road before going down Indian Hill Road and back to US 36 He then led officers to Edwards Ridge Road and doubled back The Nissan Rogue crashed through a barbed wire fence before coming to a stop at North Star Metal Manufacturing Brown was arrested without further incident and taken to jail Southern District Court records show Brown is charged with fleeing and eluding reckless operation and a stop sign violation He was released after an April 1 court appearance "I'm really hoping that we could have this thing started to be worked on by May or June and back opened up," he said found that steel stringers at each bridge abutment had extensive section loss and it appeared to be much worse compared to the 2023 inspection Stringers support the floor system that vehicles drive on More on closure: Bridge connecting Uhrichsville and Dennison closed indefinitely; structural problems found The bridge is jointly owned by the village of Dennison and the city of Uhrichsville and will split the cost of repairs Dennison received a quote of $71,195 from U.S That quote would include installing stringers shim plates and bearing plates at each end of the bridge "This clearly would take care of the problem," DiDonato said He added that he was told the repair work would only take a couple of weeks Engineers recommend the two communities secure funding for a total rehabilitation of the bridge in the next couple of years The bridge was built in 1988 and repainted in 2004 Check it out: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the Times-Reporter app DiDonato said Dennison and Uhrichsville will seek grants to help pay for the project 2024) – Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s officials say a Uhrichsville area man is in the county jail for allegedly stabbing his adult stepson with a hunting knife in attempts to break up an altercation Friday night Authorities learned about the incident when the 33-year-old victim went to Trinity Hospital Twin City Saturday afternoon for cuts consistent with knife wounds Detective Captain Adam Fisher says he believes it started as an argument the previous night between the stabbing victim and his uncle at a Wolford Road Southeast residence “When William was unable to separate the parties he sought out a hunting knife and stabbed (the victim) at least three times in order to get the altercation to stop,” said Fisher Fisher says the victim was treated and released for his injuries “One laceration was pretty significant; however all were non-life-threatening,” said Fisher Fisher says it appears the victim waited until the next day to seek treatment because he didn’t want to see his stepfather arrested and he made it very well known that he wished for no charges to take place,” said Fisher But authorities however did question and arrest William Shaw later Saturday on initial charges including domestic violence and felonious assault  Charges are also possible against the uncle UHRICHSVILLE ‒ Two males are in custody after shots were fired during an altercation early today in the 600 block of North Dawson Street According to a press release from the Uhrichsville Police Department the agency received multiple calls for shots fired on Dawson Street at 12:09 a.m More on area crime: New Philadelphia bicyclist struck by pickup; police say it was intentional. Witnesses reported hearing one to three gunshots and saw a white Toyota 4runner leaving the area at a high rate of speed before a second set of shots were heard Uhrichsville police requested the assistance of Dennison police and the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office to help patrol the area for the vehicle and/or anyone else that may have been involved A sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle matching the description on U.S Route 250 about 10 minutes after the initial call came in The deputy determined that it was the vehicle involved in the shooting A Uhrichsville police officer interviewed the occupants of the vehicle and learned that the people in the vehicle had an altercation with a 17-year-old male in Uhrichsville who pulled out a handgun and fired several shots The people in the vehicle then left the scene one of the 18-year-old passengers fired multiple shots from the vehicle Charges filedThat man was arrested and taken to the Tuscarawas County Jail on felony charges of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle magazine and one bullet casing were found in the vehicle the sheriff's office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol then went to the residence of the 17-year-old in Uhrichsville and took him into custody without incident He was taken to the Muskingum County Juvenile Detention Center in Zanesville where he is being held on a charge of felonious assault 2024) – The city can no longer enforce its landlord registration ordinance A rental property owner sued in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court over the 2020 ordinance claiming the $50 per unit annual fee was an illegal and unconstitutional tax Thomakos prohibited the city from collecting any additional fees and prosecuting landlords for non-compliance At issue was whether the fees were being spent on services related to landlord-owned properties Collections were directed into a designated fund that the city used to pay its code enforcement official the judge found that work benefitted all city residents and not landlords exclusively The plaintiff registered but never paid the fee He requested an order requiring the city to reimburse the money it collected from other landlords but Thomakos said that was beyond the scope of the case before her UHRICHSVILLE ‒ The First Street/Logan Street bridge which connects Uhrichsville and Dennison has been closed indefinitely after an inspection found serious structural concerns informed Uhrichsville Service and Safety Director Cade Watkins of the situation after conducting an inspection of the bridge "We performed the fracture critical inspection this year for the First Street over Little Stillwater Creek bridge and we recently discussed it with ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) and based on the current condition of the steel stringers the bridge requires IMMEDIATE CLOSURE There are stringers at each bridge abutment that have extensive section loss and this appears to be much worse compared to the 2023 inspection," Lunt wrote "Our recommendation would be to temporarily fix the stringers to allow the bridge to remain open with a reduced load posting and start to schedule for the bridge to be either replaced or replace the floor system," Lunt wrote DLZ did the bridge inspection through the ODOT Municipal Bridge Program county Engineer Doug Bachman sent an email to Uhrichsville Mayor Jim Zucal telling him the city would have a large liability exposure if the bridge was not closed immediately The bridge is owned jointly by the city of Uhrichsville and the village of Dennison "We're going to act quickly and respond to it (the closure)," Zucal said He noted that the bridge does not get a lot of traffic The engineer recommended that the two communities seek federal funds for the repair project 2025) – The city of Uhrichsville has a new Council member who is back in the Ward 2 seat after stepping down from the same post in 2022 The Ward 2 seat opened up again with the resignation of Leigh Ann McCray who has since been hired as manager for the water park and concession stand Council President Buck Cottrell said they only had one applicant for the vacant seat Miller was officially sworn in Friday morning The decision fell to council after the Tuscarawas County Republican Central Committee was unable to appoint a candidate 2024) – Following last month’s court ruling striking down Uhrichsville’s landlord registration fee two rental property owners are trying to get their money back Father and son Gerald and Kevin Barker are suing the city in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court for nearly $1,600 plus court costs and interest That’s how much they paid under the city’s 2020 landlord registration ordinance before Judge Elizabeth Thomakos deemed the yearly Kevin Barker spoke during the December 13th council meeting urging city officials to give everyone a refund “Since these fees have been collected illegally for the past four years and the city has a record of all the fees paid by every landlord and their addresses and right thing and refund all illegal collected fees to property owners.” Thomakos made the determination three days earlier also ordering the city to stop collecting the fee and prosecuting landlords for non-payment The plaintiff in that case never paid the fee but requested refunds for the city’s other landlords which the judge felt was beyond the scope of the case Uhrichsville Law Director Jeff Merkin is asking the court to throw out the Barkers’ lawsuit citing the one-year statute of limitations for recovering taxes established in the Ohio Revised Code was damaged by a fire early Wednesday morning flames were coming out of an open door and a window according to Uhrichsville Fire Chief Justin Edwards The garage was used by its owner as a shop for ATV repairs Edwards said the fire has been ruled accidental Firefighters can't rule out that the fire may have been electrical in nature or was caused by spontaneous combustion from oil-soaked rags Uhrichsville was assisted at the scene by firefighters from New Philadelphia and Dennison UHRICHSVILLE − Claymont City Schools and Aultman Health System recently broke ground on a $1.86 million school-based health center This project will help address the community's need for access to comprehensive health care closer to home What to expectThe Claymont school-based health center will be housed in a 2,000-square-foot addition to Claymont High School and provide primary care chronic disease management and primary mental health care services to students Telehealth services will continue to be provided for elementary and middle school students and staff Aultman will continue to provide primary care and telehealth services supporting additional mental health services within the school district office space for clinical counselors and a second location for The Village Network Aultman will offer on-site primary care clinical services with a nurse practitioner and support staff there have been barriers to healthcare access scheduling conflicts or the lack of accessible services This new health center will dismantle these barriers for those in our community,” said Brian Rentsch superintendent of Claymont City School District The project incorporates built-in technical assistance support from Nationwide Children’s Hospital to ensure seamless implementation across all projects and sustained success FundingThis school health center is made possible through the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative a $64 million investment announced March 2024 by Gov that includes dozens of projects to improve access to health care in 36 communities across 20 Appalachian counties in Ohio The Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative will create 16 new school-based health centers NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A trial scheduled last week for a Uhrichsville man accused in an armed robbery last year has been delayed appeared in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court for a final pre-trial hearing before his trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday on a charge of aggravated robbery with a gun specification Common Pleas Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos approved a joint motion from the state and the defense to continue the trial until later this year Both are also charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm specification The three are accused of participating in an armed robbery in Uhrichsville on July 28 involving an X-box the judge denied a defense motion to reinstate bond for Bowe He had been released on bond after being initially charged but violated the conditions of his pre-trial release He has been held in the Tuscarawas County Jail since Nov "You've got one of the most serious charges that we typically see pending here," Thomakos told Bowe in explaining her decision "You were given the opportunity to be released on your own recognizance with pre-trial release supervision The violation report on that is two pages long which ultimately resulted in you being re-arrested I don't want to spend a lot of time chasing people down or hoping that they don't overdose on drugs somewhere." UHRICHSVILLE − Work is progressing on a major project by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to replace the concrete pavement at the busy McCauley Drive intersection in Uhrichsville Motorists should expect some delays while work is being done One traffic lane will be maintained on U.S 250 in both directions at this location with an 11-foot width restriction Concrete will also be replaced on the westbound off ramp from U.S A short-term closure will occur on the off ramp The $3.6 million project is slated to be finished by Oct 2024) – Police say they have arrested two suspects for an alleged shooting incident between a 17-year-old and a group consisting of four juveniles and three 18-year-olds Police believe it started when the 17-year-old fired shots at the group in the 600 block of North Dawson Street just after midnight Saturday morning Those teens fled in the SUV and one allegedly returned fire about a block down the road Witness descriptions allowed deputies to locate and stop the SUV on US 250 west about 10 minutes later The 18-year-old male accused of shooting from inside the SUV was initially jailed for improper handling of a firearm inside a motor vehicle Police interviewed the teens and from there went to the home of the alleged initial shooter He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Muskingum County Juvenile Detention Center for felonious assault 2025)  – The city is accepting applicants to fill a vacant council position Leigh Ann McCray left the Ward 2 seat more than a month ago The Tuscarawas County Republican Party did not name a replacement in 45 days so Council President Buck Cottrell says that means it’s up to City Council Cottrell says applicants don’t have to be Republican but need to have lived in Ward 2 for at least a year The deadline for submitting a letter of interest to Uhrichsville Council is Tuesday Her replacement would finish the rest of the term until Dec she was the daughter of the late Newton and Margaret (Scott) Maxwell and was a proud graduate of the former Dennison High School at Dennison A place where she cultivated her sharp wit and vibrant personality she dedicated many years to her career with the Times Reporter working in the Circulation Department A place where her friendly demeanor and sense of humor made her a cherished colleague Known for her ornery yet delightful character Shirley had a knack for lighting up any room she entered Her laughter and loving presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know her family was the cornerstone of her existence and she cherished every moment spent with loved ones She was a longtime member of Park Christian Church at Dennison and also held membership in the Eastern Star a detail that further exemplifies her commitment to community and fellowship Jim (Sally) Barker of Gnadenhutten and her daughter (Nile) Vickers of New Philadelphia; her grandchildren Adam (Lexie) Tulak of New Philadelphia and Quinton Vickers of Kansas City Completing the family are five great-grandchildren Coleson Tulak and Briar Tulak and she was eagerly anticipating the arrival of her 6th great grandchild She is also survived by her special friend and caregiver Shirley was preceded in death by her husband there will be no public visitation or services Cremation care is to be provided by the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia and a private burial will take place beside her husband in Union Cemetery at Uhrichsville.  the family requests that instead of memorial contributions please share a hug with a family member or a friend in her memory NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ An 18-year-old Uhrichsville man has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in an armed robbery last year Skylar Bowe had been scheduled to go on trial this week on one count of aggravated robbery with a gun specification But at a pre-trial hearing on Monday in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Bowe pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery Defense attorney Donovan Hill waived a pre-sentence investigation and Bowe was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos More on Skylar Bowe: Trial delayed for Uhrichsville man accused in July 28 armed robbery Bowe had been charged in connection with what was described as a home invasion on July 28 The other defendants were armed with guns and were wearing masks at the time of the crime Both Green and Davis have already entered guilty pleas Assistant Prosecutor Fred Scott said Green pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to four to five and a half years in prison with a chance for judicial release in one and a half years I mean this is really a shame," Scott told Judge Thomakos Bowe was 18 years old at the time of the offense and he seems to have started at the top by getting involved with some people that he shouldn't have And it was really not the brightest thing to do over not a lot of money and put people at risk." the state will not object if Bowe applies for judicial release after serving one year in prison Hill pointed out Bowe struggles with substance abuse issues "My hope is that he will uphold his end of the bargain with the state and that we will be able to apply for judicial release to this court at the time frame agreed upon by the state and at that time our hope is that the court will consider that motion and maybe get Skylar into some better circumstances on the other side of this case He will also be required to pay $555 in restitution to the victim in the case at Ohio's Hospice Truman House in New Philadelphia he was the son of the late Homer and Verna (Dickerson) Veigel  He was also preceded in death by his son Bob was a skilled worker who spent several years as a bar turner at Republic Steel where he made a significant impact before his retirement His commitment to hard work was only rivaled by his sense of duty which led him to serve in the United States Army for two years during the Vietnam War.  In addition to his professional achievements He found joy in life's simple pleasures where he was known by the handle "Fence Post." His enthusiasm for collecting oil lamps and coins reflected his appreciation for history and craftsmanship He leaves behind his two sons; Joseph Veigel and Daniel Veigel both of Uhrichsville; his grandchildren; Vanessa John (Betty) Veigel of Sherrodsville; and his sisters Cremation has been entrusted to the Toland-Herzig Funeral Homes & Crematory of Dover visit the obituary link on the funeral home's website.   NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos has ruled that Uhrichsville's landlord registration fee is an illegal and unconstitutional tax the judge prohibited the city from assessing or collecting future rental registration fees and from prosecuting those who do not register their rental properties or pay the registration fees Bench trial: Dover residents sue Uhrichsville, seeking to overturn landlord registration fee The suit was brought by Randy and Natalie Colaner of Dover levied a fee of $25 the first year and then increased to $50 on all rental units in Uhrichsville According to testimony at the bench trial on the matter in November Testimony showed that the city collected around $12,000 in fees in 2020 Judge Thomakos found the lack of services provided to landlords in exchange for the charge imposed on them "suggest that the assessment is not a permissible fee." "The court further finds that the assessment is only imposed on landlords," she wrote the city has no restrictions in place to make sure that the monies collected under the ordinance are spent only on matters related to landlord-owned properties and the work performed by the Code Enforcement Officer benefitted all residents of the City of Uhrichsville." Judge Thomakos determined that the assessment was an illegal tax Randy and Natalie Colaner had sought to have all money collected by the city returned to property owners he testified during the bench trial that he had not paid any registration fee on his properties the judge ruled that he was not due a refund "The court further finds that the issue of whether refunds are due to non-parties based upon the court's declarations herein is beyond the scope of this action," she wrote a Canfield attorney representing the Colaners "We are happy with the judge’s thorough and clear decision," he wrote in an email to The Times-Reporter "We hope that the city follows the judge’s ruling and does the right thing by returning all funds to the landlords who paid this illegal tax." Uhrichsville Mayor Jim Zucal said he supported the judge's decision "I support the concept of rental registrations," he said "I think the council needs to work with the law director and the administration to get it right this time the performance of it was not done correctly "I believe we need to come together and find something fair for the landlords and fair for the residents of the city because the No 1 goal of the people when I was working to become mayor was to clean up the city and we're going to get it right," he continued Asked if he was going to reimburse the other landlords that paid the fee Zucal said that from his reading of the decision UHRICHSVILLE ‒ Major improvements to the Uhrichsville Water Park and expanded street paving are two of the top priorities for Mayor Jim Zucal this year "We need some upgrades in our mechanical room That's a huge project for us." Zucal said of the water park The city also has plans to clean up the pavilions in the vicinity of the water park One of his goals is to improve the city's park system including such things as improving kayaking potential on both the Big and Little Stillwater creeks Uhrichsville is also working with the Twin City Water & Sewer District to acquire a 5-acre site along Newport Avenue where a low-head dam was removed in 2021 is also the site of the former Uhrich Mill The land would be put into the city park system More Uhrichsville news: Twin City's Panhandle Park nears completion with new sidewalks, lighting and flagpole Zucal said he and city officials have put in a grant application with the Ohio Public Works Commission to pay for paving and striping in the McCauley Drive area The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a project scheduled along U.S 250 at McCauley Drive to remove and replace concrete pavement at the intersection and the U.S public information officer for ODOT District 11 A definitive start date has not been scheduled however the project will take place during the 2025 construction season with a completion date of Oct "We want to do more paving this year," Zucal said and we want to do quite a bit of striping this year Sale of city garageAnother project Zucal said he is working on is the potential sale or lease of the city garage at 126 N four city employees are working out of the 10,000-square-foot facility Those employees would be relocated to another location Uhrichsville purchased the building in 2006 for $295,000 It was formerly the location of Jim Pritz Ford in the 1980s "We feel that facility potentially holds the opportunity for a business or maybe like they're doing in Cambridge where they're having a two-story open tier market There are options that are possible there," the mayor said "We're thinking potentially jobs and income tax money so I've been working with the Team NEO group out of Cleveland and also with Ohio Jobs and Commerce to retain jobs." Other goals for Zucal include street improvements on North Wardell Drive and removing abandoned railroad crossings on West First Street and Lake Street Zucal said he is also going to prioritize cleaning up the city despite a ruling in December by Common Pleas Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos that the city's landlord registration fee is an illegal and unconstitutional tax and prohibited the city from assessing or collecting future rental registration fees and from prosecuting those who do not register their rental properties or pay the registration fees More on legal decision: Judge declares Uhrichsville's landlord registration fee to be an illegal tax "I'm not going to back down," the mayor said "We're going to continue to clean up the city We do expect landlords to take care of their properties 1 goal of most of the constituents was to clean up the town Uhrichsville levied a fee on all rental units in the city with the money going to pay for a code enforcement officer The judge found that the city placed no restrictions on the use of the money collected Zucal said the city would adhere to Judge Thomakos' ruling He remains in favor of requiring landlords to register their properties but he wasn't sure about the registration fee He also wants to keep the code enforcement officer and would support funding the position out of the general fund "We don't want to be bogged down with issues with landlord fees I'm more about let's do the good work of the city which is improvement and gaining jobs and retaining jobs," the mayor said 2025) – A bridge connecting Uhrichsville and Dennison is closed to drivers and pedestrians for the foreseeable future Uhrichsville Service Director Cade Watkins announced Thursday the city was told to close the First Street bridge over Little Stillwater Creek following an ODOT inspection that revealed heavy corrosion and the loss of stringers at each bridge abutment Barricades are now blocking the bridge that connects to Logan Street in Dennison Officials from Uhrichsville and Dennison will discuss options together since the bridge is co-owned between the two municipalities This story was updated because an earlier version contained an inaccuracy and to add additional information MILL TOWNSHIP – Firefighters from five Tuscarawas County stations responded to fight a residential structure fire in the 4000 block of Gatchell Road SE, just outside Uhrichsville on Wednesday What started as a call to 911 for an appliance fire at noon quickly escalated to a first alarm fire as responding units could see smoke on the horizon Led by Dennison Assistant Chief Jim Shamel multiple requests were made for water tankers to begin shuttling water to the rural location An interior attack was made while firefighters also searched for anyone potentially inside As the search ended the firefighters were quickly called out as a defensive attack was taken due to the fire rapidly spreading to the basement Dennison FD Chief Dave McConnell said the mother of the resident "A trackhoe was called in from the township because there was too much fire in void spaces Firefighters on scene mentioned the fire being everywhere – in the walls Deputies from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff Department as well as medics from Smith Ambulance also assisted firefighters from Dennison Warwick Township and Rush Township at the scene T-R staff photographer Andrew Dolph can be reached by phone at 330-289-6072, or by email at adolph3@gannett.com. You can also find him on Instagram @dolphphoto UHRICHSVILLE −Efforts are moving forward to complete work on Panhandle Park located on Little Stillwater Creek between Uhrichsville and Dennison the existing gazebo has been moved to a better location more than 2,200 tons of fill dirt have been put there to level out the ground at the 1 acre park riprap was installed along the creek to stabilize its banks and a sidewalk complete with lighting was constructed Charitable donations: Rosenberry Foundation awards area organizations $366K for equipment, capital improvements an engineer and Claymont High School graduate Promoters hope to have work completed by June 14 for a dedication ceremony for the park which is the trailhead for the Panhandle Passage Trail Spearheading the project have been the Twin City Chamber of Commerce Donations from area foundationsMuch of the work has been paid for through grants including $20,000 from the Rosenberry Foundation $4,000 from the Zimmerman Foundation and $2,500 from the Moomaw Foundation The park was the longtime location of City Auto a well-known car dealership and restaurant that operated in the 20th century The flagpole was donated by Elly Blacker and her daughter Organizers plan on paving the ground around the flagpole with bricks that are now being sold for $50 Bricks can be dedicated in memory of someone in honor of someone or can have the donor's name on them Bricks can be ordered through the Twin City Chamber of Commerce Future plans also include installation of free Wi-Fi provided by the chamber and Smart Way Communications as well as a canoe and kayak launch on the creek the two organizations hope to get lighting for the arch bridges over Center Street and Grant Street on either side of the park Twin City Parks & Waterways has done other projects in the area as well including removing logjams in Big Stillwater Creek at the Trenton Avenue Bridge and the railroad arch bridge The majority of the funding for those efforts came from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District "Both were significant enough that they had the potential to effect the structural integrity of the bridges Two more logjams on Big Stillwater near Big Bend Golf Course will be targeted next year McPeak noted it was a joint effort by people from Uhrichsville and Dennison to finish Panhandle Park "We like the symbolic aspect that this at the actual heart of the community and the fact that this has been a joint effort," she said "It's really been a joint effort not about either municipality but about the greater community and the cooperation Donations are still needed to complete the park They can be sent to the chamber office or to Twin City Parks & Waterways at P.O who has operated the Gardner Street Garage for 40 years said he has had to deal with persistent flooding issues on his property for some time with construction of the new BellStore on McCauley Drive in front of his property his access to his business is often blocked making it difficult to get deliveries or mail More news from Twin Cities: Waterford Players provide performing arts opportunities in southern Tuscarawas County He has appealed to city officials for help with his problems Fockler has been in business at 144 Gardner St He shut that part of the business down during the COVID-19 pandemic and now restores old cars He's currently building a 1957 car from the ground up His flooding problems have gotten worse as businesses have expanded on McCauley Drive There used to be a lift station nearby that handled the excess water When the 922 Drive-thru opened on McCauley Drive Then Michael's car dealership opened at 90 W I took the old garage and raised it up to match the floor of the other one That's the only way to get out of the water." purchased the drive-thru property on March 14 The company bought the car dealership for $175,000 on Sept Construction of the BellStore has also pushed water on him Campbell Oil did not respond to a request for comment from The Times-Reporter I'll get it clear up to the foundation of the house but it affects the ability of getting back here," he said He said he went to city council with the problem who was service director during the administration of former Mayor Mark Haney said she and officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) walked the area during the summer of 2022 They saw at that time that there were some drainage ditches that needed to be cleaned out ODOT officials made sure all the drainage lines were cleared Mayor Jim Zucal said the project will improve storm water issues in that area Trying to vacate roadFockler's other concern is with Poplar Street It used to run between the gas station and the car lot but Campbell Oil successfully petitioned to have it closed Equipment used in the construction project is often parked there to get in and out because Gardner Street was never kept up," he said "It was so bad you could barely get back here on it." Poplar Street then continues through Fockler's property I put in a petition to close the road between my two properties," he said But after Haney left office and Zucal became mayor "I submitted it again after the new administration got in there never been set foot on since I bought this property," Fockler said Zoning and Annexation Committee did respond to his request and turned down the road vacation issue "There's no benefit to vacating the alley at this time Fockler said he hasn't had any problems with flooding lately but it is dangerous to get out of his property He has to turn onto McCauley Drive right at the intersection with U.S 'I'd like to see a little bit of response'Fockler said he doesn't care if Campbell Oil expands its BellStore location on McCauley Drive What I want is the water situation taken care of." "I'd like to see a little bit of response from the city I can't get anybody to tell you what's going on," Fockler said "Council is supposed to be there for the citizens They won't let me talk at council meetings anymore." in Uhrichsville’s Claymont Health & Rehabilitation Center Bruce was a “Marine brat,” his family moved often relative to where his father was stationed retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in 2009 The Army made it possible for Bruce to earn a degree in accounting and he was employed by the Burlington Northern Railroad He married the former Brenda Batton in 1982; the couple had three children and were married 41 years before Brenda died in 2023 particularly his grandchildren; going trick-or-treating with them was an especially fun activity - sadly missed this year He made wonderful pecan pies - better than any store-bought - and an excellent chicken curry Bruce is also remembered by his family as a thoughtful gift-giver he enjoyed going bowling and following Ohio State football Teddy (Wendy) Ripley and Jenny Ripley; and his nieces and nephews Family and friends may call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory A memorial service will follow at 1:30 officiated by Rev His cremated remains will be placed later in Arlington National Cemetery His family suggests that contributions in Bruce’s memory be made to Claymont Health & Rehabilitation Center in recognition of the special care he received there Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text The judge recently heard testimony during a bench trial in a suit brought by Randy and Natalie Colaner of Dover which has rental properties in Uhrichsville they are seeking to have the ordinance establishing the fee overturned and have any money collected returned to landlords More on registration: Uhrichsville Council Meeting The purpose was to pay for a code enforcement official who would inspect rental properties and bring them up to code Randy Colaner testified that he has not paid any registration fees on his property even though he has been threatened with criminal prosecution Reason for ordinanceFormer Mayor Mark Haney said the ordinance was enacted because there had been many problems with contacting landlords when there was an issue with one of their properties He discussed an ordinance passed by council in 2022 which would have restricted the use of the money to paying the salary of the code enforcement officer an ordinance that he vetoed because he said his administration had no input in writing the ordinance "We brought up the concern to council," he testified "We believed it needed to be restricted from the beginning Some of that money should have gone back to the landlords to help pay for improvements because we knew we were collecting more than we really needed for the position that we had hired." A code enforcement officer was not hired until 2022 and earned around $15 an hour The officer was paid just for hours worked The amount paid to the officer was unavailable 'We didn't do anything wrong'Mayor Jim Zucal testified that he thought Uhrichsville was doing a good job on cleaning up the city He was on council when the ordinance was passed "I believe as the mayor and I believed as a council person that we didn't do anything wrong and the people are actually getting what they want in the city of Uhrichsville," he said He added that no money from the registration fees was ever spent on anything other than the salary of the code enforcement officer "I still believe the city did it the right way," Zucal said bourn solely on the backs of landlords and property These monies are taken from landlords only and put in the general fund There're absolutely no restrictions in place." He pointed out that the code enforcement officer inspects both rental properties and resident-owned properties "It comes down to the fact that we have a small subset of individuals who are paying tens of thousands of dollars to the city and there is no specific return service to those people," Onest said Uhrichsville Law Director Jeff Merklin argued that the fee is constitutional "The reality of what's happening is the money is used ‒ maybe unartfully ‒ for an inspector that primarily goes out and looks at structures that are about 70% rental properties in the city of Uhrichsville," he said "The city may not have done this perfectly but the implementation of how it's actually happened is certainly constitutional UHRICHSVILLE, Ohio — A lucky lottery player has won the $300,000 top prize on the Ohio Lottery’s Special Edition Cashword scratch-off game. The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K #5566, located at 1103 N Water Street in Uhrichsville After mandatory federal and state tax withholdings the winner will receive approximately $216,000 Special Edition Cashword is a $5 scratch-off game all top prizes in this game have been claimed For more information on the Ohio Lottery’s scratch-off games © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd assists a client with the selection of food George Krahel assists a client with loading food into her vehicle Mary Jo Conley lines up shopping carts at the Twin City Christian Service Center Clients in need hand off an order form to a worker at the food pantry An advertisement for a food assistance card can be seen on the side of a box Executive Director of the Twin City Christian Service Center An Annie's brand of snack food can be seen stocked on shelves Notices about proper food handling can be seen at the Twin City Christian Service Center unloads cabbage in between filling client food orders arranges shopping carts in between filling client food orders Grandison is among a handful of workers well into their 60's or older working at the food pantry stocks shelves in between filling client food orders Grandison is among a handful of workers well into their 60's or older working the food pantry Jodi's education journey included graduating from Claymont High School in 1986 and furthering her studies at The Pittsburgh Art Institute.  Jodi found joy in gardening and hunting alongside her beloved companion In addition to her many interests and hobbies Jodi was a dedicated artist whose creativity knew no bounds Her artistic endeavors brought beauty and inspiration to the world around her Jodi will be deeply missed by her long-time companion Jessica (Kevin) Sapara of North Ridgeville and Linzi Dunn of Uhrichsville; her beloved grandchildren and Chad Patterson of Uhrichsville; Dino’s mother Toni Probert of Uhrichsville; Dino’s sisters Melissa Keefer of Beach City and Anjanette Gilland of Uhrichsville; her three furbaby kitties; along with many nieces and cousins who always kept in touch with her.  cremation has been entrusted to the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory in Dover visit the obituary link on the funeral home's website DOVER TOWNSHIP ‒ A Uhrichsville man was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash on Ohio 39 west of Dover on Monday morning The crash closed the state highway for a couple of hours According to the New Philadelphia Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol a black 2010 Chevrolet HHR driven by Garrin Kingsbury was westbound on Red Hill Road (Dover Township Road 384) and approaching the intersection with Ohio 39 at around 6:51 a.m Kingsbury failed to stop at the stop sign and traveled into Rennie's path The two vehicles collided and traveled off the right side of the road Kingsbury was seriously injured and was transported to Mercy Hospital in Canton by Dover EMS Troopers were assisted at the scene by Dover EMS of the Brightwood area of New Philadelphia and Katherine June Walters Zontini of Fairfield He attended school at the former Indian Valley North and Jewett-Scio schools prior to his graduation from Claymont High School in 1976 Greg was an employee of Gradall Industries at New Philadelphia and a longtime member of the IAMAW Local 1285 and retired in July Greg could be found riding his bike around the neighborhood visiting with his friends and relaxing in his “man cave” He enjoyed fishing and spending time on his Sea Nymph fishing boat with his wife He especially enjoyed family holiday gatherings.  Greg was a Jack-of-all-trades who was skilled in heating and cooling He was also a member of the NRA and the Tusco Rifle Club.  Greg will be deeply missed by his daughter Jessika (Kurt New) Zontini of Dover; his beloved border collie Marti Langdon of Dennison; a brother-in-law Bub (Jenn) Wallace of Uhrichsville; a special cousin Ron (Sherry Wickliff) Golder of Uhrichsville Greg was preceded in death by his mother and father-in-law William and Joyce Wallace and a brother-in-law In keeping with Greg’s wishes there will be no public visitation or services The Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia will handle cremation care.  UHRICHSVILLE ‒ Residents of the Twin Cities will gather at 7:55 a.m Saturday at the Haverfield Memorial in Uhrichsville City Park to remember those who died in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec who was one of 1,177 men who lost their lives in the sinking of the USS Arizona 83 years ago He was the first person from Tuscarawas County to die in World War II a residence hall at The Ohio State University Bob Michels will serve as emcee for the event Claymont High School student Cruz Vicente-Shondelmyer will lead in singing the national anthem and Claymont High student Ella Dorsey will play "Taps." Flutist Linda Davis will play "Amazing Grace." Pastor Mark Unrue will provide the invocation and benediction and Uhrichsville Mayor Jim Zucal will give the welcome and lead the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance The honor guard of American Legion Post No a reception will be held at Big Bend Golf Course NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A father and son who own rental properties in Uhrichsville have sued the city, seeking reimbursement of landlord registration fees that have been declared an illegal tax More on case: Judge declares Uhrichsville's landlord registration fee to be an illegal tax Gerald Barker has paid $675 in fees since 2020 while his son has paid $900 during the same time period They are seeking return of the money they paid to Uhrichsville Uhrichsville Law Director Jeffrey Merklin filed the city's response to the suit on Jan he argued that the Barkers' claims were limited or completely barred by the statute of limitations Merklin said they shouldn't recover any money unless court action is filed within one year after the assessment was collected He also said their claims are barred under the doctrines of waiver and laches a claim is barred if there is a lengthy failure to assert one's rights memories to fade and witnesses to disappear 2024 in his home surrounded by his loving family he was the son of the late Harry and Adeline (Gwin) Mackey he spent several years in the US Marine Corps He was employed at Miracle Adhesives for over 20 years then completed his career at Lauren Manufacturing Together they enjoyed 54 years of marriage Tom loved all the Cleveland sports teams as well as The Ohio State Buckeyes he enjoyed spending time with former classmates shooting pool going on vacations with his family and attending his grandchildren’s numerous sporting events Steven (Cindi) Mackey of Dennison; grandchildren and Kaitlyn (Tommy) Sasfy; great-grandchildren and Selah; numerous nieces and nephews; and his cat He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers A Celebration of Tom’s Life will be held on Saturday A private inurnment will be held at a later date NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A Uhrichsville man has been charged with his 14th OVI offense was involved in a hit-skip crash on June 24 on Ohio 39 near Interstate 77 in Dover Township according to troopers with the New Philadelphia post of the Ohio Highway Patrol Owens was operating a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer traveling east on Ohio 39 when he struck a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado in the rear troopers located the Chevrolet Blazer and Owens at the registered owner's address This case will be reviewed by the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor's Office for additional charges of felony OVI driving under suspension and no operator's license Owens has been convicted of two previous felony OVIs He could be sentenced to up to 36 months in prison if convicted.