Wind farm firm wants Ohio Legislature to ease setback rules
GREEN SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) — A company planning to develop a wind farm in two rural Ohio counties says it won’t build the $92 million project unless the state Legislature eases setback rules.
The Blade reports Charlottesville, Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy says plans to develop a 66-turbine wind farm across Seneca and Sandusky counties are contingent on the relaxation of rules designed to protect nearby property owners from noise and vibration.
Current setback rules went into effect in 2014 after the Republican-led Legislature placed a two-year freeze on renewable energy mandates for power companies. The freeze expired last year, but legislation to ease setback rules remain in place. An effort to ease the rules has stalled in the Legislature.
Apex wants to build five wind farms across northern Ohio at a cost of $2.6 billion.
Aggressive wild turkey in Ohio hurt after being hit by car
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio (AP) — A wild turkey that’s become semi-famous for chasing pedestrians and bicyclists in northeast Ohio has been struck by a car and injured.
Cleveland.com reports a wildlife team took the male turkey known as Frank to an exotic animal veterinarian with a broken leg after he was struck Thursday in the Akron suburb of Cuyahoga Falls.
It’s been reported on Facebook that Frank became aggressive toward people after a female turkey he was often seen with was struck and killed about a year ago.
A worker at a business in the area where Frank chased people and even vehicles said he might have been separated from a local flock.
The wildlife team hopes to release Frank into an area with a wild turkey flock after his recovery.
State park receives $5 million to build new visitor center
LOGAN, Ohio (AP) — The state Controlling Board has approved spending more than $5 million to pay for a new visitor center at Ohio’s most popular state park.
The facility at Hocking Hills State Park in southern Ohio’s Hocking County will be constructed by Ohio State Parks and Watercraft. The Columbus Dispatch reports the current center will be razed.
The Department of Natural Resources has told the Controlling Board the new center should be finished by next November.
The building will have flush toilets, a gift shop, resources for hiker and visitor safety, and information about the area’s history and geology.
Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Carey Santiana says there’s no exact timeline for when construction will begin but expects the work to get underway in the next few weeks.
Ohio authorities believe deer may have shed candy bucket
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities are cautiously optimistic that a young male deer with a plastic pumpkin stuck on its head for more than a week in central Ohio has finally shed the irritant.
The Dispatch reports the Upper Arlington Police Department sent out a tweet Saturday morning that said a resident had found a plastic pumpkin by his deer feeder.
State wildlife officer Brad Kiger went to the property to investigate. He says the pumpkin appears to be the same size as the one seen in a photograph of the deer and has similar dents. Perhaps the most telling clue was the discovery of deer hair inside the candy bucket.
Kiger wants residents to keep an eye out for the deer in case the bucket was placed by the feeder as a prank.
Woman fatally shot, 2 men critically injured in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police say a woman has been killed and two men critically wounded during a shooting at a Columbus hookah bar.
The names of those shot just after 4 a.m. Sunday at Exhale Hookah Lounge on the city’s south side haven’t been released. Police haven’t said what provoked the shooting or whether any suspects have been identified.
The woman died at the scene. The men are in critical condition at a Columbus hospital.
Audit: Village lacks proper records of traffic camera fines
BRICE, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s auditor has faulted a small village and its police chief for failing to keep proper records of camera-enforced traffic fines that produce much of the village’s revenue.
An audit of Brice released last week says auditors couldn’t find sufficient documentation for the tickets. The village roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of Columbus reported the fines brought in more than $170,000 in 2016, accounting for nearly 75 percent of Brice’s general fund total.
The Columbus Dispatch reports Brice faces a class-action lawsuit over fines collected from 2013 to 2015.
State Auditor Dave Yost says Police Chief Bud Bauchmoyer should have kept a complete record of every citation given the scrutiny of the village’s ticketing practices.
Bauchmoyer didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Tactical fighter, parachute team to perform at air show
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — A tactical fighter and a parachute team will join previously announced attractions at an Ohio air show next year.
Dayton Air Show officials say the U.S. Army Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter and the U.S. Army Golden Knights will perform demonstrations at the event set for June 23-24 at Dayton International Airport.
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter. The F-22 at the Dayton show will be flown by Major Paul “Loco” Lopez II.
The Golden Knights will perform skydiving formations and landings requiring extreme precision. The 16-member team will travel to Dayton in a Fokker C-31A Troopship, which will serve as the jump aircraft.
Air show officials earlier announced the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fighter jet team will headline the show.
