Regional news

Roundabout feasibility under consideration

LIMA–The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1, invites the public to a meeting regarding a proposed project to improve the safety of the State Road 81 and Thayer Road intersection in Lima, Allen County.

The meeting will be held Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Union Chapel Missionary Church, 4869 Ada Road, Lima. Attendees need only attend one of the two sessions. The same information will be presented at each meeting.

The proposed project is evaluating the feasibility of improving the existing intersection by converting it into a roundabout, which is safer and more efficient than a traditional intersection. The SR 81 and Thayer Road intersection had 26 crashes between 2020 and 2022, and 35% resulted in injuries. Construction is tentatively scheduled for late 2025.

Northwest Ohio–Wildlife District Two

In June, State Wildlife Officer Eric VonAlmen, assigned to Wood County, conducted sport fish enforcement on the Maumee River in Grand Rapids. He observed two anglers wade into the river with large treble hooks on their lines and attempt to snag fish while retrieving their lines. Both anglers hooked fish including common carp, channel catfish and flathead catfish in parts of the body other than the mouth. The individuals kept the snagged fish, which is not legal for any species other than forage fish. Officer VonAlmen contacted the suspects on the shoreline and issued summonses for the violation. Each angler paid a $120 waiver, and Officer VonAlmen photographed the snagged catfish and released them into the river.

In early June, State Wildlife Officer Ethan Bingham, assigned to Williams County, received a call from the ODNR Communications Center regarding an injured bald eagle in Fulton County. The eagle was injured along a road and was reported to the Lyons Royalton Fire Department by a passerby. The eagle was taken to Nature’s Nursery in Whitehouse to be rehabilitated. Later in the month, Officer Bingham received a call from Nature’s Nursery advising that the eagle was ready for release. Officer Bingham coordinated with Nature’s Nursery, the Lyons-Royalton Fire Department, and the individual who reported the bald eagle and together they released it back into the wild near where it was found.