Toledo Junior Center Austin Parks (25) battles with Bowling Green center Troy Glover II (16) for a rebound during an I-75 matchup on Thursday March 12, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
CLEVELAND – The Mid American Conference tournament is held annually with the top 8 seeded teams in the conference qualifying to compete. This year, the Toledo Rockets finished their regular season with a record of 17-14 (9-8 MAC). This middle-of-the-line record earned them a 4 seed for this year’s tournament at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. They faced the 5-seeded Bowling Green for a third Battle of I-75.
Junior Guard Sonny Wilson (3) drives the ball during Toledo’s matchup versus Bowling Green. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
The Rockets faced Bowling Green on Thursday, March 12. Toledo, who was led in points by the freshman guard Leroy Blyden, narrowly escaped this game alive with a final score of 77-76. Bowling Green struggled to hold off Toledo’s guard play, as the backcourt composed of Blyden and Sonny Wilson combined for 35 points, five assists and four steals.
With this high scoring offense doing its job, Toledo rushed off to a 12-point lead, the largest of the night. Basketball is a game of runs, where one team can catch momentum and high energy scoring streaks, but with one play, that momentum can easily shift.
Bowling Green fired back before the half with a run of their own, taking the lead 38-37 at the break. The Toledo Rockets are high-powered with a consistent offense, averaging around 80 points per game.
BGSU and UT shot very similar percentages overall, averaging 50 percent on shots for the night, but what pushed Toledo out in front was also shooting a high 50 percent from three, while BGSU only shot 29 percent.
Despite the three-point shooting disparity, this game came down to three shots in the last few moments: two large free throws made by Wilson, which put the Rockets up one with under 10 seconds to play, and a missed layup from Bowling Green to seal their own fate as they were eliminated from the tournament.
Top Performers from Toledo were:
Blyden (23-6-2), Wilson (12-7-3), and three other players who finished with 10 points: Sean Craig, Austin Parks, and Mynor Strong (stats are in Points – Rebound – Assist order).
University of Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk takes questions from the press in a conference after his game against BGSU. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
With the rivalry win over BGSU, the Rockets went head-to-head against the Minutemen of Umass, who had just upset the number 1 seed – Miami, Ohio – the day prior. The Rockets came out of the gates strong, playing efficient offense and suffocating defense, going into the break up 43-34. With one half left to go to secure a championship berth, Toledo kept it rolling, but Umass didn’t give up the lead easily.
Toledo Rocket’s Freshman Guard Leroy Blyden (2) takes the ball up the floor during a MAC Tournament game versus the University of Massachusetts on March 13th, 2026. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
Even with the Minutemen’s valiant effort, the Rockets held them as UMass shot 41.3 percent from the field and 19 percent from behind the arc. On the other end, Toledo shot 57.4 percent from the field, and 35 percent from the three.
These numbers took Toledo near their average offensive stats, pushing them past UMass for a 10-point victory with a final score of 77-67. Top performers from this game included: Wilson (18-2-4), Strong (17-5), Craig (15-11-2) and Blyden (12-4-7).
Junior Austin Parks (25) shoots a small hook shot versus Akron in the MAC Championship game. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
Two wins into the tournament, Toledo was 40 minutes away from their first MAC Championship since 1980. They went up against the No. 2 Akron Zips, who had won the last two MAC Championships.
Toledo came out with energy, physicality, and precision. They ran the floor, grabbed rebounds against a physically larger Akron team, and hit big shots to give themselves a comfortable lead early in the first half.
Toledo took an early double-digit lead, forcing Akron into an uncomfortable spot. Despite best efforts from Akron to stop Toledo’s momentum, the Rockets head into the break up 12 points. Toledo could taste the win.
Early in the second half, Akron started heating up, getting stops, and getting to the basket with ease. The Zips closed the gap and forced Toledo to take a timeout and talk the situation over. Despite many attempts to cool down Akron, the Zips remained on fire. Toledo was still in it to win, but they were feeling the pressure.
While Akron had outscored Toledo by double digits, bringing the game back to one possession, Toledo was still battling, and, with a few seconds remaining, the score was 76-76; the Rockets need one stop.
Akron guard Shammah Scott found his spot: the left wing. With a few quick dribbles, Scott took a step back to 25 feet, threading a three-pointer straight through Toledo’s heart. The Rockets had under five seconds to tie this game back up.
Forward Sean Craig (7) and Guard Leroy Blyden (2) celebrate a three point make in their matchup with Akron. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
Blyden took the inbound and dribbled all the way to his own left wing where he lost control of the ball. Toledo’s center Austin Parks – on a prayer – shot the ball only to have it bounce off the back rim and out.
Akron made history with their win, as they are the first team to win three MAC Championships in a row, and Toledo will undoubtedly come back next season looking for their second title since the tournament’s founding.
Top performers of the Championship: Blyden (23-6-5), Parks (13-7-2), and Kyler Vanderjagt (13).
Senior Sean Craig (7) folds with emotions after a last second loss to Akron in the MAC Championship. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)
WATERVILLE – Communities across the United States are gearing up for America’s Semiquincentennial celebration – better known as a 250th anniversary – with fireworks, displays and activities for all ages.
To keep up with local events, follow the Waterville Ohio 250th Celebrationpage on Facebook, where you’ll find photos of Waterville Primary School’s 250th-themed family night, profiles of area founders by Waterville Historical Society archivists, write-ups on local artists, and listings of upcoming events.
Some of the events planned in and around Waterville include:
•A video featuring community members around town – set to the music of Waterville’s own Oliver Hazard Band performing “Take Me Back.” Take a photo of you or your family and friends hanging out in Waterville – in the parks, library, school, restaurants and businesses, in front of historic or favorite sites, or enjoying a community event. Deadline to submit photos is Saturday, March 28. Email a jpeg photo (minimum 1 MB) to [email protected].
•The Waterville Library will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the library. Save the date and look for more information to come soon!
•Kids Dig History, hosted by the Waterville Historical Society and Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission, will take place on July 14 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Conrad Park during the Eats and Beats Food Truck Tuesday event.
•The Waterville Historical Society will host a speakers series at Wakeman Hall, including the story of Ohio in the American Revolutionary War, the Wright Brothers and Waterville’s architectural legacy. Check out watervillehistory.org for details.
•A Forts of Ohio Tour, May 15-18, is hosted by Lou Ritten and takes guests on a three-day, expert-led motor coach tour that brings the post-Revolutionary War period to life.
•The Fallen Timbers Battlefield will host a Twilight on the Battlefield event on Saturday, July 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. with reenactors portraying those involved in the battle of 1794.
•The Waterville Historical Society will host a series of Haunted Waterville tours – horse-drawn wagon rides through town give guests insight into the spirits who still inhabit some of the city’s most historic homes.
•The Roche de Boeuf Festival, set for Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. includes a 10 a.m. parade with a 250th theme, and plenty of music, exhibits and activities.
The pinnacle of these events is the Saturday, July 4 Independence Day celebration, featuring a bigger and better fireworks display, kids activities, food trucks and music, based at Waterville Primary School and Prairie Trail Park beginning at 5 p.m.
The list of activities is still unfolding, so consult the Facebook page often.
Waterville’s celebration is brought to you by the City of Waterville and organized by representatives from the Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission, Anthony Wayne Local Schools, Anthony Wayne Rotary Club, Anthony Wayne Free Press, Anthony Wayne Youth Foundation, Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission, Lake Erie Waterville Historical Society, Waterville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum, Toledo Public Library-Waterville Branch and Unify Marketing and Technology Solutions.
Jessica Molina speaks on behalf of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council at 1 Government Center in downtown Toledo on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
TOLEDO – A special Committee of the Whole took place Tuesday, March 10, as members of Toledo City Council listened to public comment on a package of resolutions concerning immigration policy for the city.
Briefly, Theresa Gadus, Toledo Council member for District 3, presented the five drafts of legislation from the city, which would clarify the city’s role if Toledo experienced a heightened immigration crackdown.
The package of legislation made up of two resolutions and three ordinances can be found at the bottom of this article.
Why now?
Over a year into President Donald Trump’s second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become known for their highly visible raids in Los Angeles, Calif., Chicago, Ill. and most notably, Minneapolis, Minn..
Toledo has not had a strong, visible presence of immigration enforcement, until Jan. 29, 2026, when videos of men armed and dressed in tactical gear in downtown Toledo were shared across social media, pushing the issue of how local law enforcement might interact with ICE.
Jessica Molina sits with Austin Kuhlman, 10, during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Around this same timeframe, there was uncertainty around a heightened number of ICE agents making their way to Springfield, Ohio to make arrests as temporary protected status (TPS) seemed about to expire for the U.S. Haitian community on Feb. 3, 2026.
Springfield was made infamous for unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants in the small suburb of Dayton were “eating” the cats and dogs of American citizens there, an unsubstantiated rumor spread by Trump during his debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, the mayor of Springfield, and the Springfield Police all said the claim of Haitian immigrants eating the pets of the people of Springfield was false and a product of the internet.
Regardless, the tension for Springfield was high just preceding Feb. 3, when members of religious institutions gathered in St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield to show solidarity with the Haitian immigrants, ahead of what some thought might be an Ohio surge of ICE activity.
On Feb. 2, a federal judge blocked the expiration of TPS for Haitian immigrants, and tensions subsided as the case moved to the Supreme Court of the United States, which has not decided whether they will see the case.
Toledo’s immigration presented by the Council
First to speak was Council Member Gadus, after reading off the new proposed legislative materials. “Fear is not public safety. Trust is,” she began. “It is the responsibility of local government to ensure that every resident in our community feels safe and protected under the law.
Across the country, we’ve seen and heard reports of ICE enforcement actions that extend beyond reasonable limits. These actions create fear in our schools, hospitals, workplaces, houses of worship and neighborhoods.
Toledo has not experienced a surge like Columbus; we want to proactively work together to establish guidelines for our resources and codify existing policies,” she said.
Council Member At-Large Nick Komives weighed-in.
“I think it’s important to note that what we’re doing is not unique,” he said. “We’re not doing something that’s radical; we’re not doing something that’s unheard of. We’re doing something that literally hundreds of communities across this country either already have done or are working on right now.
“While it’s true that we do not have the ability to tell ICE what they can and cannot do, we do have the ability to talk about how we use our resources, our employees, and our time to work to enforce immigration.”
Glenn Reihing speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
From this standpoint Komives referenced ICE’s $85 billion budget, dwarfing all other law enforcement agencies in the country, and proposed Toledo’s Police Department (TPD) should be used to help Toledo instead of assisting ICE, making the point that they had enough resources already.
“Because one thing is very clear,” he said. “And it was clear before any of this even began, the City of Toledo does not have an immigration-related crime problem. We just don’t. We don’t see a lot of crime coming from immigrants in our community. In fact, we see fewer crimes coming from immigrants in our community.”
Council Member Adam Martinez of District 2 made note of the ways he has personally invested in Toledo’s immigrant community, and went on to talk about the benefits of immigrants in Toledo.
“If you look at our council…our council is very diverse, and we come from immigrant communities, and diversity is not a bad word,” he said, and shunned categorizing people because of “legal status.”
“The number one reason why neighborhoods turn around is because of the immigrant population, the second is the non-traditional lifestyles, like the LGBTQ questioning community that help turn around neighborhoods, and then also what I refer to as ‘dinks,’ – double income, no kids – that really help put the cherry on top to make our neighborhoods vibrant and engaging and unique.
“And we should be celebrating that diversity, and we should not be creating impediments to helping individuals get the American dream.”
At-Large Council Member Mac Driscoll briefly stated he had been doing “work behind the scenes” with Toledo’s public safety forces for this package of legislation.
“We work closely with the chief, his deputies and the public safety director to ensure that this ordinance makes sure that TPD can continue to do their job, which I believe to be very important,” he said.
Peggy Daly-Masternak, spoke about her experience working with the Toledo Sister City program, taking in individuals from other countries. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Erin Kramer and Brittany Jones, both at-large Council members, talked about a reactive and proactive approach to the legislation.
Jones said, “It is not impeding on anything. It is not taking away any rights. It is literally adding protections and reaffirming us as a city that we support those who are coming from different backgrounds and wanting that quality of life, period.”
Members Cerssandra McPherson (At-Large), Sam Melden (District 5) and Theresa Morris (District 6) echoed previous sentiments, supporting immigrants and supporting local law enforcement.
Melden took a page from the Timothy Snyder book On Tyranny, and referenced the first rule in the book: “Do not obey in advance.”
Morris told the story of her grandfather immigrating to the United States, and talked about him working through the Bracero Program, emphasizing the need for comprehensive immigration reform and better immigrant work programs.
Public comment
A young man started the public comment section of the hearing, and introduced himself as Henry Garcia, then as Enrique Garcia.
Enrique Garcia gives public comment on behalf of Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones (APPS). (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
“I feel very encouraged after looking at the PowerPoint,” he said, referencing the resolutions and ordinances, and then shared that he was there to represent the organization Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones (APPS), a local pro-immigrant organization.
Garcia’s main point, as many subsequent speakers would make, was that when immigrants are disenfranchised through fear of deportation or imprisonment, the entire community suffers, not just immigrants.
“We know of people not seeking medical attention when needed, avoiding assistance from local law enforcement, housing violations are underreported, and racial discrimination forcefully tolerated, and sadly, families not leaving their homes to enjoy a lovely day out,” he said.
“No one wants to deal with government overreach. No one wants to be targeted because of their name or the language they speak. We urge Toledo Council to pass the legislations that protect our constitutional rights.”
The next speaker, Nalix Otero, mentioned she was grocery shopping for her neighbors who were too afraid to go out.
Valentin Ornelas speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Valentin Ornelas then introduced himself as a first-generation Mexican-American who grew up with a Laotian-American here in Toledo.
“We weren’t Hispanic or Asian. We were just kids,” Ornelas said. “That mix of cultures – Mexican, Laotian and so many others – is what makes Toledo a great city.”
During Ornelas’s public comment, Council member for District 1, John Hobbs III, joined the committee hearing.
On behalf of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), Jessica Molina spoke next, about the history of immigration raids on FLOC going back to the 1970s.
“They raided an entire tomato field, detaining all of the workers, many of which were American citizens,” she said. “The raids and the detentions have grown to such an indiscriminate amount that it begs for legal guidance that allow for proper procedures.”
Molina said FLOC requested “…constitutional protections and safety for all residents. Public Safety only works when people feel safe calling 911, reporting crimes, seeking medical care and sending their kids to school.” She referenced Border Patrol and ICE agents breaking up families during the raids.
Nalix Otero speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
The following speaker, Rebecca Bundy, spoke as an immigration attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE).
“Immigration has long been a convoluted area of law,” she said.
“I have witnessed the federal government rewrite the law against immigrants, revoke status of hundreds of thousands of people with lawful status, change the rules to undercut applications, even terminating proceedings at will, defy court orders and due process. I’ve seen attacks on green card holders, U.S. citizens and immigration attorneys, even judges favorable to immigrants.
“We have been told to concede rights, liberties and principles of humanity in the name of condemning violent criminals, but the government is not focusing on violent criminals,” Bundy continued.
“These are people determined not to be a danger, who have been working, paying taxes…people who support themselves, their neighbors and their communities; they now risk waiting for their case in facilities lacking access to medical care, food, water. They risk dying at rates higher than ever in immigration detention. They risk being detained and deported, whether the law supports it or not.
“We are not living in ordinary times. Immigration Enforcement has trampled discretion, court orders and constitutional rights. If there is ever a time to draw a line and stand up for our communities and our local systems. It’s now we all rely on humanity and reasonability in our laws and our systems before we sacrifice fellow humans we don’t know or fail to stand up for them. We need to consider what we’re really sacrificing.”
Brittany Ford speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council on March 10. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
“We have very similar findings to the Cato Institute here in Toledo,” Ford said. “Immigrants in the City of Toledo earned $200.9 million with $30.3 million going to federal taxes, and $19.4 million, and this is just in 2017, going to state and local taxes,” she said.
“Immigrants are 4.6 percent of the workforce and nearly 10 percent of our STEM [Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics] workers, including our engineers, nurses and doctors.”
Rebecca Bundy, an immigration attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Rebecca Sillery brought a short anecdote about how her niece, who went to Denver, Colo., shared how diverse Toledo was in comparison, as a strength.
The simmered, even approach of Sillery was juxtaposed to the speaker following her, Rachel Davis, who roared, “The Constitution should be a bare minimum, and our government has already given ICE more money than God.”
“They don’t need to take resources from our city resources. We need to keep our resources for Toledo,” she said, in a Toledo First fashion, and then questioned why business owners were not being prosecuted instead of the immigrants they employed.
“Who is hiring all of these undocumented people if they’re so dangerous?” she questioned. “Why aren’t we going after some of these job creators that just somehow sit with their hands clean behind desks and are pulling the strings?”
Marcia Roby speaks during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
During the whole hearing, there was only one individual, Marcia Roby, who spoke in favor of immigration enforcement in Toledo.
“We’re all 100 percent for immigration and diversity,” she said. “The issue, though, is illegal immigration. We are all immigrants. My grandparents were from Germany, on all sides,” she said. “I expect and desire all local officials and law enforcement agencies to uphold and enforce the law for the safety of its citizens.
“If ICE comes to Toledo to detain illegal immigrants, and in particular, criminal illegal immigrants – if there are any, maybe there are none – I want local law enforcement agencies to cooperate in the apprehension. Should protesters attempt to obstruct the lawful execution of ICE duties…local law enforcement has the responsibility to provide the necessary help in crowd control and so forth.”
In stark contrast, the gentleman who followed Roby, Glenn Ryan, asked what local officials and government can do when the federal government violates the constitution.
“What is our obligation as a state, and local community organizations, when the federal government breaks its own laws concerning legal due process and search and seizure,” he said.
“I ask you, what are we going to do?”
Susan Kuehn, co-chair of the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition, talks about removing ambiguity surrounding some of the proposed ordinances and resolutions. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition Co-Chair Susan Kuehn followed Ryan and presented additions and revisions to the City’s compilation of ordinances and resolutions.
“We want a prohibition by law, not just resolution – ICE, Border Patrol, Toledo police – from wearing non-medical face coverings, including gators, balaclavas and other tactical face coverings while conducting civil immigration enforcement operations and otherwise interacting with residents,” she began.
“We want a prohibition by law for Toledo police complying with any and all ICE detainer request, even when accompanied by a judicial order.”
Kuehn also urged council to add an ordinance or resolution to remind TPD of their duty to enforce the law without bias, and that there would be no exception among the police force for breaking the law.
Terry Lodge, an attorney and activist in the area, spoke on the proposed ordinance that stops officials from asking legal status without a warrant. Lodge wanted the language to specify the warrant as judicial instead of administrative. And Lodge wanted to designate public parks as areas safe from immigration enforcement more clearly in the proposed legislation.
“We are in a very poor place when our local government is required to enact legislation and publicly declare that our federal government adhere to their sworn oath to the Constitution of this of the United States,” Harold Moseley said during his comment.
“You have confirmed, in my mind, that this is going to be a well-thought-out plan,” he said. “Both Councilman Driscoll and Jones talked about partnering with the local law enforcement officers, and I cannot overemphasize that they need to be at the table from beginning to end.”
Ziad Hummos, a community organizer, spoke against the corruption of the federal government, via the Epstein files, and said if Jesus was alive today Immigration and Customs Enforcement would chase after him. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Local Pro-Palestinian organizer Ziad Hummos, spoke briefly on the corruption in the federal government.
“If they’re [ICE is] looking for criminals, just look at the Epstein files,” he said. “They’re looking for pedophiles; they are there [in the Epstein files].
“I mean, when Trump, he opened his mouth, he called the criminals the immigrants, he called them the Muslims, the Christians, the Africans.”
“The criminals…they live in the White House,” he said, clarifying against the narrative of immigrants as criminals. “If Jesus was among us today, he would be chased by ICE.”
Another attorney, Paul Redrup, spoke on the effort to “correct the mistakes of law enforcement’s past.”
“The reality is that immigrants, whether they are here illegally or legally, are less likely to commit crime, but more likely to be victims of crime, and we are seeing now, the data shows, even in the short time that this ICE enforcement action has been in place, that immigrant communities are less likely to report crime, and they’re less likely to show up to court, even if they bothered to report the crime to begin with,” he said.
“That, in and of itself, is making our communities less safe, and I appreciate the effort by this body to do something about that.”
Harold Moseley emphasized the need for coordination with law enforcement throughout the process of putting forth policy dealing with immigration. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
After Redrup, three individuals gave an impromptu comment, without writing their names down.
Peggy Daly-Masternak spoke on her personal, life-changing experience sponsoring individuals through the Toledo Sister Cities Program.
“Our family was greatly enriched,” she said, by sponsoring the individuals from many different countries.
And she asked the council to think of the repercussions of a potential international debacle if ICE chose to detain members of the sister-city program.
Terry Lodge, an attorney and activist, asked for more precise language surrounding some of the proposed ordinances/resolutions during a Committee of the Whole: Federal Immigration Enforcement Legislation hearing with Toledo City Council. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Proposed legislation as presented at the Committee of the Whole
1. Resolution: Urging Constitutional Conduct During Federal Immigration Enforcement
* Calls on federal immigration agents operating in Toledo to identify themselves clearly and operate transparently.
* Encourages the use of body-worn cameras during interactions with residents.
* Recommends that federal agents avoid face coverings and clearly display agency identification.
* Urges federal agencies to restore full training standards for ICE agents.
* Calls for federal immigration enforcement to respect constitutional rights and operate in a civil and accountable manner.
2. Resolution: Sending Text Amendments Establishing Special Use Permit Requirements for Detention Facilities to the Toledo City Plan Commission for Study & Review
* Directs the Toledo City Plan Commission to review proposed amendments to zoning regulations.
* Defines “detention facilities” within the Toledo Municipal Code.
* Requires special use permits for any new, expanded, or modified detention facility.
Establishes standards requiring facilities to meet:
* Safety requirements
* Health standards
* Building code compliance
* Legal compliance
* Requires detention facilities to demonstrate adequate space for detainees
* Provides oversight of detention facility placement and operations
* Aims to address community health, safety, and operational impacts of detention facilities
3. Ordinance: Creating Protections for Access to Education and Preventing Harassment of Educators
* Establishes new local offenses prohibiting obstruction or intimidation at schools and childcare centers
* Creates protections preventing individuals from blocking or interfering with access to court facilities
* Makes it illegal to harass or threaten educators related to their professional duties
* Prohibits intimidation, harassment, or disorderly conduct within 15 feet of protected locations.
4. Ordinance: Establishing Immigration Status and City Resources Policies
* Ensures city services cannot be denied based on immigration status
* Prohibits city employees from asking about immigration status unless required by law
* Restricts the use of city funds, personnel, or equipment for civil immigration enforcement
* Requires City Council approval before entering any federal immigration enforcement agreements (287(g))
*Prohibits the use of city property as staging areas for federal immigration enforcement operations
* Bars city employees from secondary employment with ICE or Customs and Border Protection unless required for official duties.
5. Ordinance: Biometric Data
* Creates Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 557 regulating disclosure of biometric data collection by businesses
* Biometric data includes identifiers like fingerprints, voiceprints, retina scans, and facial or hand geometry used to identify individuals.
Businesses must post clear signage at entrances if they collect, use, retain, or share customers’ biometric data.
Penalties: first violation is a warning; additional violations may result in fines up to $150 per day.
Exemptions: government agencies and standard photos/video not used for biometric identification.
Megan McClellan, co-owner of Levi & Lilac’s in Maumee, prepares a specialty drink (TFP photo by Gaven Hafner)
MAUMEE – In the heart of Maumee’s uptown district, Levi & Lilac’s has built a reputation as both a whiskey destination and a gathering place steeped in history.
The historic 190-year-old building has been owned by Megan McClellan and her husband, Sean McClellan, for nearly seven years. When the space became available in Uptown Maumee, curiosity turned into commitment for the couple. “Through each step of the process, we were like, ‘Okay, well, let’s just go a little bit further,’ and next thing you know, we had a restaurant,” she said.
Guests are served the “Pub House Pretzel.” (TFP photo by Gaven Hafner)
The building itself acts as a cornerstone for Levi & Lilac’s distinct character. Constructed in 1836, it has served various roles throughout Maumee’s early development, from general store to post office. “It’s said to have housed pre-presidency Abraham Lincoln…[Ulysses S.] Grant,” McClellan said. Local lore also suggests ties to the Underground Railroad and Prohibition-era smuggling.
The building’s layered past ultimately inspired the name. “Often Sean and myself get asked if we are Levi and Lilac, and we are definitely not,” McClellan said.
Levi Beebe built the structure in 1836 but died about a year later and is said to be one of the spirits who still lingers there. Another of the famous ghosts for the location is known as the “Lilac Lady” who is said to leave the scent of lilacs in her wake. “So, we were tossing out names; we figured we may as well include the ghost.” McClellan said.
One of the various ghost-related questions that intrigued guests have asked is whether the staff adds the scent of lilacs to the building or not. “We definitely had guests ask us if we put the smell of lilacs into the building, and we don’t. But people do say that they smell it, which is what the lilac lady is said to do,” said McClellan.
While the history and tales of ghosts draw people in, the whiskey and food are what keeps them coming back. The bar typically stocks between 350 to 380 labels of whiskey.
“When we get a good amount of allocated items in, we can be pushing close to 400,” McClellan said. Besides whiskey, Levi & Lilac’s also has a variety of cocktails that change seasonally each quarter. One of the recent additions to the drink menu that will last till mid-April is their conspiracy-theory-themed drink list based on various well-known conspiracy theories.
While whiskey remains central to the brand’s identity, customers helped shape the food menu.
“It definitely evolved over the years,” she said. “But burgers have always been our thing from the beginning,” McClellan said. Seasonal features rotate quarterly, alongside changing appetizers, salads and cocktails.
Live music also plays a key role in the atmosphere. Performances are scheduled four days a week, featuring primarily local solo acts and duos. Mondays have become a draw thanks to half-off whiskey specials and a standing musical guest.
In a building that has served as a big presence in the community since 1836, blending commerce, community and a few unexplained happenings, Levi & Lilac’s continues to honor its past while pouring toward the future.
Levi & Lilac’s offers a variety of seasonal and non-seasonal food options for guests to enjoy like there “Plain Jane Burger” shown here. (TFP photo by Gaven Hafner)
Harbinger of Spring flowers in Hudson, Mich. (Photo by Metroparks Toledo nature photographer Art Weber)
The name says it all.
Harbinger-of-Spring are modest little wildflowers that are members of the carrot family. What sets them apart is their early spring timing. They’re spring ephemerals, small plants that emerge from a small tuber as a single stem and mature quickly, typically growing no more than nine or ten inches in height. Look for their tiny white-petaled blossoms – each petal is less than a quarter inch in length – in the rich, moist soils of our hardwood forests.
They may be small, but they lead the parade of wildflowers that will soon follow.
Pete Buttigieg, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation. (TFP photo by Jaden Jefferson)
Toledo officials joined by Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on issue
TOLEDO — It has been over four years since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Before becoming law, the bill received bipartisan support in the Senate, passing by a vote of 69-30. The one-trillion-dollar package provided funding for roads, bridges, and highways; rail (both passenger and freight); EV charging stations; broadband expansion; and a number of other infrastructure types.
A sizable amount of dollars allocated by the legislation were set aside for projects in northwest Ohio, which is what local dignitaries — joined by Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttgieg — celebrated on Thursday, March 12. They spoke during a press conference at the East Toledo headquarters of the Painters & Allied Trades District Council 6 union. While the event was partly a celebration of the legislation, it was also a call for every dollar the region was allocated initially to be spent, as Congress had intended.
According to the office of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, the Toledo Democrat who represents Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, $155.7 million was due to be invested in projects across Northwest Ohio. But now, $48.5 million of that is in limbo: a Neighborhood Access and Equity grant of $28.5 million and RAISE grant of $20 million. The former was due to be spent on lighting and pedestrian improvements to Front and Main Streets in East Toledo, while the latter would have been spent on modernizing the Junction and Uptown neighborhoods, through “new water/sewer infrastructure, protected bike lanes, ADA sidewalks, a TARTA mobility hub, 2,300 trees, and LED lighting.”
The $28.5 million grant was eliminated last summer in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by congressional Republicans. The $20 million grant, meanwhile, has been put on hold. Rep. Kaptur, in her remarks at Thursday’s press conference, voiced discontent with the Trump administration — Vice President JD Vance, in particular — who visited Toledo back in late January.
“He [Vice President Vance] stood at our port and talked about everything he’d done. In order to get to the port where he stood, he had to go over all the streets that he just took money away from,” she said.
Before Kaptur spoke, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz (D-Toledo) expressed his frustration over the Neighborhood Access and Equity grant’s cancellation, which he said was “the biggest federal grant the city ever got.” Adding, “with a change in political leadership in Washington, they took it away. They snatched it away from Toledo.”
Asked by the Toledo Free Press to discuss his engagement with the Trump administration on potentially restoring those dollars, Kapszukiewicz said that while in Washington back in January, he spoke to “the next rung below” current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Their focus, he said, was the aforementioned RAISE grant for Toledo’s junction neighborhood — which hasn’t been completely cancelled — but put on hold.
“We had a conversation; I think it was relatively productive,” Kapszukiewicz reflected, adding that he, Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold, and Grant Commissioner Simon Nyi will be back in Washington, next week, “as part of a larger coalition from Toledo.” He said they will, once again, meet with Department of Transportation officials, as well as other members of congress from Northwest Ohio and both of Ohio’s U.S. senators.
A recent survey shows that Ohioans strongly value local library and township services, and support local funding that keeps them strong, according to a press release issued by the Ohio Library Council and Ohio Township Association.
The January 2026 survey by Public Opinion Strategies was shared during the March 3 Monclova Township Board of Trustees meeting, amid a deeper discussion on how the elimination of property taxes might impact services. Libraries get more than half of their overall funding from locally-approved property tax levies, while townships get about two-thirds of their funding from property taxes.
More than four million Ohioans live in a township, including about 16,000 in Monclova, 7,100 in Waterville and 3,500 in Providence.
Below are some updates from recent Anthony Wayne-area township meetings.
Monclova Township welcomed Monclova Primary School Student Council members during the March 2 meeting. Fiscal officer Gavin Pike and trustees Chuck Hoecherl, Barbara Lang and Debbie Stevens-Laux were joined by school counselor Chris Buehrer and students (from left) Olivia Molenda, Harper Haines, Sadie Converse, Caleb Franklin and Janie Harrigan. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
Monclova
New playground equipment, a columbarium, ambulance, skid steer, pickup truck and mowers are in the 2026 appropriations list, Fiscal Officer Gavin Pike told trustees during their March 2 meeting. So is $2 million for potential land purchases and $2 million for fire station renovations.
Trustee Barbara Lang said that while no land is specifically identified, the township wants to have the option to purchase properties where it makes sense. In the past few years, the township purchased the former Hosanna Lutheran Church and is working on ideas to possibly use it for offices or meeting space. Last year, the township purchased a home and property just east of Freeze Daddy’s and adjacent to land eyed for a mixed use development.
In total, Pike reported on $19 million in appropriations for the fiscal year, which begins in July.
Overshadowing these decisions is the possibility that a November ballot initiative to abolish property taxes will pass – leaving townships scrambling. Property taxes account 55 percent of Monclova Township’s revenue, and pays for services including police, fire/EMS, road maintenance and recreation. Without this funding, services would be disrupted immediately and residents would feel the impact, the trustees noted.
Trustee Chuck Hoecherl pointed out that one of the bills paid this month is $215,000 for the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office to provide 24/7 police coverage.
“Property taxes pay for fire and EMS and the sheriff. Those things are potentially impacted by this proposal that looks like it will make it on the ballot,” Hoecherl said. “If that tax is eliminated, what happens when you call 911?”
The Library, Metroparks, 911, Children’s Services are all funded by property taxes. One suggestion has been to replace property taxes with income taxes. Of the states with income taxes, Ohio currently has the second-lowest in the country, he Hoecherl said.
“Nobody wants to pay more taxes. There are a lot of challenges and information that will be forthcoming in the next couple months,” Hoecherl said.
During the meeting, the trustees also:
-Discussed a letter from a resident with questions about the sledding hill’s slope and the time it takes to get the Keener Park lot plowed to provide access to it after a snow event.
-Heard Jeannette Gammon of Waterside thank the trustees for imposing a data center moratorium. She wanted trustees to promise to keep fighting for residents.
-Listened to resident Dianne Stroshine ask why the meetings aren’t video recorded. Pike said that the meetings are live streamed and that while money is in the budget to redo the audio/video in the meeting room, it makes sense to hold off on improvements until the fire department and township building renovations are done. One option being considered is to use the annex building around the corner to hold meetings.
-Approved a one-year contract with Michael Hampton II to serve as director of safety services, zoning and special projects, reporting to the trustees. He is expected to begin on May 1 with an annual pay of $130,000.
-Approved two agreements to meet House Bill 96 requirements on cybersecurity. One is with FalconForgeAI to provide employee training, which the township can get reimbursed through Ohio TechCred for up to $2,000 per credential earned. A second agreement is with TrioTech to provide advanced security features.
Providence Township Fire coping with ambulance loss, funding delay
Providence Township Fire and Rescue’s newest ambulance – a 2022 model seen here in the 2024 Cherry Fest parade – was seriously damaged in a February 18 accident near Neapolis. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
Just as Providence Township Fire and Rescue prepares to welcome its new 3,000 gallon tanker, its newest ambulance, a 2022 squad, was seriously damaged in an accident on Neapolis Swanton Road on Feb. 18. PTFD was not at fault in the accident, which caused damage to the corner of the box and the cab.
Fire Chief Richard Triggs and Fiscal Officer Julie Ludwig are working with the insurance company to see about repairs to the squad. The insurance will cover a rental squad for $1,000 a day for 20 days, but Triggs said the backup 2004 unit will suffice until that rental is absolutely needed.
In addition to getting quotes to repair the cab and the box, Triggs said all of the mechanical equipment that was on board – including the power cot, stair chair, loading system and life packs – will need to be recertified, and that carries a steep cost as well.
The February accident occurred just as Triggs and two firefighters returned from inspecting the tanker truck being built by Johnson’s Emergency Vehicle Solutions and paid for with a $523,809.52 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant and $70,000 from the fire department budget. With the temporary government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security, the FEMA grant payment to Johnson’s may be delayed, as FEMA is only responding to emergencies like natural disasters. According to the contract, failure to receive those funds by March 4 could prompt Johnson’s to charge 2 percent every 30 days.
During the March 4 meeting, Triggs said the grant writer that secured the FEMA grant is confident that Johnson’s may waive that interest charge, since Providence Township isn’t the only entity being impacted by the withholding of FEMA grants.
During the Feb. 18 and March 4 meetings, the trustees also:
-Received an update from Zoning Inspector Jim Fischer on a Meredith Street home that the Toledo Lucas County Health Department began investigating a few years ago. Fischer said the owner was asked to move out because of the home’s condition, but has returned. The health department handed the case over to Maumee Municipal Court over a year ago, but no action has been taken. Several agencies have offered to work with the homeowner, who is a veteran, but he didn’t follow through on those offers. Because the property is in an nonzoned area, the township is limited in what it can do about the conditions, Fischer said.
-Discussed whether to add a second public comments section, or move the current one to the end of the meeting. Resident Billy Goetz asked for an opportunity to speak at the end of the meeting, after hearing topics discussed by the trustees. Trustee Jeremiah Floyd said he was in favor of allowing additional comment from residents, but trustees Steve Kendall and Lee Bialicki said public comments were moved to the beginning of the meeting years ago to accommodate residents who wanted to speak and then leave.
After the meeting, Goetz said he believed the trustees would be in favor of transparency and community involvement, especially since so few people show up to the meetings.
“There’s just a few people here. It’s not like we’re here to disrupt the meeting,” he said.
-Heard an update on Lucas County Engineer projects in the township. A roundabout at the intersection of Providence-Neapolis-Swanton Road and Archbold Whitehouse Road is expected to be under construction sometime between June and October, with a maximum 45-day closure. Work will be done in a field at 12200 Box Road east of U.S. 24 to replace drainage tile. And expect to see chip sealing on township roads and ditch cleaning in Swan Creek.
-Noted that a burn ban is in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the end of May.
Waterville Township considers electronic billboard
Dutch Road Storage, at 7750 Dutch Rd., is now open and offering temperature-controlled, secure storage units as well as space for RVs and boats. The business backs up to U.S. 24 and the owners are interested in installing a 35-foot tall electronic billboard sign with 100-square-feet of message space on adjacent property, facing the highway.
For now, Waterville Township‘s zoning regulations limit such signs to 25 feet tall with 72-square-feet of message space. To make it larger would require an application to the Board of Zoning Appeals and a $10,000 nonrefundable fee, said township zoning inspector Jim Fischer.
Members of both the Zoning Commission and Board of Trustees discussed options during February meetings. Zoning Member Bill Burkett said the way the language was originally written allows for more public input and a variety of hearings while an applicant seeks a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals. As the township’s first electronic billboard sign, he believes it would be of interest to residents.
Commission Chair Keith Moosman noted that the Ohio Department of Transportation has regulations on electronic signs along state highways and that these rules – including the spacing of such signs and the timing of how often the message changes – would need to be considered.
The zoning commission members suggested having Fischer look into creating a U.S. 24 overlay district where up to two electronic signs could be permitted, and to look into whether the $10,000 application fee is reasonable, as legal advice shows the township can only charge what is reasonably expected to pay for the fee of research, public meetings and advertising.
The Dutch Road Self Storage owners have offered to dedicate a portion of the sign’s message time for community messages, such as upcoming events and emergencies such as Amber Alerts, disasters and road closures.
The trustees agreed to have the zoning commission and Fischer do research on an amendment to the signage code.
During recent meetings, the Zoning Commission and Board of Trustees also:
-Learned that member Shelly Hayes will be leaving the board in the next few months as she plans to move out of state. Alternate Jon Poponak, along with the alternates on the Board of Zoning Appeals, might consider applying for the position.
-Discussed Joey Tree Service, located on 2.25 acres of residentially-zoned property at 11330 Waterville Swanton Rd. According to zoning code, a business cannot operate on residential property. Fischer and the board discussed options, such as having the owner move his business or apply for rezoning. The board recommended that Fischer speak with the assistant county prosecutor, John Borell, for clarification on zoning resolution wording, as tree services don’t fall within any existing definitions.
-Heard that Geddis Paving purchased the northeast corner of Waterville Monclova Road and Dutch Road. Plans call for filling the large borrow pit – a pond created by taking dirt for the construction of the U.S. 24 bypass – with fill. Fischer said that the filling process will include having piles of dirt on the property to be processed before filling the pond. A decorative fence is being erected along the property’s western boundary.
-Learned that the township’s data center advisory committee includes residents and members of the BZA and Zoning Commission, and was set to meet on March 5. The goal is to create a report and recommendations by June or July. Trustees enacted a 12-month moratorium on data centers in December.
-Heard Trustee Julie Theroux say that she attended a roundtable discussion with members of Waterville City Council and Whitehouse Village Council to look at ways to collaborate on area growth, connectivity, recreation and the S.R. 64 corridor. Miller said he attended a different roundtable discussion with Waterville Mayor Tim Pedro, Maumee Mayor Chelsea Ziss and Whitehouse Mayor Rich Bingham, to have similar discussions. He proposed bringing the two groups together for collaboration discussions.
-Authorized trustees to enter into a contract with Brosius, Johnson and Griggs LLC of Columbus, to advice the township on annexation issues.
-Voted to remove a constraint that was initially applied to approval of the rezoning of 8346 Dutch Rd. for the Walden subdivision. Initially, trustees wanted to require that a joint agreement with Monclova Township for road maintenance be a stipulation for rezoning. Trustees decided to remove that requirement after discussions with Monclova.
Pete Gerken, Lucas County Commissioner, speaks on the new roof for the Lucas County Correctional Center and the end of the medical debt initiative during a Lucas County Commissioners meeting at 1 Government Center in downtown Toledo on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
*This article was updated on March 23, 2026.
TOLEDO – Most controversial of the 65 items on the agenda was the approval for a new roof for the Lucas County jail during the March 10 Lucas County Commissioners meeting.
Commissioners Lisa Sobecki and Pete Gerken voted to approve the new contract with Overhead Roofing and Sheet Metal (Toledo) for the Replacement of the Roof at the Lucas County Correction Center, item 43 on the agenda, for roughly $1.3 million.
A different portion of the jail’s roof was replaced roughly six years earlier by the same contractor.
Original publication of this article read, “The jail’s roof was replaced roughly six years earlier by the same contractor.”
A Lucas County spokesperson clarified information on the jail’s roof on March 23rd. This information was not given in the legislation, during the commissioners meeting, or through the commissioners’ statements on March 10.
The legislation reads, “Competitive bids were received for the replacement of the roof at the Lucas County Correction Center located at 1622 Spielbusch Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43604 on Tuesday, February 17, 2026” and does not mention any distinct portions of the jail’s roof or differentiation from the previous work done in 2020.
The Lucas County spokesperson clarified that there are three separate portions to the jail’s roof, and that this legislation was for the main, largest portion of the roof, not the portion of roof replaced around 2020. She noted that “the portion of the roof that Overhead Roofing and Sheet Metal completed in 2020 is not the same portion of roof that was just approved to be replaced…The work done in 2020 was for the upper mechanical area roof of the building, a smaller portion.”This distinction was not made during the meeting or during talks with individual commissioners. The facilities director referenced the penthouse mechanical roof during the meeting, but did not clarify that this legislation dealt with a different portion of the jail’s roof, only that the contractor in question had worked on the penthouse mechanical roof previously.
During the meeting, Anita Lopez, the only commissioner to vote against replacing the roof, asked before voting, “Were there any prior concerns with that contractor?”
Jeff Nowak, the facilities director, answered that originally there was concern over “some bubbling on the roof membrane” of the penthouse mechanical roof to the jail.
After having a manufacturer look into warranty claims, it was determined that the roof was installed correctly to the specifications prescribed back around 2019/2020.
“They’re [the manufacturer is] saying it’s more of a design issue in that the existing concrete roof deck has moisture in it. It’s getting heat from below. The boilers and equipment in that room has pushed the moisture up through the roof. The roof is not leaking. We are going to do some of this additional investigation,” Nowak said.
In order to fully assess what is going on, Nowak said they would have to cut into the roof.
Lopez inquired further about the vapor barrier on the roof, and Nowak answered, “[What] the manufacturer suggested, was that there was not a vapor barrier installed between the concrete deck and the insulation of the roofing. There should have been.”
Again, Nowak explained the roof was not leaking, and it seemed to be a design issue with the plans for the roof that the county planned to investigate further.
“Having a vapor barrier, isn’t that standard?” Lopez asked, which Nowak said has become more prevalent since the last roof was installed roughly six years ago.
After the meeting, Gerken said he voted for the new roof because they needed to keep moving on repairs for the jail, and that he did not think it was a problem with the contractor, vouching for Overhead Roofing and Sheet Metal.
“There’s an issue about some work done six or seven years ago, as they explained, that was the architect and engineer that told them to install it the way they installed it,” Gerken said, and clarified that the contractors did the work the way they were instructed.
“If it was the design that was flawed, then that’s not the contractor’s issue,” he said. “You go to the house, you tell them to put in a door on the righthand side of the garage. They put it in. Suddenly, you wanted it on the left. That’s not [the contractor’s call], that’s the design-engineer’s call.”
Gerken said he went with the same contractor because they were $200,000 under the other three other contractors’ bids.
Lopez was less convinced, and said as much after the meeting.
“Bottom line is, the cheapest is not the best,” she said. “Now, a vapor barrier, based on my research, is sort of standard in replacing or doing work, and so that’s why I asked that specific question.”
“I wanted it on the record,” she said, and explained that since she’s the youngest commissioner she might have to deal with problems with the jail’s roof in the future.
“I’m concerned that if a company does not recognize that a vapor barrier would have helped preserve the roof longer, and that’s a standard in the community of roofing, then that should have been brought to our attention and said, ‘maybe your design is wrong,’” she said.
If it were up to her, Lopez said she probably would have litigated over the loss, and was concerned about working with the same contractor again.
“We know his M.O., we know he’s going to say it’s the design work,” she said. “Even though it could have been brought to our attention. If he’s an expert in roofing, it should have been brought to our attention earlier.”
Women’s History Month
Sonia Flunder-McNair, the CEO of Urban Wholistics, speaks before being recognized during a Lucas County Commissioners meeting for her for her “unwavering commitment to sustainable living, holistic health, and community empowerment.” (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Recognizing Women’s History Month was the first item on a long 63-point agenda for the Lucas County Commissioners on Tuesday, March 10.
President of the Board of Commissioners, Sobecki, did not waste any time, and the commissioners honored three distinguished women, Sonia Flunder-McNair, Yvonne Dubielak and Jessica Molina, for their accomplishments in Lucas County.
“Women have played some vital roles in Lucas County in business, science, education, trades, the arts and public service, and many more other areas,” Sobecki began, and then unofficially recognized Jessica Ford, the Lucas County administrator, for being the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) Milestone recipient in the category of government.
The 2026 theme for Women’s History Month is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” and Flunder-McNair was recognized for her work as the CEO of Urban Wholistics.
Flunder-McNair concisely summed up her nonprofit. “Urban Wholistics fights for land ownership, food security and beautification within urban settings that are not so wholesome.”
Yvonne Dubielak, the executive director of Toledo GROWS, speaks before being recognized during a Lucas County Commissioners meeting for her, “commitment to equity, sustainability and community empowerment.” (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Toledo GROWS’s Executive Director Dubielak was honored similarly for her role in leading the nonprofit. “Toledo GROWs is a grassroots effort dedicated to the continued growth and success of community-based gardens in the City of Toledo and the surrounding area,” per the organization’s website.
Dubielak compared her leadership with Toledo GROWS to when she was a first grade teacher. “I took it where it was, and together with staff and board, we worked hard and moved along as far as I could, until my time was done and I was able to hand it over to someone else.”
Commissioner Lopez said, “You can listen to her [Molina] on La Prensa through WGTE, PBS, and it’s so important all the things that you’re doing; you’re a role model behind the scenes, but you’re also the future.”
Further, Lopez noted that Molina had challenged her through her actions, to be “more active.”
Jessica Molina, the executive director of Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones (APPS), is recognized during a Lucas County Commissioners meeting for, “her work in media, community engagement, and initiatives that promote leadership development, education, and greater representation within the Latino community.” (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Commissioners did not mention any one organization Molina is associated with, potentially because she is active in so many spheres of influence. But Molina was quick to highlight her work with Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones (APPS), which translates to Opening Doors For Solutions.
Molina spoke briefly about growing up as the child of migrant farmworkers, the dignity of hard work, and eventually her foray into academia. Halfway between the heritage of her parents and the status quo of the United States was an isolating experience, as she was not fully being embraced by either group.
“But you learn something really important being an outsider; you see the people that others often overlook,” she said.
APPS is about “opening doors with resources, information, solutions, doing that with dignity for people who deserve it, and yet this advocacy work is not comfortable for me. You can probably see that I’m shaking. I find it hard to speak up, sometimes, even though I am on air.
Jessica Molina, the executive director of Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones (APPS). (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
“I think as women, this is Women’s History Month, sometimes we’re taught to just be agreeable, to keep the peace, to avoid conflict, to stay silent. But silence…It does not create progress,” she said, and then began to speak about the recent immigration crackdowns in the United States.
“I think about the families who, in a moment’s time, their lives changed completely when a routine traffic stop turns into one of the parents being taken by immigration authorities.
“That family is split, overnight, separated overnight, often without due process,” and then she cited the constitutional provision for due process in Section 1. of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“…nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
This provision in the constitution has become one of the main points of contention for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, specifically around what the word “person” refers to in this context.
Supporters of the president have argued due process does not apply to immigrants in the same way it applies to citizens of the United States, while detractors argue the use of “person” means all people inside the United States are afforded the right of due process, regardless of immigration status.
At the end of her time, Molina thanked all who helped in the work of APPS, and said, “Together, we will keep opening doors,” and then thanked those in attendance.
A healthy dose of applause followed, and Commissioner Gerken stood up before ratifying the proclamation honoring Molina.
Recognition for WGTE
Recognition was given to WGTE’s podcast series, Rethinking Jails + Justice, is a 10-episode podcast and five-part radio series involving two community town halls. It features insights from law enforcement, legal professionals, mental health experts, researchers, and community leaders.
Dale Thorne, interim president and CEO of WGTE, speaks during a Lucas County Commissioners meeting concerning the “Rethinking Jails + Justice” 10-episode podcast series that won the Public Media Award from the National Educational Telecommunications Association. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Dale Thorne, interim president and CEO of WGTE, was there to receive the resolution, and spoke at the commissioners meeting. “It was a partnership between commissioners [and] WGTE to tell a story about over incarceration, and what that means to people and how it affects their lives, and it was extremely successful.”
The podcast received the Public Media Award from the National Educational Telecommunications Association, a competitive award across 304 stations in 49 states.
“That is what we’re designed to do, to tell the stories that need to be told that no one else will tell in a way that no one else can replicate,” Thorne said.
And Commissioner Gerken followed up the thanks of Thorne with his own appreciation for the series.
“When we entered this process in 2015, we had 482 prisoners at Striker, our regional jail, 482. Last month we had 167. From 482 to 167, that’s an accomplishment, helping to reduce over-incarceration,” Gerken said.
Appointments
The Board of Commissioners appointed Commissioner Sobecki, Trustee Neal Mahoney, Gina Kaczala, as members of the Tax Incentive Review Committee for its 2026 annual review meeting and Karen Poore as an alternate should any of the members be unable to attend.
Appointments to the Community Corrections Planning Board (CCPB) are as follows:
Commissioner Lisa Sobecki, Board of Lucas County Commissioners
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Mayor, City of Toledo
Judge Stacy Cook, Lucas County Common Pleas Court
Judge Timothy Kuhlman, Toledo Municipal Court
Judge Linda Knepp, Lucas County Juvenile Court
Chief Michael Troendle, Toledo Police Department
Chief Dani Lynn Miller, Sylvania Township Police Department
Sheriff Michael J. Navarre, Lucas County Sheriff’s Office
Major Bobby Chromik, Lucas County Sheriff’s Office
Dennis Sullivan, Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio
Prosecutor Julia Bates, Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office
Chief Prosecutor Rebecca Facey, City of Toledo
Sean McNulty, Toledo Legal Aid Society
Vallie Bowman-English, Clerk of Toledo Municipal Court
Scott Sylak, Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board
Michele Myerholtz, Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Bud Hite, Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility
Ashley Richardson, Lucas County Common Pleas Court – Probation
Jennifer Friddell, Toledo Municipal Court – Probation
Judge Lou Kovacs, Oregon Municipal Court
Judge Dan Hazard, Maumee Municipal Court
Judge Michael Bonfiglio, Sylvania Municipal Court
Lisa Falgiano, Toledo Municipal Court
Tim Lubbe, Lucas County Common Pleas Court
Linda Howe, Maumee Municipal Court
Michelle Butts, Lucas County Common Pleas Court – Regional Court Services
Karen Trail, Volunteers of America
Willie Knighten, Representative of the Public
Ann Ebbert, Representative of the Public
Auditor
The commissioners authorized Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline to “reclaim, recover any and all unclaimed funds that are due to Lucas County or any county agency, department, office, board, commission, or other subsidiary unit of county government.”
Moline said this was a house-cleaning measure initiated by the Ohio Auditor of State, “making it a requirement to reclaim funds,” for each office.
“Every office in Lucas County will have to do it, and as I am the Chief Financial Officer for the county, it makes sense for me to do it, versus everyone having to learn it and do it individually for their offices.”
According to Moline, the process involves working with the Department of Commerce website, and takes time to understand.
Since the resolution just passed, Moline said she is at the beginning of the process, but has already worked through 20 line items for her own office, totaling a little over $10,000.
She said, “These aren’t gonna’ solve a budget crisis,” but they might help subsidize other initiatives.
County Engineer
Items 10,11,12,13 were contracts awarded for various county projects.
Item 14 was a change order for the Summit Street & Shoreland Avenue Intersection Roundabout Project, PID #111415.
Item 15 approved an amendment with the Holland-Sylvania Road Resurfacing Project.
Item 16 approved an amendment to the Monclova Road Widening Project.
Item 17 approved an amendment to the Frankfort and Crissy Roads Roundabout Project.
Item 18 approved an amendment to the Gibbs Road Bridge Replacement Project.
Item 19 approved plans for the Sylvania Avenue Bridge #101 Rehabilitation Project.
Item 20 approved the Joint Cooperation Agreement with the Board of Monclova Township
Trustees for the 2026 Thin Overlay Program.
Item 21 approved Mike Pniewski, the county engineer, for travel for the National Highway Institute Training – Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges, with a to be determined location. Estimated cost for this trip is $6,000. This is to certify Pniewski for upcoming bridge inspection work.
And the other travel item was $500 for FEMA Emergency Management Institute – Managing Floodplain Development Through the NFIP, Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Items 22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29 are all ditch maintenance petitions that were approved.
Item 30 was approved authorization to buy land for the Herr Road and Sylvania Avenue Roundabout Project.
Prosecutor
Item 31, authorized the Signing and Filing of the 2026 Federal Equitable Sharing
Agreement.
Item 32 authorized the Retention of a Consultant to Assist the Prosecutor’s Office with
Construction Contracts.
Recorder
Item 33 approved payment for the Annual Software Maintenance of the Recorder’s
TrakRecord System to Document Technology Systems (“DTS”).
Sheriff
Item 34 asked for permission to apply for funding.
Items 35,36,37,38 were all renewals of contracts with the American Tower Delaware Corporation, a company that deals with communication towers. Each tower impacts the budget somewhere between $5,000 and $11,000 a month.
Economic Development
Item 39 approved a change to the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) related to the federal Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).
This resolution adds a public hearing if there are substantial amendments to the grant program.
“An amended public hearing will be held if a proposed amendment constitutes a substantial change to the scope of the grant agreement. The public notice and requirements will follow the format of the second public hearing.”
The public will be notified and guided as follows:
1. Legal notices shall be published, as specified in The Toledo Blade.
3. The notice shall state the time, date, place, and subject matter of the hearing.
4. A mailing will be sent to all townships, cities, villages and other interested agencies to notify them about the application and upcoming hearings.
Item 40 Commissioners removed a mortgage lien on a property in Holland, Ohio that received a loan through the Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) Program.
Item 42 awarded a contract for demolition of of the Former Child Studies Institute located at 410 10th Street, Toledo, Ohio 43604.
Item 43 awarded the contract for the county jail’s new roof explained at the top of the article.
Item 44 approved external repairs for Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
Item 45 purchased a John Deere TruFinish 1210 Utility Rake from Revels Turf and Tractor, LLC (Wadsworth, OH).
Commissioner Lopez voted no on items 41-45, because they were presented and voted on together. Her main opposition seemed to be item 43, the new roof for the jail.
Job and Family Services
Items 46,47,48, and 49 were approved contracts/partnerships/stipulations between Lucas County Job and Family Services and other organizations for programming/services.
Support Services
Items 50,51 and 52 approved purchase orders and funding for sanitation supplies and equipment.
Solid Waste Management District
Item 53 Approved a second amended agreement between Gateway Recycling (Toledo, OH) and the Lucas County Solid Waste Management District for recycling processing services.
Item 54 allowed Lucas County to enter into an Agreement for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Transportation and Processing with ERG Environmental Services (Livonia, MI)
Water Resource Recovery Facility
Item 55 allowed the Water Resource Recovery Facility to advertise for land application of biosolids for the Lucas County Water Resource Recovery Facility.
Workforce Development
Items 56 and57 allowed changes surrounding the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Item 58 approved a memorandum of understanding with Pathway Inc. Roles and Responsibilities
Pathway, Inc, Brothers United Fatherhood Program agrees to:
1. Provide program services under the Fatherhood FORGE grant services.
2. Recruit participants through outreach and engagement strategies.
3. Provide documentation and reports on participant progress.
4. Coordinate with case managers and partner agencies to deliver comprehensive services.
OhioMeansJobs Lucas County agrees to:
1. Provide referrals of eligible participants to Pathway, Inc.
2. Collaborate on outreach activities to increase community awareness.
3. Share resources and expertise that support participant success.
4. Participate in regular partner meetings and coordination efforts.
Item 61 terminated the agreement with Medical Debt Resolution, Inc.
After the meeting, Gerken spoke on this resolution. “ We all knew medical debt was one of the large factors in foreclosures and bad debt rating and all the pressures it puts on individuals that got overrun by medical debt through things they can’t control.”
He went on to say the approach of the county was buying debt from hospitals, and that it was an effective approach for the time, using $180,000 from the county, affecting 42,000 county residents and providing roughly $18.6 million in debt relief.
Gerken said, “It’s harder to buy medical debt now; the world has changed, and medical finance, they’re not selling as much debt, they’re trying to collect it.”
Human Resources
Item 62 approved a one year license agreement for training program and anonymous reporting system.
Item 63 approved an amendment to an agreement with Experience Management Institute for their Completion of a Compensation and Equity Study.
After Executive Session
Item 64 amended an organizational breakdown to accommodate getting rid of one Senior Budget Analyst position.
Item 65 similarly amended an organizational breakdown to accommodate getting rid of one Workforce Development Financial Analyst position.
MONCLOVA TOWNSHIP – With an expectation of continued growth, Monclova Township trustees approved a one-year employment contract with retiring Springfield Township Administrator Michael Hampton II to serve as director of safety services, zoning and special projects.
“I’m retiring on April 30 from Springfield Township and starting with Monclova on May 1,” Hampton said.
A Monclova Township resident, Hampton has served as Springfield Township administrator since 2016. He began his career 31 years ago in the Springfield Township maintenance department, then moved up to maintenance supervisor and director of public service before being tapped for the administrator’s role. Throughout his tenure, Hampton has continually sought to educate himself on all aspects of government and economic development.
“Being in public service and working through all the facets is really rewarding. Like many public sector jobs, the pay isn’t as high as in the public sector, but the richness comes by serving others and doing well for your community,” he said.
In his role as administrator, Hampton has worked closely with administrators in other Lucas County communities, including Monclova Township. He was aware that trustees Barbara Lang and Chuck Hoecherl have long looked at ways to add staff to deal with growth and foster economic development.
One of his assignments will be to brand Monclova Township, which – with multiple ZIP codes and a small downtown – often gets confused with being part of Maumee, Waterville or Whitehouse. Springfield Township used to have a similar issue, but Hampton believes that with the right promotions and use of social media and other tools, Monclova’s identity can be more widely shared with residents and to northwest Ohio.
Spreading the word about the township also includes attracting new business and industry.
“We want to put out an appetizer for them to come and build here. That’s the key to any political subdivision’s success: how do we generate revenue without going back to voters to say we need more money? We make sure we have all the tools available to us and work on capturing that business,” he said.
He plans to work with his connections in the county and state to look for opportunities.
“I’d like to incorporate the narrative that ‘We’re open for business,'” he said.
To foster that growth means having a deeper understanding of the zoning process, and – working with Zoning Administrator Eric Wagner – Hampton plans to pour through the zoning resolution to see if upgrades are needed to match the growth that Monclova Township has been experiencing. If that reveals a need to adapt the zoning resolution, he’ll work through that as well.
“We need to be in the front seat. If a potential developer is having private conversations with landowners, I would encourage those landowners to reach out and have us be part of the discussion. If we’re not – and our zoning resolution says we can’t do it – then that property owner might think it’s easier to just petition to annex, and that’s revenue lost.”
Hampton said he recognizes that zoning can sometimes have a negative narrative. He plans to find ways to help everyone from the homeowner putting up a shed to someone interested in building a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility navigate through the process.
“Whether it’s a new or existing business, if they’re looking at making a change or a new build, the first stop should be Monclova Township Zoning Department. That gives us an opportunity for us to let folks know of our expectations, how long it might take, and how we can help,” he said.
One process he’s utilized in his current role is the predevelopment meeting – bringing in the developer and representatives from the township, county and state to evaluate expectations, answer questions and enumerate next steps to deliver an accurate timeline and see how to minimize snags.
Hampton applauds the trustees’ decision to enact a one-year moratorium on data centers because it gives time to answer questions and get more information from the state’s data center committee.
“Data centers are going to happen, but locally is it a right fit? And if it is, economically how do we capture some of that revenue?”
He noted that Middleton Township rushed into a decision and didn’t ensure the revenue to cover the costs to provide safety services and the stress on the township’s budget.
Safety Services is another aspect of Hampton’s role, but he stresses that he’s not a fire chief but will have administrative responsibilities when it comes to the Fire/EMS and zoning.
“One thing I don’t do is micromanage. I’m about building people up while holding them accountable,” he said. “I’m accountable to the trustees, and they’re accountable to the voters who elected them. The voters put them in on a platform and vision, and it’s my job to execute that vision.”
He also added that he’s not going to make Monclova Township into Springfield Township. As a 10-year resident and a grandfather to Anthony Wayne Local Schools students, Hampton said he understands the community and is glad that he’ll have an opportunity to build it up.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said, adding, “I’m not an office guy. You’ll see me out and meeting the public.”
If they haven’t already, Ohio’s mated adult bald eagles will soon be sitting on eggs – as many as three of them. They’ll be laying them in their massive nests – also known as aeries – typically built high in the crotch of a sturdy tree near a body of water they’ll use as a source for food. Just building the nest is no small feat. A new nest could be two to three feet deep and four or more feet in diameter, topped with a bed of soft materials including grasses and feathers. Typically, an eagle pair will use the same nest year after year, adding material with each nesting.
