1/10/18 – 6:48 A.M.

A rail safety project in Tiffin continues to move forward. Media partner WTOL-11 reports the project has entered the public input phase. Tiffin City Council approved the $2.6 million plan last year. They’re working with the Ohio Rail Commission to finish the details the plan.

The project calls for closing two crossings in the city. Five other crossings will see significant upgrades. The plan also classifies Tiffin as a quiet zone, meaning trains wouldn’t have to blast their horns as they go through the city.

MORE: WTOL-11

1/10/18 – 5:18 A.M.

A Putnam County man convicted of killing his 2-year-old son learned his fate earlier this week. The Delphos Herald reports Judge Randall Basinger sentenced Michael Luebrecht to 20 years to life in prison Monday. The sentence is the most lenient allowable by law.

When a jury first convicted Luebrecht of murder in 2006, Basinger sentenced Luebrecht to 25 years to life. The new sentence means he is eligible for parole five years earlier.

Luebrecht never disputed that he killed his son Joel in 2005. His attorney argued a combination of medications to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder led him to kill the boy.

MORE: Delphos Herald

1/10/18 – 5:06 A.M.

A Tuesday morning boiler room fire has closed the Fostoria Junior/Senior High School for at least the rest of this week. The Review-Times reports students in that building might attend classes elsewhere while restoration efforts take place.

Interim Fire Chief Brian Herbert says it only took firefighters around 10 minutes to put out the flames. However, by that time smoke moved through the ductwork and spread throughout the junior/senior high school building. The school has hired a Toledo company to clean the school.

In the meantime, the district is looking for a place to have classes. Superintendent Andrew Sprang says the school board discussed several locations during an emergency meeting Tuesday. Sprang says none of the plans are “ready to go public.”

MORE: The Courier

01/10/18 – 3 A.M.

The Findlay City Council appropriations committee met for the first time this year and discussed having an appropriate cash balance. Committee chair Grant Russel explained that having extra cash reserves can help the city in two major ways.

Grant Russel

The city has two ordinances that make sure there’s cash to protect the city and allow for these deals. Russel explained that one is to make sure the city has a $1 million rainy day fund. The other ensures that 16% general fund is in cash for any extra projects or deals the city may earn.

01/09/18 – 2:57 P.M.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office identified the body of a woman found outside of Hilty Home in Pandora. The Courier reports that the woman was 76-year-old Phyllis Campbell of Pandora. Autopsy reports say that the cause of death was hypothermia.

Campbell was a resident of the home. Hilty Home called the sheriff’s office around 8:30 a.m. Sunday about Campbell. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.

1/9/18 – 11:07 A.M.
UPDATE – 2:48 P.M.

The murder trial of 29-year-old Brent Houdeshell continued this morning. The Courier’s Eileen McClory tells us the jury heard opening statements from the prosecution and the defense. During opening statements, the prosecution said they would prove Houdeshell killed the boy.

Eileen McClory

They added the injuries suffered by Ferrell were in line with injuries sustained in an attack. McClory said that the defense opened saying that Houdeshell loved Breyden Ferell.

Eileen McClory

She added that police on scene indicated that the crib was unsafe for a two-year-old and he could have fallen out.

They also heard testimony from Ferrell’s mother and Houdeshell’s former fiancee, Alicia Young. She said Houdeshell was watching Ferell so she could visit friends. She added that Ferell had an injury on his leg before the incident.

We’ll have more updates from McClory as the trial continues.

Houdeshell faces a murder charge, along with counts of endangering a child and tampering with evidence.

1/9/18 – 10:51 A.M.

Hancock County is moving forward with plans on a contract to handle sanitary engineering duties. That’s after assistant prosecutor Cindy Land told the commissioners she couldn’t find any regulations that mandate the county offer the job to the county engineer’s office.

Engineer Chris Long spoke about the issue last week, saying he believed the county had to offer his office sanitary engineering service duties before seeking an outside contract.

Land says Long told her he wasn’t going to pursue the issue further. The commissioners could vote on the $20,000 contract with Frostbite Falls LLC at their Thursday meeting. Steve Wilson is the sole principle of the company. He has served as the sanitary engineer for the county for the past several years.