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 The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passes through downtown Wapakoneta Wednesday, September 1. Staff photo/William Laney By CARLA MEYER
Staff Writer
For 45 minutes, the roar of motorcycles could be heard passing under an American flag hanging from two ladder trucks. For 45 minutes, area residents gathered in the shadow of the Auglaize County Courthouse and Wapakoneta Fire Station waved and clapped as motorcyclists rode by.
The smiles and waves turned into clapping and cheers as the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passed down Willipie Street on its way to Custenborder Field in Sidney where it was greeted by a field of American flags.
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Thursday, 16 July 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
Undercover agents with the Ohio Investigative Unit arrested 129 individuals, mostly for underage alcohol violations, during Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes in Shelby County during the weekend.
Of those arrested, seven were from Auglaize County.
Arrested on Thursday for knowingly possessing beer and being under 21, were Robert Thomes, 18, St. Marys; Derek Berning, 19, Minster; Dex Yelton, 19, St. Marys; and Erin Klopfenstein, 19, St. Marys. Zachary Hedrick, 19, Wapakoneta, was arrested for being under 21 and knowingly possessing beer and an intoxicating liquor. Sara Wolfe, 18, St. Marys, was arrested for knowingly possessing intoxicating liquor and being under 21.
Ryan Evers, 18, New Bremen, was arrested Friday for being under 21 and knowingly possessing beer.
Throughout the four-day event, 126 people were charged with underage drinking, three with falsification, two with furnishing alcohol to someone underage, two with prohibited acts, one for drug abuse, one for possession of drug paraphernalia, one for tobacco and one for an open container in a motor vehicle, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
The Ohio Investigative Unit is a law enforcement agency assigned to enforcing liquor laws, the sale of tobacco to minors and food stamp fraud, Public Information Officer Julie Hinds said.
She explained the fully sworn officers operate undercover with other police agencies at concerts, games, tailgates, festivals and other locations throughout the state.
Hinds told the Wapakoneta Daily News most of their action is based on complaints and to check compliancy with permits. Their presence at Country Concert was at the request of law enforcement working the event.
“I want to thank the partners who contributed to this event to ensure the safety of our roadways, and to those attending the popular summer concert,” Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Henry Guzmán said in a news release. “The department will continue to work through our divisions to deter underage drinking and to stop impaired driving for the safety of all Ohioans.”
Ohio Investigative Unit Executive Director Cathy Collins-Taylor said agents worked alongside deputies from Shelby County’s Sheriff’s Office in a successful effort to thwart harmful behavior that could contribute to alcohol consumption.
“Our mission is to educate the public while keeping them safe and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that future concerts and gatherings will be as successful,” Collins-Taylor said.
The number of individuals arrested was down from last year, but in line with previous years. In 2008, 160 were arrested during the weekend festivities. There were 137 arrested in 2007, 132 in 2006, and 117 in 2005.
Resulting criminal charges were filed with the Shelby County Prosecutor’s Office. Charges also were filed at the Shelby County Juvenile Court for three individuals arrested under 18.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 July 2009 )
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