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November 2008 |
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By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
A former Wapakoneta law enforcement officer’s future is now in the hands of seven state Supreme Court justices.
Former Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Harrison’s 6-year-old sex crime case reached the pinnacle in Ohio’s court system Wednesday, as justices heard arguments from Harrison’s attorney Dean Boland and state prosecutor Scott Longo.
Each party had 15 minutes to present their case to the justices. After both attorneys argued their cases, a single word in Harrison’s sentencing entry and a grilling delivered to Longo by justice Maureen O’Connor left Boland optimistic about his client’s future.
In June, 2003, Harrison plead guilty to a six-count bill of information after child pornography was found on his computer. After entering his plea, the man who served as police chief from 1988 to 2002 was sentenced to one year in jail.
Seven months after he completed his sentence, it was discovered by county prosecutors that Harrison should have been sentenced with an additional five years of mandatory post release control, or probation.
During a court hearing, Harrison was given the option to either be re-sentenced or withdraw his plea. Harrison chose the latter, taking things back to square one.
With the plea withdrawn, the state of Ohio slapped Harrison with a 23-count indictment which he was ultimately found guilty of and sentenced to six years in prison.
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008 |
County Solid Waste Department needs more money for gasoline and propane
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
Increased fuel, propane and natural gas prices are causing departments and offices within the county to find other sources for extra money to cover costs.
Last week, increases in diesel fuel, but largely propane, have contributed to the need for additional funding in the Solid Waste supplies budget, District Coordinator Dave Reichelderfer said. Reichelderfer is the latest county department administrator to request a budget transfer to address high fuel costs.
Reichelderfer requested $7,000 additional from his cost allocation budget, which is typically set aside for unanticipated operation costs, be moved to the Solid Waste fund supplies line item. Commissioners, who approved the change, said he is just one of several department administrators facing that situation mid-year.
At the end of July, Auglaize County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Al Willis requested a transfer of nearly $18,000 to meet increased fuel needs in his office for the remainder of the year.
Reichelderfer is hoping his request also will get him through the remaining four months of 2008.
He said through July, costs for propane to heat the Recycling Center on St. Marys River Road, as well as to operate lift trucks, totaled approximately $17,230, almost $9,000 more than the same time frame during 2007.
Diesel fuel costs totaling more than $8,000 to run the six vehicles, mostly trucks, picking up recycling throughout Auglaize County for the first seven months of 2008 is another expense. In comparison, less than $5,500 was spent running the trucks five days a week in the county for all of 2007.
Although Reichelderfer accounted for increased fuel prices when he calculated the budget late last year, he said prices have been even higher than anticipated.
To keep prices lower, Reichelderfer said they are watching what they use as the heat isn’t turned on in the 80- by 125-foot building until temperatures get below 50 degrees and even then are kept at that level, not much warmer. The design of the Recycling Center, Reichelderfer said makes the building hard to heat as there are five dock doors which open and close often as trailers are loaded.
Care also has been taken to make routes more efficient, with trucks picking up recyclables to bring back to the center every time they go out to drop off recycling containers somewhere.
“I’m not sure what else we can do to keep costs down,” Reichelderfer said. “At this point, I just hope it stays as warm as it can for as long as it can.
“Fuel prices have gone down a little now, hopefully they’ll stay down a little and not go up to what it was before or more,” he said.
He said for the rest of the year the center most likely won’t use too much propane, as heat is not typically turned on until the end of November and tanks are already full.
While he thought he factored enough extra into this year’s fuel budget, Reichelderfer said he plans to factor even more in for 2009.
“The goal is always to get through without having to adjust anything,” Reichelderfer said, referring to the additional funds which had to be added to the already $28,000 supply budget, which in addition to fuel covers equipment, hardware, educational materials and brochures, wire for the baler, and plastic bags, among other items.
Commissioner John Bergman said several of the county’s departments are struggling with higher fuel costs. Affected the most by fuel is the County Engineer’s Office, but heating costs are also high at the Auglaize County Law Enforcement Center, Auglaize Acres and the Auglaize County Administration Building, which are all heated by propane and natural gas.
Bergman said several budget adjustments have been made for departments and offices already this year and mileage reimbursement rates increased to 50 1/2 cents a gallon for county employees, such as probation officers, who are required to drive their own vehicles.
“We have no firm numbers yet for how much its affected the county this year,” Bergman said. “Obviously though, fuel affects everyone’s budgets. Fuel prices fluctuate daily. Hopefully, we’ll have a better handle on it next year.”
He said the best some department administrators and office holders will be able to do though is to take an average of the 12 months’ fuel costs and calculate a budget.
At this point in the year, department administrators and county office elected officials are closely examining their proposed budgets for next year and the county is evaluating natural gas carriers to determine who may have the best overall price for 2009.
“Next year will be the first full year the county will feel the full effects of increased energy prices,” Bergman said. “It’s not going to be easy. We’ll have to wait and see how that goes.” |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 August 2008 )
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