Well, 2015 has come and gone, but not without some big stories that have made an impact on the Morrow County region.
Here are the most read stories of 2015, according to our website.
So here are our Top 10:
10. On Aug. 24, we posted a story regarding the death of a 9-year-old boy, who perished in an atv accident. He reportedly fell off the vehicle and was immediately unresponsive. Emergency personnel throughout the county transported the child to Morrow County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Morrow County Sheriff Steve Brenneman has announced the Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Morrow County Coroner, is investigating the death of a 9-year-old boy Sunday, August 23, 2015.
A Monday press release stated Morrow County 911 received a call about 1:30 pm regarding a juvenile who was not breathing on Congress Twp. Road 96.
9. An early August crash on State Route 61 led to the death of a 76-year-old woman, who was struck head on by a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating a fatal crash involving two vehicles. The crash occurred 5:10 p.m. Aug. 10 in Morrow County on State Route 61 near milepost 6.
Betty Christner, age 76, of Crestline, Ohio was operating a 2001 Buick Century southbound on State Route 61. Nicholas James Fisher, age 19, of Cardington, Ohio was operating a 2007 Chevrolet Cobolt northbound on State Route 61 and crossed the center line into the path of Ms. Christner, striking her car head on.
8. A fatal crash that occured two days before Christmas this year, occured on Couty Road 20 in the early morning hours. The 56-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to reports, Gary D. Perkins, 56, of 8127 County Road 20 in Mansfield, was operating a 2002 Ford F-350, northbound on County Road 20. Police said Perkins’ vehicle drove off the left side of the road, then overcorrected and overturned onto the roadway.
7. A September crash that occurred near the Morrow County Airport injured three people and transported two via the Air Evac LifeTeam. We captured video of the aftermath, as well as a number of photos of the scene.
Witnesses at the scene say the driver of a silver Chevrolet sedan almost hit another vehicle head-on before losing control and rolling several times, coming to rest on its top off the west side of the roadway. Five people between the ages of 12 and 19 were in the vehicle.
6. Three people were again injured in a one-car crash in North Bloomfield Township, after the driver lost control of the vehicle careening into a creek.
Witnesses at the scene stated that a Chevy Blazer was northbound on State Route 19 when another vehicle entered into the Blazer’s lane of travel. The driver of the Blazer veered sharply to the left to avoid a collision and landed in a creek.
Two adults and two children were in the vehicle. Three of the occupants were transported to Galion Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
5. Steve Adams of Mt. Gilead alerted local authorities of a Tennesse fugitive fleeing a suspected homicide with his kidnapped daughter. Police apprehended the subject, after Adams pursued him in his vehicle.
Adams was bombarded with phone calls and media attention and is being called a ‘hero.’ The Sentinel’s Facebook page was inundated with messages from supporters and well wishers after the story was posted.
But Adams says what he did is what anybody should do.
4. An area man was killed in early September, as a result of an all-terrian vehicle accident. The fatal crash occured at 12:30 a.m. on Morrow County Road 137.
Justin Hoffman, age 22, of Marion, was operating a Suzuki Quadrunner ATV, eastbound on CR 137. A passenger, Zachary T. Sahr, age 22, of Mount Gilead, was a passenger on the rear of thc ATV. Sahr fell from the ATV and onto the roadway.
3. A Caledonia man who once served as a substitute teacher for Cardington-Lincoln High School from 2008 – 2010 faced felony charges following a complaint the Cardington Police Department receieved in 2014.
Corby Blanton, 32, Caledonia, was indicted in January on five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after an investigation by Cardington Police. In a Monday interview, Cardington Police Chief John Hinton stated the conduct occurred over the course of four years when the victim, whom Blanton allegedly met during his employment with Cardington schools, was 14 years old.
Hinton says on Oct. 1, 2014 his department received a complaint of alleged unlawful sexual activity involving an adult and a minor. After an investigation, Blanton was indicted on Jan. 29, 2015 and arraigned on Feb. 20, 2015 in Morrow County Common Pleas Court, appearing with his attorney, James Mayer.
2. Two members of the nationally known ‘Felony Lane Gang’ were arrested in Morrown County earlier this month. The duo was on a cross-country trek from their native Florida.
Sheriff Steve Brennman said OnStar Services alerted his office December 8 a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban stolen from Enterprise Rentals in Orlando, FL was in Morrow County parked at the Shell station at Interstate 71 and State Route 95.
1. Three youths were arrested after an Aug. 27 break-in of Extreme Tec ATV in Mt. Gilead.
During pursuit of the suspects, one fled on an ATV. He eventually lost control of the vehicle overturning into a guardrail. He was prounounced dead after being transported to Galion Community Hospital by emergency personnel.
Sheriff Steve Brenneman said shortly before 1:30 a.m. Mt. Gilead police officers spotted suspicious individuals along a railroad track near Westview Drive in Mt. Gilead. A quick investigation revealed that a burglary had occurred at Extreme Tec ATV on Lee Street in Mt. Gilead.
Extreme Tec ATV on Lee Street in Mt. Gilead. The site of the break-in that led to three arrests and one death.