logo
Powell police boosting traffic patrol

Powell police boosting traffic patrol

Yahoo30-04-2025

POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) — The city of Powell is working to enhance safety along the Sawmill Parkway corridor by launching a high-visibility traffic enforcement initiative called the S.A.F.E. (Sawmill Parkway Awareness and Focused Enforcement) Passage Initiative to increase visibility and build a culture of traffic safety.
Powell Police Chief Ron Sallows said community awareness and public education is one of the main focuses behind the proactive approach. He wants the community to know the police department is responsive and listening to their complaints.
New development denied at site of Pickaway County farmland
The effort is being led by the Powell Police Department, which will target the stretch of Sawmill Parkway between Seldom Seen Road and Home Road. At 45 miles per hour, the area has the highest speed limit in the city and a history of serious traffic incidents.
'Through a community attitude survey last year, our community told us that they were they were concerned about this particular roadway,' Sallows said.
According to Sallows, there have been two serious fatalities along the stretch within the last three years.
'The initiative is just not focused solely on speeding,' Sallows said. 'It's aggressive driving. It is distracted driving. It is making sure that we're out there and engaging our community to let them know when they're doing something or when their behavior is unsafe.'
Ohio Supreme Court reinstates law banning trans healthcare for minors
Sallows said the department will be stepping up its enforcement and visibility. Officers will proactively conduct traffic stops for speed and reckless driving violations.
'About a little over a year ago, we were about 25% of our patrol staff was out, had retired and left the force,' Sallows said. 'We have recently hired eight people over the last year. So, we have some additional resources that we haven't had in the past to dedicate to this.'
The S.A.F.E. Passage Initiative will run over the next four months, beginning May 1. Focused operations will take place during major holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day to address seatbelt use, general traffic safety and impaired driving.
'We've got a Stealthstat device that actually measures the speed and the amount of traffic along this roadway,' Sallows said. 'So, we've done an assessment of that already and then periodically through this campaign, we'll reassess that roadway and will determine if we're having an effect on it.'
Ohio University closing diversity offices, women and pride centers
According to Sallows, data from citations and speed monitoring devices will be collected and analyzed, with monthly updates shared publicly to maintain transparency and accountability.
'We want you to get through the city of Powell safe,' Sallows said.
The S.A.F.E. Passage Initiative will last through Labor Day. Powell police officers will work with the Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to extend enforcement along the full length of Sawmill Parkway.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cuomo's sister-in-law allegedly used influence to try to help posh Hamptons club
Cuomo's sister-in-law allegedly used influence to try to help posh Hamptons club

New York Post

time11 hours ago

  • New York Post

Cuomo's sister-in-law allegedly used influence to try to help posh Hamptons club

Cristina Cuomo allegedly used her family connections to try to help the posh Surf Lodge in tony Montauk keep its crucial liquor and music licenses, The Post has learned. Long Island's Surf Lodge — owned by Jayma Cardosa, a buddy of ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sister-in-law — was fighting to keep its licenses in 2019 amid violations with the State Liquor Authority and local town officials. Cardoso hoped to get then-Gov. Cuomo — through Cristina and her husband Chris Cuomo, Andrew's brother — to 'soften up' then-SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley, who was appointed by Andrew, reveal emails obtained by The Post. Advertisement Cristina emailed Cordoso around that time saying she had spoken to her husband Chris about the Surf Lounge's licensing problems, and the venue owner seemed giddy. 7 Cristina Cuomo allegedly used her family connections to try to help the posh Surf Lodge in tony Montauk keep its liquor and music licenses. Getty Images 'Hopefully Chris Cuomo can speak with w his brother to soften up the chairman. Finger crossed!!! Happy New Year!,' Cordoso told Cristina in her 2019 New Year's response. Advertisement Cristina has held events at the Surf Lodge, and Andrew Cuomo — who resigned as governor over a slew of allegations in 2021 and is now making a comeback bid for New York City mayor — held a re-election fundraiser there in June 2018. Andrew has denied all of the allegations against him. Christina ended up writing a name-dropping letter to Bradley on Feb. 6, 2019, on behalf of Cardoso. 'Dear Vincent, I hope you are well. By way of my husband Chris Cuomo, I got your email from my brother-in-law, Gov. Andrew Cuomo,' Cristina said. She said she was writing on behalf of her 'friend and fellow Brazilian' Cardoso, who faced 'potential license revocation' for overcrowding conditions cited by a fire-marshal inspection during the prior year's Labor Day weekend. Advertisement The SLA had threatened to 'eliminate live music' at the venue as part of a proposed settlement with it so that it could keep the liquor license, the letter said. Cardoso was proposing to bolster security and increase access points into the venue to address the issues, Cristina told the SLA chairman. 7 Cristina has held events at the Surf Lodge, and Andrew Cuomo held a gubernatorial re-election fundraiser there in June 2018. Courtesy of The Surf Lodge 7 Cuomo told The Post through a spokesman that he did not intervene in the situation. Debra L Rothenberg/Shutterstock Advertisement The owner also was willing to reducing live entertainment from seven to three days a week and end it at 8 p.m. every evening as a compromise, the letter said. 'Jayma has brought Grammy Award winning live music and culture to the Hamptons community for 11 years, and has attributed to Montauk's burgeoning tourism while other establishments have come and gone,' Cristina told Bradley in her letter. Cristina, founder of the health+wellness platform Purist that operates in the city and Hamptons, added, 'I cherish our family vacation time out East and the cultural outlets that make our enjoyment of the Hamptons all the more special. 'Thank you for your thoughtful consideration in preserving the arts and culture at The Surf Lodge and the Hamptons as a whole.' 7 Cristina is married to Andrew's brother Chris. WireImage She then offered her phone number to Bradley in case he wanted to discuss the matter further with a call. As it turned out, the SLA's license was renewed. In the settlement pact, the owner agreed to pay $55,000 in civil penalties and limit music to three nights a week, stopping at 8 p.m. Upstate Republican Borrello, who is a restaurateur, said Cristina's letter doesn't pass the ethics smell test. Advertisement 'This letter is trading on the Cuomo name. It's obvious,' said Borrello, who owns five eateries and knows what it's like to face the SLA. 'Andrew Cuomo fancies himself as the ethics czar when he was governor. This type of influence-peddling is certainly hypocritical for the Cuomo family,' he said. 7 Former Gov. Cuomo is now running for New York City mayor. 7 Cristina said she had spoken to her husband about the venue's issues. DMI Advertisement 7 Andrew Cuomo 'certainly took no action' in the licensing issue, his rep said Sunday. AP But Cristina defended her role in trying to help the Surf Lodge owner keep her popular establishment. 'I wrote this as a member of the Hamptons community to help a friend,'' Cristina told The Post on Sunday. 'She was in jeopardy of losing her music license. Advertisement 'I didn't do anything wrong,' Cristina added. Cardoso did not respond to a Post request for comment. Andrew Cuomo is now the front-runner in the Democratic primary for mayor. Advertisement His campaign denied that the ex-governor had intervened in the Surf Lodge based on the letter from his sister-in-law or any other interactions. Through a campaign rep, Cuomo pleaded ignorance on the topic and claimed it's much ado about nothing. 'We knew nothing about this situation and certainly took no action, but the fact this seven year old letter is getting shopped around weeks before Election Day shows just how desperate people are getting — this really is some bottom of the barrel stuff,' said Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi.

Our View: As the heat spikes, so do drownings
Our View: As the heat spikes, so do drownings

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Our View: As the heat spikes, so do drownings

Triple-digit temperatures are predicted for this weekend. Beyond that, the days are expected to be not much cooler. It is a reminder that the blistering Bakersfield summer has started, and residents and visitors will look to water for relief. But danger lurks in the many local swimming pools and the even bigger attraction, the Kern River. Urging pool safety during a recent press conference, Kern County health officials promoted the department's Water Watcher program, which calls for designating adults to always keep close tabs on children frolicking around backyard pools. They cited federal findings that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4. On average, 350 children under the age of 5 lose their lives to drowning every year in the United States. Within the past five years, 16 children in Kern County have lost their lives to drowning: two in the Kern River, two in bathtubs and 12 in swimming pools. In advance of the Memorial Day Weekend last month, county officials performed a grisly annual tradition — updating Kern Canyon entry signs to warn of the Kern River's danger. This year, the number of drownings posted on the signs went from 334 to 342. Eight people were taken by the Kern in 2024. Last year's July 4th holiday was particularly deadly. Four people drowned. The count, which began in 1968, doesn't include people who died in the upper Kern River, in Tulare County, which doesn't keep drowning statistics on its section of river. It also doesn't include people who are still missing and presumed dead in the river. 'We tell the public this every year: The Kern River is dangerous,' said Sgt. Rodney Jones, who oversees the Kern County Sheriff's Office's search and rescue division. 'Do not go in it without professional guides or gear.' The water is cold and deceptively fast with numerous hidden hazards — branches, rocks, debris — that can snag you, trap you and pull you under, he said. The division posts additional search and rescue teams on holidays along the river to respond to emergencies and remind people about the dangers. Asked if Kern officials would consider closing off the river, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood responded with a firm NO. 'The river is a public place and there's way too many access points for us to patrol,' he said. 'You can't legislate stupidity. If you need to be told to stay out of that river, there's something wrong with you.' Youngblood is right. It's up to all of us to heed repeated warnings and keep ourselves, families and friends safe. ■ Watch children closely. Never let them into the river unattended. ■ Do not go in the river if you can't swim. ■ Use adequate flotation devices, not drug store floaties. ■ Make sure someone in your party can contact 911. Service in the canyon is sketchy. ■ Alcohol (or other mind-altering substances) do not mix well with the river. Several river rafting companies operate along the Kern. They offer safe and varying trips — depending on people's interests and experience. SJV Water, a local news outlet that covers water issues, reports that with less snowfall this year, the river will be running lower than in recent past years. But even though the water flow is lower, Jones noted that most people are not able to climb out if they are trapped on a rock. As evidence, on Sunday a man was found dead in the river. The man had gone missing after swimming in Isabella Lake without a flotation device. Just a few days later, a teenage girl was rescued from a tree in the river at Hart Park, just 90 minutes after another person was rescued from the same area, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office. They were brought to shore uninjured. Again, the Kern County Sheriff's Office urged the public to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket when in or near the river. 'Despite appearing calm in some areas, the river's cold temperatures, swift currents and hidden hazards can quickly turn deadly,' KCSO once again warned in a news release.

Plymouth cafeteria director charged with ordering lobster, stealing kitchen equipment equipment, for use at his Cape Cod snack shack
Plymouth cafeteria director charged with ordering lobster, stealing kitchen equipment equipment, for use at his Cape Cod snack shack

Boston Globe

time2 days ago

  • Boston Globe

Plymouth cafeteria director charged with ordering lobster, stealing kitchen equipment equipment, for use at his Cape Cod snack shack

His bail was set at $50,000. If he posts it, VanCott must stay away from all Plymouth schools and storage facilities if released, the statement said. He is due back in court July 21. VanCott has been employed as the food services director for Plymouth Public Schools since 2003, according to his Advertisement He was first flagged by authorities on May 30 after they received an anonymous tip that someone was stealing food and equipment from Plymouth Community Intermediate School. Since VanCott was the only person authorized to place cafeteria orders, he was quickly identified as the suspect, the statement said. A review of purchase records revealed premium Angus burgers, hot dogs, lobster, and other items that were never served students or staff, according to the statement—and all of which appear on the Snack Shack's Advertisement Investigators also spoke with cafeteria employees, who said that for years, once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, VanCott had them pack bags of deli turkey and ham marked with his initials, for no apparent school use. They also said that he routinely took condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee and other supplies from the kitchen, according to the statement. Additionally, VanCott allegedly purchased more than $8,300 worth of kitchen equipment which was not found in the cafeteria or school storage, the statement said. This includes under-counter refrigerators and freezers, a refrigerated sandwich table, convection oven, microwave, bagel warmer, coffee maker and two fry pans. Surveillance footage from a Saturday allegedly shows him loading one of those under-counter refrigerators onto a town-owned truck and later returning in his personal pickup to transport a second unit. Additional video from the State Police Fusion Center then shows his pickup crossing the Sagamore Bridge with the stolen refrigerator secured in its bed, bound for Cape Cod, the statement said. The investigation is ongoing. Rita Chandler can be reached at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store