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

Horry County crime rates on record-breaking pace midway through the year, police chief says
Horry County crime rates on record-breaking pace midway through the year, police chief says

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Horry County crime rates on record-breaking pace midway through the year, police chief says

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Driven in part by a violent string of May crimes, Horry County crime rates are on a record-breaking track, Chief Kris Leonhardt told officials Tuesday. Through the first quarter of 2025 that ended March 31, authorities took more than 121 pounds of drugs off the street, seized nearly $138,000 worth of assets, arrested 55 fugitives and took 59 firearms. 'Our officers are out there doing the work, getting things done, identifying folks and getting charges on these cases,' Leonhardt said. Leonhardt said 10 known Blood gang members were also arrested after police broke up a crime ring in the Little River area earlier this year. May was a particularly grueling month with a spate of high-profile incidents including a mass shooting in Little River, disciplinary action against several officers tied to the 2022 road rage death of Scott Spivey and multiple home invasions in the Conway area. 'Thank you for the great work that the Horry County Police Department's doing. You've had a lot of distractions the last couple of months. You've put up with a lot of crap, but I appreciate the great job,' council member Tom Anderson said. 'I think the gross majority of our police are professionals, and I'm on your team and in favor of you.' Public safety administrator Randall Webster said events like Memorial Day weekend, motorcycle rallies and the Myrtle Beach Classic already require a heavier law enforcement presence, but over the past couple of years it's been even more of a challenge. 'The call volume is increasing every year, and the incident types are getting more severe each and every year,' he said. Councilwoman Jenna Dukes said she's concerned about the crime spike and strain it has on law enforcement. 'May is getting bigger and bigger, like you said. And we did have a few incidents that could have went another direction. So as we move into next year, can we just take a deeper look at May and how it's affecting us, both manpower and financially,' she said. 'Honestly, I mean, people are exhausted.' * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. * * * Shelby Martin is a multimedia journalist who joined the News13 team in May 2025. Shelby is from Orange County, California, and graduated in 2023 from California State University, Fullerton. You can read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

'He was trying to help': Guest dies in stabbing at Anchorage hotel
'He was trying to help': Guest dies in stabbing at Anchorage hotel

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

'He was trying to help': Guest dies in stabbing at Anchorage hotel

Jun. 10—A 27-year-old was arrested Monday in the fatal stabbing of a man Saturday night at the Chelsea Inn Hotel in the Spenard neighborhood. Anchorage police said officers found 25-year-old Michael Kaskey in the lobby with what court documents described as a stab wound in his abdomen. He was pronounced dead despite lifesaving efforts from medics, they said. The hotel's owner said Kaskey was a guest helping control access. Matthew Alexie, 27, was arrested Monday on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering, police said. The stabbing occurred after Alexie, along with three others, approached the hotel on Saturday night, according to a sworn statement filed by Officer Troy Clark with the criminal complaint. Kaskey was collecting a $20 fee at the front door, it said. Kaskey confronted a woman in Alexie's group after she came through the door and didn't pay, the statement said. Alexie could be seen on surveillance video holding a large knife as the group approached the hotel, it said. A witness said Alexie tried to get between the woman and Kaskey, who pushed Alexie, Clark wrote. The witness said they saw Alexie "push" Kaskey back, the statement said, at which point Kaskey fell and rolled down the stairs. Alexie was pushed out of the hotel, according to the complaint. Surveillance video didn't show the pushing or stabbing but did show Alexie afterward, "posturing, while holding the knife," Clark wrote. The hotel's owner said the fee was established to limit the number of non-guests coming inside to use the bathroom or loiter inside. He said there may be 20 or 30 people in the parking lot some evenings. Police distributed photos of Alexie and the Chevrolet Suburban he left in to officers, the statement said. The police department did not publicly provide a detailed account of the incident until Monday evening. Police spokesman Chris Barraza on Tuesday said the timing of the account reflected when additional information was available and when the update was approved by the homicide unit. Officers tracked the Suburban to a Government Hill address, the statement said. That's where Alexie was arrested on Monday, Barraza said. Alexie was jailed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex as of Tuesday. His first court appearance was Monday afternoon. The Chelsea Inn and surrounding area have been the scene of numerous murder or attempted murder investigations in recent years including fatal shootings on Memorial Day in 2023 and in October 2020. The building managers and owners are cooperating with the police investigation, Barraza said. Owner Soo Seo said Tuesday that Alexie was known to staff and they may have been trying to keep the group out on Saturday night when the encounter occurred. Seo said he has struggled with managing the numbers of people who congregate in his parking lot, in numbers he described as 20 or 30 at times. He said he would like to see additional police patrols in the area. Kaskey was a guest who volunteered to help the front desk staff the night he was stabbed. "He was trying to help," Seo said.

No unaccompanied minors, only clear bags at Naperville's Last Fling this year
No unaccompanied minors, only clear bags at Naperville's Last Fling this year

Yahoo

time15 hours ago

  • Yahoo

No unaccompanied minors, only clear bags at Naperville's Last Fling this year

No unaccompanied minors will be allowed at Naperville's Last Fling this year, per new security measures announced by organizers on social media. Put on by the Naperville Jaycees, the annual Labor Day celebration is scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 1. With less than three months to go, the nonprofit social service club announced in a Facebook post that the event will have more safety requirements than in previous years, some of which are being dictated by the city. Among them is a provision that attendees under the age of 18 be accompanied by someone over the age of 25. One guardian will be able to supervise up to five minors. They have also instituted a clear bag policy, meaning only see-through and small clutch bags will be permitted. Bag storage will not be available and anyone with unapproved items will be turned away, organizers say. Further, all patrons will be subject to metal detector screenings. The announcement of the additional measures come days after organizers of the city's annual India Day Festival & Concert said they would be scaling back festivities this year amid rising costs from city-mandated security requirements. Bolstering safety measures at the Last Fling will impact the Jaycees 'significantly,' said Karen Coleman, the event's public relations and marketing chair. But the additional measures are also necessary for putting on the safest event possible, she said. 'We just need everyone to understand how important safety is to us,' she said. 'We would be devastated if something untoward happened at our event.' Asked about the financial impact of the added measures, Coleman said they were still figuring out the total cost but estimated it will be 'in the tens of thousands of dollars.' The new requirement for minor supervision was born out of crowd control issues related to minors in past years, Coleman said. As was the case previously, Last Fling will again be surrounded by fencing with gated entrances, Coleman said. The event's current location is along Jackson Avenue from Ewing Street to Main Street. However, the layout of the grounds may be altered next year, she said. 'The city of Naperville wants us to change the footprint of the event,' she said. Last Fling could move away from Jackson Avenue and take place at the Naperville Riverwalk's Rotary Hill instead. At this point, it's a possibility but 'not a done deal,' City Clerk Dawn Portner said. Like it does with every event in town, the city's special events team will evaluate the lessons learned from this year's Last Fling once it's over to determine if any changes need to be made for future events, Portner said. 'I think (one) of the issues that we're concerned with is compression,' she said. '(Last Fling) is a great event. It's a well-attended event, and we want to make sure that everyone who goes is safe. And if there is an incident that happens, that police can get in there (and) the fire department can get in there. … That's the way we look at it. 'Does it need a bigger location? Does it need a new location? Will (that) help if we do have compression issues? And if we have anything that we need to be concerned with, can we do it better? Is there a reason to do it better?' In an interview last week, Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said additional security requirements at large-scale events in town are 'something we've been really pushing towards for the past few years and are finally getting traction (on).' 'Outdoor events are big, big targets for those looking to do bad things,' Arres said, 'and they're increasingly vulnerable to mass violence. … (These recommendations) keep these events safe and can actually deter threats before they occur.' Coleman said this year's Last Fling will still be the staple Labor Day celebration that attendees know and love — just safer. 'We're not trying to ruin anyone's great time or change the perspective of this awesome, end-of-summer event,' she said. 'We're super excited for the Fling this year.' Updates and more information about Last Fling, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, can be found at tkenny@

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