NORTHWOOD
Funding approved to replace police car
Vehicle destroyed by drunken driver
2/19/2013Northwood City Council has authorized spending $22,375 to replace a police cruiser that was damaged beyond repair by a crash involving a drunken driver.
Council approved the expenditure at its regular meeting last week. The crash took place Oct. 26 when Officer Michael Schwanbeck’s vehicle was stopped in the right lane of southbound I-280, south of Navarre Avenue, with the emergency lights activated. Shortly before midnight, the police vehicle was struck in the rear by a southbound car traveling in the right-hand lane.
The driver of the southbound car, Melody Bower, 33, of Northwood, was convicted of driving under the influence, fined $800, and served six days in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, according to Oregon Municipal Court records. Officer Schwanbeck was treated at Bay Park Community Hospital, Oregon.
Northwood Administrator Bob Anderson said the cruiser was a write-off. Council approved the new-vehicle purchase as a supplemental appropriation. Council also renewed, for $2,000, its recreation agreement with the YMCA and JCC of Greater Toledo for 2013.
In other business, council authorized a special-events permit for a monster truck display from 3 to 7 p.m. March 7 at Woodville Auto Finance, 4510 Woodville Rd. Mike Tawil, the business owner, told members he planned to hire at least one off-duty police officer to provide security at the event.
Mayor Mark Stoner reported to council that fines, forfeitures, and costs collected by Northwood Mayor’s Court amounted to $11,279 during January, and Fire Chief Joel Whitmore recommended the appointment of Edward LeMay of Venice Drive as a probationary firefighter.
In his report, Mr. Anderson said an ordinance addressing the sale of a small, city-owned lot on Gardner Road would be on the agenda for the Feb. 28 meeting.
Mr. Anderson also said he wanted to schedule a meeting of council’s service committee to discuss drainage issues in the Greenway Estates subdivision.