Former Archbold Elementary principal to serve on panel

10/18/2006

Former Archbold Elementary School Principal Mike Sullivan was selected to serve as a Fulton County Crime Stopper trustee, and in the same meeting this month the trustees made their first reward for a crime tip in more than 3 1/2 years.

Mr. Sullivan becomes one of the six trustees who meet monthly to choose which crimes will be publicized as Crime Stoppers with reward money and to decide which tips are worthy of cash rewards. He was named a trustee by a 4-0 vote; trustee John Winzeler was absent.

Mr. Sullivan, who was principal at Archbold for 21 years and has also been an interim principal in the Pettisville, Evergreen, and Wauseon school districts, replaces Lawrence Short as a trustee. Mr. Short resigned in May after 19 years on the board. Trustee terms are not for a set period of time.

Also at the trustees' Oct. 4 meeting, the board authorized a $200 reward to Randy Hardee of Fayette for information that led to the recovery of stolen firearms and other personal items taken from the James Walker residence near Lyons last fall.

Mr. Hardee heard about a person in Lenawee County who was attempting to sell guns matching the description of those taken in the burglary, according to a Crime Stopper news release. He made several calls to the seller to make sure he had the right guns and then notified the Fulton County Sheriff's office.

As a result, Greg Beaverson was convicted of possession of stolen property, and authorities are investigating the involvement of a second suspect.

The Crime Stopper program, begun in 1984 in Fulton County, has often given about one reward a year, but the cash given to Mr. Hardee was the first reward made since March, 2003, according to Marcia Hartman, a secretary to the trustees.