June 20, 2026
Volume VIII, Issue 25
• On Tuesday, the Lucas County Commissioners voted 2-1 to table discussion of a proposal to determine the costs of implementing a direct supervision design for the Lucas County Jail, with Sobecki dissenting. The proposal came from Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre and was tabled citing a need for broader budget conversations.
• Also on Tuesday, the Lucas County Republican Party erroneously published an obituary for former Toledo mayor Donna Owens. It was retracted later when it was discovered to be false. Owens is alive and well and turns 90 years of age this August.
• On Wednesday, the University of Toledo (UT) Board of Trustees voted to approve a $1.2 billion budget as well as implementing a requirement that all undergraduates to complete a co-op or internship, regardless of major. The board also approved new degree programs including an associate of science in general science, a bachelor of business administration in financial technology, and a bachelor of business administration in business analytics and artificial intelligence.
• Also on Wednesday, Toledo City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee voted to recommend council approve a proposed Sheetz gas station at Monroe Street and Nantuckett Drive; the body also voted to recommend council vote against a special use permit for a 24-hour Speedway gas station at 1322 Bernath Parkway.
• In further Wednesday news, police arrested 20-year-old Ka Nye Taylor in Columbus, Ohio. Taylor is the second suspected shooter involved with the June 6 shooting at the Old West End Festival that injured twelve people and was extradited to the Lucas County Jail later in the week.
• On Thursday, local officials announced that the City of Toledo has received a $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to support its Lead-Based Paint Program. The funds will be used to provide grants to landlords who need assistance complying with the lead-safe ordinance.
• Also on Thursday, city officials unveiled new access to public bathrooms at Ottawa Park’s skating rink in an effort to provide better service to park attendees. The project cost $110,000, with $90,000 coming from Toledo City Council’s District Improvement Program and $20,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
• In further Thursday news, the Toledo Board of Honor voted 3-2 to recommend that Toledo City Council remove the dedication to Msgr. Jerome Schmit Way on North St. Clair and Washington Streets based on allegations that he disrupted police investigations into the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl by Father Gerald Robinson.
• On Friday, Toledo Police Chief Mike Troendle announced the findings of two recent internal investigations into two high-publicity officer interactions. The officer depicted using force to arrest a 15-year-old girl was exonerated, while two officers who traded barbs with teenagers during a stop received disciplinary action for violating department policies around discourteous treatment. Officer Zachary Cairl received a 15-day suspension without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer.
• Also on Friday, Stephen Taylor, founder of Taylor Automotive, announced that the company is now employee-owned using an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The company includes three Kia dealerships, three Hyuandai dealerships, Taylor Cadillac, and a collision center.
• The Ohio state capital budget will include $500,000 for updates and renovations to the Valentine Theatre and $300,000 for new roofing and windows at the Collingwood Arts Center. The Valentine will also receive $250,000 in reappropriated state funds.
• Following a survey on civic engagement conducted by Bowling Green State University’s Center for Regional Development, the City of Toledo has hired former human relations commissioner Caryn Maloney to deepen civic engagement from the public. Plans include modernizing the city’s boards and commissions with better standards, training, and processes and developing a municipal volunteer program.
• The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has allocated $600,000 to contract with Littoral Services for the development of a master plan for the city’s waterfront. The plan is expected to be completed in about 18 months.
• Neighbors report that three men dumped hundreds of used tires from a black pickup truck onto the yard of a vacant property on Dunloe Court. Neighbors have reported the activity using Engage Toledo and are awaiting a response from the city.
• On Sunday (June 21) at 5:30 p.m., Patrick Bronson from Metroparks Toledo will provide a free talk titled “The Battle of Fallen Timbers from the Indigenous Perspective” at Sweet Nate’s Café (27 Broadway St.)
• Next Wednesday (June 24), the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library will host “pop-up” listening sessions to collect neighborhood feedback for the new South Toledo branch library being built on Detroit Avenue near Glendale. The sessions will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Area Office on Aging (2125 Arlington Ave.), from 12:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Kroger (2555 Glendale Ave.), and from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at Lickity Split (2021 Glendale Ave.)
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