Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Feathers were flying on I-75

By Shelley Grieshop
About a dozen chickens took a chance on freedom Monday morning after the truck they were riding in overturned on Interstate 75 near Wapakoneta.
The driver did not claim injury.
According to the report from the Wapakoneta post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, James Holzatfel, 34, of Greenville, was driving a 2001 Volvo commercial truck and attempting to enter Interstate 75 southbound from U.S. 33 when the semi hauling 12,000 chickens spun out of control, overturned and slid across both southbound lanes.
The truck - owned by B&W Leasing of Hollandsburg - came to rest in the median, partly blocking the roadway and tying up traffic for several hours, the report said. Several dozen chickens died as a result of the accident, while others sprung from their cages and attempted to flee before being rounded up, officials said.
Troopers said the accident occurred because Holzatfel was driving too fast on the entrance ramp. He was cited for failure to control. The truck sustained severe damage.
The report also lists a second driver, Dennis Dane, 57, of Michigan, whose 2000 Mack truck sustained light damage in the incident. However, the report remained incomplete this morning and it wasn't clear how the second truck was involved.
Additional online stories on this date
Nicholas Schwieterman, the 22-year-old Chickasaw man charged in connection with the deaths of four area men, appeared in Celina Municipal Court on Monday afternoon to face four counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. [More]
MINSTER - Athletic Director Rob Vajda told Minster Local Schools board of education members Tuesday night he has concerns about use of the school weight room without the supervision of trained adults. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
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Mayor
Monday's front page story on community reactions to the fatal crash over the weekend is being rerun due to an error in page design. The story started
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Present deposits are $75 for gas and
ST. HENRY - School officials continue to discuss the importance of teaching technology and 21st century skills that are vital to a global marketplace.
Farmers in subwatersheds in Mercer, Auglaize counties have until April 8 to apply
The deadline for farmers in the Chickasaw Creek and Barnes Creek subwatersheds to sign up for funds to plant buffer strips they can harvest hay from and winter cover crops has been extended to April 8.
Local players received a number of honors as the District 8 Basketball Coaches Association announced its all-district team and selections for the senior all-star games.