COLUMBUS, Ohio —Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) announced Monday in a press release the creation of a working group to examine how missing persons cases are investigated and offer recommendations for improvement.
Members of the new Missing Persons Working Group will review and study Ohio’s resources and response to adult and juvenile missing persons cases including database usage, law enforcement staffing and training, and investigation best practices.
“Every life is valuable, which is why it is important to take these cases seriously,” said DeWine. “I’ve asked this group to examine different components of missing persons investigations to determine if the process can be improved. The ultimate goal here is to bring more missing people home safely. ”
The Missing Persons Working Group is led by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson.
The Missing Persons Working Group will convene its first meeting at the Ohio Department of Public Safety on January 2 at 1 p.m. Recommendations are expected to be issued at the end of April.
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Here is the Belmont County court docket for Tuesday, January 14 from the court website.
140 cases are scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change per the site, which states “that not all events may be represented in the event list. The court has discretion over the information displayed. Also, the user must be a party or associated with a party on the case for the event to be listed in the event list. If you do not see an event in the list, do not assume that it does not exist.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reflected on the progress made by his office in 2024 to fight the scourge throughout the state.
“Awareness is critical in educating the public that human trafficking happens anywhere and everywhere,” Yost said. “We’ve been focusing on demand reduction because without a buyer there is no human trafficking.”
Each year on Jan. 11, Yost’s office joins in solidary with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and many others to mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The observance is also known as Wear Blue Day, a chance for advocates in the fight against human trafficking to outwardly express that support by photographing themselves and others wearing blue and sharing those photos on social media (with the hashtag #WearBlueDay).
For Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI), the day also provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress made the previous year and anticipate future efforts.
Among other notable achievements in 2024, the HTI team launched Ohio’s first statewide hotline: 844-END-OHHT (844-363-6448). The dedicated line accepts tips about suspected human trafficking, and those tips are then funneled directly to law enforcement and/or others with experience in handling such cases.
The attorney general announced the hotline on Aug. 7 during the fifth annual Human Trafficking Summit, one of many training and educational initiatives led by his HTI team.
Also in 2024, the HTI team:
Conducted more than 45 training sessions, tailored to a variety of audiences, throughout Ohio.
Developed specialized training materials for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities focusing on healthy relationships, personal safety, and resources to prevent exploitation.
Contributed to comprehensive educational guides aimed at increasing community awareness of human trafficking among both adults and youths.
Successfully advocated for the passage of Senate Bill 214, which provides enhanced opportunities for Ohio survivors of human trafficking with criminal records to rebuild their lives and move forward.
“The fight is far from over,” Yost said. “But we’re making meaningful strides every day.”
WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Fire Department released its annual statistics for 2024. All departmental incidents for last year totaled 7,768 – a 3% increase from the prior year.
The department says the most significant event of 2024 was the consecutive Ohio River floods in April, which led to numerous rescue and service calls for those affected by the flooding, marking it as the busiest event of the year.
Other key moments included the department’s relocation from its Centre Wheeling headquarters in February, the resumption of work on a new headquarters in East Wheeling in the fall, and the installation of a Safe Haven baby box at Station 5 on Wheeling Island this past summer.
In 2024, the EMS division also acquired new equipment to improve patient care and safety, including automated CPR auto pulse devices, CPR training equipment, power stair chairs, and ballistic vests for responders.
“2024 presented distinct challenges with the temporary relocation of fire headquarters. The move early in the year brought a sense of nostalgia after being based in Centre Market for 45 years, while also generating excitement as we look forward to a new building in East Wheeling. Overall, the year was consistent with previous ones, with a slight call volume increase. Despite the relocation and other obstacles, we were able to get the job done,” Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier said.
Calls for service are categorized in nine areas by the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Code Guide: Fires, Overpressure/Overheat (or no fire), Medical/EMS calls, Hazardous Conditions, Service Calls, Good Intent Calls, False Alarm/False Calls, Severe Weather and Special Incidents.
Medical/EMS-related incidents make up the majority of WFD’s call volume, representing 65% of all department-related calls. This category saw a slight increase of 1.7% compared to the previous year. In total, 5,086 calls were recorded in 2024.
All other categories increased, except for fires, which remained unchanged from the previous year (95 total), and the overpressure/overheat category decreased slightly. On average, the WFD responds to about 100 fire-related incidents annually.
In the upcoming year, the fire department aims to finish and open its new headquarters at the corner of 17th and Wood Streets in East Wheeling, unveil a new rescue truck, hire several new classes of firefighters, and further enhance EMS education.
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Here is the Belmont County court docket for Monday, January 13 from the court website.
49 cases are scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change per the site, which states “that not all events may be represented in the event list. The court has discretion over the information displayed. Also, the user must be a party or associated with a party on the case for the event to be listed in the event list. If you do not see an event in the list, do not assume that it does not exist.”
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Here is the Belmont County court docket for Friday, January 10
from the court website.
1 case is scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change per the site, which states “that not all events may be represented in the event list. The court has discretion over the information displayed. Also, the user must be a party or associated with a party on the case for the event to be listed in the event list. If you do not see an event in the list, do not assume that it does not exist.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Legislation co-written by Attorney General Dave Yost’s office and signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Mike DeWine cracks down on crime rings that steal billions of dollars of merchandise from Ohio retailers each year, fueling higher prices for consumers, according to a press release from the Ohio AG’s office.
“Consumers bear the cost when organized retail theft goes unchecked,” Yost said. “With this law, we aim to make sure the thieves are the ones who pay the price.”
The Fight Organized Retail Crime and Empower Law Enforcement Act targets theft rings with stiffer criminal penalties and creates a new statewide task force and an advisory council within the Attorney General’s Office. Yost’s office crafted the law in partnership with the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Ohio Chamber of Commerce. State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari and state Sen. George Lang sponsored the legislation.
The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants estimates that organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually. The crime typically involves groups stealing large amounts of merchandise from multiple stores and selling the items for profit. To offset the losses, some retailers have little choice but to raise prices.
The law creates a new felony offense of organized retail theft, with penalties escalating based on the value of the stolen merchandise. It also enhances penalties for repeat theft offenders, setting a minimum fourth-degree felony charge for thefts committed by individuals who have a felony-theft conviction within the previous three years.
“These criminals rely on safety in numbers, but it’s a false sense of security,” Yost said. “We now can charge them as a group, making it easier to convict and imprison thieves who target retailers as part of a crime ring.”
Along with tougher penalties, the law establishes a new task force under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission to investigate organized retail theft statewide. To support the task force, the law calls for the formation of the Organized Retail Theft Advisory Council, a group consisting of the attorney general and representatives from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants and Ohio Grocers Association, among others.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Law enforcement task forces organized under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) confiscated more than $92 million in illegal drugs in 2024, along with 560 firearms and $4.7 million in currency, according to Ohio Attorney General Yost.
“The number of illegal drugs and weapons taken off our streets this year is impressive thanks to our drug task forces, but the true measure of their success is the countless lives spared from overdoses and addiction,” Yost said. “I’m grateful to every sheriff and police chief, along with our federal partners, who fuel our efforts to thwart drug trafficking.”
OOCIC task forces have seized more than 288,000 prescription pills, 1,154 pounds of fentanyl, 1,994 pounds of cocaine and 2,334 firearms since 2019.
Graphic courtesy of Ohio Attorney General’s Office
One notable drug seizure happened in Belmont County in October. On Oct. 2, agents from the Belmont, Jefferson, Harrison Major Drug Interdiction Task Force executed a search warrant in Belmont County that led to the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of two firearms, including a gun that was previously stolen. Agents also seized 222 grams of fentanyl, 135 grams of cocaine and 157 doses of Suboxone.
Another major bust happened in Jefferson County. On Oct. 15, the task force executed a series of search warrants in Jefferson County, with an emphasis on a storage building in Wintersville. Inside, investigators located cocaine, fentanyl, two firearms and currency. Also seized from the storage unit were three vehicles, including a Bentley, Audi and a three-wheeled motorcycle.
At a residence in Steubenville, five additional vehicles were seized along with three firearms. Investigators found cocaine and fentanyl inside one of the vehicles. In total, 6.22 kilograms of cocaine and 3.94 fentanyl were sized, along with $167,000.
The task force includes the sheriff’s offices of Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson counties, FBI, and the prosecutor’s offices of Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson counties.
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Here is the Belmont County court docket for Thursday, January 9 from the court website.
129 cases are scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change per the site, which states “that not all events may be represented in the event list. The court has discretion over the information displayed. Also, the user must be a party or associated with a party on the case for the event to be listed in the event list. If you do not see an event in the list, do not assume that it does not exist.”
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Here is the Belmont County court docket for Wednesday, January 8 from the court website.
78 cases are scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change per the site, which states “that not all events may be represented in the event list. The court has discretion over the information displayed. Also, the user must be a party or associated with a party on the case for the event to be listed in the event list. If you do not see an event in the list, do not assume that it does not exist.”
