Ohio
Ohio Supreme Court asked to force vote on elections board challenge
Columbus, Ohio top headlines of the week
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
An attorney representing a woman challenging whether a Delaware County Board of Elections member lives in Ohio has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to force the remaining three elections board members to vote on the challenge.
The filing with the state’s high court came four days after the county elections board did not hold a hearing on the residency challenge against board member Melanie Leneghan, who is also the female District 19 representative for the Republican State Central Committee.
The elections board did not hold the residency hearing during its March 5 meeting or take any action on the challenge because the board’s two Democrats, Ed Helvey and Peg Watkins, recused themselves over concerns that any action they took could be seen as partisan.
Leneghan also recused herself, leaving only the board’s other Republican member, Steve Cuckler. As a result, the board didn’t have the required three members needed for a quorum.
Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee member Velva Dunn is challenging Leneghan’s right to vote in Ohio and her candidacy for reelection to the central committee in the May primary. In her challenge, Dunn alleges that Leneghan lives in South Carolina.
Leneghan, a former Liberty Township trustee, sold her home near Powell in January 2025. She is registered to vote in Galena, the elections board’s website shows.
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Leneghan told The Dispatch on March 3 that she spends the majority of her time in Ohio, though she travels out of state for her sales job and owns property elsewhere, including in South Carolina, where she visits her daughter in college.
Dunn’s attorney, Curt Hartman, argued in the Supreme Court filing that Helvey and Watkins do not have a direct and personal interest in the challenge and their recusals, “while admirable in terms of seeking to put beyond reproach any perception of bias, is not sufficient to justify their recusal in this instance.”
Unlike when a judge or a prosecutor recuses themselves and appoints a visiting judge or special prosecutor, Hartman argued there is no mechanism or process outlined in Ohio law regarding recusals on boards of election, which are comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans. Hartman alleged that the Ohio Secretary of State does not have legal authority to consider such matters instead of the elections board.
Because there is no other remedy, Hartman argues in the filing that the other three board members have a clear legal duty to hold and conduct the hearing as required by Ohio law.
Hartman is also asking the Supreme Court to force the hearing because Leneghan is seeking reelection to the state central committee in the upcoming May 5 primary election.
In a March 11 response, the elections board’s special counsel, Frank J. Reed Jr., says that the legal concept Hartman is arguing doesn’t apply in these circumstances.
Reed also wrote that Helvey’s and Watkins’s actions were proper under the Ohio Secretary of State’s Ethics Policy for Ohio elections boards. The policy, in part, states: “Members and employees of the boards of elections should avoid actions and associations that create an appearance of impropriety, that undermine public confidence in Ohio elections officials, or that interfere with the performance of duties by Ohio elections officials.”
Now, the case is up to the justices to make a decision. The docket does not indicate when that would happen.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
NEW RICHMOND, Ohio (WXIX) – Rescue crews have located a body in their search of the Ohio River for a kayaker who vanished in the water Thursday afternoon, according to the New Richmond Fire and EMS.
Around 12 p.m. Sunday, New Richmond Fire and EMS says they located a body during the search.
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The discovery comes after a 28-year-old man went missing in the Ohio River when a boat flipped around 4 p.m., just off U.S. Route 52 in New Richmond, according to the fire department.
The body was found near Mile Marker 449.1 in the area of the 800 block of Washington Street.
Officials say the scene was immediately turned over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
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No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said.
Gunfire erupted Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims.
No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said, and officials urged people who were at the festival to come forward with any photos or videos on their phones for possible leads.
The shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and home tours.
Heffernan said it appeared that at least two people fired weapons and they were “probably shooting at each other.”
Two of the victims were in critical condition, Heffernan added. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 61, with most of them in their early 20s.
“I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence.”
Multiple videos posted to social media showed people running amid the sound of gunshots and emergency officials tending to others who appeared wounded.
Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said it was difficult to get to the hospital due to closed roads and traffic from people leaving the festival, but emergency responders were able to transport all patients from the scene within an hour.
Kevin Berry was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard a handful of gunshots ring out.
“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.
When Berry looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet (15 meters) away from him. Officers who were already on site for the festival responded immediately.
Berry, who has medical training and served in the Navy, walked around looking for anyone who might need help and saw at least five people with gunshot wounds.
“The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he said.
The Old West End Festival is a two-day celebration in Toledo’s historic district that includes live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping. Berry described it as the “kick-off to Toledo’s summer festival season.”
George Kral, safety director for the city, said officials were discussing with organizers whether it would continue through the weekend.
“This is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo,” he said, “and it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it.”
TOLEDO, Ohio – Twelve people were shot, including two who suffered critical injuries, during a shooting near Toledo’s annual Old West End Festival.
The incident occurred on Saturday (June 6) in Ohio.
Update: Police: Victims in Toledo festival shooting range in age from 14 to 61
Deputy Chief Joseph Heffernan said officers responded to reports of gunfire at about 5:37 p.m. near the popular community festival, which is held annually in Toledo.
Heffernan said police were already in the area when the shooting occurred and responded immediately.
Preliminary information indicates that at least two shooters were involved and may have been firing at one another.
Investigators believe the exchange of gunfire resulted in 12 people being struck by bullets.
“Officers were quick to respond. They were right there when the shots were coming out,” Heffernan said.
Two victims were reported in critical condition, while the conditions of the remaining victims were not immediately available.
Heffernan said police secured the scene and began processing evidence shortly after the shooting.
Officials said they have collected evidence and are actively pursuing leads.
The investigation remains in its early stages, and no suspects have been taken into custody as of Saturday evening.
“We’re still very early in the investigative process,” Heffernan said.
The Old West End Festival is an annual event that draws large crowds to one of Toledo’s historic neighborhoods.
Police said the scene was being dismantled as investigators completed their initial processing, but the investigation remains active.
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