Reward offered for information in fatal shooting of baby, 2 men

Stark County Crime Stoppers is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who committed any of the homicides that took place Tuesday night into Wednesday.

A toddler and two men were killed in three separate shootings that also left two other man and the toddler’s twin brother in local hospital emergency rooms, according to police.

Officers found two men shot at a Louisiana Place NW home, two more young men shot at a public housing complex on Pulley Place SE and then the toddlers shot at Clarendon Avenue SW.

No one has been arrested, but police continued to investigate the fatal shootings on Thursday.

The conditions of those who survived the shootings are unknown.

127 sex-related charges filed against 2 Lima-area men

The Allen County grand jury earlier this month handed down a combined 127 felony charges — including counts of rape, sexual contact with a minor and sexual battery — against two local men.

Scott Steffes, 38, of Lima, and Jeremy Kindle, 35, of Elida, were charged with 62 and 65 felony counts, respectively. The charges were based on a series of incidents that also led the executive director and two employees of the Allen County Children’s Service to be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Steffes, who is being held on $500,000 bond, faces charges that include two counts of rape, 25 counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, 28 counts of sexual battery, six counts of felonious assault and a single count of tampering with evidence.

Kindle is charged with 11 counts of rape, 11 counts of sexual battery, six counts of felonious assault, 17 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, 18 counts of sexual battery and single counts of felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Steffes is awaiting arraignment in Allen County Common Pleas Court. Kindle entered written pleas of not guilty to all charges on July 20. His next court appearance is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for 2 p.m. Aug. 4. He was ordered held on $750,000 bond.

3 Toledo council members take leave to address charges

Three of the four Toledo City Council members accused of taking part in a bribery and extortion scheme have agreed to temporary suspensions, according to the state attorney general’s office.

Tyrone Riley, Yvonne Harper and Larry Sykes will continue to get their annual $27,500 council salaries, and their temporary replacements will be paid the same salary on a pro-rated basis. If the council members plead guilty or are convicted of the charges, the city could recover any funds paid to them during their suspensions.

Gary Johnson, the fourth council member charged in the case, has not yet agreed to voluntarily suspend his position, officials said Wednesday.

The council members, all Democrats, and a private attorney are accused of roles in the scheme, which federal prosecutors have said encouraged soliciting and/or accepting cash and other things of value from business owners in exchange for favorable votes on issues before the council.

All five have maintained innocence. thier

Driver, tow truck operator killed while standing beside Ohio Turnpike

A Mentor man was one of two people killed late Tuesday night when they were hit by a pickup truck while on the side of the Ohio Turnpike, according to the State Highway Patrol.

The State Highway Patrol said Darren Hebner, 45, of Mentor, and Eric Ackerman, 44, of Sandusky, both were pronounced dead at the scene after the crash about 11:23 p.m.

Ackerman was a tow truck driver with Interstate Towing of Norwalk, according to troopers. He was helping Hebner load two Sea-doo watercraft from the trailer of Hebner’s disabled vehicle onto the tow truck when they were hit by a 2009 Chevrolet 2500 pickup.

The pickup hit the tow truck and trailer, becoming airborne and landing on its top in the right lane of the turnpike, troopers said. Ackerman was wearing a reflective vest and the overhead emergency lights on his truck were on when the crash occurred, according to troopers.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 30-year-old Bellevue resident, was treated at Mercy Health Hospital in Lorain for minor injuries, troopers said.