Some recent work by the Groveport Police Department has resulted in arrests as well as a successful prosecution.
Recently Groveport Detective Del Dalton responded to a burglary on Lesleh Avenue where a home had been broken into and a firearm stolen. Dalton investigated the scene and used photos, shoe prints, and the collection of DNA evidence – recovered from where the suspect had been wounded making entry to the house – to narrow down the suspect to a person who was also thought to be involved in two other area thefts. During interrogation, this suspect confessed to all three crimes.
"This was a great job by the patrol bureau for conducting a good initial investigation and Detective Dalton for his determined follow up efforts," wrote Groveport Police Lt. Bary Murphy in a report to Groveport Village Council.
Also, according to Murphy, on March 5, a suspect plead guilty to gross sexual imposition involving a minor, on a case investigated by Groveport Detective Mike Sturgill, that happened on Green Avenue in May 2007. Related to this matter, Dublin Police responded in November 2007 to a call about the same suspect allegedly watching children near an elementary school.
"Based on part because of our pending case, Dublin arrested (the suspect) and charged him with multiple counts of (alleged) sexual offenses," noted Murphy.
School resource officer report
Groveport School Resource Officer Chris Gyke reported that in February there were 19 fights/assaults/disturbances at Groveport Madison High School. This compares to five in February 2007.
Since the beginning of the 2007-08 school year there have been 140 fights/assaults/disturbances at the high school.
Variance approved for school
At its March 10 meeting, Groveport Village Council approved an ordinance to grant a use variance to School House Finance – which operates Groveport Community School located at 4485 S. Hamilton Road – for an additional charter school at 4085 Venture Place. The school plans to convert the former Nifco property, which sits behind the existing school, into middle school classrooms and labs for grades 7 and 8. A gymnasium addition is also proposed for the site.
Groveport Community School currently operates a charter school for grades 1-6. The proposed middle school would increase the number of students in the Groveport Community School complex from 350 to 650. School officials hope to have the middle school project completed by August 2008.
Included in the ordinance are requirements that the school conduct a traffic study within 90 days to measure the amount of increased traffic, generated by the school complex’s growth, into an already busy Venture Place/Homer Ohio Lane/State Route 317 intersection.
Other Groveport news
•EMH&T will conduct survey work in the next couple of weeks for new eight inch water lines along Seymour Street, Crescent Drive, Delane Road, and Hanstein Place. The new water lines are planned to be installed in 2009 and will replace existing two and four inch water lines.
•Council approved an ordinance to issue requests for qualifications and to contract with the most desirable firm to develop a parks master plan.
Village Administrator Jon Crusey stated $30,000 has been appropriated in the five year capital improvement plan for the development of a parks master plan.
"The purpose of the parks master plan," reported Crusey, "is to identify possible ideas for the long range continued enhancement of the village’s park system."
Groveport has nine parks encompassing approximately 195 acres.
•Mayor Lance Westcamp praised the Public Works Department for its good work in clearing the village’s streets during and following the blizzard-like snowstorm on March 7-8.
"They did a heckuva job," said Westcamp.
