Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine poses with Honda employees after the unveiling of the 2023 Honda Accord during an event at the Honda Marysville Auto Plant on Jan. 5.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
SIDNEY — The Sidney Daily News is taking a final look at the year 2023.
Stories that made the news, in no particular order, include:
• At the beginning of the year, Honda marked 40 years of U.S. auto production and started production of the 2023 Honda Accord and Accord hybrid. The first Hondas made in the U.S. started with the 1983 Accord made at the Marysville Auto Plant.
• Shelby County Board of Elections Deputy Director Drew Higgins assumed his position on Jan. 9. Also in Board of Elections news, former Board of Elections member Chris Gibbs was nominated to return to the board as a Democrat to replace Jim Thompson and was denied by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. LaRose then approved the appointment of Dan Cecil to replace Republican James Kerg. Susan Dunson was approved to take the Democratic position after Gibbs was denied. Democrat Merrill Asher was approved to serve another four years on the board, but he resigned after 15 years of service, and Democrat Bill Wiley replaced him. Republican Douglas Pence also resigned, and Republican Jim Liggett replaced him.
• Former Sidney educator Tom Clark started a mentorship program at Sidney Middle School called Guys in TIES and Girls in PEARLS, which started with fifth-grade students and eventually extended to sixth-graders. The program teaches students core values like name/reputation, team, word and community.
• Interim Police Chief William Shoemaker retired on Aug. 2 after 26 years on the force. He held positions of sargeant and patrol captain before taking over for former Police Chief Will Balling, who retired in October of 2022. New Police Chief Mark McDonough started on Jan. 23, and Sidney PD’s first deputy police chief, Aaron Rode, started in July.
• A Shelby County grand jury decided not to indict the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Todd Jordan, 53, of Sidney, at Sidney Foodtown on Dec. 21, 2022. Jordan reportedly fired shots inside and outside the store and refused to follow officers’ orders, instead pulling a handgun and raising it toward officers when the officers shot him.
• On Feb. 21, the Sidney Daily News announced the reduction of printed editions each week to two days instead of the previous five days per week.
• Rudy Keister, the owner of Ruese Insurance Agency, received the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s Zenith Award. The award recognizes an individual who has dedicated themselves to a lifetime of community service to Shelby County, and criteria include activity in service groups, leadership efforts, philanthropy, community causes championed, civic participation, and overall volunteer commitment.
• Blaine Simpson, 17, of Sidney, a student at Anna High School, won two gold medals at the 2023 Junior Olympic National Pistol Championships and was named to the 2023 Junior World Cup and Junior World Championship teams for sport pistol and rapid-fire pistol.
• Scott Barr left his position as Shelby County United Way president and CEO and started at Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties as executive director. Karla Young became the new president and CEO of the United Way.
• Blackstone acquired a majority stake in Emerson Climate Technologies, and the new business was named Copeland.
• The former Wagner Manufacturing complex started being demolished in June.
• The Shelby County United Way awarded their Volunteer of the Year APEX Award to Mercy Mission House Executive Director Emily Neu and their Champion of the Year APEX Award to late Pastor John Geissler, the founder of Agape Distribution.
• Lashawn Dean Hughes, 48, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was arrested for the murder of Brandon Tyler Welsh, 32, of Eaton, after Hughes shot Welsh likely due to a road rage incident. Both were semi-truck operators.
• Raise the Roof for the Arts Executive Director Ian Hinz left the organization and Events and Advancement Manager Delaney Wilson assumed the role of interim executive director.
• Councilmember Mike Barhorst was elected Sidney’s mayor and current Vice Mayor Steve Wagner was reelected to the vice mayor position on Dec. 4. This will be Barhorst’s third term as Sidney mayor. Councilmember Jennifer VanMatre retained her council seat, and Councilmember Steve Klingler was replaced by Councilmember Cory Huelskamp.
• The Shelby County United Way campaign exceeded $1.4 million raised for the fourth time in the organization’s 66-year history.
• Ohio Issue 1 in the August special election failed. The issue would have required a 60% supermajority to pass future constitutional amendments rather than a simple majority. In the November general election, Ohio Issue 1 about abortion rights and Ohio Issue 2 about legalizing cannabis for recreational use passed.
