Taking it to the Streets

MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon News delivery personnel will be stopping at five new homes each week through Dec. 9, with complimentary copies of Knox County's only local content driven newspaper.

MOUNT VERNON — The Woodward Development Corp., the downtown arts development organization managing the restoration of the Woodward Opera House, has announced plans to open the Shoppe@TheWoodward.

DANVILLE — For the Danville Blue Devils, the 52nd annual Devil-Dog game meant more than just a shot at a home playoff game. It meant claiming the trophy for the sixth straight year.

COLUMBUS — The Danville Blue Devils will play another day.

PICKERINGTON — Area runners experienced both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows Saturday in the Regional meet at Pickerington North.

HILLIARD — After the first few minutes, it looked like the Centerburg Trojans were headed to another district title.

HILLIARD — It was a bittersweet Saturday for the Highland Scots girls volleyball team, whose magical ride was finally ended by powerful Bishop Hartley, 25-17, 25-21, 25-9, in the OHSAA Division II Central District Championship at Hilliard Bradley High School.

MOUNT VERNON — Six people, including three members of the Knox County Sheriff's Office, were sent to the hospital following the discovery of an active meth lab in Apple Valley.

MOUNT VERNON — Although there are some differences among how different city departments keep track of their inventories, those differences are relatively small.

MOUNT VERNON — The annual Christmas Parade and Walk auction Thursday raised $6,535.

GAMBIER — A new center for the visual arts opens to the Knox County community on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Gund Gallery on the Kenyon College campus.

MOUNT VERNON — As the weather cools each fall, strange objects spring up in yards and right-of-way strips around the city.

DANVILLE — When Danville and East Knox tangle for the Devil-Dog Trophy, you can usually throw out the records.

MOUNT VERNON — Complaining about the officials is as old as the first football game ever played. Just like the weather, everyone complains about them at one time or another.

Russell C. Friend

MOUNT VERNON — Six people, including three members of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, were sent to the hospital following the discovery of an active meth lab in Apple Valley.

According to Sheriff David Barber, 37-year-old Russell C. Friend of 604 Lakeview Heights Drive, Howard, was arrested Thursday and is in the Knox County Jail on charges of illegal possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs.

Barber said at approximately 2:45 p.m. Thursday, two detectives and a uniformed deputy contacted Friend at his residence as part of an ongoing drug investigation totally unaware that a meth lab was in operation inside the house. At that time, after failing to tell officers that chemicals were “cooking” adjacent to where they were standing, Friend opened a door at which time a cloud of chemical vapors covered the three officers. Also exposed to the chemicals were the suspect and his two small children, who all were immediately removed from the house.

The Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District and EMS units responded to the scene and after decontamination at the scene transported the detectives, deputy, suspect and the children to Knox Community Hospital for evaluation. All were later released from the hospital with the children being taken into the custody of Knox County Children Services and the suspect to jail.

Barber said certified clandestine meth lab officers from Knox and Ashland counties, who are part of the Metrich Enforcement Unit, responded to the scene to evaluate and remove the meth lab from the residence.

This investigation is continuing and Barber expects additional charges to be filed against Friend once the case is turned over to the Knox County Prosecutor’s Office.

MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Police arrested two men this morning after they were observed breaking into the Elks Lodge at 32 Public Square.

While on foot patrol at about 3:30 a.m., Sgt. Troy Glazier observed two suspects enter the rear of the Elks building. A few minutes later, he observed suspects, Roy Reynolds, 63, Columbus, and B.J. Coleman, 41, Columbus, exiting from the back door of the building. Glazier approached the men, but they ran off.

Both men were subsequently apprehended by Glazier with the assistance of other officers, and they are currently in the Knox County Jail awaiting charges.