Safety Tips

Marion Sail & Power Squadron is beginning their six-week boating class on Tuesday, February 14 at Tri-Rivers. Anyone born after January 1st 1982 is required to take a class for state certification of a wave runner, ski-do, or a boat.

The Crawford-Marion ADAMH board and the Marion County Opiate Task force, in partnership with Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey and Marion Police Chief Tom Bell, have announced the installation of permanent pharmaceutical drop boxes to give citizens the opportunity to turn in controlled substances and unused or expired prescription medications year-round.

Today, January 25, 2012, is the kick off date for Ohio residents to take a challenge writing a thirty-second railroad radio safety script. Shel Senek, State Coordinator for Ohio Operation Lifesaver a national non-profit public safety education organization is sponsoring a special challenge with a goal to prevent needless tragedies at railroad crossings and along the railroad rights-of-way.

State Fire Marshal Larry Flowers announced Monday that Ohio’s fire fatalities hit a 25-year low in 2011. The number of fire-related fatalities dropped nearly 18% from 2010 to 2011.

During the 2011 calendar year, 126 fire-related fatalities were recorded by the Division of State Fire Marshal through reports from Ohio’s fire departments, the State Fire Marshal’s Fire & Explosion Investigation Bureau and the media.

The Marion Police Department reports they are seeing a continuing rise in burglaries being committed in the City of Marion. TV’s and video game systems are frequently the targets of the thefts. Also, copper pipes and wiring are being taken from homes. The thefts and burglaries are occurring at all times of the day and throughout the City of Marion.

Ohio youth in grades kindergarten through 12 are invited to participate in the State of Ohio's Kids Safe Online poster contest. The contest, sponsored by the Office of Information Security and Privacy of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, is part of a national contest held in collaboration with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center to promote safe and secure Internet usage among young people.

Ohio Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor is encouraging Ohioans to check insurance coverage and policies related to winter weather.  Taylor reminds Ohioans that winterizing homes and cars will likely save time and money.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is asking driver to exercise caution as the weather takes a wintery turn. ODOT says there will be lots of plows on all interstates, state and US Routes in Central Ohio this afternoon and all night long.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month, a time to focus on a crime that affects 3.4 millions victims a year. Joan Markley, one of Turning Point’s Victims’ Rights Advocates, shares that she has seen an increase in stalking cases.

New Year’s Holiday fatalities have increased over last year’s holiday weekend. During this New Year’s Holiday reporting period of Midnight, Friday, December 30, 2011 through 11:59 p.m., Monday January, 2, 2012, 13 people were killed on Ohio’s roadways.