The Beacon
BY PHIL WHEELER
It is the middle of winter in Ohio. Snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles could be seen and heard as they zoomed across the ice of Lake Erie. Tent cities had begun to sprout up, the Lake Erie ice fishing was luring crowds of anglers, and past history was ample proof accidents could happen.
The United States Coast Guard crews at the Marblehead Station have to be ready in winter for mishaps on the ice. To make sure the crews and equipment are always ready, each year the hardy officers head out on the Lake Erie ice to conduct ice rescue training.
Some fishermen are already heading out from Catawba Island State Park, South Bass Island, and Camp Perry to access the ice, and test the waters for walleye.
The Beacon
BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN
If Covid-19 hasn’t been enough of a scourge around Ottawa County for the past year, state and federal ineptitude and an army of eager scammers are making life miserable.
As the pandemic continues to rage, scammers are proliferating. And they’re becoming better at stealing from people who spend time on the Internet and have their identities stolen, look for bargains online or are careless when visiting various websites.
The Better Business Bureau of Toledo reports that a staggering 80.5% of consumers who reported online purchase scams in the last year lost money.