UNDERAGE DRIVER WRECKS TRUCK
• The sheriff’s office says a pair of teenagers driving around smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat wrecked their truck last night, and the 15-year-old behind the wheel didn’t have a license. Deputies called about 7:30 p.m. to the 700 block of Pleasant Valley Road learned the boys were southbound when they struck a ditch, then a pole, then another ditch, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 1994 Chevrolet pickup was totaled, Sgt. Rob Snaza said. It belonged to the 16-year-old passenger, according to Snaza. As many as five mailboxes on Haywire and Pleasant Valley Roads were damaged. The case is being referred to juvenile prosecutors for charging decisions, according to the sheriff’s office.
FROM THE COURTHOUSE
• A 42-year-old Toledo woman will return to court next Thursday to make her plea in a public assistance fraud case. Kelly M. Hanson is alleged to have given false information to the state and collected $5,419 more in food assistance than she qualified for for the 13 months that ended in April 2012 but was just charged last month and summonsed to appear in court this week, according to court documents. A judge on Tuesday afternoon allowed her to remain free on a $5,000 signature bond pending trial. According to charging documents, Hanson collected medical and food benefits for herself and three children and authorities got suspicious in late 2011 the father was residing with them as well. Investigators learned Ty Hanson – her husband, and the children’s father – opened a construction business listing the same address where his wife reported living, but she didn’t report to DSHS he was a member of the household, or any household income beyond $1,000 a month in child support, according to the allegations. Kelli Hanson terminated her food and medical benefits in March 2012, but an investigation was already underway, the documents show. The state computed what they believed was an overpayment to her by looking at his gross revenue filed with the state Department of Revenue. Kelli Hanson is charged with first-degree theft of public assistance [1], a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and also charged with false public assistance verification, a felony with a maximum penalty of 10 years.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, collision on city street, violation of protection order, inquiry on child custody dispute … and more.