Groveport Messenger - October 17th, 2021

PAGE 14 - GROVEPORT MESSENGER - October 17, 2021
Madison Christian donates to Motts
The Madison Christian School Athletic Department presented a $1,375 check to
Motts Military Museum in memory of Marion and Ruth Gray. The funds came from
proceeds of the school’s annual Marion and Ruth Gray Cross Country Invitational,
which took place on Sept. 25. Marion and Ruth Gray were founding members of
Madison Christian Church and donated the land where the church and school
stand today. Marion served in World War II as a combat medic on the beaches of
Normandy and was a great supporter of the Motts Military Museum. Pictured here,
from left to right, are: Carole Witosky (MCS athletics admin. assistant), Wendy
Souzis (MCS athletics admin. assistant), Lori Byrd (Motts Military Museum assistant
director), Warren Motts (Motts Military Museum founder/director), Andy Scholz
(MCS athletic director), and Mike Egenreider (MCS head of school).
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Township reviews 2022 budget
By Linda Dillman
Staff Writer
Madison Township officials are planning
for next year’s capital projects and
vehicle expenses in the 2022 budget.
According to Madison Township
Administrator Susan Brobst, general fund
spending could include resurfacing the
parking lot from the police department to
the public works building, new fencing at
the ball diamonds in Brobst Park, and
cameras installed at the park and on all
buildings.
The projected cost for the parking lot
between the administrative building and
public works is $35,000 to $40,000. The
estimated cost for the police department
lot is $32,000.
The Public Works Department is seeking
$210,000 for road improvements. To
pay for the project, the township is up
against 1,300 other townships vying for a
piece of an $8 million state pie.
Madison Township Public Works
Superintendent Dave Watkins said he
would like to upgrade a trailer and purchase
an excavator to help with repairs.
“We’re heavily looking at park drainage
improvements,” Brobst said, “but we have
not allotted any township money for that.
We hope to work with our state representative
for that.”
Madison Township Fire Chief Derek
Robinson said his department held off on
capital projects this year due to increased
costs and difficulty obtaining materials, so
2021 projects were rolled over to 2022. On
the list are radio repeaters, in-house remodeling
and a 2023 purchase of a new medic.
Madison Township Police Chief Gary
York said his department is looking at
interior remodeling, including adapting
current offices as a secure processing room.
On the police department’s vehicle list
are two new cruisers. In addition, a number
of the department’s radios are outdated
at least 10 years and York said he wants to
slowly start replacing them.
However, when asked how the new
radios might impact communication with
A house fire led to the discovery of a
murder victim.
According to information from the
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept.
30 at 1:24 p.m. the Madison Township Fire
Department and Madison Township Police
responded to a house fire at in the 3500
block of Noe-Bixby Road in Madison
Township. The first responders found a
deceased female victim in the basement of
the house tentatively identified as
Fatoumata Diallo, 32. She was pronounced
dead at the scene by responding fire
department medics. There were two children
in the home at the time of the fire,
however, the Sheriff’s Office stated the
children were unharmed.
According to the Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office, State Fire Marshal’s Office
Fairfield County and coverage of the Canal
Winchester area, York said the issue is not
with the township radios–which are dispatched
through Franklin County. The
issue is a failure between two different
communication systems between Fairfield
County and township officers. He said calls
for service in Canal Winchester are routed
down to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s
Office in Lancaster and then dispatched to
the deputies in Canal Winchester, which
could impact response times. To fill in the
gap, York said township officers have additional
portable radios that monitor
Fairfield County, but they cannot scan the
Fairfield County radio system on their
main township radios.
“Their deputies on scene may ask their
dispatcher to call us, but at the end of the
day, it’s two different radio systems,” said
York.
Trustee Chairman John Pritchard
called the issue a two-fold problem, not just
for township residents in Canal
Winchester, but for officers as well.
“I don’t understand why Fairfield
County is behind,” said Pritchard. “One of
these days, it’s going to cost a life. Right
now, we’re monitoring the best we can and
offer assistance.”
Pritchard recalled an incident a few
years ago when township officers were eating
lunch in Canal Winchester and there
was a bank robbery not far away from
them. The only reason they knew something
was going on is when they saw cruisers
flying past them.
“Our taxpayers deserve better than
this,” said Trustee Michele Reynolds.
Other news
•Watkins said a recent tire drive collected
586 old tires.
•The fire department received a $6,245
donation from the Knowlton Development
Corporation to purchase an inflatable fire
safety house that can be taken on the road
to students.
“It’s going to be a great resource for our
department,” said Robinson. “We’re going to
be one of the first to have something like this.”
Fire and murder on Noe-Bixby Road
investigators and Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office detectives investigating the
case “discovered evidence at the scene that
the victim had been strangled and set
ablaze. Investigators arrested and
charged the victim’s husband, Mamadou
Aliou Diallo, 41, with alleged aggerated
arson, murder and tampering with evidence.
He is currently being held in the
Franklin County Jail.”
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is
investigating the case with the assistance
of Franklin County Sheriff’s Office detectives.
Investigators ask if anyone has information
about this homicide, to contact the
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Detective
Bureau at (614)525-3351. You can remain
anonymous.