WTOL 11 Leading Edge

TOLEDO SAFETY DIRECTOR 

George Kral - Toledo Safety Director

Former Toledo Police Chief George Kral now oversees Toledo's police and fire departments, as well as its gun violence reduction initiatives.

TOLEDO FAIR HOUSING GRANTS 

George Thomas - CEO | Toledo Fair Housing Center 

Wendy Pestrue | United Way of Greater Toledo

An update on a number of grants that were already approved by the federal government but have since been cancelled as part of billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

The president of DMC Technology gives the scoop on data centers; community ambassador challenges youth; mayor recalls the pandemic's challenges

ROSSFORD SCHOOLS AND DEVELOPMENT

Neil MacKinnon III – Rossford mayor; Dan Creps – RossfordSchools Superintendent

How are they doing it? What’s the blueprint for theirsuccess? Rossford Schools announced plans to not only construct a new $35million middle school without a levy - but also to decrease one of the currentlevies on the books. Are we finally starting to see the dream sequence play outfor the Crossroads area? What’s the secret to MORE success? Jobs,entertainment? How does the blueprint from other cities play into allthis? 

SEGMENT 3 (IN STUDIO)

Investing in Northwest Ohio’s Youngest Residents Key toEconomic Future

Rev. John Jones - HOPE Toledo; Debbie Monagan - ToledoRotary & Chicks for Charity 

Educating our young - and the state of education is at acrossroads.

Rotary Club of Toledo, Chicks for Charity Host Summit toAdvance Early Childhood Education in the Region 

The focus of the summit is on northwest Ohio’s futurewell-educated workforce. And as they contend, four out of five children inToledo and seven out of 10 children in Lucas County start kindergarten notready to learn. 

The summit happens Monday, March 17, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. atthe Glass City Center Ballroom.

Hear more about Race for the Cure and the work Komen does in northwest Ohio, plus get a spring weather preview with Chris Vickers to get ready for severe weather.

Jeff Smith interviews Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently announced his intention to run.

Also, Scott Hayes, with Project I Am, talks about this year's Acoustics for Autism music festival and the good it does for the community.

It’s a groundbreaking investigation into the murders of twoToledo teenagers. This story is like nothing you've ever seen in local news - five pieces on the murders of two young boys, Ke'Marion Wilder and KyShawn Pittman and the 11 people who conspired to lure, kidnap, kill them, then cover it up.

Investigative reporter Melissa Andrews and Brian Dugger discuss what they thought about the case… the wild speculation… the theories... how their love for true-crime lead them to dissect the case from a purely journalistic perspective. 

This was a case where the prosecution focused on how the 11involved were focused on greed, vengeance, and revenge – even if it wasn't warranted. 

What complicated matters more was the fact there was no DNA to link those who were prosecuted for the crime with the teenagers.

RUNNING FOR TOLEDO MAYOR

Roberto Torres | Toledo Mayoral Candidate

Roberto Torres is a Toledo native and a former staff member of both the Carty Finkbeiner and Jack Ford administrations. He’s no stranger to politics - holding economic development positions not only in Canton, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Michigan  but also as part of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s team. 

ADRIAN COLLEGE GROWTH

Jeffrey Docking, Ph.D. | President, Adrian College

Adrian College is a private liberal arts college located in Lenawee County. Founded in 1859, the college has experienced significant growth in recent years, both in academic offerings and campus facilities. Known for its commitment to fostering a well-rounded student experience, Adrian places a strong emphasis on athletics at the NCAA Division III level. The college offers a wide range of sports programs, from football to ice hockey, attracting student-athletes who seek both competitive sports and rigorous academics. This blend of academics and athletics has contributed to Adrian College's reputation as a dynamic and growing institution.

President Docking joins me to educate the viewers about the college and its growth/expansion, the cost of higher education, the competitive nature of schools to get students and the school’s efforts to lure in student/athletes.

LUCAS COUNTY REVALUATION TURMOIL

Katie Moline | Lucas County Auditor

Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline is currently at the centerof a property revaluation issue that has caused concern among residents. The revaluation process, which adjusts property values for tax purposes, has led to significant increases in property assessments across the county, sparking public frustration. 

Recently, former Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez weighedin, expressing criticism of the handling of the situation. Lopez, who held the position before Moline, suggested that the current administration could have done more to mitigate the impact on homeowners and improve communication about the process. Her comments highlight the growing divide over how the revaluation was managed and its implications for local taxpayers.

Moline has engaged the services of an independent thirdparty to conduct a review of the county’s troubled property valuation processes. Ms. Moline says the precise scope of the third-party review was still being worked out and that the costs of such a review were, at this time, unknown. She added that the intention of the review is to look at “the glitch” that happened in 2024 and to determine best practices for future valuations in Lucas County. Ms. Moline reiterated that she is confident that her office has found the programming error that caused more than 1,400 properties to be incorrectly valued.

The owners of those properties that were erroneously valued have now been notified. They should receive a new tax bill, and refunds are being processed for those who have already made a payment based on an inflated property value.

MAUMEE’S CITY ADMINISTRATOR

Patrick Burtch | City Administrator | Maumee 

A newspaper article back in 2020 … which you can find on MLIVE.COM … has a headline that reads, “LOVE HIM OR LOATHE HIM, THE FEATHER-RUFFLING PATRICK BURTCH CHANGED JACKSON.” It refers to Maumee City Administrator Patrick Burtch during his time as a “visionary” city manager for Jackson, Michigan. 2020 was right about the time he was resigning from that position to take the job in Maumee. The article reads:

 “Burtch knew he’d have to ‘ruffle a lot of feathers’ to make Jackson the city he envisioned. But after seven years of ruffling, the pushback started taking its toll.’When you know you’re going into it, realizing you’re stirring up a fire by blowing oxygen on that fire and it could burn you - that’s a tough decision to make,’ Burtch said.’ But it’s not a decision I’m willing to go back (on).” The barrage of citizens spewing disdain for him at the City Council meeting occasionally got to Burtch. He’d sometimes argue back during public comment, and later said the vitriol is one of the reasons he knew it was time to move on.” 

For the first time - Maumee City Administrator Patrick Burtch joins LEADING EDGE to discuss his vision - development - the sins of prior administrations - his management style - his public persona - his history - and the reason he believes Maumee’s best days are to come.

LOOKING BACK ON DISTRICT 9 ELECTION

Headlines in November read “This libertarian candidate may

OHIO POLITICS

David DeWitt | Editor-In-Chief | Ohio Capital Journal

Ohio politics is in a state of flux with the appointment of

HIGHER  EDUCATION & TOLEDO TOMORROW 

Bob Savage | Toledo Tomorrow

How does Toledo Tomorrow "school" kids on what to