Local

Findlay - Dan DeArment accused of striking a camera held by a citizen

OhioRegister

01 Apr 2026 — 1 min read

BY CAREY MORGAN

FINDLAY - In a surprise report, Councilman Dan DeArment has been accused of striking a camera held by a citizen who was documenting a special meeting attended by elected officials. The closed meeting in Archbold, Ohio, was intended to inform officials about data centers.

Tyler Schmid alleges that he was struck by DeArment while recording attendees at a meeting held at Northwest State Community College. While Schmid is requesting that charges be filed, police are continuing to investigate whether the incident constitutes assault.

The informational gathering was organized by the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP), an organization supported by JobsOhio. RGP’s website identifies key agricultural areas in northwest Ohio that it favors for development. Several locations were open only to elected officials, excluding the general public.

Additional information on the RGP website highlights the advantages of developing data centers in northwest Ohio, citing the region’s abundant natural resources. Brad Davis, Director of Data Center and Economic Development for Meta, emphasized the benefits of the area:

“I think specifically for this area, we are able to identify a shovel-ready site, great access to infrastructure, the ability to get 100% renewable energy, a strong pool of labor to help construct and operate the data center, and amazing partners.”

Meanwhile, residents across northwest Ohio have voiced strong concerns, ranging from environmental impact and loss of farmland to questions about long-term job sustainability and decommissioning plans as technology evolves.

Many townships and municipalities are seeing growing opposition to the addition of data centers in their communities. Protesters like Tyler Schmid are making their concerns known by closely monitoring plans that are often developed behind closed doors. A statewide petition drive has also begun, aimed at giving Ohioans a direct vote on the future of large data center developments in their communities.

Ohio proposal to ban large data centers advances toward November ballot

BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE - A grassroots effort to ban construction of large data centers in Ohio cleared a significant hurdle Thursday when Attorney General Dave Yost certified a petition for a proposed constitutional amendment, moving the measure closer to a potential vote this fall. The amendment would prohibit new

One State, Under Wexner

How Leslie Wexner, Jeffrey Epstein, and Vivek Ramaswamy Are Privatizing Ohio’s Government, and Violating the Social Contract This Article Originally posted on The Heartland Beat: The social contract is supposed to be ironclad: we the people hand over our taxes, our votes, and a slice of our freedoms so

Letter to the Editor: Findlay Data Centers

BY ANNE COLE I am writing you today as a concerned citizen of Findlay and Hancock County. I have become disheartened with the way many things in our community are being handled and I feel called to express my feelings – primarly in regard to the underhanded, shady ways that decisions

Findlay Hiding Looming Data Center Project?

BY JEFF SKINNER FINDLAY - Speculation is growing that a major data center could soon rise just outside Findlay’s city limits in Allen Township, with some observers questioning whether the project might eventually be folded into the city through annexation as local leaders sidestep calls for a development pause.

Read more

Ohio proposal to ban large data centers advances toward November ballot

One State, Under Wexner

Letter to the Editor: Findlay Data Centers

Findlay Hiding Looming Data Center Project?