Capsule Reports - Saturday, March 15, 2025

Filter fire

A fire broke out at Fort Recovery Industries on Thursday.

Portland Fire Department responded to 710 E. 100 North, Portland, about 10:30 a.m. to put out flames in the northwest corner of the building. Sparks from metal work had lit pallets of filters on fire, and workers used forklifts to pull several of the pallets outside. 

Sixteen firefighters and two firetrucks arrived to help fight the flames, putting them out in about 30 minutes.

There was some damage to the wall next to the pallets. Damage is estimated at roughly $1,500 in property damage and $1,000 in damage to content, according to the fire department.

No quorum

Redkey Town Council failed to make quorum again Friday morning for its special session.

The agenda included hiring a new police officer. Only two board members, Brenda Beaty and “Watermellon” Jim Phillips, came to the meeting and were unable to take action.

“We called this meeting because we’ve been having a lot of vandalism in Redkey, and we needed to hire a marshal to protect our town,” Beaty said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough quorum to do so. Again. I guess we need to realize that some of our candidates, you know, some of our elected officials are not showing up to these meetings, so I cannot protect the town without the help of everyone on council.”

Pointing to council member Gavin Grady’s recent resignation, Beaty also asked members of the public to consider applying for the vacant board position.