About an hour before the start of the Swanton Corn Festival’s 2026 Color Run, the weather looked like it could ruin the evening’s good time. There was thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening. Fortunately, the skies calmed down and the show went on.
Click on the link above to access photos from night’s craziness. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
The Swanton Bulldogs Boys’ Golf Team fired a school record 299 on Wednesday morning at Valleywood Golf Club to win their own Bulldog Invitational, easily outdistancing the second place Montpelier Locomotives (311) by 12 strokes. The Otsego Knights (330) finished third in the 10-team tournament followed by the Anthony Wayne Generals (341), Delta Panthers (347), Liberty Center Tigers (357), Evergreen Vikings (361), Swanton Bulldogs “B” (366), Maumee Valley Hawks (386) and Springfield Blue Devils (410).
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Carter Malak who shot an even par score of 71 to edge out teammate Dylan Smigelski (72) for Medalist Honors. Christian Butler and Camden Kozakaiecicz each shot a 78 to complete the scoring for Swanton. Carson Bond had an 82 and Brendan Upham scored an 88 for the Bulldog’s “A” team.
Malak and Smigelski topped the All-Tournament Team followed by Brady Wyckhouse (73) of Liberty Center, Keegan Clapp (73) of Delta, Tony Capretta (74) of Liberty Center, Owen Summer (76) of Montpelier, Malachi Smelter (76) of Montpelier, Christian Butler (78) of Swanton and Kade Stweart (78) of Montpelier. Camden Kozakaiecicz’s score lost out on the All-Tournament team due to a tie-breaker.
The Invitational victory was a major accomplishment for the Bulldogs and first-year coaches Austin Luce (Head Coach) and Carter Swank (Assistant Coach) who are also Swanton Alumni and were very accomplished golfers when they played in high school. “We kind of had a rough start to begin the season,” said Swank. “But we came in with a plan today and executed the plan and shot very well.”
Click on the link above to access photos from the Invitational. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Soon to be a Swanton High School senior, Dylan Smigelski competed this summer in the Toledo Junior Golf Association (TJGA) and performed well enough to make the cut and be invited to the TJGA Founder’s Tournament held at historic Inverness Golf Club in Toledo. Playing in a number of tournaments around Northwest Ohio, Dylan joined 28 other area top high school boy golfers for the final TJGA tournament at Inverness, one of the most prestigious golf courses in the nation and the site of many PGA and LPGA Major Championships, such as the U.S. Open, the PGA National Championship and will be hosting the Women’s U.S. Open in 2027.
Paired with Thomas Woycik (77/+6) of Toledo St. Francis and Will Parker (79/+8) of Delphous St. John, Smigelski fired a very impressive round of 76 (+5) on the par 71 course to finish ninth overall out of the field of 29. Michael Distefano of Maumee and Charlie Swigart of Ottawa Hills tied for medalist honors with a score of 72 (+1). Helping the cause, Adam Lemon, former teammate and SHS 2026 alumni, served as Dylan’s caddie.
Entering his final season of high school golf, Dylan looks to build on a very successful junior year in 2025. He earned First Team All-NWOAL, qualified for the DII District Tournament, which he subsequently achieved medalist honors and qualified for the DII State Tournament in Columbus.
The Bulldogs begin the 2026 season in earnest tomorrow morning when they compete against 20 teams from across the region this Thursday at the 25th Annual Irish Invitational, hosted at Stoneridge Golf Club in Bowling Green. The Invitational will feature a shotgun format with an 8:30 AM tee-time. On Wednesday, August 5th, Swanton will host the Bulldog Invitational at Valleywood Golf Club with a tee-time of 8:00 AM. Leading the Bulldogs this season will be Swanton Alums, Austin Luce as Head Coach and Carter Swank as Assistant Coach.
Click on the link above to access photos from the tournament. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Dylan Smigelski tees off on the third hole at Inverness
Following a presentation by Swanton resident and local Airbnb owner Amanda Church at the July 20th Swanton Village Council meeting, the Council voted 6-0 to kill Planning Commission Ordinance 2026-15, legislation designed to revise regulations governing short term rentals.
Defined in the Ordinance as the rental, lease, license, occupancy of a dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, for compensation of less than thirty (30) consecutive days. It also defined the term “Sort Term Rental” to include, but not limited to rentals advertised or offered through Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.co, Expedia, Vacasa, Home to Go, FlipKey, Facebook Marketplace or similar online lodging platforms. In its essence, the legislation would prohibit Short Terms Rentals from operating in residential neighborhoods and be limited to commercial zoning districts.
Ms. Church’s displayed a map of the United States with pinpoints of locations from around the country where her guests originated. Her address to the Council was as follows:
Hi, my name is Amanda Church. I am a seven-year resident of the Village of Swanton. During those seven years, I’ve restored several homes in the Village including 201 North Main, 205 North Main, 305 West Garfield, and 3407 Waterville Swanton Road. Currently, I own two homes, 126 Harrison Ave. and 201 North Main, which I operate as Airbnbs for guests visiting the area.
People ask me all the time, “Why Swanton?” Honestly, it surprises me, too. But yes, people do come. They come to see family and friends, attend weddings and funerals, visit events at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, attend events in Toledo, or come here for work.
Firefighters have stayed here while training at the Swanton Fire Department. Swanton High School graduates have stayed to attend their class reunions. Quilters have come for events in Archbold. Guests have stayed here on their way to the Toledo Zoo, concerts in Detroit, or to ride the Wabash Cannonball Trail. Honestly, you name it, they’ve come.
In a few weeks, a guest is passing through Swanton on his way to Woodstock Harley-Davidson for the start of HOKA Motorcycle Challenge. Another guest is coming for a granddaughter’s baby shower. Another guest is visiting family here because Swanton is halfway between Fayette and Sylvania.
I often have to turn guests away because I’m fully booked. These guests aren’t looking for a hotel, they want a home to stay in. Almost every guest asks me for recommendations on where to eat and what to do while they’re here, the diner, the bakery, the winery, the bowling alley. One guest who originally stayed here for work liked it so much that he brought his family back for a weekend vacation. Linemen, electricians, cable installers, road workers, engineers stay during the week. Currently, I am hosting an engineer that is making Swanton his home for two months as he is here for work in Delta.
You’ve seen my passion and work for restoring real estate here in Swanton. I plan to continue that work at 14147 Airport Highway, a home that sat vacant and in disrepair for years. Without the ability for me to operate these homes as Airbnbs, it will be very difficult for me to continue doing what I love, restoring real estate and revitalizing homes within the Village of Swanton.
I encourage other residents of the Village of Swanton to Airbnb, but I warn you, it’s a lot of work for little pay and a lot of laundry. We have a need so let’s have these travelers stay in Swanton in the residential areas.
With the unanimous rejection of the Ordinance, Council chose to send it back to the Planning Commission to revise the regulation language to allow Short Term Rentals within residential areas.
Photo: Amanda Church addresses Swanton Village Council
This past Friday, at White Pines Golf Course in Swanton, the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce held its 30th Annual Golf Outing with a record 27 four-person teams taking part. Prior to the start, Chamber Executive Director, Delray Busch, asked for a moment of silence in honor of Patty Sword McNeill who had passed away several months ago. Patty had sponsored the outing for many years in memory of her late Drew McNeill, an avid golfer and owner of McNeill Chevrolet, now Ballas Chevrolet, in Swanton.
Following the moment of silence, Ms. Busch spoke again to the golfers:
“We are so grateful to Skye’s Heating & Cooling for serving as the Presenting Sponsor of the 30th Annual Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing.
Owner Jeremiah Kelley and the entire Skye’s team are known for dependable heating, cooling, indoor air quality, duct cleaning, and maintenance services throughout Northwest Ohio. More importantly, they are a family-owned business with a deep commitment to our community.
This year, their sponsorship created an impact that will extend beyond the golf course. All proceeds from Friday’s 50/50 raffle, Skins Game, and two games held on the course were dedicated to establishing a scholarship in memory of Jeremiah’s late daughter, Skyeler Kelley. The scholarship will benefit graduating Swanton High School students and help preserve Skyeler’s memory through new opportunities for local students.
Thank you to Skye’s Heating & Cooling for your generous support, your commitment to Swanton, and for helping us turn a fun day of golf into something that will make a lasting difference.”
Congratulations to the top teams from the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing:
*First Place: Northstar, 19 under* Jim Kaczorowski, Ben Bowes, Quinton Oberhaus, Adam Gray. *Second Place: Lucas County Port Authority, 19 under* Thomas Winston, Brent Williamson, Tim Wisnewski, Jason Bartschy. Northstar and the Lucas County Port Authority both finished 19 under, so a standard golf scorecard tie breaker was used. The teams’ scores were compared starting with the back nine. If still tied, the comparison moves to the final six holes, final three holes, and then the 18th hole until a winner is determined. Northstar earned first place through that process. *Third Place: Affiliated Lumber/Lugbill, 15 under* TW Churchill, Dusty Stickley, Wes Granger, Matt Kress. *Fourth Place: Skye’s Heating & Cooling, 14 under*
Click on the link above to access almost 600 photos from the golf outing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website and the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Summer Block Parties, organized and sponsored by the Swanton Chamber of Commerce, have become a very popular “Can’t Miss” event in the DORA of Downtown Swanton. This past Saturday, Zeiter Way was rocking to the music of Renegade Lemonade as party goers, adults and children alike, filled the street to enjoy the summer evening fun with a Christmas in July theme. The next Block Party will be Saturday, August 15th, from 6:00-9:00 PM.
Click on the link above to access photos from the night. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website and the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce.
At the regularly scheduled Swanton Village Council meeting on Monday night, three individuals addressed the Council with their concerns regarding what they believe to be the inability of Council members to work together in the best interest of the Village of Swanton to the point of being borderline dysfunctional. What prompted these citizens to speak up was the resignation of Village Administrator Shannon Shulters during a Special Council meeting last Monday and the reasons she gave for her decision, and the March resignation of Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield which was thought to be for similar reasons. The three speakers were, in order, Holden Benfield (former Fiscal Officer, 2023-2026), Samantha Disbrow (former Swanton Councilwoman, 2022-2025) and Delray Busch (Executive Director of the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce).
In order to give the readers, the best understanding and intent of the speakers from what was said to Council members Dave Pilliod, John Schmidt, Deacon Dzierzawski, Dianne Westhoven, Pat Pilliod and Noah Kreuz, I have decided to publish their addresses in their entirety. While this may be very lengthy, it is important to establish the proper context.
Holden Benfield: Good evening, Council,
It’s good to see everyone again, even if the circumstances aren’t the best at the moment.
I came down today to voice my concerns over the continuation of council’s problems since the start of the year. I still find myself worried about how council is operating. Yet, by advent of Shannon’s resignation and the news, I don’t feel it has truly improved. I want to offer my opinion as firstly a concerned resident, and secondly a former employee.
I’m disappointed. I started in 2023 and came into a fiscal nightmare, over ten thousand dollars had been improperly recorded and work left undone by the former fiscal officer. Yet with the patience of the council at the time, and the support of the administration, it was corrected. It took months to resolve even January. Then came a mad dash to catch up, and after working until 1:00am one night in late November, everything was balanced and restored to order. It was resultant of that support that when the audit came, we were marked as an unmodified opinion, this is the best outcome we could have hoped for.
I hope that will never happen again, but I cannot believe that if it did, that that support would exist with the current council. Both in my own experience and in my opinion, if you found yourself in the same situation, pressure would mount, the Fiscal Officer wouldn’t have the time needed to learn the context of the job, and they would quit to seek a less stressful environment. This, then, becomes a cycle. This isn’t something predictable, you can’t forecast how long it will take to fill a role. But you can estimate how attractive you are to incoming staff. If it were me, you are not.
The way I see council now is… I think ‘defunct’ is the best word. I did not leave because of the fire, it had very little bearing on that decision. I had to leave because I could see the downward spiral for what it was. Shannon’s departure, the mayor’s comments, the reporting done by the village reporter. It’s all indicative of a larger issue.
Councilman Dzierzawski has preached many times that discourse is good and that these deliberations are meant to be lengthy discussions. I agree on the idea, but not the execution. The current council is struggling to show meaningful pursuit of a holistic, ideological goal. As mentioned in the Administrator’s resignation letter.
Additionally, something that Shannon always said, and something that was echoed by the Fulton County Leadership university I attended while with Swanton, was if you come to a table with only problems and no attempt at a solution, you are only shifting the onus of your issues elsewhere. So as a resident now with more context than most, let me present my thoughts on solutions.
Councilwoman Pilliod, and Councilwoman Westhoven, I think you are far too silent. I think you should speak and voice your opinions more; elaborate and throw your hats into the ring when things are brought up. It seems as though in the past months council has been governed by two or three people. I hope the both of you can remedy that.
Councilman Pilliod; in sessions you have repeatedly, and unbendingly related situations to policies from the first half of the 1900’s, the Reagan administration, and tried to advocate for reinstating council authority over things that are in direct contest with the ORC due to it being ‘how it was always done in the past’. Namely the purview of council over the decisions of hiring and firing by the administration. I suggest considering the ideas of the more modernist concepts of legislation in combination with your experience. I also suggest you study other municipalities current policies and their approaches when new legislation is being proposed.
Councilman Dzierzawski, there was a news report from the council session where this year’s budget was approved, and you and I had our long back-and-forth on the topic. The reporter stated the following: Quote “Dzierzawski repeatedly cut off Fiscal Officer Holden Benfield, including while Benfield was attempting to answer questions Dzierzawski had asked.” End quote It was even visible to the reporter that you could not stop yourself from talking over me. I have also seen you do this with others. I have experienced your communications with department heads relating to budgetary and other matters firsthand. I will not call it unprofessional in terms of writing. I do feel it was burdensome. In the midst of recovery from a fire, was burdensome the amount that was requested. I understand the timely nature of the requests, but context of what that puts on the recipients was lacking. It does not matter if you do, or do not, request the information be prioritized, the default onus is there. If you do not understand that, then you fail to understand your position.
Additionally, even when I had answered all of those questions, you repeated the requests asking for the same things in different ways. The most glaring example of this was in our budget discussion in session, where you asked after the “budget vs actual”, and it stunned me briefly because that information was one of the first things I had ever sent to you. It is in the reconciliation report every month, and the basis of most of the documentation I had supplied to you. Which made me feel as though you had not even read the things I had sent, except to find talking points for the next meeting.
Mr. Dzierzawski, my suggestion is to put more weight on your own words. You throw them out casually, but often seemingly before they’ve fully formed. Either just “throwing out ideas” or “asking questions” as you’re fond of saying. I think if you curtailed even half of your topics by slowing yourself down to fully understand what you’ve been provided, the conversation would be more productive.
Councilmen Schmidt and Kreuz, I think laying out a plan of action for the village is in order. I think, as Shannon has put it, that the village has lost its sense of direction. I think it’s time to create a compromise, and write it down. The talk has been continuing, but administration needs something to walk, otherwise the village of Swanton will continue to stagnate. Only fighting won’t lead anywhere, compromise has to be made even if it amounts to a ‘ceasefire’.
I worry for the ability of the village to bring in economic development to the newly annexed land with how council has been. I worry for the continued growth of the town, and the property values of the resident’s land. I don’t want to see us slide back into how we were in 2020, or even further before that.
Thank you for your time, I wish you all the best and hope to see change for the town.
Delray Busch: To the Mayor and Members of Swanton Village Council,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce and the businesses we represent, I want to respectfully share our concern regarding the continuity and stability of Village leadership. First, we want to thank each of you for stepping forward to serve our community. Public service requires time, patience, and difficult decision making, and we recognize that it can often be a thankless role.
The recent resignation of Village Administrator Shannon Shulters follows the departure of Holden Benfield within the first six months of the new Council taking office. The loss of two experienced employees in key leadership and financial positions within a short period raises understandable concerns about communication, internal support, continuity, and the future direction of Village operations.
The Chamber is not here to assign blame or question any one individual. We understand personnel matters are complex and that the public does not always see the full picture. Our concern is the impact continued turnover could have on businesses, residents, Village employees, community partners, and future development.
Businesses look for stability when deciding where to invest and grow. They need confidence in consistent administration, responsible financial oversight, and dependable leadership. Swanton has built positive momentum through infrastructure improvements, grant funding, redevelopment, and community partnerships. Protecting that progress requires strong communication, leadership continuity, and the preservation of institutional knowledge.
Gaps in those areas can lead to delayed projects, missed opportunities, increased costs, and uncertainty. We are not suggesting those outcomes have already occurred. We are asking Council to take this moment seriously and consider what steps are needed to strengthen communication, working relationships, and organizational support.
The Chamber respectfully encourages Council to act thoughtfully, promptly, and transparently in the best interests of Swanton’s businesses and residents. We value our relationship with the Village, appreciate your service, and remain committed to working together to support the continued growth and success of Swanton. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Samantha Disbrow: Good evening. My name is Sam Disbrow, and I’m here tonight as a resident who cares deeply about the future of our Village. Over the past several months, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the relationship between this Council and Village staff. It’s my understanding, from what I’ve heard from employees, that staff members are spending an excessive amount of time responding to the demands of an individual council member instead of focusing on serving the residents of Swanton.
Oversight is an important responsibility of Council. Asking questions is appropriate. Transparency is important. But there is a point where oversight becomes micromanagement, and when that happens, it affects the ability of employees to do their jobs efficiently and with confidence. Specifically, I believe Council Member Deacon D’s approach has become counterproductive. In my opinion, the constant demands for information and involvement in administrative matters have created unnecessary strain on Village operations.
Whether you agree with his intentions or not, the results should concern everyone. If experienced employees are leaving or considering leaving because the work environment has become difficult, that should be a wake-up call for this Council. Recruiting and retaining qualified staff is difficult enough without adding unnecessary obstacles. This isn’t about personalities or politics. It’s about making sure the Village is governed effectively.
Council should be focused on setting policy and establishing priorities, not managing day-to-day operations. I hope this Council takes an honest look at how it functions, because the residents deserve a Village government that is focused on moving Swanton forward not micromanaging staff. We simply cannot afford the lose Shannon. Shannon and Holden were the best additions to the Village staff in years, maybe decades…and we already lost one of them. Thank you.
The entire Council meeting may be viewed on the Village’s Facebook page
On Friday evening, the Swanton Village Council held a special meeting inside the Fire Department Building to discuss ways to relieve the Village Administrator, Shannon Shulters, from the burden of having to fulfill the responsibilities of the Fiscal Officer position while simultaneously doing her own job. The reason for the meeting arose when Ms. Shulters announced her resignation, effective September 14th, 2026, at another special Council meeting the previous Monday. In that Monday meeting, Ms. Shulters informed the Council she could no longer do both jobs as she had been doing for approximately four months following the resignation of then Fiscal Officer, Holden Benfield.
Present at the Friday meeting were two representatives from the Robert Half Human Resource Consulting Firm, Talent Manager Ryan Larzelere and Senior Accountant Joyce Marie Elmore. The company offered to contract out Ms. Elmore at a rate of $91.00 per hour with a minimum of 37.5 hours per week and a contract of no less than six weeks or a total of $20,475. Her qualifications provided by Robert Half were as follows:
Joyce Marie is a highly skilled Senior Accountant with a strong knowledge of full-cycle accounting. She has experience with AP/AR, general ledger, journal entries, month-end & year-end close reconciliations, fixed assets, payroll, financial analysis, Sales & Use Tax, reconciliations and creating SOPs. Joyce Marie is a hard worker with an incredible drive and a wonderful personality!
Proficiencies – AP/AR, Cash applications, Collections (consumer & B2B), Journal Entries, Reconciliations, General Ledger, Sales & Use Tax, Payroll, Creating SOPs, Month-end Journal Entries Industry Experience – Manufacturing, Non-Profit, Automotive, Restaurant, Agriculture Software Knowledge – SAP, QuickBooks, Excel, Great Plains, JD Edwards, Kronos, AS400, Adobe, QAD, Atlas, CorelDraw, Publisher Education: BA in Accounting, University of Toledo
The two representatives fielded a number of questions from the Mayor and the Council members and also offered to help train any incoming individuals hired for the Fiscal Officer position. Robert Half does conduct employee searches with a one-time charge of 25% of the offered salary.
Following the question-and-answer period, the representatives left the room and Council members discussed a variety of options including the Robert Hall offer. Councilwoman Diane Westhoven related her conversation with another temporary agency, explaining she was told there were far less expensive alternatives that would come with far less, if any, experience. Ms. Westhoven was also informed that the salary range being offered by the Village would be an entry-level salary and would only attract recent college graduates or those with little experience.
Another option that was discussed was the raising of the offered salary range. Mayor Neil Toeppe mentioned that strategy had been successful before. Since the departure of Mr. Benfield, applicants for the position were determined not to be qualified or offers that were made were rejected. Councilman Noah Kreuz suggested the investigation of more information along with further discussion before making any decisions. Councilman Deacon Dzierzawski reminded everyone that a State of Ohio audit on Village finances was coming very soon. All Council members agreed to prioritize getting Ms. Shulters help as soon as possible. Currently, there is one active application.
The next Village Council meeting is tonight at 7:00 PM in the Beauty Salon on Main Street.
Photo: Talent Manager Ryan Larzelere and Senior Accountant Joyce Marie Elmore of Robert Half Consulting
The Lassus Handy Dandy convenience store Fulton County locations in Swanton and Delta have been sold to S&G and Ridi respectively, along with locations in Napoleon and Van Wert. Lassus credit card holders were notified by email of the sale and how it would affect their card. The letter read, in part:
Thank you for your loyalty and support over the years. It has been our privilege to serve you, and we truly appreciate you choosing Lassus. As part of the sale of our Ohio store locations, the stores listed below will no longer accept Lassus Credit Card on the following dates:
Delta, OH: Effective July 20, 2026 Napoleon, OH: Effective July 20,2026 Van Wert, OH: Effective July 21, 2026 Swanton, OH: Effective July 29, 2026
Your Lassus Credit account will remain active and can continue to be used at all participating Lassus locations. We are still proud to serve our customers at nearby locations, including Montpelier, OH, New Haven IN, and our Maplecrest Road location in Fort Wayne IN, along with all other participating Lassus locations.
If you have any questions or if you no longer wish to maintain your Lassus Credit account due to these changes, you may contact our Accounts Receivable team at 260-436-1415 X228 or accountsreceivable@lassus.com for assistance with closing your account.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served these communities over the years. Thank you for your business, your loyalty, and for allowing us to be part of your daily routine.
Fulton County Ohio Media 