Ottawa County’s battle with addiction

Together for 24 years, Jeff Schill, 40, and Angela Trimble, 39, of Port Clinton met in junior high and fell in love in high school. The couple have stopped using drugs, including cocaine and heroin, largely motivated by the threat of having their son taken away.

Together for 24 years, Jeff Schill, 40, and Angela Trimble, 39, of Port Clinton met in junior high and fell in love in high school. The drank and smoked weed, and Jeff sold and used cocaine. "It wasn't 100 percent of either of our lives in the beginning when we got together." In 2007, Jeff was in a car accident, was in a coma, and almost died. Recovering was a long and painful process. Because of the physical pain, he said he looked up to God and asked, "'Why didn't you just finish this and put me out of my misery?'"

Jeff Schill and Angela Trimble have stopped using illegal drugs. Schill once overdosed on heroin, passing out on the sidewalk in front of his home, about 90 minutes after being released from jail.

Jeff said he was gone half of each day running to Toledo, Sandusky or Fremont to get drugs. "It is a full-time job getting drugs, especially heroin," Jeff said. Angela said, "Our relationship was nonexistent. It was just based off of our use." Every day at work, Angela said she would think about the alcohol she would buy on the way home from work and hope her boyfriend had drugs so she could feel good enough to get through the night.

Jeff has overdose and almost died six times. Angela has revived him, and their son has witnessed it. Jeff went to rehab while Angela sobered up on her own at home, focusing her energy on painting, exercising and holistic activities. "I had to learn how to live without using and drinking," Angela said. "We needed time to heal from the drug addiction." Jeff said his family means everything to him. "Our family is proof that a family in addiction can come out of addiction and still be a family when they put themselves to the side and try to better their life."

Heroin seized by a drug task force.

Ottawa County officials credit naloxone as one of the main reasons the county's overdose death numbers dramatically declined in 2017, from 14 in 2016 to 7, and continue to drop this year. Naloxone acts as an opioid antagonist and blocks the effects of heroin, fentanyl and other opiates on receptors in the brain.

The number of fatal overdoses in Ottawa County has decreased in half, which officials attribute to law enforcement carrying naloxone. Naloxone acts as an opioid antagonist and blocks the effects of heroin, fentanyl and other opiates on receptors in the brain.

Meth is made in Mexico goes through the Cincinnati and Dayton area, then to Ottawa County, according to Commander Carl Rider with the Ottawa County Drug Task Force.

An Ohio Supreme Court panel sanctioned Judge Bruce Winters of Ottawa County Common Pleas Court for failing to disclose "ex parte communications."

Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten said drugs on the street sold as heroin are usually mixed with more potent synthetic opioids, which can result in accidental overdoses.

Trevor Johnson, with Ottawa County’s Drug Addiction Response Team, responds to drug overdoses, linking addicts with services to avoid criminal charges by complying with recommended treatment steps and completing a law enforcement supervision period.

Recovering heroin addict Nate Kehlmeier of Genoa, co-founder of Recovery Institute of Ohio drug abusers are switching to meth as their drug of choice because they are scared of overdosing and dying on fentanyl being sold as heroin.

Drugs seized by the Ottawa County Drug Task Force. Users think they are buying heroin, but the drugs are actually stronger synthetics such as fentanyl or 3-methylfentanyl, causing overdoses, according to Carl Rider, commander of the Ottawa County Drug Task Force.

Meth seized in a drug bust by the Ottawa County Drug Task Force. State officials in Ohio have been tracking the increase of meth across the state and, according to a letter sent to legislators on July 12, preliminary data for 2017 show there were 526 overdose deaths involving meth in 2017 compared to 233 in 2016.

Recovering meth addict Ashley Ammerman, 23, left, and recovering heroin addict Alexandria Lowery, 26, support each other in sobriety at Light House Sober Living in Port Clinton. The sober living home for women opened two months ago and has seven beds. Ashley has been sober since Sept. 30 and is trying to carve out a new life, free of meth and purged of alcohol. It's her fifth time trying to stay clean. Alexandria has been sober since September 8. "I haven't always had a lot of positive and influential women in my life, and here I do," she said.

Recovering heroin addict Alexandria Lowery, left, and recovering meth addict Ashley Ammerman, said their housemates are becoming the sisters they never had. "They help you get through that bad time, because they know you are worth it and stronger than that," Ashley said. "They love you when you can't love yourself."

Jodi Zbierajewski, from left, house manager of Light House Sober Living, said she's seen both sides of the legal system and felt blessed that she could work at Light House and help residents that are trying to find a way out from addiction. "You can't do it alone," she said. "It just doesn't work alone." Jodi mentors recovering heroin addict Alexandria Lowery, 26, and recovering meth addict Ashley Ammerman, 23, both residents at the sober living house.

Kenn Bower, Jr., executive director of Light House Sober Living, said the area's recovery community had grown in the last five-or-six years, with people in recovery rallying around others in need of support in their fight against addiction. "That's one of the largest assets that we have," he said.

Recovering meth addict Ashley Ammerman, 23, left, and recovering heroin addict Alexandria Lowery, 26, said they do chores around the house to keep their minds occupied and off off drugs. Residents are encouraged to attend counseling and meetings, meet others in recovery and get a job.

Light House Sober Living opened a men's home three years ago with 15 beds, and a women's home two months ago with seven beds.