New Crime Shakes Granville

GRANVILLE - Garden urns are a familiar sight to many in the close-knit community of Granville, Ohio and until recently, were fairly safe in this small bedroom town. That is, until the long-held tradition of cow-tipping began again - but with a modern twist. Thanks to recent developments in the once-country town of Granville, there are very few cows left roaming in pastures. In fact, there are very few pastures left. Where there used to be places to stretch your legs out, have a picnic, or just bask in nature, there are now housing developments. And with new housing developments comes many more residents. Many more residents under the age of 18. So what are these kids to do when they feel like blowing off steam? Go to the Rec Center? Granville doesn’t have one. Go to the movies? There is no theater in town. Hit the skate park? Try a playground that's only fun for the under-four crowd. Go to the mall? No mall here. Granville's small shopping area only features smelly candles, useless hats and creepy dolls. Not much fun for a teen. So the teens have invented their own new idea of fun: Urn tipping.

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The first reported urn tipping came this past May when a local resident was heard screaming and moaning in her driveway. Neighbors say they woke to hear what they thought might be an ailing pig but then they looked out and saw what happened.

"I woke up around three in the morning and heard what sounded like a squealing pig and ran to my window. But it was only my uppity neighbor making a huge deal out of her planter being upended. The weird thing was, she took the trouble to fix her hair and put on a sun visor before she started making all the racket."

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Urn tipping has sent this small town reeling. This summer, there have been a reported 240 incidents involving urn tipping. This tragic and horrific news has rocked the whole community. It has not only taken a horrendous toll on community growth but also on church attendance. A local minister reported that attendance has been down, "well over five percent" since the tipping began.

"Usually, we fill the pews all the way to the back, but these last few weeks I've seen wood. I don't like to see wood when I'm giving my sermon. What's the point? My best guess is people are staying home 'round the clock to protect their container gardens."

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This new brand of terrorism has shaken the small community and has left many questions about why it happened.

“We don’t really know why,” a local container garden designer said.

There are no words to describe how bad it is, he said, although he mentioned his business has actually improved by having to replant the tipped urns.