PICKAWAY COUNTY, OH – Residents of Little Walnut Road and Zig Zag Drive are mobilizing to demand the removal of Bigham Properties, citing decades of crime and safety concerns, with a critical meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EDT in the County Commissioner’s office at 139 West Franklin Street.
The community has endured what they describe as intolerable conditions near the dilapidated apartment building and two rental houses owned by Richard and Peggy Bigham. Residents report a surge in violence, theft, drug use, and gunfire, with a alarming incident on May 8, 2025, when shots fired from the white apartment building on Zig Zag Drive narrowly missed innocent bystanders. “This is unacceptable,” locals assert, highlighting constant disturbances including loud music, fights, open drug dealing, and discarded needles where children play. A home invasion by tenant Chauvin Knight, now imprisoned for prior attempted murder and recent charges, has further fueled outrage.
For years, pleas to Walnut Township have been ignored, leaving the community to suffer what they call a “hell hole” created by the Bigham properties. Residents are now pushing for the properties to be declared a public nuisance under Ohio Revised Code 505.87 and 3767.41, demanding their demolition to restore safety. “We deserve peace and are tired of living in fear,” they stated, threatening to call for new leadership if action is not taken.
The local groups formed a petition and have 83 certified signatures on the document.
