Crowds searching for possible meteorite fragments in Ohio are boosting local businesses while raising concerns about trespassing on private property.
MEDINA COUNTY, Ohio — The search for meteorite fragments in Ohio is drawing crowds from across the region, boosting local businesses while also prompting trespassing complaints from property owners.
Interest surged after a meteor exploded over the area earlier this week, with reports that fragments may have landed in parts of northern Ohio. By the weekend, people were walking fields and roadsides, scanning the ground in hopes of finding a piece.
The influx has brought steady traffic to nearby businesses, as visitors stop for food, supplies and directions before heading out to search.
“We got a lot of people coming in for directions,” said Kim Foster, co-owner of a local market.
With clear weather and a full weekend to search, some visitors spent hours combing through fields.
Some are treating the search as a serious opportunity, spending hours looking.
“Probably till it gets dark,” said one person searching Saturday afternoon.
Others treated the experience more casually.
“It’s fun, if nothing else, it’s fun for us,” another searcher said. “We’re just kind of here to try our luck and see what happens.”
The search has drawn a wide range of participants, from serious collectors hoping to sell potential finds to families and children eager to take part in the rare event.
As crowds continue through the weekend, officials are reminding visitors to respect private property.
The county sheriff’s office said it has received several trespassing calls since the search began, though no arrests have been reported.