RCUT construction continues, other projects on tap

Smokey Friday…

Smoke from Canadian wildfires was quite evident in downtown Van Wert late this morning. The hazy smoke shrouded other parts of the city and the county as well. An air quality alert remains in effect through tonight (Friday). Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

Hamfest event will be held on Sunday

Submitted information

The annual Van Wert Hamfest will be held this Sunday morning, July 19, at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds Administration Building Annex. The event, sponsored by the Van Wert Amateur Radio Club, will begin at 8 a.m. and will feature indoor and outdoor vendors displaying radio, computer, and electronic flea market items. Admission is a $5 donation.

The event is the annual fundraising event for the club, which provides volunteer public service communications such as weather spotting, parade security, and bicycle tour security. Club members also routinely respond to any emergency situation that requires on-site communication, and they work closely with the local Emergency Management Agency.

The Hamfest is open to the public, and each entry includes a ticket that may be submitted for door prizes. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

For more information, go to the club’s website at w8fy.org, or look for the Van Wert Amateur Radio Club on Facebook.

Special Vantage BOE meeting is brief

VW independent staff

This week’s special meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education centered around personnel matters.

Tuesday afternoon’s meeting lasted less than five minutes and began with a public hearing regarding the retire-rehire of career technology instructor Kevin Van Oss. No one opposed it. 

The board approved one-year contractors for Emily Heck, special education coordinator; Doug Hughes, intervention specialist, and Lucas Metcalfe, sports exercise therapy instructor. An $800 stipend was approved for Metcalfe as a mentor, and Metcalfe, Heck and Hughes were approved for 3-5 additional days at a per diem rate. The board also approved JR Long as adult education fire coordinator and Austin Miller as a firefighting instructor.

One resignation was on the agenda and was accepted by the board – Wendy Baumle, sports exercise therapy instructor, effective at the end of last school year.

The board went into executive session to discuss other personnel matters but outside of adjournment, no other action was taken.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 6.

Majority of fourth graders struggling

By Megan Henry/Ohio Capital Journal

Despite Ohio ranking 12th in education overall, 68 percent of Ohio fourth graders were not proficient in reading and 68 percent of Ohio eighth graders were not proficient in math, according to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book. 

The study shows the percentage of Ohio students not proficient in reading has increased four percent from 2019 and Ohio students not proficient in math has jumped six percent since 2019. 

Despite those increases, Ohio fared better than the rest of the country. 70 percent of American fourth graders were not proficient in reading and 73 percent of American eighth graders were not proficient in math, according to the report.

Ohio ranked 27th in the nation overall, 12th in the nation for education, 26th for health, 27th for economic well-being, 27th for child well-being, and 33rd for family and community, according to the study released last month. This is the 37th edition of the foundation’s data book. 

“Our current rankings reveal the urgent need for policies that reduce child poverty, improve educational outcomes, and expand health coverage,” Ohio’s Children’s Defense Fund Director John Stanford said in a statement. 

“We cannot afford to wait—our children’s futures depend on it.” 

Ohio school districts were required to teach the science of reading curriculum starting with the 2024-25 school year, one year after the law was enacted through the 2023 state budget.

The science of reading is based on decades of research that shows how the human brain learns to read and incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine often touts the science of reading and lists it among some of the most important work he has done for Ohio’s children.

Ohio’s literacy scores were down from last year, with 61.3 percent of third graders reading at or above grade level in the 2024-25 school year compared to 64.5 percent from the 2023-24 school year, according to the most recent state report cards that were released in September.

DeWine recently signed an academic interventions bill into law which requires school districts or individual schools to provide academic interventions for free to students who scored at a limited skill level in a state assessment test in math or English language arts, or both.

Paulding Putnam names new CEO

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING — The Paulding Putnam Board of Trustees has announced that Nick Eltzroth, the cooperative’s current Chief Operating Officer, will become the cooperative’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Eltzroth will succeed current President and CEO Randy Price, who will retire on January 4, 2027, after leading the cooperative through three years of growth and change.

Eltzroth’s appointment takes effect January 5, 2027, making him the seventh CEO since the cooperative was founded in 1935 to bring electricity and now high-speed fiber internet to rural communities across northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana.

According to a press release announcing the appointment, the board conducted a thorough, structured search process, engaging an independent third-party firm to help evaluate candidates and ensure the selection reflected the best possible fit for the cooperative’s members, employees, and long-term strategic direction.

“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of Paulding Putnam with Nick as our next CEO,” Board Chairman Adam Schnipke said. “Nick has proven himself a valuable asset to our cooperative, starting out as an engineer, then working into the COO position, and now as our CEO. He lives, breathes, and understands the cooperative model, and brings the enthusiasm, knowledge, expertise, and energy needed for this position as our cooperative is changing rapidly.”

Outgoing President and CEO Randy Price echoed that confidence.

“One of our greatest virtues is our investment in people,” Price said. “Nick is one of those people that our co-op and the industry have developed to be a leader and advocate for those we serve. Nick and the entire Paulding Putnam team will continue to practice the cooperative values, such as concern for community, and will find innovative ways to lead in the electric and broadband industries.”

For his part, Eltzroth credited the team around him.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next CEO of Paulding Putnam,” he said. “I would not be in this position without the talented and dedicated team I have the privilege of working alongside. I look forward to serving our members, employees, and communities with integrity, transparency, and a servant’s heart.”

Eltzroth has served as Paulding Putnam’s Chief Operating Officer since July, 2023, providing executive leadership across the cooperative’s engineering, operations, broadband, and IT departments. In that role, he has partnered directly with the board on strategy, capital planning, and financial performance, and has led execution of the cooperative’s major initiatives — most notably its large-scale fiber-to-the-home and smart grid buildout across the service territory.

FUMC sets date for preschool open house

VW independent staff/submitted information

First United Methodist Church Preschool, serving children ages 3 to 5, is will host its annual open house and registration for the 2026-2027 school year on Monday, August 3, with two convenient sessions: 10-11:30 a.m. or 5-6:30 p.m. at 113 W. Central Ave. in Van Wert. It’s an opportunity to tour the facilities, meet the staff and learn about the curriculum, which follows Ohio Department of Education guidelines. Information packets and 2026-2027 registration will be available. Financial aid is available, ensuring that a quality early education is accessible.

First UM Preschool is known for its commitment to high-quality education in a nurturing Christian environment. The preschool’s key features include being established and state-licensed for over 50 years, offering a Christian atmosphere, maintaining low student-to-teacher ratios, and employing experienced, licensed teachers. They also provide flexible class options: a two-day per week class for three-year-olds and pre-kindergarten options for three or four days per week.

For more information, visit vanwertfirst.net and click on “Preschool,” or contact: Marilyn Agler, Preschool Administrator at 419.238.0631, extension 308 or via email at marilyn.agler@vanwertfirst.net.

Concert moved, drone show postponed

VW independent staff/submitted information

Due to a forcast that includes showers and thunderstorms plus wildfire smoke, Friday night’s Jesse LaBelle concert has been moved indoors to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., giving guests plenty of time to arrive, get settled, and support a great local cause before the music begins. Haven of Hope will be serving hot dogs, coney dogs, and sloppy joes from the Niswonger concession stand, with tables and chairs available in the lobby for those who would like to enjoy dinner before the performance.

Concertgoers will also have the opportunity to cheer on some hometown talent. Van Wert locals J.R. Smith, Vince Barnhart, and Thom McKee will join Jesse LaBelle on stage for what promises to be a memorable evening of live music.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free of charge.

In addition, the Peony Festival drone show scheduled to take place after the concert has been postponed due to concerns about weather and wildlife smoke. A new date has not been set.

Thousands welcome Big Boy to Continental

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONTINENTAL — Some called it a once in a lifetime experience and they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.

Union Pacific’s locomotive No. 4014, known as “Big Boy” sounded its distinct Hancock Long Bell three-chime whistle as it rolled into the Putnam County village of Continental at 11 a.m. Wednesday, much to the delight of several thousand people who gathered near the main drag to see it. Train enthusiasts, spectators and anyone who wanted to see the giant engine came from different parts of Ohio and out of state and they cheered as it came to a stop downtown.

Continental’s population is roughly 1,100 and the village just minutes from the Paulding County line was well prepared for the large crowd of visitors. Some of them tried to see Big Boy the previous day in Fostoria, but were unsuccessful due to long lines and traffic tie-ups.

It was the second time in about six weeks that the world’s largest operating steam locomotive made a 30-minute “whistle-stop” in Continental. The first time was June 6, early on in the train’s historic journey across the country. When Big Boy stopped then, it was a rainy day. Wednesday was sunny and warm to start, then downright hot when the train pulled away just after 11:30 a.m. on its way to and through Paulding County and into Allen County, Indiana. Those who gathered near the tracks cheered and waved as the giant locomotive left the village.

The train also featured Union Pacific’s Abraham Lincoln commemorative locomotive No. 1616 and America250 locomotive No. 1776, plus three Norfolk Southern America250 locomotives. Behind them were Armour Yellow cars from Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, red Norfolk Southern business cars and the Marco Polo, a restored Pullman car used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In April, Big Boy traveled from its home base of Cheyenne, Wyoming, through Utah and Nevada to begin its tour in Sacremento, California, near historic Milepost 0 – the site where Central Pacific began construction on the nation’s first transcontinental railroad in 1863. From there, the magnificent steam engine cross country to Philadephia, Pennsylvania, in early July to celebrate America’s 250 birthday.

Video: Big Boy!

Union Pacific’s giant steam locomotive, Boy Boy 4014, delighted thousands of people during a “whistle” stop in Continental on Thursday. After a 30-minute stop in the village, the train headed west through Paulding County into Allen County, Indiana. Video by Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

Video: Big Boy whistle…

Union Pacific’s locomotive No. 4014, known as “Big Boy” sounded its distinct Hancock Long Bell three-chime whistle as it rolled into the village of Continental on Wednesday. Video by Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent