Data center construction to require many more workers

LHS Theatre Dept. to present fall play

VW independent staff/submitted information

The curtain will soon rise on the Lincolnview High School Theatre Department’s presentation of the hilarious comedy “You Can’t Beat the House” by Pat Cook.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 31; 2 p.m. Sunday, November 1; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 5, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 7, all at the Van Wert Civic Theatre, 118 S. Race St.

In You Can’t Beat the House, two bumbling burglars, Howie and Merle, break into what they believe will be an easy target. However, their simple robbery quickly spirals into a hilarious series of misunderstandings, unexpected visitors, and outrageous twists. With chaos around every corner, nothing goes according to plan in this fast-paced comedy of errors.

The cast includes Graham Kill as Merle, Aaron Sawyer as Howie, Marcus Kerns as Conrad, Katie Kundert as Glenda, Kylie Cummings as Courtney, Destiny Breese as Fern, Adam Baer as Officer Milo, Finn Howard as Lillian, Yaddo Von Stetina as Madame Zenobia, and Parker Goins as Brittany.

Behind the scenes, Gracen Hubble serves as stage manager, with Daphnie Johnson, Sierra Grime, and Chloe Scrader on stage crew. Xander Cowdrick is responsible for lighting, and Josh Spaulding handles sound.

Audiences will also enjoy a short comedy sketch following intermission featuring Owen Dannenfelser, Jackson Purk, Dimitri Linser, Elisha Buehrer, Elex Dunn, Aiden Smith, Zae Dee Lippi, Cora Geiger, Jaycee Kill, Jenna Evans, Sylvia Watkins, and Izzie Bowers.

The production is directed by Chad Kraner, with Adam Ries assisting as assistant director. Mary Ann Falk serves as technical director, and Josh England is the set coordinator.

Convoy-area crash…

One person was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital in Fort Wayne, after a two-car accident at U.S. 30 and Convoy Rd. in Tully Township. The crash occurred at approximately 2 p.m. Saturday. The Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance at the scene, along with Convoy Fire & EMS. Mutual aid was provided by the Van Wert Fire Department. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer

Annual dinner held by VWCBDD

By Paula Miller/special to the VW independent

For the fifth consecutive year, the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities held its employment recognition dinner at Willow Bend Country Club in Van Wert. Approximately 80 people attended last week’s event, including individuals employed in the county, family members, support staff, county board staff, and board members. The gathering provided an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the many accomplishments, achievements, and contributions of individuals throughout our county.

October is recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and promote inclusive employment practices.

A path to employment is different for everyone. Throughout our lives, we encounter people who influence and help shape our journey toward achieving our employment goals. Many of our earliest experiences with work come from family members, such as parents and grandparents, who teach us the value of responsibility and a strong work ethic. As we grow, we gain additional knowledge and experience through school programs, community involvement, and everyday life experiences.

Some individuals may spend 50 years working for one employer, while others may explore several different jobs and career opportunities throughout their lives. Regardless of the path we take, we all learn from those around us the importance of showing up, being dependable, taking pride in our work, and doing our best each day.

Every individual has unique strengths, abilities, and talents to contribute to the workforce. By promoting inclusive employment opportunities and recognizing the accomplishments of workers with disabilities, we help build stronger workplaces and communities where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

If you are interested in more information about inclusive employment practices or opening your business door to individuals with disabilities seeking employment, call the Van Wert County Board of DD at 419.238.6131.

Editor’s note: Paula Miller serves as Service and Support Administrator for the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Extended voting hours offered this week

VW independent staff

Any registered voter who wishes to cast an early in-person ballot ahead of the November 3 general election will have plenty of opportunities to do so this week.

Extended voting hours are being offered at the Van Wert County Board of Elections Office, 1362 E. Ervin Rd., Van Wert, and elections offices throughout the state. Here is this week’s schedule.

• Monday, October 26: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 27: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 28: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 29: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1: 1-5 p.m.

There is no early in-person voting option on Monday, November 2. The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 3. A valid photo ID is required to vote.

Figures from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office show as of 12 p.m. Saturday, 2,486 registered voters in Van Wert County had cast early in-person ballots.

Fog leads to crash…

Saturday morning’s dense fog was a contributing factor in a morning crash along Lincoln Highway in Middle Point. It happened at approximately 9:30 a.m. when a westbound vehicle came upon a another vehicle turning into the truck stop in the 11000 block of Lincoln Highway. While attempting to avoid hitting the other vehicle, the car ran into a power pole. Middle Point EMS was dispatched to the scene as air bags because were deployed in the car. The driver declined medical treatment at the scene. The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department investigated the accident. Bob Barnes photos

County fares well in latest jobless numbers

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Van Wert County and most surrounding counties had unemployment rates lower than the statewide average last month, according to figures released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio’s statewide average in September was 3.4 percent. Van Wert County came in a half-percent lower, at 2.9 percent, the same as August, and lower than the September, 2025 rate of 3.8 percent. Lat month, Van Wert County had a labor force of 14,300, and 13,900 workers were employed.

Two neighboring counties, Mercer and Putnam, had jobless rates even lower, 2.6 percent, while a third, Auglaize County, checked in at 2.8 percent. To the north, Paulding County’s September jobless rate was slightly higher than Van Wert County’s, 3.1 percent.

Allen County’s unemployment rate was above the state average, 3.7 percent.

Medina and Geauga counties, both in northeast Ohio, had the state’s lowest jobless rate last month, just 1.6 percent in both counties. In fact, seven northeast Ohio counties had the lowest rates in September. After Medina and Geauga, Lake County’s unemployment rate was 1.8 percent, while Lorain and Ashtabula counties came in at 1.9 percent. Cuyahoga Count’s September jobless rate was 2.0 percent and Holmes County was at 2.4 percent.

While northeast Ohio had the lowest rates, it also had the highest jobless rates. Trumbull County had the state’s highest unemployment rate last month, 4.8 percent, while neighboring Mahoning County came in at 4.7 percent.

An Ohio Department of Job and Family Services report noted that unemployment rates increased in 42 counties, decreased in 22 counties, and did not change in 24 counties last month.

ONU poll addresses data center expansion

VW independent staff/submitted information

ADA — A statewide study released on Friday by the Ohio Northern University Institute for Civics and Public Policy (ICAPP), in partnership with SurveyUSA, indicates widespread public opposition to data center construction and public tax subsidies supporting data centers across Ohio. 

The survey of 1,650 Ohio adults, which has a +/- 2.9 percent margin of error, was conducted between October 8-13. The poll also highlights strong national pride coupled with significant frustration over the country’s current path.  

“Ohio is playing a defining role in shaping America’s future – both economically through the AI and data center boom, and civically as we honor our nation’s 250-year legacy, said Dr. Keith F. Durkin, ICAPP director and professor of sociology. “This poll bridges that gap, showing how regular Ohioans feel about where our country has been, where our state is headed, and what community progress should look like.” 

Broad opposition to data center construction and subsidies

A clear majority of Ohioans oppose the growth of data centers in the state. According to the poll:

• Overall construction: 55 percent of respondents oppose constructing data centers in Ohio (32 percent strongly, 23 percent somewhat), compared to just 22 percent who support it. Opposition holds across nearly every major demographic and regional subgroup.
• Tax incentives: 65 percent oppose tax breaks for data center developments (43 percent strongly), while only 15 percent support them. Even among self-identified strong Republicans – the group most receptive to the breaks – a majority (53 percent) remain opposed.
• Constitutional ban: 57 percent of adults indicate they would vote “Yes” on a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution banning new large-scale data centers with peak power demands exceeding 25 megawatts. Only 22 percent would vote “no,” with 21 percent undecided.

“Poll results reveal strong opposition from Ohioans to local data center expansion, driven by concerns over rising utility bills, environmental impact, and lower quality of life,” ICAPP Student Fellow Evan Kimmel said. 

NSCC Trustees to meet in Van Wert

The Board of Trustees of Northwest State Community College will hold their next regular meeting on at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 30, in Room VW216 at the Van Wert Campus, 520 E. Sycamore St.

Manufactured homes could have a moment

By Robbie Sequeira/Stateline News

For decades, manufactured home builders have been working to shed the old image of boxy trailer homes reserved for the outskirts of cities and suburbia. Now, a small change in federal regulations could open the door for architecture welcomed in more neighborhoods.

This summer’s sweeping housing bill, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, removed a 1974 mandate that required every manufactured home to be built on a nonremovable steel frame, known as a chassis. Experts and home producers think the change could help unlock thousands more affordable housing options around the country.

But first, experts say, states have to examine outdated regulations that are blocking the manufactured home industry’s potential. The Pew Charitable Trusts’ housing initiative estimates that 30 states might need to change their regulations to align with the new federal law.

Unlocking manufactured homes from chassis will allow manufactured homes to become multi-family developments, said Stephanie Hawke, associate research director of land use and supply at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley.

They’ll be cheaper for builders, she noted, and they’ll be easier to stack into two-story and multi-family homes.

“First of all, you were putting a very heavy, expensive thing on the bottom of these homes that is not needed and it is not used, and it’s made out of steel,” Hawke said. “If you’ve got this heavy piece of steel on the bottom of a home, stacking it becomes more difficult.”

Manufactured homes are built entirely in a factory, regulated by U.S. Housing and Urban Development codes, and then trucked to a home site. 

They cost 50 percent less per square foot than homes built on a site, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute, an industry group. And experts say dropping the chassis could drive down costs by $5,000 to $10,000 per home.

“There’s really the opportunity to stack these manufactured homes to make multi-family developments,” Hawke said. “So it’s unlocking this thing which was primarily used for single-family and it’s making it much more accessible for a multi-family developer, which is great because manufactured housing is far and away the least expensive non-subsidized housing supply in the United States.” 

Lincoln Ridge to host a charitable evening

Submitted information

CONVOY — A century-old barn that captured widespread attention during its nearly mile-long move to Lincoln Ridge Farms, established in 1919, is preparing to make history again, this time as the setting for a new annual tradition of giving.

Lincoln Ridge Farms and Slusher’s Jewelry of Van Wert will host the inaugural Black Fog Affair on Saturday, October 24, from 7 p.m. to midnight, inside the historic Legacy Barn at Lincoln Ridge Farms. The celebration, open to guests ages 21 and older, will benefit the Van Wert County Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter initiative, along with the Jae’s Journey Playground Fund.

Planned as an annual charity event held in conjunction with Lincoln Ridge Farms’ 39th Annual Fall Mums & Pumpkin Festival, the Black Fog Affair builds on a season dedicated to bringing families together and creating lasting memories. Organizers Tim Slusher and Alison Thomas hope to carry that spirit into an evening that helps others with different charitable beneficiaries selected each year.

This year’s event will benefit two meaningful local causes. Through its “Clear the Shelter” effort, the Van Wert County Humane Society will offer free or reduced adoption fees, helping animals find the loving homes they deserve while creating space to rescue and care for more animals. Jae’s Journey Playground Fund is raising funds to purchase inclusive playground equipment, making play more accessible for local children. This equipment will help children with disabilities play alongside their friends and share in the joy, connection and experiences every child deserves.

The setting brings its own remarkable story. Measuring 100 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall, the Legacy Barn was moved from a neighboring farm nearly a mile away three years ago. The move drew attention across Ohio and surrounding states, receiving television news coverage and approaching one million views on social media.

Once the barn reached its new home, it underwent complete renovation. Since then, it has welcomed wedding receptions, corporate events, celebrations of life, graduation parties and anniversary celebrations. The Black Fog Affair adds another purpose to its second life: helping create legacies of generosity and community. Lincoln Ridge Farms, Jeff and Cathy Thomas also extend their gratitude to the Poling family for the opportunity to preserve this piece of their family’s history and give it a future filled with new meaning and purpose in serving the community.

For the inaugural celebration, the barn will be transformed with elaborate Halloween décor, atmospheric lighting and unexpected details. The evening will feature music by Vourteque, sound and lighting by JSL Lighting Productions, dancing, light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar provided by Cheers & Gears. Food trucks, Brent’s Rolling Kitchen and Chips & Dips will also be on-site.