DAVE MOSIER/independent editor After 18 months of construction, the Homestead Assisted Living and Memory Care Community residential facility opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting, flag raising, and an open house. Steven Sell, director of Florida-based Health Care Managers Inc., which built the facility, talked about the assisted living amenities and special unit for those with memory-related […]
POSTED: 06/04/21 at 6:49 am. FILED UNDER: News
Independent staff After a year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Van Wert Peony Festival returns in 2021 as a live event. The festival, which starts Friday and runs through Saturday, is a two-day event, versus the normal three days, and will include the queen’s pageant on Saturday morning, the first Feel Good Friday […]
POSTED: 06/04/21 at 6:17 am. FILED UNDER: News
Independent staff and submitted information As of Thursday, the Van Wert County General Health District reports an increase of four confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Thursday, May 27, for a total of 2,414 confirmed cases. There are no known hospitalizations at this time. To date, the health department has administered 10,831 COVID-19 vaccinations. The following COVID-19 vaccination clinics […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 5:16 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Jerri Poling Bacino was born on April 1, 1957, to Bette (Norbeck) and Glen L. Poling in Van Wert. She graduated from Van Wert High School and earned her degree from Bowling Green State University. She then moved to Alaska, where she learned to love outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and windsurfing, and began her […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 5:07 pm. FILED UNDER: Obituaries
Independent staff and submitted information COLUMBUS — State Representatives Craig S. Riedel (R-Defiance) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) announced Wednesday in a Statehouse press conference the introduction of legislation offering law enforcement and first responders a one-time bonus award for their work during the pandemic. “This bill provides an excellent use of federal funds to support […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 12:42 am. FILED UNDER: News
Independent staff and submitted information Three people appeared for criminal hearings this past week in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, including two who entered changes of pleas. Nicholas Gardner, 35, of Van Wert changed his plea to guilty to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. Judge Martin […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 12:34 am. FILED UNDER: News
Independent staff and submitted information LIMA — The Northwest Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition (NWORRC) is a 16 county coalition (Allen, Putnam, Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Van Wert, Mercer, Auglaize- Darke, Shelby, Miami, Hancock, Hardin, and Wyandot) that wants to increase its impact and strengthen its support of human trafficking survivors by increasing membership and […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 12:32 am. FILED UNDER: News
Independent staff and submitted information Van Wert Lodge 1197, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, announces the winners of the 2020-2021 Elks Americanism Essay Contest. This fraternal year, the theme for the contest was: “How can Patriotism be Demonstrated.” Students competed in divisions, by age group. Local winners, whose names were forwarded to the District […]
POSTED: 06/03/21 at 12:31 am. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor 13 track and field athletes from Van Wert County are ready to turn heads at this weekend’s Ohio High School Athletic Association State Track and Field championships. Six of them will represent Lincolnview in three different events in Division III competition at Westerville North while the other seven are from Van […]
POSTED: 06/02/21 at 8:31 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Lincolnview’s Daegan Hatfield (top) will compete in the Division III State high jump, while Sami Sellers (left) has qualified for the discus throw. Van Wert’s 4×800 team (right – Trey Laudick, Gage Wannamacher, Gage Springer, Hunter Sherer) has qualified for the Division II State meet (see related story). Lincolnview and Van Wert photos
POSTED: 06/02/21 at 8:27 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports