VW independent sports/submitted information COLUMBUS — Senior Marcus Johnson of Garfield Heights High School was named 2026 Ohio Mr. Basketball on Thursday by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association, edging out Delphos St. John’s senior guard Cameron Elwer and becoming the seventh player to earn the award twice since it was first handed out in 1988. […]
POSTED: 03/19/26 at 1:34 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Ann Marie Sinn, 92, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Country Inn Enhanced Living Center. She was born on May 15, 1933, to Elmer and Rose (Beer) Haab, who both preceded her in death. On October 18, 1959 she was joined in marriage to Ray Sinn in Milford, IN. He preceded her […]
POSTED: 03/19/26 at 1:17 pm. FILED UNDER: Obituaries
Josephine R. Wenninger, affectionally known to many as “Grandma Jo” of Paulding, and formerly of Haviland, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, on hospice at the Paulding County Hospital, after a lingering illness. She was born in Latty, on May 1, 1928, the daughter of Otto and Lydia Stoller Schlatter. Josephine graduated from […]
POSTED: 03/19/26 at 8:59 am. FILED UNDER: Obituaries
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 1:28 a.m. – Deputies responded to an area of West Main Street in the City of Van Wert to assist the Van Wert Police Department. 3:28 a.m. – Deputies responded to a residence on State Street in the Village of Willshire for a report of a stolen vehicle. 7:10 a.m. – […]
POSTED: 03/19/26 at 7:26 am. FILED UNDER: Law Enforcement
By Megan Henry/Ohio Capital Journal Opponents of Ohio Republican lawmakers’ attempt to ban intoxicating hemp products and change the state’s voter-passed recreational marijuana law failed to collect enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot this year to block it. Ohioans for Cannabis Choice would not say how many signatures they gathered. They needed […]
POSTED: 03/19/26 at 7:12 am. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor The Luck of the Irish was with someone on St. Patrick’s Day. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are roughly one in 290,000,000, but it happened Tuesday in Van Wert. The city was buzzing on Wednesday, after someone won a Mega Millions $60 million jackpot. Of course, the top question […]
POSTED: 03/18/26 at 8:46 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff A pair of arraignments, three sentencing hearings, a bond violation and two plea changes were among the proceedings that occurred in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings. Arraignments Charles Cowan, 37, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty Plea to […]
POSTED: 03/18/26 at 8:45 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Editor’s note: this story has been updated with comments from Delphos St. John’s Principal Adam Lee. SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor ROCKFORD — Just a few days after a special meeting to discuss the topic of conference affliation, the Parkway Local Schools Board of Education has made the decision to stay put in the Midwest Athletic Conference. […]
POSTED: 03/18/26 at 8:45 pm. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports The best of the best remain and will compete at the 104th OHSAA boys basketball state tournament at Wright State University and the University of Dayton, which runs through Sunday. The Lincolnview Lancers are representing Van Wert County, but the area has four other teams competing as well – Marion Local, Delphos […]
POSTED: 03/18/26 at 8:41 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 12:17 a.m. – Deputies responded to an area of U.S. 127 in Hoaglin Township for a report of a vehicle in the ditch. 12:25 a.m. – Deputies responded to an area of U.S. 30 in Ridge Township to assist the Ohio State Highway Patrol. 1:01 a.m. – Deputies responded to an […]
POSTED: 03/18/26 at 8:17 am. FILED UNDER: Law Enforcement