Contract approved, BOE gets updates

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor CONVOY — Teachers and staff members employed by the Crestview Local Schools are getting raises. Monday, members of the Crestview school board unanimously approved a three year contract with the Crestview Employees’ Association, which represents certified and classified staff members. The contract includes raises of 3.5 percent each of the three years. […]

Local gas prices still below state average

VW independent staff/submitted information Average gasoline prices fell in nearly all states over the last week, but Ohio wasn’t one of them. Average gas prices in the Buckeye State have risen slightly, one cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.04 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. […]

Gov’t offices to close for holiday

VW independent staff The Van Wert Municipal Building, Van Wert Municipal Court and all Van Wert County offices will be closed this Friday, June 19, for Juneteeth, a federal holiday. All state and federal offices will be closed as well.

Eggerss Stadium work…

Work continues on the fourth and final phase of improvements to Eggerss Stadium. It includes construction of a new main entrance, new ticket booth, a new concession stand/restrooms and band bleachers. Work is expected to be complete in time for the start of the 2026 football season. A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September […]

Nice day at Eggerss…

It was a picture perfect afternoon at Eggerss Stadium on Monday, as work continued on Phase IV of the downtown stadium’s massive renovation project. The Van Wert Cougars will kickoff their 2026 season there on August 21 against Bryan. Video by Scott Truxell

Governor signs capital budget bill

VW independent staff/submitted information COLUMBUS — Ohio’s new capital budget bill, for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, was signed by Governor Mike DeWine on Monday. It includes funds for five projects in Van Wert County (listed below). “The projects outlined in this budget will improve our parks, county fairgrounds, and historical sites; upgrade schools and […]

Van Wert residents paying attention

To the Editor, As a former Van Wert resident who still follows what happens back home, I was struck by Brent Stevens’ recent op‑ed suggesting that people raising concerns about data centers are being swept up in “coordinated narratives” or influenced by foreign interests. That claim doesn’t reflect the Van Wert I grew up in. […]

Random Thoughts: congrats, MAC, more

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports This week’s installment of Random Thoughts includes congralutions, facts and figures about the mighty MAC, and the continued Brendan Sorsby saga. Congratulations Congratulations to the Delphos St. John’s Blue Jays, Division VII baseball state champions. The Blue Jays, who finished third in the MAC behind co-champions St. Henry and Coldwater, ended the […]

Katurah Joy “Katie” (Beukema) Schweikle

Katurah Joy “Katie” (Beukema) Schweikle, 57, of Van Wert, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Born Holly Hosler on 27 January 1969 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to William Carl and Margaret Ann (Coil) Hosler, she was raised in Huntertown and Churubusco, […]

ODOT wants feedback on roundabout

VW independent staff/submitted information Taking the next step forward, the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 is seeking public comments on a project to construct a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 224 and Van Wert-Decatur Road, just west of the city of Van Wert. The intersection is the site of frequent accidents. In 2025, […]