Top 10 stories of 2024: No. 10, No. 9

Editor’s note: As the end of 2024 draws near, the Van Wert independent is publishing what it judges to be the Top 10 stories of the year. Articles featuring two stories each will be published daily, with the top two stories published on Tuesday, December 31. Today’s article features the No. 10 and No. 9 top stories.

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

No. 10 – The Marsh Foundation breaks ground for equine program

In late November, The Marsh Foundation official broke ground for an Equine Program Center in Van Wert. The facility has been a longtime goal for the Equine Program, which began more than 25 years ago and has evolved to meet the changing needs of children and families. 

The center will house 4,200 square feet of office and classroom space, 7,000 square feet of stables and 21,000 square feet of indoor arena space. In addition, the current stables will be renovated and there will be 20 acres of pasture incorporated into the program facilities. 

“We at The Marsh, believe that every youth who walks through our doors deserves the best opportunity to grow, to heal, and to thrive,” said Kelly Gross, executive director of Child & Family Services. “For many of them, conventional therapy isn’t enough. The Equine Assisted Learning program will expand both the number of youths served and the methods used.”

“As long as there is a need in our community and the equine-assisted learning is impacting our children, I am dedicated to growing this program to be — in George Marsh’s words — ‘an ever-increasing benefit to mankind,’” Equine Program Coordinator Abigail Neville said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

The project is expected to be complete next fall.

No. 9 – Lincolnview unveils long awaited addition

It was a project that was first discussed in 2019, pre-COVID. It went on the back burner because of the pandemic but finally came to fruition when it was unveiled this past August.

Officials with Lincolnview Local Schools officially unveiled the elementary school’s new special education suite and media center/STEM labs during a special open house.

The special education suite includes two new classrooms, a sensory room, a conference room, storage space, a new restroom and a new special education office. “We’ve also constructed Two 1,000 square foot areas for our STEM labs were built for science and technology, engineering and math, which allows all K-6 students to have a rotation throughout the week in the STEM lab.

The special education suite and media center/STEM labs were Phase II of the district’s building and renovation project. In 2023, work was completed on a renovated elementary office with a safer, more secure entrance, renovated classrooms, an additional kindergarten classroom, which previously housed the school library, and relocation of the nurse’s room and restrooms. The first phase of the project also included renovations to the elementary cafeteria, including new lighting and flooring, monitors and more.

The total project spans 10,000 square feet. The total cost was approximately $5 million, including Phase II, which was about $3.8 million.

“We are so blessed to be good stewards of our district’s money, from our board to our treasurers,” Lincolnview Local Schools Superintendent Jeff Snyder said at the open house. “The special part is we didn’t ask our community for any more tax dollars to build this facility. We were able to do it with the actual budget we had in place, which is unheard of in districts throughout the state of Ohio.”

Tomorrow: the No. 8 and No. 7 top stories.