Archive - News Article
December 26th
One city elected official says he believes the best scenario is never having to utilize the equipment purchased for an emergency or for inclement weather, but he also realizes that thought is unrealistic.
Wapakoneta City Council 4th Ward Councilor Dan Graf said while the saying is often used by fire chiefs regarding fire trucks, he believes the adage can be applied to the harsh road conditions battled by members of the Public Works Department and local motorists.
He also thinks a new plan developed this year should help in fighting the war against ice and snow.
A local woman who has a passion for music has retired from giving music lessons, but will never retire from her love for music.
Mary Margaret Barlage has studied music all of her life, and has been teaching music lessons at her home, including piano, organ, guitar, vocal and accordion, for the past 60 years.
Last Tuesday marked Barlage’s last music lesson, after 60 years, and she said she felt it was time to retire.
“I have studied music all of my life,” Barlage said. “Music has always been easy to me. It’s a gift.”
A Wapakoneta Middle School student has a busy schedule each day of the week, but she would not like it any other way.
Between sports, dance and her paper route, Wapakoneta Middle School sixth-grader Kayla Crawford has something to do every day, but she is not complaining.
“I live being active and staying busy,” Crawford said. “I always have something to do.”
Along with doing what most 12-year-olds do, Crawford takes on sports, extra-curriculars and a job.
The dancer has picked up tumbling and lyrical lessons at The Dance Centre, and in her first year back, after a short hiatus.
December 23rd
WAYNESFIELD — A Waynesfield couple focused on instilling a strong work ethic in their children and always stressed the importance of education and service to church and the community.
However, Thelma and Lott Turner could not have envisioned the impact that their descendants would have in the small town.
The couple that operated a small farm in the community had five children, all graduates of Waynesfield-Goshen High School.
The couple’s 15 grandchildren all excelled both academically and athletically, and littered the school’s athletic record books along the way.
As county administrators walk through the Auglaize County Courthouse, they mention how pleased they are with the renovations to the century-old building.
The Auglaize County commissioners and Administrator Joe Lenhart toured the courthouse on Thursday during their monthly walk-through, expressing to representatives from Garmann-Miller & Associates of how happy they are with the way things are going.
“The most interesting thing of this project are the different stages,” Auglaize County Administrator Joe Lenhart said. “It’s interesting to see the phases of work in the same building.”
A group of young girls made it their mission that no pet will go hungry this Christmas.
Brownie Troop 20238, with the help of Daisy Troop 20721, set up a drive asking local businesses and organizations for donations of dog and cat food and set out collection bins in area schools and businesses so they could provide pet food to area families in need.
With fewer staff members doing more work, high gasoline prices and a copy machine that may need replaced, the director of OSU’s Extension Office in Auglaize County requested approximately a $50,000 increase in the 2012 budget.
“Basically, we’re just trying to cover our costs,” Auglaize County OSU Extension Office Director Beth Miller said.
She requested $252,350 in funding from the Auglaize County commissioners. The request is $48,575 more than in 2011, when the office for the second consecutive year had to calculate zero spending in several line items just to try to make ends meet.
All the festivities surrounding Christmas time may not leave everyone feeling happy.
Auglaize County Medical Director Dr. Juan Torres said this time of year people can be prone to getting the “holiday blues.”
“People want to do more, to find the perfect gift, have the perfect holiday, it puts a lot of stress on people,” Torres said. “In Sunday School, we are taught to love our neighbor as our we love ourselves, but many times we love our neighbors but we do not love ourselves.”
Torres said often we can accept from them what may be viewed as shortcomings in oneself.
With Christmas time here, it is important for locals to remember to follow safety precautions, especially when it comes to childrens’ presents — toys.
Toy-related deaths to children, younger than 15, increased to 17 fatalities reported last year for 15 in 2009, along with approximately 181,500 children who were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries.
December 22nd
A new director is set to take over the county library system after Auglaize County Public District Library Board of Trustees reached a decision.
Beth Steiner, who has served as the youth services coordinator for the last five years, replaces Jo Derryberry, who retired in September.
Steiner, a native of Auglaize County, has a master of science degree in library science from Clarion University, a master of arts in organizational management from Bluffton University and a bachelor of business administration/marketing from the University of Toledo.
