Author: Newspaper Staff

By: John Winright THE VILLAGE REPORTER Upon walking into First Baptist Church in Stryker Ohio and spending some time in conversation with Matt Dodd, a person quickly sees a very mature dedicated young man that will leave a lifetime impression. Matthew says, “God placed me in a family with a Dad and Mom who knew and loved Jesus. My Dad’s name is Peter and my Mom’s name is Cindi. I was born in 1985 in Sandusky, OH. I am the oldest of 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls and they are not just my siblings but my friends. My…

By: Jake Weber THE VILLAGE REPORTER Keri Aeschliman is a nineteen year-old farm gal turned author from rural Ohio. Her first officially published work is a fiction piece titled In Paths of Righteousness. The historical fiction novel is centralized around the misadventures of David Riley; a traditional farm boy of the late 1800s. Aeschliman’s story began as an assignment during the early years of high school; an 8-10 page short story eventually led to an abundance of ideas and an intricate storyline that continued to snowball until Keri realized she wanted to do more with the story. Composed in a…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter In a gathering that both began and concluded in Executive Session, the Millcreek-West Unity Board of Education met for their February regular meeting on Monday, February 23. Immediately after calling the meeting to order, the board entered into the initial Executive Session in order to investigate charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee, or regulated individual. Or, as the meeting agenda clarified, a level four grievance hearing in accordance with the district’s Collective Bargaining Agreement was to take place. Leaving the library for the board’s conference room were Superintendent Larry Long, Treasurer…

The Pioneer Lions Club welcomed Sheriff Steve Towns to speak to them about the D.A.R.E. program that has recently been brought back to the local schools. Sheriff Towns mentioned that the new program educates students in much more than drug abuse. The program reaches out to elementary students to teach them life long skills on making good choices when it comes to bullying, internet safety and domestic issues. Sheriff Towns stressed how important it is to reach younger students and to stress to them the importance of not using drugs. Sheriff Towns was the guest of Pioneer Lions Club member…

Eileen M. Russell, age 90, of Delta, passed away at her home Wednesday morning, February 25, 2015.   She was born at home in Bowling Green, OH on March 26, 1924 to the late Freddie Rayle and Dorothy (Finch) Rayle. Eileen graduated from Albert E. Smith High School in Riverview, MI. She married Eugene Russell, who passed away in 1993. In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by her son, James Russell; brothers, Fred Rayle, Bob Rayle and Tom Jackson; sister, Frieda Valerie and granddaughter, Jamie Russell.  Eileen is survived by her sons, George (Diane) Russell of Defiance…

Leighton James Stump, 85, Wakarusa, died at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 at his residence. He was born Feb. 5, 1930 in Union Twp., Elkhart County, Nappanee, to Carl & Walta (Whitehead) Stump. He graduated from New Paris High School in 1948 and married Arlene (Geyer) Stump on June 6, 1950. Surviving are his wife, Arlene, sons, David (Cathy) Stump, Goshen, Steven (Barbara) Stump, Wakarusa, Terry (Delores) Stump, Wakarusa, Mark (Stephanee) Stump, Angola, Rex (Jenny) Stump, Wauseon, Ohio, daughter, Diana (Cliff) Graybill, Bremen, grandchildren, Katie (Sam) Reece, Emily Stump, AbbyStump, Tyler Stump,, Andrew Stump, Michael (fiancee, Jennifer) Graybill, Robert Graybill, Sam (Kara) Stump, Libby (Matt) Abberger, Joanna (Alex) Williams, Aaron (Rachel) Stump, Austin (Britny) Stump,…

(February 16th, 2015) – WEST UNITY: A trio of Fayette scorers paved the path to victory in the Eagles’ win over North Central in the first round of the Buckeye Border Conference’s Freshman Tournament. The Eagles from Fulton County bested their Williams County counterparts 42-18. Fayette’s Travis Wagner led all scorers with 15 points. Teammate Grant Reinking added 11 points to the Eagle total. Hunter Griffiths tacked on 10 more points in the victory effort as well. North Central was led in scoring be Cody Tomblin. He offered up 8 points in the loss.

(February 17th, 2015) – LIBERTY CENTER: It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Pettisville was able to gain a wide degree of separation with their hosts at Liberty Center. They were able to double up the Lady Tigers, despite defense ruling the night, 26-13. In the first quarter, Pettisville jumped to a 7-4 lead, with neither side able to get comfortable offensively. The second period was close as well, as the Lady Blackbirds took the frame 6-5. At the half, Pettisville took a 4 point lead into the locker room, 13-9. The Blackbird girls edged out the hometown girls of…

(February 20th, 2015) – PETTISVILLE: While Pettisville got off to an early lead against their visitors from Fayette, they still needed an high scoring fourth quarter comeback to win the pivotal Buckeye Border Conference match-up. The Blackbirds earned the hard victory 49-44. Pettisville got off to a strong beginning, taking a 15-8 lead by the end of the first quarter. Fayette clawed their way back into the game, however, with a 12-7 second period effort. At the half, the Blackbird boys clung to a 3 point lead, 23-20. Then disaster struck for the home team. The Eagle defense played at…

(February 20th, 2015) – PETTISVILLE: The Fayett Junior Varsity boys came onto Pettisville’s home court on Friday, February 20, and stunned the Blackbirds. The Eagles took a decisive victory 45-19. Pettisville struggled to get their feet off the ground early in the contest, as they fell behind 11-2 in the first quarter. Their defense couldn’t find an answer for the Fayette offense, as they gave up 17 more points in the second period, compared to the 6 they scored on the other end of the floor. At the half, the hometown boys of Pettisville were down 29-10. Fayette continued their…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter The team was finishing off their practice with a simple series of stretches. A majority of its members gathered in a large circle, while four upperclassmen made a smaller one its center. For twenty seconds at a time, each stretch would be performed by every one of them. Those in the inner circle began to count off, speaking the odd numbers alone,while the rest of the Wauseon boys and girl, as there is just one on the team, joined in on the even numbers. This time, however, an underclassman decided that he needn’t take…

(February 18th and 20th) – BOWLING GREEN: The Bowling Green State University campus played host to the District Championships, where both the boys and girls Wauseon teams competed with the area elite. The Indians stacked up pretty well against the competition, with six Wauseon girls earning invitations to the State meet. For the Lady Indians, Patience Bachman and Jordan Sloan each earned the right to advance in the diving competition, finishing in fifth and eighth places, respectively. Kasey Darnell had a strong day individually, taking second place in the 200 meter freestyle at 1:57.71, and first in the 500 meter…

(February 21st, 2015) – LIBERTY CENTER: With three mats beside each other covering the entirety of the Liberty Center Varsity Gym, the North Western Ohio Athletic League Tournament was a fast paced, hectic affair. With only Delta missing from the event, eight teams went up against each other in a chaotic scene. Wauseon claimed victory when it was all said and done, earning 224 points overall. Montpelier had a respectable showing as well, posting a fourth place finish at 116.5 points. The Indians took first place in several weight classes to take the win. Alex Slattman won the 106 pound…

Wauseon and Bryan swimmers competed in the Division II District meet at Bowling Green State University February 20. Wauseon’s Kasey Darnell will be competing in the 200 freestyle by swimming the distance in 1:57.71 in the district meet. She then won a district championship, in the 500 freestyle, defeating the field with a time of 5:14.20. Wauseon’s Sydney Darnell’s fourth place finish in the 200 Individual Medley won her a spot in the state meet with her time of 2:17.07 while the Indians’ 12 place finish in the 200 Freestyle Relay advanced them to State with a time of 1:46.81.…

(February 20th, 2015) – WEST UNITY: After being surprised by Edon in the first half, the hometown Cadets of Hilltop rallied the troops and came away with a strong victory. Despite trailing mid-way through the third period, Hilltop was able to claim a 60-48 victory. The Bomber boys got off to a phenomenal start in the road game, jumping out to a 16-8 lead in the contest’s opening period. Hilltop fought back in the the second quarter, outscoring Edon 18-13. That pulled the home team to within 3 points of their Buckeye Border Conference foe at the half, 29-26. But…

(February 21st, 2015) – EVERGREEN: Surges in the second and third quarters allowed for the visiting Eagles of Fayette to put the contest out of Evergreen’s reach on Saturday, February 21. Fayette more than doubled the Vikings’ total score, defeating the non-conference opponent 50-24. The contest began as a close one. Fayette was able to close out the first frame with a 10-8 lead. From that point on, the game belonged to the Eagle boys, entirely and completely. They took control in the second period, stifling the Viking offense with a 13-4 run. At the half, the boys of Fayette…

(February 21st, 2015) – EVERGREEN: In a make-up game from a couple of weeks ago, the Lady Eagles of Fayette challenged the Evergreen Vikings deep into North Western Ohio Athletic League territory on Saturaday, February 21. The contest was tight, but the Fayette girls managed to pull out the 9 point road victory, 46-37. In the opening period, the two teams battled to a tie, with each squad producing 11 points. The visiting Eagles were able to gain a lead in the second quarter, however, outscoring the Viking girls 13-7. That gave them a 24-18 advantage heading into the locker…

(February 20th, 2015) – STRYKER: Stryker assumed control in the early goings of their match-up with North Central. Yet the Eagle boys refused to go away, keeping within arm’s reach of their hosts throughout the contest. They were never able to make a serious attempt at the lead, however, as North Central fell at Stryker 54-45. The Panthers jumped to a 9 point lead in the first quarter, with a 16-7 showing in the game’s opening period. While they didn’t fall further behind, the boys from Pioneer could not put a dent in their deficit, finding themselves on the wrong…

(February 21st, 2015) – MONTPELIER: In North Western Ohio Athletic League junior varsity action, the Lady Locomotives of Montpelier hosted the girls from Liberty Center on Saturday, February 21. Though both teams played valiantly throughout the contest, only one of them could emerge victorious. Despite a great effort on the part of the Montpelier girls, it was the Lady Tigers who emerged as the winner. The Lady Locos lost a heartbreaker to their guests from Liberty Center, 33-29.

(February 20th, 2015) – STRYKER: Playing host to fellow Buckeye Border Conference team North Central, the junior varsity boys of Stryker were poised to pounce upon their unsuspecting foe. And that’s exactly what happened, as a good Eagle Junior Varsity squad was blindsided in a 43-25 road loss. The contest was a close one in its early stages. The first period saw the two teams battle hard against one another, with Stryker barely taking the lead at 8-6 by its conclusion. In the second quarter, the Panthers were able to put some space between themselves and the Eagles, carrying a…

(February 19th, 2015) – EDON: The junior varsity girls of Hilltop made the trek across Williams County to take on the Lady Bombers on Thursday, February 19. The Lady Cadets were well prepared for the invasion, storming the Hanger in a decisive win. Hilltop claimed victory over Edon 31-17. The girls of West Unity opened the contest with an impressive display of defense, allowing just a single point for the hometown Bombers in the first period. On the other end of the court, the Cadets scored 7 points in the same span. They went on to outscore Edon 10-4 in…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter A graduate of Hilltop High School, Taylor Batt heard about the Miss Ohio United States Pageant from a friend on twitter. By the beginning of January, she had decided to compete in the event. This decision was an unorthodox one, for a very simple reason. “This is my first pageant.” Batt confessed. “I’ve never done one before.” With this serving as her introduction into the world of pageants, Batt understandably has a few butterflies in her stomach. “Yeah, I’m a little nervous.” So what made her decide to take part in the contest to…

(February 21st, 2015) – MONTPELIER: After a postponement a few weeks ago, the Lady Locos of Montpelier finally had their senior night against the girls of Liberty Center. Unfortunately for the Locomotives, the Lady Tigers were able to slip out of Montpelier with a 45-40 win, despite trailing for most of the contest. Montpelier was able to pull ahead in the first period, building a small but stable lead at 11-7. The visitors from Liberty Center were able to chip away just a bit at that advantage just before halftime, thanks to an 11-10 effort on their part in the…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter The Holiday City Village Council came together for their February regular meeting on Thursday, February 19, and council members found a versatile slate of information before them. During the Visitor Bureau’s report, council members were reminded tht the second annual Holiday City Wine and Arts Festival will take place on November 7. Like last year, it will be held at the village’s Ramada Inn, and will be sponsored by Jefferson Township. Those with questions about the event can contact the bureau at 419-485-5881,or email them at info@holidaycityohio.org Village Administrator Gary Baker bought a new…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter Kids and adults alike saw their wooden cars zip across the track during the Pioneer Cub Scouts’ annual Pinewood Derby. Cory Rademacher helped the kids in his troop set up as, two by two, competitors from Tiger, Bear, Weblos I, Weblos II, and Junior Girl Scout levels pitted their finely crafted vehicles against one another. Each child was able to take part in three races against opponents from their own division, as a race time based system was used to determine pairings rather than a double elimination format. Even the adults were able to…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter It is the hope of virtually everyone that they be distinguished for the work that they do. For some, it is a driving force, motivating them to be at their very best at all times. For others, it’s just nice to know that the passion they put into their jobs is recognized and appreciated by someone. Regardless of which reason one enjoys being honored, a feeling of personal pride is felt when that time comes. And it has recently come for the employees of the Montpelier branch of C.K. Technologies. The local company has…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter Robotics is an ever growing field, with machines trusted to handle more tasks each and every day. Not only that, but as technology becomes more and more advanced, so too does the depth of the human imagination. Students at Montpelier High School have gotten an early start tapping into that imaginative stream, thanks to the school’s Robotics program. Originally devised four years ago by science teacher Matt Cullen, who has since accepted a position at a different academic institution, the course still follows the basic direction he left behind. The program is now being…

(February 20th, 2015) – NAPOLEON: With the Lady Indians once again heading to River City Bowl-A-Way, the Wauseon girls found the number of lanes filled to be significantly greater than usual. That was due to the fact that Sectionals were being held in their home alley. The Indians gave a valiant effort in the highly competitive match, and though that effort didn’t lead them to Districts, they did put on a respectable showing with a seventh place finish. Aneesa Volkman led the girls of Wauseon with a 500 total score, put together in three games. Summer Brown added a 432…

By: T.J. Hug The Village Reporter There is only one way to start the day, and that is with a good breakfast. It gives one the energy they need to take on whatever may come in the morning hours. As it turns out, that’s also the best way to start a week. The Edon Future Farmers of America (FFA) hosted a free breakfast on Saturday, February 21, in commemoration of the beginning of National FFA week. Several members of the school’s FFA chapter took part in preparing the meal for anyone who wished to attend. In fact, for a few…

(February 21st, 2015) – WAUSEON: The Blackbirds of Pettisville made the short trip to Wauseon, intent on upsetting the Indians on their home court. Wauseon had other plans, however, and they were well prepared for their guests from the Buckeye Border Conference. Wauseon was able to best the visiting Blackbirds 55-38. Wauseon got off to a hot start, claiming a 10 point lead in the first quarter, 15-5. While Pettisville would not allow the Indians to dominate another quarter so completely, falling that far behind early in the contest put them in a deep hole, out from which they were…