VW independent staff/submitted information
COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine entered the House Chambers at the Ohio Statehouse to deliver his final State of the State speech on Tuesday. Due to term limits, DeWine will leave office at the end of this year.
During the hourlong speech, he touted past accomplishments, including the start of Science of Reading in Ohio’s public schools and the OhioSEE program to provide eyeglasses for young students in low income areas of the state, cell phones in schools and more. He also focused on key priorities for the rest of the year.
Reading
Since Governor DeWine began his first term, First Lady Fran DeWine has made it her mission to expand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library across Ohio. With 70 percent of households with children under five participating, Ohio continues to have the highest number of children enrolled in the nation. With the support of the Ohio General Assembly, the Science of Reading is required to be taught in every classroom in Ohio, from preschool programs to high school.
He noted Ohio is starting to see results in the state’s youngest learners, thanks in part to the Science of Reading. This past fall, kindergarten readiness statewide improved to 8.3 percent, equating to an additional 7,300 Ohio children.
Governor DeWine announced additional actions to ensure Ohio’s children are being taught the right way.
- The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will create regional “Science of Reading Instructional Implementation Teams.” The teams will be made up of trained experts whose sole focus will be on helping K-12 schools to fully execute the Science of Reading in their classrooms. These teams will also be available to assess schools that have already implemented the Science of Reading to ensure they have effectively implemented the program.
POSTED: 03/10/26 at 8:52 pm
VW independent staff
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for Van Wert, Mercer, Auglaize, and Putnam counties, along with Wells, Adams, Grant, Blackford and Jay counties in northeast Indiana until 12 p.m. today.
According to the NWS, scattered thundertorms may become strong to severe, with large hail, gusty winds, tornadoes and flash flooding possible.
POSTED: 03/11/26 at 6:23 am. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
Notice is hereby given that the Planning Commission of the City of Van Wert will hold a public hearing at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in Council Chambers, 515 E. Main St. regarding a proposed amendment to the zoning map of the City of Van Wert. The amendment is tied to the data center (see story here).
The application seeks to zone certain territory petitioned to be annexed to the City of Van Wert to “I-2 General Industrial” District, together with any conditions voluntarily offered by the property owner. The property is generally located east of U.S. 127, east and south of U.S. 224, north of U.S. 30 and west of Mendon Road, and consists of a total of 773.565 acres and 128.133 acres.
Interested persons may appear and be heard at the hearing.
POSTED: 03/10/26 at 8:51 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
CONVOY — Crestview FFA recently concluded another highly successful strawberry fundraiser, continuing a tradition that has become a favorite within the community. This year, the Crestview FFA chapter sold more than 850 flats of strawberries, making it the second-highest total in chapter history.
The strawberries are sourced through the Florida Farm Bureau, ensuring fresh, high-quality fruit that supporters look forward to each year. Members were especially pleased with the improved quality of the strawberries this season, which led to positive feedback from customers and strong repeat sales throughout the fundraiser.
The annual strawberry sale serves as one of the chapter’s largest fundraisers, helping support leadership development activities, competitions, state convention travel, and other educational opportunities for members. The success of this year’s sale reflects the hard work and dedication of FFA members who spent weeks promoting, organizing, and delivering orders to the community.
Several members achieved impressive individual sales totals, including Emily Lichtle, who set a new personal and chapter record by selling 150 flats. This accomplishment broke her previous record of 134 flats sold last year, demonstrating her continued commitment and strong work ethic.
Crestview FFA is excited to see where this year’s total places them in the state rankings, which will be announced at the State FFA Convention. Crestview FFA has been first in the state for the past three years hoping this year would make it four.
The Crestview FFA thanked Dalton Boroff for helping unload strawberries from the truck to make it an easier process. The chapter is grateful for the ongoing support from the community and looks forward to building on this momentum in the years to come.
POSTED: 03/10/26 at 8:50 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
Tickets are still available for the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce’s fourth annual Van Wert on Tap Craft Beer Festival at the Junior Fair building at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds from 6-9 p.m. Saturday April 18. Those attending will be able to enjoy unlimited tastings of selected wine and craft beer from some of the best breweries in the region.
Premier Sponsor of the event is First Federal Van Wert. Also sponsoring are Central Insurance, Tekniplex, Tenneco, Inc, Laudick’s Jewelry, Danfoss, and Bridgemill Private Wealth.
Returning breweries include Moeller Brew Barn, Buffalo Rock Brewing Co., Brewing Green, Second Crossing Brew Co., Findlay Brewing Co., Twenty One Barrels Hard Cider, False Chord Brewery, 4KD Crick Brewery, and Brewing Green. New breweries this year include Juniper Brewing Co., Oncore Brewing, and Old Route 69 Brewery. Smashdogz, Drop Zone Pizza and Fat Pig BBQ will be on site to offer food for purchase.
General admission tickets (unlimited tastings, commemorative cup and entry at 6 p.m.) are $30 per person and VIP tickets (unlimited tastings, commemorative cup, and entry to the 5-6 p.m. VIP hour) are $50 per person, Click here to get your tickets.
The Chamber thanked Premier Sponsor First Federal Savings and Loan as well as Tenneco, Inc., Sister’s Embroidery, Bridgemill Private Wealth, Laudick’s Jewelry and Tekniplex for their support of the event.
For questions about sponsorship or ticketing, contact Mark Verville at the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce at 419.238.4390 or email mark@vanwertchamber.com.
POSTED: 03/10/26 at 8:50 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
ROCKFORD — Parkway Local Schools will be accepting open enrollment applications through April 30 for the 2026-2027 school year. Anyone wanting to open enroll students to Parkway Local Schools may stop at the Superintendent’s office, 400 Buckeye St., Rockford, for an application and guidelines, call the district office at 419.363.3045 option 1 or email Sally Cox at coxs@parkwayschools.org.
POSTED: 03/10/26 at 8:48 pm. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor
A zoning petition has been refiled for a portion of the Mega Site in Van Wert where the data center will be constructed but outside of a possible short delay, it won’t change anything in terms of the data center being built.
Local attorney Chuck Koch appeared before Van Wert City Council Monday night and explained that a conditional zoning petition was refiled earlier in the day. He said he represents the Marsh Foundation Board of Trustees and Van Wert East Owners LLC, owners of the part of the Jobs Ready site north of town. According to Koch, their particular property was subject to two different annexation petitions that came to city council in 2025.
“After reviewing the procedural record from last year, we concluded that the most prudent course for the city and the property owners is to simply repeat the process to ensure that every step in the city code is clearly reflected in the record,” Koch stated.
That means the zoning petition will go before the Van Wert City Planning Commission, which is expected to meet later this month. If approved by the planning commission, a public hearing would be held before city council votes on it, which could occur at council’s first meeting in May. However, repeating the process likely won’t result in a different outcome because of a pre-existing pre-annexation agreement that has been in place since 2014. The new process is considered procedural.
“Based on the 2014 pre-annexation agreement, where all the parties agreed to I-2 zoning for the Mega Site as approved by prior city councils, this action simply ensures procedural accuracy,” Van Wert Area Economic Development Executive Director Brent Stevens said Monday night. “The best approach is to redo each step wtih properly recorded time stamps and minutes. No changes to the I-2 zoning will occur — it just documents it correctly.”
In other business, council a “then and now” invoice for Wallace Plumbing for $8,163 for necessary repairs at the fire station was approved, and council members approved an ordinance that would allow for the construction of a new traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 127/Bonnewitz Ave/Brooks Ave. That intersection could become a roundabout in 2030.
(more…)POSTED: 03/09/26 at 8:52 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff/submitted information
Average gasoline prices in Ohio have risen 66.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.43 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. More price increases are expected in the coming days. Prices in Ohio are 59.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 65.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 85.9 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $4.599 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $2.19 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $4.15 per gallon, a difference of $1.96 per gallon.
The national average price of gasoline has risen 51.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.45/g today. The national average is up 54.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
“In just a week, consumers have seen gasoline prices surge at one of the fastest rates in years after oil prices spiked following U.S. strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “With additional attacks across the Middle East over the weekend pushing oil above $100 per barrel for the first time in years, fuel markets are now rapidly recalibrating to the risk of prolonged disruption to global supply flows. As a result, gasoline prices in many states could climb another 20 to 50 cents per gallon this week, with price-cycling markets potentially seeing increases as early as today. Diesel may rise even more sharply, with increases of 35 to 75 cents per gallon possible as global distillate markets react. While the situation remains highly fluid, consumers are already beginning to feel the impact as energy markets adjust to this sudden escalation.”
Historical gasoline prices in Ohio and the national average going back five years:
March 9, 2025: $2.78/g (U.S. Average: $3.03/g)
March 9, 2024: $3.34/g (U.S. Average: $3.40/g)
March 9, 2023: $3.39/g (U.S. Average: $3.45/g)
March 9, 2022: $4.09/g (U.S. Average: $4.32/g)
March 9, 2021: $2.69/g (U.S. Average: $2.81/g)
POSTED: 03/09/26 at 8:51 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff/submitted information
Job seekers in the region are invited to attend the public portion of the 2026 JobQuest Expo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds Jr. Fair Building, 1055 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.
Hosted by Van Wert Works and OhioMeansJobs of Van Wert County, the JobQuest Expo brings together employers who are actively hiring across a range of industries, along with community organizations offering education, training, and workforce support services.
During the public session, attendees will have the opportunity to meet directly with local employers, learn about a wide variety of job openings, apply for jobs on-site using a mini computer lab, interview with a handful employers during the event, and connect with helpful services in the Community Resource Networking Area.
Mindy Eales, Workforce Development Supervisor of OhioMeansJobs of Van Wert County, emphasized the accessibility of the event.
“The public portion of JobQuest Expo is designed to remove common barriers for jobseekers,” Eales says. “By offering opportunities to apply for jobs on-site and speak directly with employers and support organizations, we are helping people take immediate steps toward employment.”
“JobQuest Expo is about opening people’s eyes to the breadth of career opportunities available right here in our region,” said Lauren Buchanan, Workforce Development Manager with Van Wert Works. “Employers around Van Wert County are using cutting-edge technology to produce products with a global reach, and this event gives individuals of all ages the chance to explore those careers, ask questions, and see where their skills could fit—whether they’re just starting out or considering a new direction.”
The event will also include a student-focused career exploration session earlier in the morning; however, the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. time frame is open to the public and free to attend. Job seekers are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and come prepared to speak with employers. Follow Van Wert Works on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for tips and insight to best prepare for the JobQuest Expo.
POSTED: 03/09/26 at 8:50 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
ROCKFORD — Plans are underway for the 2026 Rockford Lions Quarter Auction, scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at the Rockford Community Building, 420 Holly Lane. The doors wil open at 12 p.m. and the auction will begin at 1 p.m.
Paddles will be available at the door for $5 each, and all‑In paddles will be offered for $35. A light lunch will also be available for purchase.
The first Lions Club Quarter Auction, led by project chair LeeAnn Frank, was held in 2019 and has since grown into a popular community tradition.
Proceeds from Rockford Lions Club projects fund scholarships and help fulfill community needs and requests throughout the year.
The Rockford Lions Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockford Village Offices on E. Columbia St. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10.
POSTED: 03/09/26 at 8:21 am. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor
“Lincolnview school district, the county (Van Wert County) and the City of Van Wert are going to receive hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue back into our community.”
Those words were spoken by Van Wert Area Economic Corporation Executive Director Brent Stevens during a weekend radio program that aired on 99.7 FM WKSD and WERT 1220AM/104.3FM.
Stevens was talking about the sometimes controversial data center that will be built at the Mega Site, which is in the city of Van Wert and in the Lincolnview Local Schools district.
“For a community of this size, that’s going to be significant and it’s going to allow us to do a lot of things what we would never ever have an opportunity (to do),” Stevens said during the Commissioners Corner/Mayor’s Conference program, which airs at 8:25 a.m. each Sunday on WKSD/WERT.
During the program, Stevens addressed fears about water usage, electric rates and more.
A number of residents have expressed concerns about the data center and water usage, especially with drought conditions already in place locally. He also added the “end user” – the company that will build the data center in Van Wert has the latest technology available, via a closed loop system.
“They basically charge up this big loop with water and a little bit of glycol to make sure it doesn’t freeze and it’s like geothermal where it’s running underground, it’s going through a heat exchanger and it disapates the heat and goes back,” he explained. “The water and the chargents inside this closed loop can last for decades. We’re not going to be taking any water out of the aquifer, no water out of the reservoir – it’s going to be this closed loop system (for cooling).”
“The closed loop system system itself, just to give you a number saves 45 million gallons of water per year,” he added.
Stevens also noted that Danfoss, located in Van Wert, has a patent that’s used in closed loop systems for data centers and it’s going to be used on the local data center. He added that within the last 12 months, Danfoss has hired 50 additional workers just in their cooling division to be able to supply the parts, and he said they have plans for further expansion and the hiring of more employees.
(more…)POSTED: 03/08/26 at 8:48 pm. FILED UNDER: News
