VW independent staff/submitted information
COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine today announced the appointment of Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva J. Yarger to fill the vacancy in the Van Wert Court of Common Pleas, Probate and Juvenile Division.
Yarger, of Van Wert, will assume office on February 17, 2026, and will take the seat formerly held by Judge Kevin H. Taylor, who retired December 31, 2025. She will serve the remainder of the unfinished term and must run for election in November, 2026 to retain the seat. Before that, she has an opponent in the May 5 Republican primary election — Van Wert County Commissioner and local attorney Todd Wolfrum. A third candidate, Van Wert Law Director John Hatcher, withdrew from the race.
(more…)POSTED: 02/02/26 at 5:01 pm
VW independent staff/submitted information
YWCA of Van Wert County will host its annual Women of Achievement Scholarship Dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at Willow Bend Country Club in Van Wert.
This year’s honorees include:
- Professional Leadership: Terra Bonifas, Rachel Davis, and Jamie Evans
- Women’s Empowerment: Alex Giessler
- Volunteerism: Kendra Heffelfinger
- Youth Development: Christie Wendel
- Civic Dedication: Teresa Shaffer
- Overcoming Adversity: Rochelle Campbell, Destinee Hough, and Amberlin Somerton.
“The Women of Achievement Scholarship Dinner is our favorite event of the year,” said Julie Schaufelberger, YWCA Director of Outreach and Communications. “It is an honor to celebrate and recognize these ten women for their accomplishments, impact and commitment within our community,”
Three young women will also receive their YWCA scholarship awards at the dinner. Those finalists have yet to be decided and will be announced in mid- February.
Paula Stabler, MSN, RN and President of Ohio Health, has been named emcee for this year’s event. Stabler is a strategic, results-driven healthcare leader with extensive experience in clinical and operational management. She is proud of her journey from patient care technician to hospital president and her dedication to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care close to home. Stabler is committed to strengthening the Van Wert community and mentoring future professionals. She serves on the YWCA of Van Wert County board, supporting the organization’s mission to empower and uplift women and their families throughout the community.
(more…)POSTED: 02/02/26 at 9:58 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff/submitted information
Average gasoline prices in Ohio have fallen 15.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.70 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. Prices in Ohio are 12.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 13.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 4.2 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.585 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $2.15 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.45 per gallon, a difference of $1.30 per gallon.
In Van Wert, pump prices varied widely on Monday afternoon, ranging from $2.66 at Murphy USA (Wal-Mart) to $2.99 at Lassus Handy Dandy and Tyler’s Short Stop.
The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.83 per gallon on Monday. The national average is up 3.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 21.3 cents per gallon lower 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.
“While oil prices jumped to their highest level in months amid geopolitical tensions, a weakening U.S. dollar, and supply concerns, the national average price of gasoline saw little change compared to a week ago,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Just over half of states saw gas prices decline, led by Indiana, Ohio, and other price-cycling states that had previously seen prices jump but have since started to fall. Meanwhile, prices are rising across much of the West Coast as the transition to summer gasoline begins and attention turns to another refinery shutdown in California expected in April. Over the coming weeks, we’re likely to see more states experiencing increases than decreases.”
(more…)POSTED: 02/02/26 at 9:57 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
Van Wert High School Principal Chuck Rollins has announced that parent-teacher conferences for the second semester will be held from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday, February 16.
Parent-teacher conferences allow parents the opportunity to discuss their son/daughter’s progress in school with their child’s teachers. Members of the teaching staff welcome and encourage parents to visit the school during the scheduled hours.
Plan to park in the far west parking lots toward the back of the school and enter via the high school gymnasium entrance.
POSTED: 02/02/26 at 9:56 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff/submitted information
LIMA — 11 University of Northwestern Ohio Sport Marketing and Management students, accompanied by two professors, are set to showcase their skills on a national stage at Super Bowl LX in San Francisco, California. The internship, hosted by the NFL and the Bay Area Host Committee, will have students actively participating in events leading up to the big game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, February 8.
The list of students includes Chase Heitkamp of Rockford and Hayden Haman of Spencerville. The remaining nine students attending the internship experience are Tess Denning of Dalton; Marquette Derrick-Rowles of Fort Wayne; Veronica Valentine of Upper Sandusky; Kyle Drazil of Northfield; Lane Kerby of Lewisburg; Jacob Taylor of Kenton; Mallory Horvath of Bellbrook; Daniel Booker of West Milton, and Ethan Klepper of Fort Wayne.
The students’ primary assignment involves volunteering at the Super Bowl Experience, a dynamic, interactive pro football theme park at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The Super Bowl Experience features interactive games, youth football clinics, merchandise shops, autograph sessions with NFL players, photo opportunities with the Vince Lombardi trophy, and unique fan experiences such as the 40-yard dash and vertical jump games, where fans compete against NFL players on an LED screen. As ambassadors for the event, the students will play a crucial role in assisting visitors, answering questions, and ensuring a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for the expected one million visitors.
Working closely with the Bay Area Host Committee, the centralized planning group for Super Bowl LX, the students will gain hands-on experience in planning, organizing, and supporting activities that enhance the overall Super Bowl experience for the city, state, and region.
(more…)POSTED: 02/02/26 at 9:55 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Editor’s note: Last month, Dave Brumback, great-great-grandson of J.S. Brumback, shared the story of his family and his ancestor’s dream of a library that belonged to the entire county. But a dream alone does not build a public institution (see story here). This month’s article looks at what happened next: the laws, levies, negotiations, and shared commitments that turned a family gift into a living, countywide library system.
By Dave Brumback
Laws, Levies, & Learning: From Heirs’ Proposal to County Library
Turning J.S.’s gift into a county institution required more than architecture. It required argument, compromise and yes, the slow work of politics. His heirs wanted the library to serve every township, a county resource rather than only a town memorial.
That idea raised practical questions that could have sunk the project: Who would own the building? Who would pay the bills? How could remote farmhouses receive books as easily as a downtown storefront?
What followed was neighborhood politics at its best, citizens rolling up their sleeves and figuring things out. Township trustees, school boards, church groups, and farmers’ associations all had a seat at the table. Some argued for modest levies; others feared burdening farmers. They negotiated small levies and inter-town lending arrangements that spread cost and benefit. A county library also needed trained staff, standardized circulation records, and procedures for branch rooms, traveling collections, or rotating stock to serve rural borrowers.
I remember my older relatives describing those meetings like a relay race: one group proposed a compromise, the next took it further, and a legal scholar shaped it into text that would hold under changing governments.
The result wasn’t the triumph of a single mind but was an institutional compromise: private seed money planted into public soil and bound with public commitments so the work could continue long after one family or board had moved on.
Covenant in Stone: The Contract That Built a Community Anchor
J.S. Brumback died on December 14, 1897. While he never saw his dream come to fruition, he had laid the groundwork. His final wish, surrounded by family, was that his heirs complete the agreement and build the library from his estate. Through their love for their father and a shared vision of his dream, they agreed to use their inheritance to make his dream a reality.
When they finally wrote the agreement, they were determined the gift would be a living thing. The City of Van Wert donated the land, a quiet parcel in a wooded park, making the location public before a single stone was set. I still imagine city elders walking the plot with J.S.’s Heirs, the soft sound of leaves as if the maples endorsing the choice. That land donation turned a private memorial into a shared place and asked the county to become partner in care.
The contract reads like a checklist for a generous machine. J.S.’s heirs provided the building and an endowment, the Ladies’ Library Association offered books and furnishings, and the county agreed to accept and maintain the whole. On paper it looks like legal choreography; in life it is a covenant that divided responsibility so no one hand could take the library hostage.
(more…)POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:57 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff
Significant changes are now in effect for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously referred to as food stamps.
Healthy adults age 18-64 are now required to work, volunteer or train for at least 80 hours per month to receive SNAP benefits beyond three months in a three-year period. Veterans, those who are homeless and former foster children are no longer exempt. In addition, parents with children 14 and older must meet the requirements.
The new work requirements went into effect on Sunday, February , with recipients having to demonstrate proof of meeting work requirements starting March 1.
POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:56 pm. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor
One of three Republican candidates who filed petitions to run for Van Wert County Juvenile/Probate Court Judge has withdrawn from the race and will not seek the nod in the May 5 primary election, while another current elected official has filed petitions to run for the same seat.
Online records from the Van Wert County Board of Elections Office show Van Wert Law Director John Hatcher has officially withdrawn from the race.
“I have decided that this was not the right time for me to run for Juvenile/Probate Judge,” Hatcher said via email to the VW independent. “I have other opportunities that I want to pursue in the near term. Because of that, I decided to withdraw my petition.”
“I do plan to continue to serve the people of the City of Van Wert as Law Director,” he added. “I still view being a judge as an ultimate goal for me. I am just not ready to stop being an attorney at this time.”
Meanwhile, Van Wert County Commissioner Todd D. Wolfrum, who is serving as the commission chairman this year, filed his petitions to run for judge Friday morning and they were ruled valid, meaning he’ll appear on the May 5 primary ballot.
As it stands now, Wolfrum and Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva Yarger will square off for the GOP nod in May, with the winner moving onto the November ballot. No Democrat has filed for the seat. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. this Wednesday.
The judge’s seat is currently vacant, following the December 31, 2025 retirement of former Van Wert Juvenile/Probate Court Judge Kevin Taylor. Governor Mike DeWine must appoint someone to fill the remainder of the term, which ends February 8, 2027. He’s said to be considering three names that were submitted to his office, but it’s not known when the appointment will be made.
POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:55 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Shortly after 12 p.m. Saturday the Van Wert Fire Department responded to a call of smoke coming from the attic area of the house on Burt St. Firefighters removed smoldering insulation that appeared to possibly have been caused by an electrical issue. No one was injured and the home had been evacuated before the department arrived. The Van Wert Police Department and Van Wert County CERT assisted with traffic control. Fire crews returned to the location again around 4:15 p.m. when it was reported to have started to smoke again. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer
POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:53 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information
A reminder the Middle Point Lions Club is sponsoring a sandwich supper before the Lincolnview boys basketball game against Delphos Jefferson this Friday, February 6.
Sandwiches will be served in the Lincolnview cafeteria from 4-6 p.m. that day and the menu will include BBQ pork sandwiches, shredded chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, cookies, brownies and Joan’s famous “scotcheroos.” Proceeds will benefit the Middle Point Lions scholarship fund.
POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:52 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff/submitted information
The Van Wert Chamber of Commerce recently held the first session of the 2026 Van Wert Chamber Youth Academy at Central Insurance. The program will be presented through April 2026 with each session taking place at a different Chamber business member location within Van Wert County.
“We had a great time connecting with the junior year students from Van Wert City Schools, Lincolnview Local Schools, Crestview Local Schools, and Vantage Career Center,” Chamber President/CEO Mark Verville said. “This program allows us to put our young leaders in front of professionals in our community and gives them the opportunity to network and build professional relationships. This year’s class features 33 students, a number that has increased every year since the program inception.”
The Van Wert Chamber of Commerce thanked the administration and staff of the four county schools who participate in the program as well as the Chamber business members who invest time to speak with the students.
Northwest State Community College is the exclusive sponsor of the Youth Academy program. The regional community college, which is based in Archbold, is a public two-year college that is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The accreditation allows the NSCC to offer degree and certificate programs in the fields of arts & sciences, business & public services, nursing & allied health, and STEM and industrial technologies. They serve over 77,000 northwest Ohio families across a six-county service area, including Van Wert County. NSCC recently opened its Van Wert satellite campus.
To learn more about all of the Chamber programs, events and benefits, click here.
POSTED: 02/01/26 at 9:50 pm. FILED UNDER: News
