Crestview High School introduces homecoming court

Plenty of fun options on October 25

VW independent staff

One thing is for certain – there won’t be a lack of Halloween-themed activities for children in Van Wert on Saturday, October 25. Several events are planned for the day in the city, including a popular downtown event and citywide trick-or-treating.

Main Street Van Wert trick-or-treat

Between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. October 25, it’s the Main Street Van Wert trick or treat. Youngsters can dress up and collect goodies from stores and offices in the downtown area.

Peony Festival gets in the act

In an effort to remain involved in the community year-round, the Van Wert Peony Festival Committee will holdi a Halloween event that is free and open to the public. It’s a halloween costume contest called “Creep It Real in the Park.”

It will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fountain Park, with judging starting at 12 p.m. Categories will include most original, scariest costume, best face paint/makeup, best inflatable costume, best overall costume, most creative costume, funniest costume, best homemade costume, best group costume and cutest costume. There will be prizes for winners in each category. All ages are welcome.

In addition, a variety of games will be available and food and drinks will be available at the concession stand.

Trunk-or-treat

Several trunk-or-treat events will be offered, including one from 12-2 p.m. in the parking lot of OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital. Community members are invited to bring their children wearing costumes and enjoy decorated trunks, sweet treats and festive fun with OhioHealth associates and volunteers. It’s free and open to the public, and parking will be available on site.

Van Wert trick-or-treat

If all of that wasn’t enough, the city of Van Wert’s trick-or-treat will be held from 4-6 p.m. October 25. City residents who want to participate should leave their porch light on.

College Credit Plus meeting scheduled

Submitted information

Principals and counselors from Lincolnview, Crestview, Vantage, and Van Wert City Schools, as well as local college representatives, will host an informational meeting for parents/guardians interested in learning more about the College Credit Plus program.

The meeting, scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, will consist of a general session giving more information on College Credit Plus, as well as individual meetings with respective schools. There will be several colleges and universities in attendance.

The Ohio Department of Education began the College Credit Plus program for all students enrolled in Ohio schools. College Credit Plus has two fundamental positions:

• Students (grades 7-12) must be an Ohio resident enrolled in a participating college of choice.
• Students can earn transcripted college and high school credit upon successfulcompletion of the course.

Eligible students may need a qualifying college entrance exam score that places them in courses above a remediation level to participate.

Any parent or guardian who has a student who might be interested in earning college credit during their time in high school should plan on attending the meeting on November 5. Anyone with questions prior to the meeting can contact the Student Services Office at 419.238.2180 or Van Wert High School at 419.238.3350.

Crestview BOE OKs construction manager

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Schools Board of Education has taken another step toward a project designed to improve the district’s athletic facilities.

During Monday night’s monthly meeting, the board voted to hire Wapakoneta-based Peterson Construction Company as the Construction Manager at-Risk for the pending facilities renovation project.

“The goal by using the CMR model will allow us to better value engineer and utilize local contractors as much as possible,” Board President Brad Perrott explained.

The project includes relocating the football stadium, installing new bleachers, new lights and artificial turf, relocating the varsity baseball diamond and making the existing diamond the new field for junior varsity baseball, upgrades to the varsity softball diamond, and improvements to the gymnasium, including new bleachers.

“Moving them (the football stadium and baseball diamond) makes the most sense for the long term and the cost differential is low enough to justify it,” Perrott said. “Once moved, the fields will be properly aligned and will allow for improved safety and visibility for the fans.”

The price tag for the entire athletics renovation project is currently estimated at approximately $13 million, but Perrott noted the numbers will become more clear once the board gets into final drawings and the bidding process.

Superintendent Matt Dube said new bleachers will need to be ordered by the end of this month, exterior lights for the football stadium by the end of next month, and artificial turf by the end of the calendar year. The renovations, including the relocated football stadium, are expected to be complete in time for the 2026-2027 school year.

Dube briefly reviewed the district’s grade on the most recent state school report card. Crestview scored four out of a possible five stars.

Paving nearly done, trash figures shared

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Street paving is progressing well, according to Van Wert Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming.

Fleming updated Van Wert City Council Monday night and said paving work on Cherry St. should be complete today. Crews from The Shelley Company will then shift their attention to Second St., Biltmore Ave., Green St., Gay St., and Temple St. Fleming said all work should be wrapped up by the end of this week.

He also told members of council that the city flipped the lanes on Bonnewitz Ave. last Friday, so the thru-lane is now a thru-lane/left turn lane and he said the change is working well.

Mayor Ken Markward shared the final figures on the city’s trasher voucher program. Vouchers were made available to city residents, one per household, to take a large item to Young’s Waste for disposal during the month of September. He noted twice as many were used this time compared to the last time the city offered the vouchers (2021) and the tonnage was nearly three times more than before. 297 vouchers were used last month, compared to 153 four years ago, and the tonnage was 69.96, substantially higher than 2021, when 25.86 tons came in via the vouchers.

“We’ll continue to evaluate how that goes, whether we can continue to be able to do that next year and improve on it,” Markward said. 

A bit later in the meeting, council approved a “then and now” invoice to Young’s Waste in the amount of $14,694.75 to cover the amount of trash taken via the vouchers.

Students inducted into Vantage NTHS

VW independent staff/submitted information

42 outstanding Vantage Career Center seniors were recently inducted as members of the Vantage chapter of the National Technical Honor Society during a special candlelight ceremony held at the school.
 
Vantage students who achieved a 3.75 grade point average or better, while maintaining a 95 percent attendance rate, both their junior and senior year, were eligible to apply for membership. In addition to submitting a resume and writing an essay stating why they would like to be a part of the NTHS, the students were also required to obtain three teacher recommendations.  

Here is the list of 2025 Vantage National Technical Honor Society inductees: Ryan Aldrich (Fort Jennings), Xander Bartley (Paulding), Zion Bertsch (Lincolnview), Jayci Blue (Van Wert), Lily Boyd (Wayne Trace), Abigail Bullinger (Ottoville), William Burgei (Wayne Trace), Landon Calvelage (Fort Jennings), Audrey Dougal (Wayne Trace), Cole English (Continental), Lydia Etzkorn (Delphos St. Johns), Bela Fiedler (Ottoville), Chase German (Fort Jennings), Alexander Groch (Delphos Jefferson), Haiven Harsh (Continental), Zaria Harter (Lincolnview), Jackson Hoersten (Delphos St. Johns), Zachary Hohlbein (Ottoville), Grady Holdgreve (Delphos St. Johns), Damien Iliff (Paulding), Jaelynn Karcher (Van Wert), Brooklyn King (Paulding), Griffin Kosch (Antwerp), Layla Kremer (Paulding), Jason Luersman (Kalida), Felicia Martz (Van Wert), Cora Meyer (Crestview), Lucas Morehead (Wayne Trace), Annelise Price (Kalida), Macie Pugh (Lincolnview), Eric Reinhart (Wayne Trace), Rileigh Sanders (Paulding), Colten Sargent (Antwerp), Dylan Schaefer (Fort Jennings), Cruse Schroeder (Ottoville), James Schroeder (Fort Jennings), Myleigh Sheets (Wayne Trace), Reilly Stegaman (Fort Jennings), Drew Ulm (Delphos St. Johns), Henry Walpole (Delphos St. Johns), Riley Wenzlick (Delphos St. Johns), and Caroline Winans (Wayne Trace).

NTHS membership is the highest recognition for excellence in career-technical education and serves as a respected indicator of achievement, skill, and leadership in the workplace. Students are selected for membership as a reward for exceptional performance in workforce education, to help develop self-esteem and pride in work, and to encourage them to reach for superior levels of academic and technical success.
 
The National Technical Honor Society also promotes business and industry’s core workplace values; knowledge, skill, honesty, service, responsibility, scholarship, citizenship, and leadership.

During the ceremony, each of these workplace values was represented by a candle lit by an inductee, symbolizing their commitment to uphold these guiding principles:

• Knowledge – Mr. Ben Winans
• Skill – Brooklyn King
• Honesty – Riley Wenzlick
• Service – Annelise Price
• Responsibility – Dylan Schaefer
• Scholarship – Abigail Bullinger
• Citizenship – Eric Reinhart
• Leadership – Zaria Harter

Good news: gas prices plunge in Ohio

VW independent staff/submitted information

Average gasoline prices in Ohio have fallen 21.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.76/ per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. Prices in Ohio are 11.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 38.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 3.5 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.628 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $2.22 per gallon on Monday, while the most expensive was $3.49 per gallon, a difference of $1.27 per gallon.

As of Monday night in Van Wert, prices ranged from $2.59 at Sunoco on N. Washington St, Casey’s and Murphy USA, to $2.99 at Tyler’s Short Stop. In recent weeks, prices have seemingly jumped by a substantial margin on Tuesdays.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 6.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.02 per gallon on Monday. The national average is down 13.7 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 14.4 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.

“Americans appear to be on the cusp of seeing the national average drop below $3 per gallon for the first time in years, as prices have fallen across the vast majority of the country,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “With well over 40 states seeing gas prices decline and oil plunging below $60 per barrel to end the week, the good news may not end if — and when — the national average hits that magical $2.99 mark. We could even see a handful of stations in places like Oklahoma, Texas, or even Wisconsin drop below $2 per gallon in the weeks ahead — something not seen since the pandemic.”

“In addition, with wages up and gas prices down, Americans are spending the smallest share of their paycheck on gasoline in many years,” he added.

Yost endorses new method for executions

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost believes it’s time to switch to a different form of execution in the Buckeye State.

Yost recently addressed members of the House Judiciary Committee and said Ohio’s capital punishment system is long-broken and costly, and added it reflects “a dishonorable abdication of responsibility” that could be resolved with legislative approval of nitrogen hypoxia for executions.

“An additional method of execution is necessary,” Yost said, testifying in support of House Bill 36, which would permit the use of nitrogen hypoxia for executions.

Currently, lethal injection is the only form of execution authorized under Ohio law, but Yost claimed in his testimony, “private drug companies are defying Ohio’s laws and vetoing public policy by refusing to provide execution drugs.”

Yost reminded committee members that the families of victims as well as Ohioans who served as jurors and made the difficult decision to sentence a defendant to death are counting on Ohio leaders to carry out the state’s capital-punishment laws.

Nine states currently allow lethal gas as a means of execution. Five of those – Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma – specify nitrogen hypoxia, which is inert gas asphyxiation.

Capital punishment in Ohio

Yost’s office issues an annual report on Ohio’s capital-punishment system. The 2024 edition notes that:

• Ohio’s last execution was carried out in July 2018.
• On average, a condemned inmate in Ohio spends more than 22 years on Death Row.
• From 1981 to 2024, 337 people received a combined 342 death sentences in Ohio. Only 56 of those sentences – one in six – have been carried out.

Vets invited to breakfast at the Goedde

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Van Wert School at the Goedde is honored to invite all veterans in the community to its second annual “Breakfast with a Vet” at 9 a.m. this Wednesday, October 15.

Held in the Goedde gymnasium, the event will offer a warm, complimentary breakfast for the nation’s heroes, served alongside students eager to connect, learn, and express their gratitude.

“Our goal is to create a space where students can learn firsthand from the experiences of veterans,” said Rhonda Cunningham, Director of Van Wert School at the Goedde. “It’s a unique opportunity to build intergenerational connections, promote respect, and foster a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made for our country.”

Now in its second year, “Breakfast with a Vet” continues to serve as both a celebration of service and a learning experience for students, who gain insight into history, patriotism, and the value of community.

No RSVP is required. All veterans are welcome, just bring your appetite and your stories.

Van Wert City Schools thanked event sponsors, United Way of Van Wert County and Walmart for helping make this meaningful event possible. 

Downtown crash…

Traffic in downtown Van Wert was slowed by a two vehicle accident Saturday afternoon. It occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at the intersection of Main St. and Washington St. The vehicle shown above took the worst of it and was towed from the scene, and one person was taken by EMS to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital. The Van Wert Police Department worked to get traffic through the intersection. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer

ONDR: fall colors coming slowly

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS – Northeast Ohio is approaching peak fall colors near Lake Erie, but fall color in the rest of the state is slowly progressing, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“Fall color is slowly popping through, especially on roadways and near water,” said ODNR Fall Color Forester David Parrott. “With the dry weather, the fall colors may change quickly statewide, so be on the lookout for the color change, as it may happen fast and not last long in some areas. Right now, you can find goldenrods, sycamores, and cottonwoods showcasing bright yellows.

“Our fall color reporters continue to see mostly ‘Changing’ conditions with a couple of ‘Near Peak’ and even ‘Peak’ reports across the state,” he added.

Those interested in finding the most eye-catching leaves throughout the season should check out ODNR’s fall color website, the official guide to the changing colors. The website includes:

• Weekly color updates and information to help plan a fall color adventure
• The new Fall Color Tracker Map
• Unique overnight accommodations at Ohio’s state parks
• Fun events happening around the state
• Information to participate in the Digital Ohio State Parks Passport Challenge on Ohio Trails+ powered by the OuterSpatial App.

ODNR encourages people to share fall color photos using #OhioFall25, #OhioTheHeartofitAll and #FallinOhio. Each week, ODNR will choose photos from those who use this hashtag to share on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more fall color photos, follow ODNR, Ohio State Parks and Ohio The Heart of It All. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @OhioDNR, @OHStateParks, @odnrforestry and @OhioTheHeartofitAll.