Lincolnview BOE honors retirees, hears various updates

Post 178 plans Memorial Day service

VW independent staff

Van Wert American Legion Post 178’s annual Memorial Day service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, at Woodland Cemetery. Following the ceremony, everyone is invited back to Post 178 on W. Main St. for a light lunch.

Martz awarded Rotary Club scholarship

VW independent staff/submitted information

A graduating senior from Vantage Career Center has been selected as a recipient of a Van Wert Rotary Foundation Scholarship. Felicia Martz ecently signed on with the Army National Guard and represents the type of leadership, commitment, and service that aligns closely with Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self.

The scholarship award provides $1,000 annually and is renewable for up to four years, totaling $4,000 in support of Martz’s continued educational journey and future goals. Through its scholarship program, the Van Wert Rotary Club recognizes students who demonstrate strong character, leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to making a difference.

Van Wert Rotary President Andy Czajkowski presented the scholarship and congratulated Felicia on her achievement and future service.

“Felicia has already demonstrated a willingness to serve others through her commitment to the Army National Guard,” Czajkowski said. “Rotary is honored to support students who strive to lead, serve, and make a positive impact in their communities. We are excited to see all she accomplishes.”

Van Wert Rotary has long supported area students through its scholarship program, encouraging young leaders to continue serving their communities while pursuing higher education, technical training, and career.

Elks donation…

Van Wert Elks Lodge 1197, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks recently donated $500 to the Van Wert Youth Baseball Association for the 2026 season. The money will be used to sponsor a team. With the financial help from sponsors, youth ages 8-12 are able to travel and play teams within a tri-county area. On an average they have six teams and over 80 kids who are able to participate in the program. The Elks are known for their support of youth activities not only within Van Wert County but across the nation as well. Shown above are Val Mullins, Lodge Youth Activities Chair and Ben Price, Van Wert Youth Baseball President. Photo submitted

Cast revealed for Youth Theatre play

VW independent staff/submitted information

The cast has been announced for the Van Wert Civic Theatre’s first Youth Theatre production, Murder on the Monkey Express!, directed by Grace Doctor. Packed with comedy, chaos, suspicious passengers, and one unforgettable monkey, this hilarious whodunit rolls into town June 4–7.

Audiences can expect an evening full of twists, laughs, and over-the-top characters as a talented young performers bring this wild mystery to life aboard the most unusual train ride ever imagined. From detectives and chefs to sheriffs and secretive travelers, everyone’s a suspect on the Monkey Express.

The Cast

Herbie Hampton — Marcus Kerns
Greta Gibbons — Annabelle Harvey
Conductor — Nora Eddy
Mystery Reader — Jettie Rammel
Sheriff Jessie Jane Johnson — Lily Schnipke
Adam — Bing Rammel
Vicki Vitrolla — Willow Sheets
Bertram — Grayson Baker
Bernard — Mox Sinn
Monkey — Adeline English
Vanessa Vanes — Sophia Berryman
Chef Barb — Reese Miller
Chef Bernadette — Adeline McComas
Wade Watson — Kaden Hurley
Dr. Alexandria Ashworth — Jettie Rammel
Maverick — Nora Hillery
Monkowski — Jon Caldwell
Flight Attendant Max Hanson — Jacob McComas
Sergeant Jones — Colby Tyas
Agatha — Olivia Welch
Monika — Magnolia Zeigler
Violet Valentine — Layla Norton
Brittany — Natalie Caldwell
Brianna — Leena Shaffer

Stage Manager: Max Kaiser

Showtimes June 4-6 will be at 7:30 p.m. June 7 will be a Sunday matinee, starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for just $10 at vwct.org, calling the box office at 419.238.9689.

Leadership class makes sizable donation

Submitted information

PAULDING — The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated the graduation of the 2025–2026 Leadership in Action class following nine months of leadership development, community engagement, and hands-on learning experiences throughout Paulding County.

This year’s class concluded the program by successfully reaching its fundraising goal of $26,500 to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for the Paulding County Senior Center.

The van will help local seniors access meals, activities, appointments, and transportation services throughout the region.

Leadership in Action participants spent the past year learning about leadership, communication, teamwork, civic systems, and community collaboration through tours, discussions, service projects, and relationship-building experiences designed to strengthen future leaders throughout Paulding County.

As their class service project, participants partnered with the Paulding County Senior Center and the United Way of Paulding County to help address the growing transportation needs of local seniors.

A special thank you goes to Lora Lyons, Director of United Way of Paulding County, for partnering with this year’s class and helping coordinate sponsorship support for the project. United Way of Paulding County reported that more than $18,100 was raised through sponsorships alone toward the van project.

Additional funds were raised through community-supported events including the Leadership in Action Pistols & Purses raffle and the sold-out Community Lunch fundraiser.

The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce would also like to sincerely thank the many sponsors, donors, businesses, and community members who helped make the project possible.

Double Platinum Sponsors included The Big 4 LLC Schlegel, United Way of Paulding County, and Oakwood Development.

VWCF announces 2026 ELEVATE program

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Van Wert County Foundation is launching another year of ELEVATE, a dynamic program designed to strengthen and support local nonprofit organizations.

ELEVATE is designed to help nonprofits grow stronger and more confident in their work. Through expert-led sessions, participants gain practical tools they can put into action right away, while also connecting with other organizations to share ideas and build relationships across the community.

In partnership with the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations (OANO), the program includes four in-person workshops held monthly from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month from June through September at Willow Bend Country Club in Van Wert. This year’s workshop dates are June 18, July 16, August 20, and September 17.

Workshop sessions will cover topics including responsible AI fundamentals, board leadership and engagement, grant writing, and non-profit governance essentials.

Participation in ELEVATE is free for eligible organizations, though registration is required. Eligible organizations must be a 501c3 nonprofit or Giving Tuesday fund serving Van Wert County. Organizations may send up to two representatives per session and are welcome to rotate attendees throughout the series based on who would benefit most from each topic.

Participating Giving Tuesday organizations are encouraged to take part in ELEVATE. Organizations with representatives who attend all four sessions will qualify for an additional five percent match on Giving Tuesday donations, up to $500.

To register, contact VWCF Director of Philanthropy, Laney Nofer, at laney@vanwertcountyfoundation.org or call 419.238.1743.

Data center ballot issue falling short

VW independent staff

It seems highly unlikely that a proposed constitutional amendment to ban data centers over 25 megawatts will be on the statewide ballot this November.

According to a report published by cleveland.com, after six weeks of collecting signatures and with a July 1 deadline looming, Conserve Ohio says it has gathered about 27,000 signatures. That’s about about six percent of what’s needed to place the issue before voters in the fall.  

To get an issue such as this one on the ballot, signatures are required from 10 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent election, in this case, approximately 413,000 by the July 1 deadline. Those signatures must come from registered voters and must come from at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Organizers with most big campaigns gather far more signatures as a cushion because often times, many are declared invalid for a variety of reasons.

The story said at the current pace of roughly 5,000 signatures per week, it would take Conserve Ohio well over a year to reach the minimum threshold and even longer to build the cushion campaigns typically need to survive Ohio’s signature verification process.

The story also notes it typically costs $2 million to $3 million to get something on the statewide ballot. The bulk of the money goes toward hiring professionals to gather signatures.

While the issue mostly likely won’t be on this November’s ballot, it doesn’t mean it’s over. Conserve Ohio could continue to gather signatures to place on a future ballot. However, those signatures would still be subject to Ohio’s rigid verification laws.

It’s believed that if the issue does make it to a future ballot and is approved, the ban wouldn’t apply to large data centers that are already operational or under construction.

Game Con returning to NSCC in July

VW independent staff/submitted information

ARCHBOLD — Northwest State Community College is bringing back Game Con, “the premier pop culture convention,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at NSCC’s Archbold campus. The convention is run by Northwest State and NSCC Thunder, the college’s official Esports team. The event is free to attend, and all ages are welcome.

Game Con will feature many events and competitions, some returning and some new. They include a 100-player Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament with a $600 prize pool, a Cosplay Contest with a $500 prize pool, a Pokémon Card Game Tournament Hosted by Checkmate Games with a Pokémon related prizes, and other open activities available to all attendees.

Some of the open activities scheduled for Game Con include:

• Artists, vendors, and authors
• Various panels
• Speedrun challenges every hour
• Open console play with Nintendo Switches, PlayStations, and many more consoles
• Virtual reality (VR) experiences
• Food trucks, Open Lego build stations, and more

Some of the panels scheduled for Game Con include:

• Creating a video game in one hour
• Dungeons & Dragons character workshop
• Comic vs. novel writing
• Much more

Additional information, including pre-registration links, photos, etc., is available at GameCon.NorthwestState.edu. Follow NSCC Thunder on social media at Instagram and Facebook for more information about vendors, events, and other Game Con news.

Tuesday afternoon accident…

Two pickup trucks collided at the intersection of N. Washington St. and Sycamore St. It occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday and it was determined that the green Ford Ranger was eastbound on Sycamore St. and was struck by a westbound green Dodge pickup that made a left hand turn in front of the Ranger. Both trucks sustained heavy damage and were towed by Hogue Towing. Traffic on N.Washington Street was maintained by the city police at a slow pace during the investigation. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer

Chamber to host Neon 90’s concert

Submitted information

The Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce is turning up the volume on summer fun with an exclusive VIP experience at this year’s *Boots & Brews: Neon 90’s concert, part of the Van Wert Live Feel Good Friday concert series at Fountain Park in downtown Van Wert on Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Chamber will offer concessions and a variety of drinks for sale including beer and seltzers.

Guests 21 and older are invited to elevate their night out with a $20 VIP ticket for those who want more comfort, more convenience, and more good vibes. Your VIP ticket includes an exclusive and dedicated VIP section located right next to the stage, putting you in the heart of the action. Relax with reserved seating at one of the VIP tables, eliminating the hassle of bringing your own chair. Each VIP ticket includes two beverages so you can sip and savor the evening in style. Skip the lines as VIP guests receive table service, with drinks and concessions brought directly to you.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Fountain Park, Boots & Brews: Neon 90’s will feature high-energy live music, a colorful atmosphere, and all the nostalgic hits you love from the 90s. The VIP experience adds an extra layer of comfort and exclusivity, making this one summer event you won’t want to miss.

The Chamber thanked event sponsors Tekniplex, Superior Credit Union, Paulding Putnam Electric and Internet, Bridgemill Private Wealth, and Danfoss.

To purchase a VIP ticket click here or use the QR code.

For more information about the event or to learn more about the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce and its community partners, connect with them at 419.238.4390.