Lincoln Highway conference coming to area

VW independent staff/submitted information

June, 2027 will mark the 33rd annual national Lincoln Highway conference, which will be held June 21-25 in Lima.

The national Lincoln Highway Association has more than 800 members nationwide and gathers somewhere along the 3,389 mile-long path of America’s first coast-to-coast paved road from New York City to San Francisco each year. The four-day event will feature motor coach tours, history lectures, banquets, a vendors’ and book room open to the public, and other events.

“We see more than 120 people attending every year,” said Scott Little, Bluffton, Ohio national Lincoln Highway board member. “Last year 150 attended near Philadelphia and now western Ohio has the chance to showcase our area from the Indiana state line to about Mansfield.”

These conferences have created a group of friends who share the passion for the preservation and history of America’s first paved road. The highway was created by industrialists and dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln in 1913. It pre-dated numbered roads and state highway departments, and opened the U.S. to begin automobile travel becoming the norm for transportation in America.

The last time Ohio hosted this event was in 2012 in Canton.

Anyone interested in the road or the conference is encouraged to visit www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org. and follow Ohio Lincoln Highway Chapters on Facebook. 

Homecoming royalty

Ben Verville was crowned as Van Wert High School’s 2026 Homecoming King, while Leah Krites was crowned Homecoming Queen during a ceremony held before Friday night’s football game against St. Marys Memorial. Bob Barnes/Van Wert independent

Meeting scheduled for big solar farm

VW independent staff

A public information meeting regarding the proposed Butterfly Meadows solar farm in Van Wert County will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, at Vantage Career Center in Van Wert.

Sheriff’s Office receives traffic funding

Submitted information

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach announced that the Ohio Traffic Safety Office has awarded $50,323.60 in federal traffic safety funding to the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office for fiscal year 2027.

In a news release, Sheriff Riggenbach said the funds will be used to provide additional personnel and time to focus on making roadways safer in Van Wert County.

“The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office is aware that unsafe drivers are endangering the safety of our residents in Van Wert County,” he said. “To help save lives and make the roadways safer, the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office will use the grant funds to focus on traffic-related fatal crashes, alcohol-related crashes, and distracted driving and inattention on the major highways and local roadways in Van Wert County.”

These funds, through OTSO, support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving, motorcycle safety, and youthful drivers.

Vantage BOE preps for more renovations

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Vantage Career Center Superintendent Rick Turner shared good news at Thursday night’s monthly meeting – the new Vantage Academy of Medical Careers has occupancy.

He noted the Adult Education Business Offices have started moving into the building, and the medical programs will move in November 17-18. High school medical programs are scheduled to begin moving December 21-22.

Board members are expected to take part in a walkthrough before the board’s December 3 meeting. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for January 25, the same day as the Taste of Vantage and Open House.

The Vantage Academy of Medical Careers is in the former Thomas Edison building across the street from the main campus.

The focus now turns to renovation work at the main building on the Vantage campus and Turner said those renovations will begin sometime between October 15-20.

“Phase 1 will repurpose the current Adult Education offices to become the district office,” Turner explained. “Scheduled completion of this phase is the end of December. We hope to have the January or February board meeting in our newly renovated space. We will also plan a monthly Board of Education meeting to be held in our new Academy of Medical Careers once all of our programs are moved in.”

A transfer of $1.3 million from the general fund to the capital projects fund for the renovations was approved.

Special Reconnect Order issued by PUCO

Submitted information

COLUMBUS — The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has issued its Special Reconnect Order for the upcoming winter heating season. The Special Reconnect Order helps Ohioans served by PUCO-regulated utilities reconnect or maintain electric and natural gas service during the winter heating season between Monday, October 12, through April 16, 2027.  

Any residential customer of a PUCO-regulated electric or natural gas utility may take advantage of the provisions contained in the order once per winter heating season. Last winter heating season, more than 227,637 Ohioans used the Special Reconnect Order.    

“For more than three decades, the PUCO has issued its Special Reconnect Order, providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of households in Ohio each year. This order is one of the ways the PUCO is able to help families remain connected to their primary heating source during the winter months,” stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French. 

Under the Special Reconnect Order, customers must pay the utility no more than $175 plus any applicable reconnection charge, which cannot exceed $36. If the utility’s reconnect charge is greater than $36, the balance above $36 may be charged to the customer on the customer’s next monthly bill.     

The Special Reconnect Order also applies to customers seeking to establish new electric or natural gas service provided they are served by PUCO-regulated utilities. Rather than paying the full security deposit that may be required for new service, customers can pay up to $175 and the balance above $175 may be charged to the customer on the customer’s next monthly bill.     

There is no income eligibility requirement to use the Special Reconnect Order; however, customers who are at or below 175 percent of the federal income guidelines may apply for assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) winter crisis program to pay the $175 amount.    

Ohioans looking to use the Special Reconnect Order should contact their electric or natural gas utility between October 12 and April 16, 2027 to find out how to apply the assistance to their bill. Utility representatives will explain the order and set up a payment plan to address any remaining balance on your account after the $175 has been applied. A list of PUCO-regulated utilities is available on the PUCO website.   

More information about energy assistance programs and ways to save on home heating bills this winter is available on the PUCO’s website here.  

Gas tax pause to begin this weekend

VW independent staff

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s three month pause on taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel will start this Sunday.

Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 Thursday morning. The legislation, which was approved by state lawmakers earlier this week, stops the collection of Ohio’s tax of 38.5 cents per gallon of gasoline and 47 cents per gallon of diesel fuel through January 2, 2027.

According to estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission, the pause should save the average driver up to $55 over the next three months.

Cougars in parade…

Members of the Van Wert High School football team took part in Wednesday night’s homecoming parade in downtown Van Wert. Among others, the parade also featured the Cougar Pride Marching Band, cheerleaders and a number of retired Van Wert City Schools teachers who served as grand marshals. The annual Powder Puff flag football game took place Eggerss Stadium after the parade. Van Wert will host St. Marys Memorial Friday night. Bob Barnes/Van Wert independent

State’s minimum wage to increase

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s minimum wage will go up on New Year’s Day.

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance’s Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration has announced that Ohio’s minimum wage will officially increase to $11.40 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.70 per hour for tipped employees, The increase represents a 3.5 percent increase from the current rates of $11 for non-tipped employees and $5.50 for tipped employees.

The change reflects the mandate of a constitutional amendment passed by Ohio voters in November 2006, which states Ohio’s minimum wage shall increase on January 1 each year by the rate of inflation.

In addition to the wage rate adjustment, the threshold for business applicability will also change. Effective January 1, 2027, the Ohio minimum wage will apply to businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $420,000, which is an increase from the current $405,000 threshold.

For employees at businesses with annual gross receipts of $420,000 or less per year after January 1, 2027, and for 14- and 15-year-old workers, the state minimum wage remains tied to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Any changes to this rate would require an act of the U.S. Congress and the President’s signature.

To ensure compliance, employers are required to display the official 2027 Minimum Wage poster, which is available on the Division of Industrial Compliance website.

Man claims he was hit, but no evidence

VW independent staff

Was he hit or wasn’t he?

Last Friday, dispatch notified Van Wert County Sheriff’s deputies of a person who had been hit by a car at the North Union Church on U.S. 127 in Union Township.

Deputies arrived at the scene shortly after 9 p.m. and spoke with the alleged victim and possible witnesses. Three of the witnesses said they were setting up a baby shower at the church. One of them had been had been in and out of the church and noticed a shadowy figure near the entrance, but thought it was just a mailbox and didn’t investigate it. 

The witnesses left the church and got into a vehicle when they noticed a man laying in the ditch near the entrance. One of them them spoke to him and he claimed he had been struck by a vehicle and requested a ride to Defiance. 

The witnesses said they didn’t hear a crash or any screaming and they noted the man didn’t want law enforcement involved, just a ride.  

The man told deputies he had been walking home to Defiance from Van Wert and explained that he’s a felon and was looking for a job in Van Wert, since he can only get certain jobs. He also said had a ride set up, but they canceled. The man said he left Van Wert around 6 p.m. and was walking home to Defiance when a dark colored vehicle with no lights on struck him. He thought it may have had a SRT badge, but had no other vehicle description.

He claimed he was northbound on U.S. 127 near Convoy Rd. when he got struck. He believed the vehicle was speeding and he claimed to have gone airborne, but didn’t have any visible injuries. In a report, a deputy checked his clothing and noted there were no visible tears or marking.

He said he then got up and limped to North Union Church (about 1.5 miles) before stopping and eventually being found.