Leaser stepping down from Van Wert Board of Education

NSCC offering fun day camps in July

VW independent staff/submitted information

Northwest State Community College will be hosting three day camps this July at the newly renovated Van Wert campus. The camps will give young minds a chance to engage in STEM coding and online gaming in a safe environment.

Kicking off with “Swing into STEM” day on Friday, July 10, campers will create their own mini golf holes using LEGO SPIKE Essential, a program designed for introductory coding. This creates a hands-on design process full of creativity and competition.

SPIKE Robotics will follow the week after, taking place on Friday, July 17. Using FIRST LEGO League programming, campers will team up to program and build robots, competing to be the best bot. This day is great for an introduction to the world of robots.

The final one is Van Wert Vortex ESports Gamer Camp, taking place on Friday, July 31. Campers will spend the day engaged in age-appropriate games, like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros, along with LEGO building competitions and more.

Each camp is designed for a specific age group. More information can be found here. Call 419.267.1399 with any additional questions.

All-Stars!

Recently graduated senior baseball players from Crestview, Delphos Jefferson, Lincolnview and Van Wert took the field for the Lincoln Highway Classic Wednesday night. It was the inuagural game and the Klosterman’s Pizza All-Stars held off the Lee Kinstle All-Stars 6-5. More pictures can be found on the Sports page. Bob Barnes/Van Wert independent

Safety Council accepting registrations

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Ohio West Safety Council, sponsored by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and Eastman & Smith, Ltd. Attorneys at Law, is a program of the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce open to all area businesses. The council helps increase safety awareness and may provide participating businesses cost savings related to Workers’ Compensation rates.

Held in collaboration with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the council provides a forum for safety and health education, professional development, and networking. Topics focus on occupational safety and health, risk management, workers’ compensation, BWC services, rehabilitation, and environmental issues.

The council meets from 8-9:30 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Vantage Career Center, with breakfast included. Each meeting includes a BWC update, a sponsor presentation from Eastman & Smith, Ltd., and a featured speaker. There are 12 monthly meetings and businesses who attend 10 meetings are eligible for a three percent rebate of their workers compensation insurance costs. For Van Wert Area Chamber business members the cost is $250. For non-Chamber members, the cost is $300.

For more information, click here or contact Amber Franklin at 419.238.4390 or chamber@vanwertchamber.com.

Various hearings held in local court

VW independent staff

Five separate and unrelated criminal hearings were held in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings.

Arraignment

Shawn Clouatre, 33, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to violating a protection order, a fifth degree felony. He was released on a surety bond and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. A pre-trial conference was set for 10:30 a.m. July 13.

Change of plea

Dylan Slagle, 22, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth degree felony. Judge Burchfield ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for 9 a.m. September 2.

Sentencings

Daniel C.L. Vibbert, 35, of an Wert, was sentenced to 90 days in jail each on charges of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony, and non-support of dependants, a fourth degree felony. The sentences will be served concurrently and Vibbert was ordered to pay court costs.

Joseph Klett, 49, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 120 days in jail and was ordered to pay court costs for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony.

Probation violation

Zachary Craig, 46, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by associating with a felon. Sentencing was scheduled for 11 a.m. July 29.

Variety of topics discussed at meeting

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

There was a lot of talk but not a lot of action during Monday’s meeting of Van Wert City Council.

The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, was primarily discussion-based around four topics – a potential new noise ordinance, possible amendments to the city’s existing junk and rubbish laws, smoking in parks, and a long-term lease for a solar project. The discussion set the table for possible action at future meetings.

Councilman At-Large Hall Block presented fellow council members with a possible noise ordinance that would include such things as loud music, loud vehicles, early morning lawn mowing, and possibly yelling. While some things are already covered under an existing ordinance, Block said his proposed legislation would clean up and expand the existing law and would cover industrial and data center noise.

“That’s something that people have been worried about and I’d like to give them some confidence that we can hold people accountable if there’s undue noise,” he stated.

Fourth Ward Councilman Eric Hurless said he believes the ordinance should include a decibel level.

“I think that would hold up in court better if it got that far, because then it’s not subjective, it’s objective,” he said.

Law Director John Hatcher noted that very few noise ordinance violations end up in court, adding that he’s seen less than 10 in 15 years.

The proposed ordinance also included vibration levels, which seemed to draw a lukewarm response, with questions on how to enforce vibrations caused by trains, certain events at the county fair, and more.

The 30-minute discussion ended with Block saying he would make revisions to his proposal and re-submit it for consideration.

On the topic of junk and rubbish laws, in cases of rental properties, First Ward Councilman Jeff Agler suggested notifying notifying not only the renter but the property owner simultaneously, which could speed up the clean-up process. Other changes and additions would include making the definition of “junk” more clear, and expanded visibility standards. Over the last couple of years, the city has put an emphasis on enforcing junk and rubbish laws. Usually, potential violations are fixed before getting to court. More discussion and potential council action is expected.

County’s jobless rate among lowest

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Van Wert County had the state’s ninth lowest unemployment rate in May, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The monthly rankings show the county’s jobless rate was just 2.5 percent, tying it for ninth lowest with Paulding, Wayne, Shelby, Preble and Logan counties. It’s a decrease from last month, when Van Wert County’s unemployment rate was 2.7 percent and far lower than May, 2025, when it was 4.1 percent.

The statewide average was 3.0 percent and no surrounding counties were above that. Allen County matched the state’s average, while Putnam County came in at 2.3 percent, good for fifth lowest in Ohio, along with Wyandot County. Auglaize County was at 2.2 percent, which was tied with third lowest with Union County, while Mercer County’s May unemployment rate was 2.1 percent, second lowest in Ohio.

Holmes County, in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country, had the state’s lowest jobless rate in May, 2.0 percent. Overall, 14 counties had unemployment rates at or below 2.5 percent in May. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Holmes County were: Mercer, 2.1 percent; Auglaize and Union, 2.2 percent; Putnam and Wyandot, 2.3 percent; Delaware and Madison, 2.4 percent, and Logan, Paulding, Preble, Shelby, Van Wert, and Wayne, 2.5 percent.

Trumbull County had the state’s highest unemployment rate last month, 4.1 percent. 10 counties had unemployment rates at or above 3.5 percent in May. The counties with the highest rates, other than Trumbull were: Lucas, 3.9 percent; Mahoning, Pike and Scioto 3.8 percent; Meigs and Monroe, 3.7 percent; Noble, 3.6 percent, and Jefferson and Ross, 3.5 percent.

According to ODJFS, unemployment rates decreased in 78 counties last month, increased in six counties and were unchanged in four counties.

Libertarian Political Club being formed

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING — The 2026 Paulding County Fair saw a new organization with the arrival of the Libertarian Party of Ohio. Christopher Elder, Libertarian candidate for Ohio House District 82, spoke with people as the first Libertarian candidate from Paulding since 2000. District 82 includes all of Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties, along with some of Defiance County.

“We are here to offer a new option for people who feel like they don’t belong in either of the two major parties,” Elder said.

The booth was also manned by four other Libertarian candidates for statewide offices: Don Kissick and James Mills for governor and lieutenant governor, Bill Redpath for Secretary of State, and Bill Redpath for U.S. Senate.

“Thanks to the amount of interest in a third-party option in the area, we are moving forward with starting a Libertarian Political Club right here in Paulding County,” Elder shared.

For more information on joining the new club, interested parties should contact Elder at 419.670.1831 or elderforoh82@gmail.com

Amateur radio club prepping for Field Day

VW independent staff/submitted information

This weekend will see the members of the Van Wert Amateur Radio Club once again take part in the yearly emergency preparedness exercise known as Field Day.

The national contest, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, puts ham radio operators and their equipment to the test by setting up emergency type operations to contact as many other ham radio stations as possible.  Field Day will be held this Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28, at the headquarters of the Van Wert County Emergency Management Agency on the grounds of Marsh Foundation. 

Part of the focus of Field Day this year will be an effort to “Get on the Air,” encouraging anyone interested in radio communications and ham radio specifically, to come and join in the fun. You can get on the air even without a license by coming to field day and working with a licensed amateur radio operator.

Field Day also gives seasoned ham radio operators a chance to work with club equipment, especially antennas, that they may not have at home. The Radio Club typically works stations in about 35 or more states and most Canadian provinces during field day, and the Club has won their classification four times in the past.

According to the American Radio Relay League’s (ARRL) website, the “Radio Connects” Field Day is the most popular on-the-air event held annually in the U.S. and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June, more than 31,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations. Each year, a competition is held and points are earned and awarded for the number of contacts that are established.

Field Day set up will begin at 6 p.m. Friday for the preliminary work, with the finishing touches applied at noon on Saturday. The actual hours of operation are a continuous 24-hour period from 2 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday. Visitors are welcome at all hours of Field Day.

For more information on Field Day, or the Van Wert Amateur Radio Club, go to the club’s website, w8fy.org or the League’s website, arrl.org. Field Day updates will be posted on the Facebook page of The Van Wert Amateur Radio Club.

Where’s the water?

The question has been asked – why isn’t the fountain at Fountain Park running as it typically does at this time of the year? According to Van Wert Parks Director Kyle Klinker, crews are in the process of replacing a pump/motor that went bad. He also said workers ran into more issues on Monday, so it’s not known exactly when repairs will be complete. Klinker added the Parks Department is doing the doing the best they can to get the fountain up and running ASAP. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

United Way makes donation

Submitted information

The United Way of Van Wert County recently granted the Van Wert School at the Goedde a check for $2,000. The money was given on behalf of the New Initiative Funds which allows organizations that are tax exempt to apply in order to help with a one-time need or project in Van Wert County.

The funds will be used for “Cooking at The Goedde” – a weekly podcast/youtube video teaching how to cook simple, affordable, and nutritious meals at home through the Middle School Culinary Lab.

Designed to combine hands-on learning, student voice, and real-world life skills, this program will empower students in grades 6–8 to plan, prepare, and demonstrate simple, affordable meals that can be recreated at home, while also developing communication, collaboration, and leadership skills. This program directly supports their mission to “Break the Cycle: one decision, one choice, one day at a time” by equipping students with essential independent living skills while also giving them a platform to be heard.

If you are a tax-exempt organization located in Van Wert County and would like to learn more about or even apply for New Initiative funds, contact the United Way office at 419.238.6689 or email administration@uwvwco.org.