Early in-person voting starts locally, throughout Ohio

Heavy law enforcement presence on Burt St.

VW independent staff

A portion of Burt St. in Van Wert has been blocked off by law enforcement while authorities deal with a situation involving someone who is possibly armed. The Van Wert Police Department, the Van Wert Sheriff’s Office and the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol are at the scene.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, no other information is currently available. Check back for updates.

Ohio’s early voting dates, hours set

VW independent staff

Here are early voting hours ahead of the November 3 general election. Early in-person voters must go to the Van Wert County Board of Elections, 1362 E. Ervin Rd., Van Wert, to cast a ballot.

• Tuesday-Friday, October 6 to 9: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday-Friday, October 12 to 16: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday-Friday, October 19 to 23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, October 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, October 26: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 27: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday-Friday, October 28 to 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 3.

Gas tax pause sends pump prices down

VW independent staff/submitted information

Due mainly to the 90-day suspension of the state’s gas tax, average gasoline prices in Ohio have fallen 39.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.91 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. Prices in Ohio are 1.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 93.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 14.2 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $6.307 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $3.17 per gallon on Sunday while the most expensive was $6.19 per gallon, a difference of $3.02 per gallon.

In Van Wert, prices at the majority of gas stations tumbled to $3.41 per gallon for self-serve regular on Sunday and Monday.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 12.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.30 per gallon on Monday. The national average is up 19.3 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands $1.22 per gallon higher 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.

“Average gasoline prices fell in 48 states over the last week, with diesel declining in 48 states as well, as a broad-based retreat brought relief to motorists across much of the country,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “The largest declines were seen in Georgia and Ohio, where recently enacted fuel tax cuts amplified the drop, while price-cycling Florida and much of the midwest also joined the broader downward trend. For now, declines may continue in a majority of states, though some price-cycling markets are at risk of an upward swing in gas prices in the days ahead.”

“While oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, refineries behind the Strait are not yet fully able to move products through, keeping gasoline and diesel prices elevated relative to what crude oil levels alone might suggest,” he added.

Busy weekend for Historical Society

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Van Wert County Historical Society’s annual BBQ chicken dinner fundraiser will be this Saturday, October 10. Dinner pickup will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. To pick dinners on Third St. between Market St. and Washington St., tnter Third St. from Market St.  Historical Society volunteers will deliver your meals to your car. This is a ticketed event, meaning no extra dinners will be available.

On Sunday, October 11, the Van Wert County Historical Society will celebrate its annual Membership and Perspective Members Day. The day will start off with a program on World War I soldiers by Jim Waechter from the Indiana Museum of the Soldier at 2 p.m. in the Annex. Following the program, the Van Wart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will rededicate a sign acknowledging Isaac Van Wart as the city and county namesake. Throughout the day cake and cupcakes will be served to celebrate Isaac Van Wart’s 264th Birthday on October 25. The event is free and open to the public. 

Modern Military match to be held

Submitted information

MIDDLE POINT — The Van Wert County Outdoorsmen Association will host a Modern Military match this Saturday, October 10, at the Van Wert County Outdoorsmen Club, 9093 Ringwald Rd. in Middle Point. The safety briefing will be held at 9:30 a.m. and the match will start at 9:45 a.m.

Any modern military rifle may be used such as an M-1 Garand, AR 15, and other such rifles. You may use iron sights or scoped rifles. Once you shoot in the match, you will be eligible to purchase an M-1 Garand from the CMP. If you do not have a rifle, the club has M-1 rifles to loan out to the public to use in this match. The club also has a National Match AR 15 for participants who might wish to try it out. However, any military rifle may be used.

The cost to participate is $5, which is a target fee. If you need to purchase ammo, the club has 30.06 ammo at $30 for 35 rounds and for the AR-15 the ammo is $18 for 40 rounds which includes the target fee.

Brumback Library directors, past to present

Editor’s note: this year the Brumback Library is celebrating 125 years of service to the community. Each month, the library will tell the story of the Brumback Library, chapter by chapter. This month’s article explores the directors of The Brumback Library and was written by Deb Gehres, Patron Service Specialist. Information was gathered from library files, The County Library by Saida Brumback Antrim and through Internet research. 

By Deb Gehres

The Brumback Library has the distinction of being the first county library in the United States and has been led by a number of directors since 1901. The majority of the library’s directors have been female. Each has brought unique talents, education and abilities to the position and their achievements have been dependent on the needs of the library at the time. It has been the policy of the Board of Trustees to hire trained and educated individuals in the position of director. It should be noted the director does not work alone and the hiring of knowledgeable and dedicated staff is necessary to ensure the success of the library. 

The Brumback Library’s first librarian was Miss Ella L. Smith. She spent most of her life in Van Wert and prior to becoming librarian in August of 1900 she had experience as a high school teacher. She continued her employment until July 1905 when she accepted a position in San Francisco at the Mercantile Library. In those five years she aided in the library’s pioneer work in the county and was responsible for maintaining literary excellence. 

The board employed Miss Jane Brotherton to replace Miss Smith. Being a resident of Van Wert County Miss Brotherton was knowledgeable about Van Wert County and the history of the library. Prior to her employment at The Brumback Library she was responsible for the reorganization of the Franklin, OH Public Library and also was a cataloguer in the Congressional Library in Washington D.C. When she resigned her position in 1909 due to the death of her mother, Miss Brotherton left a well organized library to her successor Miss Corinne Metz. 

Miss Metz, was a native of Newark, Ohio. Her prior library experience included librarian in Washington Court House, OH Public Library and organizing the Township Library in Conneaut, Ohio. She held the position of librarian at The Brumback Library from December 1909 to March 1913. She resigned her position to become librarian at the Wasco County Library in The Dalles, Oregon. 

Following Miss Metz, the leadership position went to Miss Anna L. Holding who came to the library in March 1913. Prior to receiving her Bachelor of Library Science degree, Miss Holding taught in the public school system and held positions in several libraries. Miss Metz quickly gained a knowledge of the county work and influenced all departments of the library.

Miss Holding held the position of librarian until 1916 when Miss Harriot Long assumed the position. 

Miss Long led the library during World War I. She was instrumental in leading the community in supporting the war effort. The library became the county’s primary center for war mobilization. The Brumback Library under Miss Long’s leadership developed a campaign encouraging women to bake bread using substitutes for wheat to conserve food. This was part of a statewide initiative to stand guard over the food supply as more men were fighting and not farming. The bread was brought to the library to share and compare. Recipes were printed in the local newspaper. In addition to food conservation, the library helped to raise funds for the American Library Association’s war effort. The money raised was used to purchase reading material for soldiers. The library collected magazines and books that were shipped to Camp Sherman in Chillicothe for soldiers to read during their training. 

The VW independent has exclusive streams

VW independent staff

The VW independent is now your exclusive one-stop shop for local media.

In addition to offering local news, sports, obituaries and other important information, thevwindependent.com is now your exclusive home to online streaming of two local radio stations — 99.7FM WKSD and WERT 1220AM/104.3FM. 

According to Chris Roberts, who owns both radio stations, stream aggregators such as Tune-In and Alexa no longer have the local stations’ permission to rebroadcast WERT and WKSD due to music rights licensing concerns. Those who access the stations through the Van Wert independent should note that the stream works on phones and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers.

To stream either radio station through thevwindependent.com, simply click one of the tabs at the very top of the News page.

Another exclusive streaming option will become available in the future. Free apps are being developed and will be made available via Apple’s App Store and Google Play. An announcement will be made when they’re ready. 

99.7FM WKSD offers a Classic Hits format, with music from the 60s-90s, the Chris Roberts Morning Show from 6-9 a.m. Monday through Friday with local news and sports, along with Fox Radio News and news from the Ohio News Network at the top of the hour, starting at 9 a.m. WKSD also offers area high school football coverage, along with boys and girls high school basketball coverage and Ohio State football and basketball games. 

WERT 1220AM/104.3FM broadcasts an “Unforgettable” format, with music from the 1940s through the 1980s. WERT is the home of Van Wert Cougars football and boys basketball, along with Ohio State football and select Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball games. 

Cougar Pride Marching Band…

Members of the Van Wert High School Cougar Pride Marching Band took the field at Eggerss Stadium during pregame and halftime festivities Friday night. The band will be back on the field at halftime of this Friday night’s Van Wert at Ottawa-Glandorf football game. Bob Barnes/Van Wert independent

It’s National Fire Prevention Week

VW independent staff/submitted information

Many of the devices in our daily lives – phones, tablets, laptops, tools, toys, e-bikes, and scooters, to name a few – run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which store high amounts of energy in a small space. If the batteries are damaged or charged incorrectly, they can overheat, start a fire, or even explode. With these concerns in mind, Van Wert and Convoy Fire Departments are teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association to promote Fire Prevention Week, which is this week, and this year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging is a Superpower.”

This year’s campaign works to better educate the public about how to safely use, store, and recharge lithium-ion powered devices, helping minimize risks at home and other locations. NFPA does not yet track data on the number of U.S. home fires involving lithium-ion batteries, but an increasing number of lithium-ion battery fires and explosions reported by fire departments, news outlets, and other sources underscores the potential hazards they present.

“Properly charging devices can significantly reduce the risk of fires and associated hazards,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “Making informed choices and employing simple habits are critical to these efforts.”

In coordination with NFPA, Van Wert and Convoy Fire Departments and local State Farm agent Tisha Fast are encouraging all residents to actively support Fire Prevention Week by following these tips and guidelines:

Sunday afternoon crash…

A three-vehicle accident occured at the intersection of Ervin Rd. and Walnut St. just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. A grey Honda was southbound on Walnut St., stopped at the stop sign, then entered the intersection and was struck by a westbound red Ford that failed to stop. The impact of the Ford spun the Honda to the right and both vehicles came to rest side by side with another car that was stopped heading east on Ervin Rd. at the stop sign. No injuries were reported. All three cars sustained heavy damage and were towed from the scene. The accident was investigated by the Van Wert Police Department. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer