Beverly J. Nighswander

Beverly J. Nighswander, 74, of Van Wert, passed away at 9:06 p.m. Friday, April 28, 2017, at the Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center. She was born July 9, 1942, in Mercer County, the daughter of Clarence and Betty (Barnes) Smith, who both preceded her in death. She married Larry Nighswander, who survives in Van […]

Harold Wayne Callahan Sr.

Harold Wayne Callahan Sr., 68, of Van Wert, passed away at 11:55 p.m. Friday, April 28, 2017, at the Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center. He was born February 1, 1949, in Erwin, Tennessee, the son of Arthur and Frances (Ingle) Callahan, who preceded him in death. On November 8, 1990, he married the former […]

County has lower March jobless rate

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor Van Wert County followed a statewide trend of lower unemployment in March, with the county falling seven-tenths of a percent last month, according to estimates released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The county’s unemployment rate for March was 3.9 percent, down from February’s 4.6 percent. According […]

Liberty Mobility giving seniors free rides

VW independent/submitted information In celebration of Older Americans Month, which will begin Monday, May 1, the Area Agency on Aging 3 (AAA 3) will be teaming up with Liberty Mobility Now (Liberty), the new ride-sharing service in Van Wert County, to offer up to $1,000 worth of free rides (limit one ride per customer) to […]

Tree seedlings donation

The Van Wert Soil & Water Conservation District has donated 60 pin oak seedlings to be planted at Van Wert Elementary School building as part of the Soil & Water Stewardship Week being observed. Shown are fourth-grade students with Assistant Principal Justin Krogman and Principal Kevin Gehres, and SWCD staff Tammy Campbell, education coordinator, and […]

OSHP issues motorcycle safety reminder

Submitted information COLUMBUS — May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol would like to remind motorcyclists to ride trained and sober. Also, motorists should be aware there will be an increase in motorcycles on the roadways with the warmer weather. In 2016, motorcycle-involved crashes resulted in 194 fatal crashes, […]

Club sponsoring summer speech clinic

Submitted information The Van Wert Service Club will sponsor a summer speech and language clinic again this year. The purpose of the clinic is to help children having difficulty producing sounds, constructing sentences, understanding or using words, or speaking fluently. Each child will be offered one therapy session per week for eight weeks. Parents are […]

Lima Bath downs the Lady Cougars

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor Van Wert and Bath were able to beat the rain, and complete Friday’s Western Buckeye League softball game at Jubilee Park. Unfortunately, the Lady Cougars were held to just three hits, and lost to the Wildkittens, 10-1. The game was scoreless after two innings, but Bath scored single runs in the […]

Lady Lancers defeat Kalida

Van Wert independent sports Lincolnview’s Trinity Brown’s belted a pinch hit two-RBI double in the sixth inning, and that proved to be the difference in Friday’s 6-5 non-conference home victory over Kalida. Morgan Miller and Macala Ashbaugh each finished with a pair of hits for the Lady Lancers, while Lana Carey, Lakin Brant, Alana Looser, […]

Rain, lightning stop area athletic events

Van Wert independent sports Van Wert at Bath LIMA – Mother Nature put a stop to Friday’s Western Buckeye League baseball game between Bath and Van Wert. Play was suspended in the fifth inning, with the Wildcats leading the Cougars 2-1. Nick Gutierrez tripled in the third inning, then later scored on an RBI single […]