Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Students can earn college credit next year

Marion Local

By Margie Wuebker
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local High School students enrolled in computer classes will earn college credit next year thanks to a dual credit-post secondary option.
Superintendent Mike Pohlman told board of education members Monday night the new program is possible through an agreement between James A. Rhodes State College and the school district. The board unanimously approved the required memorandum of understanding.
"It's a win-win situation for everybody," Pohlman said this morning. "Students would earn four hours of college credit without leaving the high school, and the district would be reimbursed for tuition costs the following year."
Rhodes College would make the reimbursements in mid-November of the following year.
Pohlman added school officials also are looking at adding an English class for dual credit next school year. The dual credit program requires a Marion Local teacher to hold a master's degree in the specific content area and follow a curriculum approved by the college.
Marion Local also offers students post-secondary options that entail taking classes at area colleges.
In other business, the board:
• Hired Jenny Dippold as high school guidance counselor effective Dec. 12. She replaces June Wuebker, who is retiring after 35 years of service - 11 of those at Marion Local. The other personnel issue involved the resignation of groundskeeper Jay Homan.
• Recognized English teacher Paula Hemmelgarn for earning the "master teacher" distinction. Eligible educators must score exemplary in at least four of the five criteria as set by the Ohio Department of Education. They include consistent leadership, focused collaboration, distinguished teaching with a focus on students and environment, distinguished teaching with a focus on content, instruction and assessment and continued growth.
• Learned parent-teacher conferences are scheduled 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 3:30 to 6:30 Nov. 17. Additional conference times for grades K-4 will be Nov. 18, with no classes for students in those grades that day.
• Heard a Race to the Top update. Committee members Patty Lefeld, Christine Schlater, Margaret Kuck, Julia Sommer and Karen Post attended the first state conference Nov. 1 in Columbus.
• Learned insurance rates will increase an average of 6.24 percent following action taken recently by trustees of the Mercer/Auglaize Benefit Trust. Pohlman noted the consortium has done a good job holding down costs in recent years.
• Reminded area residents of the senior citizen luncheon at 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at the high school gym.
• Changed the date of the next meeting to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in the board room at the middle school.
Additional online story on this date
ST. HENRY - The last time St. Henry celebrated a state volleyball title on the floor of the Nutter Center, the five current seniors were somewhere around the facility cheering on the Redskins, either in the stands or on the floor. [More]
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CELINA - Poll worker Rena Roth will put in a nearly 14-hour day today helping voters at the Galleria.
"It's a very long day," 66-year-old Roth said.
She is one of 86 poll workers in Mercer County who are older than 61.
NEW BREMEN - With plans in the works for a new K-8 building, school board members Monday night unanimously agreed to place a $13 million bond issue on the March ballot.
Increase for an average household after third year would be $14.40 annually
ST. HENRY - Village officials are pondering a three-step increase in excess water usage rates and automatic hikes in the future.
The discussion too
ST. MARYS - Two St. Marys men were seriously injured when their vehicle overturned along Glynwood Road in Noble Township early Monday morning.
The
A 24-year-old area man was injured when his pickup truck disintegrated after striking a tree and a telephone junction box near his home in the 11000 block of Evans Road at 4:24 a.m. Saturday, according to Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports.
CELINA - A city official should still attend the American Municipal Power monthly meetings in Columbus, even though the city is no longer on the 19-member board of trustees, Celina Planning and Community Development Director Kent Bryan says.
All-Ohio Volleyball
Compiled by Ryan Hines and Gary R. Rasberry
Another successful volleyball season for Grand Lake area teams resulted in several local individuals earning All-Ohio honors after the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association released its all-state awards on Monday.
Election set during annual banquet and meeting on Nov. 15
Three candidates are running for two open seats on the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District board of supervisors.
The election and the SWCD's annual banquet/meeting will be held Nov. 15 at the Coldwater American Legion.