ROCKFORD - The school board welcomed a new member at its meeting Tuesday night.

Matt Swygart, a village resident for the last 21 years, was approve

WAPAKONETA - Funding for 2015 was slashed by more than half for the Heritage Trails Park District.

The bleak financial news at the group's year-end meeting Tuesday was accompanied by an announcement that part-time executive director Allison Brady and board commissioner Jim Heinrich plan to retire. [More]

CELINA - The owner of a new restaurant opening in the city this spring said he loves the site's history of good, family fun.

The Happy Daz restaurant is being constructed on property along East Wayne Street where a roller rink once operated.

FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery High School Principal Jeff Hobbs has instituted new penalties to curb out-of-control cellphone use by students.

Violators will have their phones confiscated and must serve a Saturday school. The seized phones can be retrieved only by parents, he added. [More]

MINSTER - Village councilors are considering the addition of a battery storage system for a proposed solar field project.

Dave Dwyer of American Re

ST. MARYS - The city's planning commission on Tuesday tabled a request by a local factory to rezone 2.3 acres of its land from residential to industrial.

ST. MARYS - One year ago, Shelby Patterson was determined to fit into a size 6 wedding dress when she got married.

The 25-year-old not only lost the 30 pounds by her wedding day but also has opened a business in St. Marys to help others reach their desired weight and improve health habits.

NEW BREMEN - James F. Dicke II, chairman and CEO of Crown Equipment Corp., New Bremen, has been selected for membership in the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc., a nonprofit educational organization.

COLDWATER - The game was on the line.

And although the Coldwater girls basketball team hadn't shot particularly well at the free throw stripe the entire night against Celina, Hannah Bruns made two big ones to put the game away.

MINSTER - Erica Oldiges and Lauren Roetgerman don't hesitate to acknowledge that they have been best friends for as long as either of them can remember.

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

Fort Recovery outscored Waynesfield-Goshen 20-11 in the second quarter to take a 10-point halftime lead and held on to beat the Tigers 63-55 in Tuesday night boys basketball action in Auglaize County.