The District 3 Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Rhodes State College has established a satellite location in the office of the Auglaize County Commissioners at 209 S. Blackhoof St. Business adviser Todd Fleagle from the SBDC in Lima will be on site for regular hours at the location on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Fleagle said the satellite offers the same services as the SBDC in Lima in a more convenient location.

“It’s basically no-cost counseling for new business startups,” Fleagle said. “It’s also for existing businesses. If they need anything from a business plan established to a cash flow analysis, the SBDC brings a lot to the table.”

The District 3 SBDC also serves Mercer, Van Wert and Paulding counties. To set up a time to meet with Fleagle, contact Kathleen Krier at 419-995-8464.

See Thursday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

The Wapakoneta City Council’s Streets and Alleys Committee met Thursday afternoon to discuss a right-of-way adjustment and assessments for a forthcoming project.

The right-of-way at issue is on Logan Street, specifically along the east side of the property at 301 Jefferson St. The property owner, Dave Katterheinrich, had requested that the city vacate part of the unimproved right-of-way to give him a wider side yard. City code calls for a five-foot setback. The committee voted to recommend to council that the right-of-way be adjusted.

The assessment issue involved a forthcoming reconstruction of Buchannan Street, which is scheduled for 2016. Since the work involves extensive work to the roadway, along with new gas lines, some sidewalks and driveways will be replaced. Committee members said that, due to the amount of work, residents should not be assessed for sidewalks.

See Friday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Simple Treasures Country Shoppe, located at 3 Perry St., opened its doors on Nov. 6.

The new store is family-owned and specializes in country home décor. Items for sale include rugs, shelving, clocks, Wind & Willow dips, curtains and more. Darren Griffith, one of the owners, said his mother opened a store called Olde Rustic Homestead in 2011 on Auglaize Street, but because his late father became ill, it closed its doors.

“We really liked the atmosphere here, the downtown feeling and how everybody accepted her,” Griffith said. “We actually were going to open in Lima, but we decided to come back to Wapak because of that reason.”

So far, the store has been well-received by the community, he said.

For more information about Simple Treasures Country Shoppe, check out its Facebook page.

See Friday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

As part of the Children’s Hometown Holiday schedule, Harvest Baptist Church will be bringing the Christmas story to life with their fourth annual drive through live nativity, which will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the church parking lot at 1301 Navajo Trail, Wapakoneta. The event will be set up in different scenes that people will view while driving through to the different stations.

Pastor Jon Braunstein explained that those who come to the event will be given CDs (or mp3 players for those with no CD players in their cars) to listen to while they go around to view the different scenes of the live nativity.

The live nativity will consist of nine scenes of the Christmas story from the star in Bethlehem to the cross with volunteers posing as different characters. Some scenes will feature live animals.

“We’re hoping that it would really, number one, be a reminder for what Christmas is all about and we hope to introduce the true meaning of Christmas to those who’ve never heard,” Jon Braunstein said.

See Friday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Here's a little slice of what you may have missed this week in the Wapakoneta Daily News.

Monday: The Cridersville Breakfast with Santa was a success.

Tuesday: A Wapakoneta Middle School student was elected 'governor' as part of the YMCA Youth in Government program.

Wednesday: A Wapakoneta High School senior was named the Daughters of the American Revolution Lima Chapter Good Citizens Award Recipient.

Thursday: The town will celebrate the ninth annual Children's Hometown Holiday this weekend.

Friday: The Wapakoneta City Council's Streets and Alleys committee met on Thursday to discuss street issues.

A Wapakoneta teenager was killed early Sunday in a single vehicle crash. According to the Wapakoneta Police Departement, the driver, Dakota Rostorfer, 19, of Wapakoneta, was driving eastbound on East Auglaize Street at approximately 3:45 a.m. Sunday, lost control and crashed into the Mike Swaney Buick/GMC Truck dealership, 301 E. Auglaize St. Rostorfer was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene by Auglaize County Coroner Dr. Thomas Freytag.
The impact caused the partial collapse of the building.
According to the police department, East Auglaize Street will be closed between Depot and Seltzer streets due to the cleanup effort.
More information will be provided in Monday's edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News.

According to a press release from Wapakoneta Chief of Police Russel L. Hunlock, on Sunday at 3:45 a.m. an officer from the department found a fatal accident in the 300 block of East Auglaize St. A vehicle had struck the main building of Mike Swaney’s Buick/GMC dealership, 301 E. Auglaize St.

Preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling eastbound on Auglaize Street where it lost control and went off the right side of the roadway striking a vehicle in Swaney’s west lot and then striking the building. The impact to the building caused it to partially collapse.

The driver, Dakota Rostorfer, age 19, of 504 Bellefontaine Street, Wapakoneta, was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene by Auglaize County Coroner, Dr. Thomas Freytag. No one else was in the vehicle and no one else was injured.

Assisting the Wapakoneta Police Department was the Wapakoneta Fire Department, the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Team. Also assisting was the City of Wapakoneta’s Street and Light Department.

Crews are still at the scene and Auglaize Street will be closed from Depot Street to Seltzer Street indefinitely due to clean up efforts.

This accident remains under investigation.

Children and their families lined Auglaize Street on Saturday morning to catch the Children's Hometown Holiday parade.

The parade kicked off at about 10 a.m. Several characters were involved with it, including the Spongebob Squarepants crew, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, an astronaut and much more.

Also partaking in the parade was Miss Ohio 2015 Sarah Hider and Miss Ohio 2013 Heather Barrett and other pageant royalty including Miss Summer Moon 2015 Emma Walker and 2015 Auglaize County Junior Fair Queen Morgan Miller.

Mrs. Claus hitched a ride with the Miss Summer Moon contestants. And what would a Christmas parade be without Santa? He rode in a firetruck and concluded the parade, which wrapped up on Main Street.

See Monday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

The Cridersville Christmas on Main Street is returning for another year to bring yuletide joy and merriment to the people of the village.

This year during the event there will be a special game for everyone to take part in — the Holiday Hoopla Giveaway. Participants pick up a passport at the firehouse and tour around the village — with shuttle bus transportation provided by Cridersville Health Care — and travel to several locations. At these locations you’ll get your passport marked and then return it to the firehouse by 1 p.m., where you’ll be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a prize.

The fire department will serve as the headquarters for Christmas on Main Street. They’ll be starting things off early with a pancake breakfast which will be going from 7 to 11 a.m. and will be serving pancakes and sausage. The firehouse will also be the location of a holiday icon — Santa Claus. Jolly ole St. Nick will be arriving by fire truck at 11 a.m. for kids to come visit and tell him what they want before he heads back to the North Pole.

See Monday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Amid a light agenda for its regular meeting, followed by two executive sessions that lasted more than two hours, councilors held a first reading of an ordinance establishing a city lodging tax.

A lodging tax, also known as a “bed tax” is added on the visitors’ hotel or motel bills. The new ordinance involves a 3 percent bed tax to be collected to fund tourism-related projects within the city. Auglaize County already collects a 3 percent bed tax, with a portion going to the bi-county convention and visitors bureau and a portion distributed to local communities.

As proposed, the tax would go into the general fund earmarked for tourism-related projects. Those projects would come from applications submitted to an advisory committee. The advisory committee would be made up of a member designated by the city administration, a member designated by council and a member designated by the first two members.

See Tuesday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Two board of education members who will not be returning in January were honored for their service to the Waynesfield-Goshen Board of Education at the board’s regular meeting on Monday. Board members Tadd Turner and Mark Chiles have each served on the board for a total of 12 years.

W-G Superintendent Chris Pfister presented Turner and Chiles each with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of their “valuable contribution to the Waynesfield-Goshen Board of Education.”

Turner has served on the board for three consecutive terms from Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2015, and Chiles has served three terms, two from Jan. 2002 to Dec. 2009 and one from Jan. 2012 to Dec. 2015. Both board members decided not to run for re-election on Nov. 3 of this year, and two new board members will be sworn in on Jan 11.

See Tuesday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

A proposal was made to the Board of Auglaize County Commissioners on Tuesday to further workforce development in the county and address the issue of jobs going unfilled in the county due to a lack of skilled workers.

Angela Hamberg, who works part-time as the Economic Development Director for the Village of New Bremen, proposed that she be hired “on a contract basis for one year at the cost of $10,000 a year to work on cohesion and workforce development within the county to take the (Workforce Development Initiative) to the next level.” The contract salary she proposed would cover the cost of her labor for around 16 to 20 hours per month, she said.

Hamberg explained that in her part-time position with New Bremen she has been working with the West Central Ohio Workforce Development Initiative (WDI), which is an ad hoc group of education partners and local economic development officials. The program offers welding and machine trades classes at Tri Star Career Compact to workers and high school students in Auglaize and Mercer counties, as well as other nearby counties.

The Board of County Commissioners plans to follow-up with Hamberg once more information is gathered.

See Wednesday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Stop by the Armstrong Air and Space Museum on Thursday for a Christmas event that's out of this world.

Cosmic Christmas, held from 4 to 6 p.m., will include caroling, Christmas lights, Christmas activities and a visit from Santa Claus.

Visitors will be charged regular admission price, but will receive a pass which allows them to come back and tour the museum for free before April 30, 2016.

See Wednesday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Those in need of a Christmas dinner or good company and worship are welcome to attend the 20th annual Miracle Meal Christmas Dinner. The meal will be held in the Junior Fair Building at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds on Monday starting at 6 p.m.

Rollie Kent, who helps organize the event and raise funds for it throughout the year, said the Miracle Meal will be put on by 100 volunteers who help prepare and serve all the food to the guests that attend. This year, Victory Center Church of God will be providing the message and worship, Kent said.

The Miracle Meal is a free Christmas dinner open to anyone, but registration is required and early registration is recommended, said Kent. To register for the Miracle Meal Christmas Dinner, call Rollie Kent at 419-738-2764 or Jenny Kent at 419-738-1377. The last day to register for the meal is Friday.

See Thursday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Botkins High School junior Konnor Burmeister, 17, recently received his Eagle Scout award.

The ceremony was held in September at St. Paul Lutheran Church. For his project, Burmeister installed a 92-foot-long walkway from the church's parsonage to its back door. He said he got the idea to do so after hearing the church's previous pastor talk about the struggles of not having one.

He calls receiving the award a “great honor that took so long.” He began work on the walkway in June of 2014 and wrapped up in August of 2014.

See Thursday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

The Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, The Grand Lake Drug Task Force and local police responded to two separate drug incidents. In a combined effort with undercover Task Force members, local police and deputies on patrol, two different vehicle stops resulted in a suspected fully automatic Uzi, drugs and drug paraphernalia being found.

The first incident occurred at 5:12 P.M. Thursday. St. Marys Police supplied information to the Grand Lake Drug Task Force Members of suspicious activity at a motel in the city of St. Marys. A vehicle leaving the motel was later stopped near Wapakoneta by deputies and Wapakoneta Police, and suspected heroin, cocaine and marijuana were located in the suspect vehicle. A suspected fully automatic Uzi rifle along with drug paraphernalia was located in the motel room. Three suspects were questioned and arrested and are at the Auglaize County jail this morning awaiting court. Those arrested were Jamarcus Davis, age 22, Celina, Justin Yates, age 22, Celina and Alicia Hashman, age 21 from Fostoria, Ohio.

The second incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning. A deputy was called to assist the Ohio State Highway Patrol on a suspicious vehicle in the 15,000 block of Blank Pike. This vehicle was located on private property and still occupied. The occupants had no ties to the property they were on. A search of occupants and vehicle resulted in marijuana and drug paraphernalia being located. The driver, Joshua Askins, age 18, from Wapakoneta was cited for physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated by the Sheriff’s Deputy. The passenger, Raven Nance, age 18, was also arrested for a probation violation.

See Saturday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

The Board of Auglaize County Commissioners received a quote on Thursday from Rodney Kuck of New Knoxville Supply Co. regarding the handling of the kitchen plumbing for the sewer lining project being done in the Law Enforcement Center on Dearbaugh Ave.

The kitchen must be treated somewhat different, said County Administrator Erica Preston, because in order for Flow-Liner Systems, Ltd., the contractor lining the pipes, to work, access points must be created in the kitchen by NK Supply so that Flow-Liner can actually get to the kitchen pipes in order to line them.

The quote amounted to $32,272, but County Administrator Erica Preston noted that this quote reflects a worst case scenario in the kitchen if two-inch pipes, which cannot be lined, are found and then have to be replaced.

Preston said as of last week, the sewer lining project was about 30 percent complete.

See Friday's print edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News for the full story.

Here's what you may have missed this week in the Wapakoneta Daily News.

Monday: Teen killed in Sunday crash.

Tuesday: Council considers lodging tax.

Wednesday: County free of West Nile.

Thursday: Miracle Meal continues to grow.

Friday: Jail pluming repairs on track.

In response to a story circulated by the website BuzzFeed and subsequently other media outlets, Wapakoneta City Schools Superintendent Keith Horner said Wapakoneta Middle School students' choice to opt out of a lesson on Islam in a social studies class is consistent with board policy and state law, specifically Ohio Revised Code 3313.601.

Horner said the lesson in question is only a “very small part” of a social studies class taught at the middle school level, saying it is only a one- or two-day lesson that is included according to state curriculum.

He added about the class, “We’re teaching ancient civilizations, and religion is a part of that.”

Horner also noted that Islam is not the only religion that is talked about in the class. According to the state of Ohio’s Social Studies Learning Standards, upon which the content of the class is based, the impact of major world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) on modern cultural practices are listed as a content statement to be taught.

“We’re certainly not advocating not teaching this stuff,” said Horner. “That’s not our intent. It’s to be sensitive to parents’ wishes for their (children’s) education.

"Occasionally, people find some of our topics that we cover controversial or offensive. This one just happens to be broadly politicized right now.”
Horner indicated that only an estimated 10 students decided to not participate in the lesson on Islam.

Here is a look at what's coming up this week in the Wapakoneta Daily News:

• Wapakoneta Board of Education meeting
• New doctor at Kantner & West Chiropractic
• VFW top police and firefighter awards
• Toot 'n' Tell Drive-Thru gets new owners