katie.ellington@richlandsource.com
Posted inLife and Culture
Local martial arts instructor reimagines Winnie-the-Pooh characters in new children’s book
MANSFIELD — Chris Hershberger described his latest book as “Cobra Kai meets Winnie-the-Pooh.” The president and CEO of Black Belt Pro Fitness, Hershberger is passionate about martial arts training. So when A.A. Milne’s classic stuffed bear entered the public domain last year, Hershberger saw it as a chance to get young children interested in the […]
Posted inNews
New machine will allow Ashland law enforcement to drug test confiscated materials in minutes
ASHLAND — When law enforcement in Ashland County confiscates a small amount of suspected narcotics, it can take weeks or even months to get results back from a lab. By this summer, that wait time will be reduced to mere minutes. The Ashland County prosecutor’s office has announced its intent to purchase an MX908, a […]
Posted inEducation
Mansfield Board of Education rejects proposal to drop campus wear requirement
MANSFIELD — Mansfield City students, staff and administrators spent nearly three hours Tuesday night making a case against campus wear. The Mansfield City school board then rejected a proposal to eliminate it — at least for now. Chief academic officer Stephen Rizzo and high school English teacher Joshua Cunningham presented the proposal, which came from a […]
Posted inLife and Culture
Habitat for Humanity breaks ground for new home on Foster Street
MANSFIELD — Good things come to those who wait and Easter O’Neal has put in her time. O’Neal and her daughter stood on a muddy vacant lot Friday afternoon and thrust their shovels into the soggy earth. After three years, they were finally breaking ground on their new home. Habitat for Humanity of Richland and […]
Posted inEducation
St. Peter’s adds director of spiritual formation, prepares dedicated middle school space
MANSFIELD — Nathan Sims was teaching a lesson on St. Thomas Aquinas when his students asked a question he couldn’t answer. The class was exploring the connection between the body and the soul during a theology class at St. Peter’s School. “From that conversation, the 11th graders are like, ‘What happens to a person who’s […]
Posted inEducation
Clear Fork’s Stillion & Staley win statewide FFA contest
BELLVILLE — Some kids dream of scoring a game-winning touchdown or landing the lead role in the school musical. Dawson Staley had his sights set elsewhere. As a middle schooler, he told his parents he wanted to prove his skill with an engine by winning the Ohio FFA Association’s Agricultural Power Diagnostics competition. That dream came […]
Posted inEducation
Relationships are everything: Tim Tarvin reflects on 31 years in Shelby schools
SHELBY — Tim Tarvin can boil his entire career as an educator down to a single word: Relationships. For the superintendent of Shelby City Schools, relationships are the most important and the most rewarding part of the job. “I’ll miss the interactions with the staff and students and parents. That’s what made it all worthwhile,” […]
Posted inArea History
Local history project documents Jewish life in Richland County
MANSFIELD — Mansfield’s Jewish community has never been large, but its history is rich nonetheless. Austin Reid, an Ohio native and hobby historian, recently completed a 35-page history documenting the lives and accomplishments of Jewish communities in and around Mansfield. “Mansfield, unlike many places I have written about, is still home to an organized Jewish […]