MADISON TOWNSHIP — Jennifer Porter figured her students may as well learn math if they wanted to play video games. A first grade teacher at Mifflin Elementary, Porter started letting her students play math games if they had extra time in class, using a free platform called Prodigy. Now her students’ skills may earn them national […]
Katie Ellington Serrao
Staff reporter at Richland Source since 2019. I focus on education, housing and features. Clear Fork alumna. Always looking for a chance to practice my Spanish. Got a tip? Email me at katie@richlandsource.com.
Posted inOutdoor
Gorman Nature Center was set on fire, on purpose, by Richland County Park District
MANSFIELD — Don’t be alarmed if you see the blackened, charred remains of a sweeping prairie on your next nature walk. It was intentional. The Richland County Park District recently conducted a prescribed burn at Gorman Nature Center. The intentional blaze cleared approximately eight acres of prairie. The burn took place April 9 and lasted about […]
Posted inNews
Three downtown Mansfield businesses vandalized overnight
MANSFIELD — Braxton Daniels did his best to look on the bright side Friday morning. “You gave me a day off. I get to take a nap today,” he said, addressing whomever broke the back door and stole the cash register from his downtown tea shop. “You can try to slow people down, but it won’t. […]
Posted inEducation
Lexington school board approves 24 staff cuts ahead of levy push
LEXINGTON — Lexington Local Schools will employ 24 fewer people next school year, Supt. Jeremy Secrist said Wednesday night. The school board voted Wednesday to approve a reduction in force (RIF), terminating contracts with eight of those employees at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The eliminated positions included a first grade teacher, kindergarten teachers, […]
Posted inLife and Culture
‘The Big Five-Oh’ brings humor — and heart — to Mansfield Playhouse stage
MANSFIELD — Nothing says happy birthday like a doctor’s finger in your rump during an otherwise routine physical exam. But that’s the least of George Thomas’ problems. The husband and father is grappling with his wife’s hypochondria, his aging and sick beloved dog, his children’s questionable choices, an eccentric elderly neighbor and (perhaps worst of […]
Posted inNews
Coroner says Brace Avenue death no longer considered suspicious
MANSFIELD — An investigator from the Richland County Coroner’s Office said he believes a man found dead at his Brace Avenue residence last week died of natural causes. Bryon Smith, 64, was found Friday evening in his backyard. The coroner’s office initially treated the death as suspicious. “There were some suspicious circumstances that we were looking […]
Posted inSports
Central Ohio Motocross kicks off the season at new Mansfield Speedway
MANSFIELD — Layne Cape spent about 10 minutes hosing down his ATV with a power washer after whipping around the new motocross track at the Mansfield Speedway. The mud wasn’t completely gone, but he decided it was good enough. He had a second race on the horizon. “It was pretty cool, other than it being really […]
Posted inNews
Body found on Brace Avenue being investigated as ‘suspicious case’
Editor’s Note: The Richland County Coroner’s Office is no longer investigating this case as suspicious as of April 13. Click here for an updated story. MANSFIELD – The Richland County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of an adult male found Friday on Brace Avenue as a suspicious case. Bob Ball, Chief Investigator with the […]
Posted inNews
The Crown: Oasis of Love to launch summer leagues at Cyclops Park
MANSFIELD — Stanley Cameron wants Cyclops Park to be more than ballfields. He wants it to be a place to where friendship, teamwork and community pride flourish for people from all walks of life. “This project is about more than just baseball,” said Cameron, the baseball and softball league commissioner for Oasis of Love Church […]
Posted inEducation
Lexington senior Luke Haring earns national gold medal for ceramics portfolio
LEXINGTON — Luke Haring enrolled in an art class for the same reasons many kids do. His friends were registering. It sounded like fun. He needed a fine art credit. “It’s a great outlet to have. That’s kind of how art started for me,” said Haring, a senior at Lexington High School. “I just enjoyed taking […]