BELLVILLE — A Bellville Street Fair tradition is making a comeback This year’s fair will once again feature a community square dance. This beginner-friendly event will take place at Saturday outside Village Hall from 9 to 11 p.m. and feature caller Valerie Norman. The 175th Bellville Street Fair kicked off Wednesday and continues through Saturday […]
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 inSolutions
Quality counts: What to know about Ohio’s child care ratings
ASHLAND — Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Foundations Community Childcare, where a gaggle of toddlers crowded around a three-foot-high gray mesh pyramid. Their tiny fingers clutched soft plastic balls — the kind you’d find in a ball pit. They hurled them towards the pyramid at close range, giggling and squealing with delight as […]
Posted inEducation
Heart work: early childhood educators find fulfillment in an overlooked field
Holly Reynolds has a gift for capturing the fleeting attention of 2- and 3-year-old children. As she stood in between a pair of pint-sized classroom tables, seven toddlers in little plastic chairs gazed up at her. She flipped through a series of flashcards, practicing opposites with the toddler class at Lorine’s Little Learner’s, a child […]
Posted inNews
Recovery Month highlights mental health resources across Richland County
MANSFIELD — Mental health services takes many forms, from counseling and therapy to substance-abuse prevention and education to recovery services. In 2024, the Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and its partner agencies provided those services to 10,714 unique residents, including 3,520 children. That translates to about 30 people per day. There were 16,899 […]
Posted inNews
Mansfield City Council authorizes then-and-now certificate for curb work at former gas station
MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council voted Tuesday to pay $7,097.50 payment for curb and sidewalk installation at the corner of Marion Avenue and Benton Street. The then-and-now certificate authorized payment to the Richland County Land Bank to cover half of the total bill for the work, completed at 80 Marion Ave. Council is asked to […]
Posted inNews
Retired Wayne County judge to preside over case against Butler mayor
MANSFIELD — The case against Butler Mayor Wesley Dingus has been assigned to a retired judge from outside Richland County. Richland County Common Pleas Court Judges Phillip Naumoff and Brent Robinson filed a judgement entry Wednesday, transferring all further proceedings to a judge to be assigned by the Supreme Court of Ohio. The order stated there […]
Posted inHousing
Mansfield Metro Housing: No new subsidized housing vouchers until 2026
MANSFIELD — Rising housing costs are making it tougher for low-income Richland County residents to get assistance. Steve Andrews, director of the Mansfield Metropolitan Housing Authority (MMHA), said the agency won’t be issuing any new Section 8 housing vouchers this year. Anyone on the agency’s waitlist will remain on the waitlist until at least January. The […]
Posted inColumns
We asked Richland County to weigh in on child care. Here’s what readers said:
“Working in child care for the past four years has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. I have watched children grow from tiny babies into confident, kind and emotionally strong little people, and it fills my heart to know I had a small part in that journey.” — Richland County child care […]
Posted inLife and Culture
Mansfield welcomes delegation from Japanese Sister City
MANSFIELD — Katsuhiko Shiraishi sat in the cafeteria at Kingwood Center Gardens, a slice of pepperoni pizza before him. It was a far away from home for Shiraishi, who hails from the region of Fukushima, Japan. His hometown, Tamura City, is nestled in the mountains and known for its peaches and cherry trees. Shiraishi and four […]
Posted inLife and Culture
Free camp will offer special needs kids a chance to try out marching band
MARENGO — Blaze Roberts learned more than musical theory as a member of the Highland Fighting Scots marching band. Lindsay Roberts said her son, who has special needs, is more confident and independent after a year on the drum line. “The first year the school provided an aide for him and this year he’s been doing […]