This week I took part in an annual social media challenge that I’ve participated in the past four years. The Instagram challenge called #onedayhh was started by writer and podcaster Laura Tremaine several years ago and challenges participants to share one normal day in their life, hour by hour. 

If there’s one word that captures 2020, it’s “unprecedented.” Everyone from politicians to doctors to your next-door neighbor has described the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic as “unprecedented.” 

FREDERICKTOWN -- Fredericktown Boy Scout Troop 342 has announced the troop’s two newest Eagle Scouts, Jarrett Byrne and Steven Tumbleson.

MANSFIELD – OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital is recognized for quality – whether it’s for joint knee replacements or for heart and vascular with the first transaortic valve replacement performed in Mansfield and in the entire region.

There’s something truly special about the few weeks of fall we’re experiencing right now. The leaves have burst into their brightest colors and there’s a crisp chill in the air that invites us to nestle into our cozy sweatshirts and warm socks. The anticipation of the holidays to come is jus…

MANSFIELD -- Monday marked a ribbon cutting for OhioHealth's Balgreen Medical Office Building in Mansfield.

MANSFIELD – Richland County agencies around the area have joined forces to help serve pregnant women in the community with a Drive-Thru Community Baby Shower. 

MANSFIELD -- Led by music director Octavio Más-Arocas, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra opened its OhioHealth Symphony Series’ 90th Season with the concert ‘Mash-up’ on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Renaissance Theatre.

NEWARK — From campus atmosphere to academic resources to faculty and diversity initiatives, Wedly Cazy, senior strategic communications major, found everything he needed to get on a path to success during his two years at The Ohio State University at Newark.

Troy Chipka of Ashland will attempt to break the cycling world record by travelling from the southern border of Ohio to the northern edge in under ten and a half hours.

Businesses, nonprofits, government entities and other organizations can have a diaper changing station installed in their men’s restrooms for free by contacting Richland Public Health.

MANSFIELD – Alesia Litteral, Madison Township resident, nurses her tea drink while sitting in a crowded area. On the car ride over to Relax, It’s Just Coffee, she had a severe anxiety attack, after which her best friend Lisa Manley had to calm her down. 

This weekend, a friend who’s expecting her first child in a month came over to help me unload a mountain of baby gear. As we filled the trunk of her car with clothes, equipment and supplies, I wondered if I might feel a little sentimental about saying an official farewell to the baby season …

COLUMBUS – Mason Converse, of Mansfield, was recently named one of Ohio Connections Academy’s (OCA) Star Students for the month of October in recognition of his academic achievements and leadership.

Galette is a term that means “flat cake,” and is used in French cuisine to describe a freeform tart. There are many versions of galette, such as a Breton galette, which is a buckwheat pancake with savory filling. The Canadian French version is similar to a large cookie. A cake type of galett…

MANSFIELD -- On Saturday, Oct. 17, teens from around the country will compete to see who will be named America’s Next Top Young Entrepreneur at the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) 12th annual Saunders Scholars National Competition.

Life feels so noisy right now. There is a lot to be worked up about, so many decisions that need to be made, so many heartaches to mourn, so many injustices that need righted. Amidst it all, we have to carry on with our daily lives and keep it all together. 

Reneta Music has dressed as Wonder Woman for Halloween in the past.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was submitted to Richland Source by Christina Littleton, Community Relations Manager at Mansfield Place. She can be reached at clittleon@enlivant.com.

MANSFIELD – Although the eventful month of October won’t be what people have typically expected each year, there are still plenty of things to do and be excited for in Mansfield. 

This week, my second grader, Eloise, came home from school and, as I do most days, I asked her what she learned. She said, “I learned that I can count on my fingers, I don’t have to have all the math memorized.” I was ecstatic. When she was in first grade, in spite of the fact that math is a…

MANSFIELD -- According to a recent survey, only 30.98% of gym members across the U.S. have returned to their gym since re-openings began back in June. The global impact of COVID-19 continues to keep people away from public, mass-meeting places. 

SHELBY -- When Faye Henderson was in the fifth grade her teacher told his students to write a story. Her imagination came alive, and she escaped into the characters, the plot, and the setting.

Editor's Note: This is a monthly educational series about racism. Contributors include Donna Hight, Beth Castle, Margaret Lin, Deanna West-Torrence, Renda Cline, Tiffany Mitchell, Crystal Davis Weese, Brigitte Coles and Amy Hiner.

Think about a season in your life when you were truly thriving. In those seasons, you’re operating on all cylinders: eating well, sleeping well, my energy is positive, my work is strong and my relationships are healthy. All of those elements work in synchronicity, each influencing the next a…

MANSFIELD – During her teenage years, Sarah Goff spent some time drifting between bands and performing in local shows. Today she’s busting down doors to make space for herself in the music industry on her own, and so far that approach is showing her promise. 

NORTH ROBINSON – Colonel Crawford High School senior Mason McKibben has been honored by the College Board National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program. McKibben earned this recognition because of his academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT.

MANSFIELD -- If it takes a village to raise a child, the same may be said for running a summer camp, especially during a pandemic.

MANSFIELD – St. Peter’s Parish has announced the relaunch of its Feed the Needy ministry on a new day and with a new distribution process.

I was driving through Ashland today, and with each yard I passed, I felt myself tense up. The signs in the yards reflected a political candidate I feel opposed to, and I found myself being curious about why it bothered me. 

ASHLAND – Three years ago, Darren Reisinger went to a water park with his family when his two sons asked him to go down a long water slide. Reisinger, unafraid, made a beeline up the steps to the very top of the slide, determined to show his kids he could do it. 

COLUMBUS -- Retired Richland County Sheriff's Sgt. Detective Matt Mayer received the 2020 Ohio Distinguished Law Enforcement Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday in a virtual ceremony during the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Conference.

Editor's Note: This is part VIII of a series on Thriving in the Martial Arts. Written by Chris Hershberger, he provides a first-person look at how he went from being a "poor punk kid" from Mansfield to an Olympic Taekwondo All-American coach. 

LEXINGTON – Lexington Central Elementary started its year off with gratitude after one man made a large donation of supplies to staff members. 

Pizza is probably the most popular fast food in America. It’s estimated that 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year, about 46 slices per person! While it wasn’t until 1905 that the first pizzeria opened in New York, people have been eating some form of pizza for centuries.

My entire life, I have loved the first day of school. As a child, the night before school started felt a little like Christmas, with new clothes set out for the morning, new supplies in the backpack. The potential that came with a new school year, with new teachers and new classmates, was ab…

ASHLAND -- Ashland painter Robin Roberts crossed the state border and brought home top honors from an art exhibition in Grand Traverse, Michigan.

PLYMOUTH -- Mental health issues have become a signficant factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Henry Richards is a Michelangelo with a welding torch, a Rembrandt with a wrench, a Leonardo Da Vinci of detail.

PLYMOUTH -- Plymouth Future Farmer's of America treasurer Sarah Hoak was recently selected as the 110% Award recipient for 2020.

I came across a video today that brought me to tears. A man kept getting motion alerts from his driveway security camera each evening because a little boy kept riding his bike in his driveway. In response, the man chalked a racetrack in the driveway for the child to have some fun as he rode,…

Editor's Note: This is a monthly educational series about racism. Contributors include Donna Hight, Beth Castle, Margaret Lin, Deanna West-Torrence, Renda Cline, Tiffany Mitchell, Crystal Davis Weese, Brigitte Coles and Amy Hiner.

MOUNT VERNON -- For the past four years, members of Paddle For Heroes have kayaked 160 miles from Mount Vernon to Marietta for veterans awareness.

MANSFIELD — Despite COVID-19 throwing a wrench into the Renaissance Theatre’s 2020-2021 season, artistic director Michael Thomas continues to fulfill every artist's creative needs to perform, put on shows and be creative. 

Charil Fuhrer was honored by The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging Inc as the 2020 Richland County Outstanding Senior Citizen on Wednesday. 

On Aug. 28, thousands will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC for the 57th anniversary of the historical 1963 March on Washington, including some Mansfield locals.

There’s a lot to disagree about these days. Each day, it seems the lines that divide us get drawn in new and surprising ways. Moreover, messages about how we should feel about that division are conflicting and difficult to navigate. Someone you may have seen eye to eye with a week ago on mos…