Immaculate Conception Catholic Church celebrated first Holy Communion on May 20. Children pictured are (front) Jude Sprang and (back, from left) Sawyer Buxton, Tate Ketcham, Paul Minter Jr., Luke Stacklin and Isaiah Poland.

Leadership development will play an increased role at colleges in the future, according to Dr. David Staley, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University. That is among the many changes he foresees in higher education, Staley told members of the Hardin County OSU Alumni Club at their annual banquet Thursday night in Kenton.

Area students who were recipients of scholarships from the Hardin County OSU Alumni Club talked about their freshman year at the university during the club’s annual banquet on Thursday in Kenton.

DOLA — Hardin Northern’s Nick Bame will be making his third and final appearance at the Division III state track and field meet when he competes in the 1,600 and 800 runs on Saturday morning in Columbus.

ADA – When Ohio Northern University launched the “Campaign for Engineering: Building Impact at ONU,” 1972 engineering graduate Charles “Chris” Claypool, and his wife, Barbara, didn’t hesitate to make a lead gift to help get the initiative off the ground.

Four years ago, the executives of the International Paper Company were determining where to build their new expansion. Ohio U.S. Senator Rob Portman said he personally called the company and successfully sold them on the work force in Hardin County.

The man who managed the federal farm program in Hardin County for the past 33-plus years has retired. Doug Dyer’s last day as executive director of the county’s Farm Service Agency was Wednesday, ending a 39-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

MOUNT VICTORY — Ridgemont juniors Meadow Cromer and Sidney Richardson know what to expect when they walk into Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus to compete in the Division III state track meet on Friday. Cromer will be competing in the pole vault for the third consecutive year, while Richardson takes the track in the 200 dash for the second straight year.

BELLEFONTAINE — If someone had told Madison Manns at the beginning of the track season that she would be competing at the state meet, she wouldn’t have believed them. But the sophomore’s hard work has paid off as Manns will be representing Benjamin Logan at the Division II level in the high jump in Columbus on Friday.

McGUFFEY — Megan Carey is looking to move up on the podium this weekend when she competes in the 100 hurdles for the second year in a row at the Division III state track and field meet in Columbus.