MOUNT BLANCHARD — While the Riverdale boys kept up with Van Buren in the opening quarter of Friday night’s regular season finale, a second-quarter slump gave the Black Knights the separation they needed to grab the 61-37 basketball victory.

ADA — Members and guests of the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance met for their annual dinner at the Ohio Northern University’s Macintosh Center on Thursday evening. The event provides members an update on the activities of the Alliance for the past year and recognizes businesses and individuals for their contributions to the county. The top honor of the evening went to the Elliott Family of Mount Victory.

When a condenser was needed for the Hardin County Probate Court, the unit was too big to get through the doors of the attic of the courthouse. Instead, a crane was needed to lift the heat pump to the roof of the building, said Richard Lawson, courthouse maintenance director. The new unit is the first heat pump to be installed …

Three Kenton High School juniors have won the Hardin County Optimist Club’s International Essay Contest. Taking first place is Elijah Manns, with Haley Hunt placing second and Kassundra Collins finishing third.

MARION — The March entertainment lineup at the Marion Palace Theatre will include performances by Chicago tribute band Brass Transit, Celtic musicians Lone Raven and an Easter celebration with the local a cappella group NINE.

A pair of Canada Geese enjoy the warmer weather of late winter at France Lake in Kenton on Wednesday.

The Kenton Walmart store sponsored a coloring contest recently for area students in grades one through six. A team selected the winners from the entries and announced them this week.

The Kenton Elks Lodge honored high school students from each of the five Hardin County schools at a luncheon last week. The Teenagers of the Month for February are listed below.

Representatives of four local agencies pictured above, Hardin County Sheriff’s Office deputies and dispatchers, BKP Ambulance District and Forest Fire and EMS, received the Dr. Frank Foss award for the care provided to critically injured patients at a program on Feb. 7.

HARROD — The Ridgemont girls basketball team needed two overtimes to defeat Parkway the first time the two teams met in December. On Tuesday night it took even longer, as the Division IV sectional matchup went into a third extra four-minute session before the Gophers pulled away for a 59-52 victory over the Panthers.