In the 1950s, parents with a developmentally disabled child were encouraged to place them in an institution and walk away. Today, said Simon Kenton Superintendent Kara Brown, there are many activities and opportunities for those children because parents 60 years ago refused to walk away from the responsibility of being a parent.

Pam Thames removes the plastic covering from a skid of Thin Mint cookies at her home in Forest. All of the Girl Scout cookies sold in Hardin County arrived at the Thames’ house for distribution on Wednesday.

Coming into the winter, Kenton High School freshman Noah Eikenbary knew it would not be an easy transition going from junior high to high school wrestling. While there have been a few stumbles along the way, the move up has gone better than the 195-pounder anticipated as Eikenbary will be attempting to earn his first trip to the Ohio High School Division II state wrestling tournament when he competes at the Mansfield district on Friday and Saturday.

Ohio Northern University mechanical engineering student Max Harnett demonstrates the effects of kinetic and potential energy by showing Kenton Elementary third graders (from left) Kloee Zofein, Abram Fultz and Tiffany Kalb what the force of a car going down a ramp can do to a block.

LIMA — After seeing an 11-point second-half lead turn into a two-point deficit with just under four minutes to play, the Kenton boys basketball season seemed to be on the brink of coming to an end. The Wildcats found the burst of energy they needed to regain command of the game in the final minutes, however, outscoring Shawnee 16-4 over the final 3:40 to pull away for a 71-61 Division II sectional victory at Lima Senior High School on Tuesday night.

HARROD — Ridgemont gave up several good inside looks to Hardin Northern in the first half in Tuesday’s Division IV sectional semifinal boys basketball contest, and led by just a point going into the half. A defensive adjustment by the Gophers on Hardin Northern’s Bradlee Watts kept the Polar Bears from getting good looks in the paint, and the Gophers were able to make an offensive push to take the 64-45 win.

Workers from Brian Shook Electric (background) string a wire across the intersection of North Wayne and East Columbus streets Monday morning. The traffic devices had needed replaced, said Kenton Safety Service Director Jim Hites.

MOUNT VICTORY — Beccy Ramsey will be starting her 28th year at the Ridgemont Public Library – her second as director – in May. Even with 27 years on the job, Ramsey said she is still learning, and with her, the library is adapting to technology. Much of her 27 years with the Ridgemont Public Library was spent as the children’s librarian, only taking over as director last May. For the first six months of her career, Ramsey served as a fill-in at the library in Ridgeway.

Ohio Northern University student Devin Pennington makes a one-handed catch of a football thrown by a companion as he plunges into the chilly waters of a pond on the ONU campus on Saturday morning. The leap was part of the annual Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity to raise money for the American Red Cross. Normally, …

HARROD — Holding just a six-point lead over Crestview after three quarters, Upper Scioto Valley opened up the fourth with an 11-0 run, propelling them to a 57-41 Division IV sectional final girls basketball win on Saturday at Allen East. The win improved the No. 2 Rams to 19-3 and advanced them into a district semifinal contest against No. 3 Marion Local at 6:15 p.m. Thursday at Wapakoneta High School.