Kelly and Steve Dickinson are the new owners of the Dairy Barn in Forest. They are planning their grand opening for March 3 with a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m.

When Judd Robinson was growing up, the Erie- Lackawanna Railroad was just 60 feet outside his family home’s front door. When a freight train rolled through, Robinson said, the walls of the house would shake, but he “got used to it.”

Members of the Ohio Northern University’s College of Pharmacy guide participants in Friday’s Lunch and Learn session at the Hardin County Family YMCA in Kenton through searches which will lead them to reliable health sites on the internet.

CELINA — With the sectional tournament just a few days away. Kenton coach Matt McCullough is feeling pretty good about how his Kenton Wildcats are playing.

ADA — The Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance named Deb Curlis its Citizen of the Year Thursday evening during its annual meeting. Curlis is the marketing and events coordinator at Community Health Partners in Ada, where she has been described as being an invaluable asset to her organization, said Jesse Purcell, Director of Chamber and Tourism in her introduction.

It has been 20 years since Mark Sutherin attempted to convince Hardin County to become a part of the Rails to Trails project which would have connected Marion, Hardin and Allen counties with a bicycle/walking path on the abandoned Erie Lackawanna Railroad bed. Even now, Sutherin’s eyes light up when he talks about the potential of the program for Hardin County.

The members of the OSU Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Program all joined Dave McPheron on stage to accept the Community Service Award at Thursday’s Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony at Ohio Northern University.

ADA — Ohio Northern’s players and coaches knew that it was hard to beat the same team three times in one season. On Thursday night the Lady Polar Bears found out just how hard it is when they faced Marietta, a team they had defeated by 40 points five days earlier, in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament.

MARION — In the 1990s, Hardin County was considering becoming the middle link between Marion and Allen counties in a project which would have transformed the abandoned Erie-Lackawanna railroad bed into a bicycle/hiking pathway. The issue grew controversial in Hardin County and eventually the local plans were dropped, but Marion County pressed on and today, what remains a line overgrown with vegetation in Hardin County, is a much-used economic and health boost to thousands of residents in Marion County.

LIMA — With emotions still raw from the recent death of teammate Keegan McKee, the Ridgemont girls played basketball on Wednesday night. And for three quarters, the Lady Gophers looked like they were going to ride the wave of those emotions to a sectional tournament victory as they held a 13-point lead over Lima Central Catholic going into the final eight minutes.