ADA — After 31 years of teaching in the Ada School District, Tom Dearth said the Holy Spirit told him it would be his last year at the school, and that he’d be moving on to another type of teaching. In 2001, after serving for eight months as its interim pastor, Dearth took over full time at the County Line Church of the Brethren, located northwest of Ada.

The Hardin County Beef Ambassadors for the coming year are Mekenzie Jolliff (left) and Madisen Jolliff (right). Pictured with them is Cassidy Deckling, the ambassador for 2015 and 2016.

RIDGEWAY — Ridgemont got the 2017 softball season off to a good start Saturday afternoon, sweeping Fairlawn 17-3 and 16-6 in a doubleheader. In game one, the Gophers scored 10 runs in the second inning as they received triples from Cassidy Knapp and Jackie Ramsey and a double from Nashley Robinson. Ridgemont had nine RBIs.

MOUNT VICTORY — A professional body builder and trainer has joined with a Mount Victory manufacturer to create a piece of exercise equipment which is getting attention throughout the gym world. Matt Wenning’s belt squat machine is being built at JB Tubulars and in a short time has found its way into NFL weight rooms and has been sent to equipment rooms throughout America, Canada, Australia and Iceland.

Ridgemont Public Library’s Head Librarian Beccy Ramsey displays some of the baskets to be auctioned during the fifth annual Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Basket Auction. The baskets will be on display at all Hardin County libraries starting Monday with the online bidding to conclude at noon on April 8.

A daycare provider in Kenton is ahead of state regulations in meeting the needs of the children in her care. Rhonda Marsh operates Our Little Sunshine Day Care at her home and cares for children age newborn to 12.

MOUNT VICTORY — Ridgemont Superintendent Emmy Beeson has been awarded the 2017 Betsy M. Cowles Leadership Award presented by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators at the BASA Women’s Conference on March 20 in Columbus.

Hardin County YMCA Executive Director Sean Galvin and Board President Michelle Musser stand among approximately 200 items that will be available for purchase during the annual Radio Day Auction on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kenton City Schools Administration Building.

A crew from Percheron Field Services works on a section of the Marathon Pipeline near Rangeline Road (County Road 135) on the Cessna/Pleasant township line on Thursday.

MOUNT VICTORY — Hardin County Coroner Larry Kuk said the chances of parents keeping their children drug-free could be as simple as simply showing them love and telling them “don’t take drugs.” Kuk was part of a group consisting of Juvenile Court Judge Steve Christopher, Sheriff Keith Everhart and Deputy Christina Henderson, who talked with parents and staff at Ridgemont on Wednesday evening. “Anytime I deal with drugs, someone is dead,” said Kuk.