MOUNT VICTORY — With just eight players – all freshmen and sophomores – dressed for Friday night’s boys basketball game against Ada, on paper, the Ridgemont Golden Gophers looked to be facing an uphill battle. But the Gophers (1-0) came firing out of the gate, and led by freshmen Mason Stuck and Landon Newland, they grabbed a 59-50 win over the Bulldogs to open the season.

Benjamin Logan High School Business Professionals of America students (from left, front) Caleb Epp, Joseph Kopus, Junette Ly, Zach Deardorff; (back) Gavin Gibson, Jamie Gill, Jordan Sexstone, Juliawna Shump and Emily Hill attended OSU Career Day on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

Kenton Elks Lodge 157 has donated $500 to the Shop With a Cop program, an annual charitable event sponsored by Hardin County law enforcement and volunteers.

About 20 women from throughout the area took part in a "learning circle" program focused on being good stewards of the soil. The Women of the Land Conservation Learning Circle started the day in the meeting room at Mid-Ohio Energy in Kenton, where the group heard presentations on the value of cover crops and no-till farming.

Adam Boutwell (left) and Jeff Scoles of Masterpiece Signs and Graphics in Bluffton install the first of three welcome signs on Ohio 37 on the north side of Forest.

Hardin County Recorder Brenda J. Rainsburg was presented with the Leadership Award for 2018 at the Ohio Recorder's Association's winter conference earlier this month. The conference took place at the Hilton Hotel in Columbus.

RIDGEWAY — Early on Thursday night, the Ridgemont girls appeared to be in control of their season-opening basketball contest against Waynesfield-Goshen. The visiting Tigers however cut an early 16-point Gopher lead to three points by the early stages of the fourth quarter before the Gophers regained their composure to pull away for a 67-52 victory in the Northwest Central Conference matchup.

Aiden Gatchell (left) and Hailey Ritchie of the Hardin Northern FCCLA recently took part in Operation Evergreen, where they donated more than 800 ornaments on behalf of the organization.

The Hardin County Humane Society has hit two milestones in its 20th year of operation. It has provide assistance to more than 5,000 animals, said Treasurer Sue Fetzer.

Preparing for the store's annual Christmas program at the Ada ReStore are (from left) Patti Risner, Rob Kanzig and Mike Prichard. Area young people will be invited to come to ReStore from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 7 to shop for their parents, grandparents or siblings.