Since the age of 12, Joe Burgbacher has been around first responders, dating back to his time helping work on sheriff cruisers at his father’s service station in Kenton. With a desire to help others, Joe has spent 47 years in public service and is in his 25th year as a paramedic with the BKP Ambulance District.

Firefighters use a ladder truck to fight a chimney fire in Ridgeway Sunday afternoon. The house on S. Main Street is owned by Tom Newman, said Assistant Chief Nick Newland.

United Way of Hardin County Director Darlene Foreman and her husband, Dan, a Honda retiree, update the thermometer for this year's pledge drive. The organization has secured 25 percent ($53,094) of its goal of $220,000 for 2019.

HEBRON — Ben Logan freshman Dani Widmark finished 103rd of 177 runners in the Division II Ohio cross country meet on Saturday afternoon. Running in the fifth race of the day and battling cold, wet, muddy and windy conditions, Widmark finished in a time of 21:09, which was 1:34 slower than her personal best time of 19:35.

HEBRON — Saturday was the final race of Riverdale senior Kendra Collier’s high school cross country career as she finished 86th with an overall time of 21:32.6 in the Division III Ohio corss country meet. It may not have been her goal to qualify for the 2018 OHSAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, but she accomplished it.

About 50 area veterans were honored Friday in recognition of Veterans Day by the students and staff of the Upper Scioto Valley School District. The vets and their guests were given a breakfast, and were saluted by students with poems, speeches and patriotic songs.

Another Children of the Outdoors program was presented by (from left, back) Scott Kaser and Jay Gillfillan on Nov. 3 at the Ridgemont Public Library in Mount Victory.

Mistletoe Masquerade is the theme for this year’s Hardin Memorial Hospital Foundation’s largest fundraiser, the Mistletoe Ball. While this is not a costume party, the more guests that participate with a mask, the more fun it will be for all.

Ava Graham, a sophomore student at Benjamin Logan High School, enjoys writing in Spanish about the fictional characters Linus and Liv. She has written many stories about them in her spare time, and was recently published on the website www.revistaliteral.com.

As a teenager, Judy Malinowski was known for her giving spirit in her home of New Albany. She spent many hours working at nursing homes with Alzheimer’s patients and was named Miss New Albany at the town's festival.