Latest Lima, Ohio Stories

By Rachelle Pavelko, The Lima News, Ohio Jul. 9--OTTAWA -- Roughly 35 firstthrough eighth-graders gathered at the Putnam County YMCA Tuesday to learn how to fuel their futures. The Ohio Farmers Union hosted its free 2008 Day Camp, "Fueling the Future with Renewable Energy," from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children in attendance were asked to "Energize the Earth" as they learned about renewable energy, ethanol, wind energy, biofuels and solar power. Swimming, volleyball, basketball, lunch and a snack...

By Lisa Esquivel Long, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind. Jul. 8--Nearly 5,600 Indiana & Michigan Power customers were still without power at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday hours after a storm with high winds came through the Fort Wayne area. Tornado sirens went off throughout the county around 1:30 p.m. during the storm's high winds. Problems reported: *The largest number of power outages is in the Trier-Wallen-Walden roads area, said Suzanne Moorman Rowe, I&M spokeswoman, soon after the storm. Crews...

By Brian Evans, The Lima News, Ohio Jul. 6--LIMA -- Its devastating forces jolted through homes recently, blowing out electronics in its path. Its estimated 50,000-degree temperature destroyed trees and power lines throughout the region, knocking out the lights across the city for days at one point. There were even two Shawnee Township parents shocked and injured recently while waiting for their kids at a local dance studio. It's enough to leave residents to wonder if this force of...

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio Jul. 3--ST. MARYS -- Pupils studying American history next school year at McBroom Junior High School will not just read about it, but see it in art form as well. The school is one of about 15 in the area that will receive up to 40 reproductions of great American art. "Tying history in with art, where the kids see it in two subjects, it seems to mean more to them," art teacher Kathy Sites said. "A lot of kids are visual learners and...

By Greg Sowinski, The Lima News, Ohio Jul. 2--LIMA -- The owner of WOHL filed a lawsuit against the parent company of WLIO to stop the company from interfering with its business relationship with FOX. The lawsuit, filed under seal late Monday, was released Tuesday with a lot of redaction of information. TV 67 Inc., whose president is Greg Phipps, accused Block Communication Inc., of Toledo, of interfering with the contract and business relationship TV 67 has with FOX Broadcasting Co. and...

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio Jun. 25--PERRY TOWNSHIP -- Perry school employees are getting a raise, but they will also for the first time have to pay a little for health care. The school board approved a twoyear contract with the Perry Education Association on Tuesday, the same contract previously approved for the classified staff. The contracts call for 2.8 percent raises each of the two years of the contract. E m p l o y e e s will now pick up 3 percent of the cost of...

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio Jun. 23--LIMA -- This summer will be a busy one for young filmmaker Becky Hartung. There are 10 episodes of her teenage drama to finish, a short film about adoption, and a trip to Orlando, Fla., for a New York Film Academy, where she'll give acting a try. "With film, it is a way to express myself, and the same with writing," the Temple Christian School junior said, saying that she loves the "getting out of your own skin" aspect of acting. The...

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio Jun. 18--SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP -- A three-year contract for school employees these days is pretty good, but Shawnee teachers are getting one better. The school board approved a three-year deal with the Shawnee Education Association on Tuesday, but the two sides are expected to sign a memorandum in the coming months to add another year onto the contract. Superintendent Paul Nardini said negotiations can be difficult and sometimes become hostile, so not...

By Bart Mills, The Lima News, Ohio Jun. 18--PERRY TOWNSHIP -- Economic development folks will tell you, when it comes to runways, size matters. Allen County Airport officials are gathering funds with the hope of extending their current 5,100-foot runway by another 1,400 feet. Airport Board President Jon Neuman said the more than $4 million project is an investment in the region's economic future. "A lot of the big businesses that come to this region come in through the airport. It's...

By Greg Sowinski, The Lima News, Ohio Jun. 15--VAN WERT -- Jodi Wallenhorst has spent nearly 15 years working at Kongsberg Automotive to support her son and daughter as a single mother. Since early April, when she and 300 other Kongsberg employees were locked out of their jobs after refusing to take a one-third pay cut, she's scraped by to survive while leaning on family for help. Unable to afford $1,200 a month for an alternative health insurance, she nervously goes without. "I've always...