What's Happening in Champaign County, Ohio?

WL-S middle school student compete in spelling bee

2/2/2023

Pictured Braylon Lucas and Jill Fullenkamp

Submitted by West Liberty-Salem Local Schools

Braylon Lucas, a sixth grader, was named West Liberty-Salem’s middle school Spelling Bee champion. He won in the fourteenth round with the word “intubated.” Jill Fullenkamp, eighth grader, was the runner-up. Middle school had 8 representatives from each grade level and spelled a total of 147 words.

Braylon will go on to compete in the next round of the state spelling bee by taking an online test to determine his placement in the regional spelling bee at Ohio University this Spring.

UHS DECA Peace of Mind Week #2

2/1/2023

Urbana High School DECA students are working on a Peace of Mind - Community Awareness Mental Health project and want to share statistics and tips each week.

4 Ways to Manage Stress
Exercise, make time for yourself, take a break from social media, and get rest.

Stay tuned each week for a new tip!

Submitted by: UHS DECA Students Catie Timm and Arianna Souders

Valentine's Day Shopping Event: February 9th-14th

2/1/2023

Shop Downtown Urbana's Valentine's Day Shopping Event: February 9th-14th

Shop Downtown Urbana for all of your Valentine's Day needs! When you shop the Valentine's Day Shopping Event: February 9th-14th, you can enter to win a grand prize with EVERY purchase you make! The winner will receive a gift basket valued at over $200 with goodies from local shops and businesses!

WL-S basketball team volunteers at Caring Kitchen

2/1/2023

West Liberty-Salem’s fifth grade girls’ basketball team volunteering at The Caring Kitchen. Top row L to R: Kenzie Underwood, Emily Leas, Rylie Falloon, Avery Brown, Sophia Jackson Botton row L to R: Avery Randall, Elin Leichty, Lilly Yeater, Marissa Fish, Bella Johnson

Submitted by West Liberty-Salem Local Schools

West Liberty-Salem’s fifth grade girls’ basketball team spent some time off the court volunteering at The Caring Kitchen. They helped with cleaning, serving a meal, and other tasks as needed. They enjoyed the outreach opportunity and learning teamwork in a different environment. The girls are coached by Ben Yeater.

Urbana High School DECA Fun Fact #3

1/30/2023

Urbana High School DECA Fun Fact #3: By tracking your money, figuring our your savings. and spending habits you can adjust your budget as needed.

Urbana High School DECA students are sharing Financial Literacy tips with students and the community each week!

Fun Fact #3: By tracking your money, figuring out your savings. and spending habits you can adjust your budget as needed.

Stay tuned each week for a new tip!

Submitted by: UHS DECA Student Anna Selvaggio

January Athlete of the Month: Abby Yukon

1/30/2023

January Athlete of the Month, Abby Yukon, sponsored by Braden Lance Construction.

Congratulations to the January Athlete of the Month, Abby Yukon, sponsored by Braden Lance Construction.
Abby is a senior at Graham High School. Learn a little more about her and her athletic career below!

1. Name: Abby Yukon

2. Grade: Senior

3. What sports do you play? Basketball and Soccer

4. What has being a student-athlete taught you? Time management is very important.

5. Favorite moment as a high school athlete? Scoring my 1,000 point

6. A coach/mentor that has inspired you and why? My dad, who is an assistant coach. I chose him because he’s always pushing me to be the best I can be. Everything I know is from him and ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to achieve big things just like my dad. He not only supports me but pushes me in ways others can’t. He’s always been there for me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

If you are interested in sponsoring an Athlete of the Month, click here!

January Athlete of the Month: Gus Ward

1/27/2023

January Athlete of the Month, Gus Ward, sponsored by Braden Lance Construction.

Congratulations to the January Athlete of the Month, Gus Ward, sponsored by Braden Lance Construction.
Christian is a junior at Graham High School. Learn a little more about him and his athletic career below!

What sports do you play? Basketball, Soccer and Golf

What has being a student-athlete taught you? It’s taught me good time management skills on how to handle practices while also getting my school work done.

Favorite moment as a high school athlete? Last year in the first round of the basketball tournament Graham beat Ponitz. One of the biggest upsets in Ohio.

A coach/mentor that has inspired you and why? Someone that has inspired me is Coach Grant Goddard. He inspired me to play and to work as hard as possible because he made me believe in myself.

If you are interested in sponsoring an Athlete of the Month, click here!

January's Restaurant of the Month: MIXX 165

1/27/2023

January's Restaurant of the Month, MIXX 165, sponsored by Your Hometown Techs.

Congratulations to January's Restaurant of the Month, MIXX 165, sponsored by Your Hometown Techs. Learn more about their passion for food, creative kitchen staff, and mission to support the community.

Owner(s): Brad Winner and the Winner Family

Favorite Menu Item: It's hard for me to select just one as we do many rotating specials and seasonal offerings, but recently I've really been enjoying our Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Puree off of our seasonal Fresh MIXX menu.

I'm also a huge fan of our Burger of The Month Program, I regularly eat the crazy, flavor-packed burgers the chefs put together.

If you didn't own a restaurant what would you do?: The Food Industry runs in my blood, my parents have owned and operated grocery stores my entire life, so I grew up with food being part of our everyday conversations; it's difficult to imagine being in another field. I love being involved in the community and also enjoy live entertainment, so I'd have to say either public service or concert promotion.

Do you have a secret menu?: I wouldn't necessarily say it is a secret item (we like to share our creations with the world), but our "Pickle Juice" chicken wings started out as a staff member's creation and our regulars fell in love with it. Though the name is deceiving, there is no pickles or pickle juice used in the sauce, it was named after the staff member who created them; our buddy Dylan Booth was referred to as Mr. Pickles by the team and regularly mixed our Strawberry Jalapeno BBQ sauce with Cajun Dry Rub to create a delicious, sweet and spicy sauce that thousands of people have tried over the years. The "Pickle Juice" wings were so popular as an off-menu item that we added them to the core menu so new diners would be made aware of them.

How did you decide on your menu?: Our menu is a combination of dishes that we enjoy personally and the rest is built off the input of our team and customers. Our kitchen is a collaborative environment, so our chefs have free reign to explore different dishes and flavors, most of the specials and limited time features are items that the team developed.

What's your why?: I've been a foodie for a long time, when I travel I look for independently owned establishments that offer quality food and some of the best meals have come from small gastropubs, so I wanted to bring that model to our community. I also enjoy the opportunities that are presented by being in a smaller community, getting to know customers and organizations on personal level is very rewarding. Every month we partner with a different organization to help raise funds for various causes, we are proud that our "Good Eats!" program has raised roughly $40,000 since it's inception; our customers have really bought into the mission and love to see their money going to work locally for school programs, non-profit causes and other community based needs.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Restaurant of the Month, click here to learn more!

WL-S student honored with first Andy Detwiler Memorial official FFA jacket

1/25/2023

Cindy Oelker, owner of Liberty Gathering Place, and her son Shane Oelker, West Liberty Chief of Police, presented West Liberty-Salem FFA member Christopher Herron with the first Andy Detwiler Memorial official FFA jacket on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

Submitted by West Luberty-Salem Local Schools

Cindy Oelker, owner of Liberty Gathering Place, and her son Shane Oelker, West Liberty Chief of Police, presented West Liberty-Salem FFA member Christopher Herron with the first Andy Detwiler Memorial official FFA jacket on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Andy Detwiler lost passed away on September 21, 2022, but his legacy and influence on the agricultural community undoubtedly lives on.

Andy was a lifelong farmer, creator of his YouTube channel Harmless Farmer, and motivational speaker sharing his message to “Never Give Up”. Andy was an active member of the Champaign County Fair Board, which spoke to his passion for youth in agriculture and inspired Cindy and Shane to continue his legacy with FFA. The Oelker’s were joined by Andy’s wife Corkey Detwiler and their daughter Kylie Detwiler. Andy, Corkey and Kylie were all four-year members of the West Liberty-Salem chapter of FFA. Shane and Cindy look forward to continuing to share Andy’s story and a jacket with our young ag students for many years to come.

Urbana High School DECA Financial Literacy Fun Fact #2

1/23/2023

Urbana High School DECA Financial Literacy Fun Fact #2: When the unexpected happens, an emergency fund can turn what could have been a financial crisis into a mere inconvenience.

Urbana High School DECA students are sharing Financial Literacy tips with students and the community each week!

Fun Fact #2: When the unexpected happens, an emergency fund can turn what could have been a financial crisis into a mere inconvenience.

Stay tuned each week for a new tip!

Submitted by: UHS DECA Student Anna Selvaggio

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