Local News

Fredericktown High School is preparing to offer students new opportunities in skilled trades through a new welding program. The school has secured a combined $51,500 for the purchase of three new welders, along with safety equipment, personal protective equipment, welding booths and additional accessories. Funding includes a $23,000 grant from the Knox County Foundation, along with $15,000 from Marsha Rinehart …

Mount Vernon Police Chief Robert Morgan has been recognized with the Ohio Blue Line Award for his work modernizing the city’s police department and expanding community engagement. Morgan received the award during the 2026 Law Enforcement Training Symposium hosted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in Dayton. The annual award recognizes law enforcement officers who demonstrate innovation and develop …

A portion of Park Avenue East in downtown Mansfield is scheduled to be widened near the Richland County Courthouse as part of an upcoming city project. The work is expected to be completed within approximately one month, according to Mansfield City Engineer Bob Bianchi. The project will be funded through the city’s permissive sales tax, which provides revenue for transportation …

Several Licking County school districts are showing improvement or maintaining strong performances in the latest Ohio School Report Cards. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce recently released report cards for the 2025-26 school year, evaluating districts across six areas: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, early literacy, and readiness for college, career, workforce and military service. Granville Exempted Village Schools …

The City of Mount Vernon is moving away from its current agreement with Flock Safety and plans to impose a 12-month moratorium on the installation of automated license plate reader cameras on city property. City Council gave a first reading Monday to Resolution 2026-96, which would allow the city’s current contract with Flock Safety to expire on October 25. The …

Students across Knox County are receiving additional academic support through Title I funding, a federally funded program designed to help students who need extra assistance in reading, math and other core academic areas. The Knox County Educational Service Center administers Title I services for participating schools and districts throughout the county. The program provides additional instructional support to students who …

The Granville Township Fire Department is celebrating the arrival of a new piece of equipment while also honoring a longtime tradition. Firefighters recently gathered to push the department’s new ladder truck into its firehouse, continuing a tradition that accompanies the arrival of new apparatus. The department shared the celebration Monday as firefighters welcomed the new truck into service. The ceremony …

The demolition of the long-vacant West Park Shopping Center is getting closer, with nine companies submitting bids for the project. The Richland County Land Bank opened the bids Tuesday as it moves toward selecting a contractor to tear down the former shopping center. The proposals ranged from approximately $896,000 to $3.2 million, giving the Land Bank several options to consider …

Madison Local School District voters will decide in November whether to renew two existing property taxes that provide funding for the district. The 14.4-mill levy renewal will appear on the November 3 ballot and, if approved, would continue for five years beginning in 2027, with the first collection scheduled for 2028. Superintendent Rob Peterson discussed the renewal during Monday night’s …

The former Mifflin Elementary School property is heading to the auction block following action by the Madison Local School District Board of Education. The school board approved a resolution Monday authorizing the sale of approximately 10.28 acres along Reed Road and State Route 430 through an online public auction. RES Auction Services LLC will conduct the auction from October 24 …