HARPSTER — A sixth-grade boy has been recognized by President Barack Obama for his community service efforts surrounding the start of the Harpster Free Little Library. Alex Rose and his mother, Tarina, co-founded the free library in 2015 at the Harpster Community Center, where area residents may donate and pick up free books.

COLUMBUS — One new and one returning board member have been sworn in to the Wyandot County Board of Elections for terms beginning today. Secretary of State Jon Husted on Friday named 174 individuals to serve as members of the county boards of elections in Ohio. Included on the list were Wyandot County Board of Elections members George McNamara and Steven M. Eyestone.

Every November, millions of people are impacted by the Veterans Day holiday. Organizations plan elaborate recognition ceremonies and young and old take a day to shake the hands of veterans and thank them for their service.

A family touched by organ donation on multiple occasions helped kick off a ceremony Friday morning for the Transplant Games of America, carrying the torch for life-saving organ transplants from the Upper Sandusky Municipal Building to the Wyandot County Title and License Bureau. Brad and Susy Frey, of Upper Sandusky, and Susy’s mother, Jean Shumaker, proudly carried the torch in memory of the Freys’ son, Elliot, and Shumaker’s husband, Bill.

COLUMBUS — During the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ 73rd annual conservation partnership conference, Tia Rice and her legacy posthumously received the OFSWCD President’s Award presented by Kris Swartz, president and Wood SWCD supervisor.

BUCYRUS — A Crawford County commissioner running for the Ohio 87th District House of Representatives seat that is up for grabs this year will be allowed to keep his name on the ballot. The Crawford County Board of Elections ruled Thursday that Steve Reinhard does in fact reside at his farm at 2030 Ohio 4 in rural Bucyrus, allowing him to keep his voting rights at that address, which in essence keeps him qualified to serve as Crawford County commissioner and eligible to run for the House seat.

HARPSTER — Crews were on the scene today cleaning what local authorities described as a slight train derailment in Harpster. Ohio 294 and CH 119 outside of the village and Ohio 53 near Spring Street in Upper Sandusky all were expected to open soon after 8 a.m., according to representatives of RJ Corman Derailment Services, of Columbus, who were on the scene this morning.

Two Wyandot County residents were transported to a Toledo hospital following a two-vehicle accident that appeared to be weather-related in the 7000 block of Ohio 67 north of Upper Sandusky on Thursday morning.

Before he became an addict, Upper Sandusky resident Jarod Voorhees had it all. With five children, a good-paying job and a wife he loved dearly, Voorhees, 40, owned his own home and vehicles. Some would say Voorhees had it made with a seemingly perfect life. But underneath his perfect life, Voorhees, a man born and raised in Upper Sandusky, began his long, silent struggle with addiction.