Wapakoneta Daily News
New Program Offers Dance and Connection in the Community
For Holly Lopes, movement became something far more meaningful than exercise. It became healing, connection, freedom, and joy. “I didn’t realize how much I needed GROOVE until I experienced it for myself,” Lopes shared. “It completely changed the way...
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Botkins Volunteer Fire Department Raises Funds for New Safety Equipment
The Botkins Volunteer Fire Department is turning to the community once again for help raising money to purchase muchneeded emergency equipment through a bourbon raffle fundraiser. Like many rural volunteer departments across Ohio, the Botkins Fire...
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Wapak FFA Participates in 5th Grade Safety Day
This past week the new Wapak FFA officer team and the former president and vice president presented safety tips dealing with PTO, hydraulics, rollovers, blindspots, ATV’S, dirtbikes, lawnmowers, chainsaws, farm scene, chemical look-alikes, grain bins,...
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Wapakoneta Council: Future Vancrest Facility Gets Tax Abatement
Wapakoneta Council approved a Community Reinvestment area Agreement with Vancrest through emergency measures Monday night amounting to a 75% property tax abatement for 15 years. Vancrest president Mark White told council he has been in the business...
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Wapakoneta’s Elijah Hall Earns Prestigious Air Force ROTC Scholarship
In the quiet town of Wapakoneta, Elijah Hall had always looked toward the sky. While many teenagers spent their afternoons wondering what came next after graduation, Elijah already carried a vision much larger than himself. He dreamed of flight,...
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Friday Nights Come Alive at Party in the Parkway
Party in the Parkway returned to downtown Wapakoneta last Friday night, officially kicking off another summer season filled with music, dancing, food, and community gatherings at Heritage Park with the music of Shifferly Road Band. As warm weather...
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Where Kids and Horses Meet: Inside Sunset Maple Farm Summer Camp
The one thing most kids love is animals, and many are especially drawn to the idea of connecting with horses. But not all of them get that opportunity: some live in town, others don’t have access to facilities, and for many families, owning a horse...
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Auglaize County Sheriff Alerting Public to be Aware of Scammers
As Sheriff of this County, I want the public to be aware of the large number of scams my office has handled in the last year and also the large amount of money the scammers have stolen from Auglaize County Residents. This needs to stop, my office,...
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Local Baseball Prospect Gets the Call to the Majors
For most young baseball players, stepping onto a Major League field is a dream. For A.J. Ewing, that dream became reality Monday when he received the call from the New York Mets to play centerfield against the Detroit Tigers. Ewing, who has family ties...
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Gardener’s Swap & Share Program
Join fellow gardeners on Wednesday, May 13th at 5:30pm at the St. Marys Community Public Library to trade excess seedlings, seed packets, bulbs and plant divisions at the annual Gardeners’ Swap & Share program. Following at 7:00pm, a presentation will...
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SAFY Recruiter Voices Need For Foster Families In Auglaize County
At the May 6 St. Marys Rotary Club meeting, Sylvia Roop, Lead Foster Parent Recruiter for SAFY, spoke about the need for foster families in our area. Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (SAFY) of Ohio is a nonprofit foster care and adoption...
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One of the hidden gems of Wapakoneta has officially opened its doors for the season
The Market at Wapak is once again stocked with a wide variety of plants, along with honey, jams, and other locally sourced goods. Thirteen years ago, owners Melissa Adkins and Teresa Adkins transformed a simple barn along U. S. Route 25A, south of...
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Embellishments Exhibit Kickoff Set: A Celebration of Design, Legacy, and Community”
On May 5th in Wapakoneta, the doors of Interior Motifs will open to something far more meaningful than a typical community event. The Embellishments Exhibit Kickoff is not simply an estate sale, nor just a gathering; it is a long-awaited memorial,...
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Deb Henekener shares Origami with Helen Hunt Circle
How do you relax? Some people do yoga, some read books, and some like to garden. There is not one singular answer to this question, and everyone has their own unique way of relaxing. For the April meeting of the Helen Hunt Circle, Local artist Deb...
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Arbor Day Planting Celebrates Bonnie Wurst
A Merrill Magnolia tree was planted Friday in honor of Bonnie Wurst on Arbor Day. Bonnie was a longtime city councilman here in Wapakoneta, she was president pro-tem for several years and really helped the city move forward. "One of the things I...
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A Pathway of Pride: Flags Line Auglaize River in Wapakoneta
The walkway along the Auglaize River in Wapakoneta has transformed into a striking display of patriotism, where rows of American flags ripple in the breeze, thanks to a group of Optimist Club members who came together to create a scene that’s drawing...
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Tiny Strings, Big Dreams: Young Violinists Take the Stage in Wapakoneta
Living in a smaller town, our children are not exposed to as many musical opportunities as those in larger cities, where music schools and symphonies often provide structured classes and early training. In many rural communities, schools do their best...
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Council Greenlights Trial To Address TDS Issues
Wapakoneta city council approved a measure with emergency language allowing for a cooperative agreement with Regensyn Energy LLC. who have a developed a method for processing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from waste streams into a source of...
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Community Comes Together for Hospice at Rhinestone Rodeo Gala
Under the warm glow of candlelight and the sparkle of rhinestones, community members gathered Saturday evening for a cause that reaches far beyond a single night of celebration. The annual Hospice Gala, hosted by Grand Lake Health System, transformed...
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Midwest Electric awards $11,000 in scholarships to 13 seniors
ST. MARYS — Twelve area high school seniors were awarded a Children of Members Scholarship from Midwest Electric, Inc. Two first-place students received $1,500, two second-place students received $1,000, two thirdplace students received $750, and six...
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Kentner to Run Boston Marathon with Astronaut Williams
When Amy Kentner leaves this Monday for Boston, she is not just heading to another race. She is stepping into a moment nearly twenty years in the making. Kentner will run the Boston Marathon alongside Sunita “Suni” Williams, a NASA astronaut and former...
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St. Marys Rotary receives update on Grand Lake St. Marys Wetlands
During the April 15 St. Marys Rotary Club meeting, Theresa Dirksen, Agriculture & Natural Resources Director for Mercer County, gave an overview of the Treatment Train Project that uses wetlands to help restore water quality in the lake. In 2010, the...
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Invite To Earth Day Cleanup At Kuffner Preserve With Oak Academy
On April 22nd 12noon-2pm at the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve located at 14840 CR 66A, St. Marys, Ohio, Terry Mcdonald of Heritage Trails Park District is hosting a nature walk for O.A.K. Academy (Outdoor Adventure Kids Academy of...
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Not Everyone Is An Artist Who Can Master The Finest Brushstroke Or Place The Final Piece In
A stained-glass design. For many, art is simply something to enjoy in everyday life, like moving a vase to just the right spot or appreciating color and creativity in small ways. The Riverside Art Center is inviting those everyday creatives to take...
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Tipbacks to Host Bra Decorating Contest to Support Local Breast Cancer Efforts
Tipbacks in Wapakoneta is lifting up the community in more ways than one with its first Bra-dacious Creations Show that will benefit the Pink Anchor Foundation. The Pink Anchor Foundation is a local organization in Celina that provides community and...
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Franklin B. Walter Recipients Honored at Annual Awards Dinner
The Auglaize County Franklin B. Walter Award recipients for 2026 and their honored teachers were recognized at the annual Franklin B. Walter Awards Dinner at Wapakoneta High School on Wednesday. The Ohio Educational Service Center Association...
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Proposed Parks Levy Would Fund Improvement of Wapakoneta’s Parks and Recreation Facilities
Wapakoneta Recreation Advisory Commission member Ross Kantner and Director of Public Service and Safety Tyler Price presented Wapakoneta Rotary members with information on the proposed park levy at its meeting on Monday. The levy, which is on the...
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Wapa Theatre Celebrates America 250 With Screening of “Bringing Up Baby”
The Wapa Theatre highlighted local history with a free screening of “Bringing Up Baby” Monday evening as part of the “Ohio Goes to the Movies” series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The screening of the 1938 comedy honored Academy...
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The Mason Jar Celebrates Grand Opening
The Mason Jar Steakhouse in Wapakoneta celebrated its opening with its full menu with a ribbon- cutting on Saturday. The restaurant, located in the former Marley’s Downtown building at 15 Perry St., is a sports bar that specializes in steaks and smash...
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United Way Helps Fund irteen Area Agencies
Thirteen Wapakoneta area non-profit agencies will receive funding from the United Way of Auglaize County’s 2025 Support Campaign, with funding distribution beginning in July – and this year the agencies will receive what they asked for. Grant...
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Armstrong Museum Celebrates Successful Artemis II Launch With Launch Party
The Armstrong Air and Space Museum celebrated the successful liftoff of NASA’S Artemis II mission with a launch party on Wednesday evening. The museum stayed open after hours to livestream the launch and allow people to learn from experts about how the...
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Auglaize BOE Conducts Public Test of Voting Equipment
The Auglaize County Board of Elections (BOE) held a public test of its voting equipment on Wednesday ahead of the 2026 Primary/ Special Election, allowing the public to see how the systems that tabulate ballots work and how the BOE ensures elections...
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Antique and Vintage Store to Open in Wapakoneta in May
A new vintage and antique store called Moon City Modern will be coming to Wapakoneta soon, featuring multiple vendors. It is located at 116 E. Auglaize St., Suite A, in the former Dollar General. Moon City Modern is a rebrand of a previous antique...
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Former St. Marys Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Charges
A St. Marys man has pleaded guilty to charges of illegal sexual conduct with a minor while he was a bus driver for St. Marys City Schools. Hector Hernandez, 51, appeared in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to one...
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Wapakoneta Breakfast Optimists Selling Tickets for Roast Beef Dinner
The Wapakoneta Breakfast Optimist Club is now selling tickets for its annual Roast Beef Dinner fundraiser. The dinner will take place on Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wapakoneta Knights of Columbus Hall. Breakfast Optimist Club...
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Armstrong Museum to Host Artemis II Launch Party
The Armstrong Air & Space Museum will welcome the community for a special live viewing event as humans return to the Moon for the first time in over fifty years. On Wednesday, April 1, the museum will host an Artemis II launch watch party, giving...
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Wapakoneta Elementary Students Recognized at Board of Education Meeting
The Wapakoneta City Schools Board of Education recognized six Wapakoneta Elementary School students at its meeting on Tuesday. Before the elementary students were recognized, the board recognized Grace Tester, a ninth grade student, who wasn’t present...
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ANNA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR RECEIVES PUBLIC POWER SCHOLARSHIP
American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is pleased to announce that Jake Koverman of Minster is one of five recipients of the 2026 Richard H. Gorsuch Scholarship. This year, AMP is awarding 10 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Richard H....
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Auglaize County Health DAC Fills Board Seat and Hears Department Updates
The Auglaize County Health District Advisory Council (DAC) filled a seat on the Auglaize County Board of Health and heard department staff reports at its 2026 annual meeting on Monday at the Auglaize County Health Department. The DAC is made up of a
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Two New Scams Make Appearance In Auglaize County
As many have said before and are likely to say many more times in the future, it’s important to be vigilant of any scams, wherever they may be coming from. A new wave of scams hitting Auglaize County is only making that all the more clear. While our...
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Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office Awarded Over $100,000 to Prevent Substance Use and Combat Drug Trafficking
The Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office is being awarded a total of over $100,000 to help with the promotion of substance use prevention and recovery, and to help combat illegal drug activity. The funding is part of a total of $5 million awarded statewide...
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New Knoxville Adds Two New Members To Village Council
During the March 11 Village Council meeting, Trent Mullins and Brittany Wierwille were appointed, approved, and sworn in as new members of the Council. Mullins is a former police officer and is filling an open Council position. Wierwille is a...
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Severe Weather Rumbles Through Auglaize County
"Parents, All of our school buildings are currently in their tornado warning shelter locations. We will continue until the warning is lifted." 10:30 am "Parents, The tornado warning for Auglaize County has been lifted. Our school day will return to...
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Waynesfield-goshen Presents “Annie”
This weekend Waynesfield- Goshen Local Schools is presenting “Annie” for its 2026 musical. WG’S drama program is doing something different for this production by including students in grades five through eight instead of just high school students. “We...
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Meet Your Neighbor Amanda Moening
Amanda Moening is a well-known face around Wapakoneta as an agent with Binkley Real Estate. She has been in real estate for 11 years and is currently a management-level realtor at Binkley’s Wapakoneta office. Moening has lived in Wapakoneta for most...
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Party in the Park to Return This Summer
The Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Party in the Park summer concert series will return this summer. The event series brings live music, food and drinks to Heritage Park downtown. The chamber announced the lineup for this year’s series...
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State of Arts and Culture Luncheon Starts Conversations on Auglaize County Arts
The first- ever Auglaize County State of the Arts and Culture Luncheon was held Thursday as a way to discuss and brainstorm ideas about how to advance local arts and culture. The event brought community leaders and partners together to begin to plan...
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WHS Presents Moana JR.
This weekend Wapakoneta High School (WHS) is presenting “Moana JR.,” a musical adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated movie “Moana.” Moana JR. brings Moana’s adventures to life and features the songs from the movie. There is an additional song that...
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Facts About Alzheimer’s and How to Prevent It
Yvonne Miller with the Alzheimer’s Association shared information on Alzheimer’s and steps people can take to prevent it at the Rotary Club of Wapakoneta on Monday. Miller is the Volunteer Community Educator for the Alzheimer’s Association and does...
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The Helen Hunt Circle Learns about the “Imagination Library of Ohio”
The speaker for the February meeting of the Helen Hunt Circle, Deb Zwez spoke about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Dolly Parton launched the program in 1995 as tribute to her father who could not read or write. In the beginning it distributed...
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Swearing In Police
Two new policw sergeants were sworn into Wapakoneta's Police Department including Jordan Barns and Riley Gibson on Friday. Barns was a detective having served the department since 2015 while Gibson rose from the patrolman rank, having joined the...
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First Friday Murder Mystery Returns With New Theme
Downtown Wapakoneta Partnership (DWP) is once again hosting a First Friday murder mystery next week. The event “The Wapakoneta Visitor” will take place in shops throughout Wapakoneta on Friday, March 6, starting at 5 p.m. DWP Treasurer Lynne Skaggs...
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Wapakoneta High School Students Recognized at Board of Education Meeting
Five Wapakoneta High School (WHS) students were recognized at the Wapakoneta City Schools Board of Education meeting on Tuesday. Students were nominated via Be a Redskin cards, which are cards their teachers use to recognize them throughout the year. A...
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Books and Brews Returns With More Authors
The Books and Brews book fair, organized by Riverside Art Center, is returning for its second year in a new location with more authors. Riverside is partnering with the Auglaize County Libraries and Winans to host the event at the Wapakoneta library on...
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Women’s Civic League of Wapakoneta to Host Purse Bingo Fundraiser
The Women’s Civic League of Wapakoneta invites the community to an evening of fun, prizes, and fellowship at its upcoming Purse Bingo fundraiser on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The event will be held at the Wapakoneta K of C Hall, 614 N. Dixie Hwy.,...
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Noon Lenten Services Continue On February 25
The annual Wednesday Noon Lenten services, organized by the Wapakoneta Area Ministerial Association (WAMA) will continue on February 25. All services are held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, West Pearl street. The theme for February 25 is “Blessed are...
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Auglaize County Libraries and Fifth Third Bank Host Financial Wellness Presentation on Home Ownership
Fifth Third Bank hosted a presentation on things to consider when buying a home or thinking about buying a home at the Wapakoneta branch of the Auglaize County Libraries on Thursday. The event was part of the library and Fifth Third Bank’s ongoing...
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Auglaize County Cattlemen’s Association Presents Award and Highlights 2025 Achievements at Annual Banquet
The Auglaize County Cattlemen’s Association awarded the 2026 Cattlemen of the Year Award and shared 2025 highlights at its annual banquet Monday evening at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds. The Cattlemen of the Year Award went to Matt Davis and...
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New Holistic Wellness Business in Wapakoneta Area to Host Open House
A new local frequency healing and holistic wellness business called Healing Fields recently opened. It will be hosting an open house this Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 7 p.m. to let people see the technology behind the frequencies, learn about it and...
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CES Students Spread Valentine's Day Love
CES students spread Valentine's Day love to the residents at Otterbein Cridersville today by sharing poems, songs, and cards! #bebetter
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Auglaize County Woman Pleads Guilty to 2022 Murder
An Auglaize County woman has pleaded guilty to the murder of her estranged husband in 2022. Amanda Hovanec, 38, changed her plea to guilty on an aggravated murder charge last month. A separate charge of tampering with evidence was dismissed as part of...
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Three Seniors of the Month Recognized at WG Board of Education
Three Waynesfield-Goshen High School students were recognized as Seniors of the Month by the Waynesfield- Goshen Board of Education at its meeting on Wednesday. The students included Audrey Crites, Spencer Chiles and Matthew Born. The first student...
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Homeless Coalition Discusses Year End Report and Participates in Crisis Center Exercise
The Auglaize County Homeless Coalition discussed the 2025 year end report and had a presentation from the Auglaize County Crisis Center (ACCC) at its monthly meeting on Tuesday. Misty Mihm and Shelly Bendele with the ACCC led homeless coalition...
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