An Antwerp native and northwest Ohio physician was recently featured in national news coverage of the nation’s largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis.

Dr. Joel Kammeyer, the son of Bob and Patti Kammeyer formerly of Antwerp, was interviewed by the Associated Press following the announcement that two Michigan residents had died after contracting cyclosporiasis. The illness, caused by the Cyclospora parasite, has sickened more than 20,000 people nationwide, making it the largest outbreak of its kind ever recorded in the United States. The Associated Press story was carried by media outlets across the country, including CBS News.  

Kammeyer recently joined Wayne State University School of Medicine as Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Division Chief of Infectious Diseases, where he also serves patients through the Detroit Medical Center. Although based in Michigan, much of his clinical practice continues to include northwest Ohio through ProMedica hospitals, including Toledo, Defiance, Fostoria, Adrian and other communities.  

In the Associated Press interview, Kammeyer described the deaths as “a tragedy,” while noting that the illness is generally treatable in otherwise healthy individuals. He explained that patients with significant underlying medical conditions are more vulnerable to complications, particularly severe dehydration caused by prolonged diarrhea.  

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. Symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue and weight loss. Most people recover with proper treatment, but older adults and those with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of severe illness. Health officials continue to investigate the outbreak, with contaminated lettuce identified as a likely source for many of the cases.  

For area residents, the story also serves as a reminder that one of Antwerp’s own is playing a prominent role in addressing public health concerns affecting Michigan, Ohio and beyond.

New teachers at Paulding Exempted Village Schools are pictured above (l-r): Christine Spencer – Oakwood Elementary School Intervention Specialist; Alyssa Taylor – Paulding JH Intervention Specialist; Sydney Kill – Paulding JH/HS Ag Education; Jessica Riggs – Paulding 7th Grade Writing; Megan Hahn – Paulding 8th Grade Social Studies; Brady Karzynow – Paulding Elemenary School 4th Grade; Andrew Hoeffel – Paulding HS Social Studies; and Tyler Hines – Paulding JH Intervention Specialist.

Members of Paulding Putnam recently donated $13,512 to seventeen local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

Thanks to the 80% of members who round up their electric bill and donate to this fund, Paulding Putnam has provided more than $814,835 to northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities since 2010.

Participating members round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, with the extra pennies being used to help fund charities and groups in their communities. Each quarter, the funds are dispensed to local causes that applied for funding.

The most recent donation recipients include:

• Children’s Hunger Alliance; $1,000 to provide weekend meal program for students in Paulding and Putnam counties

• Crestview Local Schools; $500 to purchase make up supplies for Shrek the Musical

• Defiance Area Youth for Christ; $1,000 to support the annual trip to Boundary Waters, Minnesota

• Delphos Jefferson Middle School; $264 to purchase “Pay it forward” t-shirts

• First United Methodist Church; $350 to purchase back to school supplies for Van Wert County students in need

• Friends of the Paulding County Parks; $1,000 to help with Port-a-John fees

• Lima Symphony Orchestra; $1,500 to support the Young People’s Concert

• Love, Inc. of Van Wert Co.; $1,500 to fund essential electrical repairs for homeowners

• Miller City Volunteer Fire Department; $1,770 to purchase an AED for an emergency response vehicle

• Ottawa Elementary; $750 to purchase STEM lab materials

• Ottawa-Glandorf Band Boosters; $750 to purchase a Baritone Saxophone

• Putnam County Council on Aging; $750 to install ADA compliant doors for the new facility

• St. Johns The Evangelist Catholic School (Delphos); $264 to help cover the cost of a speaker and prizes for the positive behavior program

• St. Rose of Lima Catholic School (Monroeville); $264 to purchase new drinking fountains

• Vantage Career Center; $750 to support their Toss-a-Toy program where they purchase Christmas gifts for kids

• Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation; $600 to support the cost of a free pre-show experience for kids and parents

• YMCA of Van Wert County; $500 to purchase new life jackets and safety harnesses

Photos of each recipient can be found on Paulding Putnam’s Facebook page.

Operation Round Up was started in 2010 as a way to give back to Paulding Putnam’s communities. Groups in both Ohio and Indiana can apply.

Organizations can apply for Operation Round Up assistance by contacting Paulding Putnam’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Samantha Kuhn, at skuhn@ppec.coop or visiting www.ppec.coop/operation-round. If you want to participate by rounding up your monthly bill, call Paulding Putnam’s office at 800-686-2357. The average member’s donation is about $6 per year.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1 will convert three intersections to all-way stops to improve safety.

The changes, expected to begin in two weeks, is part of a statewide initiative that is implementing all-way stops at select intersections throughout Ohio.

The locations selected for conversion are where crash data found the most common type of crash was the result of a failure to stop or a failure to yield to cross-traffic that was not required to stop.

“Following the successful implementation of all-way stops at eight intersections in the spring, initial results are encouraging and well-received by local communities,” said Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 deputy director. “As we evaluate other intersections with low crash rates, but concerning safety trends, we are pleased to have this low-cost tool available where it is needed most.” 

The work will take place over the next two months; the locations and expected timing of the closures are detailed below:

August 24:

Mercer County – State Route 119 (Defiance Avenue)/State Route 716 (Harrison Street), village of Maria Stein

August 31:

Mercer County – State Route 118/State Route 707

September 7:

Paulding County – State Route 637/County Road 138

Message boards to alert drivers of the changes will be placed approximately two weeks prior and remain on site for approximately two weeks after the change to remind motorists of the new traffic pattern. All approaches of the intersections will be equipped with flashing stop-ahead signs. 

ODOT will continue to monitor the intersections to ensure the all-way stop is operating as intended.

Throughout Ohio, ODOT is reviewing intersections to determine where all-way stops could make travel safer. The solution has been found to improve intersection safety in other states. Since 2018, the state of North Carolina converted over 500 intersections from a typical two-way to all-way stop control. Their analysis of 348 of these locations showed a 100% reduction in fatal crashes and 95% reduction in serious injury crashes. Similar results were also seen in the state of Delaware.

COLUMBUS, OH; Augut 6, 2026 — Christopher Elder, a Paulding resident and 2026 candidate for the Ohio House, was appointed to fill the District 9 seat vacated by Tom Pruss for the Libertarian State Central Committee. Pruss was elected in the May Primary, along with Zach Hall, both of whom are from Toledo. After the first meeting of 2026, Pruss was elected Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and resigned his seat on the Central Committee. At the August meeting, Elder was nominated and then appointed to fill the seat. 

“I look forward to serving Libertarian voters and candidates across the 9th District,” Elder posted to his social media accounts. “I think it’s cool that we have a rural voice and an urban voice representing Libertarians in the District.” The Libertarian Party of Ohio divides its Central Committee districts by US Congressional District. Elder and Hall represent all the Counties in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. 

More information about the State Central Committee and the Libertarian Party of Ohio can be found on their website at lpo.org. As more local Libertarian Clubs begin popping up across Northwest Ohio, interested parties are encouraged to reach out to their nearest County Club to contact their Central Committee members.

By: MELINDA KRICK

40 Years Ago

From the Paulding County Progress, Aug. 20, 1986:

A Continental man is injured when his crop dusting plane crashed while he was spraying a soybean field near Ohio 613 and County Road 165 west of Melrose.The pilot sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.

The Payne Post Office interior is being remodeled, including new doors, new equipment and updated and additional post office boxes.

Paulding Area Venture Corp. (PAVCO) is raising seed money to erect a shell industrial building to attract industry to Paulding. The site selected is on McDonald Pike at the old sugar beet factory site. Shares are selling as low as $50.

James Smiley, owner of 637 Auto Repair, recently returned from a 17-day, 7,000-mile motorcycle trip west, highlighted by stops at Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone and redwood forests in California. He also stopped at the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D.

Clarence Adams of Scott is the county’s oldest active fireman and EMT at age 77. He coordinated emergency services at this year’s Farm Focus.

Dart leagues are now forming at The Rusty Nail.

55 Years Ago

From the Paulding Progress, Aug. 18, 1971:

A huge crane from Fort Wayne was in Paulding to set the white, pre-cast facing on the new Eagles Lodge building, tentatively set for completion in six weeks.

Native Son returns: Lt. Gen. Clare Gideon was the biggest attraction in Payne’s Pioneer Auto Show parade and was given the keys to the city. He is vice-commander of Air Force Logistics and second in command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. He graduated from Payne High School in 1934.

Paulding Chamber of Commerce members discuss whether John Paulding Days should be discontinued, after reviewing profit and loss reports for 1971 and 1970. A vote on “Do we want John Paulding Day next year?” passed by a vote of 12-1.

Paulding Exempted Village Schools will open with a full day’s session on Sept. 3. Enrollment in grades K-12 is 2,844.

The Paulding County Fair is Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. The schedule includes countywide beauty contest, pony harness races, All American Hell Drivers thrill show and band night. Membership tickets are $4.50. Gate admission is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children 12-16. Grandstand admission is $1 for adults, 50 cents for kids 12-16 and 25 cents for kids 6-12.

The board of directors of the Paulding-Putnam Electric Co-operative helped Herbert Monroe celebrate his 30 years as manager of the cooperative with a dinner at Johnson’s Restaurant.

75 Years Ago

From the Paulding Progress, Aug. 16, 1951:

One of the 39 entries in the Beauty Contest to be held at the Paulding County Fair, Friday Night, Aug. 31, will be chosen Paulding County Queen for 1951. The contestants come from the seven Paulding County high schools.

James MacKew, proprietor of the Oliver Farm Machinery and Plymouth-DeSoto Sales and Service, announced this week that he is now located in his new building located on Main and Caroline streets. The new 55 by 98 foot structure was built by Bernard Workman, contractor, and is constructed of steel and concrete blocks.

Mrs. Harvey Hyman, of Paulding, received word that her husband is now stationed in Tokyo. Lt. Hyman, the prosecuting attorney of Paulding County, who was called to active service this spring, arrived in Japan and is serving as a special agent with the Counter Intelligence Corps.

Dr. W.H. Caine, county health commissioner, reports there have been no cases of polio in the county this season. This is in direct contract to the epidemic that swept the county last year, making it the hardest his area in the U.S. on a basis of population.

The old steam engine with its mellow whistle which has passed up and down the Wabash Railroad tracks for many years, has gone into the discard and on Aug. 1 was replaced with a diesel engine. The morning of Aug. 1 was the final run for the steam engine, pulling the passenger train from Toledo to Fort Wayne.

At the movies: The Ohio Theatre in Antwerp will have a big double feature, “Al Jennings of Oklahoma” plus Roy Rogers and Trigger and also Dale Evans in “The Golden Stallion” (in color).

125 Years Ago

From the Paulding County Republican, Aug. 22, 1901:

Fair ground improvements are being pushed along satisfactorily ahead of the fair, which will be held Sept. 17-20. The old stalls along the road are being torn down. With new fences, new art hall, new barn, new stock stalls and many other new conveniences, Paulding County will have as fine a place to hold a fair as any place in Ohio.

W.K. Schooley broke ground for a large brick storeroom in Broughton.

From the Paulding Democrat, Aug. 22, 1901:

Two and a half blocks of new stone sidewalk is the latest improvement in Haviland.

There is strong talk of a party sinking 10 oil wells in the Melrose vicinity soon.

Ireton Bros. & Eikenbary’s elevator at Tipton, together with a large amount of grain and seed, was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.

F.M. Bashore has a force at work this week putting a new roof on the county jail. The old sheathing was found to be in bad condition.

From the Payne Reflector, Aug. 22, 1901:

Payne’s new industry, the canning factory, was started Tuesday and is now running at full capacity. Recent rains ripened the tomato crop sooner than expected and growers began bring in their tomatoes. The management bought 600,000 cans last spring and these will either be filled with tomatoes or pumpkins. The factory gives employment to an army of boys and girls and will prove of great value to the community.

The new U.B. church at McGill was dedicated Sunday. In spite of the rain a large crowd was present at the ceremonies.

The Oakwood Elementary PTO helped students kick off the new school year with some high-flying fun during its 2^nd Annual Bounce Bash, held in conjunction with the school’s Open House on Thursday August 13, 2026.

Students who attended the Open House festivities inside the school were given a ticket to enjoy the Bounce Bash, adding a little extra excitement to the evening as students and families prepared for the start of another school year.

Oakwood Elementary staff members also joined in the fun, celebrating as they “bounced” into the new school year together.

Through a generous grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and Fund for Teachers and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Wayne Trace Art and STEAM teacher Angie Miesle Stokes spent four weeks traveling through six countries in Europe and East Asia on an investigation of the ways in which botanical imagery has been used in art and architecture. Through this comparative cultural examination of the historical symbolism in the use of plant life across two continents, she was able to make several key connections across time and place while studying a wide variety of artistic forms and media. This research is now being used to develop cross-curricular units that can be used in a variety of classroom settings, including Angie’s own classes at Wayne Trace.

Angie focused by selecting six key sites, three in Europe and three in Asia, to begin her exploration. While many people may overlook the simple use of an apple or lotus flowers, politicians, the religious, and royalty have often used paintings and sculptures of fruits and flowers as symbols of their power and authority. Through the hands of many architects and  artists, these symbols have made visual the purpose of these places, reminding visitors of the values of the people who have lived in those spaces over the centuries as well as being a demonstration of geography, resources, wealth, connections, and aesthetic tastes.

Angie looks forward to taking these specific examples, and many more from her summer fellowship, into the classroom as a way to enhance her students’ understanding of the form, function, materials, and historical context of art while inspiring them to think more deeply as they create their own works whether they are using traditional methods of drawing and painting in the studio or high tech visuals and sculptures the STEAM center.

These students will be sharing their work at both the high school’s Fall Fine Arts Festival and the district’s annual spring art show in addition to exhibiting at a number of regional shows throughout the school year.

The Board of Directors of Caring & Sharing Food Pantry are pleased to announce the addition of Ashley Gonzales as the agency’s new executive director. Gonzales joins Jodi Schneider, director of pantry operations, and River Rickels, pantry assistant, as part-time staff. Gonzales is responsible for Caring & Sharing’s facility maintenance, future strategic plan including developing programs and services that can help the organization address food insecurity in Paulding County. 

Gonzales, a Paulding County native, holds a law degree from The University of Toledo and a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University. She has professional experience in business management, public service and family law.

“I was drawn to this role at Caring & Sharing because it gives me an opportunity to use my background and skills to make a community impact in my home town,” she said. 

Dan Bulau, board president added, “We’re thrilled to be able to add an executive director to our team. The number of neighbors we serve at the pantry has increased significantly every year since 2021, and we are seeing additional opportunities to reach even more people. Ashely’s skills are well suited to help us do that.” 

For more information about Caring & Sharing, follow the Caring & Sharing Food Pantry on Facebook at www.facebook.com/caringsharingfoodpantry. Or for more information, visit www.caresharepantry.org, call (419) 399-9562 or email to info@caresharepantry.org. 

The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Jen Rosebrook as its new Executive Director.

Rosebrook brings a broad background in nonprofit leadership, business development, fundraising, marketing, human resources, operations and community leadership. Her career has included work with organizations ranging from Ronald McDonald House of Central Indiana and the University of Dayton to Ohio manufacturing companies.

She has also served on the Defiance Planning Commission and as President of the Downtown Development and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, giving her experience working alongside businesses, local government and community organizations.

One of Rosebrook’s strengths throughout her career has been bringing people together around a common goal. While at Ronald McDonald House of Central Indiana, she created a Young Professionals Board that grew to approximately 300 engaged members and helped develop future volunteers, community advocates and nonprofit leaders.

As she begins her work with the Paulding Area Chamber, Rosebrook says her first priority will be listening and learning. She plans to spend time visiting businesses throughout Paulding County, meeting Chamber members and community partners, and learning more about the opportunities and challenges facing the local business community.

Rosebrook holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing from Miami University.

The Chamber looks forward to introducing Jen throughout the community in the coming weeks and continuing its work to connect, support and promote businesses across Paulding County.

About the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce

The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce works to connect, represent and promote the local business community while building relationships and partnerships that contribute to a strong and vibrant Paulding County.