By: Makenna Manz, Paulding FFA Reporter

Indianapolis, Indiana was filled with a sea of blue jackets from October 20th through October 24th. Thousands of FFA chapters from across the nation, including 11 Paulding FFA members, their 2 advisors, and 1 chaperone who traveled to Indianapolis for the 99th Annual National FFA Convention. Our members had a busy schedule full of educational and leadership experiences that allowed them to learn more about agriculture industry and FFA. On October 20th, members departed Paulding HS and had a busy day touring J&M manufacturing and the Coopers Turkey Processing Plant. They then got to go shopping and spend the evening at Topgolf. After golfing, members headed to their hotel to wind down for the night.

On October 21st, members woke up and headed to the Indy 500 Tour. Members were able to kiss the famous bricks at the end of the raceway and tour the museum. Students were able to see many famous race cars and memorabilia from races as well as some hands-on activities such as changing a racecar tie and a simulation of driving on the race track. From the Indy 500 tour, the members then traveled to Umbarger Show Feeds for another tour. This tour taught members how Umbarger’s provides a variety of different show feeds that farmers all across the country use to feed their animal operations. They were given a tour of the operation and got to see the feed made for certain show feeds. Members then got dinner from The Old Spaghetti Warehouse. From there students got to attend an Avery Anna and Ty Myers concert before heading back to the hotel for the night.

On October 22nd, the members woke up bright and early to attend the opening session of the National Convention. Members listened to the keynote speaker Scott McKain, who spoke about finding your drive and staying committed until the end. Students then explored the expo center before the next session started. At the 2nd general session, Officers Darcy Taylor and Myrriah Manz walked across the stage for Paulding as we received the prestigious 3-Star National Chapter only 22 chapters in Ohio received this 3-Star Rating. This is the 6th year the chapter has been nationally recognized. Later that evening, members ate dinner at Binkley’s which served American dishes. Then the students had a great time at the rodeo before going back to the hotel for the night.

On October 23rd, members woke up and ate breakfast before an exciting day. The students got to go to the Indianapolis Zoo for the afternoon. From there, some members went back to the school. The other students got to go back and explore the expo center. 

On the last day of the National Convention, October 24th, members and advisors were up very early to attend the American Degree Ceremony, where they watched 7 Paulding FFA members walk across the stage to earn their American FFA Degrees, which is the highest FFA degree possible. The seven members were Anna Clamens, Harley Collins, Grace Goyings, Maci Kauser, Jalyn Klopfenstein, Kadence Thomas, and Hopeful Rose. Five other members also earned their American FFA Degrees that were unable to attend including; Matthew Bail, Brooke Kilgore, Brooklyn Schlatter, Johnathan Lipps and Marley Parrett. The Paulding FFA Chapter is very proud of these twelve members and their accomplishments. After the ceremony the Paulding FFA headed back to Paulding after a fun-filled week. The Paulding FFA would like to say a special thanks to the Paulding FFA Alumni for their support to the Paulding FFA and its members. 

On Veterans Day, November 11th, 2026, the Paulding FFA Chapter along with  the Paulding Middle School Student Council, will host a program honoring the veterans in our community and beyond. 

The program will begin at 1:00 pm in the Paulding High School gym, with the doors opening at 12:20 pm that day. We ask that all veterans park in the circle drive and enter through the High School (door #2), where you will be greeted by the Paulding FFA chapter members. 

The program will feature all of our Paulding students from grade K-12, and will include songs by the elementary students and the MS & HS choir, and the high school band, as well as readings from selected essay winners and other special interviews and readings done by Paulding FFA Chapter and middle school student council members. Afterwards, there will be refreshments for the veterans to enjoy. 

Our veterans have done so much for this country and our community, we truly want to honor them. We take pride in our community and want to invite all veterans to join us on November 11th at 1:00 p.m. as we remember and honor you!

Northwest State Community College invites area veterans to enjoy a complimentary Veterans Luncheon on Tuesday, November 10th, starting at 11:00 a.m. with a social hour, and the program beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Voinovich Auditorium on the College’s Archbold campus. NSCC currently has approximately 320 student-veterans pursuing coursework, credentialing, certificates and/or associate degrees.

NSCC President Dr. Todd Hernandez, a US Navy veteran, will open the event with welcoming remarks. As a highlight, our Keynote speaker will be Major Brad Glanz (pictured to the right), a retired Major from the Ohio Air National Guard, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo (OH) Air National Guard Base. NSCC alum Tina Mae and accompanying musician Rebecca Darling will provide the musical entertainment for the guests.

RSVP BY NOVEMBER 6th

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Friday, November 6th to Katrina Adams in the NSCC Foundation office – phone 419.267.1392 or email kadams@NorthwestState.edu.

WOOSTER, Ohio — Emma Petrus knew him as Jack.

Petrus, a second-year animal production and management – horse specialization student at Ohio State ATI, was nervous when she was assigned to prepare the standardbred yearling, named Booze Cruisin, for sale.

It didn’t last long.

“He was a very well-mannered colt who took to corrections well and learned quickly,” Petrus said. “What I remember most about preparing him for the sale was how far he came along in such a short time.”

Now, during the 2026 Ohio harness racing season, Petrus gets to watch the horse compete at fairs and racetracks across the state, where he has earned more than $31,000 and advanced to the Buckeye Stallion Series final.

Booze Cruisin is among several horses bred and raised through the equine program at ATI. The horses provide students with hands-on learning from breeding and foaling through young-horse management and sale preparation.

ATI, located on the Wooster campus of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), offers two-year associate degree programs with an emphasis on experiential learning. Its horse specialization in the animal production and management program is an associate of applied science degree that prepares students for careers in the equine industry through the study of horse nutrition, reproduction, health, training and management.

“It’s not just theoretical; students apply what they are learning in real-world situations and have real-world impact,” said Sara Mastellar, ATI associate professor and equine programs coordinator.

Students help handle stallions, collect and ship semen, breed mares, foal out mares and work with young horses. Later, they might prepare yearlings for sale, developing marketing materials and interacting with prospective buyers.

For Petrus, preparing Booze Cruisin meant working with him nearly every day. Students groom and handle the yearlings and introduce them to situations they might encounter at a sale, including walking through obstacles in an indoor arena.

By sale day, Petrus saw a different horse.

“He was remarkably put together and controlled,” she said. “I recall being so proud of him and our partnership.”

That sense of ownership is an important part of the experience, said Aspen Adams, horse herd manager at the ATI Equine Center.

By sale day, Adams said, students who have participated throughout the process are invested in the outcome.

“They aren’t just showing up to lab for a grade,” Adams said. “They are invested and excited.”

ATI graduate Sam Liggett experienced that connection from the beginning. She was on foal watch the night Booze Cruisin was born and continued working with him as he grew.

Liggett entered ATI with limited horse experience, discovered an interest in equine reproduction and now works in the standardbred industry.

“Being able to work with horses of many different breeds and temperaments helped me gain the experience I needed to step into the standardbred industry with confidence,” Liggett said.

Booze Cruisin sold for $14,000 at the 2025 Buckeye Classic Yearling Sale. 

Other recent ATI-bred standardbreds have also found success on the track. CPF Predi had six wins in 12 starts and $19,613 in earnings as of Sept. 9, while Kiss My Hocks had earned $41,579 over 21 starts.

The success of ATI-bred horses comes as Ohio prepares to host one of harness racing’s premier events. The Breeders Crown championships will take place Oct. 23-24 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in Columbus, marking the first time the track has hosted the full championship event and bringing national attention to Ohio’s Standardbred racing industry.

For students, however, the payoff extends beyond a horse’s racing record.

Petrus now cares for six standardbred yearlings and said she uses what she learned preparing Booze Cruisin in her work with young horses.

“The hands-on experience is truly unmatched in its ability to get a student to care about and be invested in what they are learning,” she said.

Liggett has followed Booze Cruisin throughout the 2026 racing season and has met him in the winner’s circle several times.

“Watching him race is so exciting, especially because you can see that this colt wants to win,” Liggett said. “I know he has a great team behind him, and I am excited to see what he does next.”

Mastellar said seeing horses succeed after leaving ATI affirms the value of that real-world learning.

“It’s validating to see our four-footed alumni go on to be successful in addition to our two-footed alumni,” she said. “The success of the horses underscores the real-world environment that the students are learning in.”

Antwerp Local School Board of Education

The Antwerp Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 5:00p.m. The purpose of the special meeting is limited to a work session and review of upcoming municipal Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) proposals, with no formal Board action or voting to take place. 

Northwest State Community College (NSCC) has been selected as a $25,000 recipient of General Motors’ 2026 Community Impact Grants (CIG). The award was presented recently by GM Defiance on behalf of GM Corporate Citizenship as part of a collective $100,000 grant supporting local nonprofits dedicated to STEAM education and road safety initiatives.

Through the CIG program, facility leaders at GM Defiance select area organizations to help meet critical local needs, expand access to educational resources, and strengthen the surrounding region.

“We are proud to use our Community Impact Grants to support nonprofit organizations that create meaningful opportunities for people and families in our community,” said Derrick Parson, plant director at GM Defiance. “GM has called Defiance home for more than 78 years, and we are honored to help advance the work that keeps this community strong and vibrant.” 

“We are deeply grateful to the GM Community Impact grant for their generous support,” said Robbin Wilcox Executive Director of the NSCC Foundation, “This grant will enable us to offer hands-on learning experiences, and opportunities that engage youth and families in STEAM education in our community.”

Building the Future will expand NSCC’s growing STEAM outreach through hands-on summer camps, We Are STEM events for high school students, and a community STEAM event for youth and families.  Building the Future addresses this need by providing accessible, hands-on opportunities for youth to experience robotics, engineering, technology, and problem-solving in engaging ways. NSCC shares the 2026 funding honors alongside the United Way of Defiance County and the Advanced Manufacturing Consortium.

Now in its 16th year, GM’s CIG program is distributing $5 million across 42 hometown manufacturing communities nationwide in 2026. Since 2021, GM has awarded $360,000 in community impact grants directly to Defiance-area nonprofits.

On the last day of the 1st nine weeks the KB Super Kids in Mrs. Miller’s Kindergarten class listened to their 100th book! Mrs. Arellano had the honor of reading the 100th book during their library time.  These students have learned so much in the first quarter and have a lot to be proud of.  Keep up the great work, Super Kids! They are ready to start working on their next 100 Book Challenge. 

Student of the Month at Grover Hill Elementary. Front row, left to right:  Teagan Stoller, Lydia Reichert, Delilah Denny,  Abbey Proctor, Wyatt Spencer, Ayrabella Spangler, Manuel Negrete-Pawoli, Chase Keeran. Back row, left to right:  Seth Hurd, Henry Thomas, Weslen Tucker, Lane Noffsinger, Ava Beining Aden Stoller. Not Present:  Chloe Harris and Luke Reichert.