N-B Video: Dancing with Wells County

Bluffton residents Jordan Steffen and Tiffany Jackson recently competed in their fifth Special Olympics ballroom dancing competition, and they and their partners — David and Carol Butler — once again brought home the gold. Learn more in the Saturday, Aug. 31, News-Banner. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

Beauty from ashes

AT&T recently asked Bluffton resident Chandler Gerber to be part of a documentary chronicling the dangers of texting and driving. Learn more in the Friday, Aug. 30, News-Banner.

A chili evening

The southern Wells community once again came out to support the Southern Wells FFA annual Greenhand-Chili Supper Member Auction Wednesday, Aug. 28. See more photos in the Thursday, Aug. 29, News-Banner. (Photos by Chet Baumgartner)

Northern Wells officials focusing on iPads

Northern Wells officials hope to eventually distribute personal computing devices to each of its students, and after staff, teachers and others met Monday, it appears that they will recommend the iPad, unless anyone can uncover any "deal breakers."

Earlier this year, though, Superintendent Scott Mills presented his 12 minimum requirements for the devices the district chooses.

1. Touch Screen(Keyboard available?)
2. Connectivity  (Wireless)
3. MDM compliant – Mobile Device Management
4. Support our Content Development and Learning Management System.
5. Support some Base Software Office Productivity tools (Wordprocessing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Video Creation, Video Conferencing, Camera)
6. Durability, Reliability
7. Ease of Use
8. Instant On.
9. Conform to IDOE State Testing Requirements.
10. Student Device needs to be able to connect to projection system
11. Battery Life (Last a school day)
12. Affordable

Do you think the iPad was a wise decision? Let us know in the comments. Learn more in the Tuesday, Aug. 27, News-Banner.

Ossian Days will go on

Ossian Days is on, proclaimed Ossian Town Council President Brad Pursley at a regular meeting of the council Monday night. The issue of indemnity for this year’s Ossian Days sailed through Monday night’s council meeting with hardly a second mention.

Until the festivities roll into town, though, enjoy memories from last year's Ossian Days.

N-B Video: Markle Wildcat Festival returns

Videos by Jessica Williams. See our photo slideshow at www.news-banner.com.

After canceling the annual event last year, Markle once again held its Wildcat Festival, including the parade, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-25.

The Markle Fire Department, in black, competes against the Uniondale Department during the Wildcat Festival Saturday. Each department tried to keep the ball on the other department's side before time ran out.

A participant in the frog-jumping contest coaxes her contestant along during the Wildcat Festival in Markle Park.

Riding against cancer

The Steve Kelly Cancer Relief Foundation held its annual motorcycle ride and car show this weekend. See photos in the Monday, Aug. 26, News-Banner, and see video at the foundation's Facebook page.

She'll D.A.R.E. to shave her hair

Ossian Police and D.A.R.E. officer Stephanie Tucker has pledged to shave her head if she can raise $10,000 to purchase a used van and convert it into a D.A.R.E. mobile, and she recently used an application on her phone to illustrate what that might look like. Learn more in the Thursday, Aug. 22, News-Banner.

Markle Wildcat Festival returning

Organizers have recently announced the schedule for the Wildcat Festival.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Have fun this fall

A corn maze has grown up alongside the Bluffton KOA campground, and it will open on the appropriately sinister day of Friday the 13th.

Along with the corn maze, the Farmer's almanac offers the other following activities to make the most of autumn.

Learn more about the maze in the Thursday, Aug. 22, News-Banner.

• Go apple picking. Sure, most of us can get apples year-round from the grocery store, but there’s nothing quite like orchard fresh apples, picked straight from the tree during harvest season. That crunchy, tangy, sweet apple flavor is at its peak during this time of year. Many commercial orchards will let you pick your own. It’s not only fun, it’s also a great way to show kids where their food comes from. Get extras for canning applesauce, or making pies. When you’re done, warm up with a delicious mulled cider.
• Go on a nature hike. Bring along a field guide to identify different kinds of trees. Look for wildlife collecting food for winter. Explain to kids how animals are starting to fatten up and grow thick, protective winter coats. Watch for migrating birds.
• Collect fall leaves. Press them into books or preserve them in glycerin (recipe below*). Paste them onto handmade paper to create greeting cards, or glue them between two pieces of wax paper to make an attractive sun catcher. Go lightly on the glue, or substitute crayon shavings to add color; use a warm iron to melt the shavings and hold the paper together.
*Bring a mixture of two parts water to one part glycerin to a boil in a saucepan, and pour the solution into a heat-safe container. Drop in the leaves, and gently submerge them with a wooden spoon. Place the container in a cool, dark place for up to seven days. Remove the leaves when you begin to notice a slight change in their coloring, and blot them dry with a paper towel.
• Take a hayride. Many farms offer hayrides during the fall. This is a great way to kick back and enjoy nature with smaller kids who may not be up for a long walk.
• Visit the pumpkin patch. Don’t buy your Halloween pumpkin from the grocery store. Go straight to the source. Kids will love wandering around the patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Choose a couple of big ones for jack-o-lanterns, and grab a few smaller ones for painting or general household decorations. Smaller pumpkins make great additions to fall centerpieces. Roast the seeds in your oven with a sprinkling of tasty spices, and grab a few to make pumpkin pies.

• Stuff a scarecrow. Dig out an old shirt and overalls, and stuff it with leaves until firm. Add a pumpkin head (from your trip to the pumpkin patch) and you’ve got a great fall decoration.
• Fly a kite. The gusty, brisk air makes autumn a great time for flying kites. Buy one from the store, or make your own from two long sticks, strong paper, and string.
• Have a bonfire. Invite some friends over for a backyard bonfire. The chill in the air makes fall the perfect time to sit together by the warmth of a blazing fire with a nice warm mug of cocoa or cider. Be sure to get any necessary permits from your town first.
• Make a leaf pile and jump in!

RSD looking at possible McKinney-Paxson solution

There may be an option for cleaning up the McKinney-Paxson watershed that will not require property owners there to pay $80 to $100 in monthly sewer bills.

A system being implemented on a limited basis in Allen County may work — emphasis on “may” — to treat household wastewater on site. The system, called Singulair Green, produced by the Norweco Wastewater Treatment Co. in Norwalk, Ohio. agitates, aerates, and then irradiates wastewater with an ultraviolet light.

The Norweco brochures include details about the system, including its limitations and capacities. See the highlights below, and click on the following links to read through the brochures.

• Singulair Green owners manual
• Singulair Green specs 
• Singulair Green brochure

Learn more in the Tuesday, Aug. 20, News-Banner.

Click on the image to enlarge it

• Wastewater enters the pretreatment chamber where anaerobic bacterial action combines with the effects of gravity to precondition the waste before it flows into the aeration chamber. Once in the aeration chamber, aerobic bacteria utilize the organic matter in the wastewater to biologically convert the waste into stable substances. Following aeration, flow is transferred to the clarification chamber where the effects of gravity settle out biologically active material. The Bio-Static sludge return, located in the clarification chamber, creates hydraulic currents that gently transfer settled particles back to the aeration chamber. As clarified liquids pass through the Bio-Kinetic system, they are filtered, settled and flow equalized. As a result, complete pretreatment, aeration, clarification and final filtration are assured. The Singulair Green system reliably protects you, your property and the environment.

• The Singulair Green system shall be certified to treat up to 600 GPD (gallons per day) of domestic wastewater. Total holding capacity of the system shall provide a minimum of 48 hour retention of the daily flow. The pretreatment chamber shall provide at least 18 hour retention, the extended aeration chamber shall provide at least 24 hour retention and the clarification chamber shall provide at least 6 hour retention.

• The Singulair Green system is designed to treat only domestic wastewater. Domestic wastewater is defined as the waste generated from a typical residence. This includes flows originating from: bathtubs, clothes washers, dishwashers, drinking fountains, water coolers, food grinders, kitchen sinks, lavatories, mop basins, service sinks, shower stalls, sinks, wash sinks, water closets and whirlpool baths. While the use of bio-degradable detergents is recommended, the Singulair Green system has been designed to handle any reasonable amount of bathroom, kitchen or laundry waste. However, some care should be exercised to insure that non-biodegradable and/or toxic materials are not disposed of via the domestic wastewater plumbing. Do not use the plumbing system for disposal of lint, cooking grease, scouring pads, diapers, sanitary napkins, cotton balls, cotton swabs, cleaning rags, dental floss, strings, cigarette filters, rubber or plastic products, paints and thinning agents, gasoline, motor oil, drain cleaners or other harsh chemicals. These items could plug portions of the plumbing, interfere with biological treatment, accumulate in the treatment system and adversely affect system performance. Never connect roofing down spouts, footer drains, sump pump piping, garage and basement floor drains or water softener backwash to the domestic wastewater plumbing or the treatment system. Water softener backwash will interfere with biological treatment and must be disposed of separately.

• The Singulair Green system is inspected and serviced by a local licensed, factory-trained dealer, therefore, no owner maintenance is required during the warranty period. The Singulair Green system does not require pumping as often as a septic tank. Under normal use only the pretreatment chamber should be pumped. How often pumping is necessary depends on system use. The local Singulair Green dealer will inspect the aeration chamber contents and plant effluent at six month intervals to determine if the pretreatment chamber is discharging excessive solids. Every three years, the pretreatment chamber should be inspected. The pretreatment chamber will normally require pumping at three to five year intervals.

N-B Video: Wind farms pass APC, but new hurdles await

Area Plan Director Michael Lautzenheiser Jr. explains the next steps for wind turbines in Wells County — and why they won't necessarily start going up right away. Learn more in the Thursday, Aug. 15, News-Banner. (Video by Dave Schultz)

N-B Video: Family Centered Services unleashes ducks for annual race

Family Centered Services held its annual duck race fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 10. Learn more in the Aug. 12 News-Banner. (Video by Dave Schultz and Jessica Williams)

8th Annual Duck Race on the Wabash Official Prize Winners
32. Adams County Golf & Graze - 2 Passes for 18 Holes & Cart from Cross Creek Golf Club; $25 Gift Certificate from Marko’s on 2nd; $20 Gift Card from Pizza King - Decatur; $20 Gift Certificate from The Galley; Three $5 Gift Cards from Arnold’s Drive-In.
Winner: Pam Johnson
31. Body Booster Too - $100 Gift Certificate from Sell Chiropractic - Dr. Coty; ½ Hour Massage from Ashley Peterson; Hair Cut from Shear Style; $20 Gift Card from Norm’s Preble Gardens; 6 Dilley Bars from Dairy Queen - Bluffton.
Winner: Jonathan Bender
30. Body Booster - $100 Gift Certificate from Sell Chiropractic - Dr. Sell; ½ Hour Massage from Alesha Shepard; Hair Cut from Shear Style; $20 Gift Certificate from Sassafras on Main; 6 Small Cone Coupons from Zesto - Bluffton.
Winner: MacKinzie Rudisill
29. Rejuvenate - 1 Month Fitness from Body Solutions; $25 Gift Certificate from Beer Therapeutic Massage; $25 Gift Certificate from Nu Beginning, Simply Feet; Shampoo & Conditioner from The Alley Cuts; $25 Gift Certificate from OK Modern Dry Cleaners’ Four 6” Subs from Subway - Bluffton; Two $5 Gift Cards from Bailey’s Coffee Café.
Winner: A.J. Reynolds
 28. Deluxe Date Night - Dinner for 2 at CASA Restaurant; 4 Movie Passes from Carmike Cinemas; Shellac Manicure & Redken Products from The Belle Vita Salon; 5 Car Washes from Super Wash of Bluffton.
Winner: Joline Bowman
27. Bluffton Tigers Sports Fan - One Adult Athletic Pass & T-shirt from Bluffton High School Athletic Dept.; $25 in Chamber Bucks from McBride & Assoc. Real Estate; 3 Meal Deals from Tyeger’s Pizza Parlour; Two $5 Gift Cards from Bailey’s Coffee Café; 2 Boneless Combos from KFC - Bluffton; 2 Sandwich & 2 Fry Coupons from Hardee’s - Bluffton.
Winner: Pamela & Denny Nusbaum
26. Fun for All - Two 9 hole Rounds & Cart from Green Valley Golf Club; Pedicure and Hair Cut from Achieva Salon & Spa; $25 in Chamber Bucks from Holloway Auction; $25 Gift Card from Kroger - Bluffton; Garden Butterfly & Thermal Tumbler from Reed’s Do It Best Hardware; 2 Sandwich & 2 Fry Coupons from Hardee’s - Bluffton; 8 Small Cone Coupons from Zesto - Bluffton.
Winner: Jeff Miller
25. Pet Palooza - Shark Steam Mop from Lowe’s - Bluffton; Shots from Bluffton Animal Clinic; $25 Gift Certificate and Dog Toy from Oooh La La Pet Spa; Polishing Cloth from Norwex Products - Melissa Terhune
Winner: Lisa Weybright
24. Norwell Crusader Sports Fan - Adult Sports Pass from Norwell Middle School Athletic Dept.; T-shirt from Parlor City Trophy & Apparel; 6 Passes to the Cinema Center from Wells County Voice; $20 Gift Card from Norm’s Preble Gardens.
Winner: Julayne Miller
23. Norwell Knights Sports Fan - Adult Sports Pass from Norwell High School Athletic Dept.; T-shirt from Parlor City Trophy & Apparel; Three 14” pizzas from East of Chicago Pizza; Oil Change from Mike Anderson Chevrolet.
Winner: Brad Baumgartner
 22. Do It All - $50 Gift Card from Billy Ann’s Supper Pub; $25 in Chamber Bucks from McBride & Assoc. Real Estate; A 7 Day Pass from Anytime Fitness; 5 Car Washes from Super Wash of Bluffton; Lube, Oil & Filter from Welches All Vehicle Repair.
Winner: Jessie Longenberger
 21. Foodi Fun Pack - 14 Piece Cutlery Set from Appliance One; $25 Gift Card from Wal-Mart; $20 Gift Card from Norm’s Preble Gardens; 4 Sandwich & 4 Fry Coupons from Hardee’s - Bluffton; 8 Small Cone Coupons from Zesto - Bluffton.
Winner: Danielle Reed
20. Guy Time - Two - 9 Hole Rounds with Cart from Green Valley Golf Club; 8 Games of Bowling from The Bowling Center; 5 Day Passes from Wells County YMCA; Lube, Oil & Filter from Welches All Vehicle Repair; Hair Cut from You’ve Got Style; $20 Gift Card from Walgreen’s - Bluffton; 4 Boneless Combos from KFC - Bluffton.
Winner: Sherri Godschalk
19. Tool Man Special - $50 Gift Certificate from Wells County Automotive; Tire Balance & Rotation from Bluffton Tire; 3 Car Washes from Reed’s Andy’s Car Wash; Screwdriver Set from Ossian Hardware; LED Flashlight from True Value Hardware - Decatur; $25 Gift Card from Kroger - Bluffton.
Winner: Scott & Jill Stowers
18. Melodies & More - iPod Nano from Stylus Productions; ½ Hour Voice Assessment/Lesson from Melissa Terhune’s Voice Studio; 3 Tanning Sessions from Body Solutions; Two 14” Pizzas from East of Chicago Pizza; 6 Dilley Bars from Dairy Queen - Bluffton.
Winner: Kelley Terveer
17. Bellmont Braves Sports Fan - Adult Sports Pass from Bellmont High School Athletic Dept.; T-shirt from Parlor City Trophy & Apparel; $20 Gift Card from Norm’s Preble Gardens; Three $5 Gift Cards from Arnold’s Drive-In; $10 Gift Certificate from Back 40 Junction; 2 Komet Hockey Tickets from The Fort Wayne Komet Hockey Club.
Winner: Sarah Uchrinscko
16. Around the Town of Huntington – Manicure & Pedicure from Nail Station; ½ hour Massage from Joy McFarland; $25 Gift Certificate from McVoy Design Studio; 4 Goodrich Theater Tickets from Wells County Voice; $25 Gift Card from Owen’s South; $10 Gift Card from Bob Evans Restaurant, Huntington.
Winner: Bob Blythe
15. Pizza & Fun - 1 Pizza a Month for 1 Year from Pizza Hut - Bluffton; 4 Games of Bowling from The Bowling Center; 5 Day Passes from Wells County YMCA.
Winner: Jacqui Garcia
14. Summer Sizzler - $69 Variety Box from Heyerly’s Meat Market; Grill Utensils, Insulated Bag & Cutting Shield from Edward Jones - Nicole Johnson; Grill Seasonings from New Holland Tri County; $25 Chamber Bucks from Coldwell Banker Holloway Realty; 6 Small Cone Coupons from Zesto.
Winner: Joy Phillabaum
13. Around the Town of Bluffton - $50 Gift Card from TW Fable; Manicure & Hair Cut from Achieva Salon; 8 Games of Bowling from The Bowling Center; Lube, Oil & Filter from Welches All Vehicle Repair; Holiday Cookie & Treat Tray from Christine Shestak; $20 Gift Certificate from A Different Light; Artificial Geranium Plant from Gerber Furniture.
Winner: Kelley Terveer
12. Parent’s Tool Kit - Mp3 Player & Flash Drive from Northwood Computer; 2 Kid Kits from Usborne Books; 2 doz. Cupcakes from Magdalena Cupcakery; $25 in Chamber Bucks from Coldwell Banker Holloway Realty; Hair Cut from Shear Style; Lambchop Toy from Perfect Pet; 6 Dilley Bars from Dairy Queen - Bluffton.
Winner: Michelle Blount
11. Parlor City Romance - $50 Gift Card from TW Fable; His ‘n’ Her Fragrance Collection from Mary Kay - Becky Goshorn; $25 Gift Certificate from Country Squire Florist; $25 Gift Certificate from Todd Shalley Company; Yankee Candle from Dorothy’s Hallmark in Huntington.
Winner: Stephanie Rohr
10. The Dude’s Delight - 2 Passes for 18 Hole Green Fee & Cart from Timber Ridge Golf Club; $50 Gift Certificate from Masterson’s; 5 Car Washes from Super Wash of Bluffton; Lube, Oil & Filter from Welches All Vehicle Repair; $25 Gift Certificate from FPC Technology; 8 Piece Chicken Coupon from Richard’s Restaurant - Bluffton.
Winner: Susan Gerber
9. The Diva’s Delight - Small Duffel & Beach Towel from Vera Bradley; Lawn Topiary & Solar Light Stick from 2 Sister’s Glass Garden; 3 Pair Earrings from Daniel’s Jewelers; $20 Gift Certificate from Salon 29:11.
Winner: Ken George
8. “Mantastic Reward” - 3 Ft. Blue Spruce Tree from GenMar STAR Nursery; $50 Gift Certificate from Wells County Automotive; 2 Oil Changes from Bluffton Tire; Rechargeable Screw Driver from Habegger’s Ace Lumber; 4 Coupons for 6” Subs from Subway - Bluffton.
Winner: Julayne Miller
7. Huntington North Vikings Sports Fan - 2 Viking Super Passes from Huntington North High School Athletic Dept.; T-shirt from Parlor City Trophy and Apparel; Oil Change from Ingle’s Service Center; $25 Gift Card from Café of Hope; $10 Gift Card from Bob Evans Restaurant - Huntington.
Winner: Tammy Garcia
6. Relax & Renew - Consultation and Exam from Bear Family Chiropractic; Spa Package consisting of a $5 Gift Certificate for the HyperVibe Exercise Platform, $10 Gift Certificate for the Far-Infrared Sauna, $25 Gift Certificate for a Deluxe Foot Spa, a Shaker Cup and 5 Whey Protein packs from A Harvest of Health; 5 Day Passes from Wells County YMCA.
Winner: Bev McArdle
5. Colts Fan - Team Stamped Football from the Indianapolis Colts; 5 Day Passes from Wells Co. YMCA; $10 Gift Certificate from Co-Co China Buffet; 6 Small Cone Coupons from Zesto - Bluffton.
Winner: Rick Gentis
4. Fit & Fabulous - 3 Month Family Pass from Wells County YMCA; Massage and 2 Hair Cuts from Shear Style.
Winner: Hannah Wilson
3. Have Your Pie & Eat It Too - 2 Pies a Month for 1 Year from Roses are Forever; Gift Basket from Grounds & Grains.
Winner: Debbie Bordo
 2. Happy Motoring - Set of 4 BFG Tires (all inclusive) up to $1,000 from BFGoodrich Tire Mfg. Winner: Sherri Godschalk
1. Grand Prize - $1,000 Cash
Winner: Melissa Redick

Carnival time

The Wells Community Boys and Girls Club and Elks Lodge held a carnival Friday, where children could playe hole-in-one golf, ring toss and other games while feasting on cotton candy and hot dogs. (Photos by Chet Baumgartner)

County Council reviews budget requests

The Wells County Council has begun reviewing 2014 budget requests, summarized below, but the county's surveyor, assessor, auditor, treasurer, clerk and recorder believe the county should pay them more, and the council doesn't know if the county can afford it. Learn more about both side's thoughts in the Friday, Aug. 9, News-Banner.

Proposed 2014 budgets for the Wells County Council:
• Highway Department – $989,150; Motor Vehicle Highway Administration – $211,250; Maintenance and Repair – $1,596,600; Local Road and Street – $250,000
• Health and Local Health Maintenance – $300,191 for the Health Department; $33,139 for Local Health Maintenance
• Assessor – $102,863 for the Assessor’s office; $177,604 for Reassessment; $5,049 for Sales Disclosure Fee
• Clerk and Election Board – $317,078 for the Clerk’s office; $54,655 for the Election Board; $6,575 for Clerk’s Records Perpetuation
• Probation – $355,872 for Probation; $25,677 for Juvenile Probation; $58,972 for Adult Probation; $8,000 for Urinalysis fees; $2,900 for Substance/Indigent Fund
• Coroner – $34,831
• Area Plan and GIS – $115,759 for Area Plan Commission; $20,850 for GIS
• Custodian – $197,964
• Treasurer – $121,849
• Solid Waste – $74,305
• Council – $59,355
• Sheriff and Jail – $1,378,405; $1,640,530
• Veterans – $34,249
• EMA – $29,888  for EMA; $5,200 for Emergency Plan/Right to Know
• Prosecutor and Pre-Trial Deferral – $439,701 for the Prosecutor’s office; $1,125 for Pre-Trial Diversion; $31,177 for Pre-Trial Deferral.
• Recorder – $71,192
• Community Corrections – $292,091 for Adult Corrections; $19,291 for Misdeameant
• Surveyor and Drainage Board – $121,285 for the Surveyor’s office; $18,190 for Drainage Board; $20,000 for Surveyor’s Corner Perpetuation
• Auditor – $213,145 for the Auditor’s office; $11,000 for Auditor’s Ineligible Deductions; $8,000 for Plat Book
• Soil and Water – $33,843
• Superior Court – $91,498
• Circuit Court – $219,166
• Extension Office – $210,054
• I.T. – $129,300
• Commissioners – $990,990 for Commissioners; $735,000 for CEDIT County Share
• Statewide 911 – $396,825
• LOIT Public Safety – $170,739
• Elected Official Training – $5,000
• County Certified Shares – $1,684,000

N-B Video: Parade takes Bluffton back in time

The Wheels of Yesteryear's annual antique tractor parade rumbles through the north end of the 4-H Fairground at 6 p.m Thursday. The parade kicks off the organization's Antique Power Show and Festival weekend, which features tractor pulls, a quilt show, worship services and other activities. Activities start tonight and continue through Sunday. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

Bluffton principal studies abroad

For 10 days this summer, veteran Bluffton educator Steve Baker studied abroad, in a world once divided by a wall, where one side could barely even afford bananas.

While there, the former teacher and current Bluffton High School principal also dissected the philosophies and politics that educate that world — sometimes uniting it, sometimes dividing it again.

And he also chronicled his journey through photos. Learn more in the Thursday, Aug. 8, News-Banner.

These "Jewish Stumbling Blocks," created by Gunter Demnig, commemorate a victim of the Holocaust. They are small, cobblestone-sized memorials for an individual victim of Nazism. They commemorate individuals – both those who died and survivors – who were consigned by the Nazis to prisons, euthanasia facilities, sterilization clinics, concentration camps and extermination camps, as well as those who responded to persecution by emigrating or committing suicide.

This is the memorial commemorating the book burning of 1933.  The empty bookshelves represent exactly the number of books that were burned that night in Berlin. This is at the square where the largest book burning took place

A remnant of the Berlin Wall

This monument symbolizes the relationship between East and West Berlin.
The segments deliberately do not meet.

The Bradenburg Gate, home of many Nazi rallies.

This was inside the Dachau concentration camp, in operation from 1933 through 1945 about 10 miles outside of Munich.

N-B Video: Students convert math into music at Southern Wells

The Wells County Chamber of Commerce organized a five-day guitar lab this week and last to encourage students to pursue advanced manufacturing classes. On the second-to-last day, the students finished their guitars and stretched the strings from the body to the next. Learn more in the Thursday, Aug. 8, News-Banner. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

Get ready for back-to-school time

From Rep. Matt Lehman —

Move over summer – it’s time for school to begin! A new school year brings endless amounts of potential and new opportunities. Below are several resources to help you and your family prepare to go back to school:

• School Immunization Requirements

New immunization requirements are in effect this school year for grades K-12. Make sure your child is up-to-date by visiting the Indiana Department of Health website.

• MyVaxIndiana

The MyVaxIndiana immunization portal enables you to access immunization records for yourself and your children from any computer through the use of a personal identification number (available from your local health department or healthcare provider). Through MyVaxIndiana, you have the ability to download, fax or print official proof of immunization, which can be used for school, travel or other purposes. Each record also features the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization schedule so you can plan for future immunizations.

• School Bus Safety

The Indiana State Police is committed to keeping children safe in schools and on the road. All school buses are inspected annually, in accordance with Indiana State law. Buses more than 12 model years old are inspected twice a year.

The school bus inspection records are now available online. To view the records, click on the county where your child attends school, then pick the school, then your child's bus number. (Learn more about the limitations of this website in the July 10 News-Banner.)

For more information about school bus safety, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Toolkit.

N-B Video: Dream Team celebrates season of smiles

Thirty-seven players were recognized for their participation this season in Bluffton's Dream Team program, many of whom were present to each receive a medal from the mayor and other prizes, including trophies. Learn more in the Friday, Aug. 2, News-Banner. (Video by Jessica Williams)