When Superintendent Matthew Hicks said his trip to Northeastern Middle/High School’s roof “was like an Indiana Jones movie,” he didn’t mean a fast-paced adventure in search of treasure. Rather, he spoke of the building’s brick walls. “When I touched them, they just turned to dust,” Hicks said. “The brick face has eroded and water is […]
Author Archives: Bob Hansen
Bob Hansen is a reporter for the Western Wayne News.
Posted inNews
Jefferson Township food pantry growing
Nearly 1,800 households in western Wayne County received food from the Jefferson Township food pantry in 2023. It is expanding to offer personal care products to people who need them. Located in the township building at 37 E. Main St., Hagerstown, the food pantry is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. It serves people from […]
Posted inNews
Hagerstown sees a leadership change
Planning and building on individual strengths have brought new sidewalks and lighting to Hagerstown over the past decade. Leading the Town Council for most of that time has been Becky Diercks as president and Brian Longbons, pro tem. Both voluntarily stepped away from those positions. On Jan. 2, the council elected Allan Bullock as its […]
Posted inNews
Town starts fund drive for playground
Looking at a photo of a playground on the east side of the old Pershing Elementary School, Ron Lamott remembered playing there as a kid. “There’s the monkey bars and the teeter-totter,” he said. Recalling childhood mischief while denying his personal involvement, he smiled and added, “The teeter-totter always ended up on the flagpole at […]
Posted inNews
Western Wayne staff invited to focus on kindness, positivity
While students stayed out of school for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, their teachers at Western Wayne School Corporation listened to a motivational speaker. Jon Gordon spoke to more than 50 staff members about being positive and making change happen. “I predict if this team works on it, enrollment will be up and everybody […]
Posted inNews
Nettle Creek board elects new president
The Nettle Creek Schools board elected Shaun Lieberman as president, Dan Davis Jr., vice president, and Marcie Houghton, secretary, during its Jan. 10 meeting. Davis had been board president and Lieberman, vice president. The board reappointed Amber Rushton as corporation treasurer and Ron Cross, attorney. The board conducts a reorganization meeting annually, as required by […]
Posted inNews
Most county schools’ grad rates exceed 90%
Most Wayne County schools leaders are expressing pride about their Class of 2023 graduation rates. However, some frustration simmers among some board members and administrators about how those rates can be affected by factors outside schools’ control. According to Indiana Department of Education data, nearly every Wayne County high school showed a graduation rate of […]
Posted inNews
Western Wayne schools flush with cash
Having been awarded $2.8 million in grant funding during 2023, Western Wayne School Corporation is financially more healthy than it has been for several years, according to Superintendent Andy Stover. Cash balances at the end of 2023 included $954,633 in education, $572,846 in operations, $176,054 in debt service and $1,539,908 in the emergency and rainy […]
Posted inNews
Telling Teetor’s tale
After spending most of the past two years doing research, recruiting actors for his script and making video, Jack Teetor returned to Hagerstown on Dec. 15, entering the home stretch of his effort to give his uncle’s life story national exposure. Teetor’s uncle was the late Ralph R. Teetor, part of the family who led […]
Posted inNews
Council elects new leaders
Its newest member will lead the Hagerstown Town Council, after the former president and president pro tem decided against staying in those positions. The council unanimously elected Allan Bullock president and Fred Dill as president pro tem on Jan. 2. They replace Becky Diercks as president and Brian Longbons, pro tem. Diercks said she had […]