Mount Vernon News

Girls softball registration set for Feb. 16, March 5. Mount Vernon girls softball will be holding registration for the 2022 spring season. Registration is for girls ages 5-16 as of Jan. 1, 2022. Registration will be held at the Urton Clock House at Ariel Foundation Park on the following Saturdays: Feb. 26 and March 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mount Vernon area girls' basketball roundup. Lady Pirates clinch seventh-straight KMAC title. Recovering from team illness, lost practice and a rare lost game, the Cardington-Lincoln Lady Pirates focused on the task at hand …and secured their seventh-consecutive KMAC league title, with a 50-32 romp over Mount Gilead, Saturday, Jan. 29. The win improved C-L to 15-1 this season and 11-0 in KMAC play, increasing their consecutive KMAC winning streak to 68 games.

Mount Vernon area boys' basketball roundup. Freddies break open game in second half to top Liberty Union, 61-43. Fredericktown played host to Liberty Union, Jan. 27, in a non-conference matchup, and while the Lions controlled the first half, the Freddies came on even bigger in the second half to down Liberty Union 61-43. After being down 29-23 at halftime, Fredericktown amassed a 38-14 second-half advantage to win their eight in a row and increase their season record to 10-7, 6-5 in KMAC. The loss sent Liberty Union home with a 9-11 mark, 6-4 in Mid-State Buckeye play.

The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 20th ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continues the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action. This week, a girls basketball team player stepped up when others around her were ill and the team was up against it. On the boys’ side, a wrestler performed in golden fashion.

Every young ballplayer who has progressed from Little League to high school ball, and even those who don’t play for their school teams, yearns to hit the diamond in summer and play more ball. Babe Ruth League gives 13-to-16-year-olds the chance to play. This year, those kids were almost deprived of the chance to play, but the game will go on, thanks to a dedicated team of baseball lovers

Let’s Talk Winter Olympics. The next major sports event coming up is not the Super Bowl and not March Madness. It is the Winter Olympics. Beijing 2022 will host the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 4-20. Sometimes thought of as “the Summer Olympics’ little brother or sister,” to those of us who prefer cold-weather sports or who applaud and embrace the athleticism on skates or skis, the artistry of dancers and gymnasts on ice, the elegance of skating in pairs, the speed of skaters, the excitement of downhill, the precision of bobsled (OK, they call it “bobsleigh”) steering and the fierce national competition in the hockey arena, the Winter Olympics stands on its own as a must-see event for true sports fans.

Olive M. Schwarzkopf, 89, of Columbus, passed away on Jan. 16, 2022. She was born on July 19, 1932, in Mount Vernon, to the late John and Gladys (Newell) Loveridge.

OngoingKnox Public Health has posted a notice on vaccine availability that will be updated regularly as conditions change.

Wayne Grange met on Friday, Jan. 21, with Master Jordan Miller opening the meeting. There were 10 members and one guest present.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s DAC will be meeting onFriday, January 28, 2022, at 9:00 a.m.

Mark James, 63, of Howard, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the OSU Wexner Medical Center following complications of a stroke.

On Thursday, Jan. 27, the Chautauqua Series opens its 15th season, with Ken Hammontree as General George Patton, describing his experiences at the Battle of the Bulge. The program will be at the Grand Hotel (12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon) at 7 PM. The Chautauqua Series is brought to you with the help of a grant provided by the Ariel Foundation and is donation based with all monies collected going to the performers.

The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 19th ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continues the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action. This week, two hard-court winners are spotlighted and two wrestlers gain gold for their team.

Let’s talk coaching. Back in the day, coaches were hard-liners. My way or the highway. Do what I tell you or take a seat and grab some pine. Coaches used to have players “run through walls,” or go entire practices without water, or have players run an extra 10 laps or have them “drop and give me 20.” It worked then, but does that work now?

OngoingKnox Public Health has posted a notice on vaccine availability that will be updated regularly as conditions change.

The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 18th ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continues the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action. This week, basketball takes center stage with one female and four males honored for their performances. Two of them are teammates and shared monster games.

Let’s talk bad or unpopular rules. Now, one fan’s bad rule is another fan’s Golden Rule, so this is purely my opinion and my take on rules that I find cheapen a sport or take away from a sport’s otherwise brilliance.

Monday, Jan. 17The Knox County Department of Job & Family Service will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.WHERE: Workforce Development, Opportunity Knox One Stop Employment and Training, Public Assistance, Child Support Services, Children and Family Services.WHEN: All day

The Ohio Department of Development and Kno-Ho-Co-Ashland Community Action Commission will help income-eligible Ohioans with water and wastewater (sewer) assistance. The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program provides eligible Ohioans assistance paying water and wastewater bills. The program runs until Sept. 30, 2022.

OngoingKnox Public Health has posted a notice on vaccine availability that will be updated regularly as conditions change.