TIFFIN — Lake might have gotten the scoring started, but Liberty-Benton finished it and then some as the Eagles scored eight unanswered goals to beat the Flyers 8-1 during the Division IV regional semifinal at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin. Aiden Hatch paced the Eagles with four goals. Jairo Colina found the back of the net three times and finished with a hat trick. Freshman Taden Troyer rounded out the offensive onslaught for L-B with another goal. Lake’s lone goal came from Ethan Bradfield. The Flyers end their season with a record of 15-3-2. Liberty-Benton (20-1-0) advances to the D-IV regional final and will take on  Worthington Christian (16-3-1) on Sunday at Lima Shawnee at 12 p.m.

WAPAKONETA, Ohio — The Maumee boys soccer team saw its undefeated season come to an end at the hands of No. 2 ranked Cincinnati Indian Hill in the Division III regional semifinals on Wednesday night. Maumee freshman goalkeeper Jaxon Blue had his hands full throughout and was more than up to the task for much of the match against a high-powered Braves attack at Wapakoneta High School. Indian Hill (17-0-2) scored two goals in the first half and went on to blank the Panthers 5-0. Maumee came into the game averaging 7.3 goals per game. But the Panthers (19-1-0) had trouble sustaining pressure and were just missing on their connections. “When you get to this point of the season, we don't see this level every day,” Maumee coach Chad Kain said. “We stuck with what got us here and we were only down 2-0 at halftime. I really thought the first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half, we were actually controlling the play and then we kind of fell off.”

To win in November, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said he needs the help of union workers. “I win because of you,” Mr. Brown (D., Ohio) said Wednesday night to a sea of rainbow union shirts. “Don’t ever downplay your significance.” The audience was made up of about 250 union workers at the United Auto Workers Local 12 hall. While Ohio might be far from the minds of the presidential candidates, the focus on Ohio’s Senate race is attracting attention from throughout the United States. Mr. Brown is running against Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno in the race that could decide who controls the Senate. It’s also the most expensive non-presidential race in the current election year.

Brandon Hawkins and Trenton Bliss will once again be part of Toledo Walleye coach Pat Mikesch's unique four-assistant captain approach. Just as they did last year, Hawkins and Bliss will be alternate captains, along with fellow forwards Conlan Keenan and Sam Craggs. The team will once again play without an official captain. For the first half of the season, Hawkins and Keenan will serve as alternate captains at home games. Craggs and Bliss will wear 'As' on their sweaters on the road. That will flip at the midpoint.

At the Toledo Walleye home opener on Friday night, fans of the ECHL team will get their first look at what could be one of the best forward lines in team history. Reigning ECHL MVP Brandon Hawkins has been paired with veteran Tyler Spezia and young center Trenton Bliss. The line has combined for 22 points in five games to help the Walleye start the young season with a 3-1-1 record. The trio is the team's top three scorers. “They've done some great things already,” second-year coach Pat Mikesch said. “They have an expectation that they should be a top line in this league. They obviously all want to make each other look good.”

Two Toledo City Council members applied for funds from the District Improvement Program to finance projects, such as park improvements and traffic safety measures, in their districts. Councilman Sam Melden, who represents the 5th District, applied for a DIP allocation of $100,000 for new playground equipment at Elmhurst Park near Elmhurst Elementary School, while 4th District Councilman Vanice Williams applied for $150,000 for athletic field improvements at Robinson Park. In 2018, council created DIP to fund small capital improvement projects in each of the six council districts to enhance neighborhoods. Thousands in DIP funds are appropriated for each district each year. Already approved projects have included flashing lights and rumble strips at a roundabout and brick columns as a gateway into the Old Orchard neighborhood. The playground project was developed in partnership with Toledo Public Schools, which has committed $65,000 to the effort.

State Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township) wants Toledo to be a connection for major transportation hubs, and he’s relying on a couple friends from Congress to help. At the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport on Wednesday, Mr. Merrin stood alongside House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) at a news conference vowing that the expansion of flight options will be a top priority for him if elected to Congress. Mr. Merrin is on the ballot against U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo). Mr. Merrin said the airport has the opportunity to become an economic engine for northwest Ohio, creating jobs and providing vital transportation throughout the country, however, he said the airport has been left behind.

COLUMBUS — Both sides of the redistricting reform question on Tuesday's ballot claimed Wednesday that their position is the one that would truly end partisan "gerrymandering" in Ohio. "Although the message is that this ballot issue is all about ending gerrymandering, this is requiring gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution for partisan reasons," Columbus attorney Frank Strigari said at an Issue 1 forum hosted by the Columbus Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society. He played a role in drawing past and current maps as a lawyer for Statehouse Republicans. "In order to draw districts to give more seats to Democrats, you have to pull people out of these big cities," he said. "You have to pull Democrats out and spread them out to the suburbs."

Having already lost her son Eric Scott to a shooting just before Christmas, 2023, Alisha Quinney felt like she lost had another son in late February when Grant Lynn was charged with murder for a role in Eric’s death. “I know Grant truly regrets the decisions made that day,” Ms. Quinney said Wednesday morning in Lucas County Common Pleas Court before saying she did not consider young Scott to be a victim of Lynn’s, but that rather “we unfortunately lost the battle to the streets.” After asserting that young Scott was “definitely a victim here,” Judge Gary Cook sentenced Lynn, 19, to seven years in state prison for his convictions two weeks prior of involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the case. “Everybody in that car had a decision to make that day,” the judge said. “...One person could have stood up and said, ‘No, we’re not doing this.’”

The Maritime Career Day hosted by the National Museum of the Great Lakes on Wednesday is part of Executive Director Kate Fineske’s efforts to make area high school students aware of the “huge cross section of maritime careers” as they look ahead to life after graduation.  The inaugural event drew 30 companies and more than 300 students from nine districts. “We have talked about the event for the last two to three years,” Mrs. Fineske said. “We want to make this an annual event.” Mrs. Fineske said the students were able to meet with business representatives and learn about the variety of jobs out there that are connected to the maritime industry.

All right, everybody ready? Time for a final round of polling as we look ahead to the big day next week. Yep, college basketball season is tipping off. Meantime, I reached out to pick the minds of the men’s hoops coaches in the Mid-American Conference.

BOWLING GREEN — The Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. will host a speed dating event from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday at the Wood County Senior Center, 140 S. Grove St. Speed dating is a chance for those 50 and older to connect with new people in a fun, low-pressure environment, organizers said. Participants should be prepared to ask fun questions, share stories, and enjoy the moment. Each participant will have just a few minutes with each person. The event is $10 and will include refreshments. For more information, call 419-353-5661 or email programs@wccoa.net.

A state appellate court has upheld the inclusion on Maumee’s general-election ballot of a referendum regarding the city ordinance that requires landlords to register rentals and submit to code inspections every three years. In a decision written by Judge Gene Zmuda, the 6th District Court of Appeals affirmed a Lucas County Common Pleas Court ruling Oct. 8 that the city of Maumee did not object to the referendum in a timely manner, and the Lucas County Board of Elections “would suffer prejudice” if the city’s appeal were granted. Judge Thomas J. Osowik signed onto Judge Zmuda’s opinion, and appellate Judge Myron Duhart concurred. The appellate court did not discuss in its ruling the city’s claim that the petition filed by opponents of the rental-property ordinance was defective because its copy of the ordinance was improper.

Under new levels announced Wednesday, certain homeowners in Lucas County will be able to reduce their property tax burden, earn more money and still be approved for the Homestead Exemption. Homeowners may qualify for the property tax discount if they own and occupy their property and are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, or the surviving spouse of someone who was previously receiving the Homestead Exemption, and if they are 59 or older. The exemption will reduce the property value for taxable purposes by $28,000, up from $26,200. Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline announced Wednesday the increased Homestead Exemption income threshold and value exemption amount that was recently certified by the Ohio Tax Commissioner. For example, with the exemption, a property valued at $200,000 will be taxed at $172,000. 

BENTON RIDGE, Ohio — Amber fields of grain pause for a few blocks to form into the Main Street of Benton Ridge, Ohio, dotted with the names and portraits of local veterans. Recently, another memorial has been set up at Benton Ridge Community Park but the names listed there aren’t local.  “They were forgotten about,” said Robert Schoonover, Jr., whose family in Benton Ridge goes back generations. “My father, he’s seen it,” the 66-year-old continued, as he explained the story his dad, born in 1930, told him many times. “‘You could hear the engines roaring,’” he said.

FINDLAY — A 17-year-old Findlay boy’s death has been ruled a homicide, with injuries sustained during a police pursuit. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday said Kalvin Darapheth died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.  Responding to a report of juveniles drinking in Benard Park, 1105 Benard Ave., Monday evening, police encountered three juveniles in the park, one of whom, young Darapheth, ran from officers. An officer gave chase and during the foot pursuit, the boy pulled out a gun and shot at the officer, police said. The officer returned fire, striking the teen.

The 12th annual Tree City Film Festival will premier Saturday with a screening at Nederhouser Community Hall in Olander Park.  The screening is the result of an endeavor that began in September. Invited teams of professional, student, non-professional, and even “armchair” filmmakers had 50 hours to write, shoot, edit, and submit their own short films. Teams started the challenge at a Sept. 13 kickoff meeting where they received a series of elements that had to be incorporated into their projects — such as a particular genre, prop, line of dialogue, character name, and shooting location. After the allotted 50 hours were over, the films were juried by a guest panel of judges.

When he thinks of the nonprofit organizations in the Toledo area, the first words that come to Jim Ravas’ mind are “collaboration and partnership,” the president and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Toledo said. That’s what he saw when he looked at tables surrounded by representatives of a number of nonprofit organizations in Northwest Ohio including YWCA, The 577 Foundation, Mobile Meals of Toledo, and Stroke Life Center. They attended the 2024 Northwest Ohio Nonprofit Excellence Awards, presented by the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, The Blade, the Center for Nonprofit Resources, and 13abc. The ceremony Wednesday at the Pinnacle in Maumee saw three nonprofits receive Excellence Award trophies and take home thousands of dollars in grants in three different categories: collaborative programming, organizational operations, and strategic action. Recipients of each award also received a $7,500 unrestricted grant from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, a $1,000 grant from The Andersons, a half-page, full-color ad in The Blade, and a glass art award engraved with the organization’s name.

Leading Families Home has officially kicked off its Adopt-a-Family holiday campaign ahead of the upcoming Christmas season, it announced Tuesday. The nonprofit organization provides emergency shelter, behavioral health services, housing programs, and community outreach and is encouraging the community to “adopt” a family by providing them with gifts for the holidays. More than 80 families were adopted through the organization’s website in 2023, the nonprofit said. “Our donors look forward to our adopt-a-family campaign all year,” said Danielle Edwards, development communications specialist for Leading Families Home. “The outpouring of support from the community is truly inspiring.”

In 2020, state Rep. Josh Williams (R., Sylvania Township) graduated with his law degree from the University of Toledo, but a recent television ad for the politician’s re-election campaign won’t look familiar to Toledoans. The ad, produced by the Ohio House Republican Alliance, documents Mr. Williams’ journey from living in poverty to working in the statehouse. A significant moment for Mr. Williams was graduating from law school after previously receiving his bachelor’s and associate’s degrees from the University of Toledo. However, the ad doesn’t show the university’s landmark bell tower. Instead, it shows a different bell tower at the University of Texas at Austin. “We used stock images,” Mr. Williams said. “It doesn’t show the University of Toledo just like it doesn’t show me actually sleeping on a park bench.”