Submitted photo

The Mount Vernon High School softball team was honored at a team banquet on Wednesday. Special award winners were, from left: Nicole Doyle, Team MVP, Best Offensive Player, Capital Conference First Team; Jess Wellman, Team Leadership Award, OCC Honorable Mention, Apple Scholarship Award; Erin Lawhon, OCC Special Mention; Maria Hairston, OCC Second Team; Courtney Harris, Most Improved; and Alex Rutherford, Best Defensive Player. Not pictured: Maggie Hale, Team Character Award, Apple Scholarship Award.

MOUNT VERNON — Kirk A. Menapace, 18, of 19 Ames St., Mount Vernon, was cited for improper operation at stop sign in the collision Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Ames and Newark Road.

According to the Mount Vernon Police report, Menapace was westbound on Ames about 3:20 p.m., and stopped at the intersection with Newark Road. He told police another driver motioned him to cross, but he didn’t see the southbound Chevrolet Equinox on Newark Road. The sport utility vehicle struck Menapace’s pickup truck broadside, causing the truck to roll onto its top in the yard at 901 Newark Road.

The driver of the Equinox, James R. Vanscyoc, 58, of 717 Sandusky St., Mount Vernon, and a passenger, Kara Vanscyoc, 60, same address, were taken to Knox Community Hospital with “non-incapacitating injuries.”

Butcher is a 2005 graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. She resides in New York City where she is a dance instructor and performer. She is the daughter of Jeff and Cheri Butcher and the granddaughter of Owen and Marilyn Butcher, all of Mount Vernon.

Other businesses and offices closed in observance of the holiday include:

•Knox Area Transit; resume regular business hours Tuesday.

•Knox County Department of Job & Family Services. This includes Workforce Development, Opportunity Knox One Stop Employment and Training, Public Assistance, Child Support Enforcement, and Child and Family Services.

•Knox Metropolitan Housing Authority. The office handling the CHIP housing rehabilitation activities for the city of Mount Vernon and Knox County will also be closed.

The group has a wide range of musical backgrounds from delta blues to bluegrass, folk to rock, country to jazz and have all recorded individually and in various combinations of musicians and in multiple settings. What they bring to the area is a new hybrid of music, not any of the above mentioned styles but something, well, different.

Sarah Goslee Reed, Alison Cline, Noah Shull, Biller Miller, Skip Trask, Mike Petee are the musicians and writers and they invite the public to join them on the last Saturday of each month. There is no cost, although donations are accepted and they provide coffee, tea and goodies as well.

The group in various combinations has been casually going through their songs and performing for a few months now and finally decided they should actually call the gathering by a name shorter than all the musicians names, so after going through an amazing number of names that none agreed on, the name used by white settlers for this are, Owl Creek, was recently chosen for this new musical congregation in Knox County.
So, for those who are seeking an evening that is different from the bar scene or movies or just plain staying home, is family- and ear-friendly, and a refreshing way to kick back after those long weeks at work, join Owl Creek and relax.

For more information about Owl Creek and The Last Saturday Café, visit www.VisitKnoxOhio.org or call 740-392-3018 and thank you to the Ohio Humanities Council and Ariel Foundation for helping to get this idea off the ground.

Schmidt joined First-Knox in 1989 as a part-time teller at the Lexington Office. She has served as a teller supervisor, office operations associate and deposit operations associate.

She is a graduate of Clear Fork and the Knox County Career Center. She has completed the AIB General Banking and Bank Operations diplomas. Schmidt is a member of Grace Community Church in Mount Vernon and resides in Fredericktown with her husband, Rob. They are the parents of Brad and Bobby.

There were several other awards handed out at the meeting.

Leadership Excellence honors went to Krystal E. Drye, manager and administrative officer, Coshocton Avenue Office; Brian Hinkle, assistant vice president Farmers and Savings Bank; and Tiffany D. Stefano, administrative officer, Millersburg Office.

Named Most Valuable Player (MVP) was Vonda Kuninger, office specialist II, deposit operations.

Spirit Awards were presented to Nicole S. Au, administrative officer, mortgage loans; Tami M. Naber, cash management specialist II; and Lori A. Radcliff, teller specialist, II Blackjack Road Office.

Rookie of the Year honors went to Ramona S. Carter, teller II, Coshocton Avenue Office; Dashua R. Knight, office specialist I, indirect loans; and Donna J. Meyer, customer service specialist I, Fredericktown Office.

The Patty S. Durbin Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Julie A. Leonard, senior vice president, administration. This award is named in honor of Mrs. Durbin who personified professionalism and served as a tremendous resource to the organization.

Giving Heart Award went to Sharon E. Blubaugh, vice president, Farmers and Savings Bank.

Outstanding Teller Awards were presented to: Andrea D. Inverso, Danville Office; Haley L. Strouse, Millersburg Office; and Patricia L. Wolf, Main Office.

The Loan Excellence Award went to the Danville Office, and the Deposit Growth Award went to the Millersburg Office. The Danville Office also won the Balancing Award.

The Alternative Investment Award of Distinction was presented to the Bellville Office.

Over 170 employees attended the recognition dinner.

Employee awards were presented by Vickie A. Sant, president, First-Knox National Bank and Kenneth G. Gosche, president, Farmers and Savings Bank.

Under the direction of Christie Cochran, the Danville High School marching band will travel to Chicago where they will rehearse with the mass band and learn from nationally acclaimed adjudicators.

Cochran has been teaching for 26 years and will be personally leading the Danville High School group of 55 students to Chicago. Cochran is excited to have the opportunity to travel to the 2013 McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on a WorldStrides Heritage Performance program. To learn how you can help Danville High School’s fundraising efforts, contact Christie Cochran at 740-502-7793 or christie.cochran@danvilleschools.org.

WorldStrides Heritage Performance programs congratulate Christie Cochran and the Danville High School marching band for earning this once-in-a-lifetime invitation. Visit www.worldstridesheritageperformance.org to learn more about marching band travel opportunities.

Elana is a member of the Key Club and was vice-president of Students against Destructive Decisions her junior year. She was also a member of the Environmental Club and participated in a Kokosing River cleanup. Elana also volunteered as a cheerleading coach for Upward.

Elana has a cumulated grade point average of 3.909 and ranks 27th in her class of 267. She plans to attend West Virginia University.
The goal of the Environmental Scholarship and Recycling Awards Program is to get area youths more involved with creating a healthy environment by promoting and awarding, recycling and litter prevention activities. Scholarship applicants must have participated in at least one organized recycling drive or litter cleanup, be it from school, church, scouting, 4-H or other organization to be eligible.

The Knox County Commissioners gratefully acknowledges all the many well-qualified students who applied for this scholarship for their fine examples of civic and scholastic achievements.

Photo Submitted

During the annual ROTC award banquet held at KCCC, Mount Vernon High School senior Merissa Fiorilli, right, received DAR’s 2013 ROTC Medal from Lucy Knox Chapter member Nancy Vail.