Nearly 100 people gathered on Mount Vernon's Public Square on Thursday afternoon, in a show of support for middle school science teacher John Freshwater. The Mount Vernon City School administration has demanded Freshwater remove a Bible from his desk at school, even though a Bible has been a fixture in his classroom for many years.

MOUNT VERNON -- A Mount Vernon couple pleaded guilty Tuesday to selling Oxycontin pain medication to a Mount Vernon Police confidential informant. Identified in police records as confidential informant 13, the informant's identity was revealed in court as 27-year-old Eddie Farren of Mount Vernon.

JOHNSTOWN -- Manure from a local farm killed about 23,000 fish last week when it found its way into a tributary of the Licking River, according to an Ohio Division of Wildlife official.

MOUNT VERNON -- Rising food costs, coupled with a slowing economy, are starting to have an effect on people in Knox County.

MOUNT VERNON -- Last-minute tax filers kept the doors of the city income tax office swinging on Tuesday, as one after another stopped in to drop off forms and meet the April 15 deadline.

MOUNT VERNON -- The owners of Mount Vernon Hardware Co. have broken ground on a new warehouse rental building on West Gambier Street.

MOUNT VERNON -- Mansfield poet and arts enthusiast Mark Hersman has announced the lineup of appearances for the April poetry and music night at Sips Coffee House downtown, and it is a busy one.

BELLVILLE -- If there was a letter of the day at Clear Fork High School on Tuesday, it apparently was "k,"as in strikeout. Lauren Liberti's 12 strikeouts led the way for a 10-0, five-inning win over the Mansfield Senior Tygers. The Colts'offense was not too shabby either, as it managed 14 hits in the run-rule shortened contest.

MOUNT VERNON -- The Mount Vernon High School boys volleyball team bounced back from Saturday's loss to Cincinnati Moeller in winning fashion on Tuesday night. The Yellow Jackets, hosting Westerville Central, responded by sweeping the Warhawks in three games, 25-22, 25-14, 25-15.