UTICA -- Youngsters Caleb and Micah Lumsden gazed through the large windows of new viewing gallery at Ye Olde Mill and watched workers making ice cream during a special event Thursday.

This weekend will serve as a free fishing weekend across the state of Ohio. On May 3 and 4, adults can fish without a fishing license. There are ample fishing spots across Knox County for an angler of any expertise including the Kokosing River, Foundation Park and Wolf Run Regional Park.

MOUNT VERNON -- Thursday was the annual National Day of Prayer and Knox County's event took place on Public Square, attended by about 100 worshippers, about half of whom were youth and children. Despite noisy motorcycles, ambulances and trucks constantly rolling by, the crowd focused avidly on the presenters and the music.

MOUNT VERNON -- Bag after bag after bag builds up into a small mountain of aluminum cans at a local scrap yard, and the manager there says it's gotten to be too much for his hard working crew to handle.

MOUNT VERNON -- Statewide testing mandates involve the printing and distribution of millions of test and answer forms for each subject area being assessed. Sometimes, glitches occur, as happened in some areas with the spring administration of Ohio Achievement Tests; not enough of certain test forms for students needing special accommodations were received by schools.

MOUNT VERNON -- The Board of Knox County Commissioners announced that the Knox County Yard Waste and Compost area on Thayer Road is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., through the end of October. This is the second year that Wednesday service is available at the facility.

MOUNT VERNON -- On Thursday morning, the Knox County Commissioners opened bids for paving and spot repairing roads in the county.

MOUNT VERNON -- The congregation of the First Presbyterian Church has found a way to celebrate the church's 200th birthday this year: Collecting 200 items each month for Interchurch Social Services.

HOWARD -- Apple Valley is full of elegantly winding roads peppered with picturesque houses. The homes overlook a placid reservoir that runs the length of the development. It is on a hillside on the east side of the lake that the Apple Valley Clubhouse is home, every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, to the Apple Valley Artists.

MOUNT VERNON -- It was a tough afternoon for the Mount Vernon High School boys tennis team on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets struggled through a winless match versus Olentangy, falling, 5-0. The best that they can do is use the experience to help them later in the year.

MOUNT VERNON -- Fans will notice a few changes when Pacemakers Dragway Park officially opens its 52nd season of racing with Friday and Saturday's Test and Tune. Although this weekend marks the first racing of 2008, activity has been underway for quite a while.