MOUNT VERNON -- As of May 12, there are 167 men and women serving prison time for crimes convicted in Knox County, according to records from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. This accounts for roughly 0.3 percent of the total prison population of Ohio.

MOUNT VERNON -- It used to be a place to go shopping, but, in about a year, it will be a place to get an education.

MOUNT VERNON -- More people are taking advantage of the Opportunity Knox Employment Center on Coshocton Road. According to Roger Shooter, director of Knox County Jobs and Family Services, the center had 2,666 visits last month, up from 2,176 visits in January.

MOUNT VERNON -- It's not easy to give up smoking.

MOUNT VERNON -- As a nod to "Hollywood Squares,"the game show that brought Mount Vernon native Paul Lynde to the peak of his stardom in the 1970s, a live “Knox Squares� show is being planned as a bicentennial event in early July, the Knox County Bicentennial Committee has announced.

FREDERICKTOWN -- A large plaque with the picture of longtime influential teacher, coach and principal Roy McKinley will have an honored place in the lobby of the new Fredericktown High School. This testimonial for McKinley has been in the making for nearly a year as the committee made plans and raised money for the project.

SPARTA -- The Highland High School softball team advanced to the next level of play on Tuesday night with a win. The Scots defeated Grandview Heights, 9-1, in Division III Sectional play. Highland banged out 10 hits in the game.

HOWARD -- It was a game that did not start well and had some struggles in the end, but eventually the East Knox High School baseball team managed to advance to the next round.

SPARTA -- One big inning was all it took for the Johnstown High School baseball team to upset the higher seeded Highland Scots on Tuesday afternoon.

HOWARD -- The old adage you can't win without pitching proved true in the postseason softball matchup between the Fredericktown Freddies and the East Knox Bulldogs on Tuesday evening. When it was all said and done, Fredericktown (8-14) left Howard with a 3-0 win to advance in tournament play.