DEFIANCE – The recently purchased Napoleon, Defiance and Western Railroad (ND&W, formerly the M&W RR) was the subject discussed at a meeting held by the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) May 2 in Defiance.

The ND&W runs through Henry, Defiance and Paulding counties in Ohio and extends into Woodburn, Ind.

Tony Langham, Paulding County Economic Development director, represented Paulding County. Other attendees included the ORDC, the ND&W, representatives from Gov. Kasich’s office, Rep. Latta’s office, Sen. Portman’s office, Defiance County Commissioners and ED office, Henry County ED office, and Jobs Ohio.

The goal of all attendees is to upgrade the short line rail for better safety, service and dependability. A cooperative mood was expressed by all as this rail could be a very good economic development asset to the area. Avenues for funding repairs to the line were discussed, which included pursuing grants and low-interest loans.

The next step will be a meeting of the ND&W, Henry, Paulding and Defiance county commissioners and economic development directors to plan on short- and long-term repair goals and financing.

COLUMBUS – Interested in learning how to create a garden and grow vegetables? Then join the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) for the Vegetable Gardening for Beginners online meeting May 14 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“Farm Bureau has a long history of working with people who grow food,” said Janet Cassidy, OFBF senior director of marketing communications. “And we know food production doesn’t just happen in farm fields, but also in backyards and gardens across the state.”

Cassidy will be joined by Pam Bennett, Ohio State master gardener and Bren Haas, of BGgarden.com. Topics will include soil preparation, planting, weed and pest control, fertilizer and more. Guests can submit questions prior to and during the event.

Additionally, participants can join the Our Ohio Gardening Facebook Group, open to anyone interested in talking about gardening in Ohio. The group is a great place to meet other local gardening enthusiasts, network and ask questions before and after the event.

Although the event is free, registration is required by May 13. For more information, to register or to join the Our Ohio Gardening Facebook Group, visit OurOhio.org and click “Getting Started in Vegetable Gardening.”

The vision of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is to create a partnership between farmers and consumers. Members include farmers, gardeners, food and wine enthusiasts, teachers and more. For more information, or to join, visit GrowWithFB.org.

What is Venturing? Venturing is part of the Boy Scouts of America and is for young men and women ages 14 through 20 (and not yet age 21), or age 13 and have completed the eighth grade. Approximately one-third of all Venturers are young women. Venturing is a youth led organization. The focus areas of the Venturing program include the outdoors, arts and hobbies, sports, religious life, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and Sea Scouts.

The Venturing program allows the youths to tailor programs to their interests. Venturing gives young adults challenging, exciting adventures like scuba diving, cycling tours, climbing, and rappelling, and hobbies such as shooting sports, service projects and community service, living history, video gaming, and golfing – and much, much more. Although outdoor activities are a major part of Venturing, the program also features life skills like leadership development, public speaking, interviewing, and mentoring. Using the seven leadership methods of Venturing (leadership, group activities, adult association, recognition, scouting ideals, high adventure and sports, and teaching others), this program for youth helps prepare them to become responsible, caring adults. Venturing impacts nearly a quarter million youth every year.

This Venturing Crew is being formed with leaders of the Payne Boy Scouting program and St Jacob’s Church in Payne. Venturing meetings will be held in St Jacob’s Fellowship Hall. Youths do not need to live in Payne to participate.

Interested youth are invited to learn more by attending an open house at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at Alley Cat Lanes in Paulding. Youths who enroll in the Venturing program will bowl a free game.

For additional information, please contact Michelle Waggoner at 260-580-8101.

COLUMBUS -Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel announced interest rate reductions offered through the State Treasury's 2013 Agricultural Linked Deposit (Ag-LINK) Program. This year, over 592 farms in 54 counties were approved to receive interest rate reductions on $61.6 million in operating loans and lines of credit.

"Agriculture is a major part of the economic backbone of Ohio's economy," saidMandel. "As one of our state's most essential industries, it is important that farmers are given the tools to help them produce a successful harvest. The Ag-LINK program helps farmers reduce the burden of their annual operating costs so that they can invest in things like feed, seed, fertilizer and fuel at the beginning of the season."

Ag-LINK, an annual program that has been in existence for 29 years, allows Ohio farmers to apply for interest rate reductions on operating loans or lines of credit up to $150,000. Applications to enroll in the program were accepted from January through March of this year. In order to become eligible for the Ag-LINK program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be organized for profit;

• Must have headquarters and 51% of operations maintained in Ohio;

• Must obtain an operating loan or line of credit from an eligible bank or Farm Credit Lender;

• Must use the loan exclusively for agricultural purposes;

• Must agree to comply with all program and bank regulations.

View a breakdown of 2013 Ag-LINK interest rate reductions offered by region and county.

After a farmer and their lender successfully completes the application, the Ohio Treasurer's office places an investment with the participating financial institution for one year. This one year investment then allows the lender to lower the interest rate on the farmer's loan.

By Lindsay McCoy • DHI Correspondent

VAN WERT - Social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, were booming Monday afternoon with the appearance of ’90s rapper, Vanilla Ice, in the Van Wert community. The celebrity’s appearance was not an isolated incident as he is currently filming a portion of his new reality show, Vanilla Ice Goes Amish, in the county this week.

Vanilla Ice, also known as Rob Van Winkle, came into popularity as a rapper in the 90s with his mega-hit, “Ice Ice Baby.” Following this time, he moved into the world of reality TV, starring in "The Surreal Life" and its sequel, "Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge," "Dancing on Ice" and "Celebrity Boxing."

In October 2010, "The Vanilla Ice Project" first aired on DIY Network and has become the top rated show on the network. The fourth season of the popular home improvement show is set to air this fall.

Now, a spinoff of this series, "Vanilla Ice Goes Amish," has brought the celebrity into the Amish country of Ohio to immerse himself in their world and learn their ways of construction.

Three weeks into filming, Vanilla Ice has accompanied his new Amish family for the construction of a home outside of the Wren, Ohio, area.

“It’s a beautiful day,” said Vanilla Ice. “It’s great. The weather is perfect right now; I am marinating. I’m really enjoying it, and we are filming a great show here.”

The reality star admitted that once he becomes curious about an idea, it overwhelms his brains and thinks about it all the time. He is eager to work with the Amish, who pride themselves on construction and craftsmanship, in order to learn their ways of construction and teach them his own.

“We are going to gel and make a really cool show,” remarked Vanilla Ice. “It is going to be fun as well as an adventure because I know nothing about them. I have so many questions. I want to know how and why, but I don’t want to overwhelm them either.”

"Vanilla Ice Goes Amish" is set to air in Jan. 2014, and the episode filmed within Van Wert County is currently set to kick off the season as episode one.

“I’m going to give the Amish a different design style,” noted the rapper-turned-handyman. “The show will include two completely opposite worlds meeting and coming together to share a similar interest in construction.”

For Immediate Release: (4/30/13) ~ The Paulding Chamber of Commerce will be running the Flat Rock Creek Festival September 20th ~22nd. Founders of the fall festival Bill and Patty Vance are stepping down after 21 years of service to our county. Executive Director of the Paulding Chamber, Erika Willitzer says it’s hard to measure up what the Vance’s have accomplished for our county. Countless non-profit groups have reaped the benefits of the well-attended festival by selling food or other goods. In return, those groups use the funds for their specific causes. It’s truly amazing and admirable what they have done for our rural community, added Willitzer.

The Paulding Chamber of Commerce Board understands that residents might have reservations over another group administering the festival, but we want the public to know that we’re not taking this new role lightly and we intend to run it with same integrity the Vance’s have done for so many years.

One of the toughest hurdles the festival has to face is financials. While many might perceive this fall festival as having an abundance of funds, the fact is the festival takes a lot of money to put on each year. Just last year the festival had expenses of roughly $56,000. One expense example is the horse pulls. They cost anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 each year. Meanwhile, the festival only has around $28,000.00 currently in its bank account for operational costs. The festival depends on gate and vendor fees each year to cover the rest of the expenses. If a rainout or low attendance occurs this could be detrimental to the festival continuing for years to come.

The Chamber Board is aiming to make the festival financially sound and we’re working hard at this because we know how much it truly means to people. “It’s more than a festival, it’s a place where families reunite and old friends catch up on old times. It’s a reflection of the past and a renewed spirit for the future,” said Willitzer.

In order to cover expenses, the Paulding Chamber Board has decided to ask for corporate sponsorships, raise camping fees to $15 per night, and ask that flea & craft vendors pay an electric fee of $15.00 extra for the entire weekend. All other vendor fees will remain the same. Every food vendor will be treated equally and will pay 10 % of their net profits and that contribution to the festival is the same as last year. We’re hoping by making small changes, we’ll be able to cover the cost and have an operational budget that covers all of expenses in 2014.

So what will you find when you attend the Flat Rock Creek Festival this year? You’ll be getting the same spirited experience, you’ve grown to love over the years. All the entertainment has been booked and your favorites will be returning. “Spike and Bulldogs” , Spittin Image, Stockdale Band and more will all be back to set the mood at the festival, and when it comes to exhibitors, the tractor pulls and horse pulls are also confirmed to attend.

The Paulding Chamber Board encourages questions and you can always contact Executive Director, Erika Willitzer via email: PauldingChamber@Gmail.com. The Chamber Board looks forward to taking on the festival and we hope the public understands that this is our first year managing the festival, so a little patience and understanding would be greatly appreciated by all the vendors, campers, and attendees that have made Flat Rock Creek Festival a tradition for years.

You may also talk to any Paulding Chamber Board Member: Officers~ President, Marsha Yeutter(Paulding Senior Ctr), Vice President, Tyson Mowery, (Sarah Mowery, DDS), Financial Director, Dianne Jones (State Bank & Trust), Secretary, Sonya Herber (United Way of Paulding County), Board of Directors ~ Brenda Wieland (Paulding County Hospital), Harvey Hyman (Hyman & Hyman Law Firm), Ruben Gill (Ruben Gill Insurance), Reta Ptak (Rip It Fit Studio), Mayor Greg White (Village of Paulding), Susan Pieper (Paulding County Carnegie Library), Anne Thomas (Returned To You Collection Agency), Cassie Jo Arend, (Cooper Farms), Kim Tracy (Salvation Army of Paulding County) .