COLUMBUS – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today certified the petition for the proposed constitutional amendment submitted by the Ohio Rights Group.

On May 7, the Ohio Attorney General's Office received a written petition to amend the Ohio Constitution by adding the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment. The submission was certified today as containing both the necessary 1,000 signatures from registered Ohio voters and a "fair and truthful" summary.

"Without passing upon the advisability of the approval or rejection of the measure to be referred,…I hereby certify that the summary is a fair and truthful statement of the proposed constitutional amendment," DeWine stated in a letter to the Ohio Ballot Board.

Once the summary language and initial signatures are certified, the Ohio Ballot Board must determine if the amendment contains a single issue or multiple issues. The petitioners must then collect signatures for each issue from registered voters in each of 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, equal to 5 percent of the total vote cast in the county for the office of United States President at the last presidential election. Total signatures collected statewide must also equal 10 percent of the total vote cast for the office of president at the last presidential election.

The full text of today's letter and of the amendment petitions submitted can be found at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/BallotInitiatives.

OAKWOOD – Cooper Farms has recently finished rebuilding their Apple Creek Tom Turkey Farm after the June 29, 2012 storm heavily damaged the original buildings, built in 1985. Apple Creek houses nearly half of Cooper Farms’ tom turkeys used for breeding.

ANTWERP – Antwerp’s 4th Annual Cleveland Street Rib Fest will be held on Saturday, June 8, between the VFW and fire hall.

PAULDING – In observation of Armed Forces Day, the United Way of Paulding County will be co-hosting an event with the Paulding Chief Supermarket from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 18. All military personnel, men and women, active and retired, are cordially invited to attend this event.

UWPC and Chief would be honored to have as their guests anyone who has served or is currently serving in the military. Please arrive at the Paulding Chief parking lot at 10:45 a.m.

All Paulding County citizens are encouraged to attend this event. This is an opportunity to meet and greet our hometown heroes who have so valiantly served in our nation’s military. They have done so much for us; help show our appreciation. Refreshments will be available, freewill donation.

Please bring a canned food donation for the local food pantry.

By JIM LANGHAM • Feature Writer

When Paulding County resident Richard Nickols followed the advice his family doctor, Dr. Joseph Kuhn, to have his colon checked, he was shocked to discover that there was a substantial amount of cancer that would require six months of chemotherapy.

By JIM LANGHAM • Feature Writer

In the last week of April, Paulding County OSU Extension advisor Jim Lopshire had his concerns as only one percent of the corn and soybean crop had been planted, due to excessive April rains.