Ohio
How to grow ‘em into champions – Ohio Ag Net | Ohio's Country Journal
By Don “Doc” Sanders
In the late 1980s a farmer with a small swine operation in Champaign County occasionally called me with a health issue in one or more of his sows. To protect his identity, I am calling him Jack. Sometimes it was a gilt (young but mature female pig) delivering her first litter of pigs. Other times it might be to fix a prolapsed rectum in a grower pig or sometimes in an adult sow.
These swine prolapse cases occur primarily because of feeding moldy corn to the pigs. Other health issues may contribute to this condition, but moldy feed has to be considered the most likely cause.
I enjoyed providing vet service to this farm because the owner I would classify as a unique character. His swine operation consisted of a dozen or so sows and one boar. I might be called to provide veterinary care to the farm once or twice a year or so.
Jack also held a job in town to augment his swine operation’s income although I suspect the pork side of his business barely did more than break even. Jack planned to make his niche in local history by growing his boar to beat the national record for largest boar hog.
I first saw Chief in 1989 while this boar was being pampered at Jack’s farm. Jack was shooting for the appointed largest boar in the world recognized by Guinness World Records.
Jack had done his due diligence. He had purchased a large-framed Poland China boar a couple of years earlier. If readers are unfamiliar with the breed, these pigs have a black body with a white muzzle and forehead, four white feet with a blotch of white on their tail.
Jack recognized that Chief had the potential size to win the big boar contest. Chief weighed at just a little over 1,000 pounds.
Even though I have significant swine nutrition experience, Jack did not collaborate with me. This was not an issue for me because of the circumstances. Plus, Jack’s program was geared towards Chief getting heavier rather than more muscling.
I would classify Chief’s diet as not economically feasible for the average swine herd. He was not picky about his beer. He drank them all with gusto …Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bush, Budweiser, and Yuengling. The breweries provided the beer for free. Champaign Landmark feed mill supplied the feed.
Chief was the world champion in 1988, champion at the Indiana state fair and won the Buckeye Big Boar award at the Ohio State Fair in 1986, 1987, and 1989. Chief’s ultimate award was being a guest on late night television with David Letterman. It was quite an event with Letterman fawning over Chief. Chief ultimately made the Guinness record by being appointed as the largest boar the in world.
North Central Ohio Industrial Museum
North Central Ohio Industrial Museum houses hundreds of products made in north central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps and much more.
MANSFIELD ― If you’re interested in manufacturing, you can come and see hundreds of products made in North Central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps, Klondike bars, cigars and pieces made for streetcars.
The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum inside the lower east diagonal wing of the historic Ohio State Reformatory showcases the history of manufacturing in Mansfield and surrounding areas.
Location
The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield.
Why it matters
The museum traces the history of manufacturing in North Central Ohio since the first steam locomotive came through town in 1846. Exhibits highlight the accomplishments of local residents and industry in peace and war, according to NCOIM President Jerry Miller.
What to see
The NCOIM has several themed sections of exhibits, beginning with “Every town had a mill,” then the Cast Iron Age, City of Stoves, Wires & Electric Exhibits, Cigar & Beer, Wheels, AG Industry and Mickey Rupp, which then begins an exhibit on what is currently manufactured in Richland County.
Miller said the late Bob Glasener started the museum and was responsible for saving many local industrial artifacts over the years. Miller said Glasener’s daughter has in her possession the 1939 World’s Fair Westinghouse (gold-plated) roaster, which she donated to the museum.
The museum is full of surprising finds.
Elektro the Westinghouse robot should be on display this summer at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum after being restored.
A manhole and stormwater grate from 1935 made by the Tappan Stove Co. are among the treasures Miller helped to preserve. He also has the Tappan marquee and a Westinghouse marquee.
Plan your visit
Hours/admission: The museum will be open the same hours as OSR and will be free to tour with the purchase of a ticket to the prison-turned-museum.
Getting there: OSR is on the north side of Mansfield, just off U.S. 30.
Learn more: mrps.org (OSR is operated by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society).
Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-5-21-7223. She can be reached at X at @lwhitmir.
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — A Warren man who led police on a chase received his sentence on Wednesday.
Michael Greene, 32, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to make restitution.
Greene pleaded guilty in February to failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and failure to stop after an accident.
Greene was charged following a November 2025 police chase in Niles.
Prosecutors say that the chase involved speeds of about 103 miles per hour.
It was discovered that the car Greene was driving was reported stolen by a family member.
Patty Coller contributed to this report.
Experience history through augmented reality in Middletown
The Sandy Hook Foundation and Monmouth County Historical Association have unveiled an augmented reality experience that tells the story of Colonel Tye, a slave turned Revolutionary War raider for the Loyalists. Video provided by The Sandy Hook Foundation.
Ohioans have until May 25 to help document the final resting places of Revolutionary War veterans buried across the state.
The effort is part of the Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Identification Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative led by America 250-Ohio, the commission organizing the state’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project aims to create a publicly accessible database of veterans’ graves, complete with photographs, inscriptions and GPS coordinates, according to a community announcement.
The public can submit information through the Grave Marker and Cemetery Collection Portal until May 25. Submissions will be reviewed and finalized before the database is released July 4, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Thousands of graves documented by volunteers
Launched on Memorial Day 2025, the project has mobilized about 350 volunteers who have documented more than 4,000 grave markers across Ohio. The database is expected to include information on up to 7,000 veterans believed to be buried in the state.
Clusters of graves have been found in areas such as Clermont County and regions corresponding to the original Virginia Military and United States Military Districts. The first documented entry was the grave of Nathaniel Massie, a Virginia Militia private who founded the city of Chillicothe.
A window into Ohio’s early history
Ohio is home to a large number of Revolutionary War veterans’ graves, despite not being one of the original 13 colonies. After the war, portions of Ohio’s land were granted to veterans as payment for their service, drawing many to settle and build communities in the region.
Previously, records from organizations like the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution identified about 6,800 veterans buried in Ohio, but lacked precise locations and current photographs.
How to participate before the deadline
Anyone with a smartphone can contribute to the project. No historical expertise is required. Here’s how to participate:
- Visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves to review instructions and explore the map of cemeteries already identified as likely grave sites.
- Download the free Survey123 app on your smartphone.
- Visit a cemetery, photograph the grave marker, record inscriptions, and log GPS coordinates.
- Submit your entry through the portal before May 25.
Volunteers who do not wish to remain anonymous will be acknowledged by name for their contributions. The completed database will remain publicly accessible beyond the America 250 celebration and will be maintained by the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office and the Ohio History Connection.
A lasting legacy for future generations
The project is led by the Ohio History Connection and its State Historic Preservation Office, with support from Terracon Consultants, Inc. Submissions appear on a live, publicly viewable dashboard at ohpo.maps.arcgis.com.
“These are the very first veterans of the United States of America,” Krista Horrocks, historian, cemetery preservationist, and project manager with the Ohio History Connection said in the announcement. “Documentation is the part that will outlive all of us. Gravestones won’t survive forever, but if we can record their location and story today, that information will be here for generations to come.”
To learn more, view the live dashboard, or submit information on a grave site, visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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