Ohio
Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Announcements
Sports Updates (Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)
Marietta Pioneer Club Golf Outing
Now in its 39th year, the Marietta College Pioneer Club Golf Outing is set for Friday, July 19 at the Marietta Country Club. BSN Sports and FieldTurf are presenting sponsors for the 2024 outing.
The entry fee is $120 per golfer ($480 per foursome) and includes 18 holes of golf, cart, golf favors, and refreshments on the course. The Young Alumni discount returns for the sixth year where members of the Long Blue Line from the classes of 2020-2024 can play for just $75 per player.
There will be two flights of golf with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for the second. Each flight will be limited to a maximum of 20 teams. Flight preference will be on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for the Pioneer Club Golf Outing, visit: https://tinyurl.com/mr3avdnf.
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2024 Summer All-Comer Track Meets
The 2024 Summer All-Comer Track Meets are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on June 13 and 20 at Belpre High School.
The event is for all ages, and entry fee is $10 per participant for unlimited number of events.
Rolling schedule with automatic timing. All events will be timed finals with heats based on the times that athletes submit at registration, held 5-6 p.m., the day of the meet, at the track.
Ribbons will be awarded to the top six place winners in each event.
Athletes must provide their own shot and discus. Starting blocks will be provided.
Spikes will be checked and must be 1/4″ or less pyramids. No needle spikes will be allowed. No spikes will be sold at the meets.
For information: Rod O’Donnell, rrodonnell41@gmail.com.
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St. Marys Wrestling Golf Scramble
The St. Marys High School wrestling program is holding a golf scramble June 1 at St. Marys Golf Course.
Registration begins at 2 p.m. with a 3 p.m. shotgun start. Cost is $50 per person or $200 per team. Food and drinks included, and prizes include closest to the pin and longest drive.
For information: Jay D. Smith, 304-966-6577
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Marietta Weeping Willow Church Softball League
The Marietta Weeping Willow Church softball league will begin play June 3.
There will be three divisions and teams play 14 games and a tournament.
For information: Mark Duckworth, 740-525-2376 or Scott Stalter, 740-376-0305.
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MOV Sports Hall of Fame Banquet Tickets
Tickets are now on sale for the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction banquet.
The banquet will be held 6 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Grand Pointe Center in Vienna.
Tickets are $50 per person and the deadline for purchase is May 26.
Tickets can be obtained from MOVSHOF committee members and inductees, or by contacted Sec./Treasurer Don Ullmann at:
Box 11
Belle Valley, OH. 43717
Email: drudou@gmail.com or call 740-732-5558.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available at the door.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame Hall honors outstanding achievement in Sport in a seven-county region in Ohio and West Virginia.
Ten new members with major contributions to the area sport scene will be enshrined in the Class of 2024.
The inductees include: Bryan Canterbury, Jackson County; Michael Cox, Pleasants County; Janet Frazier, Wirt County; H. Dugan Hill, Noble County; Megan McAuley, Washington County; David R. Mossor, Ritchie County; Tim Phillips, Wood County; Rod O’Donnell, Washington County; Fred Sauro, Wood County; Jim Wharton, Wood County
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Wirt County Sideliners Golf Scramble
The Wirt County Sideliners and the Wirt County High School football team will be holding their annual golf scramble on June 1 at Mingo Bottom golf course.
Tee times will start at 9 a.m., $200 per team, there will be cash prizes for first, $400, second, $200 and third place, $100, 50/50 and closest-to-the-pin prizes.
We also have a $5,000 hole in one prize on #10 Par 3 hole and some very nice prizes for a hole in one on all other par 3 holes. Food and drinks will be provided. Please pre register if possible.
For information: Yogi Peterman, 304-767-3150 or Billy Dotson, 304-275-3378.
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Williamstown Offensive Skills Basketball Camp
The 34th annual Offensive Skills basketball camp will be held June 17-21 at Williamstown High School.
Campers in grades kindergarten through five will attend from 8 a.m. to noon. Campers in grade 6-9 will attend from 1-5 p.m. On the first day campers should arrive 15 minutes early for registration purposes. Cost is $100.
For information: Fred Sauro, 304-488-4522.
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37th annual Ohio River Basketball Camp
The 37th annual Ohio River basketball day camp for boys and girls entering grades 3-8 will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on June 3-6 at Ravenswood High School’s old gym.
All aspects of the game will be covered at the camp by director Mick Price. Cost is $70 and all campers will receive a T-shirt.
For more information or to register, email goreddevils@hotmail.com or call coach Price at 304-634-7312.
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Mid-Ohio Valley Prep Baseball, Softball Stats
Area teams wishing to participate in the weekly Mid-Ohio Valley prep baseball and softball statistical leaders are asked to send in final full season to date cumulative stats by 3 p.m. each Monday to jbennett@newsandsentinel.com and jholland@newsandsentinel.com.
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Wood County Rec Summer Tennis Program Schedule
Wood County Rec Summer Tennis Program at the City Park Courts will be June 10-July 29 excluding the 4th of July week.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m.-noon. Full schedule available on our website. Ages 5-18 (Boys & Girls).
The cost is $40 and includes a T-shirt. There are scholarships available. You can sign up now online at woodrecreation.com and we will have in person sign ups on June 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the tennis courts. Players may be moved to a different time slot depending on their skill level.
For information: rec office, 304-424-7311.
Ohio
Ohio State stud Carnell Tate might be the ideal ‘game-changer’ that Giants need
INDIANAPOLIS — There are so many questions an NFL team can pose to a top prospect and so many of them have to do with how he will handle the step up to the next level.
And how will he deal with waiting his turn?
These questions do not really apply to Carnell Tate.
Not after the gauntlet he had to pass through in college, trying to find his way and making incremental rises on a depth chart overflowing with talent at his position.
“The competition there, we’re all pushing to be the best receiver on the field that day and that practice,’’ Tate said Friday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine, “and typically, when you’re the best receiver at Ohio State, you’re the best receiver in the country.’’
True, that.
Tate figures to be in play for the Giants with the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
He is widely considered the top receiver in this class — there are certainly Jordyn Tyson supporters out there — and where the Giants prioritize aiding their offense with bolstering their defense will go a long way in determining if they select a wide receiver with their top pick for the second time in three years.
Where they are situated, one or both Ohio State studs, safety Caleb Downs or linebacker Sonny Styles, should be on the board — another Ohio State defender, edge rusher Arvell Reese, could go to the Jets at No. 2.
The Giants unquestionably need another prime target for Jaxson Dart but, when healthy, they already have a No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers, who was the No. 6 overall pick in 2024.
Investing so much draft equity in another one might not be the most balanced way to build the team in John Harbaugh’s first year as the head coach.
Or, it might be just the ticket to launch the offense.
“You’re always going to want to add more explosiveness to your offense, guys that score touchdowns, wherever that comes from: running back, receiver, tight ends, whatever it may be,’’ general manager Joe Schoen said. “That will be something we’ll look for.’’
There should not be much, or any, concern that Tate will not be a supportive and obliging running mate for Nabers, who made it into only four games last season before a devastating knee injury — he tore his right ACL and meniscus — left Dart without his only lethal weapon.
Tate is not one of those youngsters accustomed to being the top guy during his college experience.
Tate arrived as a five-star recruit in 2023 but how the heck was he supposed to break into the starting lineup with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka — both future first round picks — ahead of him?
In 2024, Tate was overshadowed by freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith.
Tate had to wait for his opportunities and while he did, he concentrated on becoming a better all-around player, developing his ability as a blocker on the perimeter.
In three seasons, Tate totaled 121 receptions for 1,872 yards.
He notched nine of his 14 touchdowns during the 2025 season.
Tate is often likened to Chris Olave, another former Buckeyes wideout.
Olave was a 2022 first-round pick of the Saints and has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in three of his four NFL seasons.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) and Garrett Wilson (Jets) are also former Ohio State receivers tearing it up in the NFL.
“It means a lot to me and it’s also a lot on your shoulders,’’ Tate said of the legacy. “Now you got to be the next one to come out there and put on for the school and carry the Receiver U.’’
Tate lining up on one side and Nabers — who is expected to be fully recovered in the spring or by training camp — lining up on the other side would be quite a combination for Dart.
“It would be great,’’ said Tate, who this week had a formal meeting with the Giants. “It would be a great opportunity, especially playing in New York. Big showcase. I’d love to go out there and play in New York.’’
Wan’Dale Robinson, mostly a slot receiver, is an impending free agent.
If he does not return, it would drain the passing game of the 92 receptions for 1,014 yards he contributed in 2025.
Veteran Darius Slayton is coming off a poor seventh year with the Giants.
At 6-foot-3, Tate has ideal height and he is lean at 195 pounds.
He will run the 40-yard dash in Indy but otherwise wait for his Pro Day to work out for NFL executives, coaches and scouts.
Without sounding boastful, Tate does not lack confidence.
“I think my game brings it all to the table,’’ he said. “I got the contested catch, I got the route-running and I also bring it in the run game, a lot of receivers don’t do that. I’m able to impact the game with or without the ball in my hands.
“If you want a game-changer, you got one right here.’’
The best wide receiver in this draft class?
“Me, no question,’’ Tate said.
“Whatever you need to do, I got it.’’
Ohio
Ohio woman sentenced in $775,000 Medicaid scheme
Ohio
‘Catastrophic’ Ohio farm fire kills 6,000 hogs and pigs, officials say
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Bloomberg – Quicktake
A wind-swept blaze at an Ohio hog farm complex caused “catastrophic” damage and left thousands of pigs dead, fire officials said, marking another devastating barn inferno contributing to the deaths of millions of animals in recent years.
The massive fire occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Fine Oak Farms in Union Township, Madison County, located west of Ohio’s capital of Columbus, according to the Central Townships Joint Fire District. Fire crews received a report of a barn fire shortly before 12 p.m. local time.
The incident was later upgraded to a commercial structure fire after Chief Brian Bennington observed a “large column of smoke visible from a distance” and requested additional resources. Multiple local fire departments, along with several other emergency agencies, were called to the scene.
“What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident,” Bennington said in a statement on Feb. 26.
The fire chief described the facility as a large farm complex used for hog production consisting of five large agricultural buildings, including four that housed about 7,500 hogs. When crews arrived at the scene, they found two of the barns engulfed in flames, Bennington said.
Crews were challenged by windy conditions that significantly impacted fire suppression efforts, according to Bennington. Three barns were destroyed in the fire, and about 6,000 hogs and pigs were killed.
Firefighters saved one barn and about 1,500 hogs, the fire chief added. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Bennington highlighted the assistance of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark counties, as multiple farmers responded with water trucks to help with water supply efforts. “Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need,” he said.
The incident remains under investigation, and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the fire’s cause and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the public at this time.
‘Rapidly changing fire behavior conditions’
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, and Bennington said first-arriving units were met with fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the hog farm complex.
The fire chief noted that the incident required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area. Crews attempted to cut the fire off by deploying multiple handlines and using an aerial device, but “faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident,” according to Bennington.
Sustained winds of about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. The high winds made it “extremely difficult” to contain forward fire progression and created “rapidly changing fire behavior conditions” across the agricultural complex, he added.
After about four to five hours, the fire was contained by fire personnel from four different counties, according to the fire chief.
“Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business,” Bennington said in an earlier statement on Feb. 25. “A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed.”
Latest major fire to impact an Ohio hog farm
The incident at Fine Oak Farms is the latest major fire to cause significant damage to an Ohio hog farm in recent years.
In August 2024, about 1,100 pigs were killed in Versailles, a village about 50 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, according to data from the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. In March 2022, about 2,000 hogs died in a barn fire at Kenneth Scholl Hog Farm in Brown Township, just west of Columbus.
Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.
Hundreds of thousands of animals killed in barn fires each year
Data from the Animal Welfare Institute shows that hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in barn fires across the country each year. Since 2013, over 9 million farm animals have been killed in barn fires, according to the organization.
As of Feb. 26, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that 118,738 farm animals have died in U.S. barn fires this year, including the incident at Fine Oak Farms. The majority of farm animals killed were chickens in separate incidents in North Carolina and Georgia in January, and another incident in Missouri earlier this month.
“Most fatal barn fires occurred in colder states, particularly the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois had the highest number of barn fires, respectively,” according to the organization. “The amount of cold weather a state experienced appeared to be a greater factor in the prevalence of barn fires than the intensity of a state’s animal agriculture production.”
In an updated report on farm animal deaths due to barn fires in 2025, the Animal Welfare Institute said more than 2.53 million farm animals were killed in barn fires from 2022 to 2024. The organization noted that the high death toll was “driven primarily” by fires at large operations that housed several thousand to over 1 million farm animals.
The majority of deaths in these incidents during that period, over 98%, were farmed birds, such as chickens and turkeys, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. But in 2023, a massive fire at a west Texas dairy farm became the single deadliest event involving livestock in the state’s history and the deadliest cattle fire in America in at least a decade.
18,000 head of cattle perished in the fire at the South Fork Dairy farm near Dimmitt, Texas. At the time, Roger Malone, who is the former mayor of Dimmitt, called the incident “mind-boggling.”
“I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here. It’s a real tragedy,” Malone said.
Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY; Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch
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