Kid’s Hope is a national mentoring organization that partners with local churches to provide one-on-one mentoring for children in public schools. 

The program matches adult/college mentors with students who can benefit from extra support and encouragement. These mentors meet with their students for one hour each week during the school day. 

“It’s really about showing these kids that someone cares about them and believes in them,” Brad Allen, a Kids Hope mentor at Francis Slocum said. “Even just an hour a week can make a big difference in their confidence and happiness.” 

For some students, this is the only one-on-one time they receive with an adult outside of home or the classroom. 

“We’re here to love and be a consistent presence in their lives,” Vickie Conrad, the Kids Hope director for Frances Slocum Elementary said. “Sometimes just being around someone each week gives the kids encouragement and the strength they didn’t know they needed.” 

Teachers and school staff said that they have also noticed the difference the mentors are making. Many students who participate in Kid’s Hope show improvements in their classroom behavior, confidence, and attitude toward learning. 

“I’ve seen the students light up when they see their mentors, even on days when they aren’t feeling the best,” Hannah Lindsay, a teacher at Frances Slocum said. “It gives them something to look forward to and allows them to feel valued.” 

Kid’s Hope continues to seek new mentors from the community who are willing to invest their time and care into the next generation.

“When we put tariffs on imported goods, the costs of these tariffs are embedded in the price of what we buy in very complicated ways,” Economist Alex Russell said. 

The new policy that President Trump is implementing is going to increase Chinese imports to 20%, 25% on most Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as a 25% global tariff on steel and aluminum products. 

Many local businesses are heavily affected by this including car dealerships and jewelry stores. 

“It’s all a little unsettling. Importers from China will have to decide how much of the added 10% they’ll have to pass on. If you import from Canada and Mexico, you probably won’t have a choice but to add the extra costs. It will definitely make jewelry more expensive.… It feels like a big mess,” Lillian Harsha, an employee at Kay Jewelers, said. 

With the new tariffs, there are major risks that the citizens are going to have to face which can result in a reduction of jobs, higher prices for electricity and a significant increase of purchasing cars. 

“It’s reasonable to expect that vehicle prices will rise, which presents an added challenge to an industry that is already grappling with ongoing affordability concerns,” Mark Mcknee, an employee at M&H Auto, said. 

These tariffs will have a negative impact on the everyday consumer, especially those who rely on imported goods. With an average income of 29,000 in the Grant County area, this will likely put a strain on household budgets. 

“As a police officer, you always have to adapt your driving to the weather conditions and the skills that we learn from our condition driving,” said a Grant County Deputy. “We noticed that it’s hard for the public to do that; we’ve seen a lot more accidents because of that.” 

He said that most accidents occur during the first snowfall or ice storm of the year, which is common given that people have to adapt quickly to the conditions. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement annually.” 

Many residents in the grant county area live in neighborhoods that go unattended by the maintenance crew due to limited road access, so they rely heavily on neighbors or local companies. 

“I’ve shoveled and plowed this road since I moved here,” Jim Reiger said. “I want to make the place we live a safer and easier for elderly people like myself” 

Reiger said, Grant County needs more people in the area to care about where they live and help out the community the best they can, even if that means putting salt down on the back roads or shoveling your doorsteps and sidewalk. 

“I feel like they definitely take care of the main roads, like, pretty well,” Cameron Lain said, a resident of Marion. “I’ve noticed at least in the neighborhood where I live, the roads are pretty bad, usually the entire time.” 

Lain said it is difficult for him to navigate through the back roads and wishes the people of Marion would create a safer environment. 

“Slow down! Reaction times are increased; your vehicle isn’t going to react in time due to the cold weather” a Grant County Deputy said. 

In high-risk weather drivers should watch for other drivers and stay at least 300 feet behind plow trucks.

Ashley’s Ice Cream recently moved locations in Marion, but hosted a new event “Sprinkled Event” to honor Valentine’s day and collaborations with local vendors. 

“Growing up in Marion, there was a lot of businesses I’ve seen come and go, and now coming back home I thought Marion needed more,” Tyler Hewitt, Owner of Ashley’s Ice Cream said, “The more things we can do to bring the community in and make this business better, we feel that we can help the community and grow downtown.” 

The Sprinkled event came from another business in town “Sprinkled by Stephanie”, where they specialize in cupcakes and bakery deserts. This joint Valentine’s day event focused on bringing as many people together and meeting the faces of the community. 

The specials for the “Sprinkled event” were Donut Strawberry Shortcakes and Brownie Sundaes. 

“They are a lot more involved with the community, employees, and themselves. They are people that I look up to,” Madison Archer, an employee, said. “We do a lot more events now, than before and I can definitely see the change in the business and the community.” 

Many couples stopped by to enjoy some delicious deserts and the beautiful decorations on display. 

“When businesses like Ashley’s provide something like this, it encourages families to stay local and keep their dollars here in Grant County” Adrienne Hammond, a resident in Grant Country said.

Golden Eagles’ Kevin Renbarger said the Panthers have been on the rise after their last win in upset fashion over the undefeated Taylor Titans 48-41.

“When Jace [Tonagel] is in, things fall into place,” Renbarger said. “We need to find other ways to spread out the floor.”

This is the second time these two teams have faced off on the hardwood. The Panthers defeated Oak Hill in a Saturday tournament in December, 43-38.

Panthers Head Coach, Jeff Liddick is in his first year leading the team.

“We have to play the most complete and consistent game we have this season and be patient with the ball,” Liddick said. “If we do face adversity, we can not get down about it. We have to keep on fighting. It will be one of those games where we have to play all four quarters.”

Jace Tonagel led the Golden Eagles in every category with 20 points, 3 assists and 8 rebounds, despite dealing with a stomach virus.

Tonagel learns from one of the best coaches in Indiana, his father, Greg Tonagel. Coach Tonagel is the head coach at Indiana Wesleyan and has racked up over 500 wins and three NAIA National Championships.

“You’re not going to feel great, but just being out there is going to say something to your teammates, and I said, once you get out there, you may forget about it,” Coach Greg Tonagel said. “God has given you these gifts. Not for yourself, not for your glory, but for His platform.”

The Golden Eagles will face Southwood on Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m. EST. The Panthers will face Daleville on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m EST.