Family, friends celebrate with Ernie Blankenship upon his retirement from NCB in Hillsboro

The Snow Hill Country Club was a fitting location for the Ernie B. Blankenship retirement celebration Wednesday, Jan. 16.

A place where Ernie has played countless rounds of charity golf and hosted events for many friends and associates over the years, Snow Hill Country Club was the selected site by NCB for the celebration.

Heather Cummings of NCB welcomed friends and guests, who each took their turn congratulating Ernie upon his retirement and thanking him for his community service to Highland County.

Ernie has been well-known for more than half a century as the "Radio Voice of Hillsboro and Highland County," and also as the dean of Ohio High School Sports Broadcasters. He called his final high school football game on a crisp autumn night in late October 2010, along with his longtime on-air partners, Jim Duckwall, Dale Martin and Richard Blankenship.

After retiring from a radio career that spanned some five decades, Ernie has now retired from the Hillsboro bank where college scholarships for local high school seniors continue to be awarded in his honor.

Ernie thanked everyone in attendance, especially bank officials who traveled from Washington, D.C. for the special event.

After being greeted by NCB President and CEO Charles E. Snyder, Ernie said, "You know, he flew in from Washington just for this. That means a lot. Everyone here means a lot to me. Be sure to thank them."

Snyder, in turn, thanked Ernie for his service to NCB.

Many of Ernie's longtime radio broadcasting partners also attended the celebration, including: Jim Duckwall, Dale Martin, Mike Moses, Dr. Jim Vanzant, Judge Kevin Greer, John Barney and his brother, Richard Blankenship.

NCB in Hillsboro will host a community open house for Ernie on Thursday, Jan. 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The community is invited.