2025: The Year in Review, Part 2

The Highland County Press is recapping some of the top stories from 2025. The following is Part 2 of the series.

April

• The Hillsboro Lady Indians softball team defeated the host Lady Blue Lions 18-0 in five innings April 1, with senior pitcher Camryn Spruell pitching a perfect game with her catcher being Addley Miller. 

• Fairfield's Brody Smith, Lynchburg-Clay's Denver Clinton, Hillsboro's Tate Davis, Fairfield's Logan McIntosh and Whiteoak's Zander Roades were named to the 2025 Divisions IV, V, VI and VII boys basketball All-Ohio teams April 2.

• Gene Michael Belisle, 59, of Paducah, Ky. was sentenced to three years in prison April 2 after pleading guilty in Highland County Common Pleas Court to an amended charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, which allegedly occurred in 2008.

• Southern State Community College’s Theatre Department presented the world premiere of “Othering,” by the College’s own Rainee Angles, Professor of Theatre/Speech, April 4-6.

• Festival of the Bells committee president Tom Zile and vice president Tiffany McCoy April 11 announced changes in both entertainment and venue, with a return to the Highland County Fairgrounds for the first time in many years due to construction at Crossroads Park. The committee also announced a new “Rock the Bell” entertainment night.

• As reported April 11, MC1 Records announced the signing of recording artist Sean Poole from Greenfield to the MC1 Nashville record label.

• It was reported April 13 that Assistant Coach (and McClain HS alum) Dante Jackson would return to the Xavier University men’s basketball staff, as the only coach that Head Coach Richard Pitino retained from the previous XU staff.

• Southern State Community College announced April 14 that four current SSCC students, Alanna Mays of Adams County, Chandra Dean of Highland County, Joshua Heizer of Highland County and Madison Newman of Fayette County, were named to the All-Ohio Academic Team. 

• On April 14, the Ohio Educational Service Center Association recognized Ohio’s top students from across the state during the 36th Annual Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Awards Program, held at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel. Lynchburg-Clay’s Caden Faust won the Highland County award.

• On April 15, Hillsboro optometrist Dr. M. Dean Kiesling announced his retirement effective June 27 after more than 46 years. 

• Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC announced the planned closure of its Chillicothe mill, as reported April 15.

• Whiteoak’s Jacen Applegate achieved the feat of a no-hitter April 15, as the Whiteoak Wildcats defeated the visiting Western Latham Indians, 16-1 in five innings.

• Highland County commissioners presented a proclamation in honor of Southern State Community College’s 50 years of service to southern Ohio during their April 16 meeting.

• In the leadup to America’s 250th anniversary, Highland County, Ohio/Visitors Bureau of Highland County announced April 18 it received a grant from the America 250-Ohio Commission for its upcoming project titled “Highland County’s Story Day” set for July 2026.

• Dr. Coreen (Corey) Cockerill of Leesburg became Wilmington College’s first inaugurated female president during an investiture ceremony April 22.

• Alanna Mays, a student at Southern State Community College, was been named a 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship, as reported April 17. 

• On April 23, the Bright Local Board of Education officially named Tirrell Cumberland and Cory Copas as their new head coaches for girls and boys varsity basketball, respectively.

• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited Southern State Community College on April 25 to tour its state-of-the-art Engineering and Computer Science classroom space.

• Hillsboro defeated their Highland County rival, the McClain Lady Tigers, 10-0 in six innings at HHS to finish to 10-0 in the Frontier Athletic Conference this season, clinching a fifth straight undefeated FAC championship. 

May

• Paps Hilltop Distillery in Bainbridge won two Gold Medals in the 2025 U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship, for Best Traditional Moonshine and Best Flavored Moonshine, as reported May 2.

• After spending his senior year of high school as State Vice President, Hillsboro High School’s Carter Boyd was slated May 2 as 2025-26 Ohio FFA State President.

• As reported May 3, the Lynchburg Lions Club received several special awards in recognition of its community service and Lions promotion projects during the District 13-OH6 Lions Convention in Blue Ash.

• The annual Flying Pig Marathon took place May 3 in Cincinnati, where Leesburg native Ethan Davis finished third overall out of 4,707 runners.

• Seven graduates, including one honored posthumously, were recognized May 4 as the seventh graduating group of the New Way to Recovery Drug Court Docket of the Highland County Common Pleas Court. 

• With voter turnout of just over eight percent in Highland County, the May 6 primary election saw an unofficial sweep of all five proposed levies and issues, including a Highland County Health Department levy; a levy renewal for the Village of Lynchburg police department; two liquor options for Marshall Township; and State Issue 2, a constitutional amendment regarding public infrastructure capital improvements by permitting the issuance of general obligation bonds.

• Hillsboro Lady Indians senior pitcher Cam Spruell tossed a no-hitter in a 6-0 non-conference win over Westfall, May 6.

• The Highland County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual meeting and dinner on May 8, where the Chamber celebrated 35 years of business.

• Charles Richard (C.R.) Patterson of Greenfield was honored posthumously in the 2025 class of National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees May 8. Patterson was an inventor and entrepreneur from Greenfield whose successful carriage company, C.R. Patterson & Sons Co., evolved to become the first and only Black-owned and operated automobile company in the United States.

• On May 9, McClain students and staff engaged in a number of community service project across the Greenfield community during their annual MHS Day.

• Lynchburg-Clay senior Christian Flowers tossed a no-hitter in a 22-0 win over the Ripley Blue Jays May 10.

• Columbus’s COSI displayed the original artwork of a Greenfield Elementary second grader Harper Taylor in an exhibit, STEAM Wars: Where Art & Space Collide, starting May 10.

• The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal and the Ohio Department of Public Safety Division of EMS honored David Young of Sardinia at the 44th annual Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame & Awards on May 14.

• Nicholas V. Tobin, 37, of Lehigh Acres, Fla. was sentenced May 14 in Highland County Common Pleas Court to at least eight years in prison in connection with the alleged rape of an area juvenile.

• The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs clinched a perfect season in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference May 14 with a 6-0 win over Whiteoak, finishing 13-0 in conference play to become champions of Division I of the conference. 

• Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha announced May 15 that Amazon would be building a new delivery center in the City of Hillsboro in the newly constructed Roberts Lane development, bringing approximately 100 jobs to the community. 

• For a second consecutive year, the Hillsboro boys track and field team were champions of the Frontier Athletic Conference, as reported May 15.

• On behalf of the City of Hillsboro, Mayor Justin Harsha awarded $2,000 scholarships to three graduating Hillsboro High School seniors, Austin Bledsoe, Blake Herdman and Addyston Knauff, on May 15.

• The top two teams in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II faced off May 21 with the SHAC championship on the line, with Fairfield walking off over Manchester, 4-3 for their eighth SHAC championship in the last nine years.

• Although the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs’ tournament run ended the previous day, they completed their season May 22 by winning a conference championship with a 7-0 win over Eastern. 

• Whiteoak senior Zander Roades threw a no-hitter May 22 in the Wildcats’ 10-0 win in the Division VII SE District quarterfinals against Western Latham.

• For the first time since 2002, the Hillsboro Lady Indians won a Southeast District softball championship with a 5-0 win over Circleville May 23. 

• The Frontier Athletic Conference announced its 2025 all-conference softball team May 23, with Hillsboro senior Camryn Spruell named Player of the Year.

• One year after suffering a heartbreaking walk-off loss to Portsmouth in the district finals, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs earned the program’s first district championship since 1997 with a 3-2 win over Portsmouth May 29 at Bob Wren Stadium at Ohio University. 

• On May 30, Whiteoak's Landen Eyre won two championships at the OHSAA Division III Track and Field Regional at Heath High School, winning the 3200-meter and 1600-meter runs and advancing to state.

• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Annette Chambers-Smith announced May 30 that Highland County would receive $379,504 to renovate restrooms and make security enhancements at the Highland County Justice Center.

• Hillsboro’s 22nd win of the 2025 softball season proved to be their biggest to date, because for the first time in school history for any team sport, Hillsboro won a regional championship May 31. The Lady Indians advanced to the Division IV State Final Four with a 5-2 win over Logan Elm.

• McClain senior Brenna Wright earned a spot in the 300-meter hurdles in the Division II OHSAA State Track and Field Championships with a fourth-place finish May 31 at the OHSAA Division II Region 7 meet at Muskingum University.

June

• The Lynchburg-Clay Envirothon team of Abigail Shepherd, Gage Thompson, Cloe Williamson, Kylie O’Connor and Autumn Blankenship competed at Wilmington College in the Ohio Envirothon June 2-4, winning and advancing to the international competition.

• On June 4, the 2025 Hillsboro softball team advanced to the state championship game with a 7-1 win in the Division IV State Semifinals against the Cortland Lakeview Lady Bulldogs at Firestone Stadium in Akron. 

• The Hillsboro Lady Indians completed their history-making softball season as Division IV State Runners-Up, as they were defeated in the state championship game June 5 by the Kenton Ridge Lady Cougars, 9-0 at Firestone Stadium in Akron.  

• On June 5 at Marietta College, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs defeated the St. Clairsville Red Devils by a 5-4 score in nine innings, winning a Division V Regional championship and stamping their ticket to the OHSAA Division V State Semifinals in Akron. 

• The third annual Greenfield Music Festival was held in downtown Greenfield during the weekend of June 6-8. This free festival included numerous free contests featuring a variety of musical talents, as well as a pageant, a parade, a Power Wheels Derby, cutest baby contest and many more fun, family-friendly activities.

• McClain senior Brenna Wright completed her career with a race June 6 at the 2025 Division II OHSAA State Track and Field Championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus on the campus of The Ohio State University. In her third year qualifying for state, Wright raced in the 300-meter hurdles prelims in Heat 2, finishing seventh in her heat and 15th overall.

• Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre capped off his high school athletic career with not one, but two state championships June 7 at the 2025 OHSAA Division III State Track and Field Championships, winning both the 1600-meter and 3200m races at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University.

• The Highland County Senior Citizens Center hosted a 55th anniversary celebration June 10, as they were unable to host their 50th anniversary event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Highland Co

• Findings for recovery totaling more than $36,000 were issued June 10 against James Barrett, former fiscal officer for the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District in Highland County, over late fees and improper expenditures.

• Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV) conducted a ground-breaking ceremony June 20 in anticipation of a new Adult Day Support Center in Hillsboro at 500 Harry Sauner Road.

• The 2025 Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards were presented at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus, where Addyston Knauff from Hillsboro received the Llama Achievement Award, as reported June 12. 

• The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) recognized three Robin Tholen, Nicole Sheppard and Jessica Steadman of Southern State Community College individuals with awards for their excellence in service, teaching and leadership, as reported June 11.

• After a couple rain delays that sent the Division V State Semifinals into a two-day event, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs baseball team saw their history-making season end in the Final Four, as they fell to the Graham Local Falcons by a 4-1 score at Canal Park in downtown Akron June 14. 

• As reported June 16, the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association All-Ohio Team had five players from Highland County, including Hillsboro’s Camryn Spruell, Fairfield’s Jobey Hattan, Lynchburg-Clay’s Noel Barnhill, McClain’s Brie Cummins and Fairfield’s Rilee Quickle. 

• Highland County baseball was represented with two selections to the 2025 Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Ohio team for the 2025 season, with honorees Cole Wells of Lynchburg-Clay and Zane Matthews of Fairfield, as reported June 16.

• Rodney Nichols of Hillsboro was enshrined in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame June 21 for his service as a basketball official.

• Bright Local School District announced June 23 it has been awarded the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant in the amount of $1,091,793.51 by the Ohio Department of Education. This competitive grant is designed to strengthen literacy development for students from birth through grade 12 by enhancing instructional practices, professional development, and family engagement.

• The Ohio Power Siting Board June 26 approved a request allowing the New Market Solar Project in Highland County to add an operations and maintenance building to its facility.

• The Southern Hills Athletic Conference honored Lynchburg-Clay’s Cole Wells as Baseball Player of the Year and James Flowers as Baseball Coach of the Year, during its annual spring sports banquet as reported June 27.

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