Also speaking at the State of the City, County, and Schools luncheon on Thursday was Aaron Rex, Superintendent of Wapakoneta City Schools. Rex praised the district for keeping learning in-person for 5 days a week throughout the pandemic. As for projects, they completed new LED lighting at the soccer field last week, which brings all but one school's fields up to date. They also plan to use remaining CARES act dollars on new Smart panel boards for all classrooms in the high school. Some already have the boards, but they hope to get one in every classroom to keep their education technology updated.

The annual State of Auglaize County address was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. None the less there’s plenty the area is preparing for.

The county is wrapping up the long awaited renovation to the Neil Armstrong Airport. The last of the furniture is going into the terminal this week. An open house is expected in the spring.

"It’s a project we’ve been working on for a long time," said John Bergman, Auglaize County Commissioner. "And it’s come to fruition. It’s a nice addition to the county. It’s the gateway to the word from Auglaize County. And a gateway from the world back into Auglaize County."

Three more cases have been confirmed, with 2 in the high school and 1 in the middle school. This totals their cases to four. However, school officials say that isn't the problem, but rather the number of students having to quarantine. Superintendent of Wapakoneta City Schools, Aaron Rex, says if these numbers continue to increase, going virtual is their last resort, and their goal is to keep students in the classroom as long as possible.

Twenty-two high school students were told to quarantine for 14 days after a classmate tested positive for the virus. The classmate showed no symptoms but got tested as part of their workplace's routine. The school nurse has constructed seating charts for every classroom to make contact tracing easier. Quarantined students will continue their education, which includes prerecorded lessons and access to materials on Google Classroom. Wapakoneta City Schools Superintendent Aaron Rex says despite preparation, they entered the school year knowing this could happen.

Following the announcement that the Washington Redskins would be changing their mascot, a discussion was prompted about Wapakoneta’s mascot of the same name. The superintendent announced shortly after that they would not be changing it. This then sparked alumni to speak out in favor of the name change. A petition was created, and several alums spoke to the board about why the name should be changed.

The superintendent of Wapakoneta City Schools was also in attendance for the state of the county address.

Wapakoneta School Board has picked their next superintendent and he is someone that is already familiar with the district.