There are a lot of good things going on in Wapakoneta and Auglaize County, and officials from the city, county, and Wapakoneta Schools took time to share what they are doing with the members of the Chamber of Commerce. Wapakoneta City Schools are getting ready to wrap up another school year. This past year, Superintendent Aaron Rex says the district has been focused on getting better every single day. And one thing that will help the students better themselves is a new MakerSpace that they created at the high school.

When you are expecting a baby, you know your life is going to change- but the Truesdale Family never knew their baby boy would arrive with four major airway defects.

It's called the "Devious Licks" challenge and it involves stealing various, often random items from your school. In viral TikTok videos, kids can be seen taking whole bathroom sinks, computer parts, or just vandalizing the school. A few incidents involving vandalism in the bathrooms at the middle and high school in Wapakoneta have raised concerns that the trend has caught on within the district. Superintendent Aaron Rex is trying to prevent any further incidents at the school that could lead to serious disciplinary action.

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.

All students in the Wapakoneta school district will now get their lunches for free, something the superintendent says will likely be a relief for families affected by the pandemic. This is an extension to the free lunch program the USDA already had in place in the state of Ohio. Originally that was supposed to end on August 31st, but now it will go through December 31st, or as long as funding will allow.

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.

Wapakoneta City Schools and Mercy Health Lima have announced they will be entering into a ten-year partnership. Mercy Health Lima is one of the partners that will be contributing to Wapak's athletic facilities, including the $1.75 million grandstand stadium project. Mercy Health will also offer training and speakers for the schools to help educate students and staff. Both parties hope the partnership will not only benefit the students, but also the community of Wapak as a whole.