Good morning, Meigs County. The rumble of classic car engines at Belpre's car show and ice cream social this weekend was more than just automotive enthusiasm—it was the sound of a community investing in its future. As the Alumni Association's fundraiser has evolved over the years, adding chrome and carburetors to ice cream and hot dogs, it's created the perfect recipe for supporting local scholarships while strengthening community bonds. Scott Church and his team have masterfully turned nostalgia into opportunity, with local sports teams and the Marietta Community Foundation joining forces to make it happen.
Elsewhere in our region, creative solutions are transforming everyday challenges. Wood County Schools has ingeniously repurposed its bus garage into an organized storage haven for textbooks and records, while across the river, West Virginia's Hope Scholarship program is experiencing dramatic growth. The education initiative is expected to nearly double its reach next year, serving approximately 7% of the state's school-aged children and inspiring innovative approaches to learning throughout the region.
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☕️ What's Brewing Locally
🚗 Belpre's car show and ice cream social revs up community spirit. The annual Belpre Alumni Association fundraiser brought classic cars and crowds to Howe's Grove Park this weekend. Scott Church, the association's president, noted the car show component has grown increasingly popular since being added about five years ago to boost income. Local sports teams and the Marietta Community Foundation volunteered at the event, which featured hot dogs, ice cream, and live music. The fundraiser supports scholarships for Washington County students, making it both a beloved community gathering and an investment in the next generation.
🎓 West Virginia's Hope Scholarship program is set to double in size. The state treasurer's office expects participation to grow from 10,500 to nearly 20,000 students for the 2025-2026 school year, representing about 7% of school-aged children in the state. Officials have witnessed firsthand how the program impacts families, including a grandmother who tearfully enrolled her granddaughter in a Christian academy and families moving from Ohio to access the scholarship. The program has spurred growth in existing schools and innovative approaches like South Charleston's micro-school that serves students with dyslexia in smaller group settings. State Treasurer Larry Pack advocates for further education reform, including deregulating teachers and returning authority to local decision makers.
📚 Wood County Schools repurposes bus garage for efficient storage solutions. The district has transformed two bays at the 19th Street facility into organized storage space for textbooks, curriculum materials, and important school records. Assistant Superintendent Kaleb Lawrence spearheaded the initiative, which included installing new shelves, walls, and proper lighting to maximize usability. Staff members have adapted well to the change, implementing labeling systems to keep everything organized and accessible. The storage solution is part of a five-year plan that ultimately aims to build a new, centralized bus garage at Edgelawn to further improve district-wide efficiency.
🏡 Real Estate Reveals
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Spacious rural homesite opportunity: 2.01 acres of residential land on Bailey Road listed at $27,000, offering a blank canvas for your dream home or rural retreat with plenty of room to grow.
Fixer-upper on five acres: Priced at $55,000, this rural investment property features a three-bedroom home with a detached garage on five acres, though the residence has been vacant for a decade and requires significant repairs.🗓️ Happenings & Hoopla
🍞 Daily Bread Crumb
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
-Galatians 5:22-23
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