Regional Roundup: Dana employees give gift to West Ohio Food Bank

LIMA - Instead of feeding themselves, Dana Corp. and it employees donated $2,500 to the West Ohio Food Bank.

 "This year, we decided to donate to a worthy charity," Dana human resource manager Darrell Davis said. "We knew in these economic times (that) getting food for the holidays would help and go further.

"This is the first time I've experienced this. Normally businesses will do a Christmas party. We are very proud to be a part of this," said Brent North, branch manager of AVI Foodsystems. The Findlay company sets up an annual catering fund for Christmas parties at the various companies that do business with them.

Anna Miller, marketing and public relations director for the West Ohio Food Bank, said  the gift will provide two semitrailer loads of food, or 62,500 pounds. For every dollar donated, 25 pounds of food is purchased. The West Ohio Food Bank provides food for 11 area counties.

"West Ohio Food Bank can do much more with this than we could do," said Bryan McClurg, United Auto Workers Local 1765 representative.

Lima resident has Christian novel published

LIMA - Author James E. Rady has completed his novel, "Love Finds A Way," a Christian love story set in the Civil War days.

Rady started in 2003, at age 81, after years of research in Iowa and the battles of the Civil War. He completed it four years later.

"I was pleased that I could do this without profanity and have wholesome reading. I was thankful that the Lord was with me," Rady said.

Rady will sign copies of his book from 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Barnes & Noble  bookstore on the University of Northwestern Ohio campus.

Rady's novel can be purchased online at www.amazon.com, at Gifts of Joy bookstore and at Barnes & Noble.

Ohio Northern University psychology students, professor to have paper published

ADA -  Amber Blackston, of Lima, was one of four students from Ohio Northern University along with professor Keith Durkin who presented a paper at the Mid-South Sociological Association in Huntsville, Ala.

A revised version of "When Good Times Go Bad: The Differential Impact of Risk and Protective Factors on the Alcohol-Related Problems of a Sample of University Students" is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, which deals with alcohol and criminal behavior.

Durkin and the four students used about 1,500 students from several universities to test theoretical predications.

Mercer County engineer, commissioners donate for Christmas season

CELINA - The Mercer County engineer and commissioners, along with their respective staffs, this year chose to donate to charity money they'd normally spend on gift exchanges. The Community Action Life Line  was chosen at random and will receive $320.