Fulton County Ohio Media

Future Leaders Exchange program or FLEX is a highly competitive, merit-based exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State that operates in approximately 20 countries in Eurasia.  With just over a 2.0% acceptance rate, over 35,000 students compete annually in multiple rounds of testing to be selected to participate in FLEX, which provides for them to spend an academic year in the United States living with a volunteer host family and attending a U.S. high school.  It was created from the belief of former Senator Bill Bradley that the best way to ensure long-lasting peace and mutual understanding between the United States and the countries of Eurasia was to enable young people to learn about the U.S. and Americans firsthand, and to teach Americans about their countries.  

For the 2025-2026 academic year at Swanton High School, that student is a young 17-year-old girl by the name of Ksenia Velikoglo from the autonomous territorial unit of Gaguazia in the country of Moldova.  Moldova is small Eastern European country of approximately 2.4 million people.  Going back hundreds of years, it has been a part of the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, Romania, the Ukrainian SSR and, most recently, the Soviet Union until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 when it gained its independence.  Consequently, it is a multicultural country with a variety of languages spoken within its borders.  Ksenia’s main language is Russian but she also speaks several others, including English which she began studying in the second grade.

Ksenia qualified after rounds of rigorous and demanding tests that are designed to ensure a country is sending only their best and brightest to spend one academic year at an American high school.  “You need to write essays about your life, your leadership qualities and how you apply them in your life, what problems and situations did you get through and what did you learn about it,” explained Ksenia.  “They want a person who will adapt to any conditions and will survive in any conditions.  To move at 16 to another country without your family, you need to be mentally and physically strong.”

In August of 2025, then at 16 years of age, Ksenia left her parents Maria and Ivan and her little eight-year-old sister Daria, to come to the United States and Swanton and is living with her host parents Brooklyn Miller and Andrew Markley.  And she brought with her an incredible resume of achievements and life experiences.  Ksenia has a very solid grasp of the English language, is very articulate and she has quickly and fully immersed herself in our American midwestern culture and is well liked by her young American counterparts.   Even though bowling does not exist in Moldova, she was a member of the Lady Bulldog Bowling Team, starting out with scores in the 60s and 70s and finishing with a personal record of 157.  She also was part of the cast of Swanton’s rendition of “Cinderella” and is currently on the Bulldog track and field team. Volleyball is her favorite sport but she was unable to join Swanton’s team due to travel commitments with her host family.

One noticeable difference Ksenia found was the philosophy of the two countries’ education system.   American high school students may take six or seven classes on average each day of an academic week.  Moldova students will eight classes each day but they will vary between 15 or 16 different subjects.  “Our school program is very difficult to learn.  It’s like AP (Advanced Program).  And we don’t get to choose what we study.  Our government chooses what will be in our curriculum.  And we have homework every night,” she said. 

Another striking difference in the two systems is the use of technology.  “We don’t use Chromebooks.  In our country we are ‘old school.’  The teacher uses chalk and the blackboard and explains everything in detail.  We do have an internet board so it’s kind of the same.  Our country just wants us to be smarter and not use something else,” said Ksenia.  “We don’t use calculators.  At all.  We need to do the math in our head.  Here it’s very different for me because they use a calculator for everything, logarithms, equations, graphs, everything.  And we need to do it the head or on the paper.  This was a very big shock for me.”

Even before she came to this country, Ksenia enjoyed American movies, television shows and western culture in general.  Her other interests at home include poetry,  poetry reciting contests, painting and reading, especially Russian literature and, interestingly enough, science fiction.  However, chess is probably Ksenia’s biggest passion and she is very good at it.  Internationally competitive good.  “I love chess so much.  I learned how to play at 10 years old and I became very good at it.  I went to different countries like Bulgaria and Ukraine and played in tournaments and won a lot of them.  I went to Moscow before the war and there were 21 countries.  It was a very big tournament,” she related.  Several years ago, Ksenia had the honor of playing with Anatoly Karpov, the former Russian World Chess Champion and Chess Grand Master who was visiting Moldova.  She currently holds a chess level rating of 1900 which is one step below “Expert” on the scale used by the International Chess Federation.

As we are all aware, Eastern Europe, or more specifically Moldova, is situated in a relatively precarious part of the world, sharing its northern, western and southern borders with Ukraine.  “We don’t really talk about it (the Russian-Ukraine war) very often, said Ksenia.  We don’t want to live our lives in fear.”  Once, after the Russian invasion, while on a visit to Ukraine, she and her family had to take shelter during a Russian attack that took place just several blocks away.  When contrasting her situation with the average American teenager, it certainly puts things in perspective.

Spending her junior year in an American high school does not automatically qualify Ksenia to become a senior when she returns to her home country.  She must first pass a series of exams and quizzes before she can begin her final year of high school.  After graduation she wants to study abroad, probably somewhere in Europe, but she is hoping to earn a “full ride” scholarship given that tuition is so expensive.  Ksenia mentioned International Studies as a possible major where her linguistic skills and public speaking abilities would be great assets.  Judging by her accomplishments at such a young age, anything is possible for this rising star.

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Forced to play away from home because of wet grounds, the Swanton Bulldogs traveled to Otsego High School and defeated the Knights 9-3 to even their record on the season at 1-1.  Carson Lemons started on the mound for the Bulldogs and threw four innings, giving up four hits and two runs (one earned) while walking two and striking out five.  Dennis Robinson pitched one inning of scoreless relief and Luke Marlow tossed the final two innings allowing one run.

The Swanton offense had only six hits but they were timely and spread across the lineup and the Bulldogs took full advantage of seven Otsego errors.  The score was tied 2-2 going into the top of the fifth inning but the Bulldogs broke the game open with one run in the inning, two more in the sixth and four more in the seventh to put the contest out of reach.

Marlow, hitting leadoff, reached three times with one hit and two HBPs and scored all three times.  Brady O’Shea had a clutch RBI single and scored a run.  Carson Bond had one hit and scored twice.  Owen Hurst had one hit, one RBI, walked two times and ran down a long fly ball to left field to rob the Otsego hitter of a sure double.

The Bulldogs travel to Pettisville to take on the Blackbirds then are scheduled to come home on Thursday to play the Delta Panthers.

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Luke Marlow scores Swanton’s first run of the game.

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Yesterday, Good Friday, from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM, the Swanton Public Library (SPL) held its Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Pilliod Park, adjacent to the library’s grounds.  The SPL has been featuring this event since 2017, taking only 2020 off due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In addition to the hundreds of eggs (several golden ones) scattered throughout the park, there were many activities such as golf putting, croquet, pickleball and others to entertain the kids and their families.  Egg hunters were able to fill their baskets and turn in their booty for prizes, big prizes for those who collected the coveted golden eggs.  And food and drinks were available from Swanton’s favorite local food truck, Hot Dogs 2 Go.

Click on the link above to access photos from the hunt. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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Delta seniors Abby Todd and Keagyn Gillen, basketball players who were both critical to the tremendous success of the Delta Lady Panthers basketball program, have decided to continue their basketball careers at the next level.  Abby will head north to continue her education at Oakland Community College located in Auburn Hills, Michigan while playing in the Lady Owls program.  Keagyn will travel west to continue her education at Trine University in Angola, Indiana while playing for the Lady Thunder.

After being contacted by the coaching staff at Oakland, Abby paid a visit to the campus, approximately a two-hour drive from Delta.  “I really liked the campus, I really liked their basketball program and I thought it would be a lot of fun,” she said, explaining her decision.  Abby was also a standout soccer player for the Lady Panthers and even received an offer from Owens Community College to play that sport.  “I thought about it,” she said.  But I really like basketball a lot more than soccer.”  In the classroom, Abby will be involved in the college’s nursing program.  She plans on earning her Associates Degree then transferring to a university with a four-year program.

Initially, Keagyn had decided to attend Trine University to major in biology and playing basketball was somewhat of an afterthought.  “I thought I would go to Trine for academics then I thought about playing basketball.  So, I reached out to the coach and I was contacted by the assistant coach and I visited the campus.  It was a really good campus and the coaches were nice so, I decided to play,” she said.  Trine is only about an hour away from Delta but the transition to her “new home” may feel a little more impactful given her new basketball coach will not be sitting across the dinner table from her like her Delta coach and mother, Kelsy Gillen, has been for many years.  “I’m excited for it,” exclaimed Keagyn when asked about that.

For Coach Gillen, this signing day was extra special for her program with two players moving on and for her personally with her daughter deciding to take the big step.  “I’m excited for both of the girls,” she said.  “I’ve been coaching them from when they first started, Keagyn when she was in second grade and Abby when she started with the program when she was in fifth grade.  And to see them reach this point and wanting to continue with basketball makes me so excited for them.  They have been a lot of fun to coach.  We will definitely miss both these girls.”

With Abby and Keagyn in the starting lineup the past two seasons, the Delta Lady Panthers had an incredible record-setting run.  The team won 40 games overall, even with a strong out-of-conference schedule.  The 2024-2025 season began with a school record 17 consecutive wins and then they started the 2025-2026 season with 12 straight victories.  Delta won back-to-back Bob Fisher Holiday Classic Championships at Swanton High School, consecutive OHSAA D5 Sectional Titles, and a D5 District Title, earning a trip to the D5 Regional Semi-Finals.

Click on the link above to access photos from the signing and a few action shots from the players’ careers. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Keagyn Gillen and Abby Todd sign National Letters of Intent

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The Delta Panthers opened the 2026 baseball season be defeating the visiting Lake Flyers 9-7 on Monday afternoon in a very lengthy non-league affair. The game only lasted six innings but had to be called because of darkness despite it being started right on time. Both teams issued numerous walks or went deep into the count before a ball was put in play, causing the first three innings two hours to complete. The Panthers are next in action on Friday when they welcome in the Tinora Rams.

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Carlos DeSantos started on the mound.

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On Friday afternoon, the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce held its 2026 Annual Luncheon in the Benfield Wines Banquet Room on Main Street in Swanton.  Chamber Executive Director, Delray Busch, now in her third year of leading the organization, gave her State of the Chamber Address, focusing on the importance and impact of the Chamber on the Swanton community and surrounding area.  Excerpts of her speech are below:

“When you look at this year’s report, a few numbers stand out right away. 127 businesses. 27 events. And more than 770,000 people reached through our messaging. Those numbers matter, but to me, what matters even more is what they represent. The 127 businesses represent people. People who are building something, serving this community, creating jobs, taking risks, and showing up every day with a lot on their shoulders. The 27 events represent connection. They represent handshakes, conversations, ribbon cuttings, learning opportunities, partnerships, and the kind of face-to-face time that still matters so much in a community like ours. And that 770,000 plus reach represents visibility. It means the stories of Swanton’s businesses, events, and momentum are not staying quiet.

People are seeing what is happening here. They are seeing growth, activity, and a community that continues to show up for its businesses. So yes, those numbers are important. But behind every one of them is a person, a business, a conversation, or a moment that helped move this community forward. That is the work of the Chamber. To connect people, support businesses, and help move Swanton forward together. To me, membership is never just a list of names. It is people who get up every day carrying a lot of responsibility. They are running businesses that support their families, their employees, and in many cases, our community as a whole.

One of the most meaningful parts of this role is getting to hear the stories that do not always make it into a Facebook post or a ribbon cutting photo. Stories like the business leader who came to me completely exhausted. The kind of exhausted that comes from lying awake at night trying to figure out a problem you never saw coming. Through the Chamber, we were able to connect that person with a regional resource they did not know was available. And just like that, there was a little relief. There was someone to call. Someone who could help. And a reminder that they did not have to carry all of it alone.

I also hear stories of businesses adapting, finding their footing again, and realizing they are not alone. And honestly, some of my favorite stories are the ones that start with hope. The person who spent years saying, ‘someday I want to open a business.’ And then one day, they do it. They sign the lease. They order the sign. They unlock the door. And that thing they carried around in their head for years suddenly becomes real and becomes part of this community. They are people willing to take risks, work hard, and build something here.

Over the past year, the Chamber has focused on creating more opportunities for those people to connect with each other. Through networking events, block parties, ribbon cuttings, and partnerships across the region, we are helping businesses meet, learn from one another, and support one another. Financially, the Chamber is in a strong and stable position. Through careful management and intentional planning, we have continued building reserves and working to make sure this organization stays sustainable for years to come.

But being stable is not the finish line. The goal is growth. Looking ahead, we will continue focusing on growing membership, strengthening regional partnerships, increasing sponsorship opportunities, and exploring the creation of a nonprofit Chamber Foundation that could support community projects, workforce development, and economic growth here in our region. We are also beginning conversations around succession planning and long-term sustainability, so we can make sure the Chamber remains strong for the next generation of business leaders too.

Before we move on, I want to take a moment to thank the sponsors who made today’s Annual Meeting possible. Thank you to Tomahawk Printing, F&M Bank, the University of Toledo Family Business Center, Benfield Wines, Kim Bradford & Associates, and Soaring Software Solutions for helping make today possible and for supporting the business community here in Swanton. Tomahawk Printing donated our annual reports today. F&M Bank, Kim Bradford & Associates, and Soaring Software Solutions were meal sponsors. The University of Toledo Family Business Center provided today’s speakers. Benfield Wines once again allowed us to use this beautiful venue. And thank you to Tano’s for catering today’s meal.

Next, as part of our annual meeting business, we need to conduct the election of officers for the coming year. First, I want to recognize two incredible women who are coming off the board this spring. DaNetra Smith, owner of Level Fitness, thank you for your support, your encouragement, and the way you welcomed me into this role from the very beginning. I truly appreciate it, and I wish you all the best in this next chapter. Shelly Keifer, manager of First Fed Delta, thank you for being such a strong supporter of the Chamber, of Swanton, of our schools, and of this community. I am very grateful for your support as I stepped into this position. Thank you.

I would also like to recognize the rest of our current Board of Directors for the time, leadership, and support they give to this organization and to our business community. Bill O’Connell of Swanton Sports Center, Jennifer Knapp of F&M Bank, Sheena Baker of Oncore Brewing, Eric Fessenden of Fessenden’s Hardware, Robert Benfield of Benfield Wines, Julia Benfield of Benfield Wines, Mandi Gineman of Sew Beyond Blessed. 

Our Board of Directors has recommended the following slate of incoming officers: Rebecca Padilla of Swanton Valley Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center and Donovan Cooley of Tri County Block and Brick.  Thank you, and congratulations to our officers and board members who continue to serve and lead this organization.”

Following the address, attending members heard from featured speakers Stephen Hardy, Program Manager of Membership at the UT Family Business Center, and Dan Skilliter, owner of Skillful Strategies.  Both individuals took questions during their talk and stayed after the meeting to meet with other Chamber members.

Click on the link above to access photos from the event. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Julia Benfield, Swanton Chamber Board of Director member and luncheon host

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Swanton sophomore Cara Ludlow banged out three hits, including two doubles, drove in four runs and scored three times as the Lady Bulldogs picked up a road win with a 16-4 run-rule victory over the Pettisville Lady Blackbirds on Tuesday afternoon.  Leading 2-1 heading into the top of the third inning, Swanton broke the game open with four runs in the frame, added another seven scores in the fourth and three more in the fifth to lead 16-3 going into the bottom of the inning.  Pettisville did tack on one more run but was unable to reduce the deficit to under 10, invoking the mercy rule after five innings.

Beyla Remer tossed four innings for the Bulldogs allowing four hits and three runs, one earned, with six strikeouts and zero walks.  Other Swanton hitters with big days at the plate included Adriana Milligan-Elliot with two hits and four RBIs, Kinley Curtis with three hits and two runs, Carli LaGrange with three hits and three runs, Lacey Shinaver with three hits, including a triple, and two runs, Jordyn Rameriz with two hits and two runs and Alexa Faber with two hits and one run.

Macy Hoylman pitched all five innings for the Blackbirds giving up 19 hits, 16 runs, 15 earned, three walks and two strikeouts.  Hoylman led Pettisville with two hits, one walk, one RBI and one run scored.

The win was Swanton’s third in as many games.  They are home tomorrow to face the Springfield Blue Devils of the Northern Lakes League.  After a 17-15 loss to the Wauseon Lady Indians earlier today, Pettisville’s record stands at 0-2.  They will next take on the Montpelier Lady Locomotives next Tuesday, 3/31, at home.

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Cara Ludlow

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The students at Swanton High School are performing the amazing Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical version of the centuries old story of “Cinderella.” The first show was on Friday night with another tonight and a 2:00 PM matinee tomorrow. Tickets are still available.

Click on the link above to access the more than 650 photos taken at the final dress rehearsal on Thursday evening. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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Senior Brody Voight has chosen to remain a Bulldog and continue his education and volleyball career at Adrian College in Michigan.  Brody will be joining the Adrian Bulldog Men’s Volleyball program after playing for two years with Swanton High School and several years with a club program in Maumee.  He is currently competing with the Anthony Wayne Generals.

“I played soccer for a while and I always really liked soccer, but when I started playing volleyball, I really loved it so that’s what made me choose to continue with that,” said Brody.  “I’m naturally better at volleyball than I am at soccer.”

In selecting Adrian College, he will be just over the Ohio/Michigan border, less than an hour drive from home.  “I really liked the team and the atmosphere.  The team culture is just great and the campus is really nice,” explained Brody about his school choice.

The men’s volleyball regular season begins in January and runs into April with playoffs starting after.  While in the classroom, Brody will be majoring in Psychology.

Click on the link above to access photos from the signing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded and shared for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Brody signs with parents Rob and Melanie and brothers Nolan and Gavin

The Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed “With Love, Betsy” to the local business community with a ribbon cutting celebration honoring owner Betsy Gardner and her journey into business ownership this Friday morning at 10:00 AM at her 201 Main Street, Swanton location.  Betsy, a Swanton native who was born and raised in the community, has been a licensed cosmetologist for 19 years. On January 24, 2026, she officially opened With Love, Betsy, creating a warm and welcoming space focused on personalized, one-on-one client experiences.

Known for both her talent and her heart for the community, Betsy is actively involved in giving back and is a familiar face at local events. You can often find her cheering on the Swanton Bulldogs and supporting fellow small businesses. Her commitment to Swanton and her craft makes With Love, Betsy a wonderful addition to downtown. To schedule an appointment:
Text: 419-262-5072.  We are proud to welcome With Love, Betsy as a new Chamber member and encourage everyone to support this new local business.

Photo: Betsy with husband Luke and children (L to R) Harvey, Theodore, Flossie and Willis