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By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings In February of 1906 the Portsmouth Public Library opened its doors for the very first time. Andrew Carnegie, a philanthropist who made millions in the steel industry, donated the original $50,000 for the building. This beautiful building is located at 1220 Gallia Street with locations in Lucasville, New Boston, South Webster, Wheelersburg, and a travelling bookmobile. They are well integrated into the community and offer many programs for the community. Currently, they offer several virtual programs such as; storytimes and online trivia through their Facebook page. They also offer “Take and Make” crafts that can be picked up at any of their library locations. Now through August 15th, their Summer Reading program is available for all ages. You can sign up at YOURPPL.READSQUARED.COM or in person at any of their locations. Obtaining a library card is free to any Ohio resident or Kentucky resident (Lewis or Greenup Counties) of any age! You can stop in to one of their locations or apply for one online and access their digital library collection. Coming soon is the Carneigie library! Reitz Stone, McDermott Stone, and Smith Lumber landed contracts to build the new facility. The Portsmouth Daily Times announced that the library would be built using local materials and local labor. Even though COVID is still affecting us, they felt it was important to stay open for the community. All locations are open with limited hours. To see what their hours are, or more information, go to their website at www.yourppl.org or call 740-354-5688. Check them out here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourppl/

By Chuck Greenslate | WNXT Mix 99.3 Portsmouth Raceway Park opened its 2020 season Saturday hosting The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Car Series along with Modifieds and Limited Lates. Newport, TN's, Jimmy Owens fended off Blairsville, GA's Jonathan Davenport to capture the $12,000-to-win Independence 50 presented by Able Air, his fifth victory in the last six Lucas Oil races. Pedro's Brian Skaggs took the checkers in the Keaton's Collision Center Modified Feature, and Portsmouth's Billy Staker prevailed in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Limited Lates. Saturday's race marked the first of three visits which the Lucas Series has scheduled at PRP this season.  Thirty Late Model drivers were on hand for the event. The 50-lap feature saw Owens lead every circuit, but not without being challenged down the stretch by Davenport.  A caution on lap 36 would bunch the field setting up a ferocious 14-lap charge to the finish. Over most of the final 14 circuits, Davenport would remain within about three car lengths of Owens, but "The Newport Nightmare" proved to be too strong. Finishing behind Owens and Davenport were Batesville, AR's Billy Moyer Jr; Brandon, FL's Kyle Bronson; and Watertown, NY's Tim McCreadie.  Rounding out the top 10 were Devin Moran, Tanner English, Shanon Buckingham, Steve Casebolt, and Colten Burdette. Heat Race winners were Stormy Scott, Jonathan Davenport, Jimmy Owens, and Billy Moyer, Jr.  Tanner English won the B-Main, and Josh Richards set quick time. Richards would run in or near the top 5 throughout the first 15 laps of the feature before getting into the backstretch wall and spinning into turn 3.  He would go to the tail and fight his way back to 12th. Brian Skaggs would claim the win in the Keaton's Collision Center Modified A-Main holding off Proctorville's Craig Christian to the finish.  Christian would remain in striking distance throughout the entire 20-lap race but never could take the lead. Michael Paul Howard, Dave Jamison, and Jeremy Rayburn completed the top 5 with Adam Colley, Jody Puckett, Anthony Slusher, Brett Kennard, and Emily Jones making up the remainder of the top 10. Christian, Skaggs, and Jamison prevailed in Saturday's Modified Heats.  Brandon Smith won the B-Main.  Jody Puckett was the Dynamic Shock Services Quick Qualifier. Billy Staker took the win in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Limited Late Model Feature.  The reigning track champ was dominant as he led every lap of this heat and every lap of the A-Main. Mike Meyers finished second, Kent Keyser was third, Kevin Terry placed fourth, and Charlie Mullett rounded out the top 5. PRP will return to action this Friday hosting the 3rd Annual Dean Knittel Memorial.  This will mark the first time this event has been held at PRP, and it will be big. On the card will be The Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1. They will be racing in Portsmouth as a part of Cosmetic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Hercules Tires.  The Sprint Car race winner will pocket $15,554.

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings In 1951 , a local radio station started that is known and loved by so many today. WNXT has been on air for 69 years and is stronger than ever. You all know their voices, but how familiar are you with their names? On your way to work, or at lunch, you will hear the voices of Steve Hayes and Holly Gail. If you’re listening to the news, you are listening to Mistie Cook and Sam McKibben. The sports (and other news) are brought to you by Chuck Greenslate and Mark Williams. WNXT is broadcasted into all of, or parts of, 10 counties: Scioto, Lawrence, Pike, Jackson, Adams, Lewis, Greenup, Boyd, Carter, and Cabbel. You always know that you are on the homestretch whenever you can tune in without any static. Within WNXT, there are many different programs and segments. The “Get Up & Go Show” can be heard every weekday morning with Steve Hayes. He will help get your day started with music, comedy, weather, birthdays, traffic, and more! On the way home, you can finish your day with Brad and Ashley! Besides providing entertainment, news, and fun music for us while we're on-the-go, they are very involved in connecting the community together. Community Corner is another well-known segment. Mistie Cook talks about all of the positive things going on in the community. On Monday mornings, Steve Hayes broadcasts the “SOMC Medical Moment” for viewers. The station also broadcast over 150 high school sporting events per school year. It is no surprise that COVID-19 has affected them as well. They have been trying to keep everyone safe by limiting the number of people they allow inside their offices. A lot of interviews are being held over the phone, and prize winners are having their prizes mailed. However, they have not let this slow them down! They have many upcoming shows and events to look forward to. Fox Sportsmouth (am1260 and 95.7fm) can be heard again for the Cincinnati Reds baseball games. We are very happy to have partnered with WNXT and cannot wait to kick off the segments! Like & Follow WNXT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mix99.3WNXT/ Like & Follow Local Happenings on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocalHappeningsSciotoCounty/

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings Known for their major contributions to the revitalization of our downtown area, Main Street Portsmouth has been a great addition to our city. They are a 501©3 non-profit founded in 2007. Their goal is to improve the downtown area with projects such as beautification, historic preservation, event management, and programming. It is a local chapter of a national organization, and is under the guidance of its state partner, Heritage Ohio. Main Street Portsmouth is run by Executive Director, Joseph Pratt, who is under direction of a board of directors. The directors run the organization through four key committees: Beautification, Economic Vitality, Promotions, and Organization. Along with the directors, each committee has many volunteers who dedicate themselves to more than 55 events every single year. Main Street hosts many events throughout the year such as the Chocolate Walk, Farmers Market, Farm to Table, Wine and Dine, Small Business Saturday, and many more! They also manage the Esplanade, city parking lots, and Alexandria Park. Main Street Portsmouth partners with the City of Portsmouth in a $25,000 (a year) preservation grant program. The organization expanded a lot this past year, with fundraising $40,000 for the Tracy Park Christmas light display, as well as the new pole lights that run Chillicothe Street and the Esplanade. They are about to open a new public garden courtyard this fall, after 2 ½ years of preparation work. This space will be located at 535 Second Street and is the standing exterior of a former building in the Boneyfiddle area. Inside this space, there will be beautiful iron gates, windows, stamped concrete, flower beds, seating, a water feature, and more! With their many versatile projects and events throughout the year, this has not slowed them down! They have many new developments and events in the works and do not plan on slowing down anytime soon! For more information, follow them on Facebook or online at www.mspohio.org. You can reach their director, Joseph Pratt, at director@mspohio.orf or at (740) 464-4501

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings When you're in the mood for a delicious steak, where do you go? The first thing that comes to my mind is the Scioto Ribber. Since 1978, they have been the go-to restaurant for many families here in Scioto County. Owned by Will Mault, Corissa Mault-Boggs, and Darren Mault, this is a classic family owned and operated business. The restaurant began when Steve and Cornelia Mault’s backyard BBQ food was beginning to be requested by everyone. Their menu offers a variety of foods to choose from. Will’s favorite is their famous steaks, Corissa enjoys the chicken, and Darren loves the ribs. Walking into the restaurant, you see that it is a great display of the history of Ohio. From the former Portsmouth Spartans memorabilia to the Cincinnati Bengals memorabilia, you will see the proud history in this restaurant. The restaurant is inside one of the oldest buildings in Portsmouth. Having being built in the early 1900s, it was a union house that later became Henry’s cafe. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, and hearing that all the restaurants were being closed, the first thought in my mind was how much I was going to miss the Ribber steaks. It is no secret that COVID-19 has hit the restaurant industry high, but the local support has kept everyone going strong. I asked Will what the local support meant to him and his family during this time, and he told me, “We have had tremendous response from everyone in our community and our local officials in general as well as state, Governor Dewine is a patron of ours and has been tremendous throughout this pandemic. The support from people all over has been great and we are so blessed and thankful for our customers. We have made several accommodations to provide outdoor eating as well as curbside service. We want our customers to feel safe and comfortable during these difficult times.” The next time youre in the mood for some delicious home-cooked food, check them out! They are back open for business and would love to see everyone there! View them here on our site.

By Del Duduit | Local Happenings Former Minford Elementary student Zach Veach made a strong showing at the Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. The Pike County native finished 4th at the Genssys 300 in Fort Worth Texas on June 6. Veach, who now lives in Indianapolis, was thrilled with his finish, and even led two laps in his No. 26 race car. “Really, really good night here in the Gainbridge Honda,” Veach said after the race. “I wanted to start 2020 off good because 2019 was so rough, and we came out here to Texas and got a top- four and started fifth. I’m just very happy.” He drives for Andretti Autosport and this was his first top-five finish in the season’s first IndyCar series race since the COVID-19 pandemic and it matched his best career finish. This is his third year as a full-time driver in the IndyCar series for Veach, and he has high expectations following last year’s disappointing season. In 2019, he made 17 starts behind the wheel and had only three top-10 finishes. Two years ago, he had two top-five showings and was in the hunt at the Indianapolis 500 until a five-car crash took him out of the race in 12th position with 25 laps to go. In Texas, he started the race, which was run without fans, in fifth position. He believes the fourth-place finish gives him confidence going into the next outing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 4. “This kind of momentum will be great to go into the Indy GP (Grand Prix) and hopefully have the season we’ve been needing to have,” he said. “The guys did an awesome job. My engineer, Mark Bryant, the car was amazing and all my pit crew, they were awesome for everything, and that played a big part in a race with not many passes.” His primary goal is to win a checkered flag, get back to the racing form he showed in 2018, impress his sponsor, Gainbridge, and earn a new contract with Andretti Autosport for 2021 and maybe longer. This is the final year of his obligation with the racing legend team, and he wants to continue this relationship. “It’s hopefully a new start in a much more fun year,” he said. “That’s the big thing, just enjoying it, having fun, because the first year was a lot like that.” Veach said he grew up admiring Michael Andretti and is thrilled to have him as boss now. He added while he is living out his dream, he must prove himself on the track. “You put so much pressure on yourself in the second year that, it sounds dumb to say, but you stop enjoying what you’re doing in a way because you’re thinking about all the negative sides of it instead of enjoying what you’re doing,” he said. So, I think this year, it’s just have fun with it because we were doing well when we had fun.” His ultimate goal is to win the Indianapolis 500, which is now scheduled for August, 23, 2020. He has participated in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing the past three years and finished in 2018 toward the back of the pack. In 2017 and 2019, he crashed on both outings. “That’s why we come here,” he said. “There is nothing quite like Indy.” Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings In Wheelersburg sits a restaurant that people travel all over for! Sakura has been a local favorite since they have opened. Shirley and Kevin Zheng are the proud owners of this Japanese Hibachi cuisine restaurant. Having moved from South Carolina, they came here and originally opened China City. After running that restaurant for five years, they decided to buy a building in Wheelersburg to open another restaurant. Shirley and Kevin are fans of all of the items on their menu, but their favorite is their shrimp udon and the Sakura special. Sakura is a family owned and operated business. They hired family members that had previous experiences in working at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant. They pride themselves on the freshness of their food. All of their food is fresh and never pre-cooked. They also do not serve a lot of deep fried foods. Being in a small town, local support means everything to them. They told me how they were very thankful for all of their customers that supported us during their reopening after COVID. They wish they were able to thank each and every one who supported them. They are very grateful and cannot wait to fully open up the dining area for everyone to come back in. Make sure you check them out for your next meal! View their menu here

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings The White Gravel Mines is a local staple for Scioto County. Every year they host the annual White Gravel Mines Extreme Adventure 5K, and they aren’t letting COVID-19 stop them this year. On June 27th, starting at 9am, people will travel to Minford, Ohio, to take place in this crazy endeavor. Will you test your faith in this adventurous 5K? Anyone and everyone is welcome to sign up. They have age groups from “10 & under” to “60 & up.” You can sign up as an individual or a team! More than five natural inspired obstacles are waiting to “test your endurance and commitment to be an extremist.” The course runs through thick wooded areas, hills, and creeks. Up acres of inclines and down the steep hills, this course will definitely put your body to the test. Included in the course is a dark and cold underground mine that is filled with white gravel. This will take your adrenaline to its highest form. Throughout the course there are different themes of obstacles. The Mines stay around 56 degrees year-round. Each passageway is only about 20’-30’ wide, 20’ high, and only partially lit. Chilly Jordan is a waist deep wade through the mine’s water. At a gut-wrenching 50 degrees, you will want to get out of there quick. You will quickly dry off at the “Tame the Flame” obstacle. Here you will “test your faith” by leaping over a pit of fire. With more obstacles such as, “Sweat Net”, “Highway to Heaven”, Devil’s Rock”, and “Cross Carry”, the White Gravel Mines 5K Extreme Adventure is sure to be one for the books. Upon completion of the 5K, you could receive one of the 68 medals they award to the racers. 1st place medals for best overall time are given to one male and one female. They also give out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals for the fastest finishers in each age division, as well as 1st and 2nd place medals for the Extreme Teams. Do you think you have what it takes to survive the White Gravel Mines Extreme Adventure 5K? Head on over to their Facebook page to learn more!

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings Casa Grande is a family-friendly restaurant that serves traditional Mexican entrees. Carlos Ortiz is the proud owner of this local restaurant. With the many different menu options, Carlos's favorite item is the carnitas with corn tortillas and hot salsa. Yum! Carlos started the business because of many customers traveling to their location in South Point. They realized that they wanted people from this area to have access to the food closer to home. Casa Grande is definitely a family operated restaurant. Francisco, their brother, is a trained chef that has helped them to create great recipes and concepts. You will always find him in the kitchen trying out new ideas to bring to the customers. It was no surprise that COVID-19 had a great effect on their business during the shutdown. When talking to them I asked what the local support meant to them, and they were very humbled. They told me, “We are so thankful that the locals have supported us during these times, and I am glad that we as a community have come together to help businesses in need, especially now. We have always been involved with the community that are so glad we are a part of this.” The next time you are in the mood for some authentic Mexican food, check out Casa Grande in New Boston! You can view their menu here.

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings For the past two years, 4500 people have been attending The Dean Knittel Memorial Race. It is a Sprintcar race that is run on a dirt track. The cars have 410 cubic inch motors, over 900 horsepower, and they weigh around 1375 pounds with the driver inside. The 2020 Dean Knittel Memorial race is in its 3rd year. It is set to run Friday, July 10th at Portsmouth Raceway Stadium. The race is part of a 10 day stretch throughout Ohio. The week is known as the Ohio Sprintcar Speedweek. They race at a different track each night. From Canada, Texas, and Pennsylvania, the drivers come from all over. The speedweek always has a large car count that follows the 10 day stretch. From Australia, California, and throughout the U.S., some of the best sprintcar drivers in the country follow along. Dean Knittel was a local businessman. He founded and owned Dean Knittel & Sons Auto Repair right here on Franklin Avenue in Portsmouth. He graduated school and started his racing career in 1954. He went on to race at the old Portsmouth Speedway and Atomic Speedway in Waverly. Traveling to different tracks through West Virginia, and Kentucky, he held the track record at Lawrenceburg Indiana. By 1962 he was married to his wife, Eloise. Together they had two sons JD and Jeff, and one daughter, Jo-Dee. Their youngest child Jeff, born 1972, is now the promoter of the Dean Knittel Memorial. Dean and Eloise have one granddaughter, miss Elizabeth Dee-Ann Chapman. Back in the day to race at the Indy 500, you had to be drafted. Dean was drafted twice and never made the move for having an established business and a family at home. Over his career, he accomplished over 120 feature wins and 12 track championships from 1954-1971. His racing career ended in 1971 due to a life-threatening racing crash. In 1976, he became the owner of his own sprintcar team for which Charlie Swartz drove the famous #54 where he and Dean collected an Owner’s Championship together! Dean was bought out in 1978 by C.K. Spurlock who was Loretta Lynn’s promoter and owns Gambler Chassis Company. However this was not the end for his love for racing. Dean continued to travel with his wife and family to races all over the country. He ran his auto repair shop until he retired in the early 1990’s. Sadly, he passed away March 12, 2018. To honor his legacy, the guys who grew up watching him race promised that they would see a memorial race named after him. To Dean’s family, this race means a great deal. It is a chance for them to reconnect with friends from back when Dean himself raced. They love being able to get their mom, Eloise, to one race every year. Watching her enjoy seeing all the people means a lot to the family. One of their favorite parts of the race is when the original #55 that Dean himself drove for Howard Weethy, and the remake of the #54 that Dean originally owned and drove come out to lead the field for the main event race. The family hopes that everyone can come out to take part in this year’s race! So if on Friday, July 10th, you do not have anything going on, come on out to Portsmouth Raceway to help them honor Dean’s legacy. Check out the event details on Facebook!

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings Along Gallia Street in New Boston, Ohio sits Lil C’s Shake Shoppe. Owned by Thom and Kathy Davis, they started this business to live out their dream of working in the food industry, owning their own business. Lil C’s Shake Shoppe has been a New Boston icon ever since it opened up in the 40’s. In the warm summer days, you will see people lined all the way down the street to get a meal from the daily bar. From seasonal soups, to delicious sandwiches, to mouth-watering milkshakes, there is something for everyone in your family! Kathy has always loved working with the public. She says that it makes her days brighter. Lil C’s have a variety of menu items, but Kathy’s go-to meal at the dairy bar is their pork & beef with a peanut butter shake. Talking to Kathy I asked her what the  local support meant to her during this time. As we were talking, she said, “Local support means more to us than our customers will ever know during these times, or any time. Without the support of our customers, we wouldn’t be here today. I was scared at first when the COVID-19 pandemic started. People were scared, and weren't getting out. But, the customers started showing up, and we haven’t stopped since. They are the true hero’s that kept the small businesses going during these tough times. I wish I could do something special for each and everyone of them, but we are so small. I hope my “thank you” from the bottom of our hearts goes a long way.” The next time you are out and about, stop by Lil C’s Shake Shoppe for a delicious, homemade meal and a sweet treat! Check out their menu here.

By Audrey Stratton | Local Happenings Image by Darian Gillette, Portsmouth Daily Times Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Datoine Robinson moved to Portsmouth in 2012 when he was 17 years old. He played football for the semi pro football teams and went on to coach 5th and 6th grade football at East. He has also coached 5th and 6th grade basketball at Portsmouth. He served in the Ohio Army National Guard for 6 years as a mechanic. Now, he is the head coach for the Portsmouth City Spartans. He is the father to two beautiful little girls, a mentor to young children, and a staple for this community. Image by Darian Gillette, Portsmouth Daily Times After the recent riots, Datoine decided to take a stand. He was watching anger pour all over the country. Hatred, violence, and division all amongst people everywhere. He wanted a chance to bring everyone together, spread love, and show that by coming together, real change can be created. They call themselves “We United”. With this movement he wanted to bridge the gap that is dividing our country. By creating a positive environment, he hopes that the world can be a better place for the next generation. Image by Darian Gillette, Portsmouth Daily Times The message he intends to spread is real change can happen with the right attitude. He quoted “United we stand, divided we fall”. Recently, he organized a peaceful march for change here in Portsmouth. The march was aimed to show how peace can overcome anything and show that not all of those who wear the uniform are bad and that all protests are not violent. They started at Spartan Municipal Stadium and marched over to the Portsmouth Police Station. We asked him how the Portsmouth Police received them and he told us, “I'm sure there was skepticism but they still welcomed me. They of course had preventive measures in place which is understandable.” Image by Darian Gillette, Portsmouth Daily Times The police officers knelt down on one knee when they arrived. He told us that when he first started this movement, people were highly skeptical about his promises of peace. He definitely did not expect the movement to grow this fast, but says that with the right message and attitude, we can accomplish way more than anyone has dreamed of. Check them out on Facebook They have many plans to bring the community together. Next, they're going to be having a community cookout. Check out the event here.