Ottawa County is now up to 66 deaths determined to be the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Slightly over 3,100 have been infected (including myself). The Ottawa County Health Department is moving forward with distributing the vaccine. For up-to-date information on Covid in Ottawa County, check out their website ottawahealth.org.

I don’t care much what a rodent in western Pennsylvania has to say. Spring is on the way. You know how I know? Just seven words. “Pitchers and catchers report to Spring training.” That’s it!!! And it happened this week.

I was very sorry to learn of the passing of John Lukac this week. He was an absolutely terrific guy. I remember playing golf with him in a Knights of Columbus outing. His shoes were “squeaky.” So from that point on, I kidded him about his squeaky shots. I’m gonna miss him.

David Robertson was chosen from among 115 entries who found Wylie hiding in the ad for Bayside Comfort on Page 1A in last week’s Beacon. So, congratulations David. You are the winner of our weekly $25 gas card graciously donated by Friendship Stores. Each week we hide Wylie Walleye in an ad and our readers, when one of them finds him, can either bring in a contest entry cut out of the paper or log onto our website … www.thebeacon.net … and let us know where he is, thus entering, and possibly winning our weekly contest.

The Oak Harbor Athletic Department, in concert with the Oak Harbor Athletic Boosters, are proud and excited to announce the restart and re-dedication of the Oak Harbor Athletic Hall of Fame after a long hiatus. The re-dedicated Hall of Fame will feature its’ own room at Oak Harbor High School directly off the cafeteria.

The Oak Harbor Athletic Hall of Fame room is still a work in progress, but it will feature two touch screen TV monitors where visitors can search for information on Hall of Fame Inductees and current records. Visitors to the room will also be able to search 72 years worth of Oak Harbor High School yearbooks! Oak Harbor has teamed up with “Touchpros” to create a URL that can be accessed from any computer to see all of the information. To access the webpage go to: oakharborrockets.touchpros.com.

Old friend Eric Zeitzheim has retired as a social studies teacher with the Port Clinton School District. He has also been an avid football and wrestling coach, as well. Zeitzheim, who became a full-time teacher in 1993, was an assistant football coach and wrestling coach and a Port Clinton Middle School football and wrestling coach.

As a teacher, he was a Virtual Learning Academy Instructor and OGT Summer Tutor. Eric served fellow teachers as a consulting teacher, review board member and Social Studies Department Chair. He notably enlightened his students with his classes on the History of Port Clinton, and provided a wealth of historical highlights about Ottawa County.

The Que Barbeque & Brew, 3975 East Harbor Rd., Port Clinton, is hosting a drive-through chicken dinner to benefit the Humane Society of Ottawa County on Tuesday, March 9 from 4 to 7 pm. Dinner is $10 and includes a chicken leg quarter, baked beans, baked potato salad and cornbread. Dinners must be pre-ordered by March 5 by calling the Humane Society of Ottawa County at 419-734-5191. Payment may be made by credit card or PayPal.

The Danbury Parent Teacher Community Organization is hosting the Marblehead Purse Virtual Raffle oil Saturday, March 6 at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets visit https://buytickets.at/marbleheadpurseraffle. Purse Tickets are $20, Clutch Tickets are $10 and Raffle Prize Tickets are $10. The Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has announced that “Vanna” will make a special appearance.

To celebrate agriculture and honor local producers, local Ag Agencies and sponsors are celebrating National Agriculture Week by hosting an Agriculture Community Breakfast. The 2021 Breakfast will be held on Friday, March 19, at 8:30 a.m. at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Oak Harbor. The cost for the Drive-Thru continental breakfast is only $5.

The event is not just for the agricultural community, but open to all individuals and businesses that eat meat, fruit, vegetables and bread – items grown by farmer! You can also take a self-guided tour of ONWR. Proceeds from the breakfast go back into the agricultural community through various scholarships. These scholarships will be awarded on March 19 by phone call to the recipients. For tickets contact the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District 419-898-1595.

Otterbein Senior Life residents were treated to a delicious meal this Valentine’s Day in the Bistro prepared by Otterbein’s own Chef Patrick.