ADA–Ada junior kicker/punter Andrew Allen was named third team Div. VII All-Ohio in voting recently conducted by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.
Allen was also named to the all-Northwest District first team as a punter, and made honorable mention in the All-Blanchard Valley Conference as a kicker.
Allen booted 31 punts for a 40.0-yard average per kick this season, good for the second-best average in the BVC.
Allen successfully booted 32 of 33 point after attempts, and made one field goal to score 35 points this past season. He was a perfect 37-37 on PATs as a sophomore.
Below are links to 24 Icon articles that are distributed in print form to the Ada Public Library, Beatitudes and Vancrest of Ada. This is the fourth issue of the Ada Icon Highlights.
Dear readers,
In November 2025, I particularly enjoyed reporting on volunteers and Village of Ada workers who decorated Depot Park for the holidays, and having a stage-side seat for Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel’s visit to the Ada Schools to promote the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge.
I want to give a huge thank you to J.D. Fleece and photographer Mark Andreasen for the information and photos provided for our coverage of the VFW flag retirement ceremonies.
The Ada Schools 4th & 5th Grade Christmas Musical on December 4 was "Holly Jolly Jalopy." Parents, families, and friends joined in the holiday fun at the Ada Schools auditorium.
FROM FACEBOOK__It's the last week to enter the Ada Public Library FREE book giveaway, courtesy of the Friends of the Ada Public Library!
Every day that you check out a book, you can enter a ticket for the book drawing. The last day to enter is Friday, Dec. 12, and we'll draw the winners on Saturday, Dec. 13.
There's a book for each age group, so choose which title you'd like to win!
• "Ahoy!" by Sophie Blackall (ages 4–7)
• "Pocket Bear" by Katherine Applegate (ages 8–10)
• "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell (ages 11–13)
MEDIA RELEASE––The United Way of Hardin County held its third Student Leadership-United meeting of the 2025–26 school year on December 3 at Ridgemont High School. The session featured a presentation from Amanda Raines of the Ohio State University Extension Office, who spoke to students about strategies for managing stress.
FROM ONU.EDU__Dr. Kendall (Ken) Baker, Hon. D. ’11, served with distinction as Ohio Northern University’s 10th president from 1999 until 2011. He was named president emeritus upon his retirement. He passed away in Colorado on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at age 83.
Life of scholarship
Dr. Baker came from a military family and wanted to follow suit, but vision trouble derailed his plans. He decided to pursue a life of scholarship. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maryland in 1963, followed by a master’s and doctoral degrees from Georgetown University in 1966 and 1969, respectively.
