Long Time Funeral Director Remembered

I was out of town celebrating my wedding anniversary with Karen when I got the news. The passing of Don Edgington. My earliest memories of Don were playing knothole baseball on a team in Mowrystown where he was the coach and Craig and I were players. He told me to go to right field and I did not know where right field was. Pretty good indication my future would not be in baseball.

Don encouraged me in my real estate career on numerous occasions and his words were always the same. He would say "Jeff, the word around town is that you work hard and are a hustler. Keep your nose clean and you will do just fine. He always stressed to me to keep my nose clean.

Don ... I'm doing the best I can. You will be missed.

Swackhamer Named SCOL Baseball Coach of the Year

Congratulations goes out to Rusty Swackhamer and the Hillsboro Indians baseball team!

Hillsboro head baseball coach Rusty Swackhamer was recently named the 2009 South Central Ohio League Coach of the Year. Swackhamer and the Indians went undefeated in the league with a 12-0 record. HHS finished the season 16-1 overall. Swackhamer has coached the Indians for four seasons.

It's great to see such hard work and dedication. What a fantastic honor!

Craig Krenzel to Speak at Hillsboro High School Graduation

The Hillsboro Ministerial Association is bringing Craig Krenzel to be the keynote speaker at the Hillsboro High School Graduation which is to be held this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Krenzel is the Ohio State University quarterback who led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship and went on to play two years in the NFL. The Ministerial Association is pleased to have a speaker that will give the graduates a spiritual sendoff as they wrap up that phase of their life and head out into the world. This goal of the Association has been in the works for several years - and only this year has been accomplished due to donations and fundraising to bring Krenzel to the ceremonies. We at The Dickey Group support the Hillsboro Ministerial Association's vision for the graduation ceremony and are excited to be a part of this effort. Congratulations and blessings to all the local area graduates!

The full article appears in the Friday, May 15th edition of The Times-Gazette.

Annual Trout Derby Held at Rocky Fork Lake

On April 4th over 500 children ages 15 and under participated in the Annual Trout Derby held at Rocky Fork Lake. This event, held every year on the first Saturday in April, is sponsored by the Highland County Rod and Gun Club. It provides youth the opportunity to experience outdoor sports and enjoy quality time with their families. To read more, click here.

Passing of Charles "Lou" West

A dear friend of Karen and I recently passed away and will be deeply missed. Lou West was the song leader for decades at the Fairfax United Methodist Church where we attend. Saying that Lou loved to sing is an understatement. He was always looking for a partner his sing what he called "a special". He would come into Church and announce we need to sing "a special". My wife would sing with him on many occasions. Lou would sing solo's, duet's, with small groups...you name it! Any one he could round up! They would gather around the piano at choir practice and sing until 10:00 p.m.! Lou loved the Lord and loved the youth. He could often be seen at ball games and ball parks. It didn't matter who's kid it was... Lou faithfully supported the youth! Lou played fastpitch softball on a Church team many years ago with my father, Lowell. Dad would occasionally recall the great times they had playing together. Karen and I will miss that man! Lou was preceed by his beautiful bride Clarice! We will meet again some day.

2008 Olympics

The 2008 Olympic Games will soon be underway! The torch has already made it to Beijing, marking the anticipation of the centuries old tradition of the Games. The sacred flame arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, August 5 at 4:20 p.m. for the last leg of the 2008 Torch Relay before the official start of the Games. The sacred flame will tour China's capital city from August 6-8.

Resources about the Olympics can be found at the official website as well as NBC's website.

Go team USA!

Special Olympics Summer Games

The 38th Annual Special Olympics of Ohio State Summer Games were held June 22-24 at Ohio State University. The Special Olympics Ohio programs reach more than 17,000 athletes - including several from Hills and Dales. Our local Special Olympics team enjoyed a successful trip to the games this year. Seventeen athletes won honors with many placings in a variety of events! With more than 2,700 participants involved in the weekend program - we are very proud of our local team!

To read more, click here!

What others say about: Community, Dickey Group, Sports, Team


What Jeff says about:

Dante Jackson Performs Well During State Championships

Earlier this month, McClain High School's Dante Jackson defended his state championship title in the 110 hurdles. This race set the pace for the rest of the competition. Jackson fell short during the 300 hurdle event taking the runner up position, even after beating his own personal best record.

This final competition for Jackson's high school career brings his total placings at the state level to seven. Jackson is headed to Xavier University in the fall on a basketball scholarship.

Congratulations to Dante Jackson and continued success in future endeavors! The Dickey Group wishes you well!

To read more, click here!

What others say about: Community, Dickey Group, Schools, Sports, Team, Youth


What Jeff says about:

McClain Head Coach Named Coach of the Year

McClain head coach Rick VanMatre, who led his Tigers to a district finals appearance, has been chosen as the Division II All-Ohio Coach of the Year. VanMatre led the Tigers to a 23-1 mark this season and has a career record of 438-159. He shares this honor with Dana Addis of Copley.

Congratulations to Van Matre!

Click here to read more!

What others say about: Community, Dickey Group, Schools, Sports


What Jeff says about:

Annual Trout Derby

Today the Annual Trout Derby is being held at Rocky Fork State Park. There will be 15 fish worth $100 each and approximately 2,000 fish in all stocked into a netted area at the lake for this event. This event will also include shotgun shooting, archery shooting, laser shot simulator, door prizes, and refreshments! Last year, more than 700 youngsters participated in this fun event! This community event is held every year to enhance fishing opportunities for youth and adults - check it out! The Dickey Group hopes all participants have a great time! To read more, click here.

What others say about:
Community, Dickey Group, Rocky Fork Lake, Sports, Youth

What Jeff says about:

G-Men Are State Champs

The first state appearance for the Georgetown G-Men was a memorable one! For the first time in school history, the G-Men were named Division IV State Champions. On Saturday, March 24th Georgetown came out victorious over Columbus Harvest Prep 75-66. We congratulate this local team for the amazing accomplishment!

To read more about the game, click here.

Congrats from The Dickey Group!

What others say about:
Community, Dickey Group, Sports, Youth

What Jeff says about:

Local High School Senior Nominated to All-American

Before Thursday night's game, McClain High School Senior Dante Jackson was presented with a certificate and basketball for the McDonald's High School All-American team nomination. Congratulations goes to Jackson and the McClain Tigers - No. 1 ranking basketball team in Division II boys basketball in Ohio!

To read more about McClain's recent victory over Miami Trace and Dante Jackson's incredible game, click here!

Information about all of the local schools can be found on their websites and HighlandCountySchools.com.

What others say about:
Community, Sports, Youth

What Jeff says about:

The Headline Says It All

I was recently enjoying the Sports section of our local newspaper, the Times Gazette, to find the headline: Still Perfect, Buckeyes Head to National Championship. The Buckeyes just defeated the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines to advance to the national championship. On Jan. 8th the Buckeyes will play in Glendale, Arizona. I'm sure this game will be watched by even more enthusiastic viewers than ever before! The recent victory drew the biggest television audience for any regular-season game in 13 years (as reported in a side story). Over 21.77 million viewers (according to Nielson Media Research) tuned in to the game. The ability of a game to bring so many people together in one spirit, one enthusiasm, one celebration is amazing! The Buckeyes are the perfect way to enjoy football and community!

What others say about: Community, Football, Sports

What Jeff says about: