Winter reading challenge starts soon

Jay County Public Library’s adult and teen winter reading challenge returns this month.

Challenge cards will be available at the library from Jan. 13 through March 1. Adults and teens must complete at least four spaces on their cards before turning them in for prize drawings, which include gift cards to Pizza Hut, Walmart or Bizy Dips.

All cards will also be entered into a grand prize drawing for a Kindle Paperwhite. 

Other activities going on at the library this month include:

•Finger knitting for kids: an after-school activity for children to craft scarves from 4 to 5 p.m. or 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 9

•Be heart smart: a multi-session series for individuals wanting to learn how to help prevent heart disease with healthy lifestyle changes, at 6 p.m. Monday

Regional runner-up

A Trine University team that includes a Portland resident placed second in a regional competition.

Trine’s ChemE Sports team placed second in their region at the October 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Student Conference in San Diego, California. 

According to a release from Trine University, the hybrid competition combined optimization and safety in scenarios based on a gas treating unit with a Distributed Control System.

Team members included junior Isaac Braun of Portland, senior Joshua Scott of Ossian, Jake Doyle and Aaron Phillips.

Dean’s list

A Jay County High School graduate recently made the dean’s list at an Indiana college.

Gage Sims recently earned a spot on the list at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the fall semester.

Wellness initiative

There’s a new educational program available for seniors in the community.

Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) is a six-week program for those 55 years old and older to learn more about themselves and make friends. 

Participants will learn about the aging process and how to make healthy lifestyle choices, discuss risk factors and behaviors to avoid, examine how alcohol, prescription medication and over-the-counter medications impact seniors differently and learn how to use tools to feel empowered about health. 

Door prizes and free food will be available during each of the two-hour sessions that will be offered at Jay Community Center. 

To learn more, contact Stephanie Patterson of Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition at (260) 251-3259.