By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
BG Independent News readers seem to love reading about people, businesses and events in the community.
This year-end, instead of an exhaustive list of news coverage from 2025, today’s year-in-review focuses on the stories that seemed to resonate the most with readers, at least based on likes and comments on the BG Independent Facebook account.
People of 2025
The first noted local person of 2025 was New Year’s Baby Julian Santos Gonzalez, the first baby born in 2025 at Wood County Hospital. His Jan. 2 birth to Kamila “Kami” McFann and Jose Gonzalez delivered 265 Facebook likes to start the year.
Hundreds of BG Independent readers wished Police Chief Tony Hetrick good luck and thanks when he announced his retirement after 30 years with the BG Police Division and 10 years as chief. And when Justin White was named the new chief of police in March, he too was warmly congratulated by 318 people for the honor.
Drew Thomas, a Bowling Green High School graduate and Capital University freshman, was the first Wood County 4-H member to be inducted into the Ohio 4-H Teen Hall of Fame.
With 571 likes on Facebook, Elian Rush’s story about winning a state wrestling championship for Bowling Green Middle School caught plenty of attention. Congratulations spread like wildfire for the girl wrestler, who has been wrestling since she was in Crim School’s wrestling club as a kindergartener.
David Dupont’s retirement from BG Independent was announced in April with a farewell party in June. He spent nearly 50 years (the last 10 with BG Independent) reporting news about the communities, arts, music and entertainment that he cared deeply. His departure drew 405 comments about his contributions over the decades and the big shoes he would leave to be filled. Though he and his wife, Linda Brown, are discovering new adventures now as residents in Maine and as grandparents to Lua, he continues to keep an eye and a hand in some of the arts coverage in northwest Ohio.
Thom Headley and Shawn Hudson took their final bows as directors for the Bowling Green Area Community Band and the Bowling Green Middle School and High School orchestras, respectively. The love and admiration were apparent as their retirements resulted in 862 Facebook reactions for Headley and more than 400 for Hudson. They each shared their love of music for decades with Bowling Green students and the community.
Jon Waters and the Bowling Green State University Falcon Marching Band provided crossover enthusiasm in several stories during 2025. The BG community and the marching band alumni network always seem to boost those FMB-related stories into the hundreds of likes and comments on Facebook. This year’s stories included the band marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, Waters’ directing the Band Directors’ Band in the Rose Bowl 2026 Rose Bowl Parade and the 400-plus member FMB being selected to march in the 2027 Rose Bowl Parade.
There was so much excitement for BGSU Football this year with the hiring of Head Coach Eddie George. The hype was real as he received accolades in Columbus and throughout the state when he was introduced; hundreds of Falcon fans shared their excitement for the larger-than-life personality.
Little did Coach George know that a smushed-face cat would be top dog when the season rolled around. Pudge the cat, owned by BGSU’s long snapper George Carlson, became the talk of the town and the nation with public appearances in person and on television. Pudge’s appearance at St. Aloysious School was liked by 1,100 people, another high mark for BGI’s Facebook posts, and the announcement that his bobblehead was being added to the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame didn’t reach 1,000 likes, but his followers still showed their support.
Sam Challu, a 2025 BG High School graduate and Brown University freshman, became a highly read story when he relayed a newfound purpose to advocate for gun control measures after living through the terror on Brown’s campus during the December mass shooting that killed two and injured nine.
For 42 years, Annette Dewar has been cutting and styling hair in Bowling Green. Her announced retirement in October, created shear love for the stylist. Facebook had nearly 300 likes, plus 130 comments from customers who have been with her—many for the full 42 years—thanking her for her talents and commitment to their hairstyles over the years.
A BGSU photography project by Andrew Kish of Perrysburg ended up with more than 300 positive reactions. The photo was of his brother James-Michael Kish, dressed in a Captain America costume, and showing the joy he lives every day as an individual with Down Syndrome. James-Thomas’ photo, taken by Andrew, was chosen from more than 2,600 entries submitted to the National Down Syndrome Society and featured on Times Square’s jumbotron in September.
Tom Mowen’s family decided to make a difference for the Brown Bag Food Project by creating a Brown Bag Chicken Flock. After learning that Brown Bag had a shortage of inventory, he decided to take matters into his own hand to put more eggs into the hands of hungry families by providing eggs to the food pantry from his special flock at the Wintergreen Family Farm. Nearly 500 people reacted to the Facebook post
Staten Middleton’s effort to restore wetlands to his family’s property earned respect from almost 400 readers.
Two centenarians were feted in 2025 stories.– Thelma Wires of Tontogany, who garnered 210 likes, and Geraldine De Meo of Bowling Green both had stories to share of life at 100.
BG loves its businesses & events
Moving from people to businesses or organizations, 100 was also important for two local institutions. Wayne Public Library celebrated 100 years of community and connection as the heart of the 900-resident community.
Wood County Hospital celebrated 100 in a different way. The hospital placed in the top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals.
Three Wood County entities celebrated 150th birthdays in 2025. Wood County District Public Library hosted a year of events to recognize the library’s rich history in Bowling Green, the Village of Tontogany proudly celebrated its 150th birthday with events over the spring and summer., and Trinity United Methodist Church hosted a dinner and fundraiser in support of its 150th birthday.
One of the biggest business stories of the year involved the Cla-Zel. When Broc Curry announced he was breathing new life into the downtown landmark, the community responded. More than 1,600 people showed their support with thumbs up and heart emojis.
When Heavenly Pizza arrived in Bowling Green in August, the response was truly heavenly, with 714 people ready for the new pizza place to join the lineup of pizza places in Bowling Green.
ReStore opened its Bowling Green store on Jan. 23 to raise money for Habitat for Humanity homes in Wood County. The response has been positive, including almost 400 likes on BG Independent’s Facebook post.
South Side 6 is a frequent Facebook fan favorite—this year, even more than in previous years – when it offered a wing special for the Ohio State-Michigan football game. 507 readers responded on Facebook, and hundreds more participated in the day that saw 27,000 chicken wings sold and hundreds of food items donated to the Brown Bag Food Project.
Dairy Queen owners Manny and Doli Patel’s annual celebration of their daughter’ Yana’s birthday always brings smiles and comments from the community when the Patels deliver 10,000 DQ Dilly Bars to schools, first responders and other businesses in the community.
Tim Emmerich and Ardy Gonyer made big news twice in 2025, with the 30-year celebration of Call of the Canyon, with 434 likes, and the 2nd Annual Restaurant Week, which raised $10,000 for the Brown Bag Food Pantry at a time when the pantry had to close for a day because of low inventory.
In general, several events stirred emotions, mostly for the positive, though some with controversy and differing perspectives. The No King’s Protest in October resulted in 1,500+ reactions. Even the brief announcement about the planned event prompted 976 reactions, including anger, thumbs up, and sad emojis.
Stories about the Pride, transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities always seem to elicit lots of responses and comments. More than 600 reactions were recorded for the July Pride event, and the community shared its support for a leader in the transgender community who was waiting for a kidney transplant. Chalking a crosswalk with rainbow colors during the Black Swamp Arts Festival to show BG is welcoming to all resulted in nearly 900 people reacting on Facebook.
The Black Swamp Arts Festival also received hundreds of responses to the many stories shared in the BG Independent: Nick Hennessey receiving the Dan Baglione Service Award; the annual support of festival-goers; artist award winners; and pilgrimage to the sirloin tips food truck.
More than 200 BGHS student participated in a walkout over the lunch hour, showing their concern about the issue of gun violence in the U.S. The story stirred emotions as well. More than 330 people reacted to the story on Facebook.
The monthly Historic Preservation Building of the Month always piques people’s interest. This year’s most-read historic preservation stories included the neighborhood grocery stores including North Grove Carryout, Easy Street building, which formerly had housed a market, dairy, law practices and medical offices (329 likes) and the Lincoln House restoration into an inn.
