And Times Observer readers love reading about them. Among the most-read stories on our website this year were several stories focusing on those whose roots, in one way or another, are here.

But perhaps the most touching story wasn’t a planned story. Instead, it was the outpouring of emotion at a Youngsville High School basketball game after the tragic death of Youngsville graduate Gage Hendrickson in a car accident.

On a night where the community honored Hendrickson’s memory, the Eagles delivered a performance of which he would’ve been proud. Hendrickson, a 2020 graduate of Youngsville and the schools’ most recent 1,000-point scorer, tragically passed away on Saturday as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident last month.

Several of Hendrickson’s classmates, teammates and friends were present Tuesday and huddled around his No. 11 jersey at midcourt prior to the start of Tuesday’s game as an emotional tribute was read.

Submitted photo Georgianne E. Schuessler Shirley and Emily E. Schuessler Arnth are sisters through adoption. Arnth is currently looking for any biological family members in the Warren area.

ADOPTEE BORN IN WARREN HOPES TO CONNECT TO

BIOLOGICAL FAMILY

Baby Girl Mintzer was born at Warren General Hospital on May 13, 1980.

After spending two months in a foster home in Warren County, she was adopted by a family in West Moreland County. Today, she is Emily E. (Schuessler) Arneth, and she is looking to connect with any biological family members who may still be in the Warren area.

Arneth has learned during her search that her biological mother passed away in May of this year.

Photo submitted to the Times Observer Russell native Mitchell Angove was named to Forbes Magazine's 30 under 30 list for the year of 2024.

“I just wanted to let her know I am okay and grateful,” Arneth said.

She is saddened by the missed opportunity to meet the woman who gave her life, but she is still hopeful she may find her biological father and possibly others, such as siblings, aunts and uncles, and cousins.

Her birth certificate lists her parents as Cynthia Belle Mintzer, 20, and Tony Lee Brown, 27. Brown is around 81 years old today.

After learning that her mother passed on May 20 of this year, Arneth told the Times Observer she was focusing her efforts on locating her extended family and her biological father.

Like most adoptees, Arnth hopes to fill in some answers and connect with relatives.

Scott Freeman and Jennifer Farnham attended Warren High School's Homecoming dance together in 1987, they reconnected thirty three years later and were married on November 23, 2024. Above, the newly married Freeman’s are shown at their wedding on November 23, 2024.

Those with information that may help Arnth find her biological family can email her at emilyarnth@gmail.com.

RUSSELL NATIVE NAMED TO FORBES 30 UNDER 30 LIST

Mitchell Angove, a native of Russell and an Eisenhower Middle High School (EMHS) graduate, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Angove graduated from Eisenhower in 2018, earned his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and later completed his master’s degree at the University of California, Davis, where he honed his expertise in biotechnology and sustainability.

As the co-founder and CEO of Feanix Biotechnologies, Angove is transforming the agricultural industry by analyzing animal genomes to predict traits such as size, milk production, and other key health markers. The company’s work helps customers make informed breeding decisions, reducing the need for large herds and fostering sustainability – advancing efforts to improve the global food supply chain and combat climate change.

Herb and Jesse Shumann, lifelong friends and married couple, Herb founded Charcoal and Grey in memory of Jesse after she died of an overdose.

Angove said his years in Warren County were instrumental in focusing his vast scientific education and knowledge on sustainability.

“Growing up in Warren, I developed a deep love for farming and gained a profound respect for the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in agriculture. At the same time, I’ve always been passionate about nature and wildlife, and I’ve struggled with the narrative that agriculture and the environment must be at odds,” said Angove. “When I discovered the potential of genetics to create healthier, more efficient, and sustainable food systems, I saw an incredible opportunity to bridge my passions for farming and ecology. Through genomic analysis, I’m able to support farmers while fostering a vision of agriculture that works in harmony with nature.”

SERENDIPITOUS LOVE STORY FOR COUPLE ORIGINALLY FROM WARREN

Thirty-three years ago, Scott Freeman and Jennifer Farnham shared a fleeting moment at a high school dance, a moment that neither could have predicted would spark a lifelong journey together. Their story is one of serendipity, heartache, and, ultimately, rediscovery – a reminder that love doesn’t always follow a straight line.

It was October 10, 1987, when the two Warren natives, then 17 and 15, attended the Homecoming Dance at Warren Area High School. Scott, a senior, and Jenny, a sophomore, had mutual friends but were not a couple.

Submitted Photo Pictured is Ryleigh Bowers during a Youth Equestrian Development Association event.

She cheered for the Dragons with his sister, Sheila, and their paths crossed occasionally, but the dance marked their one shared experience in those high school years.

“We knew each other, but we never really dated,” Scott recalls. “It was just a dance. But, as it turns out, it was the beginning of something neither of us could have foreseen.”

After high school, Scott went on to Penn State, while Jenny attended Mercyhurst University. Although both were in Erie, Pa., at the same time, they never ran into each other. Their lives took different paths. Scott married, had three daughters, and eventually moved to Gettysburg, Pa. Jenny married as well, raising three sons in Roanoke, Va.

It wasn’t until 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that their lives intersected again – though not in person. Instead, it was Facebook that played matchmaker. Both had gone through divorces, and despite the passing decades, there was still a connection between them – one reignited as they began texting and talking on the phone.

By Christmas Eve 2022, they had become a blended family — a “modern-day Brady Bunch,” as Scott likes to joke — and Scott proposed to Jenny in front of their six children.

On November 23, 2024, Scott and Jenny married in a ceremony that’s been decades in the making. Scott said, “It was more special than we even dreamed, It was perfect. The stars aligned for a couple kids from Warren.”

Both still have roots in Warren, Pa., and they come home to visit when they can.

“We could never have predicted this,” says Scott. “But sometimes, life gives you a second chance at something beautiful, and we’re lucky enough to get that.”

WARREN MAN FOUNDS NONPROFIT TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Herb Schumann knew he wanted to do something to honor his wife, Jesse, after her 2020 death after a battle with addiction.

The Schumanns had been together for years, starting as childhood friends, and had been lifelong residents of Warren. The result, after years of thought and legwork, is Charcoal and Grey Inc. The Warren-based nonprofit organization is focused on reducing recidivism and addressing substance use disorders through job placement, peer support and community programs.

“I wanted to do something. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. There isn’t much support for those coming out of rehab, jail, and prison to find housing, employment, or interact with people in the community,” he said about founding the organization.

Schumann recalled that on the final Monday of another stint in rehab, his mother-in-law called him at the rehab and told him that Jesse had overdosed. Herb was released from rehab on Friday, the same day as Jesse’s funeral.

Herb would find himself in ICU from an overdose not long after Jesse’s death. He had a stroke while in the hospital, and had to learn to walk and speak again.

“Charcoal and Grey Inc. exists not only to honor Jesse’s spirit, but to help others find a way out of the darkness,” Schumann said.

The organization is at the forefront of efforts to reduce repeat offenses by offering employment and support services. It provides immediate job placement, vocational training, and comprehensive recovery support to help individuals transitioning out of jail or treatment to establish stable, rewarding lives.

The Release and Rise is a program created to assist individuals transitioning out of incarceration in reintegrating into society. It focuses on life skills, employability, and recovery support. The organization collaborates with Family Services to teach programs inside the Warren County Jail.

Charcoal and Grey offer lawn care services with affordable lawn mowing, leaf cleanup, snow removal, and more.

Open to the general public, the organization offers discounts for older adults, low-income households, and individuals on a fixed income. Profits from the service support recovery and re-entry programs.

Charcoal and Grey also collaborates closely with local agencies such as CareerLink and OVR to help individuals secure employment.

The organization is funded through grants, and donations, along with community support and partnerships with local organizations.

Schumann also organizes the Jesse Schumann Memorial Softball Tournament, which he admitted wasn’t because she loved softball.

“She would love that her name is on something though, she would have thought that was great,” said Schumann.

RIDING HIGH: LOCAL TEEN SEEKING SPONSORS TO CONTINUE EQUESTRIAN COMPETITION

A local teen was looking for the community’s support earlier this year to continue her journey in horsemanship.

Ryleigh Bowers, a 15-year-old from Warren, competes through the Youth Equestrian Development Association show system. And she’s pretty good.

Bowers is a two-time, back-to-back YEDA Nationals winner. She’s only participated in the program for four years.

However, according to Bowers, she’s been riding since she was eight-years-old and competing through various programs since age 10, most recently with YEDA. She cites the nationals wins as her favorite memory of equestrian competition.

“When I was little I started wanting to ride horses,” she said. “I want to level up in different skills.”

The YEDA program focuses on improving youth riding skills, exposing riders to scholarship opportunities and connecting riders with colleges. According to the program website, it has provided more than $950,000 in scholarships so far.

“It’s a good program,” Bowers said.

Riders are grouped into different levels with divisions including youth from fourth grade on in elementary, junior high and senior high divisions. There are also programs for alumni members. Within the divisions, riders are grouped into different skill level classifications named after gemstones. Each classification offers various classes focused on different riding skills.

At the senior high level, classifications include opal, emerald, ruby, sapphire and diamond groups, with diamond being the highest skill level.

“I want to be in the diamond elite, so it keeps me going,” Bowers said.