ELKINS — After 37 years with the agency, Executive Co-Director Peggy Johnson will be retiring from Youth Health Service, Inc. on June 30, and her successor, Sarah Begg, will join the established leadership team, consisting of Executive Co-Director, Tammie Rizzio, and Director of Business Operations, Amanda Arbogast, to lead the agency.

While Johnson has spent the last 10 years serving in the role of executive co-director, her contributions to the agency in its tenure are varied. During the formative years of the agency, she served as a case manager providing maternity and parenting support and education for young women and their families.

As the community needs shifted, Johnson moved into an Early Intervention role working with little ones and their families aimed at increasing opportunities and reducing barriers to learning and developmental growth.

By the mid-90’s, the agency transitioned to providing behavioral health programs for kids of all ages, allowing her to further her specialization in early childhood, providing individual play therapy as well as group and family therapies and coordinating early childhood programming, which included the addition of Home Ties Child Development Center.

Johnson has served as the Project Director for several grant programs around early learning opportunities in participating in childcare programs in the area and the development of the child and adolescent trauma center which led to YHS being an affiliate of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

When asked about memorable moments and hopes for the agency moving forward, Johnson said, “The memories that stand out the most involve the people I have been blessed to know here – the amazing leaders who hired me all those years ago and not only mentored but befriended me as well; the dedicated co-workers past and present, so many who have become life-long friends; those caring professionals throughout our communities who supported the mission of YHS and the children we serve; the volunteers who donated their time, talent, and energy to help us; and the faces, the voices, the stories of the children and caregivers who have passed through this way.

“As I am wrapping up my last days as co-director, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences of the past and tremendous hope and confidence for the future of Youth Health Service and the important work being done here.”

Johnson will certainly be missed by her YHS family, community partners and clients; her contributions to the agency and the community at large have been forever impactful and the field of early childhood education and development, and behavioral health are better in our community because of her influences.

Begg will assume her new role on July 1 and brings with her 14 years of experience in the field. After receiving her BSW from Concord University, she went on to receive her MSW while also working for the WVDHHR CPS before transitioning to Southern Highlands Community Health Center as a Therapist. In 2015 she continued her work as a Therapist at Youth Health Service before transitioning to a School Social Worker in Randolph County Schools and back to YHS in 2022.

Begg has long had a passion for helping others that led her to social work. When asked what she would like to achieve in her new role, Begg stated, “I aim to continue the legacy YHS has of helping children and families through new and innovative processes, growing behavioral health to meet the ever increasing and changing needs of the communities we serve, and support and empower the qualified, compassionate, and wonderful staff at YHS.”

The community may express their well wishes and congratulations to both Johnson and Begg by sending cards to Youth Health Service ATTN: Ms. Johnson/Ms. Begg 971 Harrison Ave. Elkins, WV 26241.

Community

Matt Nelson, center, chairman of the Crawfordsville Friends of the NRA presented donations to Lori Roe, left, from the Montgomery County 4-H program, and Eric Small, right, of the Crawfordsville Gun Club. Roe received $5,100 for youth shooting sports and Small received $7,000 for youth training and shooting sports.

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Posted

Thursday,
June 12, 2025
5:00 am

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Soccer may be considered the unofficial national sport of the Netherlands, but Staten Islander Dex Zimmerman — who holds dual American-Dutch citizenship — is set to don the iconic Oranje for the Dutch U12 national baseball team at the upcoming Youth Baseball European Championship hosted in the Czech Republic.

Zimmerman, who will soon graduate from PS 60 in Graniteville and move onto IS 72 in New Springville, is currently in Europe for a scrimmage against the Belgian national team on Wednesday ahead of the European Championship, which begins on July 2.

Dex’s path to international baseball began about four years ago, when his father, Todd, reached out to a coach from the Dutch program to explore opportunities for Dex to get involved. At the time, he was told Dex was too young — but now, he’s ready to take the international stage.

“Out of nowhere this year, the same coach reached back out and told us they were having a tryout; we went a little less than a month ago, and he made the team,” Zimmerman proudly said of his son’s accomplishment.

Though he primarily serves as a pitcher for the Dutch squad, Zimmerman is also effective at shortstop and center field — a testament to the versatile skillset his father helped cultivate during his years as Dex’s coach, prior to his transition to club coaching with the New York Prospects last year.

“He’s a very humble boy,” Zimmerman said of his son’s attitude despite his talent at such a young age.

“We started playing baseball together when he was around 1-year-old, and I try to keep him humble, but that’s something he’s always had in him,” Zimmerman continued.

Zimmerman has firmly established himself as a young talent locally, but his father acknowledged that competing on the international stage will bring a new set of challenges.

“While he’s playing for the Dutch team, the field is 46 feet from the mound to home and 60 feet between the bases; those are dimensions similar to Little League, but when he’s playing travel ball for the Prospects, the field is definitely bigger,” Zimmerman said of one of the ways Dex may need to readjust his game while playing in Europe.

Dex will also get the chance to meet his Dutch national teammates for the first time, as this marks his debut traveling abroad for competition. While some cultural differences may arise, his father is confident that Dex —fluent in both Dutch and English — will form friendships that last a lifetime.

“They’re not into the small talk like we are,” Todd said with a laugh.

“He’s a little bit of an outsider for now; they’re a little bit different than us, but he’s a social kid,” he continued.

In addition to reconnecting with his Dutch roots, Zimmerman is also contributing to the global growth of baseball in real time — a role his father finds especially meaningful with the World Baseball Classic on the horizon next year.

“We’re really into that competition,” Todd said of their own fondness of how the WBC has promoted the sport globally.

“The Netherlands is ranked seventh in the world currently, since they also include Aruba and Curaçao. Andruw Jones is the head coach of the Netherlands and has recruited guys like Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar to play for him, so it’s a very good breeding ground for baseball,” Zimmerman said of the nation’s senior team.

While Dex still has a long road ahead to reach that level, his involvement in the global baseball community is already laying the foundation for a lifelong love of the game — and a chance to see the world through it.

“He’s really looking forward to it,” Todd said of Dex’s excitement ahead of the tournament.

“It should be a really interesting experience getting to interact with different countries and hear different languages; he’s just really always loved the game of baseball, the fact that they took a chance on somebody from New York was really cool. They want him to stay with it for the long haul,” he continued.

The Dutch U12 team will kick off its 2025 European Championship campaign when it takes on Ukraine in Hluboká, Czech Republic on July 2.

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech guard AJ Bates has been selected to join Athletes in Action Basketball for an international tour this summer, traveling to the Czech Republic from June 28 to July 11.
 
Bates will be part of a select team comprised of student-athletes from eight college basketball programs across the country.  The team will compete in exhibition games against the Czech Republic’s U20 and U23 national teams while also participating in outreach activities, including a one-day youth basketball camp and coaching clinic.
 
Athletes in Action is a faith-based organization that partners with college athletes across the country, organizing sports tours and leadership training experiences aimed at fostering personal development and global impact.
 
As a freshman for the Bulldogs this past season, Bates appeared in 29 games with four starts.  He averaged 4.6 points per game, including four double-digit scoring outings.  Bates also contributed 57 rebounds, 49 assists, and 22 steals.
 
The two-week experience will offer Bates the chance to sharpen his skills in a competitive international setting while representing both Louisiana Tech and Athletes in Action abroad.
 
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What’s happening: More than $1 million in grants have been awarded to 42 organizations located throughout southeastern Michigan, benefiting groups falling into the categories of regional caregiving; design and access to public spaces; youth sports; and the Grosse Pointe communities. The grants come by way of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds endowment, which was established by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and is managed by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

What it is: The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds endowment is separate from but complementary to the Foundation that shares its namesake benefactor, intended to provide smaller grants to organizations that can make an immediate impact. The grants are smaller relative to the Foundation, which awards hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to transformational projects in the cities of Detroit and Buffalo, N.Y., each year.

Why it’s important: “The Wilson Legacy Funds continue to improve the well-being of people in rural, suburban and urban communities throughout our seven-county region,” says Community Foundation President Nicole Sherard-Freeman. “From transportation for caregivers and construction of an accessible nature trail, to coaching for girls field hockey and inclusive theater performances, these grants demonstrate the positive impact that can happen when donors, philanthropy, communities and nonprofits work together.”

Where it’s going: In the Caregivers category, 11 grants totaling $240,880 have been awarded to organizations in Detroit, Pontiac, and more. Among the highlights include a $25,000 grant awarded to the Hannan Center in Detroit, which will support an individualized activities program for people with dementia.

In the Public Spaces category, eight grants totaling $313,384 have been awarded to organizations in Clinton Township, Oxford, and more. One such highlight includes a $50,000 grant awarded to Clinton Township, facilitating the installation of a universal kayak and canoe launch at the Clinton River at Budd Park.

In Youth Sports, the 18 grants totaling $358,000 will be split among organizations representing communities including Royal Oak, St. Clair Shores, and more. Those include a $10,000 grant for Special Olympics Michigan, Inc. in Bloomfield, facilitating the opportunity for young athletes with intellectual abilities to participate in select sports with peers and family members.

And in the Grosse Pointe communities, where Wilson once called home, the Funds have awarded 5 grants totaling $84,000 to the Grosse Pointe Symphony Orchestra Society, Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association, Grosse Pointe Woods Foundation, and Services for Older Citizens.

Visit Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds online to learn more about this latest cohort and future grant opportunities.