Indian Creek Local School District

06/11/2026

Indian Creek’s very own Mr. Bobby Zinsmeister will take the stage as Tevye in Deersville Community Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof!

Performances will be held June 18–21. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. on June 18, 19, and 20, while the Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. on June 21. Doors open one hour before each performance.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

For more information, visit: https://www.yourohionews.com/harrison-county/deersville-community-theatre-to-present-fiddler-on-the-roof/1045971

To purchase tickets, Visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fiddler-on-the-roof-tickets-1990003798932

Performances are June 18-21 at Deersville Community Theatre. The dining room opens two hours before each show.

06/10/2026

Mr. Matt Cowser Named ICHS Assistant Principal

WINTERSVILLE-Matt Cowser once walked the halls of Indian Creek High School as a student but is returning in a new capacity as assistant principal.

Cowser, of Steubenville, will replace Keith Swearingen, who is moving on to head Indian Creek Middle School this fall. He graduated from Indian Creek in 2010 and attended Heidelberg University for two years, then received his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at West Liberty University in 2015 but later obtained his principal’s licensure from Franciscan University. He moved to Gainesville, Va., where he taught elementary physical education in Fairfax County in a school with more than 1,000 students, then he returned to the area and taught at ICMS for four years before heading to Harrison Central Jr./Sr. High School. He instructed weight training and athletic training for a total of four years, spending three years at the junior high and one at HCHS. Additionally, he married his wife, Laura, and they share an eight-month-old son, Callen.

He may be coming back to a new school facility on the Wintersville campus but there are still plenty of fond memories of his younger years at Indian Creek, which included having his father, Stephen, as his principal. He is following in the footsteps of the elder Cowser, who served as both assistant principal and principal at ICHS and is currently president of the Indian Creek Local Board of Education.

Meanwhile, the younger Cowser was excited to begin his new position and make a positive impact as a school leader.

“I feel like I’m ready. I want to give the same opportunities to students and families that I had given to me. I’m taking [my father’s former] position and I want to be able to help the community the best that I can. It really is full circle,” he added. “My sister once told me how much I enjoyed coaching and working with kids, and that inspired me to become a teacher. As a teacher, you work with kids, but as an administrator you do so much more and it’s a great opportunity.”

Cowser said one of his goals is to focus on chronic absenteeism and bolster school attendance. Although he officially begins his new post on July 1, he has been getting acclimated with the school and its officials--some of whom were part of his student career. He cited current ICHS Principal Louie Retton, Superintendent Dr. T.C. Chappelear and Assistant Superintendent John Belt, among others, for preparing him for the future.

“I’ve also grown up with these people in my life and I’m super excited to work with them. These are some of the people who gave me an opportunity to go out in the world and come back to give students the same opportunities,” Cowser commented.

And those officials were equally pleased to have him on board.

“We are excited to have Mr. Cowser join our ICHS team,” said Retton. “He will be a great addition.” “We welcome Matt as the assistant principal at ICHS,” Dr. Chappelear concluded. “He will be a valuable part of our administration.”

06/10/2026

Due to scheduled maintenance, the track will be closed to public access on Friday, June 12. The track will reopen for public use on Monday, June 15.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Go Creek! Together We Rise!

06/09/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the Steel Valley Antique Car Club for their generous donation of $1,000 to our Indian Creek Local School District Food Pantry.

After hosting their car show on our campus last month, they chose to give back in a meaningful way that will directly support students and families throughout our district. Their generosity and commitment to the community are truly appreciated. Thank you for helping us make a difference and for showing what it means to support the Creek community. Together We Rise!

06/09/2026

Please use the attached forms if you have interest in purchasing an ad in the 2026-27 football program. Thank you!

06/05/2026

Creek Nation is cheering for Dalana Bove! STATE BOUND!

06/04/2026

The Indian Creek Football team will be hosting the 22nd Annual Free Youth Football Camp on Tuesday, July 7 from 6 pm to 8 pm. They will be providing instruction on the fundamentals of football. The coaches and players will be demonstrating football skills. They will have some skill competitions and a cookout at the end of the camp.

Only 77 more days until Friday Night Football!

We will be hosting our 22nd Annual Free Youth Football Camp on Tuesday, July 7 from 6 pm to 8 pm. We will be providing instruction on the fundamentals of football. Our coaches and players will be demonstrating football skills. We will have some skill competitions and a cookout at the end of the camp. We look forward to this event!

06/04/2026

Good luck Dalana!

🏃🏃‍♀️ TRACK AND FIELD: 2026 OHSAA Track and Field State Championships!

Find the schedule, livestream, results, and more on the tournament coverage page:
sportshs.anti-kood4k.net/trackandfield.php?live=OHSAA%20Track%20And%20Field%20Championship

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

MINGO JUNCTION- Keith Swearingen has spent the past 10 years as assistant principal at Indian Creek High School, but now he is moving on to lead middle school students this fall.

Swearingen will serve as principal at Indian Creek Middle School with Todd Herman continuing as assistant principal, and the former is returning to some familiar stomping grounds since it is where he previously taught. He will officially begin his new duties on July 1 but has gotten an early glimpse while filling in at the school over the past year.

The Knoxville native graduated from Jefferson Union High School in 1989 and eventually received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Troy State University in Alabama, as well as a graduate degree in educational leadership with principal and superintendent’s licensure from Franciscan University. The Toronto-area resident began teaching third grade at the former Wintersville Elementary, spending six years at the building before he headed to ICMS. He taught fifth-grade students there for four years and then was named assistant principal at ICHS in 2016.

During that time, he has been involved in shaping the school culture and worked with natural resources pathway instructor Crystal Fluharty to develop the hellbender pilot project at the site, making ICHS the only public high school involved in the program with state agencies and national universities. The goal is to help save the endangered salamander from extinction and repopulate area waterways where they have lived for hundreds of years.

Swearingen has divided his time between the middle and high schools as of late and acclimated himself with the students and staff at the Mingo Junction campus. He said he has enjoyed his tenure at ICHS and was grateful for the opportunity.

“I had a wonderful experience at the high school. I enjoyed working with the teachers, students, and the school community and [Principal Louie] Retton has been a terrific friend and mentor,” he added. “But I’m excited and looking forward to doing something new at the middle school.”

He will oversee a slightly larger student population since ICMS has an estimated 600 sixth-to-eighth-graders, while the high school has around 500 pupils in grades 9-12. Some of his goals include implementing a professional learning community and a new schedule.

Herman welcomed Swearingen and said he has been an asset to the school district.

“I am looking forward to working with Mr. Swearingen and he is bringing an incredible amount of leadership experience to his new role,” he commented. “He has been an intricate part of the success of Indian Creek High School while collaborating with Mr. Retton. He has a genuine compassion for his students and staff, and his lengthy background in education, which includes his time as an elementary teacher, gives him the necessary experience to successfully lead ICMS.”

Additionally, Retton said Swearingen was a major contributor to the high school’s success.

“Keith and I have worked as a principal and assistant principal at ICHS for the past 10 years. We came in together at the high school and I feel like we were a great team. We’ve done a lot to change the culture of the high school and Keith will really be missed because he’s built relationships with students, parents, and staff.”

Superintendent Dr. T.C. Chappelear noted Swearingen’s role with the hellbender project and continued that he opened the gym for students to play basketball during lunch, plus he helped with the establishment of the unified sports program.

“He has done a fantastic job here at the high school for the last 10 years,” Dr. Chappelear said. “I know he is excited to get started at the middle school. He’s taught there and is excited to get back to the building.”

Subsequently, Matt Cowser has been named to succeed Swearingen and will formally begin his duties this summer.

*Article written by Amy Gareis*