Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Zehringer gets critical backing for House post

House GOP favor Mercer commissioner for vacant seat

By Pat Royse
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Jim Zehringer shows a tilapia taken from one of the fish tanks behind him while working at his farm near Fort Recovery. Zehringer will likely have another job as an Ohio legislator.

Mercer County Commissioner Jim Zehringer is being recommended to fill the now-empty Ohio House District 77 seat, formerly held by Keith Faber.
The screening committee of House Republicans, headed by House Speaker Jon Husted, made their decision Tuesday. Husted said the recommendation will be presented to the full Republican Caucus in the coming days.
Zehringer of Fort Recovery is expected to be officially seated by mid-February, a press release from Husted says.
"As a small business owner with a background in agriculture, Jim will be a valuable asset to the legislature as we continue to improve our economy," Husted said. "He also has a proven record of service to the community and will represent the citizens of the 77th District in the Ohio House of Representatives."
If the Caucus confirms the recommendation as expected, Zehringer will replace Faber, who resigned his seat to serve in the Ohio Senate. Faber of Celina, who was re-elected to the 77th District in November, takes over the final two years of Ohio Senator Jim Jordan's term. Jordan was elected in November to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Zehringer is one of five local residents who applied for the open House seat and sought local GOP recommendations from the three counties included in District 77. Zehringer got the nod from Mercer and Preble counties. Darke County recommended one of their own, Commissioner Terry Haworth.
Those who applied for the job besides Zehringer and Haworth were Toni Slusser of Celina, Thomas J. Wehrman of Coldwater and Greenville Mayor Gregory Fraley.
Zehringer said this morning that he will be honored to join the 127th Ohio General Assembly.
"I will serve the constituents of the 77th District with utmost loyalty," Zehringer promised.
He wants to work in the areas of jobs, economic development, agriculture and education, he said.
"We need regulatory reform- something that Faber started on," Zehringer said. He hopes to reduce the more than 58,000 regulations in Ohio by eliminating duplicated and unnecessary rules.
"By doing so, we could help small business," he continued. "I also want to set up advisory boards on important issues."
Zehringer, 58, was re-elected in November to the commission seat by 63 percent of the local vote. Zehringer, a Mercer County commissioner since 2003, is also owner of the Meiring Poultry and Fish Farm.
The full Ohio General Assembly will convene Feb. 13 in Columbus.
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Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Local villages may not have to pay all their employees the new minimum wage, as some may fall in the exemption for seasonal workers.
Fort Recovery
FORT RECOVERY - Community members have said they do not want to construct a high school onto the existing elementary/middle school.
And most don't want Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) money to pay for any work, whether renovating the current facility or building a new school.
ROCKFORD - The town still has not recouped all of the income tax revenue from construction of the new Parkway Local School.
Village council members
The pending sale of the former Mercer County administration building on South Main Street in Celina was finalized Friday.
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A former St. Marys man was killed when his van was struck by a train in rural Hancock County on Monday afternoon.
Kevin Gossard, 37, of Mount Cory, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 4:43 p.m. accident on Township Road 79. The accident was 4 miles southwest of Findlay.
FORT RECOVERY - Village councilors meeting earlier this week met potential police officer Brandon Wyerick, who was offered a job last week with the Fort Recovery Police Department.
ST. MARYS - Everybody's got it - more stuff than they need, want, or can possibly use. Stuff in the garage; stuff in the basement; stuff under the couch; stuff under the bed.
Village officials meet with Dannon Co. representatives on job eliminations
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Celina outscores ML 30-13 in final two quarters
Compiled by Ryan Hines
The Celina girls basketball team handed Marion Local its 10th straight consecutive loss as the Bulldogs defeated the Flyers, 46-33, at the Fieldhouse on Tuesday night in nonconference action between two Mercer County teams.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Coldwater snapped its eight-game losing streak on Tuesday, getting a convincing 63-33 win on the road at Lima Senior in nonconference play.