Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued March 15 at 11:57PM EDT until March 16 at 4:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 61 IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 9 COUNTIES
IN NORTHEAST KENTUCKY
LEWIS
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE BRACKEN CAMPBELL GRANT KENTON MASON PENDLETON ROBERTSON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 32 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN HOCKING LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
ADAMS HIGHLAND PIKE ROSS SCIOTO
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AUGUSTA, AURORA, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKSVILLE, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, BUTLER, CAMDEN, CAMP DIX, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, CRITTENDEN, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, DRY RIDGE, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FALMOUTH, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HEAD OF GRASSY, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MAYSVILLE, MIDDLETOWN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT OLIVET, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TOLLESBORO, TROY, URBANA, VANCEBURG, WAPAKONETA, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILLIAMSTOWN, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Wind Advisory issued March 15 at 9:34PM EDT until March 16 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

* WHAT...South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph becoming west southwest.
* WHERE...Portions of east central and southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky, and central, southwest, and west central Ohio.
* WHEN...Until 8 AM EDT Monday.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Former area business owners indicted

By Margie Wuebker

The former owners of Ole Fort IGA in Fort Recovery and Logan Street IGA in Celina are scheduled to appear in Mercer County Common Pleas Court on May 27 to face charges alleging they wrote nearly $15,000 in checks that bounced.

John Sutter, 46, and Christina L. Sutter, 39, now of Gilbert, Ariz., were indicted last month on four counts of passing bad checks. All four checks were written to the supplier Morning Fresh Superior Foods between July 7 and Sept. 5 of last year.

Arizona authorities initially had difficulty serving court paperwork at the couple's South Parkcrest Street home in Gilbert. After contact was made, Celina attorney Thomas Luth requested the initial appearance take place next month allowing the defendants ample time to drive to Mercer County as their resources and income are limited.

The Sutters purchased the former Big Bear grocery in Celina in 2004 and closed the establishment in 2007, citing economic reasons. However, John Sutter said at the time he had no intention of closing the Fort Recovery store, which he had owned for 10 years.

Speaking of the decision to relocate efforts into one location, he said, "We do a great business there. Even people from out of state come there to shop, especially to buy our meat products."

First Merchants Bank of Indiana reportedly changed locks at the Fort Recovery store on Sept. 19 in the wake of foreclosure. The Sutters were no longer in the area at the time and their personal belongings were sold at auction.

The store - the only grocery in the community - was subsequently purchased by Fort Recovery residents Chad and Anne Guggenbiller who changed the name to Wayne IGA.

One of the charges against the Sutters is a fourth-degree felony because the amount exceeds $7,000 while the others are fifth-degree felonies involving amounts ranging from just over $2,000 to more than $2,900. Fort Recovery Police investigated the incidents that led to grand jury indictments against both owners.

The more serious charge carries the possibility of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine while each of the lesser felonies could add an additional 12 months behind bars and a $2,500 fine upon conviction.

Archive of April 22nd, 2009

Buy this E-Edition

Additional online stories on this date

Solar thermal seems the way to go

ROCKFORD - The recently completed energy evaluation for the school district has resulted in a recommendation for a solar thermal system as opposed to the other possibility of wind power. [More]

Lady Cavs back in MAC contention

COLDWATER - Although the Midwest Athletic Conference softball is less than a week old, coach Jeff Kerr and his Coldwater softball team had their backs to the wall as they had lost their opening game to Parkway. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Officials accept funds for roadwork

State to give six-digit grant to repair roads in village and county

Mercer County commissioners gladly OK'd an agreement Tuesday with state officials to accept up to $665,000 in grant funds for roadwork in the county and the village of Coldwater.

Next step taken for sewer lines to Maria Stein

The extension of sewer service to the Maria Stein area - a topic of discussion and speculation for more than a decade - moved a step closer to reality Tuesday afternoon when the Mercer County Commissioners signed an agreement with the village of Chickasaw to provide such service.

Minster boosters want to turn parkland into football field

MINSTER - Minster Athletic Boosters and officials from Minster Local Schools visited village councilors Tuesday night asking for the go-ahead to use a portion of Seventh Street parkland as a high school football practice field.

Grand Lake park gets grant for patrolling costs

Grand Lake St. Marys State Park has been awarded a $12,075 marine patrol grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft.

Council may consider zoning standards

A series of new zoning standards that would limit building additions and enforce timelines could go before Celina City Council in the next several weeks.

Local man faces theft charges

A local man is facing several charges stemming from the alleged theft of a car in Coldwater on Friday afternoon.

Pacheco Melendez, 25, 604 E. Walnu

District still learning true funding levels

Superintendent says state legislators reduced funds to districts deemed wealthier

Celina City Schools are once again on the short end of the stick for state funding.

In the last five months, state funding predictions for Celina schools have varied from drastic slashes to robust increases.

Nursery offers chance for public to recycle yard waste

Have bags of grass clippings, piles of plant pots or a sad stack of dead plants?

There is now a place near Celina to dump these without paying a fee - and leave feeling good about going green.

Nursing home gets more homelike

Celina Manor in midst of renovation of both appearance and procedures

Celina Manor, 1001 Myers Road, is in the midst of an interior renovation to shift from traditional nursing home to a more homelike setting and operation.

Wenning shuts down Indians

COLDWATER - The wind blew out of Veterans Field for most of the game, and Coldwater used it to its advantage.

The Cavaliers belted either home runs

Cardinal basketball duo to stay in Ohio for college ball

NEW BREMEN - Two key players that helped New Bremen to its first Midwest Athletic Conference girls basketball title will call two schools of the Ohio Athletic Conference their new homes after signing last Wednesday.