Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 01 at 12:53AM EDT until April 01 at 1:15AM EDT by NWS Wilmington (details ...)
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR SHELBY...NORTHEASTERN DARKE...AUGLAIZE...EASTERN MERCER AND NORTHERN MIAMI COUNTIES... At 1252 AM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Ottoville to near New Bremen, moving northeast at 70 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted include... Sidney, Piqua, Greenville, Celina, Wapakoneta, St. Marys, Fort Shawnee, New Bremen, Minster, Versailles, Covington, Newport, Cridersville, Bradford, Anna, Fort Loramie, Jackson Center, Ansonia, Botkins and New Knoxville. This includes I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 82 and 118. THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...70 MPH
Tornado Watch issued March 31 at 11:05PM EDT until April 01 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Storm Prediction Center (details ...)
TORNADO WATCH 100 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS OH . OHIO COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ALLEN AUGLAIZE BUTLER CHAMPAIGN CLARK CLERMONT CLINTON DARKE GREENE HAMILTON HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PAULDING PREBLE PUTNAM SHELBY VAN WERT WARREN
Wind Advisory issued March 31 at 3:11PM EDT until April 01 at 6:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington (details ...)
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 6 PM EDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of East Central and Southeast Indiana, Northern Kentucky and Central, South Central, Southwest and West Central Ohio. * WHEN...From 8 AM to 6 PM EDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Tornado Warning issued April 01 at 12:51AM EDT until April 01 at 1:15AM EDT by NWS Wilmington (details ...)
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN AUGLAIZE COUNTY... At 1251 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Spencerville, moving northeast at 50 mph. HAZARD...Tornado. SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. Locations impacted include... Wapakoneta, St. Marys, Fort Shawnee, Cridersville, New Knoxville, Moulton, Buckland, Uniopolis, Kossuth, State Route 116 at State Route 197 and Bulkhead. This includes I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 110 and 118. TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
Today 58° Today 58° 49° 49° chance Tomorrow 51° Tomorrow 51° chance 28° 28° slight chance
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Endangered mussel study to cost county

By Amy Kronenberger
Auglaize County must pay for a survey looking for endangered mussels before work on a bridge can begin.
During a tour of bridges and ditches with commissioners, county engineer Doug Reinhart said the bridge off County Road 66A, two miles north of St. Marys, must be inspected for the rayed bean mussel that lives in the Auglaize and St. Marys rivers and Pusheta Creek.
The inspection could cost the county up to $10,000, he said. If the quarter-sized mussels are found on the bridge, the county could have to pay another $15,000-plus to have the clams relocated. This amount is in addition to the $400,000 cost to replace the deteriorating bridge deck.
The bridge must be replaced, and the survey must be completed before the county can receive environmental clearance, Reinhart said.
If the mussels are found on the bridge, the project will be pushed back six to 12 months, he said. Only one person in western Ohio is certified to complete the survey and relocation.
"If you ask the people living in Auglaize County if they want to pay $25,000 more for the project, we know what the answer will be," Reinhart said.
He is in the process of applying for federal aid to pay for 80 percent of the survey cost. Since the survey is a federal mandate, they should help pay for it, he said.
The survey must be completed with every project the county does on the three waterways.
Also during the tour, Reinhart told commissioners that county crews are behind in their work schedule due to the rain. He said in the last six months, his crew hasn't had a good day to start repairing broken tiles and culverts.
The drought last summer caused tree roots to spread in search of water, with many growing through tiles and eventually clogging them, Reinhart said. He said the county needs to clear the roots from the broken tiles and replace them with sealed, root-proof tiles.
The rain is also delaying workers from planting grass.
"We ordered a ton of grass seed for the spring, and we still have a ton of seed sitting in the garage," Reinhart said.
Additionally, the excess rain is getting into the cracks on road pavement and ruining the structural integrity. The county just doesn't have the money to cover these additional fixes, Reinhart said.
One good thing about a wet spring is putting the ditch projects from last year to the test, he said.
"It's gratifying to see how well the ditches are working in this wet spring," Reinhart said.
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