Special Weather Statement issued December 4 at 5:17AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Wind gusts of 40 MPH are possible from this afternoon through Thursday afternoon. Some locally higher gusts of 45 to 50 mph will be possible this evening. These winds may blow around loose or light weight objects such as decorations, in particular inflatable decorations.
A cold front moves through this evening bringing the potential for snow showers. While accumulations will generally be less than an inch, quick bursts of snow will lead to reductions in visibility. In addition, quickly falling temperatures will lead to the potential for slick spots on surfaces. Cold conditions are expected Thursday morning with wind chill values between -5 and 5 degrees.
Today 39° Today 39° chance 15° 15° Tomorrow 27° Tomorrow 27° chance 17° 17° chance
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

State leaders defend action to help lake

By William Kincaid
CELINA - The brown scum blanketing portions of Grand Lake the last couple of days was dead algae, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Jim Zehringer.
"We had the scum analyzed, and it's dead algae," he said Monday evening while in town with Gov. John Kasich for the annual Republican Party dinner. "That's a good thing. But there's a lot of algae out there."
Zehringer said he's unsure why the water is brown in some areas. Grand Lake typically appears green.
"We haven't seen that (before)," he said. "You talk to some of the people like Brain Miller (state park manager) that's been around the lake his whole life - we've never seen that color."
Zehringer stressed the state continues to aggressively do as much as it can for the lake, including consistent monitoring, and he asks the public for patience.
"We've been pretty upfront all along that we're trying to do as many things as we can for this lake," he said. "And this could be a bad year; it could be a good year. We don't know. We've done a whole lake treatment of the lake as far as treating it with alum."
Alum, which stops the growth of algae by deactivating its main food source, phosphorus, was applied to the center of lake the last two years at a cost of $8.4 million. State officials called this year's treatment whole lake because wave and wind action disperses the alum throughout the water.
The lake could be at the mercy of Mother Nature, Zehringer added.
"We haven't had any rain in the watershed for at least three weeks," he pointed out. "It's very dry, it's very hot, it's very calm."
Zehringer and Kasich made a stop at the lake Monday, and the scum that had been along Lake Shore Drive had disappeared, apparently due to wind breaking it up.
Zehringer said he knows the brown water is not from sediment runoff because of the lack of rain.
Water samples were pulled from the lake Monday with test results expected back Thursday. ODNR spokeswoman Bethany McCorkle expects the results to show high levels of the algae toxin microcystin. If tests confirm that, warning signs will go up around the lake.
Kasich on Monday warned against rushing to conclusions.
"I wouldn't be hyperventilating about projecting what's going to happen on Memorial Day," Kasich told the newspaper. "Let's see how things go. We've spent a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money trying to get on top of this."
He said he didn't want to draw any conclusions until results are in.
"I know sometimes people want to write stories about, you know, we're going to shut the lake down and things are really going bad, but you got to calm down a little bit and not scare the public," he said.
State Rep. Jim Buchy, R-Greenville, who also was in town with Kasich, vocally supported the governor and the state's plan for Grand Lake.
"This is my 10th year in the legislature, (and) this is the first time we've had an administration that is working together to get at what we can do to have a long-term solution," Buchy said. "Understand, it took over a hundred years for this lake to get into the situation it is. So it's not going to be done overnight. The main thing is the governor and his staff people and administration - all of them directors - are working together to set in motion a plan that's going to make it better."
Kasich said his administration can't promise a fix but would continue to be aggressive in addressing the lake's problems.
"We've done more than anybody's ever even thought about doing and we'll continue to help. But I can't promise a fix for anything," he said. "We promised that we're going to think as aggressively as we can. We think about ways in which we can be effective here, but anybody who promises a fix is like somebody promising what the weather's going to be next week."
Robert Hiskey, a biology professor at Wright State University-Lake Campus, told the newspaper planktothrix (blue-green algae) has been the dominant algae in the lake for several years, concluding that the alum treatment has not caused the recent lake condition.
"On the other side, the alum hasn't 'flipped' the lake to a more desirable mix of algae either, at least to this point," he said. "I have no crystal ball to say if the situation would have been worse without alum. Any reduction in nutrient level is good, but at the levels we're dealing with, it may not show up visually."
Zehringer, who also met with the Lake Restoration Commission in a meeting closed to the media on Monday, said the group is happy with what the state is doing but also is confused about what is causing the lake's brown color.
Additional online stories on this date
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Mercer County for the sixth consecutive month has the lowest unemployment rate in the state.
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The San Diego Padres' left-handed pitcher will undergo surgery on Wednesday to replace a torn Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Administration strives for better education, increase in jobs and agriculture
CELINA - Ohio has drifted in job creation and education for years and has taken for granted or underutilized its agricultural base, manufacturing sector and medical facilities, Gov. John Kasich told Mercer County Republicans on Monday.
Mercer County Ribfest
CELINA - Proper etiquette did not apply when it came to the rib-eating contest held Saturday at the sixth annual Mercer County Ribfest at the county fairgrounds.
ST. HENRY - High school principal Frank Griesdorn will not be allowed to retire-rehire to his current position this fall due to public opinion on the process and scant savings to the district.
ST. HENRY - School board members will allow new athletic director Dennis Wendel to coach football for one more season despite taking a firm stand against the action last month.
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Congratulations Class of 2012
ST. MARYS - Commencement for the 163 seniors at Memorial High School will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the high school gymnasium.
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Kurt Huelsman did a lot on the basketball court as a player for St. Henry's boys basketball program.
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Division IV Regional Softball Preview
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CELINA - The success of the first season for the Wright State University-Lake Campus' baseball team has helped Lakers' head coach Rob Howell to receive commitments for the 2013 season.
ST. HENRY - A four-day party is planned July 5-8 to celebrate the village's 175th anniversary.
An amazing number of activities are scheduled to obs
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"We
Eldora Speedway, owned by NASCAR's two-time series champion Tony Stewart and located in Rossburg, is one of the most famed and recognizable dirt tracks in the United States.
ST. ANTHONY - It's time once again for succulent strawberries and homemade biscuits at the Mercer County Pomona Grange Strawberry Festival.
The ann
Coldwater
COLDWATER - The 45th annual Coldwater Knights of Columbus Picnic will be held June 2 and 3 on the Holy Trinity Catholic Church grounds in Coldwater.
All proceeds go back into the community.
MENDON - This year's Firecracker Festival on June 8 and 9 will offer inflatable bouncy houses and more for children.
The festival, which will be held on the former school grounds, is sponsored by the Mendon Lions Club. Proceeds will help finance charitable activities.
ST. MARYS - Holy Rosary Catholic Church will hold its annual festival June 8-10, once again offering a first-prize cash raffle of $2,500.
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Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee
FORT RECOVERY - The 107th annual Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee is scheduled for June 14-17 at Fort Site Park and Ambassador Park.
Rides, food stands and an antique tractor display will be available the entire weekend. Entertainment, parking and admission are free.
CHICKASAW - From bed races to entertainment, new features highlight the 34th annual Chickasaw Community Picnic on June 8-10.
"We've added some new
The 26th annual Zuma Days celebration will be held June 14-16 at Zuma Park, located on the outskirts of Montezuma. All proceeds benefit the park.
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Rockford
ROCKFORD - Community Days in Rockford is set for June 15-17 in Shane's Park.
Proceeds from the annual event go to Shane's Park improvements. All food stands will be sponsored locally.
MARIA STEIN - This year's Maria Stein Country Fest will mark two special occasions - the 25th anniversary of a festival that draws bigger crowds each year and the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. Activities take place June 22-24 on the grounds of the Shrine of Holy Relics off St. Johns Road.
CELINA - More than a half dozen, top-notch regional bands will crank out the tunes and provide a backdrop to this summer's three-day Freedom Days Picnic at Lake Shore Park.
St. Henry
ST. HENRY - The village's 2012 picnic features new bands and old favorites for people of all ages.
St. Henry Community Picnic will be held downtown from June 29 through July 1; early festivities will start with movie night and free popcorn at South Park at dusk June 28.
CELINA - The first Taste of Celina was so successful officials are bringing it back.
The block party returns July 13, 5-10 p.m., on Main Street, which will be closed from Market to Warren streets.
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BURKETTSVILLE - Food, games and great music are planned for the 2012 Burkettsville Community Picnic on July 27 and 28.
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Arrowhead Park Golf Course
Directions: Take Ohio 66 south out of St. Marys to Minster. Once in Minster, take a right onto First Street and follow it to Canal Road. Turn left on Canal. The course is located on the corner of Canal and Dirksen.
Fort Recovery
FORT RECOVERY - The 39th annual nationally sanctioned truck and tractor pulls will be held July 27-28 at Ambassador Park in Fort Recovery.
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NEW BREMEN - Many popular events are returning for the 91st annual New Bremen Fireman's Picnic. Festivities take place July 28 at Crown Pavilion.
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WAPAKONETA - The 160th Auglaize County Fair for the first time will offer admission deals throughout the week. The fair runs July 29-Aug. 4.
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The World's Longest Yardsale's 675-mile route begins in Michigan and follows U.S. 127 through Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee before switching to Lookou
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NEW BREMEN - A mix of new attractions and longtime favorites are on tap for the 38th annual Bremenfest. The annual event takes place Aug. 17-19 on both sides of Plum Street.
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Durbin
DURBIN - The 114th annual Durbin Bean Bake will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 3, in the five acres of woods located west of Celina on Erastus-Durbin Road.
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FORT RECOVERY - The 29th annual St. Joe Homecoming takes place Sept. 8 and 9 on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
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