Tuesday, August 21st, 2012

Local man reportedly douses girlfriend with gasoline

By Margie Wuebker
A 43-year-old Mendon man faces felony charges after he allegedly poured gasoline on his girlfriend, the family dog and throughout the second-floor apartment they shared.
Charles Williams has been charged with two counts of attempted aggravated arson. He remains incarcerated at the Mercer County Detention Facility on a $500,000 bond subject to 10 percent.
Deputies responded to the apartment at 301 1/2 S. Main St., Mendon, after the female victim ran to a neighbor's home and called authorities shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday.
Williams appeared Monday afternoon in Celina Municipal Court, where Judge James Scheer warned the penalty could be up to 13 years in prison and $25,000 in fines upon conviction. Scheer also noted it was possible the Ohio Parole Authority could place a "holder" on Williams because he is on probation after having served prison time in an unrelated case.
The case will be scheduled for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient cause to transfer the matter to Mercer County Common Pleas Court for presentation to grand jurors.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a Friday night argument. The woman went to a neighbor's home,,,,, fearing for her safety, according to Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports. She went back home after Williams left the premises, but he returned. He allegedly followed her into the bathroom, shoved her into a wall and dumped gasoline on her.
Authorities initially evacuated people residing on the first floor of the duplex. A search resulted in the discovery of several areas in the upstairs apartment that had been doused with gasoline. A charred dog toy, also reeking of gasoline, was found outside in the front yard.
No incendiary device was found in Williams' possession at the time of his arrest.
Additional online stories on this date
Follow these tips for packing healthy school meals
What's nutritious? What won't spoil? What will my child eat?
School is back in session in the Grand Lake area this week, and many parents will be faced with these questions as they send their children out the door with a packed lunch. [More]
Celina schools' superintendent
CELINA - School board members on Monday narrowed their superintendent search to four, including one local administrator.
School board president Mat [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Mercer County
President Barack Obama today declared Ohio and 37 of its counties, including Auglaize, Van Wert and Shelby, as federal disaster areas due to damage from a June 29 storm.
The Celina-Coldwater Bike Path was selected to receive federal money to help pay for a $250,000 resurfacing project, local officials learned Monday.
MINSTER - Work is nearly complete on the preservation and enhancement project at Memorial Field.
Board of education members learned Monday night district residents contributed more than 500 man hours over the weekend toward the project.
FORT RECOVERY - Village officials intend to revisit and expand legislation pertaining to golf carts, four-wheelers and other similar vehicles used on village streets.
ST. HENRY - Bullying is a big concern for high school guidance counselor Betsy Armstrong.
"Kids sometimes don't know where that fine line is," she told St. Henry schools board members Monday night.
MONTEZUMA - Fire destroyed a Montezuma-area home early Monday morning, leaving owner Ted Carpenter to pick up the pieces and start over.
"I guess I will rebuild, hopefully on the same foundation," he said, looking around the debris-strewn yard this morning.
Coldwater
COLDWATER - Village officials are looking into the possibility of using solar energy to power nearly a third of the village's water and wastewater treatment facilities.
An Auglaize County woman was injured when she drove off state Route 29, east of   Harris Road, and struck a culvert at 8:57 p.m. Aug. 19, according to Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports.
MINSTER - The future of the former elementary school on Hanover Street remains uncertain as board of education members look at three options - sell, lease or demolish it.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The Mercer County Elks was the location for several Midwest Athletic Confernence boys' and girls' golf matches on Monday afternoon.
CELINA - Dan Otten isn't convinced his cross country squads are ready to compete for Western Buckeye League titles this fall, but he does feel that a finish in the top half of the league isn't out of the question.
COLDWATER - After one of the best seasons in school history, the Coldwater cross country program has a new boss, albeit a familiar one.
Former Cav
FORT RECOVERY - Michelle Stammen has plenty of reasons to be enthusiastic about the upcoming Fort Recovery cross country campaign.
The Indians' coa
MARIA STEIN - As the dean of Midwest Athletic Conference cross country coaches, Marion Local's Randy Jutte enters his 29th season with hopes of a strong season by his harriers.
For the first time since the 2006 season, Minster's boys' cross country team didn't finish in the top two in the Midwest Athletic Conference a year ago.
NEW BREMEN - It's going to be a year of change for the New Bremen cross country program.
New coaches will be leading the way for the two teams and both programs are in the middle of a youth movement as a combined 11 freshmen and nine sophomores will be competing for the Cardinals this year.
ROCKFORD - The Parkway cross country teams have reason to be optimistic for this fall with steady numbers and a pair of strong individuals to pace the boys' and girls' squads.
The past seven years have been remarkably favorable for St. Henry's boys cross country program.
Since 2005, the Redskins have not finished lower than fourth place in the Midwest Athletic Conference, and for the past five consecutive seasons, St. Henry has advanced to the state cross country meet.
ST. MARYS - When Rob Cisco took over as the head coach of cross country at St. Marys in 2008, he had a modest goal of making the program competitive in the Western Buckeye League.
CELINA - The Celina boys' golf team is under new leadership this fall with Bret Baucher replacing Keith VanDeveter as the Bulldogs' head coach.
Baucher, who starred on the football field at Celina and for four years at Ohio Northern University, was expecting to be an assistant this year.
COLDWATER - It's looking like a rebuilding year for the Coldwater boys' and girls' golf teams.
First-year Cavaliers' boys golf coach Doug Timmerman and veteran girls' coach Vaughn Schellhause will each guide teams that return just one varsity player from last year's varsity squad.
FORT RECOVERY - Even with a young roster that includes no seniors, Fort Recovery's boys' golf coach Brad Evers is excited to watch his team compete this fall.
MARIA STEIN - Both of Marion Local's golf teams return a few key contributors from a year ago, but the Flyers will also be depending on some newcomers this fall.
As a first-year head coach for Minster's boys' golf team, Jay Purdy inherited a program that has endured a mountain of success over the course of the past couple of seasons.
NEW BREMEN - Experience abounds for both of New Bremen's golf teams as they take to the links in 2012.
New Bremen's boys are coming off a 5-4 dual
ROCKFORD - The Parkway boys' golf team figures to be among the contenders for the Midwest Athletic Conference title this fall with a veteran lineup returning from a successful 2011 campaign.
Although the St. Henry boys' golf team doesn't return much experience this season, veteran head coach Charlie Maier is eager to see how his team grows throughout the season.
ST. MARYS - Scott Ross is quick to point out that last year's seniors are sorely missed, but the Roughriders' golf team has a pair of sophomores with the potential to lead the way to another solid season.
CELINA - Bulldogs' boys' soccer coach Ryan Jenkins is hopeful that the return of nine letterwinners will help lessen the losses suffered when a talented senior class graduated last June.
COLDWATER - The upcoming soccer season is a pivotal one for Coldwater's girls' soccer program.
It's the fourth year of soccer for the Lady Cavalier
ST. MARYS - After back-to-back second-place finishes in the Western Buckeye League the past two seasons, St. Marys' boys soccer team appears primed to win the first league title in the program's 16-year history.
CELINA - After winning the Western Buckeye League title in four of the last five years, Celina's girls' tennis coach Jan Morrison is hoping her team hasn't become complacent as the Bulldogs are once again looking like the team to beat in the WBL this year.
ST. MARYS - Brice Brenneman had coached the St. Marys' girls tennis program for 17 years before walking away prior to the 2011 campaign.
Brenneman is back coaching the Roughriders this season on brand new courts and has a veteran squad that will feature five seniors in the starting lineup.