Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Obituaries on May 21st, 2013
Othmar "Ott" Homan, 86, Villa Hills, Ky., and formerly of Coldwater, passed peacefully on May 19, 2013, at hospice, with his two daughters at his side. [More]
Stories on May 21st, 2013
Proposed plan could raise minimum GPA or create a 'no F' policy
CELINA - Student athletes at Celina City Schools could be held to higher academic standards in the coming years.
School board members on Monday nig
MINSTER - The former Hanover Street school building will be auctioned this summer.
Superintendent Brenda Boeke told school board members Monday ni [More]
Fort Recovery
FORT RECOVERY - Police Chief Jared Laux wants the village to hire another officer to strengthen the department's ability to respond to escalating calls for service. [More]
Staff contract negotiations under way
ST. HENRY - Teacher retirements and attrition will save the district about $300,000 next school year.
St. Henry schools treasurer Glenn Miller told board members Monday night that average wages will fall in 2014, mainly due to the retirement of higher-paid teachers.
FORT RECOVERY - An employee of VonderHaar's Meat Market remains in critical condition at a Lima hospital following a Friday afternoon accident at the establishment.
The rate of unemployment in Mercer County dropped to 4.1 percent in April. Mercer County still has the lowest rate in Ohio.
Mercer County's April rate was .5 percent lower than in March, according to figures released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
A 20-year-old Celina man faces a felony charge of assaulting a police officer following a Friday night scuffle at the Mercer County Detention Center.
St. Marys
ST. MARYS - An accident Monday evening sent a driver to the hospital, closed state Route 703 and knocked out power for several hours to more than 800 electric customers.
Kelsey Fiely will head north to Lima to continue her education while also playing volleyball after signing to attend the University of Northwestern Ohio as one of the first signees for new Racers coach Lora Sarich.
All-Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball and Softball
Minster's Adam Niemeyer and Versailles' Kayla McEldowney were selected as the baseball and softball Players of the Year this season in the Midwest Athletic Conference.
All-Western Buckeye League Baseball
The Defiance baseball program swept the top honors in the Western Buckeye League for the seventh straight year after Robbie Zeigler and Tom Held were named WBL Player and Coach of the Year on Monday.
Plenty of other attractions in area to also lure visitors
The fishing is hot on Grand Lake this year, and local officials are using that information to lure visitors to Ohio's largest inland lake.
"We went
COLDWATER - The 46th annual Coldwater Knights of Columbus Picnic is June 1-2 on the Holy Trinity Catholic Church grounds in Coldwater.
The popular annual event is a fundraiser with all proceeds directed back into the community.
ST. ANTHONY - Savory strawberries and homemade biscuits highlight the menu for this year's Mercer County Pomona Grange Strawberry Festival on June 6.
MENDON - This year's Firecracker Festival on June 7-8 will offer free pony rides and amusement rides for kids.
The festival, which will be held on
CHICKASAW - A local festival and a birthday party rolled into one are on tap for the 35th annual Chickasaw Community Picnic June 7-9.
Park committe
MONTEZUMA -   The 27th annual Zuma Days celebration is slated for June 13-15 at Zuma Park located on the outskirts of the village.
All proceeds benefit the park.
Holy Rosary church
ST. MARYS - Holy Rosary Catholic Church will hold its annual festival June 15-17 on the church grounds. A first-prize cash raffle of $2,500 will again be offered.
ROCKFORD - This year's Community Days is scheduled for June 14-15 with a wing-eating contest, amusement rides and COSI learning stations at Shanes Park.
NEW BREMEN - Nearly 3,000 bicyclists are expected June 19-21 as part of The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA) 25th annual reunion.   
The event will double the village's population during a 48-hour period, according to Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce Director Scott Frey.
MARIA STEIN - New features and old favorites will be on tap for the 26th annual Maria Stein Country Fest. Activities take place June 21-23 on the grounds of the Shrine of the Holy Relics off St. Johns Road.
FORT RECOVERY - The 108th annual Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee is scheduled for June 27-30 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.
CELINA - Mechanical rides, a motorcycle poker run, pontoon rides and BBQ chicken dinners will be added to the itinerary of activities at this summer's three-day Freedom Days Picnic at Lake Shore Park.
ST. HENRY - A bucket brigade and dodge ball are two of several new events at the town's annual picnic July 5-7.
Event chairman Andrew Huelsman said Red Cross Kart Races and square dancing also are new activities highlighting this year's downtown festivities.
CELINA - The third annual Taste of Celina is 5-10 p.m. July 12 on Main Street between Market and Warren streets.
Many restaurants and businesses will participate in the evening block party extravaganza organized by the Celina Merchants Association.
CELINA - Immaculate Conception Parish Festival is July 19-21 on the parish grounds in Celina.
Food stands, a raffle, rides, an auction and poker wi
Eldora Speedway, owned by NASCAR star Tony Stewart and located in Rossburg, is one of the most famed and recognizable dirt tracks in the United States.
BURKETTSVILLE - Good food, games and plenty of fun is on tap for the 2013 Burkettsville Community Picnic on July 26 and 27.
The annual picnic is he
A line-up of wholesome activities and good food will greet visitors to the 2013 Chatt Farmers' Picnic on July 25.
The 99th annual picnic takes place each year the last Thursday in July on Tama Road, about 2 1/2 miles east of Chattanooga.
CELINA - The 2013 Lake Festival will be held July 26-28 in Celina.
All crafters and food vendors who previously operated downtown will be moved to Lake Shore Drive this year.
NEW BREMEN - Popular events are returning for the 92nd annual New Bremen Fireman's Picnic. Festivities take place July 27 at Crown Pavilion.
Activities begin at 7 a.m. with registration for the Fireman's 5K Run/Walk and continue through 11 p.m. with a raffle drawing.
FORT RECOVERY - Fresh after winning the 2012 Grand National Pull of the Year award, the Fort Recovery Ambassadors Club will present the 40th annual nationally sanctioned truck and tractor pulls July 26-27.
WAPAKONETA - The 161st annual Auglaize County Fair will run July 26-Aug. 4 at the fairgrounds with bull riding, the demo derby and, for the first time, the Globe of Death.
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.
U.S. 127 Yard Sale is the world's longest yard sale. This year's event runs Aug. 1-4 along 690 miles of U.S. 127 from just north of Addison, Mich., t
COLDWATER - The week preceding this year's Coldwater Community Picnic will be packed with activities for all ages to commemorate the village's 175th anniversary.
ST. MARYS - The 30th annual Summerfest is set for Aug. 8-11 in Memorial Park in downtown St. Marys with the Miss Summerfest pageant scheduled for Aug. 4.
CELINA - Top notch concerts and a long list of new events highlight this year's 161st Mercer County Fair set for Aug. 9-15.
Popular country artist Joe Nichols will entertain the crowd Aug. 9 at the grandstand. Opening the show is Sony Nashville singer Angie Johnson.
NEW BREMEN - Activities for all age groups will be featured at the 39th annual Bremenfest. The event takes place Aug. 9-11 on both sides of Plum Street.
COLDWATER - The 34th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Benefit Softball Tournament will be held again this year at Coldwater Memorial Park, Aug. 14-18.
Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum,
Wapakoneta
Located along I-75 (exit 111), the museum is named in honor of astronaut and Wapakoneta native Neil
GRAND LAKE - After two of the last three events were cancelled, the steering committee of the Ohio Governor's Cup Regatta is hoping that 2013 retur
DURBIN - The 115th annual Durbin Bean Bake will wrap up summer's events on Labor Day, Sept. 2 in the five acres of woods located west of Celina on Erastus-Durbin Road.
NEW BREMEN - The 10th annual Pumpkinfest will have a greater focus on entertainment and festival activities when it takes place Sept. 28 and 29 at the Crown Pavilion grounds.
ST. JOE - The 30th annual St. Joe Homecoming takes place Sept. 7 and 8 on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
In keeping with tradition, the festival begins with an outdoor Mass at 5 p.m. Sept. 14. People planning to attend should bring lawn chairs.
A countless number of lodging sites are available for visitors to the Grand Lake area.
For those who prefer the great outdoors, there are numerous
MINSTER - The sound of polka music and the aroma of freshly grilled sausages will be very much in evidence when the 39th annual Minster Oktoberfest takes place Oct. 4-6.
The Grand Lake Mariners is a summer baseball team that is completely comprised of college players. They will be playing their home games at Montgomery Field at Eastview Park in Celina.
Local pictures on May 21st, 2013