By Abigail Miller
CELINA - A jury of 12 in Mercer County Common Pleas Court Thursday found a 44-year-old Columbus man guilty of first-degree felony rape and 40 other felony sex crimes for grooming, raping and taking sexually explicit images of a Fort Recovery girl over a two-year period beginning when she was 12. [More]
Local pictures on July 18th, 2025
Subscriber stories on July 18th, 2025
MINSTER - A Cincinnati attorney with ties to the area has donated a vacant double lot of land to the Village of Minster to express his gratitude to the community and honor his late mother.
The Mercer County Engineer's Office issued an advisory Thursday explaining the safety issues around roadside clear zones and asking county residents and landowners to help keep these parts of the right-of-way clear of obstructions on rural, local roadways.
ROSSBURG - Kyle Larson has won everything there is to win at Eldora Speedway.
The NASCAR star added the Joker's Jackpot and its $100,000 winner's check on Thursday night to his long list of accomplishments at the high-banked half-mile oval.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Fort Recovery's Cam LeFevre shot a nine-hole round of 38 to earn his second victory of the summer in the boys 12-13 division at the Lima Junior Golf Association's Bob Fridley Junior Tournament at Shelby Oaks in Sidney.
CELINA - Twelve contestants will compete for scholarships and a prize package in the 2026 Miss Lake Festival Scholarship Pageant on Sunday at the Harley C. Jones Memorial Rotary Amphitheater in the Bryson Park District, weather permitting.
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Today In History
By William Kincaid
CELINA - So far this year, Celina officials have deemed eight buildings unsafe and ordered the owners to either remedy the violation/s or demolish the structure. It's an effort to ensure the safety, general health and welfare of both the occupants and the public at large, according to city law. [More]
By Matt Tuttle
Good day everyone. I hope all of you are staying cool during this summer heat.
I sure see a lot of folks out on the water enjoying the summer sunny days. We are having some relief in small amounts of time. I love this time of year though. I love getting up early and watching sunrise casting a beautiful sight across the lake. [More]
Obituaries on July 17th, 2025
Roger Jude Timmerman, age 57, of Fort Recovery, passed away on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima. [More]
Norma M. Knapke, age 94, of Cranberry Prairie, died on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at The Gardens at St. Henry. [More]
Yvonne R. Jackson, age 67, of Celina, passed away unexpectedly at her home on M [More]
Sonya S. (Grammar) Elder age 89 of Coldwater formerly of Englewood passed away on Sunday July 13, 2025 at the Briarwood Village in Coldwater. [More]
Donald Kane, 90, New Corydon, Indiana, died July 15, 2025, at his home.
No services are scheduled. [More]
Local pictures on July 17th, 2025
Subscriber stories on July 17th, 2025
Jury hears Grove's police interview
CELINA - The state rested its case Wednesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court against a 44-year-old Columbus man accused of grooming, raping and taking sexually explicit images of a Fort Recovery girl at different periods when she was 12 to 14 years old.
CELINA - The Mercer County general election, though months away, is heating up as three candidates have joined the fray as independents, setting up a pair of contested races in Celina.
COLDWATER - Coldwater school board members this week approved a plan to retire then swiftly rehire three administrators in an effort to save the district money.
NEW BREMEN - School board members during Wednesday's meeting heard renovations to the New Bremen High School offices and concessions are on track to finish by Aug. 8.
GREENVILLE - Numerous road signs have been stolen from roadways across Darke County over the last five days, county engineer Jim Surber and Sheriff Mark Whittaker reported Wednesday in a news release.
Celina's Patrick has solid showing at national wrestling tournament
Celina High School incoming sophomore Cash Patrick finished in the top 12 in the 16U Freestyle 285-pound weight class at the United States Marine Corps Junior Nationals being held at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota. One hundred twenty-eight wrestlers competed in the bracket.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The Michigan Monarchs claimed the season series by sweeping Grand Lake in a doubleheader on Wednesday at Hill Stadium-TFO Field on the campus of Hillsdale College. The three-game sweep gave the Monarchs four out of the six games this season between the teams.
ROSSBURG - Aaron Reutzel, of Clute, Texas, and 19-year old Californian Cory Day won the Double Down Duels feature events that opened up Kings Royal weekend at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday night.
By Tom Millhouse
MINSTER - After hearing another round of protests over the planned construction of sidewalks on the east side of State Route 66 on the north side of town, councilors voted Tuesday night to table the issue.
A resolution to construct sidewalks from Eagles Acres shopping plaza north to the Spieles Chiropractic Clinic had been up for third and final reading. Other businesses that would be affected by the proposal include McDonald's, the Marathon gas station and a car wash. [More]
By William Kincaid
FORT RECOVERY - A proposal to raise Fort Recovery's income tax rate to 1.5% would provide a more stable revenue stream for village officials to better craft the operating budget, tackle rising costs across the board and pursue additional improvement projects. [More]
Obituaries on July 16th, 2025
Mabel L. (Smith) Amstutz, age 100 of Celina, Ohio, passed from this life into t [More]
Joseph J. Homan, age 62, of Coldwater, passed away Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima. [More]
Local pictures on July 16th, 2025
Subscriber stories on July 16th, 2025
CELINA - An accomplished hometown firefighter/paramedic with nearly 22 years under his belt has been named the new chief of the Celina Fire Department.
Girl describes texts, calls she had with Grove
CELINA - Further details emerged on Tuesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court on day two of the trial of a 44-year-old Columbus man accused of having sexually explicit conversations with, then later raping, a 14-year-old girl in Mercer County.
ROCKFORD - Firefighters from three departments responded Tuesday night to a Rockford structure fire that badly damaged a home's kitchen, according to Rockford Fire Chief Rob Belna.
ROCKFORD - Tensions flared at Tuesday's regular meeting of the Rockford Village Council when several residents voiced frustration over what they believe is a lack of transparency on the council's part.
ST. HENRY - At its monthly meeting Monday evening, the St. Henry Consolidated Local Schools Board of Education reviewed ongoing summer improvements, approved several items for the upcoming school year, and addressed key staffing and financial updates.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Tyler Heckman outdueled Ottawa-Glandorf teammate Davis Maag to win the boys 16-18 division as the Lima Junior Golf Association took over Springbrook Golf Club in Lima for the Gray's Cappie Sportswear Open.
By Tom Millhouse
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local school board members had an opportunity Monday night to see first-hand the progress of the new $23.3 million middle school building currently under construction.
Superintendent Mike Pohlman conducted the tour during t [More]
St. Henry comes back to win first ACME state title
By Gary R. Rasberry
KALIDA - St. Henry survived Defiance's big inning, and answered with two of their own.
Tate Boeckman's one-out single brought home two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Owen Zimmerman finished off five innings of no-hit relief with a 1-2-3 seventh to give the Redskins their first-ever ACME Baseball Congress state championship with a 7-5 win over the Bulldogs at Holy Name Ballpark in Kalida. [More]
Obituaries on July 15th, 2025
Reuben St Joseph Rodriguez, age 68 of Homosassa, Florida and formerly of Celina [More]
Local pictures on July 15th, 2025
Subscriber stories on July 15th, 2025
CELINA - A 12-person jury in Mercer County Common Pleas Court heard opening statements on Monday afternoon in a case against a 44-year-old Columbus man accused of soliciting sex from and eventually raping a 14-year-old girl living in St. Joe.
CELINA - City councilors on Monday night approved legislation to contract with a Toledo engineering firm for $377,300 to produce a preliminary design for an extensive overhaul and expansion of the city's wastewater treatment plant, a project estimated at about $32 million.
NEW BREMEN - Village councilors heard first reading of legislation to purchase a new $1.3 million fire apparatus, essentially a two-in-one vehicle which would replace the fire department's aging pumper and emergency equipment trucks.
COLDWATER - Councilors at Monday's brief Coldwater Village Council meeting learned the major projects for the year are nearing completion.
Village
ST. MARYS - The St. Marys Police Department is fully staffed following the swearing in of the city's latest recruit at Monday night's council meeting
CELINA - A 38-year-old Van Wert woman was arrested in Celina on Friday following a traffic stop for drug possession and driving under suspension.
A
Mercer County Engineer Jim Wiechart announced Monday that county engineer office crews will be starting the fog seal work on various rural local roads in Mercer County this week.
Public Notices
Stay informed with Public Notices in print and online. In the past 30 days there have been 59 public notices. Including: