CELINA - The top hazards threatening the stability of Mercer County are tornados/windstorms, followed by floods, winter storms, utility system outages and severe thunderstorms, an initial survey completed by community stakeholders shows.

Consultant Resource Solutions Associates of Norwalk is helping county officials complete a five-year update of the county's mitigation plan, as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. [More]

Compiled By Tom Haines and
Gary R. Rasberry

St. Marys led two sets to one before Shawnee rallied to send the Roughriders to a 25-20, 18-25, 25-20, 17-25, 12-15 loss in a Western Buckeye League volleyball match in Shawnee.

Halle Huston led St. Marys with 22 kills while Addie Lauth added five blocks and three aces. Lily Rammel finished with 46 assists and a pair of aces. [More]

CELINA - A 49-year-old unvaccinated man is among three new deaths and 98 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Mercer County during the past week, according to a Wednesday news release from the Mercer County Health District.

Health district administrator Jason Menchhofer on Wednesday night said the newest deaths also include an 84-year-old man and an 80-year-old man. Both were fully vaccinated, marking the third and fourth fully vaccinated individuals to die from the virus. [More]

This is the third and final part of a series looking at the effects of the diminishing number of local attorneys.

CELINA - Mercer County Juvenile Court is seeking volunteers to represent the best interests of children are involved in court proceedings because they have been abused or neglected. [More]

CELINA - A debate on whether to ban the practice of turning private residences into short-term vacation rentals in East Jefferson Township was tabled on Tuesday night, with officials moving to hold another hearing in a few weeks.

Roughly 50 people [More]

NEW BREMEN - Coming into Tuesday's match, Coldwater and New Bremen were a combined 23-1 and had only lost five sets apiece.

Something had to give.

In the first set, it was the Division IV top-ranked Cardinals on their heels, but then the script flipped and New Bremen closed out two tight wins to finish off a 19-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23 victory in a Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at the Nest. [More]

WAPAKONETA - Former New Knoxville High School basketball head coach Cole Fischbach has been indicted on charges of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, sexual imposition and tampering with evidence.

Fischbach, 26, was indicted earlier this month for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; four counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, fifth-degree felonies; and two counts of sexual imposition, third-degree misdemeanors. [More]

CELINA - Eleven senior citizens boogied the morning away recently at the Mercer County Council on Aging in Celina.

The citizens welcomed the opportunity to get out and enjoy the center, which re-opened on June 7 after being closed for more than a year. [More]