CELINA - Four Celina Primary School staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 and 25 to 30 students who had direct contact with them are in quarantine.

Also, Mercer County Health District officials reported 20 new cases on Friday, raising the county's total to 1,432. Auglaize County reported a total of 70 new cases between Wednesday and Friday for a total of 934 confirmed cases. [More]

Democrat Shannon Freshour and Libertarian Steve Perkins are challenging incumbent 4th District U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Shannon Freshour

Freshour is a native of the 4th District and knows the difficulties local families face. [More]

CELINA - Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercer County residents can have a safe, spooky Halloween if they take the right precautions.

Deciding whether to participate in Halloween festivities is up to parents, guardians, individuals and community members, and those celebrating can look to the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for creative ideas and safety practices. [More]

MINSTER - The twin steeples of St. Augustine Catholic Church are a landmark for Minster natives, a sign that lets them know, day or night, they're home.

Now, a few blocks away in the St. Augustine Cemetery, the man who designed that monument has a new memorial himself. [More]

Several community Halloween events have been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic. Village and city officials who have decided to host trick or treat said participation is up to individual families.

Participants can take basic precautionary measures per COVID-19 guidelines for a safe and enjoyable trick or treat, officials have said. [More]

Incumbent state Rep. Craig Riedel, R-Defiance, will face off against Democrat write-in candidate Elecia Wobler, D-Haviland, for the Ohio House of Representatives 82nd district in the Nov. 3 general election.

The district includes all of Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert counties and the northwest portion of Auglaize County, including St. Marys and Wapakoneta. The term is for two years. [More]

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP - The first time Celina and Elida played volleyball this season, Celina won in five sets.

After two sets on Wednesday in the Division II district quarterfinals at Shawnee, it was looking like this one would go the distance a well.

It nearly went beyond 15 points in the set before Elida avenged the earlier loss to Celina with a 25-16, 21-25, 25-14, 15-25, 15-13 win at Lappin Gymnasium. [More]

CELINA - The number of COVID-19 cases continues to mount in Mercer County, yet the disease has not resulted in catastrophe, Mercer County Health District Administrator Jason Menchhofer said.

Menchhofer updated Mercer County Board of Elections members on the local status of COVID-19, saying though case numbers remain high, the vast majority of people who have tested positive are not getting seriously ill. [More]

CELINA - A Celina man is the 26th person to die from COVID-19 in Mercer County, according to a Mercer County Health District news release.

Five new cases were also reported on Tuesday, raising the county's total to 1,350.

In Auglaize County, eight new confirmed cases brought that county's total to 864. [More]