Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

Fort Recovery barn fire destroys 18,000 chickens

By Margie Wuebker
A raging fire near Fort Recovery on Tuesday night destroyed a poultry barn and killed an estimated 17,000 to 18,000 chickens inside.
Firefighters from Southwest Mercer and Coldwater fire departments responded to the farm of Jeff and Ellan Sudhoff, 560 state Route 219, after a passerby spotted flames and alerted the owners.
The 911 log at the Mercer County Sheriff's Office listed a call from Ellan Sudhoff at 7:54 p.m. People reported the Washington Township blaze illuminated the sky as nightfall approached.
"The barn was pretty well engulfed when we arrived on the scene," Southwest assistant fire chief Dan Wendel told The Daily Standard. "Our efforts were focused on saving a generator and an egg cooler area at the north end of the building."
Excavating equipment arrived at the scene, located at the intersection of state Routes 219 and 49, during the height of the fire to separate the egg-laying operation from the cooler area.
Several walls collapsed as the fire raged sending a shower of sparks skyward. Fortunately there were no adjacent buildings at risk, according to Wendel.
Firefighters set up a tanker relay ferrying water from a farm pond approximately one-quarter mile away. Once the load was discharged into drop tanks, the trucks quickly returned to the fill site.
Wendel estimates approximately 35 firefighters came to the scene but he was unsure regarding the number of trucks. The last unit returned to quarters around midnight.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Wendel is uncertain where the fire originated given the extent of damage. No dollar figure has been assigned to the loss as yet, and the Sudhoffs reportedly have insurance coverage.
A Coldwater unit of Mercer County Emergency Medical Services remained on standby throughout the evening, but fortunately its services were not needed as firefighters endured hot, humid weather conditions.
Mercer County Emergency Response Volunteers handled traffic control.
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The return of the fastest boats ever to splash in Grand Lake and a new hydroplane boat competition for kids is expected to draw thousands to the 2007 Governor's Cup Regatta in Celina this weekend.
MINSTER - The 2007 minor street resurfacing program will proceed as planned without suggested cutbacks Minster village councilors decided Tuesday.
Mercer County commissioners agreed Tuesday to upgrade the courthouse security system and its link with the sheriff's office across the street in Celina.
Celina city officials met for a second time Tuesday to discuss a land acquisition issue but they are keeping a tight lid on it.
Celina City Council
ROCKFORD - Village Administrator Jeff Long is awaiting contact from Parkway Local Schools Superintendent Doug Karst to reach an agreement over damage done to Buckeye Street during the school construction project in the summer of 2005.
ROCKFORD - Officials from the village and the Laurels of Shane Hill Nursing Home may come to an agreement about expanding water lines to the facility within the next few weeks, said Village Administrator Jeff Long.
The Stock Building Supply business at 508 W. Logan St., Celina, has been closed and future plans for the site are uncertain, a company spokeswoman said this week.
The Celina boys cross country team may have the potential for a historic season while the Lady Bulldogs are looking to rebound from one of their worst seasons in school history.
COLDWATER - With the majority of their tournament runners back on both sides this season, Coldwater cross country coach Dan Pohlman has great expectations.
The success of the girls cross country team at Fort Recovery last season has begun to pay dividends.
After finishing fourth behind state powerhouse
Long-time Marion Local cross country coach Randy Jutte will be stressing improvement this year as his harriers take to the trails.
Jutte will have 19 boys and 23 girls on the roster this year, and a decent number of both return with varsity experience.
Year after year, Larry Topp approaches the cross country season at Minster with high expectations.
That will certainly be the case again this year as his gang looks to duplicate much of their success from a year ago when they were runners-up in the MAC and district champions.
The 2007 season for the New Bremen girls cross country team could be a rebuilding one.
Second-year coach Julie Ferguson loses three of her top five runners from a team that placed fifth in the Midwest Athletic Conference meet and seventh at the district meet.
Vian will have full boys squad; one short on girls side
After a brief absence, Parkway is back in the cross country business.
A year after having a team picture taken and a schedule assembled, then being dropped due to low numbers, coach Ann Vian has a good group this year.
At St. Henry, a school which has prided itself on coaching longevity, cross country head coach Mike Eyink will hit a milestone this year, his 20th at the head of the Redskins' program.
St. Marys cross country head coach Dan Cook is optimistic about the upcoming season feeling that both the boys and girls teams can finish in the top half of the Western Buckeye League.
The Versailles girls cross country team has put together a solid four-year run, winning state once, runners-up once and never finishing below fifth.
Expectations are pretty simple for the two Celina golf teams this season - just improve each day.
Both the boys and girls golf teams are lacking experience but the work ethic is there as the Bulldogs try to get better each time on the course.
The 2007 golf season brings plenty of pleasant surprises for both the Coldwater boys and girls golf teams.
Boys coach Jack Mescher has the top two golfers in the Midwest Athletic Conference returning this season.
Graduation took a big chunk of the experience from the Fort Recovery boys golf team, as a number of seniors picked up diplomas at the end of the school year.
The Marion Local boys and girls golf teams will both start the season with a lot of question marks.
The boys squad has a decent number of golfers o
With a pair of new head coaches and a plethora of talent to replace from last year's state runner-up team, the Minster boys' golf team has a lot to contend with as this fall approaches.
For veteran New Bremen boys golf coach Cindy Newman, the outlook for the 2007 season was bright before the campaign started, and if the play of her squad in early-season matches is any indication, this season may be one to remember.
The Parkway golf program will look to put together a solid season after suffering a tragic loss in the summer.
The death of junior Tyler Dellinger in a car accident struck the team hard as Dellinger was well-loved in the school and was a varsity veteran from last season.
Even with their top two golfers from last season lost to graduation in the spring, St. Henry girls golf coach John Dorner still has optimism.
"We
The 2006 fall sports season was a magical and memorable one for the St. Marys golf team.
The Roughrider golfers reached the state tournament for the first time in school history and gave a great showing in Columbus as St. Marys finished 10th in Division II.
Versailles golf will look to build on to some of the good things the program had going for them last season.
Pete DiSalvo's boys will look to improve on the fourth-place finish from last season with a number of veterans from the Midwest Athletic Conference meet coming back this season.
It's hard to gauge the Celina boys and girls soccer teams this year.
The boys will have a lot of new faces in key places while the girls are just trying not to suffer any more injuries before the meaningful games start.
Expectations are at an all-time high this year for soccer at St. Marys.
Both teams are experienced and talented giving Dave Ring and Paul Dingledine plenty of reason to smile heading into the fall sports season.
From the looks of things in the early part of the season, the Celina girls tennis team has a special season ahead.
The Lady Bulldogs won back-to-ba
The St. Marys girls tennis team has plenty of experience doting the 2007 roster, but improving on last year's fourth-place finish may be difficult for the Roughriders this season.