Eliminating holiday pay, reducing office hours and sharing employees are a few of the ideas being kicked around to save the county money.

Mercer Co

ST. MARYS - Two newcomers to politics are running on the Republican ticket for the 1st Ward council seat at Tuesday's primary election.

John Bubp a

COLDWATER - School board members this morning unanimously approved a three-year contract with the Coldwater Teachers Organization that freezes salaries - including step pay increases - for two years. The contract will be reopened for new negotiations during the third year. [More]

Mercer County residents on Tuesday will be asked to renew a six-year, 2.42-mill levy to support programs for local residents who are mentally and physically challenged.

ST. HENRY - Voters in the St. Henry school district will be asked Tuesday to approve a continuous, 1.21-mill permanent improvement replacement levy.

If approved, the levy would replace the current five-year, 1.21-mill levy, which was approved by voters in 2006 and expires in December.

The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is seeking a federal grant that would add another officer to the department.

The COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grant would pay 100 percent of a new, full-time entry-level patrol officer's salary and benefits - approximately $58,800 per year - for a three-year period.

CELINA - City council has been asked to consider purchasing power through American Municipal Power's soon-to-be acquired Fremont Energy Center, a natural gas-fired generation plant in Fremont.

About 50 theological scholars labored seven years to produce in 1611 the most popular book ever printed - the King James Version of the Holy Bible. That original translation celebrates its 400th anniversary this year.

ST. MARYS - The Celina baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit and then got a defensive gem for the final out as the Bulldogs escaped K.C. Geiger Park with a 7-6 win over rival St. Marys on a rainy Thursday in Western Buckeye League action. [More]

NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen Cardinals stayed tied at the top of the Midwest Athletic Conference softball standings after defeating the Marion Local Flyers, 9-8 in a wild contest that featured an hour delay in the top of the fifth due to lightning on Thursday afternoon at New Bremen High School.

Compiled by Ryan Hines
and Gary R. Rasberry

Celina spotted Versailles a trio of first-inning runs and then shut down the Tigers the rest of the way to win a 10-3 battle in Darke County.   The Bulldogs (9-5) committed three errors in the first inning and all three Tigers' runs were unearned.

With Mother Nature washing out the first four scheduled events of the 2011 season at Eldora Speedway, local race teams, whether they are veterans or rookies, are anxious to get on the track and get the season started.

I asked a handful of former Coldwater baseball players if they were to field a Cavalier alumni baseball team which featured the all-time greatest players that the storied program had ever produced, who their first pick would be.

ROCKFORD - After four innings of tight play, Parkway's offense broke loose in the fifth, hitting two of its three home runs in the inning en route to run-ruling St. Henry 10-0 in six innings at the Panther Diamond in Rockford.