MONTEZUMA - Mercer County commissioners will try again after unsuccessfully soliciting bids Tuesday for a floating wetlands project on Grand Lake.

CELINA - Members of the Celina Education Association have agreed to freeze their base pay and step pay for two years.

The CEA and school board members reached the contract agreement during a special meeting Wednesday. [More]

ST. MARYS - Benson saunters down the corridor at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital looking for attention and possibly a treat or two.

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After a stunted start, a local effort to raise money to keep the Mercer County OSU Extension office open is growing.

Cooper Farms on Tuesday donated $25,000, said volunteer Jeff Rasawehr. [More]

WAPAKONETA - Fifty years ago Thursday, Alan Shepard became the first American to enter space.

Cocky, brash, sometimes distant and often disdainful of the press, Shepard is one of the most overlooked U.S. astronauts and deserves more attention, Shepard biographer Neal Thompson said.

WAPAKONETA - A change in credit card vendors will save residents money when paying taxes online.

Auglaize County Treasurer April Bowersock told com

A visit with a state ag leader and trip to St. Louis are among highlights of this year's Mercer County Agriculture Leadership program.

All 17 class members attended Thursday's monthly agriculture breakfast meeting in Celina and spoke of their experiences. This is the third year for the program.

MONTEZUMA - A unique fundraiser to benefit the Grand Lake Restoration Commission is being organized by the owners of Sunny Side Inn.

A Help Save Our Lake Sunnyside Carp Derby will be held at 1 p.m. May 14 at the restaurant, located on the southside of the lake off state Route 219.

Some say too much too soon. Others approve the pace. But none have yet denied his accomplishments.

Pope John Paul II's beatification last week in Vatican City leaves only one more step on his path to sainthood.

COLDWATER - The opening day of the 2011 Mercer County Knights of Columbus Track and Field Meet on Thursday showed there will be a battle looming for county track supremacy tonight at Cavalier Stadium.

ROCKFORD - The Marion Local Flyers re-imposed themselves in the Midwest Athletic Conference baseball title race as they went on the road and got a sterling pitching performance from senior Ryan Mescher to defeat the Parkway Panthers 2-0 in league play on Thursday afternoon at Don Black Field.

Compiled by Ryan Hines and Gary R. Rasberry

A Kurt Koesters double in the bottom of the 19th inning scored Alex Post to help St. Henry knock off Versailles 2-1 in a marathon Midwest Athletic Conference matchup on Thursday at the Wally Post Atheltic Complex.

In the World of Outlaw Sprint Car tour, Jason Sides is a bit of a throwback.

Unlike his big-money, corporate-backed counterparts, the Bartlett, Tenn. native travels the country competing on the World of Outlaw Sprint Car tour with just one full-time crew member and another part-time employee.