Almost a third of the nation's corn crop is showing signs of damage due to drought.

Locally, ag officials are predicting yields could be cut by as much as 50 percent. Anita Green, executive director of the Auglaize County Farm Service Agency, called the situation "serious."

This year has the potential to be as bad as the notorious 1988 drought, which resulted in some farmers not being able to harvest any corn at all, she said. [More]

A 79-year-old St. Henry man was labeled a tier one sex offender during his sentencing on misdemeanor sexual charges Wednesday afternoon in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

Carl W. Albers, 252 S. Eastern Ave., a retired farmer, pleaded guilty June 4 to five counts of sexual imposition. The charges were reduced from gross sexual imposition, third-degree felonies, as part of a negotiated plea agreement. The offenses occurred between 1990 and 2009; the victims were ages 8, 9 and 10 at the time. [More]