Mercer County
President Barack Obama today declared Ohio and 37 of its counties, including Auglaize, Van Wert and Shelby, as federal disaster areas due to damage from a June 29 storm.
The Celina-Coldwater Bike Path was selected to receive federal money to help pay for a $250,000 resurfacing project, local officials learned Monday.
MINSTER - Work is nearly complete on the preservation and enhancement project at Memorial Field.
Board of education members learned Monday night district residents contributed more than 500 man hours over the weekend toward the project.
FORT RECOVERY - Village officials intend to revisit and expand legislation pertaining to golf carts, four-wheelers and other similar vehicles used on village streets.
ST. HENRY - Bullying is a big concern for high school guidance counselor Betsy Armstrong.
"Kids sometimes don't know where that fine line is," she told St. Henry schools board members Monday night.
MONTEZUMA - Fire destroyed a Montezuma-area home early Monday morning, leaving owner Ted Carpenter to pick up the pieces and start over.
"I guess I will rebuild, hopefully on the same foundation," he said, looking around the debris-strewn yard this morning.
Coldwater
COLDWATER - Village officials are looking into the possibility of using solar energy to power nearly a third of the village's water and wastewater treatment facilities.
An Auglaize County woman was injured when she drove off state Route 29, east of Harris Road, and struck a culvert at 8:57 p.m. Aug. 19, according to Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports.
MINSTER - The future of the former elementary school on Hanover Street remains uncertain as board of education members look at three options - sell, lease or demolish it.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The Mercer County Elks was the location for several Midwest Athletic Confernence boys' and girls' golf matches on Monday afternoon.
CELINA - Dan Otten isn't convinced his cross country squads are ready to compete for Western Buckeye League titles this fall, but he does feel that a finish in the top half of the league isn't out of the question.
COLDWATER - After one of the best seasons in school history, the Coldwater cross country program has a new boss, albeit a familiar one.
Former Cav
FORT RECOVERY - Michelle Stammen has plenty of reasons to be enthusiastic about the upcoming Fort Recovery cross country campaign.
The Indians' coa
MARIA STEIN - As the dean of Midwest Athletic Conference cross country coaches, Marion Local's Randy Jutte enters his 29th season with hopes of a strong season by his harriers.
For the first time since the 2006 season, Minster's boys' cross country team didn't finish in the top two in the Midwest Athletic Conference a year ago.
NEW BREMEN - It's going to be a year of change for the New Bremen cross country program.
New coaches will be leading the way for the two teams and both programs are in the middle of a youth movement as a combined 11 freshmen and nine sophomores will be competing for the Cardinals this year.
ROCKFORD - The Parkway cross country teams have reason to be optimistic for this fall with steady numbers and a pair of strong individuals to pace the boys' and girls' squads.
The past seven years have been remarkably favorable for St. Henry's boys cross country program.
Since 2005, the Redskins have not finished lower than fourth place in the Midwest Athletic Conference, and for the past five consecutive seasons, St. Henry has advanced to the state cross country meet.
ST. MARYS - When Rob Cisco took over as the head coach of cross country at St. Marys in 2008, he had a modest goal of making the program competitive in the Western Buckeye League.
CELINA - The Celina boys' golf team is under new leadership this fall with Bret Baucher replacing Keith VanDeveter as the Bulldogs' head coach.
Baucher, who starred on the football field at Celina and for four years at Ohio Northern University, was expecting to be an assistant this year.
COLDWATER - It's looking like a rebuilding year for the Coldwater boys' and girls' golf teams.
First-year Cavaliers' boys golf coach Doug Timmerman and veteran girls' coach Vaughn Schellhause will each guide teams that return just one varsity player from last year's varsity squad.
FORT RECOVERY - Even with a young roster that includes no seniors, Fort Recovery's boys' golf coach Brad Evers is excited to watch his team compete this fall.
MARIA STEIN - Both of Marion Local's golf teams return a few key contributors from a year ago, but the Flyers will also be depending on some newcomers this fall.
As a first-year head coach for Minster's boys' golf team, Jay Purdy inherited a program that has endured a mountain of success over the course of the past couple of seasons.
NEW BREMEN - Experience abounds for both of New Bremen's golf teams as they take to the links in 2012.
New Bremen's boys are coming off a 5-4 dual
ROCKFORD - The Parkway boys' golf team figures to be among the contenders for the Midwest Athletic Conference title this fall with a veteran lineup returning from a successful 2011 campaign.
Although the St. Henry boys' golf team doesn't return much experience this season, veteran head coach Charlie Maier is eager to see how his team grows throughout the season.
ST. MARYS - Scott Ross is quick to point out that last year's seniors are sorely missed, but the Roughriders' golf team has a pair of sophomores with the potential to lead the way to another solid season.
CELINA - Bulldogs' boys' soccer coach Ryan Jenkins is hopeful that the return of nine letterwinners will help lessen the losses suffered when a talented senior class graduated last June.
COLDWATER - The upcoming soccer season is a pivotal one for Coldwater's girls' soccer program.
It's the fourth year of soccer for the Lady Cavalier
ST. MARYS - After back-to-back second-place finishes in the Western Buckeye League the past two seasons, St. Marys' boys soccer team appears primed to win the first league title in the program's 16-year history.
CELINA - After winning the Western Buckeye League title in four of the last five years, Celina's girls' tennis coach Jan Morrison is hoping her team hasn't become complacent as the Bulldogs are once again looking like the team to beat in the WBL this year.
ST. MARYS - Brice Brenneman had coached the St. Marys' girls tennis program for 17 years before walking away prior to the 2011 campaign.
Brenneman is back coaching the Roughriders this season on brand new courts and has a veteran squad that will feature five seniors in the starting lineup.
