Costs rose as quickly as salt supplies plunged this winter.
Officials in Mercer and Auglaize counties report expenditures for snow and ice removal are double and triple from last year. [
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Decision could cost local hospital $500K
COLDWATER - Mercer Health administrators are closely watching a decision by Congress today that could cost the organization more than $500,000 per year.
Travis Tegtmeyer given two-year contract with district
FORT RECOVERY - The school district has a new technology director.
Board of education members during a special meeting Wednesday night hired Travis
BELLEFONTAINE - A 58-year-old Mercer County man was involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Logan County that claimed the death of a woman.
The
CELINA - An Alabama man who led local police on a high-speed pursuit through the city in January was sentenced Tuesday to 48 months in prison.
Davi
CELINA - Jim Highley, host of WCSM Radio's weekly "Country Leisure" show, will sign off for the last time Sunday night, ending a 33-year run.
The show debuted April 1, 1981, after a discussion with station owner John Coe. [
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Annual event opens with artists' reception
CARTHAGENA - Art work including abstract paintings and charcoal drawings to spoon jewelry and blown glass - will be featured at the second Artistry Under the Dome exhibition at St. Charles Living Center.
Curtain Call
Don Black committed his life to baseball.
Born in 1931, he was a standout player for Willshire High School in the late 1940s, and a few months past his 21st birthday, Black joined the baseball coaching staff at his alma mater before taking the reigns of the program in 1957.
A future in business and a desire to keep playing softball proved to be key when Mindy Puthoff was choosing her college.
The Marion Local senior will attend the University of Northwestern Ohio this fall and playing for the Racers softball team that currently is playing its inaugural season.
Celina's Michaela Wenning ready for another strong track season
CELINA - Michaela Wenning will not be resting on her laurels this spring.
The Celina senior has a lot of goals after reaching a pinnacle last year in winning the Division II state high jump title by clearing 5-5 last June in Columbus.
CELINA - While Andy Mikesell is new to the position of Celina head baseball coach, he got a good look at the bulk of his team last summer.
The former St. Henry baseball player coached the Redskins' ACME team last summer and faced off against Celina on several occasions.
CELINA - If s a single word could be used to describe the Celina softball team this season, young would be perfect.
With just two seniors and a junior on the roster, veteran head coach Nicole Driggs will look for her young Bulldogs to grow up quickly after going 19-4 last season.
COLDWATER - Brian Harlamert won't have to fill a lot of holes in his Coldwater lineup this season.
The Cavaliers went 22-5 last season and shared the MAC crown with Minster but were bounced from their opening game at sectional by Lima Central Catholic.
COLDWATER - With just one senior graduated from last season's 6-20 campaign and nine seniors dotting the roster this year, the Coldwater softball team will look to use their experience to get back above .500 and in contention in the MAC.
FORT RECOVERY - After posting its first winning season in several years, the Fort Recovery baseball team will look to build upon its success with an experienced team.
FORT RECOVERY - Marie Osterholt will look to a young Fort Recovery softball team to help make the climb from a couple of struggling seasons.
Last season the Indians were 2-20 on the season.
MARIA STEIN - New Marion Local baseball coach Dustin Woods will have a very young team to work with this season.
Woods, a Celina graduate, has just one senior and six juniors on his roster with experience. Seven players in all played varsity during last season's 8-18 campaign.
MARIA STEIN - Russ Puthoff is hoping the late-season run by his Marion Local softball team will carry over at the beginning of this season.
The Fl
MINSTER - After winning state championships in 2011 and 2012, the 2013 season was a relative letdown for the Minster Wildcats baseball team.
Howev
MINSTER - The Minster softball team is a program on the rise. For 15 years between 1997 and 2011, the Wildcats struggled to a 21-78 MAC record and went without a single winning season in conference play.
NEW BREMEN - Confidence and fundamentals are the keys to success for the 2014 New Bremen Baseball team, according to second-year coach Josh Bowersock
NEW BREMEN - Closing in on his 200th carer win, New Bremen veteran softball coach Craig Griesdorn will have a very young team with just three returning starters in 2014.
ROCKFORD - Parkway will look to one of its former baseball players to guide the team this season.
Luke Clouse, a 2000 graduate, takes over for his former coach Mike Schumm as the Hall of Fame coach stepped down after his second stint as mentor to the program, going 16-11 last year.
ROCKFORD - After a trip to the state semifinals a year ago and having the majority of their starting lineup back, the Parkway softball team has plenty of motivation for this season.
ST. HENRY - Veteran St. Henry baseball coach John Dorner is excited to begin his 25th season as coach.
The Redskins welcome back nine letterwinner
ST. HENRY - Kylie Huelsman takes over as softball coach at St. Henry this season, replacing veteran coach Melissa Starkey, who left when her husband Jeff took the principal's position at LaBrae High School in northeast Ohio.
ST. MARYS - Following their disappointing 2-7 season in the Western Buckeye League and 7-16 overall, there is a changing of the guard for the St. Marys baseball team as former Roughrider Jeff Dieringer takes command of the program beginning this spring.
ST. MARYS - The 2013 softball season was one which St. Marys head coach Sue Grothause and her Roughriders would like to get as far away from as possible.
CELINA - Veteran Celina track coach Dan Otten is looking for good things from his squad this season.
For the girls, a mix of successful returnees
COLDWATER - Second-year Coldwater track coach Karla Kohler has plenty of experience coming back this season as the teams look to contend for MAC team titles and a healthy representation at the state meet.
FORT RECOVERY - Numbers are up for the Fort Recovery track team this season as coach Eric Hemmelgarn has a roster of 21 available this season.
"Ni
MARIA STEIN - A mix of experience and youth dots the Marion Local track and field roster this season.
While the girls have three returning state qualifiers to the roster, the boys have just three seniors and 13 freshmen joining the team.
MINSTER - As is the case, Minster enters the track season as contenders for the MAC boys and girls team titles.
Both the Wildcat boys and girls have state-experienced athletes coming back.
NEW BREMEN - Both the New Bremen boys and girls track teams enter the 2014 season with a core group of returning letter winners, hoping to make a run at the always-tough Midwest Athletic Conference title.
ROCKFORD - Both the Parkway boys and girls track teams will have youth on their teams as both squads lost several key athletes to graduation last season.
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry track and field program will undergo a few changes this spring as former standout Patrick Reichert takes over the progam.
ST. MARYS - After heading the boys' and girls' cross country program for the past several years, Rob Cisco will debut this spring as the new head coach for the St. Marys track and field program . He will take over for long-time coach Kathy Sitesº.
After finishing second in the WBL last season, Celina's boys tennis team will look to their experienced players to stay in the upper part of league play this season.
ST. MARYS - Last season, the St. Marys boys' tennis team completed their spring with a 9-6 overall record and a fifth-place spot in the Western Buckeye League Tournament.
