Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

Kahlig to play hoops in Spain

By Gary R. Rasberry
Greg Kahlig will get a chance to play basketball on the professional level and be able travel as well.
The Fort Recovery standout, who finished a stellar career at the University of Findlay this past season, signed over the weekend to play for Força Lleida CE in the Liga Española de Baloncesto Oro (LEB Oro), the second division of the Spanish basketball league. Lleida, which is in the Catalonia region of Spain, begins its third season in October.
"It's really neat to have this experience. From this area, you don't see a lot of it," Kahlig said on Tuesday afternoon. "It's pretty neat to be looked upon from the younger kids from Fort Recovery and hopefully the rest of the MAC to be a role model and let kids know if you work hard for your dreams, they can be accomplished. Thankfully, mine were."
Kahlig began to receive some interest about playing overseas after finishing his career at Findlay with 1,877 points and averaging 24.5 points per game during his senior season.
"After the season, some agents contacted coach Ernst (Findlay head coach Charlie Ernst)," said Kahlig, who heads to Spain on Saturday. "I got to talk to them and got to know them. I made the decision to go with an agent that lives in Spain. He knew a lot of the teams and GMs (general managers) and coaches because he had played over there for a while. He thought it would be good to get me into the second league in Spain. (Força Lleida) saw the (highlight) tapes and were impressed enough to offer me a contract."
Lleida has gone 11-15 in each of the first two years, making the league quarterfinals in 2013 and finishing 10th in the 14-team league last season. The top two teams each season are promoted to the top division of Liga ACB while the bottom two teams are relegated to third division LEB Plata (Silver).
The change in culture, as well as language, is a challenge that Kahlig is ready to embrace.
"Language is going to be a little difficult, but (the team) will have someone to help me, and my teammates will help me understand the culture more (as well as) the language.
"(It's a) little scary, but I'm excited for the opportunity to play over there."
Additional online stories on this date
Sanders-Roark sentenced a week after co-defendant
CELINA - Trevin M. Sanders-Roark left Mercer County Common Pleas Court Tuesday afternoon sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the November 2011 murders of Fort Recovery-area residents Robert and Colleen Grube. [More]
MINSTER - Two lots have been sold in the West Industrial Park.
The Minster Community Improvement Corp. on Tuesday approved the sale of a 2.805-acre tract to Baumer Construction of Minster and a 1.683-acre site to Weigandt Land Co., also of Minster. Purchase prices were not available. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
The investigation into the November 2011 deaths of Robert and Colleen Grube continues, Mercer County Sheriff's Detective Doug Timmerman said.
While
CELINA - Mercer County Commissioners have approved the use of a new funding formula for townships that would drastically alter the amount of money received by some of them.
Strong winds damaged a hangar at Lakefield Airport west of Montezuma Tuesday evening.
Gary Lefeld, airport manager, said he received a call a little after 8 p.m. that the roof on Hangar B east of the airport had been ripped off.
CELINA - The Mercer County Board of Elections is working on a Facebook page to be able to provide information including preliminary results on election night.
CELINA - The owner of a dog who was shot and wounded by a Celina police officer Monday morning is being charged with allowing the dog to run loose.
Program serves low-income clients
CELINA - Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract with a Lima organization to ensure future transportation services for local, income-eligible clients.
MINSTER - Construction of a 3-megawatt solar field at the village-owned Luedeke Farm should commence in mid-September.
Village administrator Don Ha
ROCKFORD - Rockford officials have begun cleaning up three properties.
A home at 407 N. West Street has been demolished and all the foundation concrete is gone, village administrator Jeff Long said on Tuesday night at the regular council meeting.
Mercer County Cross Country Meet
ST. HENRY - Coldwater's Jon Wenning bested St. Henry's Spencer Schulze as the two duked it out for the top spot in the high school boys race of the Mercer County Cross Country Meet.
Tuesday's Area Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
St. Marys' girls and New Bremen's boys claimed the team titles at the Auglaize County cross country meet on Tuesday at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys.