CELINA - Fort Recovery Local Schools Superintendent Shelly Vaughn has been offered the top position at the Mercer County Educational Service Center.

Vaughn has informally accepted the superintendent's position, ESC board president Melissa Hoying confirmed today. [More]

ST. HENRY - Opting children out of Common Core-aligned tests is one way the public can fight the standards, an activist with Ohioans Against Common Core told a massive crowd Tuesday night at Romer's Catering.

CELINA - City council members will borrow up to $600,000 on behalf of the municipal court to pay for improved security and renovations to the courtroom and clerk's office in city hall.

NEW BREMEN - The new state budget could present problems for small-business owners in Southwestern Auglaize County, according to Keith Lake, vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. [More]

CELINA - A Fort Jennings contractor has been chosen to perform erosion control work this year along Beaver Creek.

Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday approved hiring Fenson Contracting, which submitted a bid of $180,257 - the lowest of five received.

CELINA - Lake Facilities Authority members are mulling over allowing some recreational opportunities on land around the Prairie Creek treatment train and the ones planned for Coldwater and Beaver creeks.

CELINA - The city will borrow additional money on behalf of the Bryson Trust Fund to finalize the purchase of two lakeshore-area properties.

Earlie

ST. MARYS - Heritage Trails Park District officials want to establish a nonprofit foundation and hire an administrative assistant.

The district's

SPENCERVILLE - The roller coaster known as the opening game of girls basketball sectional play had two happy riders in Celina and St. Marys by the end of the night. [More]

COLDWATER - The first round of tournament had been a stumbling block for the St. Henry Redskins the past few seasons.

They, however, put the past behind them on Tuesday night.

KENTON - A different sectional tournament venue for the first time in years didn't seem to faze a pair of Midwest Athletic Conference teams that made the long haul to Kenton last night as the Minster Wildcats and New Bremen Cardinals opened the postseason with victories.

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

Parkway's Tanner Bates edged Perry's Jared Poling in a contest of high scores, but the Commodores handed the Panthers a 70-50 non-conference loss in boys basketball in a rescheduled game from an earlier postponement on Tuesday at Perry High School.