Friday, October 9th, 2015

Faber says won't seek Boehner's House seat

By William Kincaid
CELINA - Ohio Senate President Keith Faber, R-Celina, informed the newspaper today that he will not seek the seat of House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester.
However, Faber confirmed he is considering making a run for either state auditor or attorney general in 2018.
Faber, who will no longer represent Ohio's 12th District after 2016 due to term limits, this morning said after talking with friends and family, he decided that Ohio's 8th Congressional District is not the right district or the right job for him. His name had surfaced in connection with the seat in some political reporting.
"I'm not going to run for that," he said.
Boehner on Sept. 25 announced he would retire from Congress Oct. 30 but yesterday indicated that he would remain in his job until a new speaker was installed. The 8th District consists of all of Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami and Preble counties and southern Mercer County.
Faber said he's putting a team in place to evaluate a run for either state auditor or attorney general.
"We're taking a look at that and trying to put everything together," he said.
Faber said he's not looking to run for governor in 2018, noting that some good people, including Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine, are eyeing runs for governor in 2018.
"I think there's plenty of talent for '18," Faber said.
But Faber said he may possibly run for governor in the future.
Faber, an attorney and former state representative, was sworn in as a senator in January 2007 to fill the unexpired term of Jim Jordan, who was elected to the U.S. Congress in November 2006. Faber served three terms in the Ohio House (2001-2006) before moving to the Senate, where he now holds the top position as president.
Additional online story on this date
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ST. HENRY - St. Henry's quest for regular-season perfection continued Thursday night.
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Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - Organizers of the annual downtown art walk wanted to make this year's event a bit tastier, opting to tweak the name and motif of the celebration of commerce and creativity.
A $1,500 grant will pay for an art event, floating wetland plants and garden cover crops, Mercer County Soil and Water board members learned during their meeting Thursday.
$3.6M project slated for completion by the end of December
MARIA STEIN - Maria Stein Grain is bustling with activity as the local feed mill on state Route 119 undergoes a $3.6 million upgrade and expansion.
On Tuesday, a tall crane lifted huge pieces of metal while workers guided them into place.
Mercer County recently was awarded a total of $398,000 in state and federal funds to improve and provide housing for the needy.
County commissioner
COLDWATER - New Knoxville and Coldwater battled through four competitive sets before the Cavaliers came out with a 25-21, 25-12, 19-25, 25-22 win to stay unbeaten in Midwest Athletic Conference play with two conference matches remaining next week.
Area Roundup
Compiled by Colin Foster and Gary R. Rasberry
One of the last big cross country invitationals before the postseason begins takes place in Coldwater, as more than 900 runners traveled to compete in the Lions Invitational on Thursday night.