Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

St. Henry mayor plans to leave post

By Jesse Pollack
ST. HENRY - The village will soon have a new leader after council members at Monday night's meeting accepted mayor Jeff Mescher's resignation, effective Jan. 1.
"I have accepted a new position that requires my relocation outside of Ohio," Mescher said. "I will truly miss St. Henry, and I wish you all the best."
Council members expressed sadness at Mescher's announcement and wished him luck.
Once Mescher, who has been mayor since January 2008, resigns, council president Steve Koesters will serve as mayor until the next council election in 2017, village treasurer Ruth Miller said this morning.
"Koesters will then have to run for the remaining two years of that term," she told the newspaper.
Koesters' vacant council seat could be filled by a resident interested in becoming a council member, Miller added.
The council also further discussed the proposed emergency squad building.
"The current building has not served the squad's needs for a long time," assistant EMS chief Ryan Bollenbacher said.
About 33 percent of the squad's $900,000 goal has been raised through donations, Bollenbacher said.
"Just today, we received a $100,000 donation," he said.
The squad hopes to finance the project entirely through donations rather than public funds.
Area businesses, along with the VFW and American Legion of Coldwater, have donated generously since the squad first mailed out fliers one month ago, Bollenbacher said.
If the funding goal is reached, the EMS plans to construct a full-service building that will provide living and sleeping quarters for volunteers and house multiple vehicles.
"We want to build for the future. This is a necessity," Bollenbacher said.
The squad serves several communities over 120 square miles and must often cover for other villages such as Coldwater when its volunteers are unavailable, he noted.
"Nobody thinks about us until they need us," Bollenbacher said.
The council commended him for his work and expressed their hope for the drive's success.
Council members also,
• passed a motion to approve a $500 donation to the Wright State Lake University-Lake Campus Business Enterprise Center.
• had an executive session to discuss compensation for a village employee, but took no action.
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CELINA - The flight of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones will be largely banned in the city limits once legislation approved by city council members on Monday night goes into effect in 30 days. [More]
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Mercer, Auglaize counties say change wouldn't be major issue
COLUMBUS (AP) - Fees charged to inmates upon their arrival at state jails and then on a daily basis perpetuate cycles of debt and incarceration and should be eliminated, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday.
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Four confirmed case
Village to advertise acreage for sale or lease it purchased in 2014
COLDWATER - Plans have changed for two properties over which village officials have control.
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CELINA - Celina Postmaster Paul Joseph will be the guest speaker at the Veterans Day services Wednesday at Lake Shore Park.
Tom Risch, Mercer County Veterans Service officer, said the annual event will begin at 10:45 a.m. at the veterans monument. Risch will serve as master of ceremonies.
St. Marys
ST. MARYS - Businesses would see changes in the city's income tax law in 2016 but individuals wouldn't notice a difference until 2017 under an ordinance introduced at Monday's council meeting.
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ST. HENRY - Middle school principal Kyle Kunk enthusiastically discussed at Monday night's board of education meeting the upcoming Veterans Day recognition assembly.
2015 Division III State Volleyball Preview
Five seasons have passed since St. Henry last took to the floor of the Nutter Center for state volleyball competition.
For Tuscarawas Valley, it's been six seasons.
Razz-Eye View
Another season, another blistering start to the football playoffs for the MAC teams.
Since the expansion to eight teams per region, the MAC is a combined 64-6 in opening round games. Take away intra-conference matchups and the record is an unbelievable 60-2.