St. Marys
ST. MARYS - Council members on Monday night took steps to improve the city's electric systems.
Council approved an emergency ordinance to accept b
FORT RECOVERY - Nearly 100 students last week were vaccinated as the area battles an outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
The action was prompted by officials as a preventive measure at Fort Recovery Middle School in the wake of two confirmed student cases.
MINSTER - School board members on Monday approved spending $20,000 in the next two years for additional improvements to the Melcher Street baseball field.
COLDWATER - Council members on Monday approved two contracts leasing village-owned properties to farmers.
Fred Kahlig will continue to lease about
NEW BREMEN - Health insurance for village employees will cost an additional 16 percent next year.
New Bremen council members Monday night approved renewing the health insurance policy for the village's 24 employees at a monthly premium cost of $19,797.
CELINA - A St. Henry man on Monday was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading no contest to attempted rape.
Sebastian Sarao Sanchez, 39,
The unemployment rate in Mercer County in October remained the same as last month's at 2.8 percent, according to figures released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Mercer County farmers received substantially less in subsidy payments for corn acres from a new USDA program compared with farmers in some neighboring counties.
Monday's Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The Grand Lake Christian boys basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 74-54 win over the Lima Eagles on Monday night in Lima.
CELINA - With a new head coach, it seems right that the team has a new look as well.
Jay Imwalle's first team as head coach of the Celina boys bask
CELINA - One bright spot from last season's 7-17 effort by the Celina girls basketball team is the fact that nearly the entire team would be back this season.
COLDWATER - For Mike Bruns, this time of year is as normal as turkey on the Thanksgiving table.
The Coldwater boys basketball coach is in a holdin
COLDWATER - After leading the team to a 13-11 record last season, Coldwater girls basketball coach Connie May will have to guide a relatively new team this season.
FORT RECOVERY - It's winning time at Fort Recovery - in every major male sport.
First, a state run by the baseball team last spring and then a state run by the football team in the fall. This winter, a lot of coaches are picking the Indians as one of the Midwest Athletic Conference favorites.
FORT RECOVERY - Brian Patch's switch from coaching boys basketball to the girls basketball at Fort Recovery resulted in a 17-win season in Year 1.
The Indians, who had their tournament run ended prematurely in the sectional final, are thinking even bigger in season two with Patch in control.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local basketball coach Kurt Goettemoeller was forced to play the waiting game again this season as football had an extended postseason run.
MARIA STEIN - Beth Streib has been around the Marion Local girls basketball program for the majority of her life.
And even though longtime Flyer coach Treva Fortkamp is off the sidelines, Streib expects the success to continue in her first year as head coach.
MINSTER - Minster head basketball coach Mike Lee has grown accustomed over the past few years of practicing without a full roster for the majority of the preseason, and the 2016 campaign is no different as the Wildcats are in the midst of another extended run in the state football playoffs.
MINSTER - With the graduation of seven seniors from last year's squad, veteran head coach Nann Stechschulte will look for a winning blend among three returning letterwinners and a large contingent of youth in order to make 2016 another successful season on the hardwood.
NEW BREMEN - Carson Manger and the five other seniors who graduated will be hard to replace at New Bremen.
But expectations remain high with a good number of returnees.
NEW BREMEN - The number of players is much higher than last year for the New Bremen girls basketball program.
The expectations are significantly higher.
NEW KNOXVILLE - Hustle ball.
It's a brand of basketball for which New Knoxville is synonymous.
They might not have as much talent, depth, size or skill as some of their opponents, but one thing is certain - the Rangers will work as hard as possible to ensure they have a chance at a victory.
The New Knoxville girls are low in numbers but high in hopes for the upcoming basketball season.
The Rangers, coming off a great season that ended in the district semifinal, are expecting to have another strong year in the always-competitive Midwest Athletic Conference.
ROCKFORD - After struggling last season, Parkway boys basketball coach Rick Hickman will look to a still-young Panthers squad to bounce back from a 4-19 season.
ROCKFORD - After a 7-16 record last season, keeping pace with the previous season's win mark, Parkway girls basketball coach Chris Weirrick is optimistic about his team improving this season.
ST. HENRY - The elephant in the room at St. Henry ... Ryan Mikesell is gone.
It's not time to hit the panic button for the Redskins - they've still got back a lot of talent.
ST. HENRY – St. Henry girls basketball coach Kurt Huelsman's preseason conditioning and scrimmages took a slight detour this season when several key components throughout his roster had to hold off lacing up their basketball shoes following the Redskins' extended volleyball season.
ST. MARYS - He isn't in Kansas anymore.
But Craig Szymczak knows exactly what he's stepping into as he embarks on his first season at St. Marys.
ST. MARYS - Since capturing a share of the Western Buckeye League girls' basketball title in 2011, the St. Marys Roughrider program has unfortunately taken a slippery spiral south.
