Wednesday, May 31st, 2017
Obituaries on May 31st, 2017
Mickey "Mick" Ginter, 72, Saint Marys, died Monday, May 29, 2017, at his residence. [More]
Roberta Long, 65, of St. Marys, Ohio, formerly of Rockford, Ohio, died Monday, May 29, 2017, at Lima Memorial Hospital in Lima, where she had been a patient. [More]
Mary Frances Suchland, 96, of St. Marys died Sunday at Lima Memorial Health Sys [More]
Stories on May 31st, 2017
MINSTER - Village residents will see several street and park improvements this year.
Village council members at Tuesday's meeting acted on several projects.
CELINA - A St. Marys couple representing Rotary District 6600 earlier this year braved Mongolia's freezing temperatures and rugged terrain ahead of a proposed major humanitarian project. [More]
MENDON - After the village's Memorial Day observance, council members voted on a few items to make the next patriotic holiday run more smoothly.
M
Building to be used for maintenance
FORT RECOVERY - Cooper Farms has purchased the former Les Wenning Motors location, 530 E. Boundary St., to use as a maintenance and repair shop for Cooper Farms vehicles.
Division IV State Baseball Preview
If there is a specific point when Minster baseball coach Mike Wiss believed his team had started to pick up steam, it was April 22.
"We've thought
Division IV State Baseball Preview
Bryce Schmiesing's athletic career at Minster will come to an end this week.
And a fitting end it will be.
The recently graduated Schmiesing wi
An event featuring more than 100 vintage cars and a visit by the second man to set foot on the moon are some of the special events planned this summer in the Grand Lake region, a local tourism official said.
COLDWATER - Knights of Columbus members will host the group's 50th annual picnic June 2-4 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The June 2 kickoff party will return again in 2017. Food and beer stands will open.
ST. ANTHONY - Sweet berries and homemade biscuits will again highlight the menu at the Mercer County Pomona Grange Strawberry Festival on June 1.
The annual event is held at the Unity Grange Hall on St. Anthony Road, east of the unincorporated village of St. Anthony.
GRAND LAKE - What a way to kick-off your summer. The Lake Improvement Association will host its 2017 Summer Kickoff on June 3 at the Villa Nova Shelter on the northeast side of Grand Lake St. Marys.
COLDWATER - The Taste of the Town returns to Coldwater for its fifth annual event on June 6.
The Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce will host the event from 5-10 p.m. on Elm Street near the depot in the park.
Popular tournament just one of the many attractions at Burkettsville Picnic
BURKETTSVILLE - This year's Burkettsville Picnic will take place June 8-11 at the village park.
"Our money from the picnic goes to upkeep of our park and to local organizations that help out during the picnic," organizer Kristy Fiely said.
CHICKASAW - Organizers expect this year's Chickasaw Picnic to be bigger and better than ever.
Event organizer Ben Moeller said he's excited that l
FORT RECOVERY - The annual Fort Recovery Harvest Jubilee is scheduled for June 14-18 at Fort Site Park and Ambassador Park.
Starting a day earlier
MONTEZUMA - Event organizers are excited about the 2017 Zuma Days.
New this year is a sand volleyball tournament for all ages, event organizer Stacey Braun said. A cash prize will be awarded.
The 64th season of racing at Eldora Speedway features the top stars in sprint cars, late models and stock cars as well as the only top-tier NASCAR series event that is run on a dirt track.
ROCKFORD - Officials have scheduled an exciting new event for the 2017 Community Days festival.
Go-karts from Racing for Relief will compete in Ro
The Grand Lake Mariners look to build on a successful 2016 season as they begin their 28th year in June.
Under the guidance of field manager Chris O'Neill, the Mariners went 23-19, good for second place in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League North Division and a berth in the GLSCL playoffs.
ST. MARYS - Holy Rosary Catholic Church will hold its annual festival June 16-18 in downtown St. Marys featuring plenty of music as well as amusement rides.
MARIA STEIN - This year's Maria Stein Country Fest will feature animatronic dinosaurs and some serious clowning around thanks to Jurassic Kingdom and Nojoes Circus.
ST. HENRY - The 2017 St. Henry Community Picnic is set for June 30-July 2 complete with live entertainment each night and activities for the young and old.
CELINA - The 13th annual Freedom Days celebration will be held June 30-July 2 at Lakeshore Park.
The three-day event will feature a grand fireworks show, mechanical rides, a motorcycle poker run, a 5K run/walk, a veterans salute and lots of live music, among many other activities and events.
CELINA - With food offerings in the past ranging from gourmet walnut-cranberry chicken salad wraps, bacon-topped mac and cheese and firecracker shrimp tacos, it's safe to say revelers will have plenty of delectable fare to salivate over at the seventh annual Taste of Celina.
CELINA - The Immaculate Conception Parish Festival will take place July 21-23 on the church grounds, according to this year's committee chairman Jeffery Schott.
NEW BREMEN - One word describes the Fireman's Picnic in downtown New Bremen: Tradition.
For the 96th consecutive year on the fourth Saturday of Ju
FORT RECOVERY - The 2017 Fort Recovery National Tractor Pullers Association Grand Nationals is scheduled for July 28-29 at Fort Recovery's Ambassador Park.
Anderson family who fought for custody of adopted daughter chosen parade grand marshals
CELINA - Organizers of the 2017 Celina Lake Festival, which runs July 28-30, have asked a special family to carry out this year's theme: A Festival of Friends and Family.
BERNE, Ind. - 2017 Swiss Days in Berne, Indiana, will be July 27-29.
Residents will share their heritage with food, craft vendors and authentic Swiss costumes. Events will include a horse-pulling contest, kids' tractor pull and Big Wheel race.
Olympic runner to participate in this year's events
The Grand Lake Marathon will return for the fourth year on Sept. 23.
All the staple races that have made the event a success remain, including the full marathon, the half marathon, the full- and half-marathon relays, the 5K and the kids' marathon. A seniors' marathon has been added this year.
The 14th annual Mercer Health 5K Challenge draws runners to compete at eight races in the area over the summer.
Participants who run in at last six
WAPAKONETA - One of the new star attractions at this year's Auglaize County Fair is a weeklong warrior challenge competition.
The course includes
COLDWATER - The 57th annual Coldwater Community Picnic will be held Aug. 3-6. The theme is "Small Town-Big Heart."
Back by popular demand will be the Thursday night movie and music in the park. The family-friendly movie "Sing" will begin at dusk.
CELINA - Yard sales are always big events in this part of the country, but, the 127 Yard Sale is too big to be seen in its entirety.
Think of this:
CHATTANOOGA - The Chatt Farmer's Picnic will be held July 27 along Tama Road, about 2.5 miles east of Chattanooga.
The picnic has been a tradition in this community for more than a century. This year's celebration will see some familiar events, according to organizer Barb Hileman.
ST. MARYS - Memorial Park will be full of music, food and fun Aug. 11-13 for St. Marys Summerfest.
Preliminary activities begin Aug. 6 with the 27t
CELINA - In celebration of the Mercer County Fair's 165th anniversary, Country Music Awards' band of the year Brothers Osborne will headline the fair's concert with Granger Smith and his alter-ego Earl Dibbles Jr. opening.
COLDWATER - The 38th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Benefit Softball Tournament will be held this year at Coldwater Memorial Park from Aug. 16-20.
NEW BREMEN - The 43rd annual edition of Bremenfest promises plenty of good food and free entertainment.
The Little Miss and Miss Bremenfest pageant
ST. MARYS - The seventh annual Waynestock-Living for the Rock on Aug. 19 will host top-notch national and regional talent, serving as a beacon of hope for the devoted, the lost and anyone else who wants to come to a free Christian music festival.
DURBIN - Giant pots of beans will simmer for the 119th year as a time-honored Labor Day tradition returns Sept. 4.
Families and friends will return
ST. JOE - This year's St. Joe Homecoming Festival is Sept. 8-10 on the grounds of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joe, 1.5 miles east of Fort R
MARIA STEIN - The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics celebrates the anniversary of its founding by the Sisters of the Precious Blood almost 175 year ago by holding the Heritage Day Festival from 1-5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Shrine courtyard at 2291 St. Johns Road.
NEW BREMEN - The first official day of autumn brings with it the New Bremen Pumpkinfest Sept. 22-23 at the Crown Pavilion.  
The annual festival
MINSTER - This year marks the 43rd Minster Oktoberfest, slated for Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
The traditional dates seem a little early for an Oktoberfest, but they are set as the first weekend that contains a day in October.
CELINA -For more than a decade, the Celina Summer Concert Series has prided itself on bringing a variety of musical styles and cultures to the area, co-organizer Chris Mohler says.
FORT RECOVERY - The Fort Recovery Friends of the Arts is once again bringing a series of free, Saturday night concerts to the area, and all are invited to attend.
NEW BREMEN - The summer concert series in New Bremen will remain at the same popular Crown Pavilion venue this summer, but some concerts will shift to Friday night instead of the traditional Sunday evening.
MINSTER - The classic sounds of rock music legends and a storied crooner will be heard this summer during the Minster segments of the Golden Triangle Summer Concert Series.
ST. HENRY - With a schedule that begins with a night of activities for children and ends with oldies rock 'n' roll, the St. Henry Freedom Amphitheater Summer Concert Series will offer a wide variety of Friday night entertainment.
Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta
Located along Interstate 75 (exit 111), the museum is named in honor of astronaut and Wapakoneta native Ne
Grand Lake-area visitors have many choices when picking a place to stay.
Hotels, motels, inns and other lodging accommodations are available to fit the needs of visitors enjoying the variety of summer activities Mercer and Auglaize counties offer.
Arrowhead Park Golf Course
Lotation: Minster
Directions: Take Ohio 66 south out of St. Marys to Minster. Once in Minster, take a right onto First Street and follow it to Canal Road. Turn left on Canal. The course is located on the corner of Canal and Dirksen roads.
Local pictures on May 31st, 2017