Thursday, November 5th, 2020
Record 70 cases seen in Mercer
By Leslie Gartrell
  CELINA - County health officials may create a resident-led group to fight community spread of COVID-19 in Mercer County as deaths, cases and hospitalizations continue to increase.
The announcement arrived as the county experienced its third death this week - the 30th overall - as well as a record-shattering 70 new cases, raising the county's total to 1,726, according to a county health district news release Wednesday. [More]
Obituaries on November 5th, 2020
Harold B. Kleinhenz, age 99, of St. Henry, died on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at Briarwood Village in Coldwater. [More]
Robert L. Smelser, age 86, of Celina, passed away on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at the Lima Memorial Hospital. [More]
Elizabeth "Betty" Ruth Miller, 87, from Rockford, Ohio passed away Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at Colonial Nursing Home in Rockford, Ohio. [More]
Linda Charlotte Neal passed peacefully October 27 at 11:30 pm at The Gardens of Celina. [More]
Betty L. McGillvary, age 87, passed away Monday, November 2, 2020, at her home in Celina. [More]
Local pictures on November 5th, 2020
Subscriber stories on November 5th, 2020
ROCKFORD - Residents who work outside the village may soon pay the village's full 1% income tax.
Council members on Tuesday gave second reading of
CELINA - City officials are building what could be Celina's leanest budget in years due to financial uncertainty posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
ST. MARYS - School officials expect deficit spending to begin in fiscal year 2023, and the district could be in the red by the end of fiscal year 2025 without a levy renewal or replacement, according to the most recent five-year financial forecast presented on Wednesday.
2020 State Cross Country Championships Preview
The past four seasons, the Minster girls cross country team has reigned as Division III state champions. During the run, its margins of victory have ranged from dominating (a 96-point advantage in 2017) to close (edging West Liberty-Salem by 10 points last season).
  After scoring 87 points across the first two playoff games, New Bremen walked off the field without a point on the board as Marion Local brought its season to an unceremonious end.
  After taking a rare early loss in the first week of the 2019 playoffs, Coldwater is back in familiar territory: the Division VI Region 24 final at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Cavalier Stadium.
Computer Points In Review
  And then there were four.
Ottawa-Glandorf and Versailles have now bowed out of the playoffs. That leaves four teams remaining from local conferences, Van Wert, Coldwater, Marion Local and New Bremen. Those teams will compete for regional championships this weekend.
Division I State Semifinals
Both games at 7 p.m., Friday
Mentor (home) vs. Pickerington Central (visitor) at New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker S