COLUMBUS (AP) - Ohio is removing a mask requirement immediately for people who are fully vaccinated, in keeping with new guidance from the federal government, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday.
DeWine said in a statement that unvaccinated people should continue to wear masks and socially distance, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. [More]
FORT RECOVERY - Minster swept the Midwest Athletic Conference track and field championships at Barrenbrugge Athletic Park in Fort Recovery on Friday.
The Minster girls came in tied for the lead and pulled away for the win, clearing runner-up Versailles by 27.5 points. The Minster boys beat second-place Marion Local by 37.5 points after entering in fourth place, with wins in the 110-meter hurdles, the 200 hurdles and the 4x400 relay on Friday to vault them into the lead. [More]
CELINA - In a dramatic turnaround, the Bryson Pool now has more than enough lifeguards to open for the summer, mayor Jeff Hazel told city council members.
CELINA - Celina City Council members want to take possession of and raze a blighted home and possibly install a gateway sign advertising the adjacent Eastview Park.
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP - Celina softball coach Jason Tribolet thought his team was picking up momentum when the Bulldogs tied Shawnee at 2-2 in the top of the third inning.
St. Marys scored three times in the top of the fifth to break a 3-all tie and then held on as Elida rallied in the bottom of the seventh to pick up a 6-5 win in the Division II softball sectional final on Friday at Dorothy Edwards Field in Elida.
CHICKASAW - A possible village income tax was among the many issues discussed by Chickasaw village council members during their meeting Wednesday night.
Mayor Ben Kramer initiated the income tax discussion, noting the village is considering a $510,000 interest-free loan as part of a $2.1 million street renovation and infrastructure project. He said the loan would require a $17,000 annual payment for 30 years and there has been no discussion of how the money would be secured. [More]
ROCKFORD - The first time New Bremen and Parkway met in softball, it was a 7-5 game in favor of Parkway.
The rematch was even closer.
The Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the second and then held off a seventh-inning Cardinal rally to get a 2-1 win in the Division IV sectional final at the Panther diamond on Thursday. [More]
CHICKASAW - Hotel guest tourism spending in the two-county Grand Lake area dropped by more than 40% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Donna Grube, director of the Greater Grand Lake Visitors Region during the center's annual awards reception Friday.
CELINA - Mercer County's rate of new COVID-19 cases per capita during the past two weeks improved significantly to 53 new cases per 100,000 people, according to a Thursday Mercer County Health District news release.
COLDWATER - For much of the game on Thursday, it looked like the Coldwater baseball team would only need one run to win the Midwest Athletic Conference title outright.
MINSTER - After a slow start, the Minster offense roared to life in the fifth inning to lift the Wildcats to a 6-3 victory over 12th-seeded Spencerville Thursday in the Division IV sectional finals at Four Seasons Park.
Fort Recovery led 2-0 in the top of the third before Lincolnview stormed back, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead on the way to a 9-2 win in the Division IV softball sectional final in Middle Point on Thursday.
COLUMBUS (AP) - Ohio's mask mandate and most other coronavirus-related state orders will end on June 2, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday, in a declaration allowing three weeks for more people to get vaccinated before then.
CELINA - City officials will press ahead with a proposal to install a series of signs pointing the way to parking lots and businesses as part of an effort to promote interest in a downtown undergoing revitalization.
Warm sunny conditions made for solid showings at the first day of the Western Buckeye League Track and Field Meet at Shawnee High School on Wednesday.
Ottawa-Glandorf jumped out to 26 points to hold the first-day lead in the girls division with Celina second with 16 points. St. Marys ranks seventh in the girls with six points through three events. [More]
ST. MARYS - Superintendent Bill Ruane stated his opposition Wednesday to a bill recently introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives that would provide vouchers for students to attend non-public schools.
COLDWATER - A walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held from 2-5 p.m. Friday at Community Hospital in Coldwater, according to a news release from Mercer Health.
The Daily Standard newspaper and five of its staff members received 10 awards in nine categories in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editor's 2020 newspaper contest held virtually Tuesday.
Karsyn McGlothen scattered three hits in leading St. Marys past Van Wert 9-1 in a rescheduled Western Buckeye League softball matchup at K.C. Geiger Park.
CELINA - A Muncie, Indiana, man arrested on Thanksgiving for grand theft and breaking and entering in connection with the theft of a utility vehicle from a local business was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison.
CELINA - Nearly 100 seniors enrolled in Tri Star Career Compact programs on Monday experienced the type of star treatment usually reserved for top athletes who commit to play at universities and colleges.
The students sat down for a ceremonial signing and photo session with the businesses that will employ them once they graduate in the coming days. Representatives from about 60 area businesses showed up to welcome the fresh recruits. [More]
COLDWATER - Reece Dellinger wasn't able to finish off the no-hitter Tuesday afternoon, but he was able to secure Coldwater a share of the Midwest Athletic Conference title.
Ben Blickle beat out an infield single to lead off the seventh for New Bremen's lone hit, but he was the only baserunner of the day for the Cardinals, who weren't able to come back from a deficit incurred back on April 20 as Coldwater won 2-0 in a suspended MAC baseball game at Veterans Field. [More]
WAPAKONETA - On Tuesday, one new death and 23 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported since Thursday in Auglaize County raised the county's cumulative death count to 65 and case count to 3,630.
WAPAKONETA - More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials are beginning to understand the disease and its effects on the physical and mental health of patients, health care workers and the general population.
CELINA - Mercer County commissioners on Tuesday awarded PAB Construction of Coldwater a $39,462 contract to extend a sidewalk on the north side of West Market Street over a grassy area to the fairground entrance.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local school board members at their meeting Monday night accepted numerous donations totaling more than $7,700 from area businesses and organizations.
ST. HENRY - Although state funding is uncertain, St. Henry Local Schools district treasurer Jennifer Bruns said the district is in good standing for the next few years.
CELINA - A Celina man has been charged with five counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor, a fourth-degree felony, after sexually explicit photos of juveniles reportedly were linked to his media accounts.
COLDWATER - Deficit spending is expected to continue for the third straight year in fiscal year 2021, according to the five-year forecast presented by school district treasurer Jenn McCoy during Tuesday's school board meeting.
Fort Recovery put up nine runs in the third inning on Tuesday to build a commanding lead over Ridgemont, and Jackie Homan held the Golden Gophers to two runs in an 11-2 victory in Fort Recovery to open the Division IV softball tournament at Fort Recovery.
