Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 18 at 6:13PM EDT until June 18 at 7:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

SVRILN
The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Shelby County in west central Ohio... Darke County in west central Ohio... Auglaize County in west central Ohio... Eastern Mercer County in west central Ohio... Miami County in west central Ohio...
* Until 700 PM EDT.
* At 613 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Rockford to New Madison, moving east at 55 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.
SOURCE...Public.
IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.
* Locations impacted include... Troy, Sidney, Piqua, Greenville, Celina, Wapakoneta, St. Marys, West Milton, Coldwater, Fort Shawnee, New Bremen, Minster, Versailles, Covington, St. Henry, Arcanum, Newport, Cridersville, Bradford, and Anna.
This includes I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 71 and 118.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 18 at 5:46PM EDT until June 18 at 6:30PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

SVRILN
The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Darke County in west central Ohio... Mercer County in west central Ohio...
* Until 630 PM EDT.
* At 545 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 6 miles southeast of Bluffton to 10 miles north of Hagerstown, moving northeast at 60 mph.
HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Emergency management.
IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.
* Locations impacted include... Greenville, Celina, Coldwater, Versailles, St. Henry, Bradford, Union City, Fort Recovery, Ansonia, Rockford, Webster, Wabash, Wayne Lakes, Mendon, Gettysburg, Osgood, Chickasaw, Burkettsville, North Star, and Rossburg.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 18 at 4:51PM EDT until June 18 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 437 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO RIPLEY SWITZERLAND
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIES
IN NORTHEAST KENTUCKY
LEWIS
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE BRACKEN CAMPBELL CARROLL GALLATIN GRANT KENTON MASON OWEN PENDLETON ROBERTSON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 32 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN HOCKING LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
ADAMS HIGHLAND PIKE ROSS SCIOTO
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AUGUSTA, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKSVILLE, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, BUTLER, CAMDEN, CAMP DIX, CARROLLTON, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, CRITTENDEN, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, DRY RIDGE, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FALMOUTH, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HEAD OF GRASSY, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MAYSVILLE, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT OLIVET, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OWENTON, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TOLLESBORO, TROY, URBANA, VANCEBURG, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WARSAW, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILLIAMSTOWN, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

Proposal would have pupils packing their bags

By Betty Lawrence

ROCKFORD - Parkway school board members on Tuesday listened as instructor Anita Morton described a new course she would like to see get underway that would allow students to travel abroad.

The course, Parkway Exploration, would allow as many as 15 students the opportunity to travel to Japan, England, France and other foreign locations for educational experiences, she said.

"Our kids need to get out of northwest Ohio and I would like the students who take this to get high school credit," she told the board.

If instilled, the first trip would be in 2010, allowing two years for a minimum of three major fundraisers to be held.

"It would be totally funded by the fundraisers and families. I'd like to see a meeting in April or May for the 10th-, ninth- and eighth-graders who are interested," Morton said.

The trips would be set up through an experienced travel company, with Morton and students spearheading an agenda. Each participating school district is insured for at least $15 million, Morton said.

Board Vice President Bob Ransbottom said the program sounds "like a neat idea, but the insurance part scares me."

School officials plan to confer with their lawyers before committing to the course.

Morton, a high school science teacher, is president of the Parkway Education Association and spent the 2005-2006 school year teaching in England as part of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange program.

High school Principal Greg Puthoff told board members he was pleased with the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) results.

"We had 67 percent of the seniors and 79 percent juniors who passed. This is great considering these students previously failed the tests," Puthoff said, attributing the success to the implementation of the school's intervention program. "Our goal is 100 percent."

In another piece of good news, Puthoff reported the high school will receive the Ohio Department of Education's State Superintendent's School of Distinction Award. The award is given to schools in which a high percentage of students with disabilities is achieving academic success.

The award will be presented at a Special Education Leadership Conference in Columbus on Jan. 16.

Superintendent Doug Karst said he plans to meet with Puthoff to discuss the upcoming tax levy that will be on the March ballot.

The school district is seeking voter approval of a 4.5-mill levy that would provide funding for construction and improvement to the outdoor sports facilities and potential purchase of land for future sports facilities.

In other action, the board:

• Approved 4-1 the reemployment of Karst as superintendent for an interim term starting Feb. 4 and ending July 31.

Karst retired on Jan. 1, but agreed to remain on board until a replacement is hired. Application deadline for the position is Jan. 31 with interviews to start Feb. 11.

• Went into executive session to discuss the employment of personnel with no action taken.

Archive of January 9th, 2008

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Additional online stories on this date

Cost of street reconstruction to rise due to problems found during sewer inspection

NEW BREMEN - The cost of the North Franklin Street reconstruction project is going up as a result of action taken by New Bremen village councilors Tuesday night. [More]

Bulldogs pull away late for win

ROCKFORD - It wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win nonetheless for the Celina girls basketball team.

Celina improved to 9-2 on the season after defeating Parkway 46-26 in a Mercer County showdown at Panther Gymnasium. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Extreme weather

Thunderstorms and cold front end spring-like days in Grand Lake area

Mother Nature gifted the Grand Lake area with a few balmy days earlier this week before unleashing a torrential thunderstorm overnight and a forecast of snow flurries by Friday.

Celina board clarifies support of proposed ethanol facility

Celina City Schools board of education ended its first meeting of 2008 with a clarification of the district's two-year-old letter of support for the ethanol plant. The letter was read recently at an East Jefferson Township board of zoning appeals meeting.

Law firm may handle legal issues of jail construction

Mercer County commissioners may enter into negotiations with a Columbus law firm to secure experienced legal representation for the construction of the new Mercer County Jail.

Zoning board approves building plans for two-unit condominium

MINSTER - The Minster Zoning Board of Appeals approved a conditional use permit Tuesday night clearing the way for construction of a two-unit condominium along Main Street.

Agreement continued with independent contractor

Mercer County commissioners once again approved an annual agreement with independent contractor Bonnie Wurst, Wapakoneta, to act as the county's educational specialist of recycling and litter prevention.

Board approves 2009 budget

ROCKFORD - The Parkway board of education approved the fiscal year 2009 budget at Tuesday's board meeting.

Board members scanned the 2009 budget (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) that showed total projected revenue at $9,441,674. The revenue is $162,962 more than projected revenue in fiscal year 2008.

Mexican eatery opening in Celina

Agave Mexican Bar and Grill will serve fast, southwestern food and spirits in a uniquely styled facility

Agave Mexican Bar and Grill, a new restaurant serving fast, southwestern food, opens Friday east of Celina. Inside and out, the eatery looks like no other restaurant in this area.

Flyers improve to 3-0 in MAC play

VERSAILLES - A hot shooting touch in the first quarter allowed Marion Local all the cushion it needed to beat Versailles 52-32 in a rescheduled MAC game from earlier in the season due to the Flyers' football success.

Cavaliers pick up second win

Compiled by Ryan Hines and
Gary Rasberry

The Coldwater girls basketball team got back on the winning side of the ledger after picking up a 57-47 win at The Palace on Tuesday night in nonconference action.