Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued March 22 at 5:43PM EDT until March 23 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 73 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT 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 3 COUNTIES
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE CAMPBELL KENTON
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, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, CAMDEN, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TROY, URBANA, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

Woman found guilty of stealing from company

By Margie Wuebker

A Rockford woman, who embezzled money from her former employer, pleaded no contest to a single charge of theft Thursday afternoon in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

Jennifer K. Brandt, 41, 311 S. Main St., entered the plea as part of a negotiated agreement that included amending the initial charge of aggravated theft, a third-degree felony, to a first-degree misdemeanor theft.

Additionally, Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Matt Fox dismissed all 83 counts of forgery and theft contained in a related case.

Sentencing is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday. As part of the agreement, Brandt will pay $37,500 that day and a similar amount during the coming year.

The plea vacates a five-day jury trial that was to commence Monday.

The amended theft charge stems from incidents occurring between 2008 and 2011, when she took money from New Source Management LLC of Celina while serving as office manager.

The charges contained in the second indictment alleged she forged the signature of owner Greg Gargis on the company's checking account and thereby exerted control over property or services without his consent during the same time period.
The two cases had been consolidated for trial purposes.
Gargis re-
portedly contacted Celina Police in March 2011 regarding alleged improprieties at the business. New Source Management, established in 2002, is the parent company of Dumpsterman Container Service, also of Celina.

Police chief Dave Slusser told The Daily Standard the case revolved around misuse of business credit cards as well as the company's checking account.

A search warrant issued after the first indictment ordered officers to seize items at the Brandt home that were allegedly purchased through fraudulent credit card transactions.

Celina officers, with the assistance of Celina Public Works employees and Rockford Police, recovered Whirlpool kitchen appliances valued at approximately $6,300.

During the investigation, police reportedly located forged checks and other records that led to a second indictment.

Archive of September 22nd, 2012

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Record-setting win for Celina

CELINA - While lightning postponed all of the other local football games in the Grand Lake Area, Celina withstood a two-hour delay and then put on a record-setting performance in a dominating victory over St. Marys on Friday night. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Couple charged with cruelty

A Fort Recovery-area couple, who reportedly kept nearly 150 dogs at their rural home, face misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals.

Robert L. Bri

Community service event continues to expand

Businesses participate for the first time

By ERIC ADAMS
eadams@dailystandard.com
and AMY KRONENBERGER
akronenberger@dailystandard.com

Nearly 100 adults walked away from their jobs Friday and picked up hammers, screwdrivers, rakes and other tools to help with various community projects.

Sources' board failing agency

Daily Standard's View

Upheaval at a Celina-based non-profit, anti-poverty organization has shed light on improper conduct by its board of directors.

On Sept. 4, three bo

Lightning postpones local football games

For the second time in the last three weeks, lightning prompted postponements for local football games in Mercer and Auglaize County on Friday night, most of them early in the first half.

O-G, St. John's win convincingly

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

Tristan Parker rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns and Ottawa-Glandorf scored 44 unanswered points to pull away and beat Kenton 52-16 in a battle of Western Buckeye League co-leaders on Friday night at Titan Stadium in Ottawa.