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.

Friday, July 26th, 2013

Communities will see library levy on ballot

By Shelley Grieshop

CELINA - Voters in the Celina, St. Henry and Marion Local school districts, Union Township and the village of Mendon will be asked in November to approve a 0.5-mill renewal levy to support the county's library system.

Mercer County Commissioners on Thursday approved action to place the five-year, renewal levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. If passed, it would collect $276,622 annually and cost an owner of a $100,000 home approximately $17.50 per year in taxes.

Mercer County District Public Library Director Austin R. Schneider said the levy is a renewal of the one passed by voters in November 2009, which replaced the 25 percent funding cut by the state.

"The levy pays for 25 percent of every library function, staff and utilities," he said.

The levy voters approved in 2009 was the first one ever requested since the library became a legal entity in 1907. It passed with 67.8 percent of the vote.

Prior to the passing of the levy in 2009, the libraries in Celina, Maria Stein, St. Henry and Mendon were forced to decrease hours, reduce staff time and make other cuts due to the loss of state funds. After the levy was approved, many of the suspended services and hours were restored.

A new law passed in Ohio Gov. John Kasich's two-year budget bill that removes the state's 12.5 percent rollback will not affect the library's proposed renewal levy. The law only takes away the state's subsidy for new and replacement levies beginning in 2014.

Archive of July 26th, 2013

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Additional online story on this date

Vendors, store owners skeptical of new festival site

CELINA - The sights and smells of vendors that previously filled the downtown area during the annual Celina Lake Festival were replaced with normal traffic along Main Street this morning. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

County director of nursing hired

Interim director Julia Shaffer promoted to permanent post

CELINA - Mercer County's interim director of nursing was appointed to the position permanently at a special meeting Thursday morning.

The Mercer Co

St. Henry Council passes ordinance to regulate big rigs

Drivers of overweight trucks would need permit to travel on village streets

ST. HENRY - Village councilors on Thursday night approved an emergency ordinance prohibiting overweight trucks from driving on streets unless issued a permit.

Area nun wraps up 55-year career

Hoying looks back fondly on decades of religious service

MARIA STEIN - Whether teaching children or serving the faithful, Sister Barbara Ann Hoying has loved every step of her 55-year career.

Hoying, a Me

Immaculate Conception teacher marks 50 years, bids adieu

CELINA - Longtime Immaculate Conception school kindergarten teacher Sister Nancy Wolf, C.PP.S., is celebrating her 50th Jubilee as a Sister of the Precious Blood and is also saying goodbye to her adopted family in Celina.

Former players recall Celina's ACME state championship in 1988

It had been an entire postseason of pulling rabbits from hats for the 1988 Celina ACME baseball team and as they faced elimination against Van Wert for the second time in the ACME state tournament, they figured they might as well work some hocus pocus one more time.

Stewart hopeful NASCAR's trucks will return to Eldora

Since purchasing Eldora Speedway in 2004, Tony Stewart has made continuous improvements to the facility and it is generally regarded as the top dirt track in the country.