Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

New Bremen

Lefeld hired as assistant administrator for village

By Jeff Elking
NEW BREMEN - Council members on Monday evening approved hiring an assistant village administrator.
The newly created position will be filled by Matt Lefeld of St. Henry. The new hire comes with experience as a project manager for Shinn Brothers of Celina which recently completed the Front Street and Eastmoor Drive project.
Lefeld is a civil engineering graduate of Sinclair Community College and also had previous work experience with Access Engineering of Celina.
The married father of three children will start on April 1. His pay rate has been set at $35.33 per hour.
Council members passed after third reading an ordinance to replace the 2-mill levy for ambulance and emergency medical service, which raises $149,271 annually, and certify it with the county auditor. The five-year replacement levy is expected to be on the November ballot. Current estimates show that the levy would generate about $165,000 each year and would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $200 per year. The county auditor will determine exactly how much the 2-mill levy would raise.
Members also passed an ordinance that regulates the use of golf carts and under-speed vehicles on village streets. Ohio law requires villages that allow golf carts to have regulations governing their use. The ordinance among other items will require the vehicles to have front and rear license plates, two headlights and at least one working brakelight.
In other news, members,
• were informed by administrator Chris Dicke that portable concrete barriers will soon be placed at the yard waste facility. The barriers will create separate lanes for grass clippings, brush and clean trees.
• learned local Girl Scout Taylor Paul plans to construct a garden east of St. Paul's United Church of Christ as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
• requested that village dog owners be respectful of others' property and clean up after their pets. An ordinance is in place concerning this but has not yet been enforced.
• were invited to attend the groundbreaking for the new school building at 1 p.m. March 28.
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Council also takes action to reduce insurance premiums
CELINA - An ordinance to raise utility security deposits by 50 percent across the board, sailed on to a third reading on Monday night with no comments from either the public or city council members. [More]
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St. Henry schools
ST. HENRY - School board members on Monday approved ballot language for the proposed emergency levy renewal for the May 7 election.
District treas
St. Marys
ST. MARYS - The city's elected officials will receive pay raises effective Jan. 1, except for the treasurer, whose raise will be effective in 2022.
CELINA - A longtime Celina Intermediate School teacher passed away on Saturday in his home after battling cancer.
Tony Sherrill, 62, was born Feb.
Rate hike gets second reading
COLDWATER - Village council members on Monday passed after third reading an ordinance raising the threshold price for mandatory competitive bidding.
ST. HENRY - Village residents could be asked on the November ballot to consider joining an aggregation.
Council members on Monday gave first readin
CELINA - A Celina man pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday in Celina Municipal Court to a third-degree misdemeanor charge of sexual imposition-offensive contact.
Division III Boys Basketball Regional Semifinal Preview
When Coldwater opened the season 0-4, the Cavaliers didn't panic much.
Most of the team was making the transition from football to basketball after the Cavaliers made a run to the Division VI regional football final. Coach Nick Fisher knew that time would be needed to get into basketball shape.
Bowling Honors
The West Ohio High School Bowling Conference and bowling teams of the Midwest Athletic Conference held their honors banquet on Sunday at Romers in St. Henry.