Friday, March 22nd, 2024
Club helps adults with disabilities find potential
By Georgia Rindler
COLDWATER - A social club dedicated to enriching the lives of adults with disabilities and their towns has flourished since launching 20 years ago, growing into something more like a tight-knit family, according to its members.
The Mercer County Aktion Club was chartered in 2004 as a service organization sponsored by Coldwater and Celina Kiwanis Clubs. It's part of a national Kiwanis-affiliated organization. [More]
Obituaries on March 22nd, 2024
Reed Allen Niekamp, age 71, of Celina, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 with his family by his side. [More]
Marie J. Meyer, 79, of Saint Marys, died Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at her residence. [More]
Theresa I. McElwee, 64, New Bremen, died March 19, 2024, at Ohio Living - Sarah Moore Community in Delaware, Ohio. [More]
Local pictures on March 22nd, 2024
Subscriber stories on March 22nd, 2024
CELINA - Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey and Chief Deputy Doug Timmerman spoke at Thursday's spring township association meeting about their visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in September.
CELINA - With the passing of Joyce Alig earlier this year, Mercer County lost not only a passionate educator and historian but a prolific chronicler of local life.
CELINA- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) damage assessment teams will inspect and assess storm damage in Mercer and Auglaize counties on Tuesday, according to a news release from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office.
CELINA - Mercer County Clerk of Courts Calvin Freeman has been elected the president of the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association (OCCA).
Freeman was sworn in recently as OCCA president by Mercer County Common Please Court Judge Matthew Fox, according to an OCCA news release.
Wendel, Steinke look to make final season memorable
COLDWATER - It was in elementary school when Claire Steinke started catching Madison Wendel.
"Since Mini-MAC (a softball league for elementary players in the Midwest Athletic Conference)," said Steinke.
After 38 seasons and more than 600 wins, St. Marys boys basketball coach Dan Hegemier announced his retirement on Thursday.
Hegemier first retired
CELINA - John Dorner looks to have a positive turnaround in his third season as baseball coach at Celina.
After winning 18 games in his first seas
CELINA - The 2023 season was a bit of an up-and-down one for the Celina softball team.
The Bulldogs did go 6-3 in the Western Buckeye League to rank in the upper half of league standings, but finished 11-13 after getting no-hit at Bryan 10-0 in the sectional final.
COLDWATER - Cory Klenke's debut season as head coach of his alma mater's baseball team was successful with 24 wins and a trip to the district final.
COLDWATER - The good news for Coldwater softball is that seven letterwinners return from last season's 21-7 overall record and 4-3 mark in the Midwest Athletic Conference.
FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery returns five letterwinners, including four pitchers, with a chance to build on a strong ACME season and improve on last year's 13-13 mark.
FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery returns two of its three pitchers, two starting infielders and two starting outfielders.
The Indians will have to rep
MARIA STEIN - Although it finished with an 11-17 record (3-6 MAC), the Marion Local baseball team was extremely competitive in 2023.
"I felt we di
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local softball coach Mindy Feasel has experience back as the Flyers look to improve on a 7-17 campaign a year ago with just one win in the Midwest Athletic Conference.
MINSTER - The Midwest Athletic Conference features some of the state's most-respected baseball programs.
Minster embraces being one of them.
"It'
MINSTER - Minster coach Robb Hemmelgarn sees balance across the Midwest Athletic Conference softball landscape.
The Wildcats might have the pieces to tip the balance in their favor.
NEW BREMEN - With eight returning letterwinners and an abundance of pitching, New Bremen baseball coach Chad Wells is looking for incremental improvements as the season goes along.
NEW BREMEN - New Bremen softball coach Gary Moeder returns a solid roster loaded with experience to boost expectations for the 2024 season.
The Cardinals were 4-3 in the Midwest Athletic Conference last spring and 10-13 overall.
NEW KNOXVILLE - The past is in the past as far as New Knoxville's baseball program is concerned.
First-year skipper Ryan Koenig envisions a better future.
ROCKFORD - Coming off a 12-win improvement from his first to his second year, Parkway coach Neil Schaffner has a deep senior class, including two players who have signed to play Division II baseball next year.
ROCKFORD - Fresh off its first trip to the final four in a decade, the Parkway softball team brings back its top four pitchers and nearly all its starters in the field.
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry baseball team lost several key seniors from last year's state tournament run, but brings back six starters and almost all of its pitching to defend the Midwest Athletic Conference title.
ST. HENRY - St. Henry brings back nine letterwinners this year, but will have to replace its top pitcher from a team that came four outs from the Division IV district final.
ST. MARYS - St. Marys baseball skipper Adam Graves is hoping his Roughriders continue to build on the successes of the 2023 campaign.
The Riders fi
A solid nucleus of eight returning letterwinners highlights the St. Marys softball roster.
The Roughriders were runners-up in the Western Buckeye League last season, posting a 7-2 record while finishing 12-8 overall.
CELINA - In spite of graduating some key athletes from last season, the Celina track and field program is hoping to stay competitive through the season.
COLDWATER - After being in the upper part of the standings in the Midwest Athletic Conference last season, the Coldwater track and field program loo
FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery brings back two individuals and two girls relays that reached the state tournament.
Mara Pearson, who has committed t
MARIA STEIN - After a milestone season and the first state championship in team history, Marion Local looks to build on 2023 with experienced athletes.
MINSTER - The Minster track and field team checks all the boxes. It should be another successful year for Larry Topp's boys and Jessie Magoto's girls.
"With 45 athletes on the (boys) roster, we hope to rebuild and find ourselves in the fight by the end of the season," Topp wrote.
NEW BREMEN - Both the New Bremen boys and girls track teams will be looking to move up from their sixth-place finishes at the Midwest Athletic Conference meet last season, and both teams have successful relay teams to build from.
NEW KNOXVILLE - The overall number on New Knoxville's track and field roster (21) won't blow anyone away. 
But the runnin' Rangers might.
Scott
ROCKFORD - Parkway brings back one state qualifier and one regional qualifier on its track and field teams.
Trevor Stearns is back after placing fifth in the state in the 400-meter dash and resetting the Panthers record. Taylor Muhlenkamp went to regionals in the 3,200.
ST. HENRY - The St. Henry boys have seven returners, two of whom were on relay teams that went to the state tournament.
Ryan Wehrley and Hayden Har
ST. MARYS - St. Marys track coach Nickolas Page returns for his second season looking to build the accomplishments of 2023.
The Roughrider girls captured third place at the Western Buckeye League meet last spring and advanced all four relay teams to the regional meet.
CELINA - Ethan Westgerdes takes over as head coach for the Celina boys tennis team this season, replacing Ryan Jenkins, who coached the team last season after head coach Toma Hainline took a college coaching position.
ST. MARYS - St. Marys boys tennis coach Luke Gossard begins his fourth season at the helm with an experienced core of seniors.
Last year the Roughrider netters posted a 15-3 overall record, finishing third in the Western Buckeye League tournament with two district qualifiers.