Saturday, May 25th, 2024
By William Kincaid
COLDWATER - A seed that flew around the surface of the moon in the Orion spacecraft in late 2022 has since germinated, grown into a small sweet gum tree and reached its final destination: Coldwater Exempted Village Schools.
One of NASA's Moon Trees that travelled into space during the Artemis I mission was rooted into the Earth on Friday morning near a cluster of memorial trees at the back of a grassy expanse across from Coldwater Elementary School where football teams practice. [More]
Minster hangs on to beat Tri-Village, earn first state berth since 2014
By Tom Haines
CLAYTON - For the first time in 10 years, Minster is heading to the softball state tournament.
The Wildcats had to survive a fifth-inning rally by Tri-Village, but Hailee Albers put them ahead for good in the sixth and Brooklyn Osterloh shut out the Patriots in the final two innings to finish a 5-3 win in the Division IV regional final at Northmont on Friday. [More]
Obituaries on May 25th, 2024
Thomas W. Smith, age 61, formerly of Yorkshire, Ohio, and a resident of the Gar [More]
Local pictures on May 25th, 2024
Subscriber stories on May 25th, 2024
FORT RECOVERY - Villagers gathered Friday evening to honor the sacrifice of military heroes.
Fort Recovery held its annual Memorial Day services which began with a ceremony at the edge of town and were followed by remarks at Monument Park.
From staff reports
newsroom@dailystandard.com
CELINA - The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "Click It or Ticket" enforcement effort.
COLDWATER - The first time Fort Recovery played Marion Local, Caden Grisez was hurt in the top of the first inning and unable to pitch that day.
Friday night, he made up for lost time, with Marion the opponent again.
Compiled By Tom Haines
Marion Local overtook Minster to win the Division III boys regional track championship at Troy on Friday, while Minster's girls placed third behind Fort Loramie and West Liberty-Salem.
Coming off of a record-breaking year for lodging receipts in Mercer and Auglaize counties in 2023, the Grand Lake region is a tourism hotbed.
Greater Grand Lake Region Visitors Center Director Matt Staugler said the organization expects the 2024 summer travel season to be just as busy.
COLDWATER - Coldwater Knights of Columbus will host their 57th annual picnic May 31-June 2 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, promising an entertaining weekend.
CHICKASAW - Chickasaw Community Picnic organizers are preparing a variety of food, entertainment and kids' activities as the village kicks off the festival season May 31-June 2.
COLDWATER - The Taste of the Town extravaganza returns to Coldwater on June 11.
It will be held 5-10 p.m. on Elm Street near the depot in Coldwater Memorial Park.
VERSAILLES - This year's Versailles Poultry Days will feature loot, buccaneers and as always, plenty of chicken.
The 73rd installment of the festiv
FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery will host the Harvest Jubilee from June 12-16.
All events on opening day will be on Wayne Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the Taste of Fort Recovery and a beer & wine tasting that runs until 8:30 p.m.
BURKETTSVILLE - After being washed out by rain last year, a touch-a-truck event for children will debut on the final day of this year's Burkettsville Community Picnic, which is set for June 7-9.
Eldora Speedway's 71st season of races features big races throughout the spring and summer with national events highlighting the schedule.
The trad
ROCKFORD - The Rockford Community Days festival is set to return June 14-15 at Shanes Park.
The two-day festival starts Friday with car show judging starting at 6:30 p.m. Food, rides and beer will also be available.
NEW KNOXVILLE - Hot shot and free throw basketball competitions have been added to the many activities planned for this year's New Knoxville Independence Celebration.
Festival to have Olympic theme
MARIA STEIN- The 37th annual Maria Stein Country Fest is sure to dazzle attendees with a thrilling show that will demonstrate the connection between man and tiger.
ST. HENRY- The St. Henry Community Picnic is due for yet another eventful year with the festival planned for July 5-7.
The three-day event will feature a plethora of family-friendly affairs, such as a petting zoo, various games, plenty of food and live entertainment and music all three days.
CELINA - The Taste of Celina Block Party will serve up a bevy of food and drink samples from local restaurants and vendors as well as the jazz-fusion stylings of the Copper River Band on July 12.
WAPAKONETA - The Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival is set to take place July 16-21.
"Drawing thousands of visitors from near and far, this week-long
CELINA - Immaculate Conception Festival organizers have lined up a slate of musical acts and a new lip sync contest for this year's event running July 19-20.
NEW BREMEN- The New Bremen-German Township Firemen's Picnic, the longest-running picnic in Auglaize County, will mark its 103rd year July 26-27 at the downtown Crown Pavilion.
BERNE, Ind. - Swiss Days returns to Berne, Indiana, July 25-27 to celebrate the town's Swiss heritage.
The annual festival celebrates the art, music, culture and traditions of the Swiss immigrants who settled in the area in 1852.
CHATTANOOGA - Organizers of the Chatt Farmers' Picnic are planning a day of fun for those attending the 109th festival.
This year's picnic is set for July 25 on the festival grounds located 2 ½ miles east of Chattanooga on Tama Road.
CELINA - Bust out the Hawaiian shirts and tiki torches, the 2024 Celina Lake Festival is celebrating "Aloha From the Lake" July 26-28.
The communit
FORT RECOVERY - The 2024 Fort Recovery National Tractor Pullers Association Grand Nationals event returns July 26-27 at Ambassador Park in Fort Recovery.
WAPAKONETA - The 172nd Auglaize County Fair will be held July 28 to Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds located at 1001 Fairview Drive, Wapakoneta.
Billing i
COLDWATER - The 64th annual Coldwater Community Picnic will be held Aug. 1-4. The theme is "CCP 24 the Games."
Picnic president Mike Hibner said th
The World's Longest Yard Sale will return to Mercer County properties along U.S. 127 Aug. 1-4.
The annual event is nearly 700 miles long and spans
ST. MARYS - The annual SummerFest celebration will return to St. Marys Aug. 4-11.
The festival queen pageant will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at St. Marys Memorial High School. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults.
CELINA - A cascade of returning and new acts will dazzle the masses at the 172nd Mercer County Fair Aug. 8-14.
A pack of lovable sea lions that mad
NEW BREMEN - There will be no shortage of music at this year's Bremenfest as five bands have been lined up to entertain crowds attending the annual event.
COLDWATER - The 44th Coldwater Multiple Donations Softball Tournament will be held Aug. 14-18 at Coldwater Memorial Park.
  Between 1980 and 2019
FORT RECOVERY - The sixth annual Win on the Wabash returns Aug. 23-24 at Ambassador Park with an array of door prizes, raffles, music, food, drinks, exhibitors and top-notch entertainment, including That Arena Rock Show and rising country star Niko Moon.
CELINA - The Durbin Bean Bake, one of the area's most historic and longest running events, returns Labor Day, Sept. 2.
The event, first held in 1898 and now in its 125th year, traces back to a reunion of Civil War veterans.
ST. JOE - The St. Joe Homecoming Festival is celebrating its 41st anniversary this year.
The festival will take place Sept. 6-8 on the grounds of St. Joseph Parish at 1689 St. Joe Road, Fort Recovery.
The Mercer Health 5K Challenge will celebrate its 20th season of competition around Mercer County this summer.
The event, featuring seven different
NEW BREMEN - Still going strong after two decades, the New Bremen Pumpkinfest continues to draw crowds to town with bands, good food and a variety of activities.
MARIA STEIN - The annual Heritage Day Celebration returns to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 15.
Held in the shrine
The annual event will no longer take place in June
MONTEZUMA - Faced with the problems of dwindling crowds because of competition with other area festivals and a shortage of volunteers, organizers of the Zuma Days have decided to move the festival from June to early September.
MINSTER - It's been nearly 50 years since the first Oktoberfest was held in Minster and organizers are making special plans to mark the milestone.
CELINA - The Celina Summer Concert Series will showcase an abundance of musical styles on Sunday evenings under the red tent at Lakeshore Park.
For
COLDWATER - The sixth annual summer concert series at Coldwater Memorial Park Amphitheater will feature seven performances by a variety of musical talents.
ST. HENRY- The St. Henry Summer Concert Series has been attracting large crowds to the free shows at St. Henry Freedom Amphitheater for the past 12 years.
FORT RECOVERY- Back for the 33rd season, the Fort Recovery Summer Concert Series will again entertain attendees at Hein Amphitheater in Van Trees Park.
NEW BREMEN - The New Bremen Summer Concert Series will offer a variety of music for those attending the popular concerts held at the Crown Pavilion on Plum Street in the village.
MINSTER- The Minster Summer Concert Series will feature tribute bands performing classic hits from the 1970s to today's hot singles.
The free Sunday evening concerts, which begin at 6:30 p.m., are held at the Minster Machine Centennial Park on West Fourth Street.
Team celebrating its 35th season
The Grand Lake Mariners will celebrate their 35th season of college wood-bat baseball play this summer as the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League undergoes a big change this season.
Those seeking lodgings during the festival season this year have a wide variety of options to choose from in the Grand Lake area.
Numerous hotels, motels, inns and campgrounds are available for visitors to Mercer and Auglaize counties.
The Grand Lake region is chock-full of tourist attractions for the entire family. Various attractions from an air and space museum to a massive, wooden Sasquatch sculpture offer visitors and locals an unforgettable experience.
Arrowhead Park Golf Course
2211 Dirksen Road, Minster
419-628-3111
arrowhead-golf.com
Directions: Take Ohio 66 south out of St. Marys to Minst
A selection of outdoor recreation areas for activity from wheels to heels to water.

Trails
Franklin Township Greenway Trail is a flat and paved