Unemployment numbers for West Central Ohio had little to no change from November to December. According to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Allen, Auglaize, and Mercer counties remained the same in the last two months of 2019. Putnam and Hardin counties jumped… More >>
Concerned parents, teachers, and even former teachers showed up for the Bulldog Levy Campaign Committee meeting.The Superintendent for Celina City schools Dr. Ken Schmiesing lead tonight’s meeting about the Levy that’s coming up in March. The school district is requesting a 7.9 mill levy for… More >>
Celina-based organization Lots for Soldiers is raising money with the help of a couple chicks. The duck races at Bayview Pub in Celina had people up out of their seats in excitement. This event was one of the fundraisers Lots for Soldiers is having that is going toward their next project. Lo… More >>
A Celina man charged with attacking his wife a year ago has been sentenced to around 8 and 1/2 years in prison. Earlier this week, Mitch Mullins pleaded guilty in Mercer County Common Pleas Court to one count of felonious assault, one count of escape and two misdemeanor counts of menacing. T… More >>
2019 is a year that most farmers would like to forget, the same goes for insurance agents that handle crop insurance. But it’s a new year and Citizens National Bank and Williamson Insurance offered local farmers the chance to learn what 2020 could bring. With a rainy spring that lasted into … More >>
A Fort Recovery teen has been added to the list of people who have been charged with the death of an Indiana man. 18-year-old Hannah Knapke has been charged with the murder of 31-year-old Shea Briar and she will make her first appearance in court next week. Indiana media outlets are reportin… More >>
The Trump administration announced plans last week to roll back on certain school lunch standards that were originally proposed by former first lady Michelle Obama back in 2010. The new standards would allow schools more flexibility on fruit and vegetable serving sizes. Jennifer Little, who … More >>
An Ohio Supreme Court justice learns what is going on in lower courts and around the state. Justice Judith French was in Mercer County on Tuesday afternoon to talk to local judges about the issues they are facing and what resources the Ohio Supreme Court can provide to them. But one concern … More >>
Mercer County’s Home Family Resource Center hosted the “Create a Bowl” event for their upcoming Empty Bowls dinner and auction. The Empty Bowls Mercer County is a two-prong event that helps raise money toward Our Home Family Resource Center. The first part is the “Create a Bowl” event where … More >>
A proposed law has been introduced that could crackdown on drivers who use their cell phones or any electronic devices while on the road. Currently, using a cell phone while driving is only a secondary offense for people over 18. That means law enforcement can only issue a citation if there … More >>
It usually is someone that they know that forces them into doing unspeakable things and January has been designated as Human Trafficking Awareness Month to bring light to the issue. In 2019, the Day One Program at Crime Victim Services served 60 human trafficking survivors and 225 since 2012… More >>
Two Fort Recovery softball coaches have been arrested for the murder of an Indiana man. Head coach Esther Stephen and assistant coach Shelby Hiestand were arrested on Tuesday, according to a press release sent out by the Jay County Prosecutor's Office. The victim, 31-year-old Shea Briar, was… More >>
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office has extradited a teenager from Tennessee for the rape of a five-year-old. The sheriff's office filed the complaint for the 14-year-old in juvenile court at the end of 2019. With the help of the Robertson County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee, the teen was ta… More >>
The Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of individuals to fill full time and part time positions as recruiting assistants, field supervisors, office operations supervisors, enumerators, clerks, and foreign language speakers for the 2020 Census. Pay rates for these positions have increased … More >>
What started as a small family turkey farm in 1938 has grown to the biggest in the state of Ohio and the 9th largest in the nation. Lima Rotarians hearing from Cooper Farms Chief Operating Officer Gary Cooper about how his family-owned and operated business has been so successful through the… More >>
We introduced you all to the Tech Cred Program in October. This bill establishes that program, as well as two more that legislators believe, will close a workforce gap. Gov. Mike DeWine officially signed House Bill 2 on Monday. It systematically organizes the Tech Cred Program, the Individua… More >>
The Ohio Auditor’s Office found around $40 million worth of potential savings for ODOT, and they are not done yet. The Ohio General Assembly asked the Auditor’s office to do a performance audit on the Ohio Department of Transportation when the state raised the gas tax to pay for future road … More >>
We've been fortunate as of late, but being prepared for inclement weather is something that should be on your mind at the start of the new year. The Ohio State Highway Patrol says prepare before inclement weather and drive carefully when it hits. Last winter there were over 15,000 crashes in… More >>
Layoffs are coming for a large production company in west central Ohio as global demand has been down. A Crown Equipment spokesperson says voluntary layoffs are being offered at the company's New Bremen headquarters and surrounding facilities in the area. The spokesperson says lift truck ord… More >>
On December 11, Allison Eversman, RN, Population Health Nurse at Mercer Health, was recognized as a top leader in Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) population health with a 2019 Population Health Pioneer Award for Most Valuable Care Coordinator. Eversman was one of twelve individuals ch… More >>
Colleagues and friends take a moment today to pay their respects to a local sports legend. More >>
The American Red Cross is currently in need of O blood and encouraging people everywhere to donate. Right now the American Red Cross has less than a three-day supply. They are 550 donors away from having their full five-day supply. Although they are specifically looking for O positive and ne… More >>
In case you haven't seen it circling social media, there's something you should be doing with official documents this year to avoid any fraud. The Better Business Bureau is advising a particular practice for any legal documents such as checks, income taxes and more. While writing out the dat… More >>
Due to the outbreak of influenza throughout the state and in our area, Mercer Health is limiting visitors at Mercer County Community Hospital. According to a press release sent out by Mercer Health, the hospital is not allowing visitors under the age of 14, including siblings at the childbir… More >>
Sad news to report as Vince Koza passed away at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus early Friday morning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Holly, Brittany and Sarah for their loss. More >>
A new year also means new laws in place, and the age to buy cigarettes or vaping products will be 21 across the United States. The President signed the law to raise the federal minimum age from 18 to 21 years old just before Christmas. The state of Ohio raised the minimum age to 21 back in O… More >>
Allen County judge now weighs in on the conversation about reducing some drug sentences to misdemeanors.Judge Jeffrey Reed spoke to your Hometown Stations about Senate Bill 3, which would reform sentencing laws for certain drug convictions. With the current legislation, reed says he finds mu… More >>
2020 means a pay increase for people making minimum wage in the State of Ohio. People will now make $8.70 an hour, and tipped employee's hourly rate increased 5 cents to $4.35 an hour. The increase was part of a change to the Ohio Constitution that voters approved in 2006. For Ohio businesse… More >>
As you bring in the new year you want to keep in mind safety during your celebration.Just like every new year, law enforcement are cautioning people not to fire their guns into the air. It's a great safety concern. According to the Associated Press, an Ohio boy was struck by a random gun sho… More >>
To reach the national championship the Ohio State Buckeyes will have to go through their fourth straight ranked opponent. #2 Ohio State take on #3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday. Both teams coming in undefeated as their respective conference champions.The Buckeyes have never beaten C… More >>
With distracted driving a constant concern, new technology in vehicles may be opening drivers to more distracted driving.A study done by AAA and Virginia Tech found that advanced driver assistance systems may have unintended consequences. The systems, like lane-keeping assistance and adaptiv… More >>
It didn’t matter if you were related or not,, everyone was family at the annual Rockford “Together on Christmas” Dinner.This is the 15th year that the Rockford United Methodist Church has put on the meal. Volunteers from other churches and the community pitched in to help serve the over 700 … More >>
Distracted driving remains an issue and has prompted that to be a focus of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.Governor Mike DeWine has challenged drivers to drive without distractions. AAA is expecting record amounts of people to travel through the first of the new year. Highway patrol says it's … More >>
Ohio's Bureau of Motor Vehicles plans to begin a vehicle safety recall notification program using the state's vehicle registration renewal process. The bureau says customers will begin receiving open recall notifications beginning in January 2020. The vehicle safety recall information will b… More >>
You could be dreaming of a white Christmas, but the chances of getting one are small and we are not just talking about this year. According to the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana which covers most of West Central Ohio, since 1901 there is a 37% chance of seeing an inch or more o… More >>
With just a few hours away from Christmas, people were still out on Christmas Eve trying to make sure they complete their Christmas lists. For Rebecca Larimore and Carmen Ramirez shopping on Christmas Eve isn't a norm. But this year was a little different. More >>
Around this time of year, it's common to see a nativity scene set up outside houses and churches, and often, people have one inside their homes. At the shrine in Maria Stein, they've set up their own nativity scenes - and then some. Once again, a display of around 60 scenes of the birth of J… More >>
As we inch closer to Christmas and New Year's Day, the roads get a bit more crowded with travelers and shoppers. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is encouraging extra attention to your driving with so many things going on at this time of year. While there are many holiday parties, they continue… More >>
We introduced you all to Senate Bill 3 back in March and there have been several discussions in Columbus since then. But it’s looking like talks about this bill will have to continue into 2020. Senate Bill 3 hopes to reform how drug offenders are sentenced in Ohio. The bi-partisan bill would… More >>
One young boy is giving back to the community one step at a time. A middle school boy in the Silver Lake neighborhood in Celina has organized his second 5K fundraiser, and this year his goals are set even higher. Griffin Luebke is an 8th grade student st. Mary’s with high ambition. Not only… More >>
Governor Mike DeWine says it's time that distracted driving be reason enough to pull someone over. The governor said it's also time for a cultural recognition that texting or calling while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. Distracted driving includes texting, making calls, or surfing… More >>
For all those shipping procrastinators out there, listen up as we have some important deadlines to tell you about. The Lima Post Office wants everyone to get their gifts to their loved ones on time so everyone has a good holiday. Here are the important deadlines you need to know so you can c… More >>
Some call it the most wonderful time of year, but it also could be the most indulgent. As the holiday parties and gatherings start to ramp up, diet and nutrition experts from Lima Memorial Health System offer a few tips to make sure your holidays stay a little more on the healthy side. One k… More >>
Some local counties are warning dog owners about being scammed while they try and get their 2020 licenses. Officials in Mercer and Hancock County are warning residents about fake websites offering Ohio dog licenses. The websites look real but are asking for personal information that is not n… More >>
It's been a busy first year in office for Governor Mike DeWine as he tackled issues concerning everything from gun control to algal blooms. Looking back on 2019, Gov. DeWine says that he believes that it's been a good year for Ohio overall, though there have been things that have affected th… More >>
Ohio hunters harvested more deer during the weeklong gun season than in 2018. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says hunters registered 63,493 deer during the weeklong season. That's around 2,700 more deer than the same hunting period the year before. All local counties saw an increas… More >>
If you have White Castle burgers in your freezer - you may way to listen up. White Castle issued the voluntary recall because the burgers may be contaminated with listeria. Frozen 6 pack cheeseburgers, frozen 6 pack hamburgers, frozen 6 pack jalapeno cheeseburgers, and 16 pack hamburgers and… More >>
A Saturday morning crash in Mercer County kills a Fort Recovery man. Sheriff Jeff Grey says his office is investigating a single vehicle crash that happened on Erastrus Durbin Road, south of SR 119 just before 5 o'clock Saturday morning. 39 year old Travis Fullenkamp was driving a pick-up… More >>
Holiday celebrations are getting underway, but that's no excuse to not play it safe on the roadways. The Ohio State Highway Patrol will continue to focus on impaired driving this holiday season. They're increasing patrols and putting in overtime to remove drivers under the influence. Last ye… More >>
You may swim in Grand Lake St. Marys this summer but it will still be at your own risk. The message at St. Marys Rotary is that the water quality is heading in the right direction though. Dr. Stephen Jacquemin of Wright State University has been working on conservation efforts for Grand Lake… More >>
If you're looking to take part in Giving Tuesday, make sure you know who you're giving your donation to, especially if you're donating online. The Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau are reminding people there are scams out there on Giving Tuesday. As technology adv… More >>
