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.

Wednesday, April 18th, 2007

Student to be first to receive diploma at end of junior year

By Margie Wuebker

MINSTER - A Minster High School student will make local history next spring when he receives a diploma at the end of his junior year. Board of education members as well as administrators could not be prouder judging from comments made Tuesday night.

Trenton Bihn, the son of Ralph and Kathy Bihn, will be the first student to receive a diploma under the board's accelerated learning and early graduation policy.

"By doubling up on math and science classes, he is on track to graduate with 22 credits," Superintendent Gayl Ray said. "The state requires 20 credits so he is setting the bar high."

Bihn, who is currently a sophomore, approached high school Principal Mike Lee at the start of the school year and expressed his intention to get a head start in college as an accounting major.

Lee told the board the only remaining requirement will be successful passage of the Ohio Graduation Test, but quickly added that should pose no problem for Bihn.

All school districts across Ohio had to implement an accelerated learning and early graduation policy during the past year.

In other business, the board:

• Met in executive session to discuss personnel and later extended continuing or limited contracts for five teachers.

• Approved a long list of contracts for classified personnel ranging from custodians and bus drivers to cafeteria servers and substitutes.

• Heard an update from Ray regarding the Ohio Department of Education's new World Class Educational System for Ohio initiative. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and researched by the "think tank" Achieve Inc., it would rival similar world class education systems in other countries like Japan and Sweden.

• Learned 79 prospective kindergarten students have been screened with parents having until May 5 to decide on sending their children in the fall or holding them another year.

Archive of April 18th, 2007

Buy this E-Edition

Additional online stories on this date

Two little eaglets heads pop up at Grand Lake nest

At least two eaglets have hatched and appear to be doing well along the southwest side of Grand Lake, despite last week's snowfall and cold spell. [More]

St. Marys softball sits in WBL driver's seat

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

Kayla Thornsberry outdueled Acacia Truesdale as St. Marys stayed perfect on the season with a 5-2 win over the Redskins at Wapakoneta on Tuesday in Western Buckeye League action at Wapakoneta. [More]

Boeckman leads two others in OSU QB race

COLUMBUS - The waiting is finally near the end for Todd Boeckman.

All those days spent holding a clipboard while standing on the sideline as somebody else played and got better - those are in the distant past as Boeckman tries to strengthen his grip on the starting quarterback job at Ohio State. [More]

Parkway gets peak performance in downing St. Henry

ST. HENRY - The Parkway Panther baseball team picked the most opportune time to play its best game of the season Tuesday night as they scored early a [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

State may offer building funds this year

ST. MARYS - The school district could be in the mix for state funding this year to build new or renovate old district facilities.

"The state has re

Finance options discussed for water treatment plant

ROCKFORD - The village will pursue multiple funding scenarios to finance a new $2.5 million water treatment plant.

During the regular meeting Tuesd

Minster council looks toward future reconstruction plans

MINSTER - As one street reconstruction project commences, Minster village councilors are looking ahead to another.

Village Administrator Don Harrod received authorization Tuesday night to apply for $1.23 million in transportation enhancement grant funds from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Loud party leads to arrests

Eight adults and two juveniles face alcohol-related charges after Celina Police responded to reports of a loud party on South Ash Street early Saturday morning.

Guest speaker addresses the pros and cons of tile drainage

Tile drainage allows surface water to filter out sediment and attached nutrients through the soil, said T.J. Place of the Auglaize County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Plans put on hold until November

Fort Recovery Local School officials held a final community meeting on a possible school expansion project, with no decisions made, on Monday evening

Protect citizens' right to know

Daily Standard editorial

The ink has barely dried on legislation passed last year clarifying and strengthening Ohio's Open Meetings Law. Nonetheless, there is already a bill

Celina track pulls off sweep of Elida

After getting so close to a win in their last two meets, the Celina boys track team was looking to go over the top and finish first.

Tuesday's Western Buckeye League dual meet with Elida provided the Green and White that chance as Celina won the battle of Bulldogs by a 79-58 margin.

Wildcats rough up Cavaliers in five innings

State-ranked Minster runs its unbeaten record to a perfect 10-0

MINSTER - If head coach Mike Wiss had any plans of his Minster Wildcats flying under the Division IV radar for much longer this season, it simply isn't going to happen.

Celina baseball handcuffed by Shawnee

A three-game winning streak all came crashing down for the Celina baseball team on Tuesday at Eastview Park.

Shawnee's Keith Hefner handcuffed Celina for just two hits and the Bulldogs aided the Indians' cause with four errors in a 6-0 defeat in Western Buckeye League action.

Remodeled building in Celina combines office space, apartments

After nearly three years of work and filling 19 full-sized dumpsters, Celina developer Brad Burkholder is now leasing office space and apartments out of his 401 Building on Myers Road.

New daycare opening soon

A sprawling new daycare center and preschool is scheduled to open its doors late this summer on the east edge of Celina.

Cindy Braun and Jodi Braun