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.

Thursday, April 19th, 2007

No bomb found after evacuation of Celina school

By Janie Southard

Photo by Janie Southard/The Daily Standard

Celina City Police, Mercer County Sheriff's officers and the city fire department responded to an early morning bomb threat at Celina Middle School. School officials found a handwritten note just as school was starting. A thorough search by authorities and school officials turned up nothing unusual.

Celina City School officials received a handwritten threat early this morning that a bomb had been planted at Celina Middle School.

"You have one hour," the note said. However, nothing was discovered following a thorough search of the building by school officials, Celina City Police, Mercer County Sheriff's office, and Celina City Fire Department.

"We take every threat seriously," said district Superintendent Matt Miller.

He was notified about the note from Jerry Harris, assistant middle school principal, at about 7:25 a.m., which is the building's typical start time.

Miller alerted law enforcement, and students were evacuated immediately via a fire drill. Classes resumed in less than an hour. All appropriate security measures were followed. Administrators and staff walked the hallways and checked classrooms and lockers.

Harris said he found the anonymous, handwritten note on the front office floor stating the threat and the one-hour time limit. City police and school officials are investigating, and believe the note was written by a student. No one had come forward by press time.

"In light of the tragic events this week at Virginia Tech, I fear this was a misguided student taking advantage of that tragedy," Miller told The Daily Standard at the scene this morning.

All district building officials were notified of the situation. Celina East Elementary School, which is in close proximity to the middle school, was not in session and would not be for another hour and a half.

Miller pointed out the threat was building specific and no other locations were named.

"This kind of thing is disruptive to everyone involved. It causes anxiety for our staff and students plus creates additional work for law enforcement and emergency personnel," he said, adding the district has not had a bomb threat in at least five years.

Archive of April 19th, 2007

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A new Ohio law requires all children ages 4 to 15 to buckle up while traveling in a vehicle.

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