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.
32° 32° Mon 47° Mon 47° 29° 29° Tue 53° Tue 53°
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

Water tower antics net local men disorderly conduct charges

By Margie Wuebker
Three area men face charges after they allegedly climbed the Chickasaw water tower early Sunday morning and then left the scene before authorities arrived.
Mercer County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call at 3:55 a.m. but found no one in the area. A subsequent call indicated the trio had climbed down and left in a blue four-wheel drive pickup truck with a loud exhaust. They were last seen headed southbound on state Route 716 in the direction of Maria Stein.
Lt. Martin Emerine and Deputy Mark Heinl observed a vehicle backing from a private drive north of state Route 119. That vehicle reportedly matched the description right down to the loud exhaust. The northbound truck made a quick turn onto Rolfes Road after passing a cruiser and turned into a private drive.
The three men - Thomas J. Thobe, 21, 8936 Recovery-Minster Road, Minster, Douglas P. Giere, 21, 8663 Recovery-Minster Road, Maria Stein, and Kyle D. Hartings, 21, 2190 St. John Road, Maria Stein, - admitted climbing the water tower and were charged with disorderly conduct. Alcohol was listed as a factor in the escapade.
Deputies also charged Thobe, the driver, with operating a vehicle under the influence and illegal blood-alcohol content. He reportedly tested 0.129 with 0.8 being the legal limit. He later was released into the custody of his parents.
A 21-year-old Maria Stein woman, also a passenger in the pickup truck, faces no charges because she did not climb the water tower, according to sheriff's office and witness statements.
Additional online stories on this date
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Just two days after its best offensive game of the summer, Grand Lake was handcuffed by Lake Erie on Tuesday evening.
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Subscriber and paid stories on this date
A Mendon man, who drove left of center and killed a Minster mother of four, received an 18-month operator's license suspension and a $500 fine during a recent appearance in Celina Municipal Court.
Mercer County and Ohio Division of Parks officials are discussing a potential partnership to build a new boathouse along Celina's west bank of Grand Lake.
A long-planned improvement at Celina Gardens apartments will go forward following Celina Board of Zoning Appeals approval this week.
The complex at 710 Devonshire needed approval for the improvements because some of the work exceeded a prior variance granted for the property.
ROCKFORD - The issue of naming the new school's auditorium after former band director Richard Sherrick was revisited at the Parkway Local Schools board of education meeting Tuesday.
MINSTER - Area residents are being asked to voluntarily conserve water as water consumption rises in the wake of dry weather conditions.
Village Ad
WAPAKONETA - A 33-year-old man was denied release from prison where he is serving an 18-month prison sentence for stabbing another man during a bar fight in St. Marys in March.
A busload of local community leaders traveled throughout Mercer County on Tuesday, visiting some of the top businesses to get a better understanding of the economic base.
A Celina man faces multiple charges stemming from injuries his 1-year-old sustained as the two allegedly "rough-housed" and wrestled.
Charles Mulle
In the previous three games, Celina compiled a total of 22 runs, but was left with three losses as opponents scored 39 runs.
Going into Tuesday's ACME game with cross-lake rival St. Marys, the Bulldogs looked to end their slide.
With the first full week of the league done, the GLSCL stat sheets are chock full of Mariners in the hitting departments.
Ohio University freshman
Parkway improved to 11-6 on the season with a 17-9 win over Bath on Tuesday in Bath Township. The Wildcats drop to 5-3 on the season.
The Panthers