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.

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

Road closed means to stay out of area

Motorist will be ticketed and could be charged for any road damages

By Timothy Cox

Celina city officials are warning motorists to keep out of the construction area along Grand Lake Road, which is being widened and rebuilt.

City police already have ticketed some drivers for ignoring "Road Closed" signs, police Chief Dave Slusser said. A citation for driving on a closed roadway could cost drivers $100, plus the cost of any damage they cause by driving through the construction zone.

"If they hit a manhole casing, they're going to be responsible for any damage they cause," Slusser said.

The road is closed between Livingston Street and Wayne Street. The east-west intersection of Havemann Road is open. Problems seem to be most common on the south side of the project, where some drivers are ignoring the warnings so they can access Eastview Park, Slusser said.

"It's at a point now where they're getting things set so they can begin paving," Slusser said. "That is why it's so important for people to stay out of there."

The entire stretch of Grand Lake Road between Wayne Street and Livingston Street is being rebuilt from the base up. The $1.2 million project is being paid for mostly through $923,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

In addition to widening and rebuilding Grand Lake Road, the project also includes some other improvements. A 10-foot-wide bike path will be built along the east side of the road, the crossing over the railroad tracks will be smoothed and the elevation at the Livingston Street intersection has been significantly lowered to improve safety.

The project is expected to run through November.

Route to travel:

To avoid a ticket or an accident while Grand Lake Road is being reconstructed but still get to businesses that line the west side of the road, a little ingenuity may be required.

Pro Drive will get you to the Orchard Tree Restaurant, Hays Insurance and other businesses but it is not a straight forward drive.

To get there:

From Wayne Street heading east from Celina High School, turn right on Pro Drive (From Havemann, go left on Wayne and left on Pro Drive.)

Go one block to the stop sign. Turn right at the stop sign (on Devonshire) for one block. There is no sign saying Pro Drive continues down the road but it does. Turn left after one block on Pro Drive. Stay on it - it winds around a bit - until you get to where you are going.

Note: You can't get there from the cancer center parking lot or from the professional building driveway directly ahead of you at the first stop on Pro Drive from Wayne St.

- Pat Royse

Archive of September 18th, 2007

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Additional online story on this date

Area teams with plenty of work to do

Week four is now complete, which means later this week the Ohio High School Athletic Association will release its official computer points for the first time this season. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Celina schools will dip into reserve funds in fiscal 2008

Celina City Schools will be in deficit spending by $1.4 million before next school year, according to the five-year financial forecast approved by board members at Monday night's meeting.

Officials seek ways to protect lake's shore

Officials from Grand Lake St. Marys State Park and the Grand Lake/Wabash Watershed Alliance want to use a Geotube filled with dredge material from the lake to protect its shoreline.

Stolen truck found rolled

A pickup truck owned by a Celina woman was reportedly stolen and later found upside down in a hayfield in Jefferson Township at 3 a.m.

The heavily-

Member concerned trip too pricey

NEW BREMEN - Board member Larry Tangeman expressed concern about the high school Spanish classes' possible trip to New York City in 2008 because of the high cost.

Celina runs through WBL season at 9-0

Compiled by Ryan Hines
and Gary R. Rasberry

Celina completed an undefeated Western Buckeye League dual meet season in girls tennis, posting its seventh league shutout in nine meets in beating Defiance 5-0 at Defiance.

Cavs grab lead in middle and roll past the 'Riders

COLDWATER - Coldwater started a busy week of action on the right track, defeating St. Marys in three games in nonconference play at The Palace on Monday night.

Celina settles for scoreless tie on the road

LIMA - The Celina Bulldog boy's soccer team stayed alive in the Western Buckeye League title chase Monday night as they went on the road and earned a hard fought 0-0 draw with the Shawnee Indians at the Shawnee Soccer Complex.