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, July 9th, 2008

Grant will help pay paving costs

$1.85 million in local projects getting underway

By Shelley Grieshop

An unusually high number of township roads will be paved this summer, thanks to the availability of Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) funds, county officials say.

This year, a $277,952 grant from OPWC to Mercer County will help pave nearly 20 miles of township roads. More than 13 miles of county roads also are slated for paving this summer, but no grant funds will go toward those projects.

The combined paving projects have an overall price tag of $1.85 million.

The OPWC funding - part of the state agency's Local Transportation Improvement program - is received annually by the county and used every other year for either township roadwork or countywide projects.

Each of Mercer County's 14 townships have roadways on the list to be paved - some requiring less than a half mile of work (in Franklin Township) to nearly three miles (in Center Township).

Mike Borns, operations manager for the Mercer County Engineer's Office, said the roads currently aren't in any worse shape than previous ones; officials are just taking advantage of the OPWC funds to get as many paved as possible.

The total cost to pave the township roads is estimated at $967,030. Each township received an even allotment of nearly $20,000 in OPWC funds to use toward its individual paving projects. Any remaining costs not covered by OPWC funds will become the responsibility of each individual township. Township trustees in the next week or so are expected to approve and sign contracts with The Shelly Company for the work, explained Borns.

The county roads to be paved this summer include Oregon, Wilson and Fort Recovery-Minster. Mercer County Commissioners recently entered into a contract with The Shelly Company of Findlay - the sole bidder for the job - for $887,181 to perform the work.

The commissioners said the paving projects are expected to begin immediately.

The Local Transportation Improvement program offers grants to assist in the financing of local public road and bridge improvements, according to the OPWC. Funding is provided by one cent of the motor fuel tax that Ohioans pay at the pump. Each fiscal year the organization supports approximately 180 grants averaging $250,000 per grant for a total of $4.5 million distributed statewide.

Archive of July 9th, 2008

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All revved up

Fort Recovery woman decides cruising on her cycle helps her cope

FORT RECOVERY - Call it fate or impulse - at 60, Diana Grile purchased her first motortrike.

"I always liked motorcycles, but I probably wasn't on [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Van Wert administrator chosen new St. Marys school district superintendent

ST. MARYS - Board of education members have hired the district's first female superintendent. Mary Riepenhoff has accepted the position effective Aug. 1.

Planned projects

Township roads
Blackcreek

• Ohio-Indiana State Line, length to be paved varies

• Grauberger, length to be paved varies
Butler

• Coldwat

School's budget looking good

COLDWATER - Coldwater Exempted Village Schools Treasurer Sherry Shaffer was all smiles at Tuesday's school board meeting as she happily told the board the district underspent its revenue by $108,000 in the 2007-2008 school year.

Baby's death being investigated

The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a 6-month-old St. Henry boy at Children's Medical Center in Dayton on Tuesday night.

Street reconstruction to begin soon

NEW BREMEN - Heavy equipment will be moving into the Teton Subdivision soon to begin street reconstruction, according to reports presented to New Bremen village councilors Tuesday night.

Man jailed for altercation with girlfriend

A Celina man appeared in Mercer County Common Pleas Court last week and pleaded not guilty to eight charges stemming from a June altercation at the home of his girlfriend and the alleged abduction of their 4-year-old son.

Coldwater school's acceleration policy revisited

COLDWATER - The amended student acceleration policy adopted at Tuesday's school board meeting needs the whole-hearted support of staff and parents to be effective, the board says.

Grand Lake victorious on the road at Columbus

Compiled by Ryan Hines

The Grand Lake Mariners held off a Columbus rally on Monday evening to pick up an 8-7 road win over the All-Americans during Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League action at Bill Davis Stadium on the campus of the Ohio State University.