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.

Friday, November 7th, 2008

Celina man charged for doing doughnuts on courthouse lawn

By Shelley Grieshop

A 20-year-old Celina man who was arrested Election Day for allegedly doing doughnuts with a four-wheeler on the courthouse lawn, also has been charged with recklessly fleeing officers on a motorcycle last month.

Scott H. Spears appeared in Celina Municipal Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to: fleeing and eluding and two counts of driving under suspension, all first-degree misdemeanors; criminal mischief and operating an ATV on the roadway, both third-degree misdemeanors; and willful and wanton disregard for safety, a minor misdemeanor.

Spears was released from jail after posting a recognizance bond. A pretrial hearing is set for Dec. 10.

The charges were filed by the Celina Police Department and the Mercer County Sheriff's Office, who both investigated the incident on Tuesday.

At 7:36 p.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy witnessed a man doing doughnuts on the Mercer County Courthouse lawn, however, the suspect was not located. About 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Celina police received a call about a four-wheeler being operated in the Main Street area.

The vehicle was pursued west of town but disappeared in a rural area. Later, a sheriff's deputy was called to the area and arrested Spears walking along Monroe Road. Nick, the police department's K-9 officer, was brought to the scene and led law enforcement to the abandoned four-wheel vehicle in a nearby ditch, the report said.

Spears was taken into custody and charged.

During the subsequent investigation, officers located a motorcycle they believe Spears was operating during a high-speed chase on Oct. 2. Officers lost the motorcycle on a rural road.

During an interview this week with officers, Spears reportedly confessed to being the motorcycle operator in the October pursuit.

That high-speed chase began at 12:28 a.m. Oct. 2 when officers allegedly attempted to stop a suspect who was doing doughnuts in front of Celina City Hall. Police say it was Spears who fled the downtown area and led several law enforcement cruisers on a chase northwest of the city. Spears is accused of driving through a roadblock at Miller and Weitz roads, heading north onto Weitz Road and turning west on Oregon Road at a high rate of speed.

Archive of November 7th, 2008

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