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, December 4th, 2008

Price to build AMP-Ohio power station increases

Cost increase will be split among customers in Mercer, Auglaize and Darke counties

By William Kincaid

The estimated price for AMP-Ohio to build a new baseload coal power station that eventually will supply electricity to local municipalities has increased more than 10 percent.

An October feasibility study put construction cost at $3.25 billion for the Meigs County power plant, up from an initial estimate of $2.9 billion.

The primary reason for the increase is inflating commodities such as steel and labor, American Municipal Power of Ohio (AMP-Ohio) representative Kent Carson said on Wednesday.

The online start date of the plant also has been pushed back six months to 2014. Construction is set to begin next year.

AMP-Ohio is a nonprofit corporation that owns and operates electric facilities that provide power to its members. The 1,000-megawatt plant in Meigs County near the Ohio River would help protect its members from the volatile market by reducing the organization's overall dependency on wholesale market purchases, AMP-Ohio's Web site says.

The final cost of the plant is to be split among the 81 AMP-Ohio member communities through their customer bills. Local member communities are Celina, Minster, St. Marys, Mendon, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Versailles and Wapakoneta.

The electricity is slated to cost 21 to 23 percent less than the market price, which includes the cost of constructing the new plant, Carson said.

Carson said the communities involved are collectively poised to save between $1.5-$2 billion during the next 20 years by generating their own electricity, instead of purchasing it on the market. Once completed, the city would own 1.9 percent of the Meigs County plant.

The plant would provide Celina with 19 megawatts of its 46-48 baseload need, according to Celina Safety Service Director Jeff Hazel.

Hazel also said the new plant would give members a long-term power source for at least the next 50 years.

Archive of December 4th, 2008

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St. Marys teen accused of planting bomb held on $1 million bond

A teenager accused of planting a bomb at a gas station near a St. Marys city school on Tuesday is being held in jail on a $1 million bond.

Jesse B. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Rowlings' new release arrives locally

ST. MARYS - Author J.K. Rowlings' new supporting title to the Harry Potter series hits the market today, but book reviewers say it's not likely Harry fans will be as wild about "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," an imaginary book that surfaced in a couple Potter books.

Mobile home park warned of violations

Sickly cats and unsightly debris at the Meyer Mobile Home Park in Rockford has prompted action by the local health department.

Board members of the

Council moves to clear up tax credit oversight

MINSTER - Councilors on Wednesday unanimously authorized village administrator Don Harrod to work with an area agency to pave the way for a 55 percent tax credit for a local industry.

Waltrip the featured speaker for Race Night

It's safe to say that Michael Waltrip is one of the busiest and most recognizable names in NASCAR, but the driver-owner is making a pit stop in Mercer County on Friday, Dec. 12th.