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.

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Grand jury finds police not at fault in chase

By Margie Wuebker

An Auglaize County grand jury has issued no findings in a case involving a high-speed pursuit by the Minster Police Department that led to a fatal motorcycle crash.

Minster Police Chief Randy Houseworth confirmed Friday no indictments were issued in the wake of last week's grand jury review. He added all fatal accidents occurring in the county go before the grand jury.

The pursuit began at 2:58 a.m. June 7 when Minster Patrolman Chris Fetters spotted Nathan P. Thobe, 25, of Maria Stein, failing to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of West First and Cleveland streets. Thobe, who was later found to be under the influence of alcohol, attempted to outrun police and crashed near the industrial park. He was pronounced dead at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys.

The Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which was called into investigate the crash, determined Thobe was driving at least 77 miles per hour when he failed to negotiate a curve near the industrial park. The Kawasaki Ninja struck a curb ejecting Thobe a distance of 75 feet from the point of impact.

The 7-minute pursuit involved two Minster cruisers, two New Bremen cruisers and a marked vehicle from the Fort Loramie Police Department. Most of the cruisers were involved by using rolling road blocks to slow Thobe's speed, Houseworth has said.

Houseworth, who repeatedly declined to comment on the case prior to grand jury review, said he has no plans to make changes in the department's current pursuit policy.

"The grand jury found no fault on the officers' behalf," he said. "No reprimands have been issued and I am not looking into revising the pursuit policy at this point."

The department's pursuit policy says an officer may consider a pursuit when "behavior by violators or suspects clearly shows they are trying to avoid contact with or apprehension by police."

The policy also indicates a pursuit can be stopped at any point for a number of factors: creating serious danger to involved officers or the public; public safety when the duration and difficulty of the pursuit outweighs safety factors; or the identity of the suspect is known.

Houseworth has said the pursuing officer was not able to get Thobe's license number.

Archive of August 8th, 2009

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Breaking up is hard to do

WAPAKONETA - Brianna Jurosic is carrying on the family tradition of raising lambs.

In her second year of competition at the Auglaize County Fair, she still has trouble letting go of the animal she raised. Her lamb Nixon was to be auctioned away later in the day. [More]

Grand Lake falls short in final tourney game

XENIA - It was a tough spot for Grand Lake when they arrived at the Athletes In Action complex on Friday.

When the team got there, they saw that th [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Levy likely to be on next ballot

Officials OK renewal property tax to help fund county home

Mercer County commissioners this week approved a resolution to put a 1-mill, renewal property tax levy on the November election ballot to help fund the county home west of Celina.

High-speed pursuit nets felony charge

A local man has been indicted on a felony charge stemming from a high-speed pursuit that ended with him crashing into a garage wall in Minster. This was the second high-speed pursuit involving a crash in Minster in just over a month.

Celina man pleads not guilty to charges

A 59-year-old Celina man pleaded not guilty Wednesday afternoon in Mercer County Common Pleas Court to charges alleging he sold painkiller medication that led to the death of a local woman.

No increase in county kennel fees for 2010

Mercer County commissioners opted not to raise fees for dog control services for the 2010 year.

The issue was discussed Thursday during a regular s

Commissioners OK contract for school safety project

After hesitating more than a week over funding concerns, Mercer County commissioners have signed a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a safety project near Marion Local Schools.

Fort, Minster schools FCCLA groups compete at national event

Members of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) organizations at Fort Recovery and Minster schools were part of a group of around 179 Ohio students to compete in this year's national event in Nashville, Tenn.

Cincinnati repeats as GLSCL champions

The Cincinnati Steam won their second straight Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League tournament title as Matt Weber and two relievers held the Southern Ohio Copperheads to just two runs and eight hits.

Tormoehlen guided the Mariners to strong year

XENIA - For Brandon Tormoehlen, it was a challenge coming into the season.

A former player at Butler University and an assistant at Indiana Tech, Tormoehlen was tabbed to take over a Grand Lake team that went 14-26 last season and had struggles all over the field.