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, April 29th, 2010

Drugged coffee sickens teacher

Celina Police investigate incident at school

By Margie Wuebker

CELINA - A Celina Alternative Learning Center teacher is recuperating at her home after drinking coffee tainted with drugs at the school Wednesday morning.

Hallie Craven, 44, was rushed to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater by a rescue squad called to the Celina Education Complex, 585 E. Livingston St., at 8:52 a.m. According to the Celina Police log, she was experiencing a severe headache and stroke-like symptoms.

Medical personnel subsequently identified foreign substances used in illegal drugs as the cause for her symptoms. She was treated and discharged several hours later.

School officials contacted Celina Police at approximately 11 a.m. after learning the likely cause for Craven's sudden illness. Together they searched the classroom and an adjacent office, finding a coffee mug and/or coffee pot containing what Superintendent Matt Miller called "a combination of illegal drugs, including some heavy-duty stuff."

Miller said he noted nothing amiss with Craven when he spoke to her earlier in the morning. Miller and Police Chief Dave Slusser would not confirm the type of substance found.

"We will not make any statement in regard to the drugs involved until the items we seized are analyzed by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification," Slusser said.

Police and school administrators interviewed approximately 18 students in the classroom that morning. Parents were summoned to the school and told to take home their children with warnings to watch for any suspicious symptoms.

"We did not know at that point whether anyone else ingested a tainted beverage," Miller told The Daily Standard. "Everybody who should be here is in class today and apparently suffered no ill effects."

The investigation is continuing to pinpoint a suspect or suspects responsible.

"We feel very fortunate we are not talking about a teacher's death today," Miller said. "We have some strong feelings who might have the means and methods to do something like this."

Once identified, the culprit or culprits will be punished in accordance with Ohio Revised Code statutes which include permanent expulsion. In addition, the superintendent will advocate those responsible will be punished to the full extent of the law.

Miller said nothing like this has happened before and he intends to make sure it never happens again.

Archive of April 29th, 2010

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