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, May 27th, 2015

Storm topples trees, damages barns in Auglaize County

By Shelley Grieshop

NEW BREMEN - A wind-tossed camper, damaged barns and felled trees dotted the landscape in Auglaize County on Tuesday afternoon after a storm barreled through the area.

"We had a debris pattern and it looks like we had straight-line winds," Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency Director Troy Anderson told the newspaper this morning. "Unless I get some better photos to show something else, I think it probably was straight-line winds."

No weather-related injuries were reported in the Grand Lake area.

The storm appeared to pick up steam after leaving Mercer County and entering Auglaize County about 4:45 p.m., he said. Several power lines and poles came down, and trees and branches were scattered around, Anderson said.

A 25-foot-long camper parked at 05061 Lock Two Road, New Bremen, was "picked up and thrown about 75 feet," he said. It landed on the ground as a mangled pile of debris, he added.

Sustaining the most damage to a single property was a farm owned by Lee Katterheinrich at 06099 Southland Road near New Knoxville, he noted. High winds "took down a pole barn" and a large portion of the roof on a barn built in the 1800s, he said.

"There was a debris field there just shy of a mile long from the northeast to New Knoxville," Anderson said.

Powerful wind gusts over 50 mph also ripped a 60-foot-by-90-foot section of roof from the American Legion building in New Knoxville.

By the time the storm moved through the Moulton area it no longer packed high winds, Anderson said.

Mike Robbins, EMA director of Mercer County, said shingles were ripped from several rooftops and a few electric wires were down but the damage was sporadic. He recorded wind gusts up to 30 mph and estimates they may have reached 45 mph or higher to the north and east of Celina.

"The damage was not really widespread. There were pockets," Robbins said.

He warned the same weather scenario could occur later today with the threat of scattered thunderstorms.
"It's been a slow year. This is only our second (thunderstorm) watch this year," he said.

Archive of May 27th, 2015

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Jones keeps record in the family

In 1983, Staci (Finke) Jones broke the New Bremen High School 400-meter dash record by finishing in 59.7 seconds at the regional meet.

Twenty-four years later, her then-sophomore daughter Taylor broke that record with a mark of 59.56 at the Midwest Athletic Conference meet. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Fantastic feat

Area women complete Great Wall Marathon

Moments of self-doubt, injuries and mental hurdles didn't stop Toni Agler and Maria Slife from running one of the toughest 26.2-mile treks in the world: the Great Wall Marathon.

New Bremen council awards contract for park project

NEW BREMEN - Village council members at Tuesday's meeting chose H.A. Dorsten Inc. of Minster to construct the Komminsk Legacy Park project.

Project architect John Freytag of Freytag & Associates of Sidney recommended Dorsten's bid as the lowest and best of the four submitted.

St. Marys takes first step to raise electric fee

ST. MARYS - City council members at Tuesday's meeting took their first step toward increasing monthly service charges for electric customers.

Council heard first reading of an ordinance raising the monthly service charge from the current $3.25 to $10 by the end of 2016.

Mercer County jobless rate lowest in state

For the first time since December, Mercer County alone holds the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 2.9 percent in April, according to data released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

St. Henry leader issues grass clippings reminder

ST. HENRY - Village administrator Ron Gelhaus reminded residents not to dump grass clippings in the streets.

"We will not pick up grass clippings," Gelhaus said at Tuesday night's village council meeting.

Coldwater board hires supervisor, three teachers

COLDWATER - Coldwater Exempted Village Schools board members Tuesday night chose a new supervisor of student services and hired three teachers for the 2015-16 year.

Canine lovers offer doggy day care

ST. MARYS - Sandy Gerdeman's life has gone to the dogs. Gerdeman and her husband, Rick, recently opened K9to5 Doggy Day Care LLC, at 1216 Indiana Ave., St. Marys.

Wright State-Lake Campus seeks MBA candidates

CELINA - Wright State University-Lake Campus officials are seeking candidates for the Master of Business Administration program.

The cohort-style program begins in January with a tentative application deadline of Sept. 1.

Indians familar with opponent, venue

Division IV Regional Baseball Preview

Although it's been over 60 years since a Fort Recovery baseball team has made it to the regional, this year's Indians are familiar with their semifinal foe and the venue.

Big week for local track teams

Razz-Eye View

The high school track season begins its two biggest weeks of the season this afternoon with regional track competition.

All three divisions are rep