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 15th, 2020

Role in shooting nets man 14 years

By Sydney Albert

WAPAKONETA - A Columbus-area man was sentenced this week to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter stemming from a 2018 shooting in St. Marys.

Keith Waddell Jr., 32, pleaded guilty Monday as part of a plea bargain reached with Auglaize County prosecutors. In exchange, several other felony charges were dropped.

Waddell reportedly had a firearm on or about his person or under his control and displayed, brandished or indicated he possessed the firearm, according to the complaint filed in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court.

Waddell had faced six first-degree felonies including aggravated murder with a gun, two counts of murder with a gun, one count of attempted aggravated murder with a gun, two counts of attempted murder with a gun, two counts of second-degree felony felonious assault with a gun and a third-degree felony weapon possession under disability.

Auglaize County Common Pleas Judge Frederick Pepple sentenced Waddell to 11 years in prison, consecutive to another three-year term for committing the crime while on parole. He was given 262 days credit and ordered to pay all court costs.

Waddell is one of three people arrested in connection with an April 11, 2018, shooting at a condominium at 10988 State Route 364, St. Marys. At about 3:22 a.m. that day a male had called 911 stating he had been shot. Deputies responded to discover two victims with gunshot wounds. The men were later identified as Dexter Lee Turner, 47, and Alim Amir Turner, 25. The father and son had been transported to hospitals by the St. Marys Rescue Squad. Alim Amir Turner had been sent to Lima Memorial Health System while Dexter Lee Turner had been transported to St. Rita's Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries.

The other two being charged are Syniqua Bell, 32, and Jacar Bitting, 28.

The trials for all three had been delayed repeatedly due to the coronavirus pandemic, and court staff noted schedules could continue to change. As of Friday afternoon, Bell is scheduled for a jury trial Aug. 24-28, and Bitting is scheduled to have his final pretrial hearing Sept. 29 with a jury trial to follow Oct. 13-19.

Archive of August 15th, 2020

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Fair time means food!

Plenty of grub to make your taste buds sing

CELINA - The Mercer County Fair may be less extensive this year, but one of the best parts of any fair can still be found - fair food.

The 2020 Mer

Lake's dredging record curtailed by COVID

GRAND LAKE - Every year, the dredging teams who clear the silt and sediment from the bottom of Grand Lake and its channels set out to beat their own records for how much material they remove from the lake.

Mercer reports 7 new cases

CELINA - Seven new COVID-19 cases were reported by the Mercer County Health District on Friday, but the number of active cases in the county continued to drop.

Ladies' Day at the Lynx

Area golfers compete at Celina Invitational

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

The ladies took the course at Celina Lynx Golf Club on Friday for the Celina Invitational.

Wapakoneta won the team championship with a score of 361.Wayne Trace was second with a 369 with Versailles taking third with a 376.