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, March 17th, 2021

People 40 and older can get vaccine

By Leslie Gartrell

CELINA - Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday announced people age 40 or older and people with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and obesity are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting today.

DeWine also announced individuals 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccines on March 29.

Mercer County Health District officials reported eight new cases of COVID-19 since their last report on Thursday, raising the county's cumulative total to 3,910.

In Auglaize County, county health department officials reported three new confirmed cases of the virus, raising that county's cumulative total to 3,419.

In a news release Tuesday, Mercer County Health District officials said further information for next week's clinic will be released on Thursday.

Officials also reported three active hospitalizations, as well as a cumulative 735 probable cases, 3,780 people who have recovered, 83 deaths and 19 probable deaths from COVID-19. Of the overall cases, 13 are active.

Auglaize County Health Department officials in a news release reported a cumulative 1,122 probable cases, 174 hospitalizations, 62 deaths and 4,415 people who are presumed to have recovered.

As of Tuesday night, the Ohio Department of Health reported a cumulative 992,223 confirmed and probable cases, 51,756 hospitalizations and 17,992 Ohio resident deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

COVID-19 cases/deaths:

Ohio cases	992,223
Ohio deaths	17,992
Mercer County cases	3,910
Mercer County deaths	83
Auglaize County cases	3,419
Auglaize County deaths	62

Archive of March 17th, 2021

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Witness: Stephen talked of killing

Former Fort coach on trial for killing ex

PORTLAND, Ind. - A mother accused of killing her daughter's father with the help of two other women in January 2020 had talked about killing him before the night he died, according to testimony at her murder trial. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Low interest rates challenge investing

Treasurer seeks to optimize return on inactive funds

CELINA - Just a few years ago, Mercer County's government under a host of favorable factors, raked in nearly $1 million in interest income on its investments.

Minster council OKs resolution to redo tennis courts

MINSTER - Council members on Tuesday approved a resolution allowing administrator Don Harrod to seek bids to renovate the tennis courts at the school.

County unemployment rate up slightly

Mercer County's unemployment rate increased slightly in January to 3.4% from 3% in December.

The county still had the second lowest rate of joblessness in Ohio, trailing only Holmes County's 3.1%, according to an Ohio Department of Job and Family Services news release.

Rockford considering yard-junk ordinance

ROCKFORD - Council members heard first reading of a new zoning ordinance updating language regarding junk and garbage in yards among other topics.

City to rezone strip of property

ST. MARYS - City planning commissioners voted Tuesday to forward to city council a request to rezone a .764-acre strip of land south of the Freewalt Way Subdivision.