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, April 19th, 2023

Cabinet maker coming to Rockford

By Erin Gardner

ROCKFORD - Village council members on Tuesday night learned a new cabinet making business may move into town.

After executive session, councilors agreed to sell the village's storage barn beside village hall to a new business, according to fiscal officer Lisa Kuhn.

Kuhn declined to provide a sale price and said she didn't know how big the barn is. She also did not identify the name of the business or those affiliated with it.

In other business, councilors heard the village is hosting two public meetings and will send out surveys to residents in order to qualify for a $700,000 Community Development Block Grant for the Franklin Street reconstruction project.

Village administrator Aaron Temple had said the $1.8 million project includes repaving and redoing the curbs and gutters.

The first public meeting was held before the council meeting on Tuesday night. An Access Engineering representative discussed the project and survey which will ask residents to assess the need for infrastructure, parks and recreation, public use facilities and other community improvement projects.

Surveys will be mailed out today, and residents have until May 3 to return them by mail or email or drop them off at village hall. Survey results will be shared at a public meeting at 7 p.m. May 16 at village hall, where residents can also ask questions.

Councilors passed a motion to begin transferring funds quarterly to the Franklin Street account. Kuhn said councilors have not determined how much they will transfer but noted the village must provide matching funds of $240,000 toward the CDBG grant.

Additionally, councilors passed a resolution to approve and place a five-year, 2.8 mill property tax renewal levy on the November ballot. The levy, which brings in $39,399 a year, is for the village's general fund expenditures, Kuhn said. The cost of the levy to the owner of a $100,000 home would be $76.30 per year.

Councilors also,

• heard the Rockford Area Development Committee will hold a community economic development meeting at 7 p.m. April 25 at Shane Hall.

• heard the water tower project's completion date has been pushed back to November 1.

• heard Temple remind residents to maintain their lawns.

• learned the Lions Club Quarter Auction is 1 p.m. April 22. The next council meeting is 7:30 p.m. May 2 at the village hall.

Archive of April 19th, 2023

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Marlar takes feature at Eldora opener

ROSSBURG - Mike Marlar thought his chance at an elusive Eldora Speedway victory had once again eluded him.

After leading the first 43 laps, the [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

County may sell land near airport to two companies

CELINA - Mercer County officials may sell 7.07 acres of county land maintained by the Lakefield Airport to two flourishing machine shops located at the east end of the Franklin Industrial Park.

St. Marys could go to robot waste collection

ST. MARYS - City officials are considering transitioning the city's solid waste collection system from manual to automated.

The solid waste committee on Monday met for an informational meeting with public service and safety director Greg Foxhoven and solid waste superintendent Doug Metz.

Crews make temporary tornado repairs

MINSTER - While an insurance appraiser has yet to put a dollar figure on damage from the April 1 tornado, village crews are pursuing temporary repairs to make Four Seasons Park ball field playable for youth leagues.

2 arrested

CELINA - Two Coldwater residents were arrested for possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony, on Tuesday afternoon, Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey announced in a news release.

Cards weather late hiccup

Despite four errors in sixth, New Bremen holds on to beat Marion

MARIA STEIN - With the bats hot early and Nolan Kuenning sharp on the mound, New Bremen was poised to cruise to a Midwest Athletic Conference win.

Area Roundup

Panthers stave off Blue Jays' late charge

Compiled By Tom Haines and Gary R. Rasberry

Parkway survived a seventh-inning rally by Delphos St. John's to escape with a 4-3 win in a Midwest Athletic Conference baseball game in Delphos on Tuesday.

Homers lift Cavs past Indians

FORT RECOVERY - The Coldwater softball team had a bookends kind of day at Fort Recovery.

The Cavaliers used two two-run home runs in the top of th