Flood Watch issued September 20 at 1:07PM EDT until September 21 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE...Portions of Indiana, including the following counties, Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Ripley, Union and Wayne and Ohio, including the following counties, Adams, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Highland, Hocking, Licking, Logan, Madison, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Shelby, Union and Warren.
* WHEN...From 7 PM EDT this evening through Monday morning.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain will impact the area overnight. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected with locally higher amounts. The heavy rain combined with saturated ground will lead to potential flash flooding.

Flood Warning issued September 20 at 1:05PM EDT until September 21 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

...Forecast flooding changed to Minor severity and increased in duration for the following rivers...
St. Marys River at Rockford.
* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.
* WHERE...St. Marys River at Rockford.
* WHEN...Until Monday morning.
* IMPACTS...At 13.0 feet, State Route 117 near Route 118 north of Rockford is water-covered and closed.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 12:40 PM EDT Sunday the stage was 13.0 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 13.0 feet this afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage just after midnight tonight. - Flood stage is 13.0 feet.

Saturday, January 25th, 2025

New Paris man pleads guilty in fatal buggy crash

By William Kincaid

CELINA - A New Paris man pleaded guilty Friday to four felony charges stemming from a 2023 head-on collision with a horse-drawn buggy that killed a 1-year-old girl and injured several members of her family.

Trey Frech, 25, who was originally indicted on 10 charges, appeared for a change-of-plea hearing before Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Matthew Fox. Frech pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, a third-degree felony, and three counts of vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony.

As part of a negotiated plea agreement, the other six charges will be dismissed - aggravated vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony; three counts of aggravated vehicular assault, a third-degree felony; and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a first-degree misdemeanor - according to a court official.

Fox accepted Frech's guilty pleas and set sentencing for Feb. 19.

Mercer County Central Dispatch received a call reporting an accident at State Route 49 north of Oregon Road at 5:18 p.m. Dec. 23, 2023, according to a news release at the time from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.

Frech, then 24, was reportedly driving a 2016 white Chevy sedan northbound on State Route 49. John Schwartz, then 24, of Celina was traveling with his family southbound in a horse-drawn buggy.

Frech allegedly went into the southbound lane to pass a northbound van and struck the Schwartz buggy head-on, ejecting Frech from his vehicle, according to the release.

Frech was airlifted from the scene by Lutheran Air and transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. Schwartz was transported by Celina Emergency Medical Services to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater and treated and released.

Roseanne Schwartz, 1, was pronounced dead at the scene. The horse was seriously injured and later died, according to the release.

Elizabeth Schwartz, then 26 and more than seven months pregnant, was transported by Celina EMS to Community Hospital and later transferred to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. John Schwartz Jr., then 3, was transported by Celina EMS to Community Hospital.

All survivors have since recovered and the pregnancy was not affected, according to county prosecutor Erin Minor.

Archive of January 25th, 2025

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Wildcats hang on to defeat Panthers

MINSTER - Parkway came off the ropes a few times Friday night, and while Minster was unable to land a knockout blow, the Wildcats did keep the Panthers at arm's length for a 50-42 Midwest Athletic Conference victory. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Drop in state suicide rates provides some hope

Ohio saw a decline in suicide deaths for the first time in three years in 2023, with statewide numbers dipping by 20 to 1,777, a drop of 1%, according to an Ohio Department of Health report released this week.

ODNR to lend firefighting support

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that he has dispatched a nine-person fire management team from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to assist firefighters battling the devastating wildfires that continue to rage in California.

Ohio jobless rate creeps higher

Ohio's unemployment rate was 4.4% in December, up from 4.3% in November, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday. Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 6,800 over the month, from a revised 5,684,700 in November to 5,691,500 in December.

Comeback Cavs

Coldwater rallies from double-digit deficit to defeat Fort Recovery

COLDWATER - After falling behind 10 points to Fort Recovery at halftime, Coldwater looked to ratchet up the defense and find its shooting touch.

Celina falls to Elida

CELINA - There were positives for Celina Friday.

But the end result was not.

After an inspiring shooting start, Celina cooled off. After halftime

St. John's survives St. Henry's rally try

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

St. Henry put together a furious comeback attempt in the second half, but Delphos St. John's hung on to the end to m