News

Changes are coming to Williams County homeowners who use septic systems. The Department of Health says new state septic tank regulations are causing the county to charge homeowners a small fee each year to help cover costs of septic tanks that fail. According to a 2012 study in Ohio, the …

The state wants to know what people think about education standards in Ohio. The Common Core standards, which put federal regulations on a state issue, have been controversial for years. The Ohio Board of Education is asking for input at this website: education.ohio.gov. The suggestions gathered there will be reviewed …

An Oakwood woman convicted in 2003 for causing her stepson to kill his father will get a new trial. An appeals court ruled yesterday that there were four errors in Judith Hawkey’s trial. She was sentenced to life without parole for abusing her 10-year-old stepson and causing him to shoot …

In Antwerp, the chamber of commerce is considering disbanding. According to the Chamber President Shawn Dooley, the problem is not just in their town, but seen across the country. Finding members to participate. Dooley says the same people have been in leadership for a long while and new blood in …

Prices for farmland in Northwest Ohio vary greatly. At a recent gathering, the Defiance County OSU Extension Office’s Bruce Clevenger said prices should stabilize but it’s hard to predict when that will happen. In recent auctions, farmland have gone for $4,600 per acre up to $8,300.

In the county commission meeting in Defiance, commissioners were talking about trains. Apparently, more and more trains are getting even longer and blocking roadways more often. A CSX employee recently told the commission that trains lengths have increased to 12,000 feet and blocked crossings will be occurring regularly. The commission …

A longtime Bryan business has decided to close in their centennial year. Shuck Jewelers owners Skip and Bruce Bechtol are retiring and will close the store once the inventory is sold. They said the inventory will be reduced up to 60 percent off.

You may have seen her TV show, Mother Angelica, a Roman Catholic nun who started a tv ministry and reached millions of people with her down-to-earth discussions, has died. She was born Linda Cheek and lived in Edgerton. The 68-year-old died at the Park View Nursing Center after a brief …

In Montpelier, new construction will begin on April 18th. Main Street will be closed for about two months, between Monroe and Platt streets. Crews will excavate down about a foot and a half, backfill the street with material designed to handle heavy truck traffic and then repave Main St. The …

The work has begun on the Defiance County Courthouse exterior. Midwest Contracting is repairing the roof, tuckpointing the exterior brick and adding a clock tower on the west end of the courthouse. That tower will be nearly 90 feet high and is expected to be installed in August. According to …