The Evening Leader
Memorial High School has no plans to phase out Latin classes
St. Marys Memorial High School is not phasing out Latin. At a recent School Board meeting, Bill Ruane, Superintendent of St. Marys City Schools, explained that Linda Schloemer, Latin and English Language Arts High School Teacher, is moving from...
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VFMSM gets significant donations from St. Marys VFW, others
The Veterans Foundation and Museum of St. Marys (VFMSM) received a $10K donation from the St. Marys VFW Post 9289. They also received significant donations from Brad Fisher and family, the family of Floyd Sheaks, and the family of Franklin Eberle....
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St. Marys VFW donates $21,000 to SMCF over a single month
St. Marys VFW Post 9289 held its regular monthly meeting on Jan. 18 at 2 p.m., presided over by Justin Spray, Jr. Vice Commander. The Canteen report was given by Erin Spray, canteen manager. Canteen sales are increasing, reflecting new menu items. A...
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Lee’s sponsors new food ordering app for Rider Rooters
On Jan. 15, Rider Rooters introduced its new BlazeBite app to the public during a home Boys and Girls Wrestling match against Wapak. The app and equipment (new point of sales devices) were donated to Rider Rooters by Ryan and Wanda Weaver of Lee’s...
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Snow hits Wednesday hard, quickly covering county St. Marys BOE swears-in new member, prepares for 2026
The St. Marys Board of Education held their first meeting of 2026 this week, inducting their newest member into the fold and bringing up some items that needed to be discussed for the new year. The meeting was officially started with an Organizational...
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New St. Marys City Council members take Oath of Office
Erin Buchanan and Aaron Gilliland took their Oaths of Office as new St. Marys City Council Members at the Jan. 12 meeting. Buchanan is replacing Arienne Childrey as the 4th Ward Council Member, and Gilliland is replacing Dan Uhlenhake as a Council...
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Law Enforcement Appreciation Day brings attention to local officers
Jan. 9 marked Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, with departments across Auglaize County taking note. Wapakoneta Mayor Dan Lee expressed his appreciation for law enforcement. “I have a big heart for our law enforcement,” Lee has a criminal justice...
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Riverside Art Center hosts annual high school exhibit
is currently hosting its annual high school art exhibit until Saturday, Jan. 24. Participating schools include Wapakoneta, St. Marys, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Botkins, Jackson Center and Fort Loramie. The exhibit is sponsored by TSC. Students...
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Grand Lake Health Challenge to start soon for 2026
As it is with the new year, there are plenty of people out in Auglaize County wanting to lose weight and make themselves healthier as they get into 2026. For some people, it’s easier to do it alongside friends, family and other members of a group, as...
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New Year’s Baby Arrives at Grand Lake Health System
MARYS, OH – Grand Lake Health System is pleased to announce the arrival of its first baby of the New Year. Oliver Thomas Brunet made his grand entrance at 4:51 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2026. He weighed 9 pounds, 9.4 ounces, and measured 19.5 inches long. Proud...
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A.C. Historical Society, Courthouse celebrate New Year’s with local events
Multiple events were held throughout Wapakoneta on New Year’s Eve to ring in the new year. Familyfriendly events during the day provided a way for families to celebrate together without keeping the kids up late. The Auglaize County Historical Society...
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St. Marys Council approves flurry of ordinances during last meeting of the year
The St. Marys City Council met on Tuesday in order to finish up some end-of-year business at their final council meeting of the year, mostly by reading and approving a slew of ordinances during the meeting. Before the council discussed legislation,...
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OSHA issues over $40,000 in fines in fatal St. Marys building collapse investigation
ST. MARYS — Federal workplace safety officials have issued three serious safety citations totaling $41,706 following a four-month investi- gation into a deadly building collapse in St. Marys that killed one worker and injured another. The U.S....
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Leugers Insurance makes 14th annual holiday donation
Leugers Insurance Agency made their 14th Annual holiday donation to Help Me Grow and Ohio Early Intervention programs of Mercer, Auglaize & Shelby Counties. Donations were also made to Putnam and Allen Counties to help fulfill the need for toiletries....
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Ohio Secretary of State visits Auglaize County BOE
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose visited the Auglaize County Board of Elections (BOE) on Friday for a discussion with board and staff members on updates to elections in Ohio. LaRose said the real work of elections administration is at the county...
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Auglaize County Engineer Andrew Baumer wins the 2025 Engineer of the Year Award
Auglaize County Engineer Andrew Baumer was recently awarded the 2025 Engineer of the Year award by the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO). He was recognized for his service to the association as a board member and in multiple committee...
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St. Marys City Schools says their goodbyes to Falk, Shelby as they retire from the board
The St. Marys Board of Education said goodbye to two of their members on Wednesday before and after their monthly meeting, with Rhonda Shelby and Chris Falk being honored for their years of service to the board and St. Marys City Schools as a...
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Wreaths Across America honors Auglaize County fallen service members Saturday
Christmas wreaths were placed on the graves of Auglaize County service members who were killed in action or are missing in action as part of Wreaths Across America on Saturday. Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit dedicated to remembering and...
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Generations Cafe opens on Spring Street in St. Marys
Generations Cafe had its soft opening on Monday, Dec. 8, and will have its grand opening on Monday, Dec. 15. The new Spring Street restaurant will serve a mix of breakfast and lunch dishes from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. every day. Stop in on Monday, if you haven’t...
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State Park update provided at latest LIA meeting
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Manager Dave Faler provided his report at the Lake Improvement Association meeting on recent developments involving the park, with some things winding down due to winter having finally come around for the local area. As...
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New Knoxville celebrated Christmas in the Village with some family fun
VAN WERT – The holiday season is nearing its grand finale at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, and there’s just one more opportunity to celebrate it in unforgettable fashion. This Saturday, Dec. 13, audiences are invited to step back into a warm,...
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FFA’s Miracle on Spring Street brings holiday cheer to downtown St. Marys
On Dec. 1, the Finance Committee held their second meeting to review the 2026 budget. Bob Fitzgerald, Council Member At Large and Finance Committee Member, addressed the Council at the Dec. 8 Council meeting, saying, “The committee had a chance to ask...
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Crescent Players to present A Very St. Marys Christmas
While you’re downtown for the Miracle on Spring Street today, consider a matinee performance of the Crescent Players’ new play, “A Very St. Marys Christmas” at the St. Marys Theater. This weekend only, see the Ohio premiere of Robert Hawlmark’s new...
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Auglaize County Libraries Director shares library system history and services
Auglaize County Public District Library System (ACPDLS) Director Beth Steiner presented about the library system’s history and services to the Rotary Club of Wapakoneta on Monday. She shared how it has expanded from offering books and newspapers to all...
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Grand Lake Health System raises $6K for United Way Auglaize County
Grand Lake Health System employees, including Joint Township District Memorial Hospital CEO, Cindy Berning, recently presented Deb Zwez, Executive Director of the United Way of Auglaize County, with a large check for $6K. The money was raised in 2024...
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Minster Council goes over annual items at meeting
The Minster Council held their first meeting for December on Tuesday, with the main topic of discussion centering around annual items. Most of the meeting consisted of going over ordinances that were already discussed at previous meetings. The one and...
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Craig Morgan announced as headliner for A.C. Fair Concert
WAPAKONETA – The Auglaize County Fair Board announced Monday that country music star Craig Morgan will headline the 2026 Auglaize County Fair Concert on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, closing out the final night of the fair, which will be held Aug. 2nd...
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Storefront decorated for the holidays in St. Marys
Winter is officially making its debut, with the weather starting to take a turn into colder temperatures and an increased likelihood for snow coming in, ironically, hot. Many have been waiting in anticipation for the winter to start in Ohio, and while...
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Thanksgiving Day celebrations for those stuck at home this holiday
For many people in Auglaize County, the Thanksgiving holiday means coming together as a family and being thankful for what they have. However, due to a variety of circumstances, sometimes it can be impossible to come together during the holidays....
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Pack the Pallet food drive considered a big success
WAPAKONETA — The Auglaize County Board of Elections (BOE) has successfully completed the mandatory Post-Election Audit for the Nov. 4, 2025, General Election. The audit confirmed a 100% Accuracy Rate, verifying that every vote cast was counted...
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Heritage Trails Park District outlines future of parks for Rotary
The Heritage Trails Park District Executive Director, P.J. Fought, outlined the future of the organization’s parks at the St. Marys Rotary Club meeting on Nov. 19. Currently, the organization manages five parks including Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner...
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The first snow of the season hits Auglaize County
CELINA — Blake Strickler, Commercial Underwriter at Celina Insurance Group, recently earned the Associate in Insurance (AINS) and Associate in Insurance Services (AIS) designations. The AINS and AIS designations are awarded by The Institutes, an...
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St. Marys Middle hosts Veterans Day Brunch St. Marys City Council passes helmet requirement ordinance
The St. Marys City Council unanimously passed Ordinance No. 2025-22 at the Nov. 10 meeting. The ordinance requires all individuals under the age of 18 to wear helmets when operating or riding a bicycle, electric bicycle, or low-speed micromobility...
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Bailey’s Boutique holds grand opening, open house on Friday
Many towns and villages are built upon the communities that live there, specifically the families that end up taking root. When a family business changes hands, though, it’s not often that they’ll go through some changes like one local business...
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LIA receives Natural Resource Update involving Grand Lake
Grand Lake St. Marys is known for many different things, though it’s mainly known for the services it provides for the local community, which are mostly recreational. However, like many other parts of nature, it does have its own natural resources that...
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Historical Society to host annual meeting Thursday
The Auglaize County Historical Society will host its Annual Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., at the St. Joseph Catholic Church Parish Life Center. Attendees are reminded that part of the St. Joseph parking lot is unavailable for use because of...
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Minster Council accepts bids for sidewalk project
The Minster Council met on Tuesday in order to discuss several ordinances that needed to be passed under suspension of the rules. The main topic of discussion at the council meeting was several key ordinances that needed to be passed, with some having...
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Puck-i-Huddle draws crowds various vendors Sunday
The St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce held the annual Puck-i-Huddle Fall Craft Show, bringing plenty of people over and becoming a big success. With plenty of vendors to suit every visitor, the Puck-i-Huddle brought plenty of people to St. Marys...
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Auglaize Fish & Game Club range reopens to members
The Auglaize Fish & Game Club shooting range at 15408 Wapak-Fisher Rd. is now open. In March, an injunction was issued shutting the range down until such time as improvements were made by the club to account for safety upgrades. The new range reopened...
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Happy Halloween to Auglaize County! Auglaize County to plant Heritage Tree on Nov. 3
A tree planting will take root in Auglaize County on Monday, Nov. 3, at 1 pm, at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds, Wapakoneta, as part of the Heritage Trees: Planting History program under America 250Ohio. The public is cordially invited to attend this...
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Costume Contest winners named after completion of parade
The St. Marys Rotary Halloween Parade was held on Tuesday, with plenty of people coming together to enjoy the festivities, bringing some holiday joy to the downtown area. Alongside it, though, was their annual Costume Contest they hold each year. With...
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Auglaize County native indicted on 13 charges
A development has been made in the case of Hector Hernandez, who was recently indicted on 13 different charges after his initial arrest. According to AuglaizeCounty. org, around 13 indictments were made on Hernandez, who was originally arrested on...
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New Bremen Council talks on 90 acre land purchase
The New Bremen Council met on Monday in order to discuss several important topics in relation to the village, some of which include upcoming celebrations. Multiple items of importance were discussed at the Monday council meeting, with the meeting...
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FCA holds Fields of Faith event for county students
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes held their Fields of Faith event this week, getting students from all across the county to come together for a night of worship. Held in the Memorial High School gym due to inclement weather, students from 7 to...
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One act plays to feature at Memorial High School
St. Marys Memorial High School is planning to hold a series of shows this Saturday in the form of three one act plays, all of them being directed by local students. The three plays, set under the theme of Before, Between and Beyond, are set to start...
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Toledo Buffalo Soldiers visit St. Marys Rotary Club
The Buffalo Soldiers is a motorcycle club and charitable organization named after the six regiments of Black soldiers who were part of the 1866 effort to protect travel routes, American settlers, and other assets in the Western frontier. Their mission...
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- Minster in the 60’s - Francis J. Stallo Memorial Library
It’s easy to pass by many of the local buildings within your village or city, not realizing just what stories each of them can tell. This goes double for some of the buildings that provides services that we take for granted; our local libraries. The...
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St. Marys Chili Cook Off raises over $3,000 for museum
The St. Marys Chili Cook Off was held over the weekend, with plenty of people being able to come out and enjoy a good fall day. The Cook Off for this year was blessed with wonderful weather and high attendance as multiple people came together to enjoy...
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Armstrong Museum paint project wraps up this week
Over the past few weeks, the Armstrong Air & Space Museum has been undergoing exterior renovations that are wrapping up this week. The exterior walls and dome have been resealed and repainted. Back in 2019, a sealant was put on the exterior walls to...
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New Bremen Board welcomes special guest to meeting
The New Bremen Board of Education met this week in order to discuss some big items related to the New Bremen Local School District, along with welcoming a very special guest to their Wednesday meeting. The guest of honor of the board meeting was the...
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Kenneth Briggs shares Air Camp experience at St. Marys Rotary
Kenneth Briggs is a 13-year-old St. Marys Middle School student who recently attended Air Camp. He spoke at the St. Marys Rotary Club on Oct. 15 to share his experience with club members. The Rotary Club funded his trip to Air Camp, which takes place...
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Out of the Darkness Walk raises over $13,000 Saturday
Over $13,000 was raised for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and local mental health and suicide programming and resources in Auglaize County through the second annual Auglaize County Out of the Darkness Walk. The walk was held...
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Tailgate for Cancer draws crowds Saturday morning
The New Bremen Council met on Monday to discuss various ordinances, both old and new, before approving some that affect the village. One of the more notable ordinances to be discussed was Ordinance 2025-09-16, which allowed the modification of charge...
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Alumni Foundation welcomes eight into Hall of Fame
St. Marys Memorial High School Alumni Foundation held their annual Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, bringing in eight different people into the fold for this year. As they do every year, the MHS
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Gateway Arts Council welcomes The Lovin’ Spoonful
SIDNEY — Gateway Arts Council is thrilled to announce that the iconic band The Lovin’ Spoonful will take the stage at the Sidney High School Auditorium on Nov. 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. as part of their exciting Presents Series. Known for their catchy...
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St. Marys Library Board passes two policy changes
The St. Marys Community Public Library held their monthly board meeting on Oct. 8 and passed two policy changes. The Policy Committee met prior to drafting the changes and brought them to the board for approval. One change concerns the Public...
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Minster Council discusses Oktoberfest, other developments
The Minster Council met on Tuesday in order to discuss and pass several ordinances, as well as give attention to some recent achievements of the village. The council started the meeting by discussing some of the ordinances that came to their...
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Minster Oktoberfest kicks off after opening ceremonies
Crowds gathered at the gazebo located in downtown Minster on Saturday as the 2025 Minster Oktoberfest was officially kicked off for everyone to enjoy. The ceremony was opened with the national anthem and the raising of the flags, with live...
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St. Marys Homecoming Queen crowned on Friday Al Meinerding to receive recognition for service city schools
Al Meinerding taught Social Studies to thousands of seventh grade students over the 34 years that he taught at McBroom Junior High School in St. Marys. Many of his former students remember him as one of the best teachers they ever had, and to prove it,...
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First Friday Spotlight - Lucy’s Home Decor and Gifts
Lucy’s Home Decor and Gifts just celebrated its first anniversary this September. If you still haven’t been, you’ll want to visit this holiday season. It’s the perfect place to grab a gift that’s a little higher quality than what you’d find at a bigger...
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Ted Liette to be inducted into MHS Hall of Fame for Athletic
Ted D. Liette graduated from St. Marys Memorial High School in 1995, leaving behind an unmatched legacy as a Middle Linebacker on two football state championship teams, sweeping post-season awards two years in a row when he was named first-team...
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Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve Open to the Public Again
Heritage Trails Park District is pleased to announce that the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve has re-opened to the public! Thanks to generous donors, a brand new boardwalk has been installed to enhance accessibility to all hikers. In the...
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Ferrall Announces Run for Auglaize County Common Pleas Court Judge
Zach Ferrall, St. Marys City Law Director and local attorney, is officially announcing his Republican candidacy for the Probate, Domestic Relations, and Juvenile Court Judge in Auglaize County in the upcoming May 6, 2026, election. Ferrall would...
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St. Marys Solid Waste Committee Considering Rate Increase
On Monday, September 15, the St. Marys City Council Solid Waste Committee held a meeting to discuss potential rate increases. The Committee commissioned a cost of service study to determine whether or not the solid waste fund was making ends meet....
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Coordinator of County’s Only Recycling Facility Set to Retire
Next week, Auglaize County Solid Waste Management District Coordinator Scott Cisco will retire after 11 years in the position. Cisco has played a major role in cleaning up Auglaize County’s only recycling facility, changing the way materials are...
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It’s a Dirty Job, But Someones Got To Do It
Local FFA groups around Auglaize county participated in a soil judging competition recently, putting their wits and experience to good use in a friendly event held by the Auglaize Soil and Water District. The event, which took place Thursday at around...
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History professor speaks at St. Marys Community Public Library
Dr. Thomas Taylor, professor of history at Wittenberg University, spoke to an audience of 25 at the St. Marys Community Library Wednesday evening about the Declaration of Independence. The occasion also marked the debut of the Gilder Lehrman traveling...
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Minster Board discusses campus safety at meeting
The Minster Board of Education met on Wednesday in order to discuss important items related to campus safety and similar issues. Reports were the big part of the Wednesday meeting, with Superintendent Josh Meyer focusing on something a little...
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St. Marys Library braces as budget cuts take effect
The St. Marys Community Public Library is bracing for the anticipated budget cuts that have started taking effect. Kristina Boroff, Fiscal Officer, reported at the Sept. 10 board meeting that the library has received about $3K less from the Public...
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Governor DeWine, ODNR open center at Lake Loramie State Park
MINSTER – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz celebrated the opening of the new welcome center at Lake Loramie State Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. The new space will serve as a...
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K&R Lawn Mower Demolition Derby held over weekend
The K&R Lawn Mower Demolition Derby was held over the weekend, starting at around 3 p.m. on Saturday. The derby held its 28th annual event over the weekend, with plenty of people coming together at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds. The event is held...
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Rotary gets fall sports preview from MHS seniors
Nine Memorial High School seniors attended the Sept. 3 St. Marys Rotary Club meeting to give a report on fall sports. The seniors included Jacob Ackroyd, Chloe Christopher, Blake Dingledine, Peyton Frazier, Logan Henschen, Lauren Jacobs, Lilleigh...
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The Wright State Police Academy welcomes 18 new students for the 2025 Year
This is one of the largest classes in the past ten years at the Lake Campus. There continues to be a shortage both statewide and nationwide for qualified law enforcement officers. We hope that this large class will go a long way in filling the need for...
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