You may notice Findlay police officers sporting more and more facial hair as the month of November progresses.

Findlay police officer Brian White says officers will be participating in “No Shave November” and raising money for the organization Blue H.E.L.P., which assists officers and their families with issues of mental health and suicide.

He says if officers donate one dollar a day to the organization Blue H.E.L.P., they don’t have to shave.

Typically, the department’s uniform policy dictates that on duty officers may only sport a mustache but for “No Shave November” anything goes.

The police department will be posting pictures during the month and people can vote on their favorite.

Learn more about Blue H.E.L.P. by clicking here.

You may start seeing more furry faces around the police department. Sadly no, not more K9s. Officers are being granted leniency for “No Shave November” with a financial contribution of one dollar per day to Blue Help.

See here for more information on https://t.co/7sUMqYw4QY.

— FindlayPoliceDept (@FindlayPolice) October 26, 2020

The Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County has some Halloween and trick-or-treat advice for pet owners.

1. Keep your pets in a secure place INSIDE- room, crate, etc. so they do not run out the door when you are handing out candy.

2. Make sure your dog has their dog tag on their collar. For a cat, a break-away collar and some tag to identify them and a way to contact you if they get out.

3. Even if your pet normally likes strangers, remember that these strangers will be dressed up and may stress out your animal – keep a close eye on your pet!

4. Do not force your pet to dress up. If he/she does not want to be dressed up for Halloween, respect their wishes.

5. Keep candy/treats out of your pet’s reach! It can be dangerous – even lethal.

People are also being reminded, when going trick-or-treating, that it’s not okay for children to run up to strange dogs.

Even if the dog seems friendly they may be stressed out from all the excitement.

Click here to see the animals up for adoption at the Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County.

The pictures with this story are from the Humane Society’s Howl-O-Ween event last year.

Ohio is allocating nearly $420 million in CARES Act funding to help ease the burdens caused by the pandemic.

The funding package includes money for small businesses, restaurants and bars, hospitals, higher education, arts, nonprofits and low-income Ohioans impacted financially by the pandemic.

Governor DeWine says this money is essential in helping Ohioans stay in their homes and to pay off outstanding bills accrued during the pandemic.

The City of Findlay is encouraging people to check out the programs below or by clicking here.

#Ohio is allocating nearly $420MM in CARES Funding to help small biz, restaurants, bars, hospitals, higher ed, arts, nonprofits, & low-income Ohioans. #FindlayOhio make sure you check out these programs below and at https://t.co/YFkc8ZpZ5i. @FindlayHancock @FndlyHanChamber pic.twitter.com/jLi5SSnnPm

— City of Findlay (@CityOfFindlay) October 26, 2020

Putnam County has the highest occurrence of COVID-19 cases in the state based on population by a wide margin.

Data from the Ohio Department of Health shows Putnam County has had 294 cases over the last two weeks, leading to a rate of 868.3 cases per 100,000 people.

Putnam County’s population is 33,861.

Putnam County has had a total of 1,156 cases and 27 deaths.

Putnam County is “red”, or level three, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Hancock County is still “orange” or level two.

State data shows Hancock County on Tuesday was at 1,159 cases and 29 deaths.

Hancock County and all surrounding counties are considered “high incidence” counties.

The Ohio Department of Health on Tuesday reported 2,509 new cases of the virus statewide along with 22 new deaths.

Statewide, total cases as of Tuesday stood at 202,740 and total deaths were at 5,239.

A breakdown of the top 20 counties. pic.twitter.com/B9raM04FR1

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) October 27, 2020

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has a message for people who plan to vote absentee but have not yet requested their mail-in ballot.

Do it now.

Officially, the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot is Saturday at noon, but LaRose says that if you wait until then, you may not receive that ballot until after the election is over.

And he’s also advising people not to hold on to those ballots when they get them, but to return them as soon as possible.

A ballot must be postmarked no later than November 2nd for it to be counted.

People can also place their absentee ballot in the drop box (pictured) at the Hancock County Board of Elections up until 7:30 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, November 3rd.

A record number of voters have requested an absentee ballot for this election.

Click here for a list of candidates and issues on the ballot in Hancock County.

It was a sad conclusion to the search for a missing boy in Kenton.

The city says 4-year-old Quinton Ellcessor’s body was found in the Scioto River on Monday afternoon, about two miles east of where he was last seen walking on Thursday afternoon.

A K9 team with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources located the boy, who was autistic.

The city says the investigation will continue, pending an autopsy.

The City of Kenton is thanking the community for the outpouring of support during this difficult time and local, state and federal agencies for their assistance.

(picture provided by the City of Kenton)

Findlay City Schools will have an operating levy on the November 3rd ballot.

Superintendent Troy Roth says the levy is smaller than the one that was defeated in a special election in August and in the primary in April.

As Roth said, since the millage is lower, even if this levy is approved, the district will still have to make some cuts to personnel and in other areas.

The 3.9 mill levy would cost taxpayers significantly less than the 5.9 mill levy that voters twice rejected.

The school district says the 3.9 mill levy on the November 3rd ballot will cost a homeowner $136.50 annually for each $100,000 of home value.

The 5.9 mill levy that failed would have cost a homeowner $206.50 for each $100,000 of home value.

Get more on the levy here.

Seneca County is getting its first roundabout.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is proposing constructing a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 224 and State Route 587 in western Seneca County.

That intersection is currently a two-way stop intersection and ODOT says a roundabout would make that intersection safer.

ODOT says roundabouts not only reduce the number of crashes but also reduce the severity of crashes that do occur.

A virtual meeting to get the public’s input on the proposed project will be held on Wednesday, November 4th at 4 p.m.

The project is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022 and last about three months.

People can also mail comments about the project to John Erford at Ohio Department of Transportation District 2 317 East Poe Road Bowling Green, OH 43402.

The Lima Avenue double roundabout in Findlay (below) opened in November of 2019.

Ohio has surpassed 200,000 overall cases of COVID-19.

The Monday numbers from the Ohio Department of Health show there have been 200,231 cases since the pandemic started.

2,116 of those cases were recorded in the 24-hours leading up to Monday.

An additional 11 deaths were also reported on Monday, bringing the COVID death toll in Ohio to 5,217.

Both Hancock and Putnam Counties are considered a “high incidence” county.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

The map will come out on Thursday.

#COVID19 Myths vs. Facts. https://t.co/vg4tN6uInk #InThisTogetherOhio pic.twitter.com/F33osBWjJ9

— Ohio Dept of Health (@OHdeptofhealth) October 26, 2020

The City of Findlay is on the lookout for its 2020 Christmas Tree.

The city is taking suggestions from people who may have a tree in mind that they think would look great all lit up outside the municipal building.

People with a recommendation can send an email to mayor@findlayohio.com that includes a picture of the tree, address and contact information for the property owner.

The tree should be 25 to 35 feet tall and preferably be a short needle spruce.

It should be easily accessible for equipment to get to and have no obstructions like overhead lines.

It should not be a backyard tree unless the yard is totally accessible for large equipment.

The city will remove the tree, grind the stump, clean up the area and seed.

The city will also plant a new tree in the spring if desired by the property owner.

Last year’s tree (pictured) was courtesy of Amy Wellman and family.