(From Coats for Christmas)

Coats for Christmas is a great example of the community working together to help out those who are on a tight budget or who are in need and cannot afford a winter coat.

Each year we ask many of the area schools and some businesses, organizations, and individuals to collect and donate gently used winter coats. Previously City Dry Cleaning and now City Uniforms and Linens, graciously cleans all of these coats and that is no small task – generally we collect over 2,300 coats each year.

So we thank City Uniforms and Linens for this donation! There is also a goal to have enough gloves and hats for everyone who comes to collect a coat. In addition we also collect blankets and socks that are available at our event.

Melissa LaRocco was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss this year’s Coats for Christmas.

Donations: If you are not able to donate coats but still want to help. We accept cash or check donations that goes towards Coats for Christmas each year. Mail donations to the Chamber at 123 E Main Cross St Findlay, Ohio. Make the checks out to “The Alliance Foundation” and place Coats for Christmas in the memo line. You may also pay online by going to findlayhancockchamber.com. Select “store” from the drop down menu and click Coats.

Collection & Distribution

Collection locations: We will be collecting used coats from Mon., Nov., 27th through Fri., Dec., 1st . The coats can be dropped off at the new City Apparel business location at 116 E. Main Cross Street, which was the prior location of City Dry Cleaning. 

Coats may also be dropped off at various Findlay City Schools and county school locations, the Hancock County Library as well as local businesses with donation boxes. If you would like to purchase new coats, hats, mittens, or blankets for the event, then you can drop those off at the downtown YMCA Branch at 300 Lincoln Street in Findlay prior to Fri., Dec. 8th. Indicate when you drop them off that they are new.

Collection dates: Collection will begin on November 27th and will wrap up December 1st.

Cleaning dates: Monday, Dec. 4th – Thursday, Dec. 7th

Set up: Friday, Dec. 8th

Distribution dates: Saturday, December 9th distribution will be from 9 am – 3 pm. Coats will be available again on Sunday, December 10th from 1 pm – 3 pm. There is no financial restriction for eligibility; therefore anyone in need of a coat or hat and mittens is welcome.

Distribution will take place at East Branch YMCA: 1400 Manor Hill Rd. Findlay, Ohio 45840

(From the Hancock METRICH Enforcement Unit)

On 11/29/2023 at approx. 1102 hrs. the Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force along with Officers and Detectives from the Findlay Police Department, executed a narcotic search warrant at 231 E. Foulke Ave., Apt. 3, Findlay, Ohio.

The search of the residence yielded suspected methamphetamine and several items of drug paraphernalia. Other items indicative of drug trafficking and cash were also seized.

As a result of the search the following person was arrested and incarcerated at the Hancock County Justice Center:

Jessica M. Shepherd (age 40)

231 E. Foulke Ave., Apt. 3

Findlay, Ohio

Charge: Possession of Methamphetamine – Felony 2

Additional charges of drug trafficking are expected at the conclusion of this investigation.

The Hancock METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit is supported by METRICH in Mansfield, OH and funded in part by the Office of Criminal Justice Services.

METRICH Crime Tip Hotline: 419-52-CRIME (419-522-7463) or download the METRICH enforcement unit mobile app to “Submit a Tip.”

McComb will be putting on their inaugural Hometown Christmas event in December.

It will be held on Sunday, December 3^rd from 4:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the downtown area.

The event will include a Christmas Tree lighting, a Christmas Market, food trucks, entertainment, activities for the kids and much more.

We spoke with Mayor Cathy Schroll about their Hometown Christmas event.

She said the tree lighting will be held at 4:45 p.m. at Premier Bank in downtown.

Hometown Christmas in McComb was made possible by the efforts of the McComb Community Partnership which also puts on the Cookie Festival.

Get more details by clicking here.

(From the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office)

Sheriff Siefker would like to alert everyone and their families of a scam here in Putnam County and surrounding areas.

Scammers are attempting to con people into thinking a friend/family member has been arrested/ hospitalized and needs money in the form of cash/checks immediately.

Scammers have showed up at people’s homes and/or have contacted them via phone calls.

If you receive a call or if someone shows up at your residence, please don’t hesitate to contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 419-523-3208 immediately for verification.

Our dispatchers are able to confirm or deny the allegations. They can also assist in filing a report.

Unfortunately, the majority of the victims have been elderly.

Please assist us in making our elderly loved ones aware of the current situation. THANK YOU.

The Owens Community College Findlay Campus is among locations receiving funding through the Ohio Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education announced the recipients of the latest round of funds through the Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program.

The program promotes and encourages job growth for Ohio’s commercial drivers through educational training.

A total of 35 schools will share $2.54 million to increase enrollment in high-demand CDL programs and help Ohio students seeking to earn a Commercial Driver’s License.  

Owens Community College recently announced that it is expanding its CDL Training Program to the Findlay-area Campus.

(From the Leipsic Community Center)

Come enjoy our 2nd Annual Light Up Leipsic Christmas event!

It will be held on Thursday, November 30^th from 5 to 8 p.m. along Main Street.

In year one, we couldn’t have imagined the amount of people that came to our small part of the county.

We can’t wait to see what this year’s event brings!

There will be many of the same activities, including bounce houses, cookie decorating, crafts, letters to Santa, and carriage rides.

This year, we are adding in Christmas Caroling, train rides, and a parade to finish off the evening.

There will also be jazz music, raffles, bands and more! We have a ton of things planned throughout our community, so don’t miss it!

Donations are welcome!

(From the Ohio Department of Natural Resources)

Ohio hunters checked 19,359 white-tailed deer during the opening day of gun hunting season on Monday, Nov. 27, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Ohio’s seven-day gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 3, and a two-day gun season is open on Dec. 16-17.
 
This year’s opening day harvest total includes 7,676 antlered deer and 11,683 antlerless deer, a category which includes does and button bucks. In 2022, hunters took 17,197 deer on opening day of the gun season, which traditionally falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. From 2020 to 2022, hunters checked an average of 16,616 deer during the gun season opener.

The top 11 counties for deer harvest on the opening day of the weeklong gun season were:

Coshocton (858)

Tuscarawas (712)

Muskingum (630)

Ashtabula (618)

Knox (587)

Carroll (573)

Guernsey (537)

Harrison (518)

Holmes (475)

Licking (437)

(ONN) – The two-year legal battle over maps of Ohio Statehouse districts may be over.

The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed three long-running constitutional challenges brought by Democratic and voting-rights groups in a 4-3, party-line vote, citing a September bipartisan passage of new legislative maps.

That means the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s new maps will be in place through 2030.

That is unless opponents file a new lawsuit or voters pass changes to Ohio’s redistricting system next November.

Several state petitions to overturn previous decisions finding statehouse maps unconstitutional were denied by the court as being without merit.

(ONN) – Ohio’s governor and lieutenant governor may face depositions in a bribery scheme case involving FirstEnergy.

The subpoena is for information on how much Lt. Governor Jon Husted knew about a $4.3 million payout to the former chair of the public utilities commission.

Attorneys suing FirstEnergy have also subpoenaed records from Governor Mike DeWine asking for political campaign and contributions made in 2018.

This is a separate case from an ongoing criminal case involving familiar names.

Former house speaker Larry Householder– lobbyist Matt Borges– and two others were convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering.

A fifth man was charged but died two years ago by suicide.

Householder is now serving 20 years in prison.

(From Tiffin Historic Trust)

The 2023 Tiffin Historic Trust Holiday House Tour on Sunday, December 3, from 1 to 5 PM, features the beauty of area houses of worship (Christian Churches) and older historic homes, some of which serve as commercial residences. Eight buildings are included in the self-guided tour. Visitors can admire both the architecture and the holiday decorations of the beautifully maintained buildings, some of which have received Historic Preservation Awards from Tiffin Historic Trust.

The Holiday House Tour ticket includes a map showing the locations of the sites. Several homeowners are offering holiday refreshments to their guests.

Tickets are available until December 2, at Great Lakes Ace Hardware (1550 W. Market Street) and (Simply Susan’s, 70 S. Washington Street, Tiffin). On the Sunday of the tour, December 3, tickets will only be available at the Grammes-Brown House, 172 Jefferson Street, Tiffin. The ticket donation is $20 per person.