2/22/17 – 9:29 A.M.
Wood County’s Henry Township and North Baltimore have come to an agreement on an EMS contract. The Courier reports the township will pay the village $42,500 per year for emergency services. North Baltimore’s council signed the agreement Tuesday.
10 percent of North Baltimore’s EMS runs went into the township in 2016.
Under the agreement a five-member board will handle EMS issues. Village and township representatives will sit on the board.
MORE: The Courier
2/22/17 – 9:20 A.M.
The superintendent of the Fostoria City School District is taking issue with education proposals in Governor John Kasich’s budget proposal. The Review-Times reports Andrew Sprang talked about the subject at Tuesday’s board meeting. Sprang says a requirement for teachers to serve an internship at a local business to renew their license is “completely unprofessional.” He added, “we should be tasked with doing our job and not with having to go out and know how to do everything.”
Sprang is also not a fan of a proposed requirement to appoint three non-elected members of the business community to the school board. He said the school district already has a good relationship with the chamber of commerce, city officials, and other organizations.
Sprang was a little more welcoming of a proposal dealing with opioid addiction. Teachers would learn more about signs of substance abuse and ways to prevent it as part of the plan. Sprang says, “it is a very prevalent issue in society and we want to work and do our best to help out.”
MORE: Review-Times
2/22/17 – 9:03 A.M.
A two-car crash injured a Findlay woman Tuesday afternoon. The Findlay Police Department reports the collision happened on the southbound exit ramp from the interstate to State Route 12 around 1 p.m.
21-year-old Igjanae Perkins of North Baltimore stopped at the top of the ramp to turn left. A pickup truck driven by 53-year-old Teresa Sessions of Findlay hit the back of Perkins’ car. Hanco Ambulance took Perkins’ passenger, 57-year-old Larenda Davis, to Blanchard Valley Hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Officers cited Sessions for failing to maintain an assured clear distance ahead.
2/22/17 – 8:51 A.M.
Fostoria residents are likely to see a property tax levy on the ballot later this year. The Review-Times reports city council saw four different versions of a fiscal recovery plan during a Tuesday meeting. Three of the plans call for raising property taxes by either 4 mills, 5 mills or 6 mills. The plans raise the city’s carryover balance by various amounts entering 2021.
A fourth option calls for laying off between 13 and 15 city employees with no property tax levy on the ballot. The layoffs would include six police officers, five firefighters and two police clerks.
Council took no action on the issue Tuesday night.
MORE: Review-Times
2/22/17 – 7:25 A.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office responded to a one-car crash near Vanlue this morning. The crash happened in the westbound lanes of State Route 15 near Township Road 196. A dispatcher says the driver was awake and conscious when EMS crews arrived.
Responders closed both lanes of the highway while they removed a damaged guardrail from the road.
No other details are available just yet.
2/22/17 – 6:48 A.M.
Four people are finalists for the McComb School District Superintendent position. The school board says they will interview Upper Sandusky High School Assistant Principal Tony Fenstermaker, McComb seventh- to 12th-grade Principal Jeremy Herr, Findlay High School Principal Craig Kupferberg and Perry High School Principal Nicholas Weingart.
The first round of interviews take place between February 27 and March 8. The district will make a decision by March 22.
Former McComb Superintendent Meri Skilliter left the job to take the Ada superintendent position.
2/22/17 – 5:33 A.M.
Findlay City Council is forgiving around $100,000 of debt owed to the city from the North Central Campus for Emerging Technologies. The campus is located at 1700 Fostoria Avenue at the former Interstill Plant. GreaterFindlayInc. bought the facility in 2005 with several loans, including money from the city’s revolving loan fund. Hancock Regional Planning Commission director Matt Cordonnier says the agreement allows the city to recover some its losses.
Emerging Technologies is leasing space in its building to Brown Mackie College. The college announced last year it would close when all of its current students have finished their programs.
Council voted 8-1 to accept the debt-forgiveness plan. Councilman Jim Niemeyer opposed the measure. Councilwoman Holly Frische abstained due to a potential conflict.
MORE: The Courier
2/22/17 – 5:20 A.M.
Findlay Municipal Court Judge Jonathan Starn is set to become Hancock County’s newest common pleas court judge. Governor John Kasich has appointed Starn to the vacant seat. Starn starts in his new role on March 3.
Judge Joseph Niemeyer retired at the end of 2016, opening up a seat on the bench in Hancock County. Starn was the only person who applied for the opening. He has been a municipal judge since 2010.
Because Starn is a Republican, the Hancock County Republican Party must name a replacement for Starn in the municipal court. The governor has to approve the recommendation as well.
2/22/17 – 4:29 A.M.
Syphilis is on the rise in Wood County. The Sentinel-Tribune claims cases of the sexually-transmitted disease have been increasing since 2012. The early stages of syphilis often have no symptoms but can cause organ damage and even death if not treated.
2/22/17 – 4:26 A.M.
A gas leak is being blamed for evacuations in Bowling Green. The leak began near Conneaut Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard yesterday morning and affected about 30 homes. Everyone has been allowed to return.