5/2/17 – 9:42 P.M.
A battle of two political newcomers saw Dina Ostrander win a Findlay City Council seat. Ostrander secured 74 percent of the ballots cast in her Third Ward race against Mike Tanner…
Audio: Dina Ostrander
This was Ostrander’s first time running for political office.
She is unopposed in November.
5/2/17 – 9:33 P.M.
A long-serving member of Findlay City Council will serve as its president. Ron Monday took 63 percent of the ballots cast in his race against Tom Ross…
Audio: Ron Monday
Monday has spent nearly 20 years on council as the Third Ward representative.
He is unopposed in the November general election.
5/2/17 – 9:21 P.M.
The Democratic party council-at-large race was a close one. Barb Lockard was the leading vote-getter, taking just under 30 percent of the ballots cast in the four-person race…
Audio: Barb Lockard
Mary Harshfield finished in second place with 28 percent of the more than 1,500 ballots cast in the race…
Audio: Mary Harshfield
Heidi Mercer claimed the final spot in the November general election, taking 23 percent of the votes…
Audio: Heidi Mercer
Tim Davis finished in fourth place with 18 percent of the votes cast going his way.
Lockard, Harshfield, and Mercer now face Republicans Grant Russel, Tom Shindledecker, and Jeff Wobser as well as Independent candidate Scott Klinger Sr. in November.
05/02/17 – 5:47 P.M.
The United Way of Hancock County is hosting a 5k at Riverside Park for their Halt Hunger Initiative. Program Coordinator Heather Heilman said that the race is coming up this weekend.
The race supports the Feed A Child Program. Heilman said that the program is helpful for children in need.
You can pre-register at liveunitedhancockcounty.org.
The race coincides with the United States Postal Service Stamp Out Hunger Program. Heilman said that you’re welcome to bring in canned food for the program.
05/02/17 – 5:02 P.M.
The Hancock County Engineer reports that there will some road maintenance in Findlay tomorrow. Traffic will be restricted on Olive Street between Brookside Drive and Park Street. They will be doing soil borings.
The Engineer’s office urges you to use caution when traveling through the area.
05/02/17 – 2:39 P.M.
Hancock Park District will reopen the Field of Dreams Dog Park in Riverbend Park tomorrow at sunrise. They had closed the facility last week to install a new waste disposal system and new fencing.
The new tank system eliminates the need for trash cans inside the dog park. One trash can will be located at the entry outside of the gate. HPD asks that you don’t put trash bags in the new tank. Instead, they will have scoops available beside the front gate.
5/2/17 – 7:40 A.M.
Bowling Green Police are looking for a man who posed as an Uber driver and reportedly forced himself on a woman in his car. The Sentinel-Tribune reports the alleged incident happened early Saturday morning. A woman told police the man parked his car, got on top of her, and groped her. When the woman told the man to stop he started driving again. The alleged victim says she dove out of the car and ran home.
The woman described the suspect as a black man in his 20s. He was around 5’10” tall and weighed around 250 pounds. The man had an unshaven face and short hair. He was driving a newer model four-door white Ford.
Investigators say it isn’t clear if the woman called for a ride.
Police urge you to call them if you have any information about the case.
MORE: Sentinel Tribune
5/2/17 – 7:21 A.M.
The Blanchard River is running high right now but won’t hit flood stage. The National Weather Service reports the river crested at just over eight feet in Findlay early this morning. However, the river has already receded back below the action stage threshold in the city.
Downstream in Ottawa, the river remains on the rise. It’s expected to crest at just over 20 feet tomorrow morning. That puts the river in the action stage in Ottawa. Current NWS models show river levels dropping out of action stage tomorrow evening.
Rain showers toward the end of the week could start pushing the river back up again.
5/2/17 – 6:58 A.M.
Update – 7:20 A.M.
A crash in the northbound lanes of I-75 in Findlay slowed things down this morning. Area Waze users say the crash happened between the State Route 15 / U.S. 68 interchange and the State Route 12 exit. The resulting backup added around 10 minutes to the commute through Findlay. It’s also backed up traffic on the northbound entrance ramp from Route 15 and U.S. 68 onto the interstate.
The State Patrol says the crash involved a semi and another vehicle. No injuries were reported.
We’ll have more details as they become available.
MORE: Traffic Map