8/16/17 – 7:17 A.M.

Fostoria officials learned more about efforts to help low-income homeowners during Tuesday’s city council meeting. The Review-Times reports an administrator with the WSOS Community Action Commission said the organization had helped with three homes in the city. One project included rehabbing a house with a high level of lead, which caused a child living there to suffer from lead poisoning.

WSOS housing coordinator Tiffaney Shaver says a $1.2 million state grant is helping pay for the work. Fostoria partners with Seneca County and the city of Tiffin to take part in the two-year program two help improve low-income housing.

MORE: Review-Times

8/16/17 – 7:07 A.M.

The school year begins today with higher enrollment in the Findlay City School district’s preschool program and a blended online and in-person learning program. The Courier reports both programs are using expanded space in the former Washington Administration building.

The Findlay Learning Center had 37 students enrolled last year. That number is expanding to between 70 and 75 students this year. At the same time, the Washington pre-school will have nine half-day classes, up from six a year ago. The district says there is a waiting list to get into the preschool program.

Findlay was able to add more preschool classes thanks to financial support from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and the United Way of Hancock County. The groups pledged $640,000 for two years to help support expanding the preschool program.

MORE: The Courier

8/16/17 – 6:50 A.M.

Findlay High School students returning to school today will notice several updates. The Courier reports the school updated the floors, walls, piping, and fixtures in the four main restrooms. The upgrades replace pipes that dated back to 1962. The district also replaced the main water line into the school. It burst one day last November, forcing the school to close.

The most noticeable changes will be in the gym. The school installed a new “floating floor” and new bleachers over the summer. Director of operations Dennis McPheron says the floor isn’t nailed into the concrete base. He adds that’s standard for new high school gyms.

At Millstream Career Center, two new classrooms are under construction above the auto shop area. McPheron says they’ll finish construction in September.

MORE: The Courier

8/16/17 – 5:16 A.M.

The eminent domain process continues for two properties in the path of a Blanchard River diversion channel in Ottawa. The Courier reports the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District gave an update on the issue Tuesday. The group believes the issue should settle by mid-October. Officials believe the courts will side with them and not the property owners.

Eminent domain allows the conservancy to take land for public use. The law says the conservancy has to pay a fair price for the property they take. In this case, the property owners say the conservancy hasn’t followed state law in the process.

The properties in question sit near an oxbow in the Blanchard River west of Ottawa-Glandorf High School. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the channel would move water out of Ottawa faster when water is running high.

MORE: The Courier

08/15/17 – 10:19 P.M.

After the flood, Findlay City Council had to pay for a repair on a Lakeview Park storm sewer. That repair led to the discovery of a bigger problem according to service director Brian Thomas.

Brian Thomas

Thomas said that this sinkhole could be up to 30 feet and damage the road above the sewer. With the urgency of the project, council passed a resolution to pay over $115,000 for the repairs. Thomas said that the work should be don in about a week.

08/15/17 – 10:03 P.M.

Findlay City Council passed a resolution in the electric dispute between Hancock Wood Electric and AEP. Councilman Jeff Wobser said that it tells the two companies to go back to the way things were.

Jeff Wobser

In prior years the two companies would swap territories for clients. Hancock Wood said that AEP did not do this with the Campbell’s Soup facility coming to the county.

Council did not want to be involved in the dispute. Wobser said that Hancock Wood claims this will help remove council from the issue.

Jeff Wobser

All three parties said that this was an agreeable solution.

08/15/17 – 6:54 P.M.

Classes will be starting soon for the University of Findlay and the school is getting ready. Director of Residence Life John Ferraro said that they’ve been working on rooms and buildings for a while now.

Johnathon Ferraro

Ferraro said that this includes training student employees.

Johnathon Ferraro

He added that many of these students will be resident advisors. They will help students get acclimated to the new school year and design activities to help them get to know one another.

08/15/17 – 6:20 P.M.

An Ottawa man died in a crash on the Ohio Turnpike neat Perrysburg in Wood County. Troopers from the Swanton post were called to a one vehicle crash at mile marker 66.5 westbound. A van driven by 48-year-old Bill Krouse of Ottawa struck the median wall. Troopers report that Krouse had suffered a medical emergency just before hitting the wall. When troopers arrived Krouse was unresponsive and showed no signs of life. They performed CPR with the assistance of family members that were in the van until EMS arrived.

Lake Township EMS took Krouse toSt. Vincent Hospital where he passed away. The Lucas COunty Coroner continues the investigation.