8/2/17 – 5:37 A.M.

The new Common Pleas Court Judge in Putnam County wants a drug court. The Lima News reports Keith Schierloh outlined the process Tuesday. Schierloh says a drug court gives the county an option to sentence certain drug offenders in different ways. This can include treatment and counseling. If someone sentenced through the drug court doesn’t follow the judge’s orders they can still go to jail.

Schierloh says Putnam County can’t establish a drug court until he’s been on the bench for a year. That won’t happen until next May. He also said there’s a certification process. With that in mind, January of 2019 is likely the earliest the county could launch a drug court effort.

MORE: Lima News

8/2/17 – 5:24 A.M.

Findlay City Council is taking a step toward clarifying its position in a territory dispute between AEP and the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative. The Courier reports council read a letter written by Councilman Tom Klein into the record during Tuesday’s meeting. The letter encourages both companies to continue to swap customers in areas where their service territories overlap.

The letter goes on to say, “Should either company choose to abandon that practice, we would hope that an acceptable outcome will be adjudicated through the proper authority having jurisdiction over the issue.”

Council could formally approve the letter at their August 15 meeting.

The Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative says AEP is “cherry-picking” large electric contracts on the city’s north side. AEP offered Hancock-Wood a service area in North Baltimore in exchange for the Campbell Soup site. Hancock-Wood rejected the offer and says AEP then took the Campbell contract away. AEP says when Findlay annexes business sites into the city, it gives AEP the right to offer them service.

MORE: The Courier

8/2/17 – 5:11 A.M.

Business leaders aren’t signing off on a proposed sales tax increase in Hancock County. The Courier reports Findlay-Hancock County Alliance president John Haywood read a letter signed by 13 city and business officials during a meeting about the tax proposal Tuesday. The letter said, “The business community cannot support the commissioners’ proposed increase to a three-quarter percent sales tax for the next 20 years, due to a lack of clarity in the information provided to justify the increase.”

Haywood, University of Findlay president Dr. Katherine Fell, and Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik all signed the letter. Representatives from Marathon Petroleum, Ohio Logistics, Blanchard Valley Health System, National Lime & Stone, and Cooper Tire among others also signed.

Hancock County voters approved a half-percent increase in the sales tax in 2009. It expires at the end of next year. The commissioners have proposed replacing the tax with a three-quarter percent sales tax. That would amount to a quarter-percent increase.

The commissioners say the extra quarter-percent would help expand the jail and offset the cost of a new probate/juvenile court. Commissioner Mark Gazarek says the change in the sales tax would also help the county deal with reductions in money from the state.

MORE: The Courier

08/01/17 – 10:16 P.M.

Fire Station 2 in Findlay is in need of some repairs. Findlay City Council appropriated to fix it next year but Safety Director Paul Schmelzer told them that it’s better to get the repairs done now.

Paul Schmelzer

Schmelzer said that some of the issues are affecting operations.

Paul Schmelzer

The repairs will cost $23,000. Findlay City Council passed the ordinance on emergency.

08/01/17 – 6:28 P.M.

Stuff the Bus happened over a week ago and Christian Clearing House will be able to help plenty of kids. That’s according to Christian Clearing House’s Tammy Stahl.

Tammy Stahl

Stahl added that they still need some back packs for children. If you want to help out, you can donate the back packs at the Family Center.

8/1/17 – 5:32 A.M.

Voters in three area counties could see a levy for the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties on the ballot this fall. The Review-Times reports organizers want to make sure there isn’t any confusion about the issue.

Director Mirceau Handru says the levy will be a new levy, but won’t ask for more money. Handru says a procedural issue with the Ohio Department of Taxation doesn’t allow the organization to put a renewal levy on the ballot.

Handru adds that if voters approve the levy, they’ll cancel the current levy at the end of the year so people aren’t double taxed. That means they would end the current .8-mill property tax levy and replaced it with a new .7-mill levy.

The levy pays for things like 24/7 crisis services, hospitalization, and crisis intervention services for the first responders among other items.

MORE: Review-Times

8/1/17 – 5:20 A.M.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation has given out $25,000 in grants. Arlington is getting more than $21,000 to help build a walking path in the village park. The Fostoria Garden Club will use more than $2,000 to landscape Gray Park. The group is also giving the Rawson Proud Community more than $1,300 to put together “new resident welcome bags” to give to people who move into town.

Foundation president Kathy Kreuchauf says, “whether it’s beautification, communication or increased health and wellness opportunities, each of these projects will improve quality of life.”