09/14/17 – 6:12 P.M.

The University of Findlay has hired an executive director for the Center for Civic Engagement. Leigh Esper will be the first person to fill the role. The CCE will be housed on the 1st floor of UF’s new Center for Student Life building and will focus on fixing social issues in Findlay. This means food insecurity, transportation, substance abuse and mental health to name a few.

Esper will be responsible for identifying university expertise that can help with these issues. She will also work to connect with city and county organizations and to help research endeavors for community partners.

09/14/17 – 5:52 P.M.

A Fostoria man will be spending time in prison on burglary charges. The Courier’s Eileen McClory said that Kasey Cole will spend six years in prison and will have to pay restitution.

Eileen McClory

The charges Cole faced were from December last year when he burgled 2 homes.

09/14/17 – 4:29 P.M.

Ohio Setback Laws for wind turbines are getting looked at for possible changes. State Senator Cliff Hite was in Findlay yesterday and explained that the laws need to be reformed.

Cliff Hite

The laws limit how close a wind turbine can be to a property line or inhabited building. He said that the state is looking to lower the distance needed. He said that this will help establish growth.

Cliff Hite

He added that wind turbines can help provide money to the local government and school districts through taxes.

9/14/17 – 11:33 A.M.

Developers continue to bet on Findlay as a business location. The Bellefontaine, Ohio-based Humble Robinson Group presented plans to build a 100,000 square foot warehouse to the city planning commission Thursday. Gary Smalley is with the company and says a Jobs Ohio pilot program is helping them pay to remediate the old Hyway Concrete Pipe location at 2615 Crystal Avenue…

Audio: Gary Smalley

The company plans to have the building under roof by this spring.

Smalley says they don’t have a tenant lined up yet, but says there’s been a lot of interest already.

9/14/17

Utility workers from Bowling Green are on their way to Florida to assist Hurricane Irma relief efforts. Three Bowling Green Public Utilities employees are heading to Ocala today to help repair downed power lines and clean up debris left behind. Crew members are expected to spend ten days in Florida before another team is dispatched to help out.

9/14/17 – 6:50 A.M.

A Fostoria man who held his girlfriend against her will and beat her will spend several years in prison. The Review-Times reports a judge sentenced 28-year-old Travis Dauterman to seven years behind bars earlier this week. Dauterman pleaded guilty to charges of felonious assault, two counts of abduction, and one count of domestic violence.

During Tuesday’s sentencing Police Chief Keith Loreno said, “One of my officers stated this was probably one of the worst domestic assaults of a man against a woman he’s ever seen.”

Dauterman beat the woman for several hours on March 15 before she escaped. Employees of a business at 1600 block of North Union Street found the woman and called for help. The victim had to stay at a Toledo trauma center due to the extensive nature of her injuries.

MORE: Review-Times

9/14/17 – 5:33 A.M.

A Putnam County man could spend the rest of his life in prison for raping an infant. The Putnam County Sentinel reports a judge gave 39-year-old Shawn Budd of Continental a sentence of 29-years to life during a hearing last Friday. Budd pleaded guilty to counts of rape and illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material.

The victim in the case was under 2-years-old at the time the rape happened. According to the prosecution he also secretly recorded his step-daughter while she showered and changed clothes.

9/14/17 – 5:19 A.M.

Several Liberty-Benton High School students took part in leadership training exercises Wednesday. The Courier reports around 60 students took part in the event at Gateway Church on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming “Students Taking Roles In Developing Educational Success” or STRIDES Day.

Principal Brenda Frankart says the students took part in team-building exercises. On Monday they’ll serve as team captains for smaller groups that meet every few weeks during the year. Frankart says the STRIDES program helps students learn to work together. She adds it also help new students get a sense of the school and its culture.

Frankart says while it takes time to plan for STRIDES every year, it leads to “better behavior, higher expectations, and a more accepting culture.”

MORE: The Courier

9/14/17 – 5:00 A.M.

McComb officials want to talk to the owners of the building that once housed Bennett’s Furniture Town. The Courier reports the buildings have windows broken out, and brick walls that are crumbling and sagging in some spots. Mayor Chuck Latta tells the newspaper he’s worried the bricks could fall on someone walking down the street.

The village has sent a certified letter to Bennett Brothers Furniture Company and its president, Joe Wasson. The letter asks Wasson to cooperate with an inspection of the buildings. If the village doesn’t get a response by early October, inspectors will look at the buildings without the company’s help.

Latta tells the newspaper the village tried to talk to Wasson about the issues but he declined to meet with officials.

Bennett’s Furniture town closed in 2013.

MORE: The Courier