09/06/17 – 5:49 P.M.
Police arrested a man in connection to the fire set to the McComb Watershed on February 28th. McComb Police and the Division of State Fire Marshall’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau arrested 47-year-old Philip Terry. They arrested Terry Tuesday evening. They are holding him in the Hancock County Justice Center. He has been indicted by the Hancock County Common Pleas Court.
09/06/17 – 5:37 P.M.
ODOT is working on a metal archway underneath I-75 on Hancock County Road 223 by Walmart. Project Engineer Robert White said that this part of the widening project will help with flood mitigation.
White also shared some of the upcoming plans to the project. He said that we can expect to see the State Route 224 ramps to close.
White said that 12 should be open in October and 224 will close a week after that.
09/06/17 – 12:30 P.M.
The Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event next Wednesday for local business owners. Membership Manager Laurie Poland said the event will bring business owners together.
She added that it will allow business owners to talk about what they do with others.
Poland said that they have about 10 to 20 attendees for each event. The networking will start at 2 p.m. in the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is $15 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers.
9/6/17 – 7:19 A.M.
Authorities are keeping two alleged members of a notorious gang in the Seneca County Jail. Cleveland.com reports officers arrested two men who identify as members of MS-13 in northern Ohio in two separate incidents last week. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Juan Carlos Rivera-Flores of El Salvador when his car broke down in Port Clinton on August 31.
A state trooper arrested Wilson Antonio Miranda-Rivera on September 1 during a traffic stop. U.S. authorities say Miranda-Rivera has a criminal history that includes making terrorist threats. He also has several arrests for illegal entry into the country.
The two men are staying in the Seneca County Jail pending removal hearings.
MORE: Cleveland.com
9/6/17 – 6:52 A.M.
Fostoria is narrowing the field for its next fire chief. The Review-Times reports councilman Greg Flores will head up the selection committee. Former Chief Ken Chapman resigned last June to take a new position in Michigan. Scott Basinger then led the department until he retired in June.
Brian Herbert is the acting chief now. He says he plans to forgo retirement to pursue the position on a permanent basis. He tells the newspaper, “I want to turn this department around.” He added, “I’ve seen what the fire department can be. I didn’t like where it was at. I like to think I can make a difference and I have the backing of all the guys.”
MORE: Review-Times
9/6/17 – 5:34 A.M.
Fostoria’s safety services got a temporary funding boost Tuesday. The Review-Times reports a SAFER grant will give the city more than $404,000 for three years. The money is set aside to help the city pay for three firefighters. It’s the third time the city has received the federal grant. Mayor Eric Keckler said, “this is something that just doesn’t happen, and it happened.”
The program pays for 75 percent of the extra firefighters’ salary and benefits for two years. That drops to 25 percent in the third year. Interim Fire Chief Brian Herbert says the funding is nice but is only a bandage. He added the city still needs residents to pass a 6-mill property tax levy this fall to fund safety forces for the long-term.
MORE: Review-Times
9/6/17 – 5:24 A.M.
Area residents continue to pitch in to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Several donation drives are taking place as a result. You can find drop-off sites for the nonprofit relief agency Impact With Hope at Century 21, Heavenly Pizza and Tireman in Findlay. The drive is collecting things like cleaning supplies, diapers, blankets, and new shoes and clothing. The effort includes a stuff the van campaign at Century 21 at 2103 Tiffin Avenue. They are taking items from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow.
Elsewhere, the Risner Spinal Center is partnering with Project Restore in the Houston area. They’re getting a semi from Findlay Warehousing to send things like building materials, cleaning supplies, and nonperishable food items. They’re also looking for table utensils, toilet paper, and gift cards to retailers and restaurants. Drop-off sites in Findlay include Heavenly Pizza at 1404 North Main Street and Risner Spinal Center at 1500 Tiffin Avenue.
The United Way of Hancock County is holding a two-day collection this week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
United Way staff members are setting up Friday at the Walmart on Trenton Avenue and Meijer on Tiffin Avenue. On Saturday, they’ll be at Great Scot on Broad Avenue and the Tiffin Avenue Kroger. Staff members plan to hand checklists to customers before they go in the stores if they want to help out.
9/6/17 – 5:08 A.M.
Findlay continues to add up the costs of the most recent round of flooding. The Courier reports the city spent $77,000 cleaning up after the flood. City Auditor Jim Staschiak presented his numbers during Tuesday’s city council meeting. He said most of that money went to fees at the county landfill. City crews collected debris at the curb and took it to the landfill at no cost.
Mayor Lydia Mihalik says the city also spent more than $65,000 on overtime costs. The overtime costs included extra hours for police, firefighters, public works crew members, and employees in the engineering department. Mihalik says when the city finalizes the number she’ll approach the county commissioners for possible reimbursement of some of the city’s expenses. The county offered to reimburse villages and townships out of the flood fund following the July flood.
Mihalik also estimated the cost to residents and business owners was “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” She added she would like to see a more standardized system for evaluating flood damage for private property owners developed in the future.
MORE: The Courier
09/06/17 – 12:09 A.M.
Findlay City Council voted to start a Downtown Design Review Board during their Tuesday meeting. Councilman Grant Russel said that the first thing that will be done is forming the board. The board’s duty will be to create a set of guidelines for the exterior of downtown buildings. These guidelines will then be put before council for a vote.
Mayor Lydia Mihalik is in charge of appointing the bar. She said that she would like to appoint people that own and operate buildings to be on the board.
Council had tabled the ordinance in early July.
09/06/17 – 12 A.M.
Findlay City Council decided to move forward with helping to pay for a pipeline expansion with One Energy. CEO Jereme Kent said that this project will help save the city money.
One Energy is extending water and sewage pipes to their main offices. The company offered to extend larger pipes so that other buildings can build off the pipe in the area. Kent said that this can help with economic development.
The company will pay for all of the labor and materials and council will pay for the cost difference of putting in larger piping. This will cost the city over $450,000 but Kent said that it would cost the city more if they waited to do it on their own.
One Energy only needed 8 inch pipes but is putting in 12 inch pipes so that others can build off of it. Councilwoman Holly Frische and Councilman Jeff Wobser voted against the deal.