1/15/18 – 6:52 A.M.
Local gas prices are trending higher today. OhioGasPrices.com reports the average price for a gallon of regular in Findlay is $2.47. That’s up 10 cents over the last week. Prices are 26 cents higher than they were a month ago.
Drivers in Ottawa report paying $2.49 per gallon today. That’s also up 10 cents from last Monday.
Local prices are slightly above the state average, which sits at $2.46 per gallon. That’s up five cents over the last seven days.
1/15/18 – 6:43 A.M.
Fire damaged a Findlay motel late last week. Firefighters responded to the Super 8 Motel at 1951 Broad Avenue around 5:50 p.m. Friday. When they arrived they saw pallets of remodeling material burning outside the building.
Wind spread the flames from the pallets to the outside of the motel. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 15 minutes. Investigators say the flames caused $18,000 in damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
1/15/18 – 5:40 A.M.
Seven people who saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s talk at Ohio Northern University in 1968 will speak on the campus today. The event takes place in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts at 11 a.m.
King spoke at ONU on January 11, 1968. A series of events this year will honor the 50th anniversary of the speech. They end with the unveiling of a statue of King on April 17 outside of Taft Hall.
1/15/18 – 5:36 A.M.
A one-car crash injured a Findlay man Sunday morning. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office reports the incident happened around 1:35 a.m. on Allen Township Road 142, north of Findlay.
26-year-old Kody Collingwood was driving north when he lost control on a patch of ice and slid off the road. His car hit a cement drainage tile.
Hanco Emergency Medical Service took Collingwood to Blanchard Valley Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
1/15/18 – 5:32 A.M.
Fostoria junior and senior high school students will head back to school this week. The Review-Times reports the district has found locations to hold classes following last week’s boiler room fire. The Fostoria Learning Center will host high school classes starting Wednesday.
Drew Bauman is the principal of the junior/senior high school. He tells the newspaper that large spaces in an unfinished part of the learning center will serve as classrooms. Most teachers will stay in one spot during the day while a few will rotate locations.
St Wendelin Catholic School is hosting the 7th and 8th-grade students. They will attend school in the old St. Wendelin High School classrooms. The school is also using the gym for classroom space.
The district plans to release the final details of the plan today.
MORE: Review-Times
1/15/18 – 5:24 A.M.
A study commissioned by Ottawa officials has found that several village employees are underpaid. The Putnam County Sentinel reports the study found that 14 of the 26 people who work for Ottawa make less than what the study considered the minimum payment level. The study also found no village employees get what it considered mid-level pay.
The list of underpaid employees includes the entire police department outside of the police chief and all of the public works department.
Mayor Dean Meyer tells the newspaper “what we need to do is make up that difference and make sure we can keep our employees and attract good employees in the future.” He added, “a big part of that is wages and benefits and we have to make sure we’re in line with where we need to be.”
Meyer also said he had confidence in the village council to get Ottawa to that point.
MORE: Putnam County Sentinel
1/15/18 – 5:15 A.M.
The flu season is in full swing, and several people in the area have felt its effects. Local health officials say it’s not too late to get your flu shot. While the vaccine can vary in how effective it is, the Ohio Department of Health says vaccines still prevent thousands of flu-related hospitalizations each year. Sometimes the vaccine can simply reduce the severity of flu symptoms.
The health department also says you should take precautions to make sure you don’t spread the flu bug. Simple things like washing your hands, coughing or sneezing into your elbows rather than your hands, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth go a long way.
Colleen Abrams is an infection preventionist at Blanchard Valley Health System. She tells the Courier you should stay home if you are sick to avoid spreading the flu.
Blanchard Valley Health System has imposed visitor limitations at Blanchard Valley Hospital and Bluffton Hospital. The limitation asks that all children age 14 and younger refrain from visiting the hospital for the time being. BVHS will lift the visitor limitation when the number of influenza and respiratory illness cases decrease in the area.
01/12/18 – 5:57 P.M.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program and Unity Walk is coming up on Monday. Jerome Gray of the Black Heritage Library said that the Unity Walk is meant to keep King’s legacy alive and honor the freedoms that he fought for.
The program features prayer, speakers, dance, and music.The unity walk starts at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Living God and marching to Winebrenner Theological Seminary. They will return to the church to start the tribute program around 6:30 p.m.
01/12/18 – 5:38 P.M.
Secretary of State John Husted was on WFIN to talk about Ohio’s Voter Registration System. The system removes inactive voters and is currently in the supreme court to determine if it is constitutional. Husted explained that this system doesn’t kick someone out for no reason.
He added that the system helps protect polls from voter fraud by taking out people that are inactive because they moved away or died.
There is a lawsuit claiming that it infringes on voters rights. Husted said that nobody is removed permanently and that they can re-register on the secretary of state’s website.
01/12/18 – 3:36 P.M.
The University of Findlay has selected a new vice president of business affairs, chief financial officer, and treasurer. The university reports that Thomas Lause was selected to fill the roles. He recently retired from Cooper Tire as their vice president and treasurer.
Lause was at Cooper for 35 years where his career was characterized by dynamic and innovative leadership. He will start his new role on February 5.