1/5/17 – 5:07 A.M.

Charges related to violent crime are down in Putnam County. The Putnam County Sentinel reports the county has seen a 20 percent decline in charges stemming from violent crimes between 2015 and 2017. At the same time, property crime charges have increased 49 percent.

The county has also seen a sharp increase in charges related to drugs and alcohol. Between the start of 2015 and November 30 of last year, those types of charges have increased 213 percent. The report says the opioid crisis likely played a big role in the jump.

MORE: Putnam County Sentinel

1/5/18 – 5:00 A.M.

Hancock County is making a slight change in how it handles management for flood mitigation services. Steve Wilson will continue to handle the role, but not as an employee of the county. The commissioners approved a $40,000 annual contract with Frostbite Falls LLC Thursday. Wilson is the sole principal of the company.

Commissioner Brian Robertson says the change eliminates any employment issues.

The county is also looking into contracting Wilson’s company for sanitary engineering duties. The commissioners tabled a $20,000 contract proposal Thursday. County Engineer Chris Long believes his department should handle sanitary engineer services.

Findlay’s strategic planning committee met for their first meeting Thursday. Councilman at Large and committee chair Jeff Wobser explained that the committee is designed to focus on residents’ concerns.

Jeff Wobser

Wobser added that these conversations need to be had.

Jeff Wobser

Wobser said that the young committee is still working on what they will focus on. They also needs to figure out how they’ll gather information. Because of this Wobser said that the committee will evolve over time

01/04/18 – 2:41 P.M.

A Findlay Man is going to prison on burglary charges. The Courier’s Eileen McClory reports that 28-year-old Charles McCarley was sentenced for entering a home and harming a resident.

Eileen McClory

The charges came from an August Incident at a home on East Sandusky Street. McCarley said he was sorry for what he had done. Judge Jonathon Starn told McCarley, “I hope what you’re telling me is true that you never want this to happen again.”

01/04/18 – 2:32 P.M.

ODOT recapped what they’ve accomplished on I-75 in 2017 and what to expect in 2018. Public information officer Rhonda Pees said that 2017 was a good year.

Rhonda Pees

In the first year of the widening project, ODOT put in new pavement in the southbound lanes through Findlay. The Harrison Street Bridge is nearing completion. They also reconstructed and reconfigured the entrance and exit ramps at the State Route 12 and U.S. 224 interchanges.

Pees said that they will continue working on bridges as they go into 2018.

Rhonda Pees

She said that they will also continue to remove pavement, finish work on the Harrison Street Bridge, and construct noise walls. ODOT reports that there might be some occasional nighttime closures throughout the year.

1/4/18 – 10:13 A.M.

One of the Hancock County Commissioners’ first acts of 2018 was to buy more property in the flood zone. The commissioners approved spending $3,500 on a property on South Cory Street south of the Blanchard River. The county uses money from the flood mitigation fund to pay for and demolish flood-prone properties.

The land is near one of the riffle dam structures in the river. Plans from Stantec Engineering call for the removal of riffle dams as part of the flood mitigation process.

Crews will use the land bought by the county to stage equipment for removal of the dam this year.

1/4/18 – 5:25 A.M.

Authorities recently found a meth lab in rural Wyandot County. The Wyandot County Major Crimes Unit says officers went to 15486 Township Highway 71, north of Marseilles, to serve arrest warrants. They found the people they were looking for, and items used to make meth.

33-year-old Zachary Malone and 27-year-old Allyson Youngquist were in the home. Officers arrested them without incident.

1/4/18 – 5:20 A.M.

Fostoria police are looking into a recent rash of car break-ins. The department says they’ve received 10 reports of break-ins over the last seven days. Most of them happened south of Lytle Street. Seven reports came in Sunday. The incidents happened in the area of West Lytle, West Jones, and East Eagle streets.

Investigators think the incidents are connected. They also say thieves are targeting unlocked cars.

Police say you should remember to lock your car and remove anything valuable from it.

1/4/18 – 5:14 A.M.

Arlington is looking for a new water and sewage superintendent. The Courier reports Casey Glick stepped down from the role to take another job. Officials say they’ll interview candidates for a replacement soon.

Glick submitted his resignation in December.

MORE: The Courier