2/22/18 – 7:30 A.M.

The Fostoria School District took another step in their new building process Wednesday. The Courier reports the school board approved a guaranteed maximum price for three parts of the project.

The deal says the school won’t pay more than $25.5 million for the new junior-senior high school building. It also says the most the district will pay for the addition to the intermediate school is $14 million. The final part of the agreement caps the maximum amount for the demolition of part of the current junior-senior high school three other buildings at a little more than $120,000.

MORE: The Courier

2/22/18 – 7:15 A.M.

The Arcadia School District has given contract extensions to three administrators. The Courier reports the school board approved the measure during their Wednesday meeting.

High School Principal Bill Dobbins and Treasurer Angie Spridgeon are getting three-year extensions. Superintendent Bruce Kidder is getting a two-year extension.

The school board will discuss salary increases at a later time.

MORE: The Courier

2/22/18 – 6:51 A.M.

A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate will stop in Findlay next month. Jim Renacci (REN-A-see) will speak at the Hancock County Republican party’s Lincoln Day dinner on March 5.

Renacci is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was running for governor before deciding to challenge Democrat Sherrod Brown for his Senate seat.

For more information on the dinner, call (419)422-5946.

2/22/18 – 5:29 A.M.

Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik will give the State of the City address next week. The event is set for Tuesday, at 11:30 a.m. at the Millstream Career Center. It is open to the public.

2/22/18 – 5:23 A.M.

The Putnam County prosecutor plans to appeal a ruling in the case against Travis Soto. The Putnam County Sentinel reports Gary Lammers wants to challenge the Third District Court of Appeals’ ruling that two charges against Soto create a double jeopardy issue.

In 2006 Soto pleaded guilty to child endangerment in the death 2-year-old Julio Soto-Baldazo. He served a five-year prison sentence, but then in 2016 he allegedly admitted he beat the boy to death.

Prosecutors then charged him with aggravated murder among other charges. However, the appeals court ruled the state couldn’t charge Soto with aggravated murder and murder since they dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against him in 2006.

Lammers has 45 days from the day of the appeals court ruling to file his appeal.

MORE: Putnam County Sentinel

2/22/18 – 5:08 A.M.

Findlay’s former acting police chief made nearly $53,000 while on administrative leave last year. The Courier reports the city placed Sean Young on paid administrative leave last February. It lasted until the end of September. The city made the move after allegations of domestic violence came to light.

Human resources director Donald Essex tells the newspaper the financial number doesn’t include items like medical insurance, pension, or Medicare.

Young initially pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge after he threw a video camera at his wife during their daughter’s birthday party. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss it as long as Young completed a diversion program and served 70 hours of community service.

MORE: The Courier

02/21/18 – 2:00 A.M.

The Hancock Regional Planning Committee discussed some changes to the the rules and regulations for subdivisions. Director Matt Cordonnier said that they’ve done away with building private streets because they have been issues in the past.

Matt Cordonnier

He added that another major change is the regulation surrounding lot splits. The county subdivisions will have review over lot splits of 5 to 20 acres.

Cordonnier explained that the final decision comes down to the Hancock County Commissioners.

Matt Cordonnier

The new amendments can be seen at hancockrpc.org.

02/21/18 – 6:02 P.M.

The lawsuit against House Bill 49 allowing the state of Ohio to collect local business taxes has been dismissed. The Courier reports the Franklin County Common Pleas Court decided that an optional centralized filing system administered by the Ohio Department of Taxation is constitutional.

The City of Findlay was a part of the lawsuit. City officials are concerned about the management and timely distribution of the money as well as the accountability of the filings. They are also worried about losing the ability to audit.

2/21/18 – 10:41 A.M.

A one-car crash in Allen County took the life of a Columbus Grove woman early Wednesday morning. The State Highway Patrol reports the crash happened on Hillville Road, east of State Route 65, around 3:30 a.m.

61-year-old Jill Perham was driving west when she went off the road into a ditch. Her SUV hit a pole before going over railroad tracks. Her passenger, 60-year-old Steven Perham of Columbus Grove, received treatment at St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima.

The crash remains under investigation.