4/25/18 – 6:57 A.M.
The North Baltimore school district has agreed to a tax abatement plan for a company planning an expansion. The plan gives Continental Structural Plastics a 15-year abatement in exchange for paying the district $35,000 per year. The deal starts in 2020.
School treasurer Steven Stuart says CSP plans to invest $20 to $30 million in a project that will add up to 100 jobs.
MORE: The Courier
4/25/18 – 6:49 A.M.
The trial of a Fostoria man accused of supplying the drugs used in an opioid death in the city is underway. The Review-Times reports 36-year-old Tyree Carpenter faces a count of involuntary manslaughter and several drug-related charges.
Tuesday’s testimony saw the chief toxicologist at the Lucas County Coroners Office talk about how the victim died. Dr. Robert Forney said he found fentanyl in the man’s system.
The trial continues today.
MORE: Review-Times
4/25/18 – 5:33 A.M.
A man may have tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a car in Findlay Tuesday afternoon. The Findlay Police Department says the incident happened in the 1900 block of Broad Avenue around 3:20 p.m.
Witnesses told investigators they saw a man and woman fighting in the area around that time. The man apparently threw an item into the ground and then jumped in front of a northbound car.
Hanco EMS took the man to Blanchard Valley Hospital. No other details are available at this time.
4/25/18 – 5:26 A.M.
A fire drove two Findlay residents from their home Tuesday night. Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at 1012 Brookview Court around 6 p.m. A neighbor saw flames coming from the house and called the fire department.
Firefighters contained the flames to the kitchen and the attic. There was smoke damage throughout the home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Red Cross is helping the residents with temporary housing.
4/25/18 – 5:19 A.M.
A lawsuit about billboard placement in Columbus Grove can move forward. The Lima News reports Putnam County Common Pleas Court Judge Keith Schierloh has denied the village’s motion to dismiss the suit.
Lamar Advertising is suing Columbus Grove after village council voted against the company’s request to place two billboards along State Route 65. Lamar says it has a lease agreement with CSX and permits from ODOT for both sites.
The village planning commissioner voted in favor of allowing the billboards, but council voted against it.
MORE: Lima News
4/25/18 – 5:11 A.M.
Lt. Governor Mary Taylor is bringing her campaign for governor to Findlay this morning. Taylor and running mate Nathan Estruth will meet with supporters at the Southside Family Restaurant on South Main Street between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
4/25/18 – 5:03 A.M.
8:14 A.M. – UPDATE
Renovations to the Hancock County juvenile and probate court building could cost more than officials had hoped. Representatives from Peterman Associates tell the county commissioners the entire electrical system needs replaced. Court staff members report electrical arcing in the 150-year-old building. They also have to flip switches several times before lights turn on.
The previous renovation plan contained some electrical work. It did not call for entirely replacing the system. Civil engineerTodd Jenkins did not have a cost estimate for the work during Tuesday’s meeting.
The commissioners hope to keep the renovation costs below $1 million. The electrical revisions could mean additional design fees and higher renovation costs.
MORE: The Courier
4/24/18 – 10:33 A.M.
The unemployment rate in Hancock County has fallen to 3 percent. New numbers from the Department of Job and Family Services show the March jobless number in the county fell from 3.3 percent in February. Last March the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent.
Putnam and Wyandot counties both checked in at 3.1 percent unemployment in March.
Elsewhere around the region, Wood (3.6) and Hardin (3.8) were both below 4 percent. Seneca (4.1) and Allen (4.2) counties were both below 5 percent unemployment. Henry County was at a 5.4 percent jobless rate, down from 6 percent the month before.
The statewide unemployment rate is 4.3 percent.
4/24/18 – 9:17 A.M.
Blanchard Valley Hospital has earned high marks for patient safety. The nonprofit Leapfrog group gave the hospital an “A” grade on its Spring 2018 Hospital Safety Score results. It’s the sixth time the hospital has earned an A grade from the organization.
Leapfrog uses 27 measures of publicly available data to calculate its score. Blanchard Valley is one of 750 hospitals across the nation to get an A.
4/24/18 – 6:48 A.M.
8:44 A.M. – UPDATE
The University of Findlay is hosting an Arbor Day celebration today. The 3 p.m. program at the corner of Morey and Davis streets will include three tree plantings. In the event of rain, they will move the west lobby of the Davis Street building.
The third annual Tree Campus U.S.A. event is free and open to the public.