5/10/18 – 5:18 A.M.
A Findlay teenager is facing an assault charge for attacking his high school principal. The Hancock County grand jury indicted 19-year-old Darius Johnston Wednesday. Investigators say Johnston attacked Findlay High School Principal Ryan Imke at the school on April 30.
Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle said he believes Johnston is a student.
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5/10/18 – 5:13 A.M.
The McComb school district is buying a golf course next to the school. The school board agreed to pay $365,000 for the Shady Acres Golf Course during a Wednesday meeting. Superintendent Tony Fenstermaker says the 74-acre course gives the district room to expand in the future.
Fenstermaker says the school can’t expand to the north as there’s nowhere to go. He adds it would cost more than $475,000 to move the parking lot and track to expand to the south.
The school board has agreed to a no-cost lease agreement with the current course owners. That means the golf course will stay open the rest of the season.
MORE: The Courier
5/10/18 – 5:04 A.M.
A Leipsic woman will spend 11 years in prison for her role in a robbery that led to the death of a man in Findlay last year. Judge Reginald Routson sentenced 27-year-old Jessica Kisseberth on counts of involuntary manslaughter and robbery on Wednesday. During the sentencing hearing, Kisseberth said the victim in the case, Marcus Alexander, was her best friend. She added that “being in the Hancock County Justice Center on top of losing Marcus has broken me.”
Kisseberth, Alexander, and Joseph Fleming IV attempted to rob 38-year-old Husam Coleman of Chicago at the Econolodge on Emma Street on February 17 of 2017. Coleman ended up shooting and killing Alexander.
Coleman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He’s serving a five-year prison sentence. Flemming pleaded guilty to an aggravated robbery charge. He has a sentencing hearing on June 6.
MORE: The Courier
05/09/18 – 4:11 P.M.
Dairy farmers face a lot of risk with prices trending downward for the past several years. Ohio Farm Bureau’s Joe Cornely talked to WFIN about the issue.
Cornely said that because of this they are offering “Dairy Revenue Protection” insurance. This will allow farmers to insure their milk production and price in case the market drops again. Cornely said that the insurance will be set against specific costs and production values.
Cornely added that this protection will help many dairy farmers manage risk and stay in business.
05/09/18 – 2:24 P.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office reports that there are still parts of southern Hancock County experiencing 911 outages. This is with landline phones. If you call 911 with a landline phone, there is a chance that you will get a busy signal.
The Sheriff’s Office says to hang up and call them at 419-422-2424 if this happens.
05/09/18 – 2:20 P.M.
Former Assistant Findlay High School Principal Patrick Hickey pleaded guilty to a criminal sexual conduct charge. Hickey admitted to inappropriately touching a student when he was a teacher and coach in the Addison Community Schools nearly 30 years ago. He will be sentenced June 21.
Hickey was an assistant principal at Findlay High School from August 1996 to August 2002. He also served as the Superintendent for Washington Local Schools near Toledo. He was later a school board member in that district.
5/9/18 – 9:00 A.M.
Voters in the Carey School District voted to continue funding the Dorcas Carey Public Library Tuesday. More than 530 voters in the district voted in favor of a 1.75-mill, five-year renewal levy. 125 people voted against the measure.
The state considers the public library a school district library. The levy generates around $159,000 every year for the facility.
MORE: The Courier
5/9/18 – 4:51 A.M.
Update – 3:54 P.M.
The suspect has been named in a police chase in Hancock County early this morning that killed the driver. The Findlay Police Department reports officers spotted a car that had already been involved in a police chase in Crawford County in the 2800 block of South Main Street around 3:50 a.m. The driver was 48-year-old Crystal Moore of Findlay. She sped away when an officer tried to pull her over.
The chase headed north out of the city and into Mortimor. Moore lost control after going over railroad tracks. She hit a house near the intersection of County Roads 220 and 216, leaving a car-sized hole.
The incident remains under investigation.
5/9/18 – 7:39 A.M.
Voters in two Hancock County fire districts approved levies Tuesday. The new Southwestern Hancock Joint Fire District won voter approval for a 1.5-mill levy for five years. The measure provides fire protection services in Union and Van Buren townships. The fire district includes Rawson, Mount Cory, and Jenera fire departments. The levy will generate $123,823 a year.
Washington Township voters overwhelmingly approved the renewal of a 1-mill, five-year tax for fire protection.
The district will use the money to replace a pumper truck and for general operating expenses.
The levy generates more than $55,000 per year.
MORE: The Courier
5/9/18 – 7:28 A.M.
Robert McColley has cleared his first hurdle in holding onto his 1st District Ohio Senate seat. McColley took 60 percent of the vote in the Republican primary. Hancock County voters sided with Craig Kupferberg, a former Findlay High School principal. Kupferberg took 44 percent of the ballots cast in Hancock County.
The state GOP appointed McColley to fill the seat left open when former State Senator Cliff Hite resigned. McColley will face 36-year-old Adam Papin of Bryan in the November general election.
The 1st Senate District includes all or part of 11 counties.
MORE: The Courier