05/02/18 – 7 P.M.
Findlay is taking part of National Prayer Day Thursday and you can join in. St. Mark’s pastor Mark Hollinger said that they want the day to be for everyone.
The first event of the day will be the DOCK at St. Mark’s. The event will be a luncheon with prayer and messages. It starts at noon and there is no cost to attend.
The second event will be at the Church of the Living God at 7 p.m. They will pray and speak about several topics including education, media, and the church.
05/02/18 – 6:33 P.M.
A defendant in the murder case of Marcus Alexander at the Findlay Econolodge last February pled guilty. The Courier’s Eileen McClory has the report.
05/02/18 – 5:09 P.M.
Hancock County Jobs and Family Services has a 1.2 mill levy coming up during the may election. Director Diana Hoover said that the money will go to help children and the elderly.
Hoover added that the money will help create more foster options. She also addressed why it is a property tax and not a sales tax. Hoover explained that they don’t have the option to make it a sales tax issue.
Hoover explained that the levy will cost $42 per year for every $100,000 evaluation on your property.
05/02/18 – 11:29 A.M.
Several Findlay streets are under a boil water advisory today due to repair work on a Park Street water main. The advisory affects the 800 block of Park Street, the 300 block through the 500 block of East Lima Street, some addresses in the 700 block of Grand Avenue and 800 blocks of Washington Avenue and Bank Street, and many addresses in the 400 and 500 block of Hancock Street.
You can find a full list of affected addresses below. If you live in the affected area you’ll want to boil your water for at least a minute before using it for cooking, drinking, or oral hygiene.
PARK STREET
800 block
E. LIMA STREET
300 – 500 Block
GRAND AVENUE
719 and 720
BANK STREET
818, 854, 856
HANCOCK STREET
420, 421, 424, 427, 428, 430, 431, 511
WASHINGTON AVENUE
869 and 901
05/02/18 – 11:13 A.M.
An analytics and financial website looked at stats to rank the healthiest counties and Hancock County made the list. Smartasset.com ranked Hancock County 8th in the state. The study looked at length of life, health behaviors, and healthcare access to rank the counties.
The study also looked at premature deaths and the years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 residents. Hancock County averaged more than 5,700 years of potential life lost. The state average was over 7,600.
They also looked at smoking, obesity, and drinking. 16.6% of residents in Hancock County reported smoking on a regular basis, 31.4% reported being obese, and 17.2% said that they drink in excess.
The final factor they looked at was access to healthcare and health insurance. Hancock County has 52 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. 8.5% of residents report not being insured.
You can check out the study here.
5/2/18 – 7:36 A.M.
Seneca County is moving forward with a countywide emergency notification program. The Review-Times reports the county commissioners voted on the project Tuesday. The system will use both texting and telephone to notify county residents about important emergency information.
The system will alert residents when there is poor weather approaching, a disaster situation has developed, or when road closures affect the area.
Inspiron LLC will provide the service for the county. Fostoria and Tiffin are also joining the project.
MORE: Review-Times
5/2/18 – 7:25 A.M.
Bluffton Village Council members voted to fire Village Administrator Jack Huber this week. The Lima News reports the unanimous vote came during a special meeting Monday. A notice sent to Huber says he showed a lack of leadership and direction for the service department and did not take initiative on service projects.
Mayor Richard Johnson and the village’s personnel committee recommended the firing.
5/2/18 – 6:59 A.M.
A grant will help plastic drainage pipe recycling efforts in Pandora. The Ohio EPA is giving the Putnam County Solid Waste Management District $200,000 to increase recycling capacity at Green Line Polymers. The company is a subsidiary of ADS.
ADS is providing $200,00 in matching funds plus an extra $368,000. Along with the capacity to handle more than 6 million pounds of recycled drainage pipe over four years, Green Line also expects to hire 14 full-time workers over the course of the grant.
5/2/18 – 5:31 A.M.
ODOT has postponed the temporary closure of westbound State Route 15 in Findlay. The agency had planned to close the highway between U.S. 68 and Lima Avenue for around nine hours starting Tuesday night at 9 p.m. They may start work tonight at 9 p.m. instead.
The highway will open back up Thursday morning but will close again Friday night at 9 p.m. The weekend closure could last until 6 p.m. Saturday.
5/2/18 – 5:23 A.M.
Tempers flared over fencing issues at Tuesday’s Findlay City Council meeting. Charles Williams of 804 Fishlock Avenue spoke for nearly 10 minutes about the handling of a zoning variance given to Best Construction. The zoning appeals board recently allowed Best to build a six-foot high fence within 10 feet of the Williams Street right-of-way. Zoning rules usually mandate a 30-foot setback.
Williams says the fence obstructs visibility for drivers. He also said appeals board chairman Phil Rooney should have excused himself from the variance proceedings. Rooney is the attorney for Best Construction. Rooney spoke in favor of the variance during the initial hearing but didn’t vote.
Matthias Leguire of 830 East Sandusky Street spoke for Williams as well. He says he had to move a fence that missed the 30-foot setback rule by about three feet. Leguire said, “maybe if Phil Rooney was my attorney, I wouldn’t have had to move my fence.”
Best built the fence in question on the site of two light industrial properties. The zoning appeals board said the view of the industrial properties could hurt home prices in the area.
MORE: The Courier