5/29/18 – 7:36 A.M.

Local gas prices are down following the long Memorial Day weekend. OhioGasPrices.com reports the average price for a gallon of regular in Findlay is $2.80. That’s down five cents from last Tuesday. Prices reached as high as $2.95 per gallon at times last week.

The statewide average sits at $2.86 per gallon. That’s up a penny over last Tuesday.

Drivers in Ottawa report paying $2.89 per gallon today. That’s a 10 cent increase over the last seven days.

5/29/18 – 7:25 A.M.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about two men posing as authorities in Kenton. WKTN radio reports the sheriff’s office received reports about two men claiming to be either a sheriff’s deputy or a representative for Child Protective Services. The men were going to homes and telling residents they needed to check on the welfare of a child.

At least one person let the men search her home for several minutes.

Sheriff Keith Everhart says actual deputies will have proper identification. If you’re approached by someone who doesn’t have a proper ID, you should call 9-1-1 immediately.

MORE: WKTN

5/29/18 – 7:15 A.M.

Seneca County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Tiffin men following a weekend high-speed chase. The Review-Times reports the chase lasted 20 minutes, starting around 5:30 a.m. near New Riegel and ending near Tiffin. Deputies were looking for the men after someone called the sheriff’s office and reported they saw people beating on an ATM at First National Bank of New Riegel.

Law enforcement used spikes to disable the minivan the suspects were traveling in.

33-year-old Sean Dayton faces a theft charge. His passenger, 24-year-old John Benjamin, is facing a count of attempted interference with custody.

MORE: Review-Times

5/29/18 – 6:51 A.M.

The Owens Community College campus in Findlay is taking steps to increase the local honeybee population. The campus recently became Ohio’s first Bee Campus USA affiliate. Biology professor Robert Connour says the college is working to become more “pollinator-friendly.”

Bees will live in five hives near a community garden. Connour says the bees will help pollinate plants within a few miles of the campus. He adds they want to use the hives as a resource for community learning. Local gardeners might spend a few hours learning about beekeeping for example.

The faculty association at Owens paid for the hives. The Big R store donated protective suits, veils, and gloves.

MORE: The Courier

5/29/18 – 5:35 A.M.

Liberty Township firefighters battled a large mulch fire over the weekend. The fire department responded to a blaze at Tawa Mulch on County Road 140 just after 4 p.m. on Sunday. Firefighters from the Blanchard and Allen Township fire departments provided help.

Officials on the scene of the fire said several mulch piles burned in the blaze. Firefighters were putting out hot spots throughout the evening.

No injuries were reported. The flames also destroyed a trailer at the business.

5/29/18 – 5:29 A.M.

Memorial Day weekend felt more like the dog days of summer, but we didn’t see any records fall in Findlay. The city’s Water Pollution Control Center says the high on Monday was 93. The record high for May 28 is 99 degrees. That happened back in 1911.

Sunday saw a high of 90, falling short of the May 27 record of 98 degrees. That record was also set in 1911.

5/29/18 – 5:18 A.M.

Memorial Day is over and road construction season is now in full swing. You’ll see plenty of road closures and restrictions in Hancock County this summer. ODOT is reducing State Route 12 is to one lane over the Moffit Ditch between Township roads 121 and 57. Similar work is taking place over Ottawa Creek east of Benton Ridge through mid-June.

State Route 330 over State Route 15 near Vanlue is closing today for four months. Crews are replacing the bridge deck there. The project will cause some lane restrictions on Route 15 throughout the project.

You’ll see restrictions on the U.S. 68 southbound exit ramp over Eagle Creek for a bridge deck sealing project. Flaggers will maintain traffic in that area through mid-June.

U.S. 224 between Road 276 and Road 23 in West Independence remains closed for a bridge overlay project. The detour around the closure includes using U.S. 23 and State Route 12.

State Route 37 remains restricted to one lane between Findlay and County Road 172 for a repaving project. ODOT expects that project to wrap up early this week.

State Route 103 between County Road 9 and Township Road 65 closed for 30 days last Wednesday. Crews are replacing a culvert in that area.

5/29/18 – 5:01 A.M.

Those in attendance at Findlay’s Memorial Day ceremony came away faced with a challenge. Connections Church senior pastor Jim Klausing asked, “Have you exercised the freedom to the extent that would make our fallen veterans proud?”

Klausing said that those being honored, “didn’t only lay down their lives for their friends and families, they laid down their lives for countrymen and women that they would never meet.”

During his speech, Klausing also said that he found it poignant that Memorial Day has become the unofficial kick-off of summer. He said, “Schools are out, barbecues are going, and even the swimming pools are becoming a popular destination once again. Summer is the season of freedom.”

MORE: The Courier

05/25/18 – 3:44 P.M.

A local Findlay woman won a state award for her volunteer work at Fox Run Manor. Cheryl Shepherd was chosen as the 2018 Volunteer of the Year by the Ohio Health Care Association. Shepherd has volunteered 20+ hours a week for the past 8 years at Fox Run Manor.

Shepherd has several disabilities and has to pay to ride a HATS Handicapped Accessible Bus to get to and from the manor. She does this 4 days a week and handles tasks like sensory stimulation, games, socials, and room visits to name a few. Shepherd said that she is blessed to be able to help others at Fox Run Manor.