05/25/18 – 3:17 P.M.
There will be a picnic to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community next weekend in Findlay. LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay is hosting their annual Findlay Pride Picnic June 2. The event will be from noon to 4 p.m. at Riverside Park. Attendees are asked to bring a side dish.
LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay is a non-profit organization started by a group of friends in 2010. They want to build a supportive network for the LGBTQ+ community in Findlay.
05/25/18 – 3:05 P.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is taking part in the Click It or Ticket Campaign until June 3. The Sheriff’s Office reports that almost 48% of the people killed in accidents in 2016 were unrestrained. That number rose to 56% at night which is why they will have a strong focus on nighttime enforcement as well.
Officers will have a no-excuse approach to the seat belt law enforcement. The Maximum penalty for a violation is $78 for a driver, $68 for a passenger, and $140 for a child restraint.
05/25/18 – 2:57 P.m.
TheNorth Central Ohio American Red Cross Chapter wants you to be safe this summer in all the things you do. Executive director Todd James said sometimes we forget to consider safety tips before having fun.
J James explained that you’ll want to prepare for the road.
He added that you’ll want to make sure you know your route and take construction into account. He added that you should make sure you have floating devices for water and know your swimming skill for days on the water.
5/25/18 – 5:41 A.M.
A retiring Findlay school principal won’t have to think about what to eat for lunch for a while. On Wilson Vance Intermediate School Principal Dave Barnhill’s last day on the job, he received more than 300 gift cards to Hot Head Burritos. The school’s PTO helped coordinate the surprise for Barnhill, who eats at Hothead for lunch every Tuesday.
Barnhill will spend the rest of 2018 doing building and grounds maintenance for Findlay City Schools before full retirement in 2019.
MORE: The Courier
5/25/18 – 5:32 A.M.
Fostoria officials want to speed up the amount of time it takes to hire people for safety service jobs. The Review-Times reports the city’s Civil Service Commission accepted a motion to enroll in a different program in the National Testing Network during a Thursday meeting. The program could keep a running list of candidates. The list wouldn’t expire as long as Fostoria pays a $500 yearly fee per department.
Fostoria Police Chief Keith Loreno says this would speed things up because they would know people on the list are already qualified. Loreno says the new system could generate a larger pool of candidates as well.
MORE: Review-Times
5/25/18 – 5:24 A.M.
Several area high schools are holding graduation ceremonies this weekend. On Saturday Findlay and Bluffton (7 p.m.) will both hold their graduation ceremonies.
Sunday graduation ceremonies include Liberty-Benton (2 p.m.), Arcadia, Carey (2 p.m.), McComb (2 p.m.), Van Buren (2 p.m), and Arlington (3 p.m.).
5/25/18 – 5:12 A.M.
A waterline project designed to spur development in Leipsic is moving forward. The Putnam County Sentinel reports village council voted to accept bids totaling more than $8 million to run a raw water line from the Blanchard River to Leipsic. The project also includes building a pump station.
Village Administrator Justin Barnhart says they still have to get final approval from the federal government. If everything goes according to plan Barnhart hopes to have the line installed by the end of next March.
MORE: Putnam County Sentinel
5/25/18 – 5:02 A.M.
Findlay business leaders learned more about automation and its potential impact on the workforce during a Thursday forum. Jim Robey is the director of regional economic planning services for the W.E. Upjohn Institute. He spoke at the forum and said low-skill jobs in the manufacturing and service sectors will vanish rapidly in the next five to 10 years.
Robey says a labor surplus raises several concerns. He said we could face tough questions, like how will unneeded workers get by? He also said a large labor surplus might raise questions of universal basic income and how to pay for that. Robey also wondered how small businesses that can’t afford automation will compete against bigger businesses.
The Gilmore Jasion Mahler public accounting firm sponsored the event.
MORE: The Courier
05/25/18 – 2:26 A.M.
Findlay City Schools continues to look at options for increasing school security. Superintendent Ed Kurt said that they can never be too careful.
Kurt explained that they are looking to upgrade their security cameras.
Kurt added that they also want to work with local mental health organizations to help kids in need. He said that this will help kids and prevent them from falling through the cracks.
05/24/18 – 6:07 P.M.
The Hancock County Commissioners received an update on Litter Landing during their afternoon meeting Thursday. Director Courtney Comstock explained that she is worried about commodity prices trending down.
Comstock added that while prices are falling they are also down a truck. They are looking at getting a new one to keep up with demand.
Comstock said that they are looking into a used vehicle as well as funding options.
She said that despite those issues, they have seen an increase in productivity now that they have a new baler and trained employees.