Monthly Archives: June 2018

Five Florida Residents Accused Of Attempting To Sell Meth In Hancock County

Local News, WFIN Top Story

6/20/18 – 5:12 A.M.

Five Florida residents allegedly tried to sell nearly $100,000 worth of meth in Hancock County. Prosecutor Phil Riegle says authorities arrested 28-year-old Salomon Lopez, 19-year-old Isidoro Martinez, 23-year-old Johnny Nonorato, 29-year-old Stacy McDonald, and 36-year-old Manuel Rivera Sanchez early this month. Riegle says the DEA led the operation that led to the group’s arrest.

All five people face aggravated possession of drugs charges. Sanchez also faces a count of aggravated trafficking in drugs. That’s a major drug offender specification, meaning he could face up to 11 years in prison. Martinez and Lopez also face charges that put them into the major drug offender specification.

MORE: The Courier

Findlay City Council Not Getting Into Workers’ Comp Provider Dispute

Local News, WFIN Top Story

6/20/18 – 5:01 A.M.

Findlay City Council is staying out of a dispute between Mayor Lydia Mihalik and Auditor Jim Staschiak. The Courier reports Staschiak pressed the council appropriation committee to take up the issue of which company should help manage the city’s workers’ compensation. Committee member Holly Frische agreed but didn’t have the support of other committee members. Councilman Tom Shindledecker said the city administration needed to make the decision.

At issue is the company the Ohio Municipal League contracts with for workers compensation. The group announced it was switching providers from CompManagement to CareWorksComp last month.

Staschiak paid a $6,000 fee to CompManagement before the Municipal League announced the change. He wants to stay with CompManagement, but Mihalik overrode the decision in favor of CareWorksComp. Mihalik says her administration doesn’t receive the communications it wants from CompManagement.

Law Director Don Rasmussen says the mayor can make the change since she is the city’s “contracting officer.”

MORE: The Courier

Jobless Rate Up Slightly In Hancock County

Local News, WFIN Top Story

6/19/18 – 11:23 A.M.

The unemployment rate rose in Hancock County in May. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the rate stood at 3.1 percent last month. That’s up from 2.9 percent in April. In May of 2017, the jobless rate was 4.4 percent.

Putnam and Wyandot counties have the lowest unemployment rates in our area. Putnam is at 2.9 percent, down from 3 percent in April. Wyandot County is also at 2.9 percent, even with its April number.

Wood (3.7), Seneca (3.9), and Hardin (3.9) counties are all below 4 percent unemployment. Henry and Allen counties both had 4.1 percent jobless rates in April.

UPDATE: Train Derailment Reported East Of Carey

Local News, WFIN Top Story

6/19/18 – 8:14 A.M.

The cleanup continues following a train derailment in Wyandot County Monday night. They Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office reports the incident happened east of Carey around 8:30 p.m. A Wheeling Lake Erie Railroad company engine hauling containers full of stones suffered a broken axle as the train was moving past State Route 53 between State Route 103 and County Road 16.

The derailment caused 15 cars to spill stones onto the ground near the railroad crossing. No one was injured in the incident.

A post on the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office says it could take one to two weeks to reopen the crossing.

Columbus Grove Explores Levy For New Fire Station

Local News

6/19/18 – 5:20 A.M.

Columbus Grove residents could see a levy on the ballot in November. The Putnam County Sentinel reports village council recently talked about putting a levy in front of voters to pay for the construction of a new $1.6 million fire station. The village says building a new station would allow them to bring the fire department to code.

As it stands now, things are so tight the firefighters can’t put on their gear in the station. Instead, they put it on while on their way to a call. The newspaper reports parking all the department’s trucks in the current facility only leaves inches to spare.

Council voted 5-1 in favor of moving forward. The Pleasant Township trustees also have to agree to put the measure on the ballot.

MORE: Putnam County Sentinel

Ottawa Council Looks At Billboard Ordinances

Local News

6/19/18 – 5:09 A.M.

Ottawa village council wants to hear from residents about their thoughts on billboards in the downtown area. The Putnam County Sentinel reports the issue first popped up when a business owner requested permission to sell an electronic billboard on the side of his building. The person who wants to buy the billboard wants to expand it from 11 feet to 22 feet.

The village’s safety committee reviewed several different ordinances that offer different guidance on the issue. Council members said they want to support businesses but also preserve the look of the downtown area.

Mayor Dean Meyer said he wanted the public’s opinion before moving forward. He encourages Ottawa residents to call 419-523-5020 to weigh in.

MORE: Putnam County Sentinel

Crash Near Arcadia Injures Three

Local News

6/19/18 – 4:51 A.M.

A crash involving two pickup trucks injured three people near Arcadia Monday afternoon. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office reports the collision happened at the intersection of Washington Township Road 214 and Hancock County Road 254 around 4:45 p.m.

55-year-old Alice Lawrence of Findlay was driving east on Road 214 when she ran a stop sign and hit a truck driven by 74-year-old Wayne Farthing of Findlay. Hanco EMS took Farthing and his passenger, 17-year-old Melissa Farthing, to Blanchard Valley Hospital. Lawrence also went to the hospital for treatment.

The sheriff’s office says everyone was wearing seatbelts. The crash remains under investigation.

Former Allen County Sheriff Facing Federal Bribery Charges

Local News

06/18/18 – 7:25 P.M.

Former Allen County Sheriff Sam Crish has been charged with counts of bribery, extortion, and making false statements. The Courier reports that Crish turned himself in Monday morning. His trial started Monday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Toledo.

Crish allegedly took over $100,000 in bribes while he was in office. Federal agents raided Crish’s office in 2016, and the former sheriff resigned from office in January 2017.

Opioid Epidemic Continues To Take Lives But Experts Say There’s Still Hope

Local News

06/18/7:16 P.M.

The opioid epidemic continues to devastate Hancock County as official numbers showed overdose deaths doubled last year. Hancock Public Health’s Krista Pruitt said the county isn’t alone though.

Krista Pruitt

Not all hope is lost though. The ADAMHS Board’s Zach Thomas explained that while overdose deaths have risen dramatically, so has the number of people seeking treatment.

 

Zach Thomas

Thomas added that Findlay has a whole menu of recovery services available to people seeking treatment. This includes in and outpatient services as well as residential treatment.

Both experts agreed that these services will help to turn the tide against the epidemic.