06/08/18 – 5:41 A.M.

Mandated expenses and declining sales tax revenue continues to cause problems with an already tight budget for the Hancock County Commissioners. Commissioner Brian Robertson said that the county is required to make a $500,000 payment for a child care program. The program is run by Hancock County Job and Family Services.

This comes at a time where sales tax receipts are down by about $90,000. The commissioners couldn’t fund $850,000 of non-mandated spending requested by various departments this year.

06/07/18 – 2:26 P.M.

The Hancock County Commissioners approved a resolution to renovate the jail on Thursday. Commissioner Mark Gazarek explained that these renovations aren’t optional.

Mark Gazarek

Gazarek said that they have known this was coming.

Mark Gazarek

The renovations will cost around $1.225 million.

06/07/18 – 1:20 P.M.

Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik will be joining over 250 other mayors for the U.S. Conference of Mayors 86th Annual Meeting. The meeting is being held this weekend at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston. The mayors will discuss a wide variety of priorities that contribute to the overall health of America’s cities. They will also consider policy resolutions that guide the advocacy agenda of the organization.

06/07/18 – 9 A.M.

A Toledo man was sentenced to time in prison for his role in a 2017 fatal shooting in Findlay. 28-year-old Joseph Fleming was sentenced to six years for his role in the shooting of Marcus Alexander at the Econo Lodge on Emma Street. Judge Reginald Routson of the Hancock County Common Pleas Court also placed Fleming on post-release control for another 5 years.

Alexander was shot during a robbery attempt. Alexander, Fleming, and Kisseberth were involved in the planned robbery of Husam Coleman. Coleman shot Alexander during the robbery.

Fleming pleaded guilty on April 11 to aggravated burglary after he struck a plea deal. He gave prosecutors a statement to use against Kisseberth to have a murder charge dropped.

06/07/18 – 6:58 A.M.

A pregnant woman was seriously injured and lost her baby in a three-vehicle accident on I-75 yesterday. The Bowling Green post of the State Highway Patrol reports that the accident happened around 3 p.m. north of North Baltimore. Life FLight took Lori Cox to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo.

Cox was a passenger in 22-year-old Eric Ramirez’s car. Ramirez lost control on I-75 and drove off the left side of the interstate. He overcorrected and re-entered the highway into the path of 54-year-old Maria Simon. Simon hit Ramirez’s car and then a tractor-trailer driven by 61-year-old E.Lawrence Reevers.

Cox had to be extracted from the car. Four others were injured in the accident. Simon’s passenger, 79-year-old Mary C. Roemer suffered serious injuries and was taken by helicopter to Mercy St. Vincent.

06/06/18 – 1:17 P.M.

Findlay School Board accepted a three year, $275,000 grant. The Findlay Hancock-County Community Foundation awarded the grant to Findlay City Schools to support the preschool program. The grant will support reduced or free tuition for qualifying families. It will also help general operations.

The schools will receive $100,000 the first two years and $75,000 the third year.