1/24/19 – 5:18 A.M.
Marathon Petroleum is growing its footprint in Hancock County. Rejournals.com reports the company has signed a three-year office lease with the Reichle Kelin Group for a building just east of Findlay.
The nearly 38,000-square-foot building sits at 16380 U.S. 224.
MORE: Rejournals
1/24/19 – 4:32 A.M.
Wood County residents will start getting road condition updates when the next round of winter weather arrives. The sheriff’s office says it will begin issuing snow emergency levels after dozens of residents complained during this past weekend’s winter storm. Deputies hope drivers would use common sense if they’re out in the ice and snow whether there’s an emergency level or not.
01/23/19 – 5:07 P.M.
It is National School Choice Week, celebrating the choices parents have when it comes to their child’s education. Findlay City Schools superintendent Ed Kurt said that there are pros and cons to School Choice. He said it does help create competition…
Kurt said that the only downside is that there are schools parents can send their kids to that aren’t vetted as much as public schools.
He said that there should be checks and balances in place to ensure private schools are providing quality education and spending money wisely.
01/23/19 – 2 P.M.
Unemployment went up in all counties in our area last month. The latest numbers from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show Hancock County had 3.8 percent unemployment in December. That’s up from 3.1 percent in November and 3.4 percent from December of 2017.
Putnam County also saw an increase in unemployment. Putnam was at 4 percent in December, up from 3.1 percent in November and 3.5 percent in December of 2017.
Wyandot County boasted the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 3.6 percent. Allen (4.7), Hardin (4.5), and Wood (4.3) counties were all over 4 percent. Seneca (5.0) and Henry (5.8) were both over 5 percent.
01/23/19 – 12:52 P.M.
The Seneca, Wood and Hancock Counties Concerned Citizens Group is meeting this Thursday. The meeting will be at West Independence United Methodist Church. The meeting will be from 7 to 9 pm to discuss the Sunny Farms Landfill south of Fostoria.
You can find more information by calling 419-894-6068.
01/23/19 – 10:58 A.M.
The rain and melting snow are causing slick spots on area roads. Hancock, Seneca, and Hardin counties are all under Level 1 Roadway Advisories. Roads that haven’t been fully plowed still have a mix of snow, slush, and ice on them, making things slick. You’re urged to use caution as you head to work and school this morning.
There is also a flood watch in effect for Hancock, Seneca, and Wyandot counties today and tonight. The National Weather Service says the rainfall and snowmelt will cause rivers to rise. The last check of the river level predictions for the Blanchard River do not call for flooding in Hancock County.
You can see the expected river levels here.
1/23/19 – 5:30 A.M.
Fostoria Fire Division EMTs made a rooftop rescue Tuesday. A worker fell while working on the roof of the Taco Bell on Plaza Drive. Emergency responders took the worker to ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital for evaluation.
1/23/19 – 5:24 A.M.
Bluffton University has named a new vice president and dean of academic affairs. The school has tapped Lamar Nisly to the position. He’s served in the role as the interim vice president since June of 2017.
Nisly has worked for BU since 1996. He has served as a professor of English, the chair of the humanities division, and the associate dean of academic affairs.
1/23/19 – 5:17 A.M.
Seneca County will have an interim treasurer starting in February. The county commissioners picked Becky Hohman to serve in the role during their Tuesday meeting. Damon Alt is currently serving in the position. He is leaving to become a magistrate for Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Kelbley.
Hohman has worked in the treasurer’s office for three years. She’ll hold down the fort until the Seneca County Republican Party picks a replacement for Alt. Chris English, Paul Harrison, Stephen Welter, and David Koehl are all interested.
The GOP will talk about the appointment at a February 7th meeting. The party gets to pick Alt’s replacement since Alt is a Republican.
1/23/19 – 5:10 A.M.
Van Buren Schools may change their bus and building schedules in the future. The district plans to talk about the proposal at a public meeting on February 6th at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium.
Superintendent Tim Myers says they are considering separating elementary bus routes from middle and high school routes. Myers says the plan would help keep the size of the bus fleet under control. It would also limit the number of bus drivers needed. That would help the district deal with a shortage of drivers.
Under the proposal, the elementary school day would start at 7:35 a.m. The middle and high schools would start at 8:35 a.m. The different start times would allow the district to use four fewer buses.