01/22/19 – 4:43 P.M.
The Crime Victim Services of Putnam County is sponsoring a community summit to discuss victim services. The organization is inviting people to evaluate services, educate the community, and learn from the community. The Putnam County Community Summit will be on February 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Putnam County Library Kalida Branch.
You can RSVP by calling Becca Peckinpaugh at 419-615-4989.
01/22/19 – 3:39 P.M.
With temperatures going up, we will soon see some snow melting and the Blanchard River rising. The National Weather Service predicts that the river won’t hit flood stage in Findlay. The prediction has the river cresting at 7.8 feet. Action stage is 8 feet.
Ottawa is predicted to hit the action stage with a crest of 21.1 feet. Minor flood stage is at 23 feet.
01/22/19 – 3:25 P.M.
Findlay’s streets are snow covered at the moment but colder temperatures have played a role in keeping the city from clearing them. That was the message from Safety Director Paul Schmelzer.
Schmelzer added that with temperatures getting back above freezing, they will work to clear the roads.
He said that you should see marked improvements on Findlay streets over the next few days.
Local officials are still taking stock of the first snowstorm of the season. Hancock County Commissioner Mark Gazarek says he’s talked to several plow drivers since Saturday. He says they ran into a few reminders as to why you shouldn’t drive during a Level 2 or 3 snow emergency…
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Gazarek says the county is still totaling the man hours and salt used to clear the roads. He commended the plow crews for their hard work over the weekend.
Commissioner Brian Robertson says the Findlay Chic-fil-A brought the drivers sandwiches to thank them for their efforts.
Gazarek says Sheriff Heldman told him this was the first Level 3 Road Emergency since 2011.
1/22/19 – 6:53 A.M.
The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office is warning area residents about a phone scam. Investigators say someone is calling people in the county and trying to get them to buy a money order to avoid arrest on a fake federal warrant. The scam is coming from someone claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. The number that comes up on caller ID mimics the sheriff’s office phone number.
Officials remind you they won’t call you to get payment for anything. Deputies perform all warrant service and notifications in person.
If you get a call that you believe is a scam, get the person’s name and then call the sheriff’s office back. A dispatcher will put you in touch with a deputy.
The Hardin County Sheriff’s phone number is 419-673-1268.
1/22/19 – 6:42 A.M.
Carey officials have received an ODOT safety study for South Vance Street. Village Administrator Roy Johnson says they are reviewing the report. He adds, “there may be some recommendations to be forthcoming for this area, specifically with all the new development going on.”
The area in question includes the Carey School. School officials have asked for a traffic light in front of the building. Blanchard Valley Health System is also building a medical clinic in the area, which could increase traffic.
1/22/19 – 5:29 A.M.
Ohio Northern University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is coming up tonight. The school is hosting Michael Benitez to headline an event at 7 p.m. in the English Chapel at ONU. Benitez is dean of diversity and inclusion and the chief diversity officer and Title IX officer at the University of Puget Sound.
The theme of this year’s talk is, “The time is always now: Upholding legacies of diversity leadership in 21st century America.”
1/22/19 – 5:20 A.M.
The University of Findlay will have a new vice president for enrollment management soon. The school recently announced Jeremy Pittman would take the open position starting on February 4.
Pittman previously served as the vice president of admissions and financial aid at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
1/22/19 – 5:16 A.M.
The University of Findlay is holding Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations this week. The events include a Wednesday presentation by two current students and a recent graduate. They’ll talk about their experiences in diverse leadership positions at noon on Wednesday in the Winebrenner Theological Seminary.
The university is also holding a toiletry drive this week. You can drop off items like shampoo, soap, conditioner, and toothpaste at several locations including the Alumni Memorial Union. The Buford Center for Diversity and Service is accepting monetary donations as well.
Volunteers are distributing the items as well as 10,000 pounds of food at a mobile food pantry Saturday morning.
1/22/19 – 5:03 A.M.
Firefighters battled a blaze northwest of Findlay Monday afternoon. They responded to a structure fire in the 3500 block of Hancock County Road 140 around 4:30 p.m.
First responders reported smoke coming from the eaves of the home when they arrived.
No other details are available yet.