3/6/19 – 6:43 A.M.

A recycling effort in McComb continues through Thursday. A modular rolloff is available to collect recyclables through 3 p.m. Thursday at the street department building.

The Hancock County Solid Waste Management District is collecting flattened cardboard, plastic types 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, aluminum cans, steel food cans, newspapers, office paper, and magazines.

You’re reminded not to leave items behind if they won’t fit into the container.

3/6/19 – 5:30 A.M.

Hancock County Sheriff Mike Heldman is joining a national joint task force to reduce the number of jail inmates who commit crimes again after serving their sentence. The group aims to address the issue through a continuity of health care services.

The task force will look at the impacts of the national mental and behavioral health crisis. It will also examine the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy. The rule strips federal health and veterans’ benefits from people when they are first put in jail, not when they are convicted.

Heldman is one of two people from Ohio on the task force.

3/6/19 – 5:20 A.M.

The Ohio EPA has cited the Sunny Farms Landfill for missing a deadline to take action to reduce odors from the facility. The landfill had until February 28th to cover parts of the facility not accepting waste with three feet of dirt. In a statement, Ohio EPA Director Laurie Stevenson said, “their failure to take action under the orders that were just issued to them demonstrates to the agency that they are not taking seriously their responsibility to reduce odors.”

The Ohio EPA has referred the case to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for review.

Sunny Farms Landfill regional sales manager Ben Nutter talked about the issue at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Nutter says due to freezing and thawing ground conditions, they weren’t able to cover a small section. He adds that the section is now covered.

MORE: Full EPA statement

3/6/19 – 5:09 A.M.

The Fostoria Water Treatment plant will no longer treat leachate from the Sunny Farms Landfill. City council has passed legislation that supports the administration’s decision to no longer accept liquid that has potentially come into contact with harmful substances.

Mayor Eric Keckler says Fostoria can’t control what comes into the landfill, which means they don’t know what will be in the landfill leachate in the future.

Keckler says the landfill has until the end of business Friday to find a new facility to use for leachate disposal.

MORE: Landfill representative says the facility isn’t contaminating water.

03/05/19 – 2 A.M.

Credit card policy crept back into Tuesday’s Findlay City Council meeting. City Auditor Jim Staschiak reported that employees of the municipal court have not returned their city credit cards. He added that this violates the credit card policy implemented by the city earlier this year.

Director of Court Services David Beech disagreed. He explained that the court has a separate credit card policy because the court is considered a separate entity from the city.

Staschiak said that while Beech is correct, the city’s credit cards are connected to a single account and subject to the city’s policy. Council is looking into the issue but took no action on Tuesday.

03/06/19 – 2 A.M.
UPDATE – 3/7/19 – 10:32 A.M. (Clarifies that the application for funding is still pending.)

Blanchard Valley Health System is partnering with Penrose Holdings, LLC to potentially build two new housing developments in Findlay. The companies sent a notice to Findlay City Council about the plans. One plan is for a retirement community called Eastern Woods Senior and the other is called Eastern Woods Family.

Both developments would feature low-income housing options. The plans have the developments located near the Birchaven Village campus.

Findlay Safety Director Paul Schmelzer said the plans are still young. He added that companies building low-income housing and using Ohio Housing Finance Agency funding have to give notices before moving forward.

BVHS and Penrose have submitted for funding from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and are awaiting word on if the agency will award them money to move forward.

03/05/19 – 3:06 P.M.

The owner of Walnut Saloon in Findlay is facing assault charges after an incident with an employee last week. Video of the incident was posted to Facebook today. It shows owner Dale Dean Suter shouting at an employee and then physically assaulting.

Findlay Police Lt. Ryan Doe reports that police were called to the bar just before 10:15 a.m. last Thursday. Police arrested Suter shortly after. He will face a first-degree misdemeanor assault charge at the Findlay Municipal Court next Wednesday.