3/28/19 – 11:12 A.M.

A program aimed at reducing Type 2 diabetes in Hancock County is expanding. Heather Bellow is with Northwest Ohio Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. She says they are continuing efforts to help people make lifestyle changes through a CDC program…

The program is now partnering with Hancock Public Health. The agency is working to make it more accessible through a grant from the Community Foundation.

Hancock Public Health’s Chad Masters says the grant will pay for more than 160 people to take part.

For more information, you can go to hancockpublichealth.com. You can apply to enter the program at through the NWO website.

3/28/19 – 10:29 A.M.

The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum is getting a new addition. The school will start construction on the 4,000-square-foot Joseph and Judith Conda STEAM Education Center next spring. They’ll unveil renderings of the expansion during a ceremony next Wednesday at 3 p.m.

UF will announce the amount of Joseph and Judith Conda’s donation next week as well. A partnership with Findlay City Schools helped earn a $350,000 grant for construction from the state through the Ohio Facilities Construction Committee’s cultural grant program.

The University says the center will be one of the first in the nation to blend a campus art museum with the hard sciences. Area school children will use the facility for hands-on learning experiences for art and science projects.

3/28/19 – 9:09 A.M.

Findlay drivers should prepare for a change on Western Avenue. The city has announced that they are removing the stop light at the intersection of Western and Lake Cascades Parkway. The change will put a stop sign in place for drivers turning onto Western from Lake Cascades.

The city says the traffic lights at the intersection are failing and traffic counts show the intersection isn’t required to have a stop light. The lights will operate in flashing mode through April 7th. Crews will install a stop sign at that point. If there are no major concerns the city will remove the stop lights on April 22nd.

The city’s traffic commission voted in favor of removing the stop lights at their February meeting.

Signal Location:

3/28/19 – 5:29 A.M.

An author and reporter who covered the high-profile disappearance of three Michigan boys nine years ago will speak in Findlay next week. Lynn Thompson will talk about his book, “76 Minutes: My Search for Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton” at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Monday night. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Lindamood Room.

The Skelton brothers disappeared from their home in southern Michigan in 2010. It remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the U.S.

For more information, you can call 419-422-1712.

3/28/19 – 5:07 A.M.

The Mount Blanchard Heart and Soul committee is hosting a community summit this weekend. The event will address future growth in the community. They plan to talk about the parks and swimming pool, schools, community activities, and business development.

The event will be at the Mount Blanchard United Methodist Church fellowship hall from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Organizers will provide dinner as well as childcare during the meeting.

MORE: Background of the Heart and Soul effort

3/28/19 – 4:59 A.M.

A collaboration between community organizations allowed 120 area students to watch a live open heart surgery Wednesday. Most of the students are juniors in the Millstream Career Center health professions program. While the surgery took place at a hospital in New Jersey, it was live streamed into a classroom at Millstream.

Dr. James Slater performed the surgery. His wife, Fiona Laird, is an executive at Marathon Petroleum and recently moved to Findlay. They got to know Blanchard Valley Health System CEO Scott Malaney, who put them in touch with Findlay City Schools.

Cassie Van Horn is a health professions instructor at Millstream. She says the presentation was part of an effort to help kids explore different careers.

University of Findlay physician assistant students also took part in the presentation, answering questions during the procedure.

MORE: Students react to being able to take part in the live stream.

3/27/19 – 10:30 A.M.
Update 3/28/19 – Corrects a previous version of the story that incorrectly referred to the position as a Hancock County Commissioner at-large seat.

We’re down to four candidates for three Findlay City Council at-large positions in the Republican primary. Nada Jordan officially pulled out of the race Wednesday. A statement from Jordan says that unforeseen circumstances forced her to withdraw her candidacy.

Incumbents Jeff Wobser, Tom Shindledecker, and Grant Russel, as well as challenger Matthias Leguire, are all vying for GOP votes this spring. The top three vote-getters will advance to the November general election where they will face Democrat Abigail Hefflinger.