(ONN) – Ohioans have less than a year to get a federally compliant driver’s licenses or ID needed for future air travel.

State officials say fewer than one in three Ohioans has obtained the beefed-up identification, which requires extra documents including at least two showing proof of residency.

The government will no longer recognize standard driver’s licenses and state ID cards for boarding a plane beginning on October 1st, 2020.

Travelers will need a compliant license or other compliant ID such as a passport or military ID.

Non-compliant licenses and IDs can still be used for driving and voting.

In 2005 Congress passed the Real ID Act which created a nationwide security standard for the issuance of drivers licenses.

Click here for more on the difference between a compliant and a non-compliant license.

The Kiwanis and 4-H Family Fun Day is coming up later this month and will feature a costumed 5-K.

The Hancock County OSU Extension’s Karen McDougall said that the Trick-or-Trot 5K helps raise money for local organizations.

This year the money will be split between camp scholarships and the Kiwanis Closet.

The day will start off with a Trunk or Treat event and costume contest between 1:30 and 3:30 pm for no charge. The 5K kicks off at 4 pm and costs $15 to take part.

The Family Fun day will be from 1:30 – 5 pm Saturday, October 26 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

You can find more information and get registered here.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office has received a grant to help cut down on fatal accidents and improve traffic safety.

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office awarded over $41,300 to the sheriff’s office for the fiscal year 2020.

The sheriff’s office will use the grant to focus on priority areas such as distracted and impaired driving and safety belt usage.

The OTSO awards competitive grants to organizations for projects that they think will have the greatest impact.

The number of traffic deaths on Ohio’s roadways is up in 2019, after being down in 2018 for the first time in ten years.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says 880 people have lost their lives in crashes so far this year, an increase of around 4 percent from last year.

ODOT Spokesman Matt Bruning says one of the best tools ODOT has to continue reminding people to drive safely are those digital message boards you see over the highways.

“I got a note from someone who was driving on I-90 in Lake County near Cleveland, they said that the message board at the time said ‘that seat belt looks good on you’ and as they drove under it they noticed that the driver and passenger to their left both reached across and put their seat belts on.”

Bruning also says the state’s new gas tax will add about $50 million to ODOT’s safety program, which is money only used to help keep drivers safe.

50 North is announcing the public phase of its capital campaign to expand and renovate its facility on Melrose Avenue in Findlay to serve the growing senior population.

“We have to expand, or limit the offerings we have because right now we’re at 5,000 members and we’re at capacity,” said Executive Director Carolyn Copus.

She says the senior center has already raised $3.5 million in the silent phase of the fundraising campaign and is seeking an additional $2.5 million in the public phase.

Board President John Haywood says Hancock County’s over 50 population will surge to 44 percent in the coming decades.

“Based on the fact that 50 North is seeing a continued growth in our members and the population continues to grow, we’re in need of expanding our facility to handle the additional demand.”

He says the project will increase the size of the facility, in particular, the fitness area where they have the greatest demand.

Haywood says the expansion and renovation will not involve an increase in the levy that supports a big chunk of their operating costs.

Both the expansion and renovation are expected to be completed by July 2021.

Learn more about 50 North here. 

There were four hardware stores in downtown Findlay when Jim Brown bought Findlay Hardware Company 43 years ago, and in a few weeks there will be none.

Brown is retiring and selling Findlay Ace Hardware to a buyer who will not be keeping it as a hardware store.

Brown says he just couldn’t find a buyer who wanted the building and the business.

“I had people who wanted the building but didn’t want the business, and people who wanted to operate the business but didn’t want the building, so we just couldn’t get it together.”

Brown has a buyer for the building but didn’t reveal who it is because the deal’s not totally finalized.

Brown bought the store in 1976 when it was the Findlay Hardware Company and they moved to their current location at the corner of West Front Street and South Main Street in 1994

He says he’s had a lot of loyal customers over the last 43 years, customers who will now have to find somewhere else to get their chainsaws sharpened and keys made.

“I think eventually somebody will come along, cause there’s a market for a hardware store in this town, it’s a big enough town that you need a hardware store.”

The store was closed on Monday and will be again on Tuesday in preparation for the liquidaton sale that begins on Wednesday.

The store has 2 full-time and 4 part-time employees.

As for what’s next for Jim, the 69-year-old says his wife has a long list of things for him to get done around the house.

(In the picture below, Jim is on the right, along with employees Jenny Critchet and Tim Beck)

Bowling Green Police arrested a Findlay man they say assaulted a police officer.

BG Independent News reports that 20-year-old Carlos Crooks Jr allegedly kicked an officer in the face while the officers tried to break up a fight.

The newspaper reports that Crooks and 29-year-old Matthew Kelly of Las Vegas were fighting when two officers intervened.

Crooks reportedly grabbed an officer from behind and kicked him in the face, injuring his nose.

Officers charged Crooks with assault on an officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct-fighting.

Kelly was charged with disorderly conduct-fighting.

A fire outside of Arcadia shut down one lane of State Route 12 Monday.

Fire departments from Washington and Allen Townships and Vanlue responded to a barn fire on State Route 12 just southwest of Arcadia shortly after 2 pm.

The fire took out a barn and two outbuildings. Thankfully the fire didn’t hurt any livestock or people.

The fire forced responders to close one lane of State Route 12 for several hours.

There is no word on what caused the fire.

This week is Japan Week in Findlay and there will be plenty to do.

University of Findlay associate professor Hiro Kawamura says it’s all about bringing people together.

Findlay celebrates Japan Week because the city has close ties with Kawaguchi, Japan and there are several Japanese companies in the area.

Events this week include:

Musical performance by Yumi Kurosawa
Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
October 17 @ 7:30 pm

Japanese Film, Where I Belong
Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
October 18 @ 7:30 pm FREE

Japan Week Inspired Activities
Children’s Museum of Findlay
October 19 starting from 11 am to 1 pm

Rakugo Performance with “Showto”
Marathon Center for the Performing Arts
October 19 @ 7 pm FREE

A lot of people spent part of their weekend in a pumpkin patch, like the one at Suter’s Produce in Pandora.

We asked Audrey how she went about selecting her perfect pumpkin.

“Well, I wanted to make sure it was big, and that it would stand up, and that it didn’t have any rotten spots.”

What does she like carving into her pumpkin?

“Scary faces, smiley faces. My sister said she’s gonna do a barfing one, ” Audrey said, giggling.

The 10-year-old said she usually grows her own pumpkins, but the bugs got to them this year.

She had hundreds to choose from at Suter’s but says it only took her about 10 minutes to find the right one for her.

After picking their pumpkins, people then enjoyed the corn maze and other activities.