Dozens of Findlay and Hancock County businesses have been recognized with safety awards.

Details are in the following news release from the Findlay – Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

50 area businesses and organizations were honored for their safety achievements by the Hancock County Safety Council, a program of the Findlay – Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, and co-sponsored by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety & Hygiene. Through its relationship with Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, more than $60,000.00 was reinvested in the Findlay-Hancock county area business community in 2019 to continue efforts for providing safe work environments.

Special Awards were presented to businesses accumulating at least 500,000 hours and at least six months without a lost-time injury. Businesses working for the entire year without a lost-time injury or illness were awarded the 100% Award and Group Awards were given to companies with the lowest incident rate in each group. Achievement Awards were presented to companies decreasing their incident rate by at least 25 percent from the previous year.

The following recipients excelled in their field in one or more of the award categories:

50 North

Black Swamp Area Council 449 BSA

Blanchard Valley Hospital

Blanchard Valley Residential Services

Bodie Mechanical Services Inc

Charles Construction Services, Inc.

City Apparel

City Dry Cleaning

City Uniforms and Linen

Crushproof Tubing Co.

Custom Staffing – Findlay

Davis & Newcomer Elevator

DNC Hydraulics

Findlay City Schools

Findlay Country Club

Findlay Products Corporation

Findlay Warehousing Co., Inc.

Findlay•Hancock County Chamber of Commerce

FMT, Inc.

Fresh Encounter Inc.

FriendsOffice

G.S.W. Manufacturing, Inc.

Garlock Brothers Construction, Inc.

Great Scot, Inc.

Hancock County

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Helms & Sons Exc.

Helms Construction, Inc.

HHWP Community Action Commission

Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County

Hyway Trucking Company

JK-CO, LLC

Kan Du Group Inc.

Kirk Bros. Co., Inc.

Kirk Bros. Masonry, Inc.

L & H Bulk Services, LLC

Legacy Farmers Cooperative

Molten North America Corporation

Nissin Brake Ohio, Inc.

Premier Material Concepts

Pride Transportation Co., Inc.

Prism Propane

ROKI-AMERICA Co., Ltd.

Rowmark, LLC

Sparks Commercial Tire, Inc.

Stearns Companies LLC

TH Plastics, Inc.

The Doepker Group, Inc.

TJD Industrial Cleaning & Maintenance, Inc.

Vorst Custom Cabinets

Hancock County Safety Council is a program of the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored by the Bureau of Workers Compensation, Division of Safety & Hygiene. Our focus is to increase awareness of a safe environment in the workplace.

For information regarding enrollment in the Hancock County Safety Council and eligibility requirements for the discount program, contact the Findlay•Hancock County Chamber of Commerce at 419.422.3313, or email info@FindlayHancockChamber.com.

A man is facing felony drug charges after being pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Wood County.

The highway patrol says they pulled over a rented minivan with Florida registration on Interstate 75 on May 19th for a following too close violation.

They say criminal indicators were observed and they asked to search the vehicle.

They say a search of the van revealed 136 grams of heroin, 60 grams of methamphetamine, 300 suspected fentanyl pills and marijuana worth approximately $60,212.

The driver, Cecil Wilson, 50, of Michigan, was booked at the Wood County Justice Center on trafficking and possession charges.

If convicted, he could face up to 38 years in prison.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a pedestrian died after being hit by a vehicle while walking along a road near Bluffton.

It happened Wednesday night at 10:18 on State Route 235 near County Road 29.

The sheriff’s office says the pedestrian, 44-year-old William Lawson, of Cincinnati, was walking southbound on State Route 235 when he was struck by a southbound vehicle.

Lawson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vehicle did stop after hitting him.

(ONN) – A federal court panel has temporarily stopped Ohio ballot campaigns from proceeding under less restrictive signature-gathering rules they’d been granted amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the more flexible rules while the state appeals.

A lower court allowed E-signatures and extended the deadline for turning them in.

The state has appealed and asked the full Sixth Circuit to take up the case.

The government argues that wet ink signature requirements laid out in Ohio’s constitution cannot be changed without a vote of the people.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says U.S. 30 westbound will close for an emergency culvert replacement just east of Upper Sandusky.

Details are in the following news release from ODOT.

The culvert replacement plans have changed for the emergency repairs on U.S. 30 east of the city of Upper Sandusky, just east of its interchange with U.S. 23 as the feasibility of safely replacing the westbound lanes, one lane at a time, is uncertain.

Work began last week to remove the failed, corrugated metal culvert which washed out due to heavy rains May 19, 2020. The project will remove the existing culvert and replace it with a 78-inch concrete culvert. The eastbound lanes are expected to reopen the week of June 1.

The westbound lanes are currently stable though conditions have the potential to deteriorate abruptly once excavation begins. To ensure the public’s safety, both westbound lanes will close for the replacement. In addition, the location will remain under observation until the work can begin.

Kokosing Construction Co., Inc., Columbus, the general contractor for the project plans to close the westbound direction route for five to seven days.

Tentatively, the project to replace the westbound portion is set to begin anytime between June 1 – 8. The closure will occur as soon as possible following the reopening of the eastbound lanes and the ramp from U.S. 23 northbound which is currently closed for pavement repairs.

While the westbound route is closed, motorists will be detoured onto county Highway 330, just west of Bucyrus, back to U.S. 23/U.S. 30 at Upper Sandusky.

A group of bus drivers in one Ohio school district came up with a unique way to honor the graduates of 2020.

The bus drivers for the Loveland City School District lined up more than 20 buses to spell out 2020 as a tribute for the graduates who won’t get to have a traditional commencement ceremony.

“Some of us have been around long enough to transport these kids since kindergarten”, said bus driver Jennifer Bloom Bowman.

“And some of us have only been working with the district for a few years, but the one thing we all have in common is the love for our students. This is a huge accomplishment and any way we can show them some love, we will do it. So here’s to the Class of 2020. Your bus drivers are proud of all of you.”

(picture and video courtesy of Loveland City Schools)

The West Ohio Food Bank Board of Directors is announcing the hiring of the food bank’s new Chief Executive Officer.

The Board of Directors says it has decided to stay within the organization and hire current Chief Operating Officer Tommie Harner as their new CEO.

Harner will replace current CEO Linda Hamilton who previously announced she would be retiring.

More details are in the full news release from the food bank.

The West Ohio Food Bank Board of Directors has finished its months long search for a new CEO, and they have decided to stay within the organization.

Current Chief Operating Officer Tommie Harner has been selected as the next Chief Executive Officer. Current CEO Linda Hamilton announced earlier this year that she would be retiring.

Ms. Hamilton will continue on the job through June 30th, 2020, to ensure a smooth and successful transition. She has been CEO of West Ohio Food Bank since the summer of 2015.

Ms. Harner has been with the West Ohio Food Bank since July 2006. She has served in numerous roles during her tenure, including management and leadership positions, which has involved strategic alignment with the mission and vision of the organization, scheduling, inventory control, payroll, budgeting, compliance and regulations, project management, team-building, goal-setting and measurable impact, acting as a key representative throughout the service area for the food bank.

Ms. Harner is a recent graduate of Tiffin University, earning a B.A. in Business Administration and Human Resource Management. Ms. Harner maintained a 3.85 GPA while taking on-line classes and working full-time.

West Ohio Food Bank CEO Linda Hamilton’s comments on the selection of Tommie Harner as her successor:

“Over the past fourteen years Tommie has held numerous roles within the organization gaining experience to step into the CEO role. Tommie is a self-motivated professional with skills in goal setting, problem solving and leading through strategic direction with the ability to gain trust while strengthening community relationships. I am confident Tommie has the passion and commitment to take the food bank to the next level, looking at new ways to feed those who are hungry in our 11-county area.”

What others are saying about Tommie Harner:

“We are grateful for the leadership that Linda has brought, advancing the organization, and we are excited for the future of West Ohio Food Bank under Tommie’s leadership” – Jennifer Niese, West Ohio Food Bank Board President

Tommie Harner, in her own words:

“I am very excited to begin this new journey as CEO of the West Ohio Food Bank. I am eager to continue the wonderful work that Linda (Hamilton) has done over the past five years, while utilizing my experience to continue the partnerships, while engaging in new community supporters throughout our service area and incorporating a strategic vision and moving the organization forward.”

(ONN) – Ohio’s governor and several key Ohio lawmakers have come out with strong condemnations of a threat that was made against State Representative Emilia Sykes of Akron, and her father, State Senator Vernon Sykes.

Governor Mike DeWine said in a written statement that the threat was reprehensible and was unconscionable to threaten someone with violence for doing the job they were elected to do.

Akron police have not released any details regarding the threat outside of the fact that it was delivered via phone.

Senator Sherrod Brown said on Twitter, “Leader Emilia Sykes and Senator Vernon Sykes are effective leaders in our state and have always fought hard for Northeast Ohio.
This type of hatred must not be tolerated.”

A powerful, yet small, storm moved through Findlay on Tuesday afternoon.

It was a little after 4 when the storm went right over the WFIN studios, kicking up strong winds and dropping a lot of rain and even some hail.

The storm created some big waves on Lake Cascades behind our studios.

Many of you who commented on the video we posted said you didn’t get any of the storm while others said it passed over their house.

Wednesday’s forecast is for partly sunny skies and some isolated storms possible with a high in the mid 80s.

There were long lines when the Bureau of Motor Vehicles location on County Road 140 in Findlay reopened on Tuesday morning.

Customers we spoke with said the line must’ve been about 100 people deep, and stretched into the parking lot.

They said once they got inside things went pretty quickly, as the BMV had six windows open.

We spoke with Joyce, who was renewing her license.

She said she got in line at 8:15 and was done at around 10:45.

Officials are reminding people that many services can be completed online by going to the Ohio BMV’s website.

People can change their address, order or renew plates and pay fees all online.

The state also says that due to their emergency order, all expired license and ID cards are still valid.