With two weeks to go, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says ballots already cast in this year’s election are double the rate seen in 2016.

He says more than 1.1 million Ohioans have already voted in the 2020 general election.

Nearly triple the number of Ohioans are voting early in-person compared to the same time in 2016.

LaRose says absentee ballots are being returned at a rate that drastically outpaces 2016.

675,231 absentee ballots have already been returned to county boards of elections.

In 2016, that number was essentially half that with just 344,314 absentee ballots returned.

LaRose says the doubling of the number of returned absentee ballots relative to 2016 is a strong indicator that the mail is working quickly and Ohioans are easily able to cast their ballots.

More than 2.7 million Ohioans have requested an absentee ballot.

Early in-person voting continues at the Hancock County Board of Elections. (pictured above)

Click here for a list of issues and candidates on the ballot.

The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in a single day in Ohio has hit a new high.

Health officials on Tuesday announced there have been 216 people admitted in the last 24-hours, which is a record for new hospitalizations in a single day.

As of Tuesday, 1,221 people were hospitalized with COVID in Ohio, the highest number since July.

2,015 new cases were reported on Tuesday.

Governor DeWine said we knocked down surges in cases before and says we can do it again.

He’s urging Ohioans to wear a face mask, avoid gatherings and practice social distancing.

As of Tuesday, there have been a total of 185,639 cases in Ohio since the pandemic started and 5,083 deaths.

Both Hancock and Putnam Counties are considered a “high incidence” county.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

The new map will be released on Thursday.

The City of Findlay’s leaf collection this year will run from November 16th through December 4th.

City workers will pick up leaves that have been placed in biodegradable paper bags at the curb.

The city makes clear that plastic bags and loose leaves will not be picked up.

The city is reminding people to not rake leaves into the street, as leaves tend to wash into and clog storm sewers, causing maintenance issues and potential flooding.

City residents may continue to drop leaves at the green waste site located at 330 North Cory Street at no charge.

The current hours for the site are Tuesday through Friday 2pm-7pm and Saturday 8am-1pm, closed Sunday, Monday.

Beginning October 27, 2020, hours for the site will be Tuesday through Friday 1pm-6pm and Saturday 8am-1pm, closed Sunday, Monday.

Beginning November 7, 2020, Saturday hours will increase to 8am-4pm.

The green waste site will be closed on November 11, 2020, in honor of Veterans Day and November 26, 2020, for Thanksgiving.

It will be open on November 27 and 28, 2020.

The last day for the green waste site for the season is December 5, 2020.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday to open Brucklacher Memorial Park, the Kiwanis Club of Findlay‘s 100th anniversary project.

The park is in honor of James Brucklacher, a longtime Kiwanian and one of the founders of the Hancock Historical Museum.

Irvin Reinhart, president of RCM Architects and a Kiwanis member, couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

“It really is a stunning design and I feel as though it fits in with the surrounding landscape just beautifully.”

Brucklacher Memorial Park is located at the site of the Little Red Schoolhouse on County Road 236 a little east of Findlay.

Vice President Mike Pence will make a campaign stop in Ohio this week.

He will host a Make America Great Again event at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport on Wednesday, October 21st.

Doors open at 4 p.m. for the event that starts at 6 p.m.

Those who request a ticket to the event must waive liability for COVID-19 exposure.

All attendees will be given a mask.

Pence was in Columbus campaigning for the president on October 12th.

Joe Biden made a campaign stop in Cincinnati on October 12th after also visiting Toledo earlier in the day.

The University of Findlay’s October Fridays at Findlay lecture series will be focused on agriculture, Ohio’s largest industry.

“Changes and Challenges in Ag Business Today” will be presented virtually from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday, October 30th.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Panelists Ken Vaupel, CEO of Alfagreen Supreme, and Paul Kalmbach, Jr., President of Kalmbach Feeds, will share their insight into the changes and challenges in the ag industry today.

The University of Findlay says this virtual session is sure to offer excellent insight into the Ohio agriculture industry, business changes and challenges, and how the current market has impacted agriculture as a whole.

To register for the lecture and for more information click here.

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Hancock County has experienced two more deaths from the coronavirus.

The Monday COVID-19 data from Hancock Public Health shows the county is now at 21 deaths, which is an increase of two from Friday.

There have been 995 total cases of the virus in Hancock County since the pandemic began.

141 of the cases are active, which is an increase of 26 from Friday.

State data shows Putnam County has had 892 cases and 27 deaths.

Both Hancock and Putnam Counties are considered a “high incidence” county.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

Statewide, 1,837 new cases were reported on Monday.

The statewide totals are 183,624 cases and 5,075 deaths.

Move over. Slow down. Pay attention.

That’s the message state officials work to convey yearlong, and especially on National Move Over Awareness Day on Monday.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, The Ohio State Highway Patrol and other agencies are reminding drivers of the state’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to move over for all roadside workers and vehicles with flashing lights.

If you can’t move over, you need to slow down.

Last year on Ohio’s roads, drivers failing to move over struck road construction equipment more than 600 times, tow trucks 341 times, snowplows more than 200 times and law enforcement vehicles more than 1,000 times,

Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Bruning is pleading with drivers to start paying better attention.

There have been 3,541 work zone related crashes this year in Ohio, resulting in 17 fatalities and 951 injuries.

There have also been more than 500 crashes involving law enforcement, construction and utility workers, and tow truck drivers being struck while working along the roadside.

In 2019, the Ohio State Highway Patrol issued 7,829 citations for those failing to move over or slow down.

A survey of Ohio drivers conducted by Brittany Shoots-Reinhard, research assistant professor at The Ohio State University Department of Psychology, found gaps in Ohioans’ knowledge of the state’s Move Over law, especially when it comes to construction crews or tow trucks.

More than 90 percent of survey participants responded that they know that the Move Over law applies to law enforcement and emergency vehicles, compared to 70 percent for construction vehicles, 62 percent for tow trucks and 50 percent for disabled vehicles with flashing lights.

Learn more about that survey and about the Move Over Law by clicking here.

https://twitter.com/ODOT_Statewide/status/1318165760804450306

October 19th through the 23rd is National School Bus Safety Week.

Law enforcement officials say this year’s theme, “Red Lights Mean STOP!” serves as a reminder for students, parents, teachers and the community to keep school bus safety in the forefront.

Agencies like the Findlay Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol are urging everyone to do their part in keeping students safe.

Parents are urged to talk with their kids about how to act around school buses and drivers are reminded to keep their peeled for children getting on and off of buses.

Findlay Crime prevention officer Brian White says drivers also need to remember to slow down in school zones when children are present.

A driver who fails to stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students can be fined up to $500 and have their license suspended for a year.

On a two-lane road drivers going the same direction and opposite direction must stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students.

On a four-lane road, only vehicles going the same direction as the school bus must stop.

Get more school bus safety tips here.

https://twitter.com/OSHP/status/1317857993304596481

Poll workers across Ohio are getting ready for election day with a series of online training videos from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.

Brian Mead is the Director of the Licking County Board of Elections in central Ohio and has some advice for poll workers.

He says de-escalation training is included as part of the online training program for poll workers and teaches them what to do if emotions run hot.

The training videos show poll workers how to handle a voter who refuses to wear a mask or shows up wearing campaign clothing.

The election is coming up on November 3rd.

Early in-person voting is continuing at the Hancock County Board of Elections.

See the candidates and issues on the ballot by clicking here.