The Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce held its 2020 Small Business Awards at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.

Each year, the Chamber highlights local individuals, who through their independent entrepreneurial spirit, play a vital role in building the community and the economy.

The Women in Business Champion of the Year award went to the Baking Company & Bread Kneads.

Owner Eve Marie Stump (pictured above) was surprised to hear the name of her business called.

The 19-year-old Stump, who took over the restaurant in September of 2019, says the award means a lot to her because the business has always been woman-owned.

Eve says the pandemic has presented challenges but she’s loving what she’s doing and is honored to be recognized with the award.

Click here for the full list of winners at the 2020 Small Business Awards.

Below is Blanchard Valley Health System accepting the Customer Service Champion of the Year award.

The Kan Du Group and the Blanchard Valley Center will be holding a fun Halloween event.

On Friday night October 23rd the parking lot of the Blanchard Valley Center will become haunted for a spooky good time.

People are being encouraged to wear a costume, and stay in their own vehicle and drive or ride through the parking lot that will be filled with spirited and spooky vehicles.

The free event happens Friday night October 23rd from 7 to 9.

WFIN’s Chris Oaks gets more details about the event from the Kan Du Group and Blanchard Valley Center in the interview below.

LeBron James and students from the Akron school he founded are being featured on the front of a Wheaties cereal box.

The cover is a collage showing James surrounded by students and staff at the I PROMISE school.

The basketball star’s LeBron James Family Foundation launched the school in 2018.

The box will hit the shelves in the next few weeks.

The number of total cases and active cases increased slightly in the latest COVID-19 data released by Hancock Public Health.

The agency says, as of Wednesday, there have been a total of 823 cases in the county, which is an increase of 16 from Monday.

The number of active cases as of Wednesday stood at 89, an increase of four from Monday’s numbers.

A total of 63 people have been hospitalized from the virus in Hancock County since the beginning of the pandemic.

13 Hancock County residents have died of COVID-19.

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

State data shows Putnam County had 694 cases and 27 deaths as of Wednesday.

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

The new COVID alert map will be released on Thursday.

The Marathon Center for the Performing Arts is seeking nominations for the Fifth Third Bank Wall of Fame.

People are encouraged to submit nominees with a connection to Hancock County whose accomplishments have greatly impacted their chosen arts discipline locally, regionally or nationally.

Nominees can be living or deceased.

Past Fifth Third Bank Wall of Fame inductees include Al Abrams, Micheal Anders, Jonathan Baker, Gavin Creel, Russell Crouse, David Cryer, Barbra Hennigs, Clifford Hite, Scott Lavender, Jack McBride, Wendene Shoupe, Phil Sugden and Jack Taylor.

Nominations must be received by December 31st.

The Wall of Fame Committee, comprised of community member and representatives of Fifth Third Bank, will review the submissions and select a minimum of one nominee to be inducted to the Wall of Fame in May 2021.

Click here for more details and for a nomination form.

The Hancock County Board of Elections says everything went well on the first day of early voting on Tuesday.

Jody O’Brien, Republican Director of the Hancock County Board of Elections, says 515 people cast their ballot at their office on the first day of early voting, which is likely a record.

People were already waiting in line outside when they opened at 8 o’clock Tuesday morning and traffic was steady throughout the day.

The board of elections will be open from 8 to 5 this week and next for early voting which will continue through November 2nd.

Also beginning Tuesday, absentee ballots started to be mailed out to people who requested one.

Nearly 10,000 Hancock County residents have requested an absentee ballot, and more than 2 million across the state, which is a record.

Get more important election information from the Hancock County Board of Elections by clicking here.

The City Mission of Findlay is dealing with a food shortage.

Joy Barger, Chief Development Officer, says they served around 90,000 meals last year and the need is even greater this year.

Joy said, due to the pandemic, fewer food drives have been held and they’re at a deficit of 50,000 pounds of donated food.

She’s asking individuals, businesses and churches to donate what they can.

Learn more about the City Mission of Findlay and how you can help them out here.

The Ohio Department of Health is allowing more fans at Cleveland Browns home games.

Officials agreed to a request from the team to allow 12,000 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium, doubling the current limit of 6,000.

The venue can hold nearly 68,000 people.

Fans will be required to wear masks the entire time and can only use the entrance and exit closest to their assigned seat.

The Browns host the Colts on Sunday.

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s annual Paint the Plow contest has gone virtual due to the pandemic.

Students in Kindergarten through 12th grade are urged to download the contest material, come up with their best design and then submit their entry.

ODOT is urging students to be creative, and they love to see themes of safe driving, school pride, patriotism, Ohio and the weather.

Submissions will be accepted through October 23rd.

Finalists will move onto a final round of voting that will take place on ODOT’s social media channels.

Statewide winners will be announced before Thanksgiving.

Winners will be featured online on ODOT’s social media platforms, website, weekly video series, The Loop, and other agency publications.

Early voting for the November 3rd election gets underway on Tuesday.

Jody O’Brien, with the Hancock County Board of Elections, says don’t be alarmed if you see a line stretching outside.

She says with social distancing requirements and the fact that their office is rather small, most of the line will be outside.

She says their office hours this week will be 8 to 5.

Also beginning Tuesday, absentee ballots will start to be mailed out to people who requested one.

In addition to voting early in person at the board of elections, voters can also mail back or drop off their absentee ballot, and of course just show up to the polls on election day on November 3rd and cast your ballot then.

Get more important election information from the Hancock County Board of Elections by clicking here.