Some Findlay students will be showing their appreciation for Veterans by forming a patriotic parade route.

It will happen at Chamberlin Hill Elementary School on Tuesday, November 10th from 1:30 to 2:30.

Veterans will stay in their cars and drive through the parade route as students thank them for the service and sacrifice.

If the weather is bad, the event will be rescheduled to Thursday at the same time.

Veterans Day is on Wednesday.

Chamberlin Hill traditionally puts on a nice program for Veterans but that couldn’t happen this year due to the pandemic.

While there will be no Hancock County Veterans Day Parade this year, there will be a short service to honor Veterans at 2 o’clock Sunday at the Hancock County War Memorial.

The Findlay Police Department says a child riding a bike was hit by a car in a crosswalk.

It happened on Friday afternoon at the intersection of North Blanchard Street and East Trenton Street.

Police say Brenda S. Crudup, 55, of Findlay, was driving south on Blanchard and went to turn west onto Trenton Avenue when she struck the juvenile in the crosswalk.

The child was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital by Hanco EMS.

Police say the driver was issued a citation.

Both the number of overall cases and active cases of COVID-19 increased in Hancock County in the Friday numbers from Hancock Public Health.

The agency says there were 1,435 overall cases of the virus as of Friday, which is an increase of 58 from Wednesday.

Active cases increased by six, up to 198.

Active cases are patients that are currently under quarantine or isolation.

Total deaths in Hancock County went up to 32.

10 Hancock County residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday and one was in the ICU.

Hancock and surrounding counties are all considered “high incidence” counties.

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.

State data shows Putnam County has had 1,610 cases and 32 deaths, and has the highest COVID rate in the state based on population.

On Friday, another new single-day record of 5,008 new cases were reported statewide along with 33 deaths.

There have now been 240,178 cases and 5,494 deaths in Ohio.

Hancock County Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi issued an update on the county’s response to the pandemic as cases are increasing and you can watch that here.

He’s asking people to avoid gatherings during the holidays, saying the last thing you want to do is pass along the virus to family and friends during the holidays.

The University of Findlay is partnering with Bowling Green State University to make a career in pharmacy more attainable.

Details are in the following news release from the University of Findlay.

Thanks to a new partnership between the University of Findlay and Bowling Green State University, individuals interested in becoming a pharmacist will have a new affordable, innovative, and flexible path to earning a Pharm.D. degree. The presidents of Findlay and BGSU signed a dual-admission agreement on Nov. 6 at Findlay’s College of Pharmacy.

University of Findlay’s College of Pharmacy has partnered with Bowling Green State University to establish a Bachelor of Applied Health Science to Pharm.D. track, which will enable a student to be dual enrolled at both BGSU and Findlay during their training. As part of their dual enrollment, students will earn a Bachelor of Applied Health Science degree from BGSU, then a Pharm.D. from Findlay two years later.

“The University of Findlay is proud to partner with Bowling Green State University to give more students access to this incredibly meaningful and vital career,” stated Dr. Katherine Fell, president of the University of Findlay. “We are proud of the excellent education our College of Pharmacy delivers and the impact our graduates make on the health of the communities they serve. Partnerships like this make these great opportunities available to more students.”

“Now, more than ever, we need to find new and innovative ways to support students interested in careers that drive the health and well-being of our region and state,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “This partnership highlights the shared vision between BGSU and the University of Findlay and leverages strong academic programs to create a new and streamlined path for students to serve the public good.”

The applied health science program at BGSU provides students with a foundation in basic and health-related sciences, featuring a diversified curriculum that establishes an understanding of human diseases, health administration, aging, and wellness. Students can choose from various health content areas in preparation for graduate studies.

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership,” said Dr. Jim Ciesla, dean of BGSU’s College of Health and Human Services. “It creates an excellent option for BGSU students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy. Our students now have an accelerated route to earn both a bachelor’s degree in applied health science from BGSU, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy. The pathway is seamless. It demonstrates the advantages of inter-university partnerships. These partnerships are good for our students, and they are good for the public who depend on health care practitioners.”

Findlay’s College of Pharmacy blends practice, experience, and science to create an in-depth knowledge base for pharmacy students to be successful in the field. Students learn through module-based courses, extensive experience in the field, and engaging in research with faculty. Furthermore, students in the program benefit from small classes, interactive learning, state-of-the-art facilities, and faculty who support their personal growth and professional development.

“The ability to experience the benefits that both institutions have to offer provides participating students a unique training and a broad range of available experiences,” said Dr. Debra Parker, dean of Findlay’s College of Pharmacy. “We are extremely pleased to collaborate with Bowling Green on this initiative. Bowling Green has been outstanding to work with, and we look forward to providing students with this amazing opportunity.”

To qualify for the pharmacy dual admission program, students must meet both university’s admission criteria. To learn more about the pharmacy dual admission program, contact the University of Findlay’s Office of Admission at 419-434-4732 or admissions@findlay.edu, or contact BGSU’s Office of Admission at 419-372-2478 or choosebgsu@bgsu.edu.

The Findlay Police Department says a pedestrian was hit and seriously injured as he darted across a road.

It happened at around 6:10 Thursday night in the 1600 block of Fostoria Avenue.

Police say a car was traveling eastbound on Fostoria Avenue when Benjamin Phillips, 23, of Findlay, ran across the roadway directly in front of the car.

Phillips was struck by the car and hit the hood and windshield before coming to rest in the westbound lane of Fostoria Avenue.

Phillips was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital by Hanco EMS with serious injuries.

The driver of the car was not injured.

No citations were issued.

A person was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the side of Interstate 75 north of Findlay.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says it was contacted by Wyandot County at around 2:45 Thursday afternoon about a suicidal person driving on State Route 15 and heading into Hancock County.

Hancock County deputies located the vehicle around Lima Avenue and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused and led deputies and troopers on a pursuit northbound on I-75.

The driver eventually pulled to the side of the interstate a little north of State Route 613 and that’s where they suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

After firing the shot, the individual surrendered without further incident and was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The sheriff’s office describes the person’s injuries as not life-threatening.

Findlay students are showing their appreciation for Veterans ahead of  Veterans Day next week.

Students at Glenwood Middle School wrote letters for area Veterans to show their appreciation for their service and sacrifice.

The students wrote more than 400 letters.

Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11th, which this year falls on a Wednesday.

While there will be no Hancock County Veterans Day Parade this year, there will still be an event to honor local Veterans. Get more details on that here. 

Hancock and Putnam Counties again stayed at their previous levels as the new COVID-19 alert map was released on Thursday.

Hancock County remained at level 2, or the orange level, while Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

Hancock, Putnam, and all 88 counties in Ohio are now labeled as “high incidence” counties.

56 counties are now categorized as “red”, the highest number since the map was created.

Henry County and Sandusky County are among the newly red counties.

Hancock Public Health says there have been a total of 1,377 cases as of Wednesday, along with 31 deaths.

192 of the cases are active.

State data shows Putnam County has had 1,562 cases and 30 deaths and has the highest COVID rate in the state based on population.

On Thursday, a new single-day record of 4,961 new cases were reported statewide along with 33 deaths.

There have now been 235,170 cases and 5,461 deaths in Ohio.

“We have a shockingly high number of cases in the past 24 hours,” Governor DeWine said Thursday.

“As of today, every single county in the state of Ohio is high incidence. COVID-19 is everywhere. We can’t hide from it, we have to face it.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is conducting an online survey.

The purpose of the survey is to obtain feedback on interactions with the agency and to identify traffic safety concerns.

The highway patrol says the information received in the survey will help them better serve the people of Ohio.

The survey was created in accordance with standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

The survey is anonymous and takes about five minutes to complete.

Click here to take the survey.

While the Hancock County Veterans Day Parade won’t be held this year due to the pandemic, there will still be a service held to honor local Veterans.

Bill Johns, president of the Hancock County Veterans Service Commission, says they’ll be holding an event at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon at the Hancock County War Memorial to let Veterans know how much they appreciate their service and sacrifice.

Bill says those who attend the event should wear a mask and practice social distancing.

He says the coronavirus is affecting a lot of Veterans and they wanted to do something to show Veterans that they’re still thinking of them and are here for them.

Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11th.

See video from last year’s parade and service below.