(ONN) – A challenger to Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has announced his candidacy for the next election.

An Army Veteran named Jeff Sites will run as a Democrat for Ohio’s 4th congressional district.

Sites, from Lima, made the announcement on Monday morning.

In his statement, he took aim at Jordan.

“Jim has been the best co-conspirator Trump could ask for,” Sites said.

“But he hasn’t done squat for Ohio in 14 years in Washington. We deserve a congressman who will fight for working families as hard as Jim Jordan fought to undermine democracy.”

Learn more about Jeff Sites and his campaign here and in the video below.

UPDATE – The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says it responded to a suspected homicide at 118 South Meadow Drive in McComb at around 2:45 Monday morning.

Arthur Suydam III was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office says during the investigation Jordan Suydam, Arthur’s son, became a person of interest.

An attempt to locate was put out for Jordan and for the deceased’s vehicle.

The vehicle was located in Franklin County and is believed to be involved in a shooting incident and pursuit that resulted in a crash.

The sheriff’s office says it is believed that Jordan died in the crash, pending an autopsy.

The incident remains under investigation.

ORIGINAL STORY –

A man who died in a fiery crash after shooting at people on the west side of Columbus may have been wanted in connection with an active homicide investigation in Hancock County.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says three calls came in between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Monday of a man shooting at people and vehicles from a maroon pickup truck.

One of the shooting scenes was the parking lot of the Kroger on West Broad Street.

Authorities pursued the man but he refused to stop and eventually crashed.

When police got to the truck it was smoking and on fire.

They say the man was holding a shotgun and refused to put it down.

The truck then became engulfed in flames and ammunition that was inside starting going off.

The fire was put out and the man was declared deceased.

“The 2007 Dodge truck and the individual inside is possibly wanted in connection with a homicide in Hancock County,” said Chief Jim Gilbert with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is investigating

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio says he won’t be seeking re-election and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades.

He said he plans to use the last two years of his term to get a lot done.

“I will be the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I have a number of oversight projects and legislative initiatives I’m eager to get across the finish line,” he said in a statement.

“Over the next two years, I look forward to being able to focus all my energy on legislation and the challenges our country faces rather than on fundraising and campaigning.”

Portman said he’s looking forward to being home in Ohio full time and plans to get back into the private sector.

Portman says he hasn’t decided how he’ll vote during former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

After the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Portman said Trump had to bear “some responsibility” for what happened.

He has said he wants to hear both sides before deciding how to vote.

The new President and CEO of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is launching a listening tour to learn about the needs of the community firsthand.

The feedback garnered from the listening tour will become part of the Foundation’s strategic planning.

The full details are in the following news release from the Community Foundation.

Dr. Brian Treece, newly appointed Community Foundation President & CEO, will embark on a virtual listening tour to hear about the needs of the community firsthand. The tour will
begin in February and end in early May.

“We are the community’s foundation and I believe we work best together with our neighbors,” said Treece. “To work together effectively, we have to be on the same page. I hope that hearing from those connected, and not connected, with the Foundation will help us establish a common understanding about the needs of Hancock County and where we hope to be in the future.”

The Listening Tour is a series of 60-90-minute, small group meetings with a sampling of residents, representatives, leaders and employees from around Hancock County. The goal is for Treece to hear directly from residents of the community about how the Foundation can help live the mission of the Foundation and make change. All conversations will take place via Zoom.

The Foundation will also host several large community-wide meetings that all are invited to attend over the next few months. Treece may be accompanied by Foundation board and staff members for meetings as well. After the tour is complete, the feedback will be part of the Foundation’s strategic planning.

The results will then be shared with the broader community when planning is complete.

“The Foundation is very mindful of our position in the community,” said Treece.

“We try to represent our community as a whole, we regularly host community engagement and listening activities to ensure our strategy aligns with the needs of the people we serve.”

Community meetings open to the public will be announced in February. Follow the Foundation on Facebook and subscribe to the e-newsletter for updates and dates for meetings as soon as they are available.

A cashier at Findlay convenience store was sexually assaulted by someone who came into the store.

It happened at around 6:30 Sunday night at the Circle K at the corner of East Sandusky Street and South Blanchard Street.

The Findlay Police Department says the cashier told officers that a man followed her into the bathroom and forced himself on her.

He’s described as a white man in his 50s, standing about six feet two inches tall.

He had white hair and a white, scruffy beard and was wearing a blue Carhartt-style jacket and a beanie of unknown color.

It’s unclear if the suspect left the store on foot or in a vehicle.

The Findlay Police Department is investigating.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The advisory goes from Monday at 6 p.m. to Tuesday at 7 a.m.

A wintry mix of precipitation is expected.

Total snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch are possible.

People should plan on slick driving conditions and black ice which could impact travel Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Movement Church will be holding their first celebrations at their new location in downtown Findlay on Sunday morning.

After a lengthy renovation of the Ace Hardware building at the corner of South Main and Front Streets, their new home is ready to go.

“We felt like it was time to pursue some permanency in the community, and we always had a desire to be downtown from the very beginning,” said Lead Pastor Eric Ferguson.

Previously, the church had been meeting at Glenwood Middle School.

Ferguson says masks are required for people attending an in-person celebration, and he says the celebrations will also remain online for people not comfortable with attending in person.

A child had to be life-flighted to a hospital after being run over by a vehicle in Ottawa.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says it received a 911 call at 3:17 p.m. Friday that a boy had been run over by a vehicle on private property at an address on Road L in Ottawa.

The sheriff’s office and EMS personnel responded to the location.

The child was flown by Life Flight to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo.

The sheriff’s office says the incident remains under investigation.

Matt Pees is stepping down as head football coach at Findlay High School after one season at the helm.

Pees came to the Trojans from the National Football League from the Tennessee Titans.

He’ll be heading back to the NFL to join the Atlanta Falcons and his father, Dean Pees, who is coming out of retirement to become the Falcons’ defensive coordinator.

The two were on the Titans’ staff at the same time.

“We appreciate Matt and thank him for his service. Matt has provided tremendous insight and knowledge to the game and continues to provide opportunities for our athletes,” said Findlay Athletic Director Nate Weihrauch.

“This has been an emotional time for Matt and we wish he, Emily, and his family continued success as they transition to the next chapter of their life. We appreciate Matt and support his difficult decision as he transitions back to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Our goals and mission will not change as we look forward to next season.”

The Trojans posted a 3-2 record in the COVID-shortened season.

Pees took over from Mark Ritzler who stepped down in January of 2020.

The updated resource guide from the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) is now available.

The 2021 edition of the “Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Resources Guide” is now available online.

Paper copies will be available by the end of January through various community agencies.

The 28-page booklet provides up-to-date information on available treatment, recovery and support services in Hancock County and surrounding communities, and educational information on substance abuse, including addiction and recovery.

The online version can be downloaded from the ADAMHS website by clicking here.