Findlay, Hancock County and all of northwest Ohio are included in a High Wind Watch issued by the National Weather Service.
The watch will be in effect from late Thursday night through Friday morning.
Forecasters say south to southwest winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour will gust up to 60 mph at times.
The high winds could blow down trees and power lines.
Widespread power outages are possible.
Travel could become difficult, especially if driving a high profile vehicle.
Registration is underway for Camp 911 in Hancock County.
The safety camp is for kids entering kindergarten and helps them learn basic safety.
The camp is returning to an in-person format this year.
“With Covid-19 numbers remaining low and the vaccines becoming more available, students will go back to school and families will be out in public more. Safety is our number one priority, and we want to teach kids important safety lessons,” said Findlay Fire Chief Josh Eberle.
Camp 911 is a joint effort led by local emergency response agencies, including Hanco, Findlay Fire and Police Departments, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Hancock Public Health.
Camp 911 is also teaming up with the City of Findlay Recreation Department and their Keep Active Keep Healthy initiative to offer a variety of outdoor play activities which became known as the “Superhero” recreation activities and were a favorite of 2020 campers.
The in-person camp will present important safety lessons such as stranger danger, drug safety and pedestrian safety through a combination of demonstrations, videos, and activities.
The camp will be available this year to 200 kids across Hancock County who will be entering kindergarten in 2021
Morning sessions will be held June 14th through the 18th from 8 to 11 a.m.
There will also be afternoon sessions from 1-4 p.m.
You can register for the morning session by clicking here and the afternoon session by clicking here.
People with questions regarding Camp 911 can email Beth Baker at ebaker@findlayohio.com.
Donnell Middle School raised a whole lot of money for the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County.
On Tuesday they presented Natalie Reffitt of the Humane Society with a giant check made out for $3,388.26. (pictured above are Natalie, Gavin and Trista)
Gavin says they wanted to help the Humane Society make sure all the animals in the shelter had everything they needed.
The money raised from the Dollars for Dogs and Cash for Cats fundraiser will go towards food, medication, bedding and toys for the animals at the shelter.
Annabelle says they raised a lot more money than they expected they would.
7th Grade Science Teacher Mike Wilson was very impressed with the fundraiser which he says was all student-driven.
Click here for the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County website to see what animals are currently looking for a home.
The United Way of Hancock County is inviting people to attend its virtual annual meeting and to participate in its online community survey.
The United Way’s 66th Annual Meeting is open to the public and will be held virtually at noon on Thursday, March 25th.
“So many uplifting moments transpired community-wide as well as internally last year in spite of the pandemic and we want to share those results and stories with the community including more about our upcoming move,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way.
The meeting can be viewed by clicking here and a link can also be found on the United Way website.
The United Way is also inviting Hancock County residents to participate in a five minute online annual community survey available through Friday, April 2nd.
“Our ability to meet our mission of measurably improving lives is directly related to how well we understand the perspectives and needs of community members,” DeBoskey said.
“This survey is for everyone in Hancock County and the information we gather from this along with other community-wide assessments is central to how we collaborate within the community in terms of placement of gathered resources, so I encourage everyone to take five minutes and complete the survey and share with friends and family.”
Click here to fill out the survey, and the link is also available on the United Way website.
Registration is now open for the United Way’s Days of Caring service event which will be held in May. Get more information by clicking here.
The Ohio Department of Transportation has produced a public service announcement in an effort to stop litter at its source.
On average, ODOT crews collect more than 400,000 bags of people’s trash from along Ohio roadsides each year.
The effort costs Ohioans around $4 million each year.
“Sadly, that time and money goes to address an issue that’s 100 percent preventable.”
You can watch ODOT’s “No More Litter, Ohio” PSA below.
Ohio topped one million coronavirus cases on Monday.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 1,444 new covid-19 cases on Monday afternoon, bringing the state’s total case count to 1,001,194 just over a year after the first steps were taken to combat the virus.
Health officials say that at least 18,300 Ohioans have died due to complications from the virus.
Beginning March 29th, any Ohioan 16-years-old and older becomes eligible to receive the vaccine.
The governor Monday morning announced that vaccine providers who are not able to fill appointments for Ohioans currently eligible for the shot may offer appointments to anyone 16 or older.
Ohioans between 16 and 39 years old are scheduled to become eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday.
DeWine said health officials, particularly in the rural parts of the state, are sometimes having difficulty filling appointments and “what we don’t want is any slots not filled.”
Around 2.8 million Ohioans have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, around 24 percent of the state population.
In Hancock County nearly 17,000 people, or around 22 percent of the population, have started the vaccination process.
AEP Ohio is warning its Tiffin area customers about a scam.
AEP says some customers received an email stating there is an outage scheduled for the area.
AEP says the email is not from them and they do not have any outages planned for the area.
Customers should not click on any link within the email.
AEP says customers with questions can message them through their social media accounts.
The City of Findlay will be testing its outdoor warning sirens this week.
The test will occur on Wednesday, March 24th at 9:50 a.m. as part of the Statewide Tornado Drill.
Businesses, schools, and households are also encouraged to practice their tornado drills and emergency plans at that time.
March 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Ohio.
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is encouraging Ohioans to prepare for weather emergencies and to know the difference between storm watches and warnings.
For example:
A Tornado WATCH means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and near areas designated by the National Weather Service. Be ready to move to a place of safety if the watch is upgraded to a warning or if threatening weather approaches.
A Tornado WARNING means a tornado is imminent or has been sighted. Warnings indicate impending danger to life and property. Seek safe shelter immediately.
One person was killed and others injured in a three-vehicle crash on State Route 15 near Vanlue.
The crash happened at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday on State Route 15 at Township Road 198.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Della S. Fellure-Dowdy, 59, of Mansfield, was driving south on Township Road 198 in a Chevy Equinox.
Investigators say Della stopped at the stop sign at State Route 15 and then proceeded to cross over westbound State Route 15 and struck a westbound Jeep being driven by Jennifer Gilmurray, 46, of Baldwin, Michigan.
Della’s vehicle came to rest on the northwest corner of State Route 15 and 198.
Jennifer’s Jeep then went off the road to the left, crossed the median and into the eastbound lanes of State Route 15 where it struck an eastbound Ford Escape being driven by Trevor Smith, 31, of Alvada.
Jennifer’s Jeep finally came to rest in the ditch on the south side of State Route 15.
The sheriff’s office says Della was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
The sheriff’s office says Jennifer and three passengers were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital with unknown injuries.
Trevor Smith was not injured.
The sheriff’s office says the crash remains under investigation.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a driver ran a red light, causing an injury crash in McComb.
The crash happened at the intersection of Main Street and Liberty Street at 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
The sheriff’s office says Russell Wadding was driving a pickup truck east on Main Street when he went through a red light at Liberty Street and crashed into a Honda Pilot.
The impact sent the Honda onto its side and took down a light pole.
The two people in the Honda, Brian Buck and Michele Buck, were trapped in the vehicle and had to be helped out of it. They did not have to be taken to a hospital.
Russell Wadding and a passenger, Tino Wadding, were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital with unknown injuries.
The sheriff’s office says Russell Wadding was issued a citation for running a red light and for distracted driving.