The high winds we experienced on Thursday damaged a building in Findlay and sent bricks flying into an alley and a parking lot.

A small portion of the roof at 313 North Main Street was torn off from the high winds.

The bricks went flying into the alley below and into the parking lot of the Rite Aid just to the south of the building.

No one was injured from the falling debris but a car was damaged.

The falling bricks took out a power line and the Rite Aid and some houses in the area lost power.

The National Weather Service said Findlay received a 54 mile per hour wind gust on Thursday.

The City of Findlay Green Waste Site will be reopening on April 6th.

The Green Waste Site is located at 330 North Cory Street, behind the Public Works Department building, with a new entrance this year near the railroad tracks off North Cory.

The green waste site is for yard waste disposal (leaves, brush, limbs, grass) and is available to Findlay residents at no charge.

The green waste site is intended for residential use only. No contractors will be permitted to use the site.

Only tree trimmings, brush, leaves, and grass clippings can be dumped in designated areas at the site.

The city says absolutely no bags, trash, or debris other than leaves, brush, limbs, and grass will be accepted.

Residents caught dumping construction debris, household items, tires, or other debris not considered yard waste will be forbidden to dump at the site in the future and their names will be forwarded to the Findlay Police Department.

The hours for the Green Waste Site will be: Tuesday through Friday: 2 p.m. -7 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. -1 p.m. (excluding holidays).

Get more information on the Green Waste Site webpage by clicking here.

Hancock Public Health and Blanchard Valley Health System will begin partnering with several local companies to expand distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Hancock Public Health says the designated companies will administer the vaccine through “Closed Point Of Dispensing” (CPOD) sites on their campuses.

The companies will have medical staff on site and must register with the State of Ohio to establish a vaccination center on their campus.

The list of companies with CPOD status will be announced in the near future.

Employees who are eligible for a CPOD appointment will be contacted directly by the company for which they work.

Hancock Public Health says, currently, the new CPOD sites will be closed to the general public but planning will continue to develop additional “Open Points Of Distribution” (OPOD) for the general public.

“By engaging our community partners in the vaccine response, comes the opportunity to preserve our local resources and launch a more robust and a sustained vaccination effort throughout Hancock County,” said Hancock Public Health.

Eligible groups can still schedule their appointments by contacting Hancock Public Health at 419-424-7105.

Press 1 at the phone prompt to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at one of the community clinics held weekly at Hancock Public Health and Blanchard Valley Hospital.

People can also check hancockpublichealth.com and bvhealthsystem.org for more information about vaccination opportunities in and around Hancock County.

(below is video from a clinic at 50 North on March 11)

The Hancock Park District is inviting people to participate in the park district’s inaugural quilt contest.

Pictured above is HPD Program Specialist Chris Allen displaying one of her award-winning quilts.

Chris will serve as the lead judge in the contest.

Full details are in the following news release from the Hancock Park District.

Quilters are invited to participate in the Hancock Park District’s (HPD) “It’s Sew Spring Quilt Contest”. All quilt entries must be constructed of fabric and be submitted in two categories: 1) Bed Quilts with a perimeter of 200 inches or larger, and 2) Small Craft Quilts with a perimeter less than 200 inches. Examples of small craft quilts include table runners, pillows, and baby quilts. All entries are to be quilted by hand or machine and must have three layers. All quilts must be entered by the maker of the top layer.

Participants may submit up to five individual quilt entries per individual. Entries and a nonrefundable entry fee of $7 per quilt must be received by Monday, April 19, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST. Registrants will be instructed where to email three photos of each quilt entered. The three photos should reflect the front, back and a close-up of the quilt. Photos that are submitted without an entry fee made by the April 19 deadline will be considered invalid. All photographs must be submitted at a maximum file size of 5 MB and in .jpeg format. Employees of the HPD and members of their immediate families are not eligible to participate.

Quilts will be judged by a panel of up to five judges, led by HPD Program Specialist Chris Allen, an award-winning quilter. All quilts will be judged on: Visual Impact (design, color, pattern, appliqué if any); Workmanship (piecing accuracy and construction); Quilting that gives the appearance of a unified design on the back of the quilt; Borders/edge treatment and Binding.

Judges will evaluate all valid entries and pick the 12 best quilts. The entrants of the top 12 quilts will be notified of their status within 10 days of April 20, 2021. The top 12 quilts will be featured in an online gallery at HancockParks.com. All qualified entries will appear on HancockParks.com and the HPD Facebook page and Instagram profile where the public can vote for one People’s Choice winner from all qualified entries. The quilt that receives the most “Likes” on the HPD Facebook page between May 3-10, 2021 will be named the People’s Choice winner. The HPD will notify the People’s Choice winner via the email address used to enter the quilt at time of entry. The People’s Choice winner will receive a cash prize and will be featured in the online gallery.

The president of the University of Findlay recently traveled to Columbus to testify before the Ohio House Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education.

Details are in the following news release from the University of Findlay and video from the meeting is below.

University of Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell recently testified in an Ohio House Finance Subcommittee meeting on higher education, providing important insight on the financial situations higher education institutions are currently facing as well as how, specifically, the committee can help to better educate the state’s citizens.

This subcommittee of the Ohio House of Representatives meets regularly to discuss proposed bills regarding financial issues within higher education. In public hearings, details of each bill are thoroughly reviewed and, eventually, the merits of the bill inform a decision. As a leader in higher education in Ohio, Dr. Fell said at the March 3 meeting that she supports both the proposed increase to the Ohio College Opportunities Grant (OCOG) as well as the requirement of students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

In her testimony, Dr. Fell explained that “an increase in OCOG will enable more students who face financial barriers to attend college,” and that “University of Findlay and the independent higher education sector at large pledge to continue to do our part in helping bridge the financial gap for students by providing significant need-based and merit aid from our own budgets and donor support.” On average, 340 UF students benefit from the grant annually and “every single dollar for these students counts,” she said.

Regarding the FAFSA requirement, Dr. Fell offered similar support, saying that it will “open opportunities for many Ohio high school students and their families that they currently do not know to be available.” The perception is often that education is financially unattainable, she added, and that notion can potentially hinder students from pursuing higher education. “How are they to feel hopeful about the future if they believe that there is no way to prepare themselves for a better life?” she said. Her concern is notable, given that, in years past, millions of dollars of FAFSA funds have gone unused simply because high school students did not complete the application.

As University of Findlay’s first female president, and having served in that role for the past 11 years, Dr. Fell believes in investing not only in UF’s success, but in the success of all Ohioans. She stated, “Ohio’s completion rate of education beyond high school must be higher to meet workforce needs and to prepare our citizens for productive lives.”

Dr. Fell remains committed to providing an outstanding learning environment for students. She currently serves as chair for the Great Midwest Athletic President’s Council; is a member of the Executive Committee for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Ohio and a board member for Ohio Campus Compact; and, most recently, Governor DeWine appointed her to the Ohio Humanities Council.

A recording of the full Ohio House Finance Subcommittee meeting on higher education can be found on The Ohio Channel’s website.

Two people were killed in a crash a little north of Upper Sandusky.

The crash happened on Thursday at 1:47 p.m. at the intersection of County Highway 107 and County Highway 42.

The Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office says their investigation found that Gage Layton, 25, of Upper Sandusky, was driving west on County Highway 42 in a Jeep and he failed to yield to an SUV being driven by Mary Reinhart, 73, of Upper Sandusky, who was driving north on County Highway 107.

The impact sent both vehicles off the northwest corner of the intersection and into a yard.

Mary Reinhart and a passenger, Dale Reinhart, 76, of Upper Sandusky, were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Gage Layton and a passenger were both taken to Wyandot Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

Gage was later flown to another hospital by an emergency helicopter.

The crash remains under investigation by the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office.

Members of the Findlay Fire Department Technical Rescue Team recently conducted a 3-day high-angle rescue course at the Owens Center for Emergency Preparedness.

Chief Josh Eberle says the course progressed from a review of basic rope rescue procedures up to advanced hands-on rescue scenarios involving simulated victims.

He says team functionality is one of the benefits they get from working together as a group during training scenarios like this.

Chief Eberle says Technical Rescue calls are low-frequency, high-risk emergencies that require continual training.

The Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20, which is comprised of members of the Findlay Police Department and other Hancock County agencies, has established a new nonprofit organization called the Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20 Foundation.

The foundation has created a localized “Cops and Kids” program to replace “Shop with a Cop”, which is a national program.

Development Director Teresa White says they’ll be able to raise more money this way and help more kids and all the money will stay local instead of going to pay for fees to the national “Shop with a Cop” program.

Teresa says they plan on having 12 months of programming with new events like “Cocoa with a Cop” and art classes with officers so officers and kids can see each other more often

Each year the activities will culminate in December with the annual holiday shopping trip “Cops and Kids Go Shopping”.

Learn more about the Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20 Foundation and its “Cops and Kids” program by clicking here.

(the video below and picture above are from the 2019 “Shop with a Cop” at the Findlay Meijer)

(the 2020 “Shop with a Cop” was held differently because of the pandemic and you can read about that by clicking here)

All Ohio and U.S. flags will be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the victims of the Atlanta shootings on March 16th.

Governor DeWine tweeted the following on Thursday.

“In accordance with the order issued by the President, and in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area on March 16, I’ve ordered that Ohio and U.S. flags be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings/grounds in Ohio until sunset on March 22.”

Eight people were killed in shootings at three separate spas on March 16th.

Get more on the shootings by clicking here.

https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1372658347661463553

(ONN) – President Joe Biden will be visiting Ohio to tout the benefits of the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan.

The trip marks President Biden’s first visit to the state since taking office.

His appearance in Columbus on Tuesday, March 23rd is part of the administration’s public relations blitz to help people understand how the massive relief bill can ease their financial suffering.

Ohio is a former swing state that has tacked strongly Republican in the past two presidential elections.

(picture courtesy of President Biden’s official Facebook page)