A woman was issued multiple citations after authorities say she crashed into a telephone pole south of Findlay and fled the scene on foot.

It happened on U.S. 68 south of County Road 40 at around 12:30 Friday afternoon.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Kelsey J. Spradlin, 22, of Kenton, was driving north on U.S. 68 when her SUV went off the west side of the road and hit a telephone pole.

The Sheriff’s Office says Spradlin was injured in the crash and left the scene on foot in a northeast direction.

Responding deputies set up a perimeter and K9 Charlie was deployed for a track.

During the track, a perimeter unit located Spradlin.

Hanco EMS arrived and she was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office says Spradlin was issued citations for OVI, failure to control, leaving the scene of a crash and driving under suspension.

Investigators say drugs are believed to be a factor in the crash.

The Arlington Fire Department and Dick’s Towing assisted on the scene.

Stock+Field is asking for help in turning the page as they reopen previously closed stores, including in Findlay.

They are renaming the stores and want to know what you would call a store that “serves the hardworking families of the heartland.”

The new store name will be revealed in the first week of July.

Click here to fill out a form and submit your entry.

In January, Stock+Field announced it was closing its 25 locations, including the one in Findlay at the mall.

Then in April, they announced they were under new management and that many of the stores would be reopening, including the ones in Findlay and Lima.

Their website shows that the Findlay location is at 70 percent and will be reopening soon.

Hancock Public Health on Friday reported that the county was down to seven active COVID cases.

The week before there were 22 active cases.

Active cases are defined as cases currently under quarantine or in isolation.

Three people were hospitalized with the virus on Friday which is one less than a week earlier.

The health department says 131 people in Hancock County have died from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

The state’s pandemic health orders were lifted on Wednesday.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says there’s been an increase in thefts of catalytic converters in the county.

The Sheriff’s Office took to its Facebook page it advise people of some precautions and preventative methods that may deter the thefts and identify the stolen catalytic converters when being sold for recycling.

The Sheriff’s Office says the following preventative measures may be more cost effective than the cost of replacing the stolen catalytic converter.

-Parking personal and fleet vehicles in garages or well lighted and monitored parking areas.

-Installing surveillance camera systems or motion lighting where vehicles are parked.

-Installing motion vehicle alarms or adjusting sensitivity of your vehicle alarms to sound when your vehicle is moved or tilted.

-Installing motion vehicle cameras in vehicles to record possible persons during theft.

-Installing a steel shield or cages made of rebar or other high-strength steel that’s difficult to cut that fits over the catalytic converter, requiring time and extra tools to remove.

-Installing stainless steel cables welded from the catalytic converter to the car’s frame.

-Engrave your VIN number onto your catalytic converter to make it easier to identify in case it does get stolen.

-Some sources recommend using a high-temperature fluorescent paint, on your catalytic converter and then inscribing your vehicle identification number in the painted surface. This makes it traceable and a reputable scrap metal dealer might decline to purchase the converter.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says people can contact them at 419-422-2424 with information pertaining to these thefts and/or identifying the people responsible.

(ONN) – Ohio lawmakers are taking another crack at closing one of the most ignored loopholes in state law – one related to the treatment of fireworks.

At issue is the requirement that fireworks purchased in the state must be taken out of Ohio within 48 hours of purchase and can’t be set off in the state.

Critics of the law have noted for years that the ban is widely ignored.

The Ohio Senate has approved a bill that would rescind the out-of-state requirement and allow the use of fireworks in Ohio.

The legislation would also create an ohio fire code rule recommendation committee to review changes to the state fireworks law and impose a 4 percent fee on purchases of consumer fireworks.

The United Way of Hancock County has named the campaign chairs for the 2021 United Way annual campaign.

Details are in the following news release from the United Way of Hancock County.

United Way of Hancock County has announced Chris and Nicole Alexander will lead the 2021 United Way annual campaign.

“Chris and Nicole have been United Way supporters for more than 20 years and have a passion for our community as demonstrated by their community involvement and volunteerism,” said Angela DeBoskey, United Way CEO.

“We are grateful for their willingness to participate as chairs for the campaign and know they will do a great job.”

The Alexanders and their two children, Dalton and Regan, are Hancock County natives.

Chris Alexander is the Executive Vice President and City Executive for First National Bank and has served United Way as a past division chair and volunteer for Days of Caring. Alexander has also served as a board member for Findlay Rotary Club, the Findlay Family YMCA, Youth for Christ and has participated as a mentor for Welcome to a New Life.

Nicole Alexander is a physical therapist for Blanchard Valley Health System and has volunteered for multiple organizations including, West Ohio Food Bank, City Mission, school boosters and 4-H. Alexander has also served the faith-based community as a vacation bible school volunteer and pianist on music ministry teams.

“We are pleased to support our United Way this way because it continues to provide a passionate and intentional approach to tackling difficult issues facing our community,” Chris Alexander said. “It also provides measurable accountability and the assurance that community resources are being invested wisely around priority issues.”

The United Way’s annual campaign will run from Sept. 13 through Nov. 19.

To participate in the annual campaign and learn more about the programs and agencies supported through the United Way, contact Heather Heilman, resource development director at 419-423-1432 or via email heather.heilman@uwhancock.org or visit the United Way website http://liveunitedhancockcounty.org.

The Findlay Police Department is investigating an injury crash that occurred at the intersection of South Main Street and West Main Cross a little after 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Police say Dara Lewis, of Cloverdale, was driving east on West Main Cross and proceeded through the South Main Street intersection and her car was struck on the right side by a car driven by Noah Brand, of Findlay, that was going north on South Main.

Lewis and three juveniles in her car were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital with minor injuries.

Both cars sustained disabling damage and were towed from the scene.

Police say there were conflicting statements as to who had the right of way at the intersection and no citations were issued.

The crash remains under investigation.

The winner of the state’s second $1 million Vax-a-Million drawing is from Toledo.

Jonathan Carlyle told the governor that he was just finishing up work at his job with Amazon when he found out he was the winner.

Jonathan says he and his family plan to use the winnings to buy a home.

He says he and his girlfriend have a five-month-old baby.

Zoie Vincent from suburban Cleveland won the four-year, full-ride scholarship to an Ohio state college or university.

The winners of the third of five drawings will be announced on Wednesday, June 9th.

People need to register for that drawing by Sunday night.

The date has been set for a community meeting in Findlay to discuss the proposed Eagle Creek Floodwater Storage Basin.

The community meeting will be held on Monday, June 28th at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Mill Stream Centre at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

“We will work to make sure all the questions are answered of any concerns people have,” said Tim Mayle, director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development and a board member on Blanchard River Watershed Solutions.

“We want to make sure everybody understands the project because we believe the project is beneficial to the community.”

Officials believe the basin, just south of Findlay, will reduce the 100-year flood elevation at Main Street by around a foot and a half, which is on top of the benefits being seen from other flood mitigation projects.

Mayle said it’s an exciting time because when you combine the basin project, the benching that’s been done and is planned, and other flood mitigation projects like replacing the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge it will mean more than three feet of flood reduction at Main Street, giving people peace of mind.

In May, the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District Court voted to table their decision on the Eagle Creek Floodwater Storage Basin so a community meeting on the project could be held.

The Conservancy Court will meet again on July 9th to consider including the basin as part of their official plan.

The 600 to 800-acre storage basin would be constructed west of U.S. 68 and just north of Township Road 49 in Hancock County, just south of Findlay.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved more than $810,000 in grants at its latest board meeting.

Raise the Bar – Hancock County, Boy Scouts of America and Findlay City Schools are just a few of the entities receiving grant funding.

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

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $810,629 at the May board meeting.

This total includes 11 responsive grants and 52 donor advised fund grants.

Responsive Grants-

Responsive grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that seek to meet community needs and match the goals, objectives and priorities of The Community Foundation. Grantseekers must submit a written grant proposal for consideration. Applications are reviewed four times per year.

Funding for responsive grants comes from our Community’s Endowment, made up of Funds for the Common Good and Field of Interest Funds established by donors at The Community Foundation. The following responsive grants were approved by the Board of Trustees, made possible by our Community’s Endowment:

• Black Swamp Area Council of Boy Scouts of America was awarded $90,000 to partially fund the creation of Adventure Day Camps at Camp Berry for Hancock County youth.

• Blanchard Valley Center was awarded two grants. The first was $10,099 to support the creation of a Smart Home to assist clients with living independently. The second grant was $4,000 for laptops for students to help with learning loss due to the pandemic.

• Blanchard Valley Health System was awarded $2,500 to support a free mammogram day in May.

• Family and Children First Council was awarded $1,500 to support the summer food program due to increased need because of the pandemic.

• Findlay City Schools was awarded $75,000 to help expand the availability of pre-k to local youth with financial need.

• Hancock County Educational Service Center was awarded two grants. The first was $2,500 to support summer camps for special needs students to address learning loss due
to the pandemic. The second was $31,574 to help expand the availability of pre-k to local youth with financial need.

• Hancock Properties Foundation was awarded up to $125,400 for capital projects at The Family Center.

• Hancock Public Health was awarded $10,000 to support the 2021 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan.

• Raise the Bar – Hancock County was awarded $180,000 to support for the growth of local workforce coalition strategies.

Donor Advised Grants-

• 52 grants to 43 organizations totaling $278,056.

About The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation will improve the quality of life in Hancock County through collaborative leadership, responsible grantmaking, and the development of philanthropic giving. Established in 1992 as an outgrowth of a one-time gift from L. Dale Dorney, The Community Foundation has granted more than $65 million to fund projects that support our community. Visit www.community-foundation.com or call (419) 425-1100 to learn more about how The Community Foundation is helping our community.