The Findlay Fire Department responded to a fire at the Dollar Tree at 2250 Tiffin Avenue.

The fire started at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday and was in the storage area of the store.

Battalion Chief Matt Cooper says the first firefighters on the scene saw heavy fire and smoke coming from the northwest portion of the building.

Everyone had been evacuated from the store when firefighters arrived and no civilians or firefighters were injured.

14 firefighters were called out to fight the fire, and they knocked it down and prevented it from spreading into the retail area of the store.

The fire department is concerned about a wall of the building that’s bulging out, saying there is a concern it might collapse.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A student group at Findlay High School was determined to make their student section at football games bigger and louder to rival what they’ve seen at other schools.

And that’s exactly what the students did, even faster than expected.

After the game at Perrysburg on August 27th, the Student Leadership class formed a group and started brainstorming about ways to get more students involved in the student section.

The group made sure students were more aware of when the games were, they purchased shirts and towels for the student section to give students more incentive to come out and have fun, and they even held a practice so students knew what to do during the game.

Senior Jason Yammine says it didn’t take long for their efforts to pay off.

As he said in the audio above, they’ve seen increased participation each game, even away games, and that the student section during the homecoming game was great.

Jason says they’ve received feedback from players on the football team, teachers and parents about how much louder and more energized the student section is now.

Every great student section needs a nickname, and the high school will be sending out a form to students to vote on the nickname of the student section.

The Findlay Trojans football team takes on Toledo St. Francis Friday night at home in a game you can hear here on WFIN.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $581,949 at its September board meeting.

Among the grants awarded, the Bluffton Lions Foundation was awarded $75,000 to expand the greater Bluffton bike and pedestrian pathway system through the Lions Way County Line Pathway.

LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay was awarded $12,000 to evaluate and design programming for LGBTQ+ elders in Hancock County.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library was awarded two grants: $5,000 to support the 2022 CommunityREAD and $18,750 for a capital campaign feasibility study.

Marathon Center for the Performing Arts was awarded $10,000 to support the Riverside Summer Concert Series 2022-2026.

Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center was awarded $4,000 to support digitizing its collections, artifacts and other items for online access.

Also, the Findlay Police Department was awarded $1,559 for AED equipment for training for all city departments.

And Hancock Public Health was awarded $1,000 for CPR training equipment for schools and the greater community.

There were also 51 Donor Advised Grants to 45 organizations totaling $345,140.

Learn more about the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and their different types of grants by clicking here.

People got to meet Kona, Belle, Mercy and several other dogs during the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County‘s Wags and Walks event at Findlay’s Riverside Park.

People had a chance to take a shelter dog for a walk to see if they make a connection.

The Humane Society’s Natalie Reffitt says events like Wags and Walks are very beneficial for the dogs’ mental health and socialization, and also get the word about about how many animals are looking for a permanent home.

We spoke with Natalie after she got back from a walk with an energetic Kona. (video below)

Video from the event is below and click here for the the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County’s website to see the animals up for adoption.

Due to COVID, the Humane Society is open by appointment only. Only people seriously considering adopting an animal should request an appointment.

People can also call the Humane Society at 419-423-1664.

(Mercy is the dog in the picture above, and Kona is in the video below)

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers to slow down and pay close attention this time of year due to the increase of farm equipment on the roadways for harvest season.

If you see the slow-moving vehicle emblem (SMV) – the neon orange triangle sign – on a piece of equipment, slow down and increase your distance.

This sign warns drivers of vehicles moving under 25 miles per hour.

If a farmer has pulled off to the side to allow you to pass, do so with caution and be sure there are no other obstacles in the way.

Never assume that a farm vehicle that pulls to the right side of the road is going to turn right or is letting you pass.

Due to the size of some farm machinery, the farmer must execute wide left-hand turns.

If you are unsure, check the operator’s hand signals and check the left side of the road for gates, driveways, or any place a farm vehicle may turn.

By allowing yourself extra time, passing with care, being patient and remaining visible this will greatly increase road safety for all vehicles during the harvest season.

The Hancock County Commissioners have come to an agreement on future tax revenue with the developers of a solar farm project near Arcadia.

The commissioners unanimously approved a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) arrangement for the Border Basin solar project.

Tim Mayle, director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, says the agreement will generate $1 million annually for local school districts, townships and the county.

A PILOT is defined as ‘a payment made to compensate a government for some or all of the property tax revenue lost due to tax exempt ownership or use of real property’.

Both Mayle and Ben Metcalf, director of project development for Gatehead Development, were on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the project and explain how a PILOT arrangement works.

The project site comprises approximately 1,000 acres spanning both the Arcadia and Van Buren school districts.

Metcalf said he understands the community has concerns about what it will look like, if it will be noisy and if it will pose any dangers to their family.

He said they’ve held public information meetings and will continue to engage the public and be available to address concerns.

Metcalf said their goal is to begin construction by late 2022 and to begin commercial operations by late 2023.

A University of Findlay art class is currently working on a project that is making campus very colorful.

Students in the 2S Fundamentals class are using colored tape to create a very unique color wheel around the bell tower.

Students will be working on the project throughout the week, but the art will remain in place for a few weeks afterwards.

Blanchard Valley Health System is celebrating the completion of its new inpatient and community pharmacy.

BVHS says the relocation and construction of the Blanchard Valley Hospital inpatient pharmacy, along with the Center for Medication Management, the outpatient pharmacy for community members, has officially been completed.

A small celebration was held by a handful of Blanchard Valley Health System associates and a ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted by the Findlay – Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

BVHS says the pharmacy and Center for Medication Management were moved to a more convenient location within BVH, on the main floor adjacent to the Healing Grounds coffee shop.

Anyone can have a prescription filled at the new pharmacy, as it is open to the public.

“This project aligns with our mission of ‘Caring for a lifetime.’ We strive to bring the very best service and quality to our community, and the new state-of-the-art pharmacy will keep the program strong, long into the future,” said Myron D. Lewis, president and chief executive officer of BVHS.

The finished project not only offers more convenience to customers, but additional services as well.

Some of these services include increased over-the-counter product line, carrying select durable medical equipment like canes, walkers, crutches, home care aids and a few ostomy supplies to assist patients with urgent needs.

BVHS associates had the opportunity to provide input into the development of the layout and design of the pharmacy.

The team, comprised of subject matter experts from across the health system, used a mock 3D layout to evaluate workflow and processes.

Hancock Public Health is warning the public about fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The agency says the Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a public safety alert in response to the increasing availability of counterfeit prescription pills available on the U.S. illicit drug market.

The DEA warns that international and domestic criminal drug networks are flooding the United States with lethal counterfeit pills.

The alert does not apply to legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by pharmacists.

The DEA says they’re seizing deadly fake pills at record rates.

More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills were seized so far this year, which is more than the last two years combined.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last year more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, marking the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year.

Hancock Public Health is reminding people that they have Narcan kits available for the public, no questions asked.

Narcan is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

Gary Bright is Injury Prevention Program Supervisor with Hancock Public Health.

“It looks pretty clear to us that the more Narcan kits we get out there, in the hands of folks who may potentially overdose, the less fatal overdoses we’re going to have,” Bright said.

He says while Narcan can rapidly reverse an overdose it’s imperative to call 911 because the opioid is still in the person’s system.

Click here for more information about Narcan and how to receive a kit.

People can also call Hancock Public Health at 419-424-7105 for more information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGdUFMrCRh4

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, of Findlay, has unveiled the Ohio Gains Initiative to modernize the state’s investment strategies.

He says the initiative centers around three new investment reforms that will help bolster support for the state’s agriculture community, health systems, and institutions of higher education.

“The Ohio Gains initiative is an opportunity to be bold and implement new and innovative investment strategies to secure a more prosperous future for the Buckeye State,” said Sprague.

“By tapping into our office’s financial expertise and unlocking the power of the Treasury, we can create significant cost-savings opportunities for our homegrown businesses and institutions. Through this modernized approach, the Treasurer’s office is working to strengthen Ohio’s financial foundation for the years ahead.”

Legislation including the three proposed reforms will soon be introduced in the Ohio Senate.

The legislation will make reforms in the following three areas: Modernizing the Ag-LINK Program, Reducing Costs for Ohio’s Hospitals and Reducing Costs for Ohio’s Public Universities.

Learn more about the new initiative by clicking here.

In August, Sprague was in town to present Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County with a Compass Award for its new Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) which empowers people to become financially self sufficient. Get more on that by clicking here.