The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a woman was killed in a crash in northeast Hancock County.

The sheriff’s office says Angela Powell, 40, of Findlay, was driving east on State Route 613 near Township Road 243 at 6:41 Thursday night when she attempted to pass another eastbound vehicle.

Powell lost control of her minivan, over-corrected and struck the driver’s side of the vehicle she was attempting to pass.

Her vehicle then went off the south side of the road and rolled several times before coming to rest in a field.

Powell was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one in the other vehicle was injured.

The crash remains under investigation.

The Washington Township Fire Department, Hanco EMS and Dick’s Towing assisted at the scene.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office placed the county on a Level 1 Road Alert Thursday night as snow, sleet and a glaze of ice started making roads slick.

The sheriff’s office says weather conditions have made roads slick and dangerous, and to use extreme caution.

A Level 1 Road Alert means roadways are hazardous, drive with extreme caution.

A Level 2 Road Alert means roadways are extremely hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and/or flooding. Only those who feel it is necessary to travel should be on the roadways.

A Level 3 Road Alert means most roadways are closed and extremely hazardous/flooded. Employees should comply with workplace policies or contact their employer. Violators may be cited.

The latest road alert levels for Hancock and surrounding counties can be found by clicking here. 

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Thursday night until Friday morning at 9.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to clear their vehicles of snow and ice before hitting the road.

The Highway Patrol issued the reminder ahead of another round of winter weather expected to hit most of the northern parts of the Buckeye State.

The Highway Patrol says excess uncleared snow and ice can fall off a vehicle at high speeds and cause quite a bit of damage to other vehicles.

While Ohio has no specific law stating people must clear snow and ice from their vehicles, there is a law that says people cannot drive an unsafe vehicle.

The Highway Patrol says driving a vehicle loaded up with snow and ice definitely qualifies as an unsafe vehicle and leads to unnecessary dangers on the roadways.

If you do get hit by snow or ice from a passing vehicle, the Highway Patrol says to remain calm and try to get a vehicle description and license plate number to pass along to police.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Thursday night through Friday morning.

The United Way of Hancock County says emergency food and shelter funds have been allocated to the county and qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Hancock County has been allocated federal funds through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board program (EFSP).

Hancock County will receive two concurrent funds: $24,871 in Phase 39 and $76,872 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA-R) funding, both to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in Hancock County cycles for spending from November 2021 until April 2023.

The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide.

The Local Board is charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

The Local Board, made up of representative nonprofits, will determine how the funds awarded to Hancock County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area.

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary nonprofits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive Federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board.

Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

To apply for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds, public or private voluntary agencies must contact Taylor Coote (taylor.coote@uwhancock.org) at the United Way of Hancock County, 318 W. Main Cross St, Findlay, Ohio, or call 419-423-1432.

The deadline to apply for both phases is March 11, 2022.

The Findlay Police Department says a man was injured in a single-vehicle crash.

The crash happened on County Road 236 between Foxwood Drive and Lakeview Parkway at around 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Ben E. Walton, 40, of Findlay, was driving a pickup truck south when he suffered a medical condition and drove off the right side of the road and struck a telephone junction box.

Walton suffered a suspected head injury and was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory that includes Findlay and Hancock County.

The advisory goes from 4 p.m. Thursday until 9 a.m. Friday.

Forecasters say mixed precipitation is expected with total snow and sleet accumulations of 1 to 3 inches and ice accumulations of around two tenths of an inch.

The heaviest precipitation is expected from Thursday evening through late Thursday night.

People should plan on slick driving conditions and should use caution if driving.

The latest road alert levels can be found by clicking here. 

The Funday Sunday sessions at the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum are returning to in-person beginning with the session on March 6th.

This free, public event will be held 1-4 p.m.

Registration is required and can be completed on the Mazza Museum’s website by clicking here.

Funday Sunday features themed, family-friendly learning extravaganzas designed to encourage artistic expression, enhance literacy knowledge, and develop critical thinking skills.

Mazza is kicking-off the first in-person session since 2020 with “Let’s Go LEGO!”

Participants can look forward to hands-on STEAM activities, art stations, games, and refreshments.

This program is sponsored by Farmers and Merchants State Bank, and Taylor Automotive Group.

To maintain the health and safety of all, participants are required to wear a mask and practice physical distancing while inside any University of Findlay building.

For more information visit the Mazza Museum’s Events page.

People with specific questions regarding Funday Sunday can contact Heather Sensel, Mazza Museum education manager, at 419-434-4777.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is holding an event to discuss how the community is responding to addiction and how to offer support for our youth.

The event titled ‘Avoid The Risk – Youth Are The Future’ will be held Thursday night February 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Cedar Creek Church at the Findlay Mall.

Zachary Thomas is director of wellness and education with the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS).

As Thomas mentioned in the audio above, the sheriff’s office holds an annual event to update the community on things like drug use, services provided to the community and how to become more aware of what’s happening and offer support.

The last few years the event wasn’t held because of the pandemic.

Thomas says, while the event is designed to provide support to the entire family and community, this year it will focus on to make sure our youth become more resilient and healthy members of the community.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host “Hockey Is For Everyone” night in March.

Organizers of the event say it’s an effort to recognize and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the sport.

Players will use rainbow Pride tape on their sticks during warmups to show support for the LGBTQ community and special merchandise commemorating the night will be available.

The NHL says it believes all hockey programs – from professionals to youth organizations – should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

“Hockey Is For Everyone” night is scheduled for March first as the Blue Jackets host the New Jersey Devils.

(pic courtesy of the Blue Jackets)

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved nearly $950,000 in grants at its February board meeting.

The $947,580 total includes seven responsive grants, three president’s discretionary grants and 139 donor advised fund grants.

Among the grants awarded, Children’s Mentoring Connection was awarded a three-year, $90,000 grant to support the creation of a Project Manager position for agency growth and sustainability.

And Hancock County Educational Service Center was awarded $20,767 to support the Virtual Job Shadowing Project to prepare special needs students for workforce opportunities.

You can go over the full list of grants and learn more about the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation by clicking here.

“As we begin our 30th year, I am continually grateful for the thousands of generous philanthropists who came together with the Foundation to make these grants possible,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation.

“In 30 years, we’ve awarded more than $70 million and changed countless lives. I can’t wait to see what impact these new grants will have in the near future.”

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation will celebrate its 30th year in operation this summer.