The University of Findlay held a ribbon cutting ceremony and building dedication to solidify its new collaboration with Blanchard Valley Health System.

The partnership will encourage people to pursue careers in healthcare, retain newly-trained students through local employment and will continue to provide hands-on clinical experiences within the numerous BVHS facilities.

The Center for Health Professions, previously known on campus as The Pavilion, houses the university’s nursing and physician assistant academic spaces including classrooms, labs, storage, faculty offices, and study spaces.

“Our UF College of Health Professions has earned a national reputation of excellence for preparing a highly skilled, broadly educated, professional workforce in a wide range of career paths,” said UF President Dr. Katherine Fell.

“Having Blanchard Valley Health System and the University of Findlay come together in this way is a testament to their commitment to the community. There is an overall benefit from both an academic and an economic development standpoint,” said Kim Stump, chair of the Blanchard Valley Health System Board of Trustees.

“It’s a win-win situation.”

As part of the partnership, modifications were made to the now Center for Health Professions to increase and enhance the academic spaces available for students and faculty within the health professions programs.

The collaborative efforts of Blanchard Valley Health System and University of Findlay allows students to gain hands-on experience in a number of areas to further prepare them for their future careers in the health professions.

“This is a great example of partnership and collaboration that will live long into the future,” said BVHS CEO Myron Lewis.

Get more in the video below from the University of Findlay.

The latest COVID numbers from Hancock Public Health show a significant drop in new cases.

The health department is reporting 168 new cases, 15 new hospitalizations and 6 new deaths for the week of February 4th through February 11th.

Two weeks earlier those numbers were 614 new cases, 38 new hospitalizations and 9 new deaths.

Hancock County is averaging 24 new cases per day and cases per 100,000 is 232.

Two weeks ago the county was averaging 87.7 new cases per day and cases per 100,000 was 983.

49.5 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated while 53 percent of eligible residents have started the vaccine.

1,075 Hancock County residents have been hospitalized with COVID since the beginning of the pandemic and 248 have died.

The City of Findlay has received another sizable donation towards a planned regional training center for emergency responders.

Blanchard Valley Health System is donating $50,000 in support of the construction of the STRICT Center, with STRICT standing for Simulated Tactical Response & Incident Command Training Center.

“BVHS is proud to be part of this special project,” said Myron Lewis, president and chief executive officer.

“As the community’s provider of healthcare services, we want to support efforts that keep our family, friends and neighbors safe. Great things happen when we work together.”

The estimated cost of the training complex is $1,000,000, with construction funding from a joint effort of public, private, and non-profit funds.

“The donation by BVHS will help greatly in breaking ground on this facility, and it really shows their commitment to the overall safety and welfare of our citizens,” said Fire Chief Josh Eberle.

Mayor Muryn agreed, adding, “The willingness of BVHS to provide a donation in the middle of managing a pandemic validates the community support for this project.”

BVHS joins a number of additional funding partners in this project. The total amount raised to date is $784,500 from public, private and non-profit sources.

Other donations include funds from the Findlay Hancock County Community Foundation, Valfilm, Campbells, Marathon Petroleum, the Hancock County Firefighters Association, McComb Fire Department, Hancock County Commissioners, Washington Township Fire Department, and Whirlpool. Additionally, Findlay City Council has allocated $250,000 towards the project.

The STRICT Center would be a city-owned, multi-agency training complex located behind Findlay Fire Station 4 on County Road 236.

Mayor Muryn says the STRICT Center will benefit emergency personnel throughout the county.

Conceptual drawings for the facility show two buildings, including a “Burn Building” and a “Tower Building”.

Fire Chief Josh Eberle says the structures will allow for live fire training, technical rescue, law enforcement, EMS, and other training scenarios.

“An exciting aspect of the STRICT Center is the ability for our safety agencies to train together. At almost every emergency, there is a fire department, law enforcement and an EMS component all working alongside each other. Currently it is difficult for these agencies to train as a unit, even though we respond together. The STRICT Center will allow that joint training to happen on a regular basis.”

Learn more about the STRICT Center by clicking here.

Authorities raided two houses in Findlay on unrelated ongoing drug trafficking investigations.

The Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force along with the Findlay Police Department Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at 227 Rector Avenue.

They say a search of the residence yielded suspected crack cocaine, cocaine powder residue, and a large amount of drug paraphernalia throughout the residence.

The evidence substantiated the on-going investigation into the residence for suspected drug possession and trafficking, the task force said.

The substances seized will be sent to the BCI Crime Lab for further testing.

Charges for the drug possession, paraphernalia possession and criminal tools will be sought at a later date pending the lab results.

The task force said the suspects in the investigation are Tracey Dindal, 53, and Danielle Savage, 33.

Additional charges of drug trafficking are expected at the conclusion of the investigation.

In a separate operation, the Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force along with the Findlay Police Department Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at 130 1/2 Garfield Avenue.

The search of the residence yielded over 10 grams of suspected heroin/Fentanyl mix a small number of unknown pills and the recovery of two handguns, one of which was reported as stolen through the Findlay Police Department, the task force said.

Numerous items of drug paraphernalia were seized and everything present was indicative of drug trafficking, authorities said.

The substances seized will be sent to the BCI Crime Lab for further testing.

Charges for the drug possession, paraphernalia possession, receiving stolen property (handgun) and weapons under disability will be sought at a later date.

The suspects in the investigation was Michael Hickle, 35, and Atorya Hall, 28, authorities said.

Additional charges of drug trafficking are expected at the conclusion of the investigation.

The Findlay City Planning Commission on Thursday denied Kroger’s application to add a fueling station to its location on Sixth Street.

The five pump fueling station would have been located on the east side of the grocery store.

Matt Cordonnier, director of the Hancock Regional Planning Commission, says the lack of space for expansion, traffic concerns and pedestrian safety all played into the commission’s decision to deny the project.

He says Kroger could appeal the decision, or come back in a year with an updated plan.

In January, the Findlay City Planning Commission tabled its decision to give them time to consider some changes to the plan that Kroger was proposing.

Among the changes to the plan that Kroger proposed was to center the pedestrian entrance of the store on the west side of the store, under the Kroger sign.

That would have removed the pedestrian entrance from the corner near Sixth Street and eliminated some of the congestion caused by cars waiting for people entering and leaving the store.

Kroger also said it would add a masonry wall on the east side of the new pumps and replace the wall on the south side of the property and add some length to it.

But even with the changes traffic remained a concern with the project and the potential troubles with access for emergency services due to traffic flow and the potential for vehicle back-up at the site.

In the end, the commission decided adding fuel pumps to the store just would not be a good fit for the neighborhood.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging people to make designating a sober driver part of their game plan for Super Bowl Sunday.

Because this year’s game will include the Cincinnati Bengals, many festivities are expected in Ohio, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is warning fans to refrain from driving while impaired.

The highway patrol says if you plan on consuming alcohol, don’t drive. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver.

To help keep the roads safe this Super Bowl Sunday, troopers will be cracking down on impaired drivers.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office will also have extra patrols this weekend.

“Don’t get sidelined by a DUI. Stay in the game, if you know you’ll be drinking, plan for a safe ride home before you leave the house.”

You can also help others make good choices by reminding them that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

During last year’s Super Bowl, the Patrol made 59 OVI arrests from 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday.

During the 24-hour reporting period, there were two fatal crashes killing two people.

Also, there were 178 injuries, in which 35 were OVI related.

If you host a Super Bowl party, make sure your guests have a safe and sober way home, and do not serve alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age.

“As Ohioans gather to watch the game, the Patrol will be working to remove impaired drivers from our roads,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent.

“Making the right decision to plan ahead and designate a sober driver protects you and those around you from the devastating consequences of impaired driving.”

The public is encouraged to use #677 to report impaired drivers and drug activity.

The Findlay Police Department says a man stole a vehicle from a pizza delivery driver and led police on a pursuit.

Police say the man, later identified as Christian G. Moreno, 32, of McComb, got into a Jeep Patriot that was left running outside of Heavenly Pizza at 1404 North Main Street on Wednesday night and drove off.

A GPS tracker in the vehicle allowed it to be tracked and a police officer located it on G Street.

The police officer tried to stop the vehicle but it continued at a slow rate of speed and failed to stop at the intersection of Dayton Avenue and Tiffin Avenue.

The Jeep continued southbound on Dayton Avenue and turned into a driveway.

Police say Moreno fled the vehicle and was found hiding in a garage, and was non-compliant and had to be tased.

Police say Moreno had a active warrant through the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

The police department says the sheriff’s office advised that they would not be incarcerating Moreno on the felony charges of theft of a motor vehicle, failure to comply with an officer and resisting arrest.

Moreno was released and charges are pending.

Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman says Moreno wasn’t booked because the jail is still experiencing a shortage of corrections officers.

“The officer to inmate ratio is such that we feel that it’s a safety and security issue by not having adequate staff and working the number of hours that people would have to work to accommodate the inmate level, many would be working 16 hours.”

The sheriff says the jail is looking to hire seven female corrections officers and two male officers.

Anyone interested in applying for a corrections officer position at the Hancock County Jail should send their resume his way.

The sheriff’s office address is 200 West Crawford Street, Findlay, Ohio 45840.

The phone number is 419-424-7097 and the email is hancocksheriff@co.hancock.oh.us.

The Ohio Turnpike Commission has fired a snow plow driver who damaged dozens of vehicles and caused numerous injuries in January when he recklessly sprayed ice, snow and slush on vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.

The turnpike commission says the driver was fired on Tuesday.

Turnpike officials say he was placed on administrative leave the day after the January 23rd incident.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says 18 people were injured and 55 vehicles were damaged.

The highway patrol says their investigation has been turned over to the Erie County prosecutor to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the driver.

(picture and video courtesy of News 5 Cleveland)

Blanchard Valley Health System and the University of Findlay have formalized a collaborative affiliation relationship to encourage more students from northwest Ohio to consider healthcare majors.

UF says the effort will be achieved by providing increased opportunities for students for more clinical experiences at the numerous BVHS facilities.

The plan includes fully utilizing the simulation laboratory, located on the main campus of Blanchard Valley Hospital.

Additionally, best practice insights will be provided by the health system to UF faculty and students through special lecture, adjunct and advisory opportunities.

BVHS and UF will also work together to develop additional, broader health-oriented programs.

The purpose of the initiative is to retain the newly-trained talented students for local employment.

“We are very proud to be partnering with BVHS to strengthen the healthcare opportunities for individuals in our community and for our students,” said UF President Dr. Katherine Fell.

“As the region’s leader in high-quality healthcare education with 29 different healthcare-related degrees and more than 400 students graduating each year in healthcare-related fields, this partnership will enable our students and graduates to gain the experience they need to serve our community well for many years into the future.”

The University of Findlay and Blanchard Valley Health Systems will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony and building dedication Friday at 1 p.m. at the University’s Pavilion – soon to be the “Blanchard Valley Health System Center for Health Professions.”

A man from Akron could be facing charges after authorities say he made two swatting calls to police in the wrong Ottawa.

Captain Brad Brubaker with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says the 20-year-old thought he was calling Ottawa, Canada but instead called Ottawa, Ohio.

The first call was a bomb threat and the second call was to report that he had been shot.

As Captain Brubaker mentioned in the audio above, when the dispatcher said they’d forward his information to police in Ottawa, Canada the man admitted that he had not been shot and was only trying to waste time and resources of police in Ottawa, Canada because he disagreed with their vaccine and mask mandates.

Canada’s capital city has been the scene of a trucker protest over COVID mandates for days.

Captain Brubaker says the case has been forwarded to the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office and charges are pending.

Swatting is the action of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring out a large number of police resources to a particular address.