The event is open to the public and will be held in their Findlay offices on Thursday, March 24th.
“We’d like to share inspiring stories and impact from 2021 and celebrate our one-year anniversary at our West Main Cross location”, said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way.
“Although our primary motive for the move was to reduce operating expenses, the space is incredible and we’re looking forward to opening it up to share it with our community.”
The reception begins at 5 p.m. and the annual meeting will follow.
RSVP’s for the event can be sent to rsvp@uwhancock.org or by calling 419-423-1432.
The United Way of Hancock County is located at 318 West Main Cross Street in Findlay on the second floor.
The application process is open for the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation’s third Heart & Soul community in Hancock County.
President and CEO Brian Treece, on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks, said far, The Community Foundation has supported two of these projects in McComb and Mt. Blanchard.
Brian says Community Heart & Soul is an approach to community development and planning created by the Orton Family Foundation that increases participation in local decision-making and invites residents to shape the future of their communities based on what matters most to them.
In order to apply, each interested community should meet with Foundation Community Engagement Officer Cassie Turner to gauge readiness and review the application process.
Applications are due April 1, 2022 with the goal of launching in June 2022.
Learn more about the Heart & Soul projects in McComb and Mt. Blanchard by clicking here.
The month of March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
Nadine Weininger, with the Blanchard Valley Center, is calling on Hancock County residents to show their support by participating in a county-wide Spirit Week March 14 – 18.
“In the month of March we take the opportunity to educate the community on the services and supports the county board provides to more than 700 individuals in Hancock County with developmental disabilities.”
As Nadine mentioned in the audio above, the month is also about highlighting the individuals supported and the barriers they continue to break down on a daily basis.
She’s hoping Hancock County residents show their support through Spirit Week as a way of embracing a community culture of inclusion and that each person is valued for who they are.
You can learn more about Spirit Week in the post below from Blanchard Valley Center.
In addition to Spirit Week, Blanchard Valley Center also has other events planned for March and Nadine provided the following information.
On 3/23, we are holding a Dinner & Dialogue from 5:30-7 pm to share with people with developmental disabilities and their families our innovative Smart House that will be put to use, very soon. The smart house is comprised of assistive technology to allow a person with a developmental disabilities to live there temporarily and explore the idea of living independently. On the night of the Dinner & Dialogue, there will be guest speakers from Safe in Home, who sells the assistive technology equipment, to explain the benefits and uses of the tools and resources available. In additional, there will be a tour of the Smart House, following the presentation.
On 3/25, we will be holding a ribbon cutting with our local Chamber of Commerce for the Smart House at 3 pm. The entire community is invited out to get a tour of the home and learn more about the modern way for people with developmental disabilities to live independent lives.
On 3/29, we will be holding our Celebrity Basketball Game! After a two year hiatus, we are so excited to bring this event back. With a new location, the Findlay High School Gymnasium will be filling up with friends and families of the individuals supported through the Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Special Olympics athletes are teaming up with local celebrities to participate in a friendly, slightly competitive game of basketball. We will have a fantastic flash mob, led by our Special Olympics cheerleaders. The event is free! Door will open at 6:30, event starts at 7. We hope to see you there!
Blanchard Valley Health System is adjusting its visitation guidelines to lessen restrictions on visitors as community transmission of the coronavirus continues to wane.
The notable revisions in the new guidelines include allowing two visitors per day for COVID-19 positive patients, as well as two visitors at medical practice visits.
All BVHS visitors are still required to wear a mask at all times, including time spent in the room of a loved one.
The health system will provide an appropriate mask if needed that covers the nose, mouth and chin.
Additionally, visitors are required to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every time they enter or exit a patient’s room.
If a visitor has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, they are allowed to visit at least 10 days after testing positive or being exposed.
BVHS will provide appropriate PPE to visitors entering a COVID positive room.
For a complete review of visitation guidelines at all BVHS facilities, click here.
The eighth year of the Big Shake Competition is underway at Bigelow Hill Intermediate School in Findlay.
Principal Jennifer Theis says the activity helps students learn how to present themselves by making eye contact, having a good handshake and being able to carry on a conversation.
“It’s about students building their confidence and making a good first impression with a firm handshake and being able to make eye contact and hold a conversation with an adult,” Theis said.
Judges from Findlay City Schools administration and community representatives rate students on their handshakes, eye contact and body language.
Chick-fil-A is sponsoring the event and five finalists will be interviewed by the general manager of the Findlay restaurant and then three students will be selected to learn how to manage a business.
And then Chick-fil-A will determine the overall winner of the competition by the end of March and that student will be awarded a scholarship.\
More pictures from the competition are in the post below from Findlay City Schools.
Reports say Major League Baseball and its Players Association are agreeing to a deal to end the lockout.
MLB.com is reporting that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement on Thursday on a new collective bargaining agreement
The agreement paves the way for the 2022 regular season to begin on April 7th.
The CBA must still be ratified by both sides before it becomes official.
Once that happens, Spring Training camps are expected to open on Sunday, bringing the three-month lockout to a close.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says Jeremy A. Cullen and Jayden A. Cullen, of Defiance, joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club after their safety belts saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries.
The crash happened on Interstate 75 in Allen County on December 29th, 2021.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Alec Coil, Lima Post commander, presented the father and son with “Saved by the Belt” certificates signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Thomas J. Stickrath and Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent.
“Jeremy and Jayden are a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Lieutenant Coil said.
“Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”
Provisional data from 2021 shows 565 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use.
For up-to-date statistics and information on seat belts, log onto the Patrol’s Seatbelt Dashboard at www.SeatBeltDashboard.ohio.gov.
The “Saved by the Belt” Club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and more than 400 Ohio law enforcement agencies.
This club is designed to recognize people who have benefited from their decision to wear safety belts.
People also receive a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket.
Today, Defiance residents Jeremy A. Cullen and Jayden A. Cullen joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club. Their safety belts saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries during a crash on IR-75 in Allen Co on Dec 29. Always remember to #BuckleUp, every trip, every time! pic.twitter.com/ZHfmJ9tWzR
Tiffin City Schools is once again searching for a new superintendent.
Dr. Michael Zalar announced his resignation from the post this week and will exit the role at the end of July.
Zalar accepted the position last year and is the fourth person to hold the job in the last five years.
He says the decision to leave is not an easy one but he wants to be closer to his family in the Cleveland area.
“Please know this decision did not come easy but I feel it is in everyone’s best interest. The district needs a leader who is willing to make a long-term commitment to the schools and community. I am no longer able to make that commitment and believe the district is best served to begin their search for a new leader now,” Zalar said in a statement you can read by clicking here.
