The City of Findlay was again recognized as a Tree City USA at an awards ceremony in Findlay.

This is the 40th time Findlay has been honored with the nationally recognized award.

Findlay earned the title of Tree City USA for its ongoing efforts to maintain and improve quality of life through a comprehensive tree management program.

The program is guided by the Tree Commission and City Administration.

The ODNR, Division of Forestry’s Urban Forestry Assistance Program acts as a guiding hand in helping a community to become qualified as a Tree City USA.

The Regional Urban Forester recommends a community to the Arbor Day Foundation for this standing.

To achieve the title and the honors, a community must meet four standards:

• A Tree Ordinance
• An active Tree Commission or forestry department
• A comprehensive urban forestry program supported by a minimum of two dollars per capita
• An annual Arbor Day proclamation and public observance.

Ohio boasts the greatest number of Tree Cities in the country and marks Ohio’s 44th consecutive year as the top Tree City USA state, according to the Ohio Division of Forestry.

52 northwest Ohio communities are Tree City USAs and two universities are honored as Tree Campus USAs (Ohio Northern University and the University of Findlay.)

All were recognized for their achievements at the awards ceremony in Findlay.

Hancock County manufacturers this week have been hosting around 1,000 8th graders during Raise The Bar’s week-long Manufacturing Week.

The students come from 11 Findlay and Hancock County middle schools.

Raise The Bar says Manufacturing Week, which is one of their most recognized initiatives, highlights the multitude of career opportunities available in the manufacturing industry, and is changing youth perception of the industry.

In the video below we talk with Raise the Bar Director Tricia Valasek about the event.

The Findlay City Planning Commission has approved plans for a restaurant at 508 West Trenton Avenue.

It was discussed at the meeting that the drive-thru restaurant going in at that location would be a Starbucks.

That site is currently a vacant mobile home park.

Developers said the Starbucks is expected to be open by the end of this year.

The picture above is of the Starbucks on Tiffin Avenue in Findlay.

The Findlay Police Department says it’s seeing an increase in calls to their dispatch center regarding grandparent scams.

In these scams, the intended victim gets a call from someone posing as his or her grandchild.

The person explains, in a frantic-sounding voice, that he or she is in trouble and that there’s been an accident, an arrest or a robbery and needs help.

They then ask for money and instruct the victim not to tell anyone because they’re embarrassed and don’t want anyone to know.

The police department is encouraging people to discuss the scam with their loved ones.

Since many grandparents may have multiple children and grandchildren, this scam can be easy to fall for and continues to be a problem.

Findlay’s Hometown Hero banners are back up along Main Street in honor of local members of the military.

The banners will be up through May, June and July.

The city says this batch of banners includes 19 new banners, which can be seen on the west side of Main Street from Front Street to Center Street.

One of the new banners honors Eldon Beegle, who was in the Army.

His banner is near the Hancock County War Memorial and can be seen above.

Mayor Christina Muryn says the banners include active, retired, and deceased service members and line Main Street from Lima Street up to Center Street.

The first batch of banners went up in November of 2020.

If you’d like to honor a loved one or someone you know with one of the banners, click here for ordering information.

There is a box to check if you are unable to afford the fee for the banner and would like to be considered for sponsorship.

The Findlay City Planning Commission has approved the site plan for a residential development west of Interstate 75 and south of County Road 99 on the north end of Findlay.

The residential development will contain 10 townhome buildings totaling 60 units, 10 garden apartment buildings totaling 160 units, and 19 attached single family buildings totaling 76 units.

Tim Mayle, Director of Findlay – Hancock County Economic Development says the development is a major step toward their “Gateway” vision for the north end.

He says CASTO Development was a great fit to work with the Economic Development office to incorporate a broader mixed use development for the corridor.

Mayle says the “Gateway” vision is continuing to progress with the planned construction of a divergent diamond at the CR 99/I-75 interchange.

In addition, Blanchard Valley Health System continues to evaluate their plans for the land that was purchased in 2018.

Also, the property on the NE corner of 99/75 received a State of Ohio environmental assessment grant to continue to plan for development there.

“The corridor will see significant development over the next few years, it is an exciting time on the north end of Findlay,” Mayle said.

Governor DeWine has ordered flags lowered in honor of the 1 million Americans who have been killed by COVID-19.

The governor’s order is in accordance with the orders issued by the President of the United States of America and is in remembrance of the more than 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19.

Governor DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio until sunset on Monday, May 16th.

“Today, we mark a tragic milestone:  one million American lives lost to COVID-19,” the President said in a statement.

“One million empty chairs around the dinner table.  Each an irreplaceable loss.”

Read the President’s full statement here.

A Hancock County grand jury has indicted a man on some disturbing charges involving a child.

Court records show that Timothy McStraw, 51, of McComb, was indicted on a charge of rape and two charges of gross sexual imposition.

Court records indicate that the alleged offenses occurred in April in McComb and involved a child under the age of 10.

McStraw was indicted on Tuesday and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive locally.

The 2022 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), will be held on Saturday, May 14th.

United Way of Hancock County is assisting with the coordination of volunteers for the food drive.

Findlay’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, overseen by the local USPS AFL-CIO chapter, has enlisted United Way of Hancock County’s help with coordinating volunteers for the effort.

Up to 50 volunteers and volunteers with about 20 vehicles will be needed to assist the drivers with collecting donations throughout Findlay on May 14th.

Volunteers will be assigned to neighborhoods or regions in the community to drive through and pick up donations.

To volunteer, register with United Way of Hancock County by clicking here. 

To donate food for the food drive, donors are asked to leave non-perishable food items in a plastic or paper bag by the home’s mailbox by 8 a.m. on May 14.

Local letter carriers and volunteers will pick up the items.

Donations can also be dropped off in the back parking lot of Great Scot on W. Main Cross on this same date from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.

In addition to the donation of their space, Great Scot will also be donating food for the volunteers and letter carriers after their shifts.

The food will be processed for safety by West Ohio Food Bank and then returned to the food pantries in Hancock County including CHOPIN Hall, Lutheran Social Services, City Mission, and Salvation Army.

This year’s event is made possible by donations from Great Scot and City Mission.

Additionally, LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay is assisting significantly with volunteer efforts.

For more information about either event, contact Taylor Coote at 419-423-1432 or taylor.coote@uwhancock.org.

Two middle school students in Carey responsible for an inappropriate post on the messaging app Snapchat are in hot water with the school district and law enforcement.

The school district says a parent contacted school officials on Tuesday night after their child came across the post, which featured pictures of guns and weapons, along with a caption referencing school.

Superintendent Michael Wank says the district contacted law enforcement and the sixth-grade students behind the post were identified and their parents contacted.

He says they held a remote learning day on Wednesday just to be safe as they take student safety very seriously.

As the superintendent mentioned in the audio above, a student who saw the inappropriate post told their parents who then contacted the school district.

The superintendent says the students responsible for the post are facing suspension and possible expulsion, as well as possible criminal charges.