The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is sweetening the pot in the hope of hiring more corrections officers to alleviate the shortage they’ve been experiencing.

Corrections officers recently received a $2 raise and will make $48,000 annually after one year, according to the sheriff’s office website.

The sheriff’s office is also hiring deputies, with their pay after one year amounting to $56,500.

Get more information about applying by clicking here.

Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman says they are in need of 11 corrections officers.

He said the shortage has forced them to close one wing of the jail and to house some inmates in another county.

The staffing issues have been ongoing for a while now, and we spoke with the sheriff about the issue last December.

The sheriff said people interested in applying for a corrections officer position at the Hancock County Jail or to become a deputy 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.

(ONN) – A memorabilia dealer and two other men are charged with scheming to steal and sell allegedly ill-gotten, handwritten lyrics to the song Hotel California and other hits by The Eagles.

Prosecutors said the trio – which includes a curator for Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – lied to auction houses and buyers about the manuscripts’ fuzzy chain of origin, coaching the person who provided the material about what to say.

The men also tried to thwart Eagles co-founder Don Henley’s efforts to reclaim the items, according to prosecutors.

Through their lawyers, the defendants pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges.

The Hancock Historical Museum is looking for a few more barns to showcase on their Historic Barn Tour in September.

Every other year, the museum highlights a collection of timber framed barns in Hancock County on a self-guided tour as a way to pay homage to the special cultural resources that have stood the test of time and represent local agricultural heritage.

The museum is asking Hancock County residents who have a beautiful and historic barn to consider participating in the event.

The museum provided the following information about what they’re looking for.

1) Timber-framed barns in Hancock County. You don’t need to know how old it is – we’ll figure that out! The timbers can be hand-hewn or sawn, but the frame needs to use traditional joinery (i.e. mortise and tenon). The barns can still be in full operation with hay, livestock, etc., or being used for storage or any other use.

2) Barn/property owners willing to provide their hospitality and welcome guests to view their barn the day of the tour, Sept. 10th.

3) Barn/property owners interested in promoting our agricultural heritage by serving as a showcase property on this great tour!

The barn DOES NOT need to be…

1) Empty. We know that farmers use their barns. We know they store things, often including animals! Your barn does not need to be spotless to be on the tour and it can be in full operation. We need to provide a safe way to view the barn frame for guests, but we can restrict access to any part of the barn for the tour. We’ve had barns in all states of use and all conditions on past tours.

2) Perfect. Some of these barns may be over 170 years old. We know they will show their age. Many have been retrofitted over the years to accommodate different uses and machinery. Many have had repairs made to keep them standing for the next generation. As long as the bones are there, the changes are acceptable and help to tell the story of the farm. We have had barns on the tour that have sadly since been demolished or burned. We know they aren’t all going to be standing forever, and that’s all the more reason to showcase them NOW!

People who have an old barn they think may be a good candidate for the tour and would like to participate should contact the Hancock Historical Museum by clicking here or calling 419-423-4433.

The man convicted in June of shooting and wounding a state trooper alongside Interstate 75 in Findlay last fall has been sentenced to prison.

Robert Hathorn was sentenced to 26-31 years behind bars – 24 years of which will be mandatory.

Judge Reginald Routson cited Hathorn’s likeliness to reoffend and previous violence against law enforcement as a few of the factors that went into the sentence.

We spoke with Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle after the sentence was handed down.

The 43-year-old Hathorn, from Muskegon, Michigan was convicted on six felony charges in June, including felonious assault on a peace officer, in connection with the October 6th incident.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says Hathorn struggled with a trooper during a traffic stop along Interstate 75 in Findlay and the trooper’s gun went off, striking the trooper in the lower body.

Hathorn was found the following day in the Blanchard River after an extensive search involving various police agencies.

It took about five months until the trooper that was shot was able to return to full duty, and the bullet is still lodged in his body.

(ONN) – The City of Tiffin needs a new mayor, less than 24 hours after one was appointed.

According to the city’s website, Zach Perkins, who was just appointed mayor, said he will not accept the position and immediately resigned his council position.

City council is set to meet in a special public session on Thursday to discuss the next steps.

Council chambers are located in Tiffin City Hall at 51 East Market Street.

Former mayor Aaron Montz stepped down in June to accept a position at the non-profit Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership.

(ONN) – Ohio has moved one step closer to a total ban on abortion.

Republican State Rep. Gary Click introduced House Bill 704, which would begin the ban at conception.

The bill, called the Personhood Act, states that Ohio shall “recognize the personhood, and protect the constitutional rights, of all unborn human individuals from the moment of conception.”

The bill would include an exception to save the life of the mother, but not an exception for victims of rape or incest.

The bill also has the potential to ban forms of birth control like IUDs.

As Ohio’s law stands now, abortion is banned after six weeks, when a heartbeat can be detected.

The “heartbeat” law went into effect last month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is partnering with the University of Findlay in bringing an interesting event to town that’s now being held in more than 80 countries.

It’s called the Human Library, and it engages people of different backgrounds in conversation by providing a non-judgmental environment for people to speak one-on-one.

The library’s Joel Mantey, on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks, says human volunteers act as “books” and are “checked out” for 15 minutes, to afford the participant, or the “reader” a chance to ask questions they might normally feel uncomfortable asking.

He says the interactions people get from participating in the Human Library help them better understand each other as human beings through conversation and engagement.

The event will be held on October 11th at the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum.

The library is seeking volunteers to be “books” for the program.

If you are interested in being a volunteer and sharing your story, contact Melody Flick at mflick@findlaylibrary.org or visit the library’s website at www.findlaylibrary.org for an online application.

The popular community event Flag City Night Out is approaching.

It’s coming up on Tuesday, August 2nd at Riverside Park and will begin at 6 p.m.

The free, family-friendly event is designed to bring community members and public safety professionals together in the same place.

Findlay Police Officer Brian White says the interactions they have with kids at events like Night Out go a long way.

There will be free food and refreshments, live demonstrations, entertainment and other fun activities.

Also, kids will enjoy large assortment of emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances and police cruisers.

Flag City Night Out will be held at Findlay’s Riverside Park near Carnahan Avenue on Tuesday, August 2nd from 6 to 9 p.m.

The rain date will be the following Tuesday.

See video from last year’s Flag City Night Out below.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s office is planning to spend nearly $245,000 extra to promote public awareness of the August 2nd special primary election.

Cleveland.com reports that’s three times as much as the state spent to promote a similar campaign for the May primary election.

State officials are concerned about low voter turnout in August.

Voters will pick Republican and Democratic candidates for state legislative races and State Central Committee races.

The second primary is the result of redistricting delays after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Ohio House and Senate maps passed by the redistricting commission were unconstitutional.

However, despite the fact that the Ohio Supreme Court said the maps didn’t reflect the will of voters, a federal court ruled that the maps would be used in the August primary anyway.

One of the few races on the ballot in Hancock County in the August primary is the Democrat primary for 83rd District state representative between Melissa Kritzell and Claire Osborne. Both will be taking part in a forum on WFIN on Wednesday, July 20th at 5 p.m.

The winner of the Democratic primary will take on State Rep. Jon Cross in the fall, who’s running unopposed in the primary.

Early voting is underway.

Get more election information from the Hancock County Board of Elections by clicking here.

The Stuff the Bus community school supplies drive is happening this week.

Your local radio stations are partnering with McDonald’s and local organizations to host the annual Stuff the Bus campaign at the McDonald’s on Tiffin Avenue in Findlay.

The goal of the campaign is to make sure students have everything they need to start the new school year.

Backpacks are always the largest need, but you can also donate pencils, crayons, binders, calculators and more.

The filled backpacks will then be distributed before the start of the school year.

For a full list of needed items click here.

Stuff the Bus will be held Thursday, July 14th through Saturday, July 16th.

After Stuff the Bus, donations can still be made at Stonebridge Church through August 4th.

If you are unable to stop by the bus, donations can also be made at www.cchsupport.org.