Students at Liberty-Benton Elementary School have had a fun time this school year getting to know Otis, the elementary school’s School Facility Dog.

School Counselor Barb Gazette says Otis has been with the school since the beginning of September and helps the students with their emotional needs.

“He greets the kids of the buses, he goes on classroom visits, I take him in the hallways. Just places where they can see him and have some time to lift their spirits.”

Barb says Otis really helped some students who were dealing with separation anxiety at the beginning of the school year and he’s great with helping kids to relax who may be upset or stressed.

“He helps students when I’m working with them in my office to open up and express themselves.”

Barb says they have wanted to get a School Facility Dog for a while but they remained patient because they really wanted to do it through the Ability Center of Greater Toledo which Barb considers the best because their training and support is so thorough.

“The Ability Center donated Otis to our elementary school but he is considered to be a $70,000 dog.”

Barb says Otis is a star and all the students get to time pet him at the end of her lessons.

“And that’s where the real love shows with these kids. He’s a hit. He’s really helped my job completely and added so much to Liberty-Benton.”

Barb says Otis’s sponsors include VCA Findlay Animal Hospital, Omni Feed, Liberty-Benton Board of Education and LBPTO.

The fall ArtWalk be held in downtown Findlay on Friday, November 4th.

Artists will be located throughout the downtown area in shops, restaurants, and businesses.

Visit Findlay says downtown art anchors Findlay Art League, Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, and Jones Building Artists Studios will be open.

The Hancock Historical Museum will be open for ArtWalk as well, and Judge Reginald Routson will be speaking about 60s rock bands in Findlay starting at 6.

ArtWalk is free and open to the entire family.

The fall ArtWalk is being held on Friday, November 4^th from 5 to 9 p.m.

A vinyl tile manufacturing company in Fostoria is facing more than $1.2 million in proposed penalties after a worker was caught in a machine, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were sent to Fostoria to inspect the NOX US LLC plant after a worker was severely injured in April.

According to the Department of Labor, the worker’s finger was first caught in a rotating spindle on a plastic winding machine and then their body was pulled around the machine’s spindle. The worker sustained multiple injuries that required surgery.

OSHA cited the company for multiple willful and serious violations, one repeat violation and one other-than-serious violation. NOX US LLC now faces $1,232,705 in proposed penalties.

This employee’s injury is the seventh injury since February 2017 and the DOL says this is “related to the company’s failure to follow required machine safety procedures.”

Additionally, the release says the company has seen at least 13 injuries caused by “exposure to burn” and “amputation hazards” at the plant since 2017. The plant was placed under the severe violator enforcement program by OHSA in 2017.

“NOX US LLC’s continued failure to correct previously identified hazards has led to another worker suffering severe and potentially life-altering injuries,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. “When an employer fails to ensure dangerous machines are guarded or de-energized properly, they show an indifference to worker safety, and the risk of serious injuries multiplies.”

According to the release, NOX US LLC has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to concede with orders, request an informal conference with the OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Transportation have announced an effort between multiple state agencies and private sector businesses to make Ohio school buses more visible to other motorists and safer for the 1.6 million students transported on them.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Ohio Department of Education (ODE) have partnered to create new highly-reflective “STOP” decals for the rear of every school bus in the state.

In the coming months, each of the state’s nearly 20,000 school buses will be outfitted with the new decals which make buses more visible in both daylight and at nighttime. The decals are being printed by ODOT’s Sign Shop and will be provided to the schools at no cost.

The idea was brought about by troopers in the Patrol’s Licensing and Commercial Standard Unit. They saw a need for increased visibility and worked with ODOT, ODE, manufacturers, and various safety committees to vet the idea. During their research, Ohio troopers found no other state offering such a safety mechanism.

“I am beyond proud of the troopers and professional staff who worked tirelessly to see this through,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, OSHP superintendent.

“Their dedication will have a positive impact on the students who rely on buses to transport them to and from school and school-related events safely each day.”

Since 2017, there have been 6,519 school bus-related crashes. Of these crashes, 1,421 involved a driver following too closely and 712 involved a driver failing to yield.

A lot of little superheroes, princesses, athletes and more hit the sidewalks of Findlay on Saturday for the city’s Trick-or-Treat.

A lot of houses welcomed the youngsters with some impressive Halloween decorations, like the house in the video below along South Main Street.

The house featured a variety of big and small skeletons as well as a vampire hanging upside down.

The owner told us that Halloween is definitely their favorite holiday and they were happy to see the kids enjoying their decorations.

Most communities held their Trick-or-Treat on Saturday, although McComb is holding theirs on Monday night from 6 to 7.

The Findlay Police Department says two men led officers on a lengthy chase after being caught burglarizing the Best Buy Distribution facility.

Police responded to Best Buy Distribution at 14401 County Road 212 in Findlay at 5:43 Sunday morning to investigate a report of a theft in progress.

Officers located one of the suspect’s vehicles in front of the facility and attempted to pull it over, but it fled to Interstate 75 where it went northbound.

Police say the pursuit of the vehicle lasted 42 miles and ended when the suspects went northbound down a southbound exit ramp from Wales Road leading to I-75 and crashed.

Police say the two men were arrested and booked at the Hancock County Jail for felony fleeing and eluding and felony theft.

Garner Trucking, which is headquartered in Findlay, was presented with the inaugural ATA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Change Leader Award.

American Trucking Associations (ATA) recognized Garner Trucking for its commitment to creating a culture of acceptance and belonging for their employees.

The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Change Leader Award, sponsored by TenStreet, encourages ATA members to implement a DEI program or continue to improve an established company DEI program.

The nominations were critiqued on the ability to develop a program, improve an existing program, and measure and benchmark a successful culture of acceptance and inclusion.

“I am proud of my Garner team receiving the ATA Change Leader award,” said Garner Trucking President and CEO Sherri Garner Brumbaugh.

“I believe this shows our commitment to an accepting culture throughout our organization and the trucking industry, where all people can find a place to belong!”

Hancock Public Health and the City Mission of Findlay are partnering to help people staying at the City Mission get basic healthcare without having to go to the emergency room or urgent care centers.

Laura Reinhart, certified nurse practitioner with the Hancock Public Health’s Mobile Health Clinic, says the mobile clinic has the initiative of making healthcare equitable to all, and it seemed like a natural partnership to bring healthcare to people who need it the most.

Laura says the mobile clinic will be stopping by the City Mission at least one full day a week initially and that the partnership could grow even more after that with them stopping by even more often.

She says people staying at the shelter have been enjoying having the mobile clinic stopping by and talking with them about their healthcare.

Flag City Honor Flight, the Findlay-based hub of the National Honor Flight Network, will fly 87 Vietnam-era Veterans and their Guardians to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

A total of 182 people will be on the flight.

This is Flag City Honor Flight’s third and final trip of 2022.

This flight has been sponsored Ohio Logistics, which is based in Findlay.

“We wouldn’t be making this flight if not for the generosity of our corporate sponsor Ohio Logistics,” says Flag City Honor Flight Executive Director Bob Weinberg.

“We’re grateful for their commitment to honoring our Veterans and hopeful that this first corporate-sponsored all Vietnam-era flight might lead to other businesses coming forward to sponsor future all Vietnam-era flights.”

People are encouraged to attend the welcome home celebration at 9:30 Tuesday night, November 1^st at the Grand Aire Hangar, located at 11777 West Airport Service Road in Swanton.

Flag City Honor Flight points out that for many of these Vietnam-era Veterans, it will be the first time they’ve received such a homecoming since their service.

Many returned home to anger and animosity due to the difficult climate as the Vietnam War concluded.

The Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of its second annual Love Local campaign.

The official campaign will begin on November 1^st and is meant to encourage those living in Seneca County to support all things local instead of going out of town or online to non-locally owned and operated entities as the holiday season approaches.

This year the campaign will include social media features, videos, contests, and more.

The campaign will focus on why community members should support local, including economic impact, job creation, quality of services and products, and supporting your neighbor.

The Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce encourages the community to support local every day of the year and to put their money with their heart is.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for every dollar spent at a small business in the United States, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community.

(in the pic are Bryan and Laura Wise, owners of Wise Choice Powersports)