This is National School Bus Safety Week.

Findlay crime prevention officer Brian White says we all need to do our part to make sure schoolkids are safe around their buses.

He says drivers are required to stop at least 10 feet in front of or behind a school bus when flashing lights and a stop arm are displayed and cannot resume driving until the school bus begins moving.

On a two-lane road all lanes of traffic must come to a stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students.

On a four-lane road, only vehicles going in the same direction as the school bus must stop.

A driver who fails to stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students can be fined up to $500 and have their license suspended for a year.

Since 2017, there have been 6,434 crashes involving school buses in Ohio.

Six fatal crashes took place during this time killing six people and injuring 2,076.

None of those killed were occupants of a school bus.

National School Bus Safety Week runs October 17th – 21st.

There was a bomb threat involving Hearthside Food Solutions in McComb on Tuesday.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says it responded to the factory on Rader Road at around 1:45 in the afternoon.

The sheriff’s office says the McComb Police Department had already advised the business to evacuate and the Allen County Bomb Squad was contacted.

When the bomb squad arrived, they had their K9s search the area and there was no sign of a bomb.

The strong winds lately have knocked down some of the fall foliage earlier than usual, and soon people will have to start raking their leaves.

The City of Findlay has announced the dates for leaf collection for this fall.

The City of Findlay’s leaf collection this year will run from November 14th through December 2nd.

The city will pick up leaves that have been placed in biodegradable paper bags at the curb.

The city makes clear that plastic bags and loose leaves will not be picked up.

The city is reminding people to not rake leaves into the street, as leaves tend to wash into and clog storm sewers, causing maintenance issues and potential flooding.

City residents may continue to drop leaves at the green waste site at 330 North Cory Street at no charge.

The green waste site is for residential use only.

No contractors are permitted to use this site.

Only tree trimmings, brush, leaves, and grass clippings can be dumped in designated areas at the site.

The last day for the green waste site for the season is December 3rd, 2022.

(ONN) – In southeast Ohio, two people aboard a private plane were killed when that plane crashed in Marietta Tuesday morning.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says the plane crashed into a car dealership on Pike Street, striking cars that were there to be repaired and also damaging some buildings.

Several witnesses who work around the area said they saw the plane hit the ground nose first and heard several explosions after.

Police said the plane left from John Glenn International Airport in Columbus around 6:40 Tuesday morning.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the two people killed as 49-year-old Timothy Gifford of Orient, Ohio and 45-year-old Eric Seevers of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

There were no reported injuries to anyone on the ground.

(picture courtesy of WTOL-11 and Amber Davis)

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, of Findlay, joined the Hancock County Commissioners in announcing a new partnership between the two offices.

Sprague recognized the commissioners for having Hancock County become the fourth county in the state to participate in the STABLE Account program through the Ohio Treasurer’s Office.

It’s now easier for county employees and their families to utilize a STABLE Account, which is a specialized savings and investment account for people living with disabilities that allows them to save and invest money without losing eligibility for certain means-tested benefits, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Ohio’s STABLE Account program was launched in 2016 following the passage of the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act.

STABLE accounts are 529-like specialized savings and investment accounts for people with disabilities.

Previously, people with disabilities could only save $2,000 before losing means-tested benefits such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Disability-related expenses can pose a financial burden to many people and their families, and the old rules discouraged saving and investing. In addition, asset limits made joining the workforce more difficult, pushing them further into the financial margins.

Accountholders can save up to $16,000 each year without jeopardizing federal assistance programs.

Earnings on STABLE accounts grow tax-free, as long as funds are spent on qualified expenses, such as housing, transportation, healthcare, assistive technology, living expenses, and many others.

Through the STABLE Account program, people with disabilities are more easily able to join the workforce and save what they earn.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Blanchard Valley Center is celebrating its 70^th anniversary and is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, October 19^th from 5 to 7 p.m.

Nadine Weininger, Quality Services Manager for Blanchard Valley Center, is inviting Hancock County residents to stop out to BVC (1700 E Sandusky St) and learn more about what it is they do for people with developmental disabilities and how they’ve changed over the past seven decades.

There will be light refreshments and a lot of pictures and news articles for people to flip through.

Blanchard Valley Center is located at 1700 East Sandusky Street in Findlay.

Findlay City Schools is reminding parents and students that schools will be closed district-wide on Tuesday, October 25th for a scheduled in-service day.

After that, the next in-service day – professional development day for teachers will be January 12^th.

To view the full calendar, and for more information about Findlay City Schools, click here.

The City of Findlay is asking business owners and managers in the city to complete the Findlay Forward business survey.

The city says the information from the anonymous survey will help them better understand how city government can best support businesses.

The City of Findlay government is currently going through a strategic planning process.

Earlier in the year, the city says the strategic planning committee completed extensive public engagement and received phenomenal feedback.

However, in reviewing the public’s feedback the city recognized it did not receive sufficient input from business owners, executives, and managers to help them in setting objectives for one of their goals, “A thriving business environment that takes care of existing businesses, attracts new businesses, supports local entrepreneurs, and is economically sustainable.”

Click here to fill out the survey.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy’s cruiser was struck by a suspect’s vehicle during a pursuit in Findlay.

The sheriff’s office says a deputy located a vehicle previously reported for unauthorized use on Saturday night on Clinton Street near Walnut Street.

The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop but the vehicle drove away and a short pursuit ensued.

During the pursuit, the sheriff’s office says the suspect, later identified as Chandler Parker, 37, came to an abrupt stop and began driving in reverse, striking the deputy’s cruiser.

The sheriff’s office says Parker continued driving to the Circle K gas station in the 100 block of Crystal Avenue where he came to a stop and was taken into custody.

Parker was arrested and booked at the Hancock County Jail on several felony charges.

Police believe he was driving intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Senator Sherrod Brown was in Findlay getting the word out to Veterans about the PACT Act, which expands VA benefits to Veterans exposed to toxins.

“If you were exposed to toxins while serving our country, thanks to the PACT Act, you can now get the better benefits and care you’ve earned,” Senator Brown said.

Senator Brown hosted a roundtable discussion at the American Legion on West Front Street in Findlay.

The discussion included Veterans who have been exposed to, and affected by, burn pits and toxins during their military service.

Nichole Coleman, director of the Hancock County Veterans Service Office in Findlay, also attended the discussion.

The legislation is named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a Central Ohio veteran who passed away in 2020 at age 39 from lung cancer after exposure to burn pits during a one-year deployment in Iraq in 2006.

His mother-in-law attended the roundtable discussion.

The PACT Act is the result of a years-long fight by Brown, veterans and advocates to secure access to Department of Veterans Affairs health care and disability benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals.

He now is working with Ohio veterans, their families and advocates to bring additional attention to provisions in the PACT Act so veterans can get the care they’ve earned and deserve.

Get more information about the PACT Act from the US Department of Veterans Affairs by clicking here.