Congressman Bob Latta won reelection in Ohio’s 5^th Congressional District which spans parts of northwest Ohio including Hancock, Putnam and Seneca Counties and extends into northern Ohio.

The Republican from Bowling Green shrugged off a challenge from Democrat Craig Swartz.

Latta has represented Ohio’s 5^th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007.

Get more election results by clicking here for the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office results, here for Hancock County results and here for Putnam County results.

Ohio voters reelected Governor Mike DeWine to another term on Tuesday, FOX News, NBC News and others are reporting.

The Republican defeated Democrat Challenger Nan Whaley, the former Mayor of Dayton.

DeWine was first elected Governor in November of 2018.

He was previously Ohio’s Attorney General and has held many other elected positions, such as Ohio State Senator, US Congressman and US Senator.

Get more election results by clicking here for the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office results, here for Hancock County results and here for Putnam County results.

Tuesday is Election Day, with polling locations open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Among the races we’ll be watching as the results come in Tuesday night is the Ohio US Senate race between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan.

Ohio voters are deciding two proposed statewide constitutional amendments, Issue 1 and Issue 2. Issue 1 is about how bail is set and Issue 2 is about who is allowed to vote in elections.

Locally we’re watching the 83^rd House District race between incumbent State Rep. Jon Cross and challenger Claire Osborne.

Voters in Arlington are being asked to approve a bond issue for a new school, and in Putnam County there’s a senior citizens levy and a health district levy before voters.

Click here for results from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, here for results from the Hancock County Board of Elections and here for results from the Putnam County Board of Elections.

Hancock Public Health says it’s monitoring a sharp increase in RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) cases locally and nationwide.

The health department says RSV is a common respiratory illness that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.

RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older people.

Below is a chart from the health department to help people distinguish between RSV, COVID and the flu.

Hancock Public Health will be holding a vaccine clinic on Monday, November 14th and you can click here for more.

The Hancock Park District is encouraging people to enter their Photography Contest.

People who took a great photo in the Hancock Park System, on the Blanchard River Greenway Trail, or on the Blanchard River this year are urged to submit an entry.

Entries must be received no later than December 4^th.

All qualified entries in the Photography Contest will be posted on the Hancock Park District Facebook page between December 5, 2022 and December 15, 2022 where the public can vote for one “People’s Choice” winner.

The photograph with the most “likes” will be named the People’s Choice winner.

The Hancock Park District will notify the winner via the email address used to enter the photograph at the time of entry within 10 days of December 15, 2022.

A cash prize of $200, along with a plaque will be awarded.

(the above pic was taken at Oakwoods Nature Preserve in September)

The Ohio Department of Transportation is letting drivers know that the two rest areas along Interstate 75 just south of Findlay will be closing temporarily.

ODOT says the closures are necessary to give crews room to do tree removal and landscape work.

The northbound rest area will close on Wednesday, November 9^th for three days.

The southbound rest area will close on Monday, November 14^th, also for three days.

https://twitter.com/ODOT_NWOhio/status/1589679606952448002

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says a driver fleeing from a trooper crashed his car in Findlay and fled on foot.

The Highway Patrol says a trooper observed two Dodge Chargers driving at a high rate of speed southbound on Interstate 75 near the Wooster Street exit in Bowling Green on the afternoon of November 4th.

The trooper caught up to the two Chargers and while running the license plate for one of the vehicles, the Charger operated by Jermaine D. Chapman, 23, of Detroit, accelerated away from the Trooper and a pursuit ensued.

The trooper says Chapman was using all lanes to pass traffic and was also passing on the shoulder.

Due to the reckless driving of Chapman, the trooper terminated the pursuit north of the exit for State Route 12 in Findlay.

The Highway Patrol says Chapman exited at State Route 12 at a high rate of speed, ran a red light, and then crashed on the ramp getting back onto I-75 and fled on foot.

Officers with the Findlay Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and additional state troopers responded to the area and Chapman was taken into custody in the area of Mary Street and Emma Street.

He was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital and once medically cleared taken to the Hancock County Jail where he was booked on a charge of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a felony.

The Highway Patrol says the incident remains under investigation and that Chapman could face additional charges.

The Findlay Police Department says a man was arrested after cutting his stepson with a knife.

Police responded to a medical call in the 700 block of Hull Avenue at 9:21 Monday morning.

Police determined that an argument between a stepfather and adult stepson had turned physical, and that 74-year-old Raul Ochoa used a knife to cause serious cuts to the face and arm of his stepson.

The stepson was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital where his injuries were treated.

Ochoa was arrested on a charge of 2^nd degree Felonious Assault and booked at the Hancock County Jail.

Fresh off of the System of Care grant they recently received, Findlay-based Family Resource Center has been awarded another significant grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

This grant is the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Improvement and Advancement Grant, which allocates $1M per year over 4 years, and it will allow FRC to build on the foundation that was laid with the original Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grant they were awarded in 2020.

One key public benefit of this grant is that it enables FRC to remove residency and financial barriers to care.

As a CCBHC, Family Resource Center is able to provide services to clients regardless of their county of residence or ability to pay.

“The CCBHC project has been instrumental in transforming behavioral healthcare in our community,” said Maggie Brown, CCBHC Project Director at Family Resource Center.

“Now more than ever, access to mental health and substance abuse services is vitally important, and we are delighted to be awarded this funding to continue improving the mental wellness of the communities we serve.”

This grant is the latest in just over $13 million in federal grants that have been awarded to Family Resource Center in the last year.

Habitat for Humanity of Findlay-Hancock County held its Annual Celebration Dinner to celebrate and thank the volunteers, donors, and partner organizations who have assisted Habitat stabilize and shelter families throughout 2022.

During the celebration, three volunteers were recognized for their contributions with annual awards presented by Habitat:

The Paul Geyer Leadership Volunteer of the Year was presented to Stephanie Partee.

Named for the founder of the Findlay/Hancock County Habitat affiliate, this honor is reserved for someone that achieves sustained outstanding volunteer leadership. Stephane has co-chaired the Signature Event for three years, helping to raise funds to build two Habitat homes. She was instrumental in planning the inaugural At Home Event for donors, volunteers regularly on home builds on the paint team, and recruited a team of women for critical repairs. She is also leading the design project in the Habitat offices to honor this work in the community. She and her husband, Brian, are generous donors, including ReStore – where Stephanie can be seen helping customers and stocking shelves. She has a great passion for the Habitat mission, compassion for families, and brings positive energy to all she does.

The Golden Hammer Award was presented to Mike Bailey and Todd Williams, the electrical leads on builds and repairs for 27 Habitat homes and families. The Golden Hammer Award is given to a volunteer considered to be multi-talented, generous and supports the growth of the local Habitat affiliate.

The Youth Leadership Volunteer of the Year, given each year to one outstanding young leader between 15 and 25 years old, was awarded to Maya Watercutter, who serves as a volunteer in the ReStore.

The event was capped off with the announcement that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will be sponsoring the local affiliate’s 56th home build in the fall of 2023, providing all the funding and volunteer labor to build the entire home.

(picture courtesy of J. Warrington Visual Creations)