The Hancock County Naturalists will be hosting speaker Deputy Tom Miller at their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 10th at 7 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Doc Phillips Discovery Center at Oakwoods Nature Preserve, 1400 Oakwoods Lane. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Sgt. Miller will talk about and demonstrate the work the K9 units do to protect and serve.

He has worked with the Hancock Sheriff’s Office Since 1997 and has been a K9 handler since 2008.

K9 Sonny is the second dog he has worked with.

Sonny, born July 6, 2013, started his tour of duty after completing his training in the fall of 2014.

Sonny handles narcotics detection, criminal apprehension, and handler protection.

The Hancock County Naturalists, a membership organization, is established for the purpose of furthering the study of the fauna and flora of Hancock County and the surrounding area and to participate in selected conservation and educational projects.

The group and events are open to those aged 15 and older.

For more information, contact Jane Riker, at 419-306-3697, or emaggin117@aol.com.

Hancock County buildings will be illuminated green from November 7-13 as part of Operation Green Light to let Veterans know that they are seen, appreciated and supported.

The Hancock County Veterans Service Office is also encouraging individuals and businesses to show their support and appreciation for military Veterans by participating as well.

Learn more about Operation Green Light by clicking here.

Veterans Day is on Friday, November 11.

(above pic courtesy of Andy Sterling)

The Findlay High School Orchestra program is celebrating the cultures and countries around the globe with a concert entitled “Epic Adventure Around the World” on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. in the R.L. Heminger Auditorium at Findlay High School.

“We are showcasing a vast array of musical styles, from Celtic and mariachi,” says Ken Pressel, orchestra director, “and audiences will enjoy the commentary that showcases several different countries, including Kenya, Italy, India, Ireland, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico and Singapore.”

The Concert Strings ensemble will kick off the concert with two pieces followed by the Symphony Strings ensemble with four selections. The two groups will then combine for the final four selections of the show. The musical selections include Rhythms of Africa; Italian Holiday; Barcarolle; Maharaja; Highland Holiday; Temple of Artemis; The Great Pyramid; La Fiesta de Cuerdas; and Lion City.

“The students have been working hard preparing this music since the start of the school year and they are eager to showcase their musicianship and talent,” said Pressel.

The orchestras will be directed by Mr. Ken Pressel and Mr. Jeremy Sheets. This is Mr. Pressel’s 30th year teaching orchestra at Findlay City Schools and Mr. Jeremy Sheets’ second year of teaching orchestra at Findlay.

General admission tickets are $10 and will be available at the door the night of the concert.

Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley brought her campaign for Ohio Governor to Findlay over the weekend.

The Democrat spoke to a crowd of supporters at the Black History Library and Multicultural Center.

She says Ohioans are frustrated about continually being ignored by the Governor’s office and by the statehouse.

In the video below she talks about how Governor DeWine came to Dayton for a vigil after a deadly shooting there.

Learn more about Whaley here and more about Governor DeWine here.

Welding students at Findlay’s Millstream Career Center brought a local artist’s work to life, and it can be seen outside Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The Ring of Remembrance: COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial honors those who lost their lives, fought to survive, and the healthcare workers who worked tirelessly during the pandemic.

It was developed by local artist Brandon Barnett and created by welding students at Millstream.

Millstream Director Pam Hamlin the project came out beautifully.

The Ring of Remembrance can be seen outside Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay.

Arlington Local Schools has an income tax and bond issue on the ballot on Tuesday, November 8th.

The half percent income tax would be for the purpose of current expenses and begin January 1^st, 2023.

The 9.9 mill bond issue is for the purpose of building a new school to replace their current building which is more than 100 years old.

School Board member Rachel Gerber says even though the building has been very well maintained, they’re in a position where they can’t continue to fix things as they have in the past.

She says the school has a very old boiler system and doesn’t have air conditioning.

She says they have kept up with new technology but the school doesn’t have the electrical outlets to sustain that technology.

And she says being right on U.S. Route 68 creates safety concerns.

Rachel says they’re excited to potentially move the school location and have purchased about 40 acres of land behind the school for the new building if voters approve it on election day.

The school district says the income tax would cost residents with a $50,000 income an annual $250 increase, and the bond issue would cost a homeowner $346.50 annually for each $100,000 of home value.

The City of Findlay has put up a new batch of Hometown Hero banners ahead of Veterans Day on Friday, November 11^th.

The 18 new banners are located on the west side of Main Street from Center Street south to Front Street.

New banners placed this week are in honor of:

Robert Brown, Albert Callihan, James DePuy, Joshua Gearing, Alfonso Gonzalez, Jr., E. Asher Kinninger, Derek Kistler, Paul McKinniss, Francis Norton, Michael Redick, Harry Routson, Kenneth Sands, Drew Whitacre, Alvin Wilkins, Francis Wilkins, Kenneth Wilkins, Leland Wilkins, Myrl Wilkins.

The new banners join many others that line Main Street from Center Street to Lima Street.

The Hometown Hero banners honor local members of the military and include active, retired and deceased service members.

Get details about ordering one by clicking here.

Below is a list from the city of all the banners currently being displayed.

270 banners in total have been displayed since the program started in November of 2020.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Wind Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The Wind Advisory goes from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.

Winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour could gust up to 50 miles per hour at times.

The gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and tree limbs, and people should use extra caution when driving.

The high winds could bring down power lines, resulting in power outages.

A car crashed into the side of St. Michael’s Church at the corner of Western Avenue and West Main Cross Street in Findlay.

The crash happened at around 6:30 Thursday night.

The Findlay Police Department says Ronald Dukes, 62, of Findlay, was driving his car southbound in the 300 block of Western Avenue and passed through the West Main Cross Street intersection when he then went into the oncoming lane of traffic and off the road to the left.

His car hit the curb and then struck the side of St. Michael’s Church, sustaining disabling damage.

Dukes was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital for treatment of possible injuries.

The police department says Dukes was arrested for obstructing official business and also issued a citation for operating without reasonable control.

The Findlay Fire Department, Hanco EMS, and R&A Towing assisted at the scene.

It was yet another record-setting year for The University of Findlay’s Helping Hands Food Drive.

The 2022 Helping Hands Food Drive collected 238,732 pounds of food, donated by community members, students, and University employees.

This year’s total donations surpassed last year’s total of 214,559 pounds of canned items and non-perishables.

David Harr, University of Findlay Director of Dining Services, takes charge of the event each year but was still shocked by the results.

“I was overwhelmed after seeing how much everyone contributed to this food drive. Each year it keeps going up! What’s great about it is that we have people that have contributed year after year, but we also have all these new people joining in. I think that’s how we’ve been able to grow each year.”

Also contributing to this year’s numbers were local school districts competing for the first ever “Golden Can” award, which was won by McComb Middle School.

All of the donated food was loaded up and transported by Garner Trucking of Findlay to CHOPIN Hall, and it will help families in Findlay and Hancock County.

(pictures courtesy of the University of Findlay)