The Fort Findlay FOP Foundation held its annual Cops & Kids Go Shopping event over the weekend.

Local police officers were paired with income-challenged and at-risk children for a shopping spree at the Findlay Meijer.

Lt. David Hill, with the Findlay Police Department, says they were able to take 141 kids shopping this year, an increase over last year, thanks to generous donations from businesses and community members. (video below)

He says the officers enjoy the event as much as the kids do.

“We just love this time of the year. We love to help out and it brings out the little kid in us as well.”

The program’s goal is to allow the children the experience of shopping alongside local law enforcement, instilling in each child a positive experience that will carry into their adolescence and adulthood.

Learn more about the Fort Findlay FOP Foundation and other events they put on by clicking here. 

Findlay City Schools STEAM educator and Gifted Intervention Specialist Tonya Thorbahn and some of her students were featured in a commercial for the Ohio Education Association.

The Ohio Education Association named Tonya their weekly Education Champion.

The commercial, which you can watch below, aired on TV streaming apps across Ohio and on 70 radio stations.

In the commercial Tonya said she loves her job and helping students achieve more than they thought they could.

Earlier in the year, we spoke with Tonya as Chamberlin Hill Elementary was raising money for a land lab innovation center to enhance STEAM learning.

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

Findlay Amazon donated $10,000 to the Children’s Mentoring Connection of Hancock County as part of the company’s Peak Giving Campaign.

Children’s Mentoring Connection says the support from Amazon will help them continue connecting young people in the community with safe and caring support and offering guidance to children through mentoring.

Last December, Amazon donated $10,000 in toys to the local Toys for Tots chapter.

In addition to their donation to Children’s Mentoring Connection, Amazon has participated in other Peak Giving activities in Findlay.

• December 10 -11, they have partnered with area businesses for a winter coat distribution at the East Branch YMCA.
• Men Who Cook – December 16^th at the Findlay Inn and Conference Center
• Working with the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts to help with their Children’s program.
• Donated more than $1K worth of toys to Toys for Tots
• Donated cleaning supplies, paper goods, toiletries etc. to Hope House.

Blanchard Valley Health System has released a new virtual tour of the Labor & Delivery unit at Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The video can be viewed on the BVHS website and is intended to be a convenient option for expectant parents in northwest Ohio.

This tour showcases the many services and conveniences provided to all types of parents, as well as explains traditional and midwife birthing options.

“Offering this virtual tour to the community will be especially beneficial for those people who have hectic lifestyles or limited transportation,” explained Valerie Johnson, director of women’s health services.

“We want to use this video to educate expectant parents on the birthing options that are available and ensure them our experienced team members are with them every step of the way.”

Parents-to-be will learn about how BVHS prioritizes the needs of every single infant, ensuring that safety is paramount and that each baby gets precise care.

Other topics include the commitment to the mothers’ comfort during labor and the hospital’s special care nursery.

In addition to viewing the unit’s amenities, community members taking the virtual tour will also learn how the care team works to ensure that mother and baby bond well from the very moment of birth and to put families at ease with the birthing journey.

Onsite tours of the Labor & Delivery unit are also being offered. To schedule a visit, call 419-423-5103.

Obstetric and gynecologic services are available through BVHS in Findlay, Bluffton, Carey and Ottawa. New patients are being welcomed. Appointments can be made by calling 844-OBGYN-4U.

For more information, about the Labor & Delivery virtual tour or women’s health services, click here.

The City of Findlay is inviting people to attend their annual budget hearings.

The 2023 Operating Budget Hearings will be held on Tuesday, December 13^th in City Council chambers beginning at 4 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

The city says the hearings will also be live-streamed on the city’s YouTube page.

The full budget book can be viewed by clicking here. 

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is supporting Toys for Tots again this year.

Donation boxes can be found in their lobby at 200 West Crawford Street in Findlay.

Sheriff Heldman says he’s grateful to everyone who has donated so far and says donations will be accepted through December 15^th.

If you drop off a donation after 4 p.m., use the intercom to unlock the door.

The Ohio Turnpike has announced the eight winners of its second annual Name-a-Snowplow contest.

Each winner will receive a $100 cash gift card.

The winners are:

Ctrl-Salt-Delete
Nicole G.

Blizzard Wizard
Jacqueline F.

Plow Chicka Plow Wow
Joshua K.

You’re Killin’ Me Squalls
Linda V.

The Big LePlowski
Matthew S.

The Blizzard of Oz
Annette B.

Ohio Thaw Enforcement
Jonathan H.

Clearopathtra
Samantha S.

A snowplow truck will be named at each of the Ohio Turnpike’s eight maintenance buildings along the 241-mile toll road.

“Motorists should take every precaution to avoid passing the snowplow trucks and allow extra space for the crews to clear the road. Don’t crowd the plow,” said Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission.

“The safest place to be on the road is behind a snowplow truck.”

More than 5,500 snowplow names were submitted from Oct. 24 to Nov. 20. Ohio Turnpike officials selected the top 50 names for a public vote.

Nearly 1,100 votes were cast from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2.

Snowbi-Wan Kenobi (below) was one of the winning names in 2021.

Hancock County health officials say there’s been another spike in suspected overdoses in Findlay and Hancock County.

Hancock Public Health on Friday said that two fatal overdoses and three non-fatal overdoses occurred this week.

The health department says two fatal overdoses in one week is unusually high.

Anyone who suspects an overdose should call 911 immediately.

People are being asked to spread the following Harm Reduction messaging in their circles in the hope of avoiding future overdoses.

1) Always have naloxone on hand. Project DAWN

2) Never use alone. Never Use Alone Inc. – 800-484-3731

3) Use fentanyl test strips. BIDPP or SOAR

4) Check in on friends, families, neighbors and coworkers to share this information.

5) Call QRT for outreach to an overdose survivor: QRT

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn issued a proclamation recognizing the Hancock Historical Museum for its five decades of operation and Sarah Sisser for her 10 years of executive leadership of the museum.

The proclamation states that the Hancock Historical Museum remains the community’s premier organization preserving and sharing the community’s rich heritage and has grown immensely in its 51 years in operation.

The museum was founded in 1970 and opened in 1971.

In the picture above, founders of the museum Harold Corbin, Joseph Opperman, James Brucklacher, Edwin Heminger, and Jack Harrington hang the sign in front of the Hull-Flater House, home of the Hancock Historical Museum in 1971.

You can read the full proclamation from the mayor below and by clicking here. 

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation’s Universal Scholarship Application is now open for the Class of 2023 and current or returning college students.

“With one application, students can match to any of our 140-plus scholarship funds depending on the criteria of each fund,” said Andrea Clements, Scholarship and Business Process Manager at The Community Foundation.

“We have over $420,000 available to award this year to deserving students taking the next step in their education.”

The online scholarship application opened on December 7, 2022, on the Foundation’s website at community-foundation.com/scholarships.

The application must be submitted by noon on February 1, 2023.

Students who match for certain scholarships may need to submit additional information such as letters of recommendation and essays.

A recording of a webinar to introduce the application is available on the scholarships page of the website.

The Community Foundation partners with charitable individuals and groups in Hancock County to set up funds to benefit students around the community.

There are 140-plus funds with a variety of criteria and standards for determining eligibility.

Information on each scholarship can be found on The Community Foundation’s website.

This includes several scholarships for current or returning college students and graduate students.

“There are thousands of philanthropic individuals, families, organizations and corporations in Hancock County, and it is a pleasure to work with each,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of The Community Foundation.

“These scholarship dollars will help us further our mission of improving the quality of life for all in the community by helping these young adults achieve their educational goals.”

Click here to start an application or learn more about the scholarships available at the Foundation.

For more information or questions, contact Andrea Clements at aclements@community-foundation.com or (419) 425-1100.

Above is a picture provided by the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation of past scholarship recipients.