Children’s Mentoring Connection of Hancock County held an open house and ribbon cutting to celebrate their new location in Findlay as well as National Mentoring Month.

Children’s Mentoring Connection is now located in The Family Center at 1800 North Blanchard Street, Suite 126.

The Hancock County Chamber of Commerce did an official ribbon cutting and Mayor Christina Muryn issued a proclamation declaring January as National Mentoring Month in Findlay.

We spoke with Executive Director Stacy Shaw about their move to the Family Center.

“This move will allow us to serve our clients, mentors, and mentees while continuing to provide quality programming,” Shaw said.

“In addition, our new location will encourage continued collaboration with agencies serving many of our clients.”

Children’s Mentoring Connection was founded in 1972 and through their programs creates meaningful connections that positively impact the lives of youth and adults in our community.

Stacy says they are looking for mentors and taking applications for kids to be in the program.

Get more details by visiting their website by clicking here.

Bowling Green State University and the family of Stone Foltz have announced a settlement related to his hazing-related death in 2021 and the wrongful death lawsuit the family filed.

Shari and Cory Foltz say there will never be closure and this was never about the money.

“Obviously the money has nothing that means anything to us because it’s not going to bring Stone back,” Shari said.

“But, what it does allow is us to move forward and help us through the foundation continue the education piece of it.”

The Foltz family says the $2.9 million settlement will be used for efforts to make sure no parents know their pain.

Since stone’s 2021 death, the family has created a foundation in his name.

BGSU and the Foltz family released the following joint statement.

“The Foltz family and Bowling Green State University are forever impacted by the tragic death of Stone Foltz. This resolution keeps the Foltz family and BGSU community from reliving the tragedy for years to come in the courtroom and allows us to focus on furthering our shared mission of eradicating hazing in Ohio and across the nation. Leading these efforts in our communities is the real work that honors Stone.”

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service.

The Winter Storm Watch goes from late Tuesday night through Wednesday night.

Forecasters say mixed precipitation is possible, with snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches and a light glaze of ice also possible.

Winds could gust up to 30 miles per hour.

The wintry precipitation could impact the Wednesday morning commute and travel could become more difficult during the day as more snow falls.

For the latest school delays and closings click here.

For the latest business and community cancelations click here. 

For the latest road alerts click here. 

https://twitter.com/NWSCLE/status/1617619580779696148

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered flags lowered in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in Monterey Park, California.

A news release from the governor’s office states:

“In accordance with the order issued by the President of the United States of America and in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in Monterey Park, California, Governor DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state until sunset on January 26, 2023.”

10 people were killed in the shooting, which occurred at a dance studio on Saturday, and many more were injured.

Police said the suspect killed himself as police were closing in on him.

https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1617588289946685443

The Hancock Park District will be holding a Winter River Hike on Sunday, January 29^th.

“Hike along the potentially frozen Blanchard River from Centennial Park to the far overlook deck at Riverside Park and back,” the park district said.

“On our approximate 2-mile hike we will look for wildlife, talk about the history of ice harvesting along the river and talk about ice safety.”

The hike begins at Centennial Park at 2 p.m. All ages are welcome. The walk is free and registration is not required.

Centennial Park is located on Cross Avenue, east of Blanchard Street in Findlay.

For more information about other upcoming park programs and events, view the “Programs & Activities Calendar” at www.HancockParks.com or call the park office at 419-425-7275.

A section of a Findlay street will be closed for a while longer as a major project by AEP continues.

AEP’s Central Findlay Improvements Project involves the construction of about a mile of underground transmission line in downtown Findlay.

The underground work began near the Findlay Substation, located at the intersection of Putnam and Liberty streets, and is ending along Beech Avenue where a riser pole will connect the line with the existing overhead power line.

A section of Beech Avenue has been closed as crews have been working on installing the riser pole in that area.

People can still access State Bank and the Board of Elections in the area.

AEP says this riser pole will be finished in a couple of weeks and then the underground line will be tested.

Upon completion of the testing, the underground portion of the project will be complete.

AEP says the Central Findlay Improvements Project will strengthen the local electric system by replacing aging equipment and supporting the area’s electrical needs.

The project involves rebuilding about four miles of power line, building two miles of overhead line and building about one mile of underground line.

The overall project is expected to be completed in the summer.

Get more on AEP’s Central Findlay Improvements Project by clicking here.

The Findlay Police Department says a driver and passenger fled the scene after being involved in an injury crash.

The crash happened Saturday night at West Trenton Avenue and Bolton Street.

Police say a Dodge Durango was stopped on Bolton Street northbound waiting at the stop sign when it pulled out in front of Jeep Grand Cherokee that was eastbound on West Trenton Avenue, causing a crash.

Police say the driver and passenger of the Dodge exited their vehicle and fled on foot.

Police say two people in the Jeep were injured, with one being treated at the scene and the other transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital for their injuries.

Police say the crash, and the identities of the two people in the Dodge, remain under investigation.

A man and a woman from Michigan are facing felony drug charges after being pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Hancock County.

The Highway Patrol said troopers seized 183 grams of fentanyl worth approximately $27,450 during the traffic stop.

On January 11, at 12:35 a.m., troopers stopped a rented 2023 Kia Sportage with Kentucky registration for a speed violation on Interstate 75.

While interacting with the occupants, troopers detected an odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The driver admitted to previously having marijuana in the vehicle.

During a search of the vehicle, troopers located one gram of marijuana from the passenger area of the vehicle and a magnetic box underneath the vehicle containing approximately 183 grams of fentanyl.

A search of the passenger revealed 8 grams of suspected crack and 7 grams of marijuana on his person.

The driver, Aisha Cochran, 45, and passenger, Robert Lee Smith Jr., 48, both from Dearborn Heights, Mich., were incarcerated in the Hancock County Justice Center and charged with possession of fentanyl, a first-degree felony.

Smith was also charged with possession of cocaine, a fourth-degree felony.

https://twitter.com/OSHP/status/1616541129188540419

The City of Findlay is seeking comments on the proposed changes to its Zoning Code.

The city says a summary document has been prepared to provide an overview of the proposed changes to the Zoning Code as of January 19, 2023.

The city has made the summary document and full language of the updated zoning code available for review.

We spoke with Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn about the proposed changes.

Among the changes would be an update to small box retail to remove them from the C-1 local commercial district and to allow them in the C-2 district as a conditional use. City Council passed a six-month moratorium on the construction of new small box retail stores like dollar stores at the end of 2022.

The city is proposing an update to the C-1 district designation after it said concerns were raised that some of the uses may not be appropriate for the district. Among the uses removed would be drive through restaurant – changed to ‘drive thru pick up window only’, and pawn shops and gas stations.

Another change would involve games of skill to allow a maximum of one store for every 10,000 residents of the city and they must be 500 feet from a residential-zoned area.

The city also is updating its sign code to reflect the changing nature of signage and to improve aesthetics in the community.

Click here for the summary of the proposed changes.

The current plan of the City Administration is to have an initial round of public review from Thursday, January 19, 2023, through Friday, February 3, 2023.

The public is encouraged to submit feedback via email to Matt Cordonnier, mcordonnier@findlayohio.gov, or by completing the survey which is with the full document.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, the City Council Planning & Zoning Committee will meet to discuss the initial feedback and make changes as appropriate

Once a proposal has been approved by Planning & Zoning and City Planning Commission, the proposal would go before City Council as proposed legislation for its standard three readings and would have a 30-day wait period following adoption.

https://twitter.com/CityOfFindlay/status/1616552793011286016

A Hancock County jury found a former scouting troop instructor not guilty of sex charges involving minors.

The jury returned its verdict in the case of Dale E. Lingo, 26, of Columbus, on Friday afternoon in Hancock County Common Pleas Court.

Lingo was previously indicted on one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a 4th-degree felony, and three counts of sexual battery, a 3rd-degree felony.

The indictment alleged that the offenses occurred in Eagle Township, Hancock County in the summer of 2017.

During the four-day trial, the two alleged victims testified against Lingo and he also testified in his own defense.

Lingo’s attorney, Hayden Capace, said he believed from the beginning that his client was innocent and he was happy that Lingo was able to tell his side of the story to the jury and that the correct verdict was rendered.

Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle was disappointed in the verdict, saying sometimes these are difficult cases.

He added that he believed that these were victims that needed a voice, and he won’t apologize for prosecuting a case that he believed in.