The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has certified a petition to advance and protect abortion rights in Ohio through a constitutional amendment.

The groups Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom joined forces to advance the amendment.

The Attorney General’s Office said the attorney general’s sole role in the petition process was to determine whether the language submitted by the petitioners is a fair and truthful summary of the proposed statute.

The proposal next moves to the Ohio Ballot Board, which will determine whether it contains a single constitutional amendment or more than one.

If the board certifies the proposal, the petitioners must then collect signatures from registered voters equal to at least 10 percent of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.

Those signatures must come from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties and, for each of those counties, the number must equal at least 5 percent of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.

If sufficient signatures are verified by the Ohio Secretary of State at least 65 days before the election, the full text of the proposed amendment will be placed on the ballot in the regular or general election that occurs subsequent to 125 days after the filing of the petition.

The full text of the certification letter and the petition can be found at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Petitions.

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

The Flood Watch will be in effect from 11 a.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Saturday.

Forecasters say a strong storm system will bring 1 to 1.5 inches of rainfall across the area, with locally higher amounts possible.

The heavy rainfall combined with previous wet conditions will lead to river rises and flooding.

Some snow and sleet are also in the forecast as the high temp on Friday is expected to be around 40 degrees.

It will also be windy, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.

Click here for the latest river levels and here for the latest forecast.

https://twitter.com/NWSCLE/status/1631256306077126659

Registration is underway for Camp 911 in Hancock County.

Camp 911 is an interactive safety camp is for kids entering kindergarten and helps them learn basic safety.

The free camp presents important safety lessons such as stranger danger, drug safety and pedestrian safety through a combination of demonstrations, videos, and activities.

Camp 911 is a joint effort led by local emergency response agencies, including Hanco, Findlay Fire and Police Departments, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Hancock Public Health.

The camp is available to kids across Hancock County who will be entering kindergarten in the fall of 2023.

The camp will be held in June at at First Presbyterian Church at 2330 South Main Street in Findlay.

There will be morning and afternoon sessions.

See some of the activities from last year in the video below.

A section of a Findlay street has reopened following a major project by AEP.

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 ended along Beech Avenue where a riser pole connects the line with the existing overhead power line.

A section of Beech Avenue had been closed for quite a while as crews installed the riser pole in that area.

That section of Beech Avenue, near the Hancock County Board of Elections, reopened to traffic on Wednesday.

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.

High school students and their parents, as well as prospective students of all ages, are invited to meet with representatives from colleges, universities, industries and the military at two of the premier college night events in the region.

In partnership with 11 area high schools, Greater Hancock County College Night will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 6 at the Owens Community College Findlay-area Campus in the Community Education and Wellness Center, 3200 Bright Road, Findlay.

In partnership with 17 local high schools, College and Career Preview Night is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 at the Owens Community College Toledo-area Campus in the Student Health and Activities Center, 7315 Championship Drive, Perrysburg.

The college nights also feature presentations on financial aid and in-demand careers plus information tables focused on helping students succeed after high school.

More details and a list of representatives attending are available at www.owens.edu/collegenight.

A Findlay house severely damaged in a fire last year is being torn down.

The demolition of 824 South Main Street began on Wednesday and crews are expected to be onsite for the remainder of the week. (video below)

The city says the money for the demolition is coming from the homeowners’ insurance escrow account.

A few weeks after the fire, Fire Chief Josh Eberle told WFIN that the official cause was listed as undetermined.

He said there was a significant amount of damage done to the area of origin, making it hard to pinpoint the exact cause.

And when investigators can’t arrive at a specific cause, a fire must be listed as undetermined.

The house had not been lived in for a while and nobody was injured in the fire.

The house was built in 1898 by Milton Neff, whose family owned Neff Lumber Company in Findlay.

It was in the Neff Family for nearly 100 years until it was sold to the current owners in 1996.

The Findlay Fire Department has hired two new firefighters.

Justin Hartman and Drew McClain were recently sworn in by Mayor Christina Muryn.

They are pictured above with the mayor and Fire Chief Josh Eberle.

Hartman and McClain are local residents and graduates of Findlay High School.

They both attended the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg, where they completed the Firefighter II and Emergency Medical Technician courses.

Both are also current members of the Vanlue Volunteer Fire Department.

Recruits Hartman and McClain will work their first two weeks on a Monday-Friday schedule, after which they will be assigned to a shift.

All Findlay firefighters serve a two-year probationary period.

Findlay has been ranked as the top Micropolitan community in the United States for the ninth year in a row.

The award, by Site Selection magazine, is based on job creation, new construction and capital investment.

A micropolitan area is defined as having a population between 10,000 and 50,000.

Over the past nine years, Findlay’s industrial sector has expanded significantly, contributing to nine consecutive Top Micropolitan wins, including this latest one for 2022.

“The Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development office’s commitment to the stakeholder engagement process, or the Findlay Formula, facilitates a development process not experienced elsewhere,” said Economic Development Director Dan Sheaffer.

“Being recognized nine years in a row validates our approach to business retention and expansion, specifically in the manufacturing and logistics space.”

“Each year our number one objective is to support local companies as they grow. Most projects come from legacy companies continuing to invest and hire new employees,” Sheaffer added.

Site Selection Magazine is the official publication of the Global FDI Association and the Industrial Asset Management Council. In 2022, Site Selection ranked 543 micropolitan statistical areas with a population of 10,000 to 50,000. Rankings are measured on qualified projects meeting one or more of three criteria: 1) $1 MM+ invested, 2) 20+ jobs created or 3) 20,000+ square feet constructed. Last year Findlay industry invested $300 MM in expansion projects resulting in 1,100 new employees hired.

“The City of Findlay understands that building the community we want takes coordination, collaboration, and a strong foundation. I am proud to see our hard work continue to be recognized through growth of our existing businesses and attraction of new development.” said Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn.

In addition to constructing Findlay’s Amazon site, Robinson Investments continues to invest in the Findlay market. The firm has already announced additional advanced manufacturing-ready projects for 2023 and 2024. “The economic development team has been with us every step of the way from site selection to site development,” stated Jason Black, Business Development Manager for Robinson Investments, Ltd.

“Our office will continue to leverage the synergies between our public, private, and nonprofit partners in order to enhance the success of Findlay-Hancock County,” said Sarah Perrigo, Project Coordinator-Economic Development. “These relationships are fundamental in orchestrating the community’s ongoing progress and designation as a Top Micropolitan.”

Total capital investment since 2014 stands at $1,945,235,695.

https://twitter.com/FindlayHancock/status/1630960811605630976