The City of Findlay Green Waste Site will be opening for the season on Tuesday, April 4^th at 2 p.m.

The Green Waste Site is located at 330 North Cory Street, behind the Public Works Department building and the entrance is near the railroad tracks off of North Cory Street.

The green waste site is for yard waste disposal (leaves, brush, limbs, grass) and is available to Findlay residents at no charge.

The resulting compost and natural wood mulch is available for purchase.

The green waste site is intended for residential use only. No contractors will be permitted to use the site.

Only tree trimmings, brush, leaves, and grass clippings can be dumped in designated areas at the site.

The city says absolutely no plastic bags, trash, or debris other than leaves, brush, limbs, and grass will be accepted.

Residents caught dumping construction debris, household items, tires, or other debris not considered yard waste will be forbidden to dump at the site in the future and their names will be forwarded to the Findlay Police Department.

The hours for the Green Waste Site will be: Tuesday through Friday: 2 p.m. -7 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. -1 p.m. (excluding holidays).

Get more information on the Green Waste Site by clicking here.

Authorities say they confiscated illegal drugs and arrested a man during a traffic stop in Seneca County.

The Seneca County Drug Task Force says Jeffery Collins, 58, of Tiffin, was pulled over on County Road 54.

A search warrant was obtained and during the search authorities say they found suspected methamphetamine and money in the vehicle.

Collins was arrested at the scene for possession of methamphetamine and criminal tools and additional charges are pending lab results and completion of the investigation.

A subsequent search warrant was issued at the man’s Tiffin residence where drug paraphernalia and criminal tools were located, according to the task force.

“The collaborative efforts of the Drug Task Force, Tiffin Police Department and Seneca County Sheriff’s Office were on full display this evening,” said Seneca County Sheriff Fred Stevens.

A Mayoral Forum featuring Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn and primary challenger Haydee Sadler was held on WFIN Wednesday night.

The hour-long candidate forum was held at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts and moderated by WFIN’s Chris Oaks.

The two Republicans spoke on a variety of issues ranging from how to best utilize state and federal grant funds, to concerns about the strategic planning process, how to address the opioid crisis, historic preservation and much more.

You can listen to the forum in its entirety below and watch it at the bottom of this story.

In her closing statement that you can hear in the audio above, Sadler said she’s not liking what she’s seeing and that she’s the change that Findlay needs, “I see Findlay as adopting radical ideas, being fiscally irresponsible, using companies to build our infrastructure that are globally minded and use socialist verbiage.”

Mayor Christina Muryn in her closing statement said she understands this community, its people and is ready to move the community forward and address whatever challenges arise.

“This evening you’ve had the opportunity to hear from two differing candidates for mayor. Nearly anyone can hold the title of mayor, but only the right person can truly lead a community, and I am that person.”

April 3^rd is the voter registration deadline.

The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, May 2^nd.

Click here for a look at the candidates and issues that you’ll see on the primary ballot in Hancock County.

Reineke Family Dealerships has announced the acquisition of Genthe Honda and Genthe Honda Powersports, of Southgate, Michigan, from the Genthe family.

The stores will be renamed Southgate Honda and Southgate Honda Powersports.

“We are looking forward to serving customers in Southgate and throughout Michigan,” said Alex Reineke, Vice President of Reineke Family Dealerships.

“Our family has been in the automotive business since 1960, and we have built our organization through a commitment to serving the needs of our customers and employees.”

He says the acquisition of Southgate Honda complements Reineke’s current dealership portfolio, while also breaking into new territory with the Honda Powersports franchise.

“The Genthe Family is pleased to pass along Genthe Honda Powersports and Genthe Honda to another family-owned and operated business,” said Emily May, of Genthe Honda and Genthe Honda Powersports.

“We know they will operate the business in a way that not only helps the customers, but also will treat their employees with respect and with a vision for their future growth.”

Both franchises will operate at their current locations.

Southgate Honda new vehicle sales, parts and service will remain at 15100 Eureka Road, with used vehicle operations at 14801 Dix Toledo Rd.

Southgate Honda Powersports sales, parts and service will remain at 15150 Eureka Road.

A customer appreciation event/open house is being planned and the date will be announced in the near future.

Backyard Mission Trip of Findlay is looking for volunteers to help out with their upcoming event on Saturday, April 22nd.

Instead of going afar on a Mission Trip, churches, community members and other volunteers will gather on that day to do yard work, painting, and make house repairs.

Lee Ann Ireland says the event is a great way for people to give back to their neighborhoods and help out people in need.

As Lee Ann mentioned in the audio above, they’re looking for people of all skill levels to help out.

She says they average more than 200 projects at the annual event.

For more information about Backyard Mission Trip of Findlay and to volunteer, click here.

The Findlay Police Department says a large amount of illegal narcotics was found in the vehicle of a man who was passed out behind the wheel.

It happened around 3:23 Tuesday morning at the Interstate 75 southbound exit ramp to West Trenton Avenue.

Police say 269 grams of methamphetamine was found in the vehicle, along with suspected fentanyl, mushrooms, pills and marijuana.

Arrested was 39-year-old Robert Hughes, of The Plains, Ohio.

He was booked at the Hancock County Jail on OVI charges and drug possession charges.

Additional charges are pending lab results.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office issued the following statement on Tuesday:

“In accordance with the order issued by the President of the United States of America and in remembrance of the victims of the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, Governor DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio until sunset on March 31, 2023.”

Two people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in northeast Hancock County.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened at 6:34 a.m. Tuesday on State Route 613 near Township road 243 in Washington Township.

The sheriff’s office said Bradyn Carnahan, 22, of Tiffin, was driving east on State Route 613 when he failed to maintain his lane of travel and struck a vehicle head-on that was being driven by Caleb Coburn, 26, of Fostoria.

Both Carnahan and Coburn were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital for their injuries.

A third vehicle got caught up in the crash while trying to avoid it and steered into a ditch.

That driver was not injured.

The sheriff’s office said Carnahan was issued a driving in marked lanes citation.

The Tiffin Drive-In Theater will be opening for the 2023 season on Friday, March 31st with the release of Dungeons & Dragons by Paramount Pictures.

This will mark the 74th year for the theater, which opened in June of 1949.

The theater has undergone a two-year renovation, beginning with two new drive-in screens in 2020 and a total rebuild of the theater’s concession stand and projection facility in 2021.

The 50s retro style concession stand was dubbed the Moonlite Diner after the new facility opened in April of 2022.

The building also houses the movie projection system, which consists of two state-of-the-art laser projectors, including Screen 1’s unit, which is the newest, brightest, sharpest, most powerful laser cinema projector in the world.

“The movie presentation on our drive-in screens is the best in business,” said owner Michael Cole. “And before and during the show, we have a wide menu of quality foods and refreshments, served to you by a great crew of local kids whom we are very proud of.”

The theater continuously strives to improve the experience. An example this season is the addition of a new TurboChef pizza oven. It will allow the theater to offer quality made-to-order pizzas prepared onsite and bake them in only three minutes.

“Speed is so important to us on a busy night,” Cole said. “The new combo of quality ingredients and the new oven really improves our pizza game.”

Plans are also underway to erect a new children’s playground on the property. Families will be able to bring their kids and let them run off steam before the show at dusk. The theater projects completion of the project sometime in the fall.

The Tiffin Drive-In Theater is a two-screen drive-in, with double features on each screen every show. The sound is delivered by FM radio signal, which you can tune in on your car radio or portable radio.

(story and pic courtesy of Destination Seneca County)

The Chief of Police for the City of Findlay is retiring.

Chief Robert Ring’s last day as chief will be in late April.

He has served as Chief of Police since July of 2020.

Captain James Mathias will serve as interim chief and a new police chief could be named in May.

The city says Mathias and three lieutenants in the police department are all eligible to seek the chief’s position.

During his tenure with the Findlay Police Department Chief Ring served in a variety of positions and earned a multitude of commendations during his progression through the ranks.

He was the Department’s Officer of the Year in 1997, trained new officers as a Field Training Officer, and was a Firearms Instructor.

Ring oversaw the Patrol and Detective Divisions prior to his promotion to Captain in 2018.

Chief Ring also served 20 years on the Department’s Crisis Management Team, leaving that team in 2019 as the Team Commander.

“Chief Ring will be dearly missed. He has been a key piece of the City of Findlay Police Department for 27 years and an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Mayor Christina Muryn.

“He has the respect of the Police Department, his colleagues and the community. He has also done a wonderful job of building a strong bench to ensure a smooth transition and the maintenance of the standards the City of Findlay team expects. I am excited for his next phase of life that he has earned 100 times over.”

“Chief Ring has truly been an asset to the Findlay Police Department. As he has served in many capacities over the last 27 years, he has done so with the utmost integrity and service-oriented approach,” said Service Safety Director Rob Martin. “The Police Department and the City of Findlay are both better because of Chief Ring’s dedication and influence. He will be missed.”

“It has been an honor to serve with the men and women of the Findlay Police Department, the various City of Findlay departments, and the citizens of Findlay,” said Chief Ring.

“I am confident in the direction of the Department and look forward to seeing the next Chief continue the tradition of service and the process of moving the Department forward. I wish the Department well and I look forward to more family time in appreciation of the support they have all given me over the last 27 years.”