The United Way of Hancock County will host its 68th Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 23rd.
The meeting will be held from 5 – 7 p.m. at the United Way offices in Findlay at 318 West Main Cross Street, Suite 200.
The event is open to the public and will celebrate donors and organizations committed to the United Way’s mission of measurably improving people’s lives in Hancock County.
Those planning to attend can RSVP by emailing rsvp@uwhancock.org or calling 419-423-1432.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown hosted a roundtable at the AMVETS Post 48 in Tiffin to discuss healthcare and disability benefits for veterans who have been harmed by toxic exposure while serving in the military. Last fall he discussed the PACT Act with Veterans in Findlay and you can read more on that by clicking here.
Veterans are now eligible for these benefits due to Brown’s Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 that was signed into law by President Biden last year.
“This law is the most comprehensive expansion of benefits for veterans who faced toxic exposure in our country’s history,” Brown said.
“We’re working to get the word out to veterans across Ohio. If you were exposed to toxins while serving our country, you deserve the benefits you earned. Period. No exceptions.”
The legislation is named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a Central Ohio veteran who passed away in 2020 at age 39 from lung cancer after exposure to burn pits during a one-year deployment in Iraq in 2006.
“It is refreshing to have confirmation that Senator Brown has an interest in reaching out to all veterans regarding the recent changes in the law. His boots on ground approach is to be admired. This law change will have a positive impact on veterans’ lives in this rural community and all over the US. This law will allow so many veterans, and their survivors, to obtain the benefits, they deserved to have so long ago, but were unable to obtain,” said Tara Balliet, Director of the Seneca County Veterans Service Office.
“There is a definite increase in claims submission since the passing of the PACT Act. We are continuing our efforts to ensure all veterans receive the benefits they are due.”
The PACT Act is the result of a years-long fight by Brown, veterans and advocates to secure access to Department of Veterans Affairs health care and disability benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins.
He now is working with Ohio veterans, their families and advocates to bring additional attention to provisions in the PACT Act and urges all Ohio veterans and family members to visit www.va.gov/pact to find out more about how to claim benefits.
The State Fire Marshal is investigating a string of suspicious barn fires in Van Wert County as well as one in Mercer County.
Investigators believe these fires may be linked and the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee is offering a $5000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fires.
The five fires have occurred since late January:
14349 Richey Rd, Ohio City, Gina Dairy Barn, Jan. 21, 2023.
14367 Dull Robinson Rd, Ohio City, Sutton Barn, Feb. 27, 2023.
12490 Van Wert Willshire Rd, Ohio City, Showalter Estate Barn, Mar. 4, 2023.
12377 Frysinger Rd, Rockford, Williams Barn, Mar. 4, 2023.
6116 Ainsworth Rd, Ohio City, Pond Barn, Mar. 9, 2023.
The Division of State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau is hoping the public will come forward with information about the person responsible.
“These incidents are not only causing extensive property damage, but also posing a serious threat to the safety of the community,” said Bureau Chief Josh Hobbs.
“We are urging the public to come forward with any information, no matter how small, that could help us bring those responsible to justice.”
Anyone who has seen suspicious activity in the area or has any information that could assist in the investigation is urged to come forward to contact the State Fire Marshal’s tip line at 800-589-2728.
The Findlay Police Department says officers found several bags of suspected narcotics in a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Police say they found 31 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as several grams of fentanyl and cocaine in plastic bags in the vehicle during the traffic stop on Saturday.
Exact weights and amounts will be determined by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
During the traffic stop, the police department says an occupant of the vehicle, Dillon Lee Routson, was taken into custody for multiple active warrants through Findlay Municipal Court.
Police say, pending BCI analysis, the suspect may face additional charges.
The search for a missing child in the Bluffton area ended as well as anyone could have hoped.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies responded to a residence on County Road 33 a little after 6 p.m. Thursday to search for the missing 2-year-old girl.
It was believed the girl had exited the residence and multiple agencies helped search as well as people in the community. An Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter also responded to the area.
About an hour after the search began the girl was located inside the residence, unharmed and asleep underneath a bed.
The following agencies assisted the sheriff’s office in the search: Bluffton Fire and EMS, Bluffton Police Department and K9 Team, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Aviation, Hancock County UAV Team, Hancock County EMA and the South West Joint Fire District.
Raise the Bar Hancock County will be holding its first-ever Community Leadership Summit.
The event on Tuesday, March 21st at the University of Findlay’s Winebrenner Building will showcase Hancock County’s efforts in developing current and future leaders.
Keynote speakers will be Aaron Craft, Liberty-Benton graduate, Ohio State Basketball alum and current medical student, and William Blackford, FranklinCovey Leadership Coach and Consultant.
Raise the Bar Executive Director Tricia Valasek was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the summit.
There will also be adult and youth panels during the event and much more.
Learn more about the full-day leadership summit, and get yourself registered, by clicking here.
Blanchard Valley Health System is launching a nurse residency program that will allow new nurses to transition from school to working at the bedside with mentorship and classes that will help them succeed and grow in confidence.
Classes will focus on the basics of nursing. Nurses will learn the systems of the body and will get to practice techniques during regular simulations.
They will also learn how to strengthen their clinical reasoning such as learning how to manage medical complications and appropriate actions to take.
“This will help new nurses feel more comfortable and confident,” said Jessica Geckle, RN, a clinical resource nurse at BVHS who teaches system orientation. “And it will give them a smoother transition from being in school to working as a nurse.”
Nurse residency programs are becoming more common at hospitals nationwide, but some are only 12 weeks long. The BVHS program will last a full year, allowing mentors to follow nurses throughout their early careers and to ensure that they help develop an especially strong foundation of skills and confidence.
Any new graduate with six months or less of nursing experience will be automatically enrolled in the nurse residency program.
The first class will begin in June. The program offers rolling admission, so a new nurse will join whenever they are hired by BVHS, rather than having to wait until the next year.
“BVHS is consistently looking for ways to enhance the learning opportunities for each member of our family of professionals,” Geckle said. “The tips and tricks from this program are invaluable.”
For example, while the physical mechanics of skills like inserting lines and catheters can become muscle memory for experienced nurses, new nurses may benefit from gaining some practice doing them in a simulated environment, she said.
BVHS has been in contact with area nursing schools as leaders continue to recruit skilled new nurses to the health system. This program will help them, once they arrive, to feel encouraged, motivated and supported.
Learn more about the program by clicking here or calling 419-429-7646.
Registration is open for United Way of Hancock County’s 29th Annual Days of Caring, for both nonprofits looking to submit projects for help and the volunteers who will complete them.
The spring event will take place May 8 – 12.
During Days of Caring, employees of area corporations and small businesses lend a hand to local organizations.
Nonprofits in need of help submit projects, volunteer teams register to help, and the United Way matches up the two groups. In four-hour shifts, the volunteers take on projects such as landscaping, organizing, painting, planning an event, cleaning, or construction.
Shifts run from 8 am-12 pm or 12-4 pm.
“Volunteering, especially in large numbers like this, is a powerful way to make a substantial impact in our community,” said United Way CEO Angela DeBoskey.
“Last year, between our spring and fall Days of Caring events, about 1,200 volunteers completed more than 4,800 service hours. The work was a value to the community of nearly $144,000. We celebrate that the nonprofits could then apply those dollars toward their most important services.” According to Independent Sector, the national value of a volunteer hour is $29.95.
While corporate groups are the most common team make-up for Days of Caring, any group can volunteer, whether it be a classroom of students, a church group, or a group of friends.
“We invite anyone to come volunteer with us,” said Sarah Mayle, volunteer coordinator for UWHC. “Students in particular are seeing an increased need to fulfill volunteer requirements for schools. Teachers can sign up to lead a team of students for a great group volunteering experience.”
UWHC can also tailor volunteering for groups outside of the scope of Days of Caring. Last year, the agency connected 46 groups with projects where volunteers were able to make a difference.
Registration for Spring Days of Caring is open and closes on April 14, and UWHC will connect volunteer teams and agencies for final project planning by the week of April 24. To learn more, register a volunteer team, or register a project, visit www.uwhancock.org and click on the Volunteering tab.
In September, UWHC will host a second opportunity to participate in Days of Caring. Fall Days of Caring will run Sept. 18 – 20, and a separate registration will open for those dates later this year.
Last year’s volunteer teams represented: Marathon Petroleum Corp., Blanchard Valley Health System, Whirlpool Corp., First National Bank of Pandora, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, City Apparel, Goodyear/Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., the McComb Future Farmers of America Club, Fifth Third Bank, Aktion Club of Hancock County, Hearthside Food Solutions, the United Way of Hancock County Community Connections Group, UIS Insurance & Investments, the Hancock County Democrats, and Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD.
Garner Trucking of Findlay was in Orlando for the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention.
Garner Trucking was recognized on stage as a Best Fleets To Drive For Hall of Fame inductee.
The program recognizes fleets committed to providing the best possible workplace experience for their drivers, technicians and staff.
“To be recognized alongside so many outstanding carriers is truly an honor,” said President and CEO Sherri Garner Brumbaugh.
As Sherri mentioned in the audio above, they also unveiled the TruckloadStrong branded Nascar Cup Series #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Cory LaJoie.
Garner Trucking is located at 9291 County Road 313 in Findlay.
The Hancock County Health District Advisory Council met at Hancock Public Health in Findlay for their annual meeting.
The Hancock County Health District Advisory Council consists of the president of the board of county commissioners, the chief executive of each municipal corporation or village, and the chairperson of the board of township trustees of each township.
This council meets annually in March to receive the annual report from the County Health Commissioner, make recommendations to the Board of Health, and to review matters for the betterment of health and wellness within the health district.
29 members of the Hancock County Health District assembled to review the 2022 Hancock Public Health Annual Report (below), appoint members to the Hancock County Board of Health and discuss topics within the health district.
Additionally, the council voted on a president and secretary from within its ranks.
Mr. Jeff Hunker, Liberty Township, was voted in as president and Mr. Adam Kirian, Biglick Township, was voted in as secretary.