U.S. 224 across Putnam County is now known as the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Highway.

Several signs are now posted along the highway declaring the roadway as Putnam County Veterans Memorial Highway, including the one above and below which is just across the Hancock/Putnam County line.

The Ohio Legislature approved the memorial designation which is in honor of the thousands of Putnam County residents who have served in the military.

The Ohio Department of Transportation put up signs designating the beginning and end of the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Highway, which extends along the length of U.S. 224 in Putnam County going through towns such as Gilboa, Ottawa and Kalida.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Freeze Warning issued by the National Weather Service.

The Freeze Warning will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 degrees are expected.

Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Temperatures will rebound nicely on Wednesday with sunny skies and a high around 70 expected.

Click here for the latest forecast and weather alerts.

Bluffton historian Fred Steiner will be giving a presentation about Bluffton’s “Golden Age,” covering a period from approximately 1886 to 1900.

The presentation will be given at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25th at the Bluffton Public Library.

“Bluffton was a boom town during these years,” said Steiner, who will show photographs and share stories from the era during the program. The above picture is a group of young people in the 1890s.

Several significant developments occurred in Bluffton, which rival any 15-year period in the town’s history.

• Oil and natural gas discovered in Findlay, Bluffton’s first oil well drilled in 1890
• Business district, offered wide selection of products and services
• A dozen saloons operated here
• Town hall built in 1887
• Water plant in service in 1896
• Municipal power plant in service in 1897
• Telephone arrived in 1898
• Central Mennonite College opened in 1889
• Population in 1900 was 1,783; 50 years earlier the town has 12 families
• Northern Ohio Railway provided passenger and freight service
• Lake Erie and Western Railroad provided passenger and freight service
• Bluffton was one of the largest shipping points for dressed poultry in the United States, according to a news item in the Bluffton News.

The program is free and open to the public. The library is at 145 S. Main St.

Attendees are suggested to contact the library to RSVP at 419-358-5016.

The Findlay Municipal Court will be holding its 6th Annual Safe Surrender Day on April 27^th from 9 to 4 p.m. in conjunction with Second Chance Month.

April is Second Chance Month, which aims to inform and highlight the many opportunities for state and local governments and community-based service providers to build meaningful second chances for our community members.

Over the past five years, the court has assisted 383 individuals in clearing up their legal issues by clearing 450 bench warrants.

“Safe Surrender Day has been a great success for the court, law enforcement and the community by reducing the number of active bench warrants issued to area law enforcement and affording offenders a chance to address their legal issues without immediately going to jail.”

Individuals with active FINDLAY MUNICIPAL COURT bench warrants who report to the Court on that day will not be arrested and will work with designated court staff to clear their warrants. Some examples include:

Individuals who failed to attend a court hearing will be seen by the Judge, Magistrate or court staff that day.

Individuals who failed to perform community service will be reassigned to a work location. If the individual missed a community service contempt hearing, the hearing will be conducted to and the person will be permitted to reschedule their community service;

Individuals who did not complete counseling for mental health or substance abuse will be allowed to re-engage in treatment.

Individuals who did not attend a status conference will meet with a magistrate or court staff to review their financial ability to pay outstanding fines and to establish a new payment plan;

Individuals who did not report to serve a jail sentence will be issued a new date to report;

Staff from the City of Findlay Law Director’s Office will be available along with staff from the Hancock County Public Defender’s Office to meet with their clients. Upon reporting to the Court on Safe Surrender Day, the warrant will be lifted and recalled from law enforcement. This is a one day only event. The Court currently has 2858 active bench warrants. Individuals who are unsure if they have an outstanding bench warrant can view a list of active Findlay Municipal Court warrants here.

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are also accepted. To schedule an appointment or for more information call the Clerk’s office at 419-424-7141.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn is inviting everyone to join her for a 419 Day Walk on Wednesday.

The walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Coffee Amici at 328 South Main Street.

People are encouraged to bring a friend, family member or colleague.

All ages and physical activity levels are welcome to attend.

The walk is part of the mayor’s Move With the Mayor initiative.

Move With the Mayor™ – A World Heart Day-inspired initiative that works with mayors across the country to challenge their communities to get walking. Mayors encourage their citizens to take literal steps to improve their health by walking since it is one of the easiest ways to lower one’s chances of heart disease and its risk factors, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Findlay has been designated as a Heart Healthy Community by the American Heart Association and a Silver Level Community in the Step It Up Challenge.

The University of Findlay hosted a naturalization ceremony on Monday morning, welcoming approximately 60 new citizens to the United States.

The ceremony was held at the University of Findlay Koehler Fitness and Recreation Complex and included local high school students, UF faculty, staff, and students, as well as a Northern District of Ohio Judge.

Four local high school students: Lauren Gayheart from Findlay High School, RJ Coldren from Liberty-Benton, Brynn Reese from Cory-Rawson, and McKenna Clark from Riverdale, spoke about the benefits of citizenship, rights of citizenship, responsibilities of citizenship and life stories of citizenship. (video below courtesy of UF)

For more than a decade, the University of Findlay has hosted a diverse group of immigrants as they take the last step towards becoming American citizens.

“These candidates have prepared for many years to achieve a privilege most of us get at birth. Many of them have come from incredible distances and have experienced immense financial, physical, and emotional challenges on their path to American citizenship,” said Ron Tulley, Ph.D., University of Findlay Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

WFIN legend Richard E. “Dick” Daugherty will be inducted into the Fifth Third Bank Wall of Fame at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.

The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 3^rd at 6 p.m.

People are asked to RSVP by clicking here no later than April 25^th.

Julie Klein will also be inducted into the Wall of Fame.

The Wall of Fame recognizes those who have academic, professional and/or civic ties to Findlay/Hancock County, and whose impact has been recognized at the highest level in music, dance, theatre and visual arts.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, which hosts the Richard E. Dick Daugherty Scholarship, says Daugherty hosted the first commercial remote radio broadcast and the first live television broadcast in Findlay.

He was proclaimed Mister Findlay Rotary and wrote and illustrated a book titled The History of the Findlay Rotary Club which is registered in the Library of Congress.

Daugherty received the Findlay Rotary Club’s first Lifetime Achievement Award which was later renamed the Richard E. Daugherty Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2001, the mayor of Findlay proclaimed “Dick Daugherty Day in Findlay.”

The Hancock Historical Museum will be hosting a family-friendly event on Saturday, April 22nd from 5 to 8 p.m. to celebrate Earth Day.

Guests of all ages can learn more about the water cycle, dissect flowers, create crafts from recycled materials, make a cyanotype sun print, chat with a local beekeeper, and much more.

The Hancock Park District, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mazza Museum, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, and Masters Gardeners will be on-site with additional activities.

The first 50 families will receive a new children’s book.

Additional giveaways include pollinator seed packets and tree saplings, while supplies last.

Admission for the event is just $1 per person.

The museum’s Earth Day celebration has been made possible with support from the Richard Barchent Educational Fund.

The Hancock Historical Museum is located at 422 W. Sandusky Street in Findlay.

For more information on this Earth Day event and other museum events, click here or call 419-423-4433.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is joining other departments of transportation across the country to mark National Work Zone Awareness Week.

The week is set aside each year to remind drivers of the need to pay extra attention in work zones to keep both themselves and workers safe.

“It’s important that drivers remember to look out for the safety of our road crews as they work hard to keep our streets and highways safe,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

“Paying attention, slowing down, and giving crews room to work are simple steps that all drivers can take to prevent tragedies in our work zones.”

In Ohio, there were 4,628 work zone-related crashes last year.

Of those, 21 were deadly resulting in 23 deaths. ODOT said none of its workers were killed in the crashes. Nationally, 117 workers were killed in work zone crashes last year.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol wrote 4,477 work zone citations in 2022 with 35 percent of them for speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour over the speed limit.

“Too many of these work zone crashes are the result of drivers not paying attention, speeding, or following the vehicle in front of them too closely,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.

“It is imperative that drivers give extra attention to the road in work zones and obey the speed limits and other signs so that everyone makes it home safe at the end of the day.”

Wednesday is Go Orange Day. The public is encouraged to wear orange to show awareness for work zone safety and support for road workers.

Steve Lafferty of Lima never returned to his job with ODOT following a work zone accident in 2002, and he shares his story below.

It’s time to purge your home of unneeded or unused medications as part of Hancock County’s ongoing effort to combat medication misuse.

Medications can be safely disposed of at a drop-off location in the Findlay Municipal Building parking lot on West Crawford Street from 8 to noon on Saturday, April 22nd.

People can simply drive in, drop off their old medications for safe disposal and go on their way.

Saturday, April 22nd is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

The Findlay Police Department says, not only will you be cleaning out those cluttered cabinets but you’ll be doing so in a safe manner.

Many people flush their medications, leading to environmental concerns.

Others dispose of medications in the trash or leave them in their house enabling people to find them and abuse them.

People who can’t make it to the medication collection on Saturday can drop off their medications anytime in the medication collection drop boxes available in the lobby of the police department, sheriff’s office and municipal building.

People with questions can call 419-424-1985.