Monthly Archives: April 2023

Smoke Alarm Installation Event Being Held In Findlay

The American Red Cross of North Central Ohio will be visiting Findlay to install smoke alarms in homes that need them and teach people about what they can do now to be prepared should a fire break out in their home.

The event on Saturday, April 29th is part of the Red Cross national Sound the Alarm event, part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign.

“Installing smoke alarms cuts the risk of someone dying from a home fire in half, so we’re joining with groups from across our community to install smoke alarms,” said Executive Director Todd James.

 

 

Red Cross volunteers and members of the Findlay Fire Department will partner with Marathon Petroleum employees and members of the company’s Veterans employee network to visit homes in the neighborhood north of West Main Cross to Findlay Street, east of Durrell Street to Western Avenue.

Local volunteers are needed to help. No experience is needed, all supplies will be provided, and volunteers will be trained. Registration for volunteers begins at 9 a.m. at the Hancock County Red Cross office, 125 Fair Street in Findlay.

Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a fire. The Red Cross Home Fire Campaign aims to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by as much as 25 percent.

The Red Cross and thousands of campaign partners have helped save at least 1,664 lives and installed more than 2.5 million smoke alarms in homes across the country since the campaign launched in October 2014.

 

Food Bank ‘Fight Hunger Spark Change’ Campaign

(Story courtesy of the West Ohio Food Bank)

Rising food prices, continued supply chain disruptions and the end of pandemic-related federal emergency support programs are affecting the charitable food system as well as millions of people in America, with nearly 34 million people, including more than 9 million children, facing hunger.

For the 10th straight year, all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs are launching the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, helping to end food insecurity and provide nourishment to families and individuals across the country.

In partnership with Walmart customers, Sam’s Club members, suppliers and associates, the campaign aims to help people who experience food insecurity in West Central Ohio gain access to the food and resources they need to thrive.

As one of our largest annual cause marketing campaigns, Fight Hunger. Spark Change. has generated more than $165 million and helped secure nearly 1.7 billion meals for the Feeding America network of food banks since its inception in 2014, including here in the West Ohio Food Bank’s 11-county coverage area.

The campaign will run in store, in club and online from April 10-May 8. There are three easy ways to support neighbors in need. For every participating product purchased in store, in club or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.

Donate at check-out in stores or clubs or round up at Walmart.com. Donate at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.

 

Fatal Crash In Hancock County

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a man was killed in a two-vehicle crash a few miles north of Vanlue.

The crash happened at around 9 o’clock Monday night at State Route 568 and County Road 330.

The sheriff’s office says Dennis Crace, 64, of Carey, was driving his car westbound on State Route 568 and Lucas Beabout, 33, of Illinois, was southbound on County Road 330 in a pickup truck.

The sheriff’s office said Beabout entered the intersection and Struck Crace’s vehicle.

Crace was pronounced deceased at the scene and Beabout was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital for his injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Assisting at the scene were Hanco EMS, Vanlue Fire, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Dicks Towing, ODOT and AEP.

 

FPD: Shots Fired Into Car After Assault/Robbery In Parking Lot

UPDATE- Police say the teen who fired the shots turned himself in on Tuesday. Read more here. 

 

The Findlay Police Department is investigating an incident involving an assault and robbery that resulted in a shooting Monday afternoon involving an adult and two juveniles.

The incident happened in the parking lot of the Circle K at 100 Crystal Avenue at around 5 p.m. Monday.

Police say 20-year-old Marcus Cataline and a 17-year-old male arrived at the Circle K parking lot in a Chevy Cruze.

Another 17-year-old male was in a separate vehicle in the parking lot. The parties knew each other.

Police say Cataline and the 17-year-old he was with donned ski masks and approached the other 17-year-old while he was sitting in his vehicle.

Police say Cataline and the juvenile he was with entered the other 17-year-old’s vehicle, assaulted him and took his wallet.

Cataline and the 17-year-old he was with then got back into their Cruze and started leaving the scene.

Police say the 17-year-old that was assaulted produced a handgun and fired three shots at the Cruze, striking it each time. No one in the Cruze was struck by the gunfire.

The juvenile that was assaulted and then fired off the shots then fled the area and his whereabouts were unknown as of the time police sent out a news release around 8 p.m. Monday.

Police located the Cruze and placed Cataline and the 17-year-old he was with under arrest for robbery.

The juvenile that was assaulted and then fired off the shots is wanted for questioning. Additional charges may be pursued at a later date.

Police said both juveniles have been identified but their identities were not being immediately released.

The incident remains under investigation.

This is the second shooting in Findlay in three days, with two people getting shot Saturday night on East Front Street.

 

ODOT Seeking Feedback On Proposed Projects

The Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 is seeking public comment regarding some proposed projects, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Executive Order 11988.

ODOT is proposing to make concrete pavement repairs at the following locations in Hancock and Allen counties.

  • Pavement repairs at the Interstate 75 and State Route 12 (West Main Cross Street) interchange ramps and State Route 12 bridge over the interstate just west of the city of Findlay. Vehicular traffic will be temporarily detoured during construction.
  • Pavement repairs at the Interstate 75 and State Route 613 interchange ramps and State Route 613 bridge over the interstate just west of the village of Van Buren. Vehicular traffic will also be temporarily detoured during construction.
  • Seven miles of pavement on U.S. 30 between the village of Beaverdam and the State Route 235 interchange. Temporary lane closures are anticipated during construction. No detours will be necessary for the work along U.S. Route 30.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the spring and summer of 2024.

ODOT is also proposing to resurface a little more than seven miles of pavement along U.S. 30 in Hancock and Wyandot Counties.

The proposed work will occur from just east of U.S. 68 to State Route 37.

Construction will result in temporary ramp closures at the State Route 37 interchange.

Vehicular traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the spring and summer of 2024.

For additional information on the projects and to provide feedback, click here.

 

Congressional Art Competition Accepting Submissions

Congressman Bob Latta’s office is accepting submissions for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition.

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

Since then, more than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide competition.

All artwork will be displayed at the Owens Community College Findlay Campus.

The deadline for submission is by the end of the day on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

The winning piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for one year, and three honorable mention pieces will be displayed in Latta’s district offices.

Get more details by clicking here.

 

Barn Destroyed In Fire East Of Findlay

Several fire departments responded to a barn fire east of Findlay on Monday afternoon.

The fire was at a farm on Township Road 255, a little north of U.S. 224.

Washington Township/Arcadia was among the fire departments that responded to battle the blaze.

The barn was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, sending smoke high into the sky.

Part of the barn collapsed in the video you can see below, and it was a total loss.

No word on the cause of the fire or if there were any injuries.

 

Police Release Picture Of Shooting Suspect

The Findlay Police Department has released a picture of the suspect in a shooting that happened Saturday night.

Police say the suspect in the shooting has been identified as Isaiah Moore (aka Zay James) of Findlay, age 20. He is to be considered armed and dangerous and is pictured above.

The police department says officers responded to a building at 230 East Front Street on Saturday night in reference to a fight involving shots being fired.

Two men were struck by gunfire and are being treated at Blanchard Valley Hospital.

They are Kcaleeb Gonzalez, 25, of Fostoria, and Daniel Green, 47, of Lansing, Michigan.

An arrest warrant for Moore has been issued and any information about his whereabouts can be provided to the Findlay Police Department by calling 419-424-7150.

A couple hours after the shooting, the police department said it received a few other reports of the sounds of gunshots. Officers responded to each of the locations as they were received.

There was no evidence or information to corroborate any of these reports, and they were deemed unfounded.

There was one reported sighting of a bottle rocket being observed/heard being set off in the same relative area of some of these reports.

 

Money Being Donated To Bus Driver Who Resigned

(ONN) – In northeast Ohio, money continues to pour in for a bus driver from Amherst who resigned after a video (below) of her chastising kids on her bus went viral.

A GoFundMe account has raised more than $100,000 for Jackie Miller.

Video surfaced of Miller losing her cool on her bus and part of Miller’s rant is now selling shirts off the shelves, made and sold by ‘Mistakes on the Lake‘ apparel company in Vermilion.

Shop owner Jacqui Adkins says she was swamped with more than 1,300 orders.

“People all over the country are supporting her and buying t-shirts.”

Jacqui said she would be donating $5 of each sale to the bus driver.

Jackie Miller has said that she is sorry for her outburst but that she won’t take it back.

She said a student had intentionally sprayed perfume on the bus, which had happened before and caused her to have an asthma attack.

Miller says she wants to return to driving a bus, but to do so for people with disabilities, which she says she has done in the past.

 

Police Identify Suspect In Findlay Shooting

The Findlay Police Department has identified the suspect in the shooting that occurred Saturday night.

The police department says officers responded to a building at 230 East Front Street in reference to a fight involving shots being fired during a gathering at the business.

Two men were struck by gunfire and are being treated at Blanchard Valley Hospital.

They are Kcaleeb Gonzalez, 25, of Fostoria, and Daniel Green, 47, of Lansing, Michigan.

Police say the suspect in the shooting has been identified as Isaiah Moore (aka Zay James) of Findlay, age 20. He is to be considered armed and dangerous.

An arrest warrant for Moore has been issued and any information about his whereabouts can be provided to the Findlay Police Department by calling 419-424-7150.

A few hours after the shooting, the police department said it received some other reports of the sound of gunshots. Officers responded to each of the locations as they were received.

There was no evidence or information to corroborate any of the reports, and they were deemed unfounded, police said.

There was one reported sighting of a bottle rocket being observed/heard being set off in the same relative area of some of the reports.