Nichole Coleman, director of the Hancock County Veterans Service Office and president of the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, attended the Memorial Day breakfast at the White House.

Coleman is pictured above with Major General (retired) Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Matt Quinn, and Under Secretary for Health at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Shereef Elnahal, MD.

After graduating from Findlay High School in 1990, Coleman served in the U.S. Air Force from 1991 to 1998 and was in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm.

After experiencing military trauma, she retrained into public affairs, and moved to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois where she was the sports editor for the base newspaper, helped coordinate the annual airshow and provided tours of the base.

While with the Air Mobility Command, she deployed to the Joint Information Bureau in support of efforts in Bosnia for Operation Joint Endeavor.  Her final assignment was with the 89th Airlift Wing, the home of Air Force One, where she was the editor of the base newspaper.

Coleman was hired as a county veterans service officer and the director of the Hancock County Veterans Service Office in 2011. Under her leadership, the office has served more than eight times the number of veterans annually, and the amount of VA benefits received by county veterans and family members has increased by more than $16.8 million. Additionally, five innovative veteran resiliency programs were created to provide mental health support, recovery tools, and better quality of life.

Coleman says her hope and goal is to use her lived experience with mental illness combined with research, community partners and education to raise awareness and improve lives.  She believes in the power of recovery when a community supports individuals with mental illness by equipping and empowering them with the tools and hope they need to thrive. Identifying barriers to seeking treatment and then building bridges with collaborative partnerships has been her key to success. Coleman’s desire is to add value to people by meeting them where they are, creating genuine connections with them, and then resourcing them to live their best life.

Veterans and family members can contact the Hancock County Veterans Service Office to learn more about their benefits at 419-424-7036 or visit them online at hancockveterans.com. 

A lot of people came out for Findlay’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday.

People lined both sides of West Main Cross Street as the parade made its way from downtown to Maple Grove Cemetery.

At the cemetery, a service was held at the War Memorial.

You can see video of the parade and service below.

The Findlay Police Department says a car rolled into the Findlay Reservoir on Monday when the driver forgot to put it in park.

The police department said the 25-year-old driver, from Findlay, stopped their Ford Focus facing the boat ramp to unload.

The driver got out of the car without putting the vehicle in park.

The car then rolled down the boat ramp and into the water and eventually sunk.

No one was inside the vehicle when it went into the water and sunk.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team assisted in the recovery of the vehicle along with R and A Towing.

Police in Henderson, Kentucky on Sunday said that escaped Lima prison inmate Bradley Gillespie’s body was found in the Ohio River near his last known whereabouts.

“Today, I believe we have closure to our five-day manhunt,” said police chief Sean McKinney.

The chief said a boater called in around 1:30 Sunday afternoon saying he believed he saw a body in the river.

The body was recovered from the river and police said their preliminary investigation indicates that the body is that of Gillespie.

The chief said the body had a level of decomposition consistent with being in the water for four to five days. An autopsy will be performed.

Authorities said Gillespie and inmate James Lee escaped from the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima on May 22^nd.

On May 24^th, police in Henderson, Kentucky were chasing a stolen car with Lee and Gillespie inside.

The car crashed and Lee was taken into custody and Gillespie fled on foot and a manhunt ensued.

Jail records show that Gillespie was in for double-murder and Lee for burglary.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System will implement a “Patient Access Uplift” project in early June to make its registration and scheduling process more efficient.

The project will significantly update software across the health system to eliminate redundancies and streamline the process for patients and associates.

The change should cause very few disruptions for patients, but short delays in registering for appointments may be possible during the transition. Patient care will not be affected at all.

The upgraded system will go live at 6 a.m. on Monday, June 5. Patients registering for appointments late at night on Sunday, June 4 or very early in the morning before the new system launches may encounter delays as they register for or schedule an appointment. The MyHealth patient portal should not be impacted by the update.

Patients registering for appointments in the weeks following the transition may wish to allow more time to answer questions about demographic and insurance information, which will be added to existing information already in place. However, once that information is entered, all of BVHS – including Blanchard Valley Hospital and physician offices under the management of Blanchard Valley Medical Practices – will be on the same platform. This means patients will not need to be asked the same questions at multiple places, and that information is current.

“Eliminating these redundancies will improve the patient experience from the moment they walk through the door until they receive a billing statement following their visit,” said Abbe St. Clair, director of patient access.

“Taking even greater care to ensure insurance information is up to date streamlines the process for everyone involved. Behind the scenes, our associates have been working to determine how to improve this experience for patients, and then to implement it. After June 5, the new system will make the registration process go even more smoothly.”

The uplift is occurring as part of an ongoing BVHS commitment to remain current with the latest technology, including not just medical equipment but computer software.

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved more than $915,000 in grants at their May board meeting.

“These grants represent the investment of generous local philanthropists in the community,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation.

“We’re proud to partner with these donors to award these grants and improve the quality of life for all in Hancock County.”

Among the grants awarded, The Children’s Museum of Findlay was awarded $10,500 for a free play day as part of the Community Foundation’s Fun for All series of community events.

The Marathon Center for the Performing Arts received $12,000 for a free performance of PuppyPals for residents in August.

And Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services was awarded a $25,000 matching grant for a mobile unit for rural services.

See the full list of grants awarded by clicking here.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library)

Readers of all ages are encouraged to keep reading during the summer months and celebrate friendship and kindness as The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library presents “SummerREAD-All Together Now,” their summer reading program.

Activities include crafts, art projects, games and puzzles, science and engineering experiments, and of course, reading. Partners for exciting, new programs include The Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Hancock Park District, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, and more.

SummerREAD registration is open to all ages, infant through adult. The library is providing a free gift book to all early literacy, children’s and teen registrants.

This summer, the library is again using an online platform, READsquared, for participants to keep track of their reading progress. Registration for “All Together Now” begins on May 28 at findlaylibrary.readsquared.com, and all programs are free of charge.

Participants can earn great prizes by logging reading, writing a review, or completing fun activities. There will be weekly drawings for great prizes. If you prefer not to track your reading online, there will be paper forms available at the library to log reading progress.

Families are invited to join in reading together, and to attend programs such as Storytime in the Park, an escape room, Symphony Storytime, Family Book Bingo, and Family Night: Treasure Hunt at the Oakwoods Nature Preserve. Teen activities include Teen Book Bingo, a virtual Zoom program to hear about Aquatic Careers and Animal Conservation with the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Sand Art & Succulents, and a Teen Game Night.

Adults can enjoy book discussions, cooking programs, crafts, a grant writing program, and many more informative presentations. Please check the library’s website at findlaylibrary.org for more information on programming by clicking on the Calendar tab.

Brittany Lutes, Youth Services Manager at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library said of the SummerREAD program, “Each year our library staff work hard to plan and organize a fun and engaging lineup of summer programming. This year with our SummerREAD theme of “All Together Now” we are especially proud of the many opportunities to come together as a community and celebrate each other through reading, activities, and programs. We hope everyone else will be as excited as we are!”

Be sure to check the library’s Facebook page for updates, surprises, and entertaining contests all summer.

SummerREAD is generously sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

For more information, call the library at 419-422-1712 or check the website at findlaylibrary.org.

Findlay City Schools has announced that Meg Simon will be the next Findlay High School head principal, pending Board of Education approval on June 26th.

Simon is currently completing her third year as principal of Glenwood Middle School.

Her twelve years of educational experience include two years as Findlay High School Assistant Principal, where she was named the 2020 Ohio Assistant Principal of the Year for her exceptional work with staff and students.

Simon says she’s eager to begin her work to drive academic excellence, diverse opportunities, and true belonging for all students.

“We are confident that Findlay High School will excel under the dynamic leadership of Mrs. Simon,” commented Katie Abbott, Director of Whole Child & Secondary Instruction.

“Please join Findlay City Schools in welcoming Mrs. Simon to her new position.”

Simon is replacing Ryan Imke who is leaving the district to become the new principal at Tiffin Middle School.

The City of Findlay says the most recent draft of the Findlay Forward citywide strategic plan is available for review at FindlayForwardPlan.com.

The Strategic Planning Committee has decided to move forward with the plan’s goals and objectives.

The city says the committee will continue with discussion on the action items for each objective based on community feedback that has been received.

Findlay Forward is a citywide strategic planning process of developing a Council driven community Strategic Plan, using input received from the entire Findlay community.

A Strategic Plan is a long-term framework that outlines a roadmap for the future of the City. The Strategic Plan is a moment for the community to pause, take stock and define, as a community, what Findlay should be in the future of the City and how to get there.

The plan is a guide for the City decision-makers and will include an overarching vision that aligns all aspects of the Findlay community life, and identify goals and specific actions the City, Council, and staff will implement.

For more information, or to submit comment, contact the Strategic Planning Committee at strategic-planning@findlayohio.com.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the Ohio State Highway Patrol will be highly visible on Ohio’s roadways promoting traffic safety.

As motorists travel this weekend, troopers are reminding drivers to utilize their safety belts and to be responsible by designating a sober driver.

The effort begins at midnight on Friday, May 26 and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 29.

Last year in Ohio, 15 fatal crashes killed 18 people during the Memorial Day weekend. Of those fatalities, six crashes and seven fatalities were OVI-related. In the fatalities where a safety belt was available, all were unbelted. Half of the eight motorcyclists who died were not wearing a helmet. Five pedestrians were also killed during the holiday weekend.

Also, during last year’s Memorial Day weekend, the Patrol made 494 impaired driving arrests.

“Too many times our troopers see tragic loss of life on our roadways due to irresponsible decisions,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones. “Before heading out, make a plan, designate a sober driver and buckle up.”

In addition to the Memorial Day reporting period, the Patrol is continuing the 6-State Trooper Project focusing on the use of safety belts. This high-visibility effort includes the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, West Virginia State Police and the Patrol. The initiative began May 22 and will continue through May 29.

The Patrol is also taking part in the Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs May 23 through June 5.

You can help contribute to a safer Ohio by calling #677 to report drug activity and dangerous or impaired driving.