The Ohio State Highway Patrol recognized Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle and Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Limerick in front of the Hancock County Courthouse on Friday morning. (video below)

The Highway Patrol presented Riegle and Limerick with a certificate of appreciation for their years of partnership and commitment to the mission of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

During the presentation, Lt. Grigsby of the Office of Investigative Services noted how hard the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office worked on securing convictions in the cases involving the shooting of Trooper Brobst that occurred in October of 2021 and the line of duty death of Bluffton Officer Dominic Francis in March of 2022.

“This week is National Police Week, a very fitting week to be able to present some awards for the support that law enforcement gets from its community members and local public servants,” Grigsby said.

Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle said he appreciates the recognition but it was a joint effort.

“We appreciate the recognition but that goes both ways, and the Patrol, especially on a couple of these big cases, worked tirelessly with us.”

See video from the presentation outside the Hancock County Courthouse below.

The Findlay Police Department says a man was arrested after making a threat on social media indicating a shooting was going to occur at a school.

Police responded to Jefferson Primary on Fairlawn Place on Friday afternoon after learning of the threat.

Officers made contact with school officials and the school went into lockdown.

Investigating officers responded to a residence near the school where the suspect lives, and after interviewing him, he was placed under arrest. Police identified the man who was arrested as Chad Johnston Jr.

The 22-year-old was charged with inducing panic.

Police say no guns were located at the suspect’s residence and several electronic devices were seized as evidence.

Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown has passed away.

The hall-of-famer, civil rights icon and actor was 87 years old.

“Jim Brown is a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said on ClevelandBrowns.com. 

“He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history. Jim was one of the reasons the Browns have such a tremendous fan base today. So many people grew up watching him just dominate every time he stepped onto the football field but his countless accolades on the field only tell a small part of his story.”

Brown is the all-time rushing leader for the Browns with 12,312 rushing yards and 106 touchdowns in a nine-year career from 1957 to 1965.

He never missed a game in his career, led the league in rushing eight times and was voted league MVP three times.

Brown shocked the world in 1966 when he announced his retirement from football at the age of 29 to focus on his acting.

(pictures courtesy of the Cleveland Browns)

(ONN) – A police chase involving a rented truck that started in Bowling Green ended in another state.

The Bowling Green Police Division said three suspects stole $1,400 worth of liquor and other items from the Kroger on Main Street.

Police said the suspects drove their U-Haul north on I-475 and US-23 through Lucas County and into Michigan.

Monroe County picked up the chase once it crossed state lines, followed by Detroit police who found the suspects and took them into custody.

Bluffton historian Fred Steiner will be giving a presentation titled “Unusual Bluffton visitors, saloons and other stories” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24th, at the Bluffton Public Library.

“From the 1880s to the 1930s Bluffton was part of a circuit visited by interesting groups of itinerants,” said Steiner.

“Most of these visitors were harmless and homeless persons traveling the countryside. They included drifters, peddlers, misfits and people from the Romani culture.”

They told fortunes, traded and sold horses and merchandise, and provided entertainment while often looking for work or a handout.

Some arrived in Bluffton by freight trains, while other carried their possessions in wagons. One group even came with a trained bear. Often these people were escorted out of town by the village marshal.

In addition, during the 1890s, 13 saloons, mostly on Main Street, created several cultural issues residents faced as the village grew. Many of these issues are part of the presentation.

Those interested in attending should contact the library at 419-358-5016.

(Pictured above is a photograph provided by Steiner of one of 13 Bluffton saloons in the 1890s)

Chamberlin Hill Elementary held a rededication ceremony for its new and improved Land Lab.

The original Land Lab was constructed in 1997 and over the last few years work has been ongoing to improve the area.

The Land Lab now features three additional learning labs for students and three new habitats; wetlands, woodlands, and prairie as well as gardens for the community to enjoy.

The improvements also include outdoor chess and checkers boards, a composting area and more.

We spoke with STEAM Educator Tonya Thorbahn at the dedication about the importance of hands-on, interactive learning.

She said the improvements were made possible by generous donations from area corporations, organizations and community members.

See video from the dedication ceremony below in which students Peilar and Wesley explain the Land Lab to the crowd.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn will be speaking on a panel at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s 16th Annual Policy Summit on June 21-23.

The Summit, themed Communities Thriving in a Changing Economy, will focus on timely topics that affect low- to moderate-income individuals and underserved communities, research and best practices related to workforce and economic development, small businesses, and other topics key to racial and economic inclusion. Participants will learn how to design and implement strategies for impact and build new and strengthen existing relationships.

Mayor Muryn will be on the Plenary Session Panel, “Officially Thriving: How Three Mayors are Prioritizing Inclusion and Ensuring Access for All”. Muryn will be joined by Cleveland, Ohio, Mayor Justin Bibb and Erie, Pennsylvania, Mayor Joseph Schember to discuss how they lead their communities through the changing economy, ensure all residents are engaged, and build communities that provide access to quality jobs and housing, entrepreneurial opportunities, safe neighborhoods, and so much more.

“I am excited to share a bit about what the City of Findlay is doing to ensure a strong and agile economy that focuses on all of our residents and creates opportunity for a thriving community and therefore thriving lives. These are interesting times and Mayors must pay close attention to the international, national, state and local economy as they make decisions. As the Mayor of Findlay, I definitely value my background in economics and know that it provides a great lens for me to look through as I lead the City of Findlay,” said Mayor Muryn.

“Each of the panelists has a very different community and different approach. Having each of us share our viewpoint and how we serve our communities will be very beneficial to the attendees.”

To learn more about the Policy Summit click here.  

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is part of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States. Its Offices are located in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburg. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s service area is comprised of Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of Western Virginia.

One of the biggest military shows in the country is happening in Findlay.

The Findlay Show – 36th Annual Armed Forces Day Celebration runs through Sunday morning at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

John Cheney II is Commander of the Findlay Military Association.

The event will include food vendors, reenactors, helicopter rides, a military vehicle swap meet and much more.

Click here for the full schedule.

A man who was an inmate at the Hancock County Jail and failed to return from a furlough was involved in a pursuit with police in Toledo before crashing a stolen truck, according to police.

WTOL-11 is reporting that police tried to pull over Samuel Roeber, 40, of Findlay, on Cherry Street around 12:25 Thursday morning.

Police said Roeber led them on a short pursuit before crashing into a roundabout and a metal art structure.

The stolen vehicle sustained heavy damage in the crash and Roeber was taken to a hospital with what authorities described as life-threatening injuries.

On Wednesday, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office in Findlay said Roeber had failed to return from a court-ordered furlough and the sheriff’s office asked people with information about his whereabouts to contact them.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System is offering several upcoming first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes to the community, including a new pediatric class designed for babysitters.

The HeartSaver pediatric course for babysitters includes education on infant CPR, child CPR, automated external defibrillators, and choking in children, infants and adults. Other units focus on basic first aid and how to address specific types of medical emergencies, such as bleeding or allergic reactions. Water safety, poisoning, and heat and cold safety are also among the topics covered.

The new course is particularly geared toward high school students and others who will be babysitting this summer. The class for babysitters is fully instructor-led, rather than being a mixture of hands-on and online instruction like some other classes. The first course begins May 30.

BVHS also offers a HeartSaver course teaching first aid and CPR for adults. This course is often taken by groups of people working for employers who require such training, but it is also possible to sign up as an individual.

The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur every year in the United States, but only about 40% of those who experience them get the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. When a bystander can perform immediate high-quality CPR and use an automated external defibrillator, survival rates may double or even triple.

“After taking the HeartSaver class for adults, people have reported feeling more confident about being able to assist if needed, and relieved to know they have skills that might save a loved one,” said Jason Brunswick, simulation and clinical education coordinator at BVHS. “We’re excited to now also offer the HeartSaver pediatric class for

babysitters. As a parent myself, I know how reassuring it is to know that babysitters have had first aid training.”

The HeartSaver classes are designed for the general public, but BVHS also offers several classes, such as basic life support, for medical professionals.

These classes are open to BVHS associates and professionals at other medical or dental clinics.

BVHS also participates in Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI). After medical professionals take an online course, an RQI cart with an adult and infant mannequin can be brought to their office so that associates do not need to come in individually for hands-on training but can all do it on-site. It is also possible to take these classes as an individual rather than in a group.

Programs available in RQI are basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS, also known as advanced life support ALS), and pediatric advanced life support (PALS).

All classes come with a valid 2-year e-card through the American Heart Association.

For more information, or to register for a class, click here.