A much-needed childcare center is coming to McComb.

“It will be a blessing for the people living in this community,” said Mayor Cathy Schroll.

“They are scrambling looking for sitters.”

The mayor says some parents go to Findlay and Bluffton for childcare and this new facility will make a big difference in many lives.

Schroll said childcare services, including before and after-school programming, have been among the goals of the current village council.

She noted that former in-home daycare providers have retired in recent years, forcing many parents to utilize providers outside the village to leave the workforce to stay home with their kids.

The village has been awarded $1 million in CARES Act grant funding from the Ohio Office of Community Development for the new facility.

The new childcare facility will be built on property owned by the village on State Route 235, next to Dollar General and the sign welcoming people to McComb. (pictured above)

Initially it will be a daytime facility but their long-term goal is to be able to have 2^nd and 3^rd shift workers at Hearthside Foods be able to drop their kids off.

Mayor Schroll says the village is in talks with the Findlay YMCA to have them operate the facility.

She’s hoping to have the new childcare center open in January of 2024.

The Findlay Rotary Club presented its 2023 Edwin L. Heminger Heroes Award to Kathryn Bausman.

“Every generation has its heroes to look up to and emulate. It is very important that our youth today understand the value of heroes in their lives, how to recognize heroes and be able to interact with them.”

The Edwin L. Heminger Heroes Award connects Hancock County youth with Rotary members who exhibit the qualities of heroes: leadership, perseverance, courage, caring, selflessness, humility, tolerance and passion. The award is named after the late Edwin L. Heminger, long-term editor and publisher of The Courier.

A celebration honoring the three nominees, Char Simons, John Drymon and Kathryn Bausman was held at the Club meeting on June 7, 2023. The two runners-up each received $250 to go to the charity of their choice and the winner received $1,000 to go to the charity of his/her choice.

The winner was determined by Donnell Middle School eighth-grade students following in-person interviews of the three candidates by the students.

Kathryn Bausman came to the City Mission of Findlay in May 2021, with 30 years of business, 15 years of non-profit and 20 years of pastoral and ministry experience.

She studied business at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and received her ordination through Bethany Theological Seminary, Academy for Ministerial Leadership in Richmond, IN. She has certifications and experience in Recovery Ministry, Trauma Care, Pastoral Care, Grant Writing and Mission Management.

She has worked in a variety of capacities in small and large missions, ranging from small residential recovery programs to a 450 bed multi-faceted facility in South Florida. As a pastor she worked with churches in crises, biblically guiding them through the process of healing and forgiveness.

Prior to Kathryn’s work in the non-profit sector, she owned and operated a mortgage company and a compliance company in Mississippi and Texas. She moved to Findlay with her husband of 37 years, Mark. They have 4 children, 3 of which are adopted, and 9 grandchildren. Mark’s military career and Kathryn’s passion have allowed them to live in more than 10 states and 2 countries.

They love being a part of the Findlay community and look forward to all the future holds. Her designated charity was City Mission of Findlay.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is letting drivers know that the two Interstate 75 rest areas south of Findlay will be closing for a day.

ODOT says the northbound and southbound rest areas a little south of Findlay will be closed on Thursday, June 15^th from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for utility work.

Get more details on this project and other area projects by clicking here.

The lack of rainfall is causing drought conditions in Ohio.

The National Weather Service says much of Ohio is in moderate drought.

Forecasters say stream flows are diminished across the area along with soil moisture content.

The National Weather Service says conditions will worsen over the next few days as the next chance of rain isn’t until Sunday into Monday.

Click here for the latest forecast.

Click here for the latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor. 

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash on US 23 in Wyandot County near Upper Sandusky.

The crash happened at approximately 8:36 p.m. Wednesday on US 23 near County Road 47, northwest of Upper Sandusky.

The Highway Patrol says Sofia Greggio, 22, of Canton, Michigan, was northbound on US 23 Wednesday night when she drove onto the right shoulder and struck a commercial truck that was stopped on the shoulder.

A passenger in her vehicle, Patricia Romero-Tello, 22, of Florida, was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Greggio was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay with minor injuries.

The driver of the commercial truck was not injured.

The crash remains under investigation.

The National Lime & Stone Company in Findlay is celebrating its 120^th anniversary this year.

We spoke with Carl Palmer, Executive Chairman of the Board, and his son Paul Palmer, Chief Executive Officer.

Paul says the company began in Carey in 1903, and that was the location of their first and biggest quarry, and in 1927 they moved their headquarters to Findlay.

“The Carey quarry is still in operation 120 years later and is the largest quarry in the state of Ohio.”

Paul says they’ve grown steadily throughout the years and are now one of the largest independent producers in the country.

Paul says they moved into their current building at Lake Cascades in Findlay in 1992.

Learn more about The National Lime & Stone Company by clicking here for their website.

There’s a Quarry Series art exhibit at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts sponsored by National Lime & Stone, and you can get more details clicking here and below.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Representatives David Joyce (R-OH-14), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13) and Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) are calling on the Biden administration to choose Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton as the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command and to locate additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio in partnership with the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman, the lawmakers write that the numerous industry and university parties in the state — along with existing U.S. Air Force and NASA bases and facilities – make Ohio ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force units – should the Department of Defense (DoD) choose to re-locate the Command HQ.

“The state of Ohio is ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force Units,” wrote the lawmakers.

“From the Wright brothers to American heroes like John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, the story of modern aviation is rooted in Ohio – and Ohio is ready to meet the challenges of the future. Ohio’s numerous industry and university partners in the state create a synergy around national security and space that is unmatched around the country.”

Wright-Patterson Air Force base is home to the center for science and technology, intelligence, and graduate education for both the Air Force and the Space Force. NASA Glenn—including the Lewis Field and Armstrong Test Facility—is a leader in the research and development of space-related technologies, many of which have strong defense applications. Additionally, Ohio’s numerous higher education and research institutions, apprenticeship and training programs, rich history in and support of the space industry, and manufacturing excellence make it a prime candidate to house the combatant Command Center.

Ohio is also home to key military bases and NASA facilities that already support key space-related operations – including innovation in space components and technology. Locating U.S. Space Command and additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio will allow for a level of collaboration across existing Air Force and NASA Facilities – along with research universities in the state and across the Midwest – that will make our national space security both more efficient and effective.

Garner Trucking, of Findlay, will be holding a celebration for its being inducted into the Truckload Carriers Association ‘Best Fleets to Drive For Hall of Fame’.

In March, Garner Trucking was recognized on stage as a Best Fleets To Drive For Hall of Fame inductee at the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention in Orlando.

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.

Garner Trucking will be holding a celebration on Friday, June 9^th to recognize the hard work and dedication of the Garner Family with a cookout and games and prizes.

The celebration is for family and friends, invited customers, and business associates.

WKXA’s Rex Howard will be broadcasting from Garner from noon to 2 on Friday.

Garner Trucking is located at 9291 County Road 313 in Findlay.

Hancock County health officials say smoke from wildfires in Canada is causing air quality concerns in the county.

Hancock Public Health said on Wednesday that regional air quality meters were detecting an Air Quality Index ranging from the ‘orange’ category, ‘unhealthy for sensitive populations’ in the Lima area, to the ‘red’ category meaning ‘unhealthy’ in the Toledo area.

So Hancock County’s air quality is between the orange and red categories.

Health officials urge those in the ‘orange’ category to keep outdoor activities light and short, and sensitive groups should go indoors if they have symptoms.

People in the ‘red’ category should keep outdoor activities light and short and go indoors if they have symptoms, and sensitive groups should consider moving all activities indoors.

Click here for the latest forecast.

Click here for the EPA’s Fire and Smoke map.

(ONN) – Two Cleveland Browns players were robbed at gunpoint and another had his vehicle stolen over the weekend in Cleveland.

The two players robbed were Greg Newsome II and Perrion Winfrey.

They reported parking a truck in the lot next to Filter Bar and Lounge on Superior Avenue early Monday morning.

Six men in masks allegedly jumped out of a separate car and attacked them, taking jewelry and other things from them.

Also, on Sunday, Cleveland Browns running back and wide receiver Demetric Felton reported having his 2023 Dodge Durango Hellcat stolen out of the May’s parking garage.