(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Input is needed to help community leaders in their efforts to implement childcare solutions across Hancock County.

Two separate surveys have been created to gather a complete scope of the community’s needs. One survey seeks input from parents, prospective parents and grandparents, while the other is targeted toward HR professionals and business leadership. Both can be accessed at www.liveunitedhancockcounty.org/childcare-resources, where results will be posted by late summer.

The collaborative effort is being coordinated by Blanchard Valley Health System, Hancock County Job & Family Services, Findlay Family YMCA, The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation and United Way of Hancock County, along with concerned residents. The goal is to understand and quantify gaps in current childcare opportunities from an individual and workforce perspective and to ultimately create a community plan to address these gaps.

“We heard from our community during Community Conversations how important high-quality, affordable childcare is to residents of Hancock County. Completing this survey will strengthen the information we have to all work together to address this need,” said Brian Treece, president and CEO of The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

“During the pandemic, a key attribution came into play. That is, by ‘working together we can accomplish more.’ Participation in these surveys will help us understand our community’s needs around daycare and empower us towards solutions that strengthen the community,” said Myron D. Lewis, president and CEO of Blanchard Valley Health System.

The Village of McComb recently secured a $1 million grant to build a new childcare facility on State Route 235. That outcome resulted from a similar process in McComb and serves as a springboard for this countywide effort.

“The collaborative effort to swiftly secure funding for a new childcare resource in McComb shows the value of listening to the community’s needs and working together to implement a solution,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way of Hancock County. “We are thrilled at this opportunity to gather information that will ultimately make a difference for parents and prospective parents while further strengthening Hancock County’s workforce.”

Visitors to the above webpage will also find a list of Hancock County childcare providers, along with a printable poster to hang in their workplace.

The annual Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration was held on Monday at the Black Heritage Library & Multicultural Center in Findlay.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated day commemorating the official ending of slavery in the United States.

It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger, of the Union Army, who led his troops into Galveston in June 1965 (after the Civil War was over and two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation) and proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas.

“The day has become a yearly time to celebrate with dance, music, food, and prayer. It now is a time to remember and share African American’s heritage and culture with fellow Americans.”

Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17th, 2021.

In the video below, Harrison Phillips, Board Vice Chair for the Black Heritage Library & Multicultural Center speaks about the origins of the celebration along with Charles Bevel.

The 16^th Annual University of Findlay Pharmacy Camp will be held June 21-23 and June 26-28.

High school juniors and seniors participating in the two separate three-day/two-night camps, will take part in hands-on learning and labs, where they will learn more about medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, compounding, therapeutics, and more.

For seniors, one of the benefits of attending the camp is that they will be given the opportunity on the last day of camp to interview for the UF Pharmacy program.

Learn more about the UF Pharmacy Camp by clicking here.

The Putnam County Fair will be held from June 19^th through the 24^th at the fairgrounds in Ottawa.

The Putnam County Fair is always one of the earliest fairs of the year with only the Paulding County Fair earlier.

Monday, June 19^th is Veteran’s Day at the fair, and Veterans and their spouse are admitted free all day.

Tuesday is Kid’s Day at the fair and kids 16 and younger get in free until 4 p.m.

Click here to see what’s happening on other days of the fair.

The Hancock County Fair in Findlay will be held Labor Day weekend as usual and this year will run from August 30^th through September 4^th.

Click here for the full schedule of fairs in Ohio this year.

The 2023 Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run was held in Findlay on Friday afternoon.

The route took torch carriers south on Main Street from the University of Findlay and then east on Sandusky Street to the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

At the fairground, dozens of Special Olympics athletes joined in for the remainder of the run to the campus of Blanchard Valley Center on East Sandusky Street.

According to the Special Olympics Ohio website, “The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio is a volunteer movement that was established by members of the law enforcement community to support Special Olympics. Each year, officers carry the ‘Flame of Hope’ along with athletes into the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at The Ohio State University. The flame symbolizes courage, perseverance, and the inclusion movement taking place in Ohio and across the globe.”

The 2023 Special Olympics Ohio Summer Games will take place on June 23-25 in Columbus.

Hancock County will have 32 athletes participating in track and field events and bowling.

In the video below we speak with Melanie Williams, Special Olympics Coordinator for Blanchard Valley Center.

The Columbus Grove Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying an individual who’s wanted for questioning in regard to a theft at Fort Jennings State Bank in Columbus Grove.

The man in the pictures above and below is around five feet ten and five feet eleven and around 210-220 pounds.

He has brown/red hair with a beard and looks to be around 40 years of age, according to police.

Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to contact the Columbus Grove Police Department or Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 419-523-3208.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System will offer a Dementia Friends training for members of the community in July and August.

This informational session will give participants an understanding of dementia and the small things they can do to make a difference in the lives of those affected. They will learn how to communicate effectively, as well as best practice strategies for patients and caregivers.

The goal is to create a more dementia-inclusive community.

The course is designed for any and all community members interested in learning more about dementia and how to further their understanding and actions for people experiencing memory challenges. This may include but is not limited to caregivers, families, business owners, service-related professionals and staff, church communities, students and volunteers.

“Most of us will at some point encounter someone living with dementia in our personal or professional lives. Sometimes making just small changes in how we communicate with them can make a world of difference in their lives,” said Lindsey Buddelmeyer, leadership education and training specialist at BVHS. “Those who take this class will come away from it feeling more confident about their ability to understand their loved ones with dementia and to connect with them. And the more people that receive this training, the more people who have dementia are likely to feel better respected.”

The class will be held from 2-3 p.m. on July 6 and on August 3 in the Aller Meeting Room-North at Blanchard Valley Hospital. Each session is a separate, one-hour class.

There is no cost to attend. All attendees will be provided access to the informational session materials and resources to help assist and support persons with dementia, caregivers, and families.

Each class is open to a maximum of 20 people. Preregistration is required. For more information, or to register for a class, please visit https://www.bvhealthsystem.org/classes-and-events/.

The youngsters at the Camp 911 educational safety camp in Findlay capped off their week of lessons with a visit to the smoke trailer.

The kids were taught how to react to a fire with key phrases like “get low and go” and “get out, stay out.”

Inspector Eric Wilkins led the fire safety lessons again this year and you can see video of the smoke trailer and our interview with Inspector Wilkins in the video below.

Camp 911 is for kids entering kindergarten in Hancock County and around 175 participated this year.

(ONN) – The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled the general assembly did not violate the state constitution by setting an August 8th special election.

The state’s high court rejected the motion by the group One Person One Vote.

The Ohio Supreme Court noted in the ruling saying quote “the Ohio Constitution authorizes the legislature to submit a ballot issue at either a special or a general election as the general assembly may prescribe.”

Ohio Republicans not long ago supported and passed a bill prohibiting most special elections in August, noting the high cost and low voter turnout.

State Issue 1 would raise the threshold for passing future constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60 percent along with expanding signature requirements to qualify for the ballot in the first place.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced that the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has awarded four Airport Improvement Program grants totaling $1,091,386 to four airports in Northwest Ohio.

“Ohio airports are vital infrastructure supporting travel and commerce in our state,” Brown said.

“These investments will enhance safety and operations at Northwest Ohio airports and improve travel for area residents and businesses.”

Funding from FAA includes:

$288,180 to the Findlay Airport to rehabilitate the runway, rehabilitate runway lighting, and shift or reconfigure an existing taxiway.

$600,000 to the Fostoria Metro Airport to reconstruct a terminal building.

$145,606 to the Put-in-Bay Airport to reconstruct a terminal building and acquire snow removal equipment.

$57,600 to the Wyandot County Airport to update the airport master plan or study.