(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

You’ve probably heard that northwest Ohio will witness a total solar eclipse next April, but what else do you know about this natural phenomenon?

The last time this happened in our state was in 1806, and it won’t happen again until 2099!

Tom O’Grady, Astronomy Instructor at Ohio University, has chased solar eclipses all over the world.

Learn about the dynamics of solar eclipses, the history of eclipse expeditions, and what we can expect to experience next spring at our monthly lecture on August 3rd at noon.

Brown Bag Lectures are always free for museum members, $3 for nonmembers.

Get more details below or by clicking here.

Hancock County Job and Family Services is offering its fall School Clothes Program again this year.

Director Randall Galbraith says the program gives eligible families up to $225 per child for clothing for the school year.

As Galbraith mentioned in the audio above, eligibility requirements are that families live in Hancock County, have school-aged children ages 5 to 18, and be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

He says people are welcome to call 419-429-8083 for more information or stop by their office at 7746 County Road 140 in Findlay.

A packed house enjoyed the Findlay Rocks the ‘60s Goes LIVE! show at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.

The live show was based on the Findlay Rocks the ‘60s! exhibit at the Hancock Historical Museum.

“A celebration of music’s greatest era – the 60’s – honoring the local bands that ruled the day, the national acts that graced our historic venues, and the people who made it all possible.”

The Flag City Rock and Soul Revue and emcee and tour guide “Big Dave” Crosser took the crowd on a musical journey through the decade.

Findlay First Edition even helped out on some of the songs.

See video of the finale below, and the exhibit can be seen at the Hancock Historical Museum at 422 West Sandusky Street in Findlay.

Bluffton’s calendar will read 1933 in the village’s first-ever Bluffton History Day on Saturday, August 12th, recalling the 90^th anniversary of the Dillinger bank robbery in Bluffton.

“In August, 1933, John Dillinger and gang members held up the Citizens National Bank taking $2,100,” said Bluffton Historian Fred Steiner.

“The FBI called Dillinger Public Enemy Number 1, giving Bluffton its 20th century 15 minutes of fame. That fame continues in its ninth as the robbery placed Bluffton forever in the Dillinger legend.”

The schedule of events is below.

• • 9 to 11 a.m. – Information table at Bluffton Farmers’ Market

• • 9 to 11 a.m. – Book signing, 90^thanniversary edition of “Four Guys Walk Into a Bank… and the rest is Bluffton oral history”

• • 10 a.m. – Free matinee of “Public Enemy,” featuring Johnny Depp, at Shannon Theatre

• • 11 a.m. and noon – Retelling of the Bluffton Dillinger robbery by Fred Steiner in front of Citizens National Bank

• • 1930s-era model vehicles to be displayed on Main Street

• • 4 p.m. to midnight ­– Greenhorn Restaurant on Vine Street events

4 p.m. to midnight, Prohibition-era cocktails, street food and regular menu In the atmosphere of a 1930-era Speakeasy

6:30 p.m. – Retelling of the Bluffton Dillinger robbery by Fred Steiner

7 p.m. – Music by Jesse Henry, Bluffton native, performing The Ballad of John Dillinger

Nancy Corle-Agner and Phil Gratz will perform following Jesse Henry

Several family members of eye-witnesses to the Dillinger robbery will be introduced and will stand in their place as the 11 a.m. and noon retelling event is underway.

 Among those persons include:
• Jenny Bogart Donges as Harry Bogart, her grandfather

• • Marilyn Murray Shelly as Dode Murray, postmaster, her great-uncle

• • Neil Hauenstein as Edgar Hauenstein, pharmacist, his grand nephew

• Jim S. West as James and Bob West, working across from the bank, son of James and nephew of Bob West

The Findlay Police Department is investigating a robbery in which an elderly man’s money was taken by an acquaintance.

Police say it happened at Cooper Field at 201 Broad Avenue around noon on Sunday.

Police say the elderly man reported that an acquaintance had asked him for some money and when he pulled out some money to give to the person, the person grabbed the victim’s arm aggressively and forcefully pulled away the victim’s entire fold of cash.

The suspect then fled the scene on foot.

The victim told police he wasn’t aware of the suspect’s name but was able to provide leads to further the investigation.

The suspect is described as a tall black male, wearing shorts, a black shirt and orange shoes.

(From Hancock Park District)

Residents and landowners of Hancock County will have the opportunity to participate in the Hancock Park District’s Hunting-with-Permission Lottery program provided in cooperation with Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.

This year’s lottery will be posted on the Hancock Park District’s Facebook page at 6pm Tuesday, September 12. Winners will be announced at that time and those selected will be notified by email. All current rules and regulations and parking passes will then be emailed.

Participants will not be required to have a Facebook account in order to participate in the drawing. Interested individuals must register online at HancockParks.com under “Park News” between August 1 and August 31.

There is a limit of 5 entries per person. Winners will be chosen from the following categories: 5 Deer/ Gun Permits; 5 Deer/ Muzzleloader Permits; 10 Small Game Permits; 10 Deer/ Archery Permits; 5 Youth Hunt Permits. Interested youth must be 17 years of age or younger for the upcoming youth season in order to be eligible for Youth Hunting Permits.

The season for hunting at Litzenberg Memorial Woods will run from November 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024.

Additional information about the Hunting-with-Permission Lottery program can be found online at HancockParks.com under “Park News”. You may also contact our office during normal business hours 8 AM – 4:30 PM Monday – Friday at 419-425-7275.

The Findlay Police Department says a woman was cited for OVI after crashing into a bicyclist.

It happened on West Sandusky Street just east of Emma Street at 8:52 Saturday night.

Police say Charlotte Garza, of Findlay, was driving a GMC Acadia westbound on West Sandusky Street when she struck a 37-year-old woman who was legally riding a bike on the roadway.

The bicyclist was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital for their injuries. Police said the extent of their injuries was unknown.

Police say Garza is facing charges of OVI and Assured Cleared Distance Ahead.

Additional felony charges will be requested, police said.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol joined forces with members of the 6-State Trooper Project to enforce and raise awareness about the Move Over law.

The high-visibility campaign ran from July 16 through July 22 and included the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, West Virginia State Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

During the initiative, Ohio troopers issued 690 Move Over citations and educated motorists about the state’s Move Over law. Troopers from the six partnering states issued 1,064 Move Over citations in total.

Ohio law requires all drivers to move over to an adjacent lane when approaching any vehicle with flashing or rotating lights parked on the roadside. If moving over is not possible due to traffic or weather conditions, or because a second lane does not exist, motorists should slow down and proceed with caution. A version of the Move Over law exists in all 50 states.

The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol, and information sharing.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

On July 19 and 20, personnel from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Licensing and Commercial Standards section from the Findlay, Piqua and Wilmington districts focused efforts on commercial motor vehicle safety on Interstate 75 between the Michigan and Kentucky state lines.

The purpose of the two-day initiative was to identify safety violations through the inspection of commercial motor vehicles.

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, motor carrier enforcement inspectors and load limit inspectors conducted 102 inspections, placing 18 vehicles and 10 drivers out of service.

Inspectors from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and troopers from the Michigan State Police also participated in the two-day initiative on I-75.

Safety inspections follow a thorough process to ensure both the truck and the driver meet state and federal regulations.

Vehicles and drivers that fail to meet these regulations may be placed out of service and cannot continue operation until regulation standards are met.

The motoring public is also reminded to use caution when driving around commercial vehicles. Large trucks and buses have operating limitations such as blind spots, longer stopping distances, and limited maneuverability that make it essential for other vehicles to focus on safety.

Since 2018, there have been 94,398 crashes on Ohio’s roadways involving at least one commercial vehicle. Of those, 7,524 crashes occurred on I-75 with 51 resulting in fatalities and 1,552 resulting in injuries.

Tips for passenger vehicle drivers operating around commercial motor vehicles can be found here and more information relating to commercial motor vehicles and driver regulations and Ohio laws can be found here. The public is encouraged to call #677 to report drug activity and dangerous or impaired drivers.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System recently sponsored a “Smart Play Nook” at Memorial Park in the Village of Carey for a renovation that will make the park more accessible to children of all abilities.

Kelly Shroll, chief operating officer, ambulatory services, recently presented a check to Carey Mayor Jennifer Rathburn.

A Smart Play Nook is a playhouse featuring 20 interactive activities addressing developmentally appropriate skills. It is designed to keep young children engaged as they develop social, motor and cognitive skills through play.

“We should have recreational opportunities in our community for everybody, so all children can play in the park,” Rathburn said.

Village leaders had been discussing upgrading the park, but Rathburn said her longtime friend, Holly Roof, helped her see the importance of making it all abilities-friendly. Holly’s son, Carson Roof, 13, has been in a wheelchair his entire life, which has made it difficult to play with other children. Holly and Carson also attended the check presentation event, along with Village Administrator Scott Washburn and Cassie Carlson, director of the Carey Area Chamber of Commerce.

Rathburn added that she had taken her own children to the Blanchard Valley Health System Miracle Park in Findlay, and was impressed by how it was accessible to children of all abilities. She wanted to develop something like that in Carey.

The village added a splash pad to the park in 2020, but the next phase of renovations was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rathburn said the upgraded park, featuring the Smart Play Nook, is expected to be ready around spring 2024. A renovation to the park’s swimming pool is also planned. Rathburn noted that Carey is a close-knit community, and many residents have already offered to volunteer their time to help with park construction.

And BVHS recognizes that sense of community found in the village, Shroll said.

“Carey residents are committed to their community, and BVHS is likewise committed to the community of Carey and its residents,” Shroll said. “This donation, which will help make it possible for all of the village’s children to play at the park, is just one more way in which the organization is serving the Carey community.”

BVHS offers primary and specialty care services at the Carey Medical & Diagnostic Center at 930 Sheriden Drive. For more information, call 419.396.7683.