(From Governor DeWine’s office)

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the availability of $100 million in funding to help local communities eliminate dangerous railroad crossings.

Ohio has approximately 5,700 railroad grade crossings, which are locations where roadways intersect with railroad tracks. Funding from Governor DeWine’s new Ohio Rail Crossing Elimination Program will support the work of local communities to engineer construction projects to eliminate these crossings and pay matching funds that are required for additional support from the Federal Railroad Administration.

“To compete for federal grants, communities need the resources to develop the projects, prepare federal applications, and commit matching funds to make Ohio’s grant applications competitive,” said Governor DeWine. “Railroad grade projects can be complex and expensive, and without state assistance, most communities do not have the resources to develop them. This program will provide support to get these projects moving in the right direction.”

Railroad grade crossings are both a safety hazard and a barrier to traffic, including emergency vehicles. Since the Federal Railroad Administration began collecting blocked crossing data in late 2019, more than 10,500 reports of blocked crossings in Ohio have been filed.

Municipalities can submit railroad crossing elimination projects to the Ohio Rail Development Commission, which will identify the projects with the best opportunities for federal funding and assist in developing these locations into competitive federal grant applications.

“Eliminating grade crossings has a ripple effect on safety for motorists, train operators, and first responders who are often delayed by blocked crossings. We’ll work with local communities in Ohio to ensure we maximize federal investment in Ohio,” said Scott Corbitt, Chair of the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

The Ohio Rail Crossing Elimination Program was developed with support from the Ohio General Assembly, which allotted the funding for the program as part of Ohio’s operating budget.

More information about the program can be found at rail.ohio.gov/crossingelimination.

(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

The Hancock Historical Museum will host its monthly Brown Bag Lecture, Thursday, September 7th, at noon. Bowling Green State University Professor, Dr. Rebecca Mancuso, will present a lecture entitled “’We Support Child Support’: Ohio Women’s Activism Goes National, 1984-2005.”

Dr. Mancuso specializes in the history of Canada, local history, and public history. She currently coordinates the Canadian Studies academic minor program at BGSU and serves a member of the History Department’s Graduate Committee. She has assisted in designing the department’s MA program in public history, and teaches graduate courses in local and public history.

Dr. Mancuso’s publications, appearing in an array of academic journals, explore immigration to Canada as a twentieth-century nationalist project with a focus on women migrants. In 2013, she held the Fulbright Research Chair at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She has led public history projects in both Canada and the U.S. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Wood County, Ohio, Historical Society.

Thursday’s lecture is free for museum members, and $3 for nonmembers. For more information, please call the Hancock Historical Museum at (419)423-4433, or visit hancockhistoricalmuseum.org.

(ONN) – A 12-year-old boy riding his bike was hit and killed in northwest Ohio.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says it happened near Paulding, which is on the Ohio-Indiana line, about 30 miles east of Fort Wayne.

Troopers say Ross Meyers was riding his bike on a county road at about 2 o’clock Monday afternoon when he was hit by a van driven by a 45-year-old woman from Paulding.

She was cited for failing to keep a clear distance ahead.

The crash remains under investigation.

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

The Tiffin Police Department is warning the public of a phone scam where individuals are posing as local law enforcement officials by calling potential victims regarding outstanding warrants or fines and asking them for payment.

This has recently occurred in the city of Tiffin. The FBI is also warning about this same phone scam occurring nationwide.

The scammers are using spoofed law enforcement phone numbers, along with the names, positions, and addresses of officers.

The scam is largely targeting women with lucrative careers that have an online presence.

The following is a list of suspicious activity to look out for related to this scam.

* Calls from local law enforcement stating an individual has fines for outstanding warrants.

* Calls from local law enforcement stating the court is holding the individual in contempt for failure to appear for jury duty.

* Calls from local law enforcement stating an individual has been placed under a “gag order” and is not allowed to speak with anyone else regarding the matter.

* Calls from local law enforcement demanding you remain on the line until the “bond” is paid.

* Requests for monetary gift cards (visa/green dot etc.) bank deposits, and voucher purchases to clear court fines or avoid jail time.

* Requests for videos or pictures of individuals conducting a personal strip search of themselves to clear court fines or avoid jail time.

If you receive a voice-mail from local law enforcement demanding a call back, do not respond.

Instead, call your local police department’s general phone number (419-447-2323) or go in person to verify the call.

Please remember, law enforcement will never call you if you have an arrest warrant for missing jury duty, nor will they ask you to send money to clear a warrant.

Lastly, they will never ask you to send pictures or videos of yourself for any reason.

Thank you,

Chief Pauly

Students in Liberty-Benton Local Schools head back to class on Tuesday, September 5^th as the new school year begins.

The school district recently held a grand opening celebration for its new elementary/middle school which is located just south of the high school along County Road 9.

“It is indeed a great day to be an Eagle,” said Superintendent Bruce Otley.

“To see so many familiar faces coming in today enjoying this space that they helped us create.”

Bruce said the entire building is beautifully made and some of the notable features are the 800 seat performing arts center and the use of natural lighting throughout the building.

People also had a chance to check out the newly renovated high school next door.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says a pursuit that started in Hancock County ended in Auglaize County with an officer-involved shooting.

The Highway Patrol says on Sunday afternoon around 1:35 Findlay Post troopers located a Chrysler Pacifica traveling southbound on Interstate 75 in Hancock County that was believed to be driven by a man wanted for murder in Chicago.

The suspect refused to stop for troopers and a pursuit ensued on I-75 southbound at a high rate of speed.

Troopers successfully deployed stop sticks multiple times but the vehicle continued driving southbound into Auglaize County.

Troopers made intentional contact with the vehicle on I-75, just south of US 33, in Auglaize County and the vehicle came to rest in the median and caught on fire.

After a short time, the driver, identified as Danny E. Berry, 45, of Chicago, exited the vehicle with a handgun and began walking southbound in the southbound lanes of I-75, where an officer-involved shooting occurred.

Berry was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

No officers involved were physically injured as a result of the incident. The incident remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was requested to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Lima Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, Wapakoneta Fire & EMS, Shawnee Township Police Department and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The Findlay Fire Department says a deceased man was found inside a house as crews were battling a house fire.

Fire crews arrived at 237 Clifton Avenue at 4:40 Sunday morning to find the house on fire with fire showing through the roof.

During firefighting operations, a deceased adult male victim was located inside the house, the fire department said.

The identity of the victim is being withheld pending positive identification from the coroner’s office.

The fire department said there was no indication of suspicious activity related to the fire.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested and responded to the scene.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says two murder suspects from Michigan shot at law enforcement during a pursuit in Wood and Hancock Counties before being taken into custody.

The Highway Patrol says, at 7:40 Saturday night, troopers with the Bowling Green Post along with deputies from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office located a vehicle and suspects wanted in connection with a carjacking and homicide that occurred earlier in the day in Monroe County, Michigan.

As troopers and deputies approached the vehicle at a rest area near Bowling Green, the suspects fled southbound on Interstate 75 and a pursuit ensued.

The Highway Patrol says the suspects shot at pursuing officers multiple times during the pursuit and troopers returned fire.

The pursuit continued southbound on I-75 into Hancock County and through Findlay and exited onto State Route 15.

As the suspect’s vehicle was approaching Township Road 240, a little east of State Route 37, it went off the right side of the road and struck the ditch.

The Highway Patrol said the suspects initially refused to comply with troopers’ orders to exit the vehicle, but after some time the passenger exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.

The Highway Patrol Special Response Team arrived on scene and was able to take the driver into custody.

The driver, Stephen M. Jones, 29, of Monroe, Michigan was flown to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

The passenger, Ronnie L. Oliver, 44, of Ann Arbor, Michigan was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons.

He was medically cleared and taken to the Hancock County Jail.

No officers were physically injured in the incident, which is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

One of the busiest roads in Findlay will be closing for a water line installation project.

West Main Cross Street (State Route 12) between South Cory Street and South West Street in downtown Findlay will close Monday, September 11 for approximately five days.

The water line that’s being installed is for the new Hancock County Judicial Center building that’s going up at 209 West Main Cross between Cory Street and the post office.

The city says the post office will remain accessible during the road closure.

Detours will be posted.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is encouraging people who don’t have one yet to get a library card during National Library Card Sign-Up Month in September.

Library Director Sarah Clevidence says at the library they believe there’s nothing more empowering than getting your own library card.

“It gives you access to technology, resources and services to help you pursue your passions and your dreams.”

Sarah says 27,047 members of the community are currently library card holders and they’d like to sign up a lot more during National Library Card Sign-Up Month.

Get more details by clicking here.