In honor of those killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Governor DeWine has ordered that all U.S. and Ohio flags be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state on Patriot Day.
The order will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on the 22nd anniversary of the attacks, Monday, September 11, 2023.
The governor is asking all Ohioans to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. to honor those who lost their lives in the attacks.
A backyard explosion in Tiffin sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.
The Tiffin Police Department said police and fire responded to the 100 block of Bobb Street on Saturday afternoon on the report of an explosion behind a residence.
Officers arrived to find a 43-year-old man lying near a fire pit area.
Police believe the man used high octane racing fuel to ignite a fire, and he had a lit cigarette in his mouth at the time and an explosion occurred.
The man was treated on the scene and then taken to Tiffin Mercy Hospital and then flown to a Cleveland hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
The police department is investigating the explosion and believes it to be accidental.
(From Blanchard Valley Health System)
Blanchard Valley Health System is a diverse environment, where associates come from varied backgrounds. However, recently, a four-legged associate named Pace joined the team in order to relieve the stress within the health system.
Pace is a golden retriever/goldendoodle mix who will turn four later this fall. She is a facility dog and the working partner of Michael Cifranic, MSN, RN, a nursing recruitment and retention specialist.
Cifranic was first paired with Pace more than two years ago through the organization Canine Assistants while working at another healthcare facility. When he moved to Northwest Ohio and began working for BVHS, so did Pace.
Canine Assistants dogs are not given typical obedience training, but instead learn to do their job through an approach called “bond-based teaching.” The goal is to create a safe, trusting, loving relationship between dog and handler so that the dog feels confident and able to do what needs to be done.
Cifranic said this is particularly helpful in a hospital setting, where there may be disruptions like alarms. Pace is taught to feel safe and remain calm. She rarely barks, on or off duty.
Pace does not visit patients at Blanchard Valley Hospital, but instead provides staff support. Cifranic has found that associates welcome her with open arms…literally.
Cifranic said health care can involve a lot of stress. A big source of stress is the day-in, day-out challenge of knowing you have a lot to do in a limited time frame and are trying “to be the nurse that you want to be” amid that busy day. But petting Pace means that, when nurses do take a break, it is genuinely calming and they tend to feel far less stressed.
Nurses who cannot have a pet dog of their own for whatever reason find that, at work, Pace is able to provide them with some of that unconditional love. While Cifranic works primarily with nurses, Pace can be a calming influence on associates in other hospital departments as well and gladly shows her love to other professionals such as physicians and physical therapists, among many others.
As a nursing recruitment and retention specialist, Cifranic goes into the community at special events to market that BVHS is a great place to work. He also focuses on retention of nurses already employed at BVHS, as well as recruiting new nurses.
Cifranic visits high school and college campuses and has found students are eager to have their picture taken with Pace, and to pet her. He has found it helps BVHS stand out as a potential employer, as students may see it as a place that is focused on its healthcare providers’ own health and wellness.
“I get a lot of questions about her,” Cifranic said. “I’m known as ‘the guy with the dog.’”
Cifranic said developing a strong support system helps with employee retention. He said the BVHS nurse residency program is one example of this.
Pace, meanwhile, helps relieve nurses’ stress. In turn, this may help build their confidence – nurses may be aware they are doing a phenomenal job, but in the midst of stress it’s easy to lose sight of that accomplishment. Having a few calming minutes to pet a dog helps them realize their contribution and their value.
Cifranic’s long healthcare career includes 15 years as a nurse.
“She made me a better nurse,” he said. “Pace is able to pick up on tiny, subtle emotional cues, and to really feel the energy of a room. Working with her has helped me improve my own skills in this area, so together we can really work with people who need support.”
Pace has learned to respond to questions and knows the difference between “yes” and “no,” as well as the difference between “right” and “left”.
“She brings so much joy into the workplace,” Cifranic said.
When off duty, Pace is like any other dog. Cifranic said she has a large collection of toys, but one of her favorite hobbies is stealing his shoes. She also loves playing fetch, searching for rabbits and squirrels, checking on her chicken friends daily, and going for walks.
The man authorities say crashed into the back of a school bus on Interstate 75 carrying students from Arlington Local Schools and injuring some of the students has been charged.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says Aaron P. Hilt, 32, of North Baltimore, has been charged in Bowling Green Municipal Court with aggravated vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident, OVI, and failure to maintain assured cleared distance.
He’s incarcerated at the Wood County Justice Center.
The Highway Patrol says Hilt was driving southbound on I-75 near North Baltimore at 9:15 Thursday night when he crashed his pickup truck into the back of the Arlington Local Schools bus.
His truck went off the road and caught on fire and he fled the scene on foot and was located at his residence.
The school bus, which was transporting Arlington’s junior high football team, had 26 students on it and six were transported to hospitals with minor injuries.
The driver of the school bus was not injured.
(From Flag City Honor Flight)
Flag City Honor Flight, the Findlay-based hub of the National Honor Flight Network, takes off on its third flight of the 2023 flight season on September 12, flying 86 Veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the war memorials built in their honor.
There will be one World War II Veteran making the trip on September 12th, 13 from the Korean War era, and 72 Vietnam-era Veterans. One Veteran served across multiple conflicts, including Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War and the War on Terrorism. He’ll be accompanied by his son, who is also a Veteran. The father and son served in the same unit for a short time as Seabees. Three sets of brothers will be on the trip, seven Bronze Star recipients and five Purple Heart recipients.
While many will be accompanied by family member Guardians, many other Veterans will be paired with Guardians they don’t know until flight day, community Guardians who volunteer their time to escort the Veterans to the memorials built in their honor. Veterans and Guardians can apply at www.flagcityhonorflight.org.
It is the third of four flights in 2023, the first time Flag City Honor Flight has offered four flights in a single flight season. President and Flight Director Steve Schult says they’ve increased the number of annual flights to decrease the amount of time Veterans wait to go on a flight.
As Steve mentioned in the audio above, there are currently more than 550 area Veterans on the waiting list to make the trip.
Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend the homecoming celebration.
The Grand Aire hangar is located at 11777 W. Airport Service Road in Swanton. The hangar opens at 7 p.m. for supporters to gather.
Flag City Honor Flight’s fourth and final flight of the year is scheduled for November 7.
Veterans on all flights pay absolutely nothing to take the trip with Flag City Honor Flight. They are accompanied by Guardians, who are asked to make a donation to help with expenses.
UPDATE – Young has now said that he will resign effective October 2nd.
(ONN) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling on a Republican State Representative from the Akron suburb of Green to resign.
It comes a week after Representative Bob Young was arrested for allegedly violating a protection order that was issued during a separate arrest in July.
“These are some serious charges. It’s not a good situation, so I think he should resign,” the governor said.
34 Ohio House Republicans released a letter calling for Young to resign.
Police say Young was initially arrested for assaulting his wife, then arrested for calling someone who has a protection order against him.
(ONN) – Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow – the kid from Athens County – has a new contract.
It’s a five-year deal worth $275 million. That’s the biggest in NFL history.
About $220 million is guaranteed in the contract and it means Burrow is now going to be a Cincinnati Bengal until at least the 2029 season.
The former Ohio State quarterback has rejuvenated the Bengals franchise, taking the team to back-to-back AFC championship games and a Super Bowl in 2022.
The only downside to this contract is from a team standpoint because the Bengals are going to have to deal with Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins contract situation in the near future.
(From the Hancock Park District)
Registration is now open for Hancock Park District’s 9th Annual Hike-It! program.
The Hancock Park District (HPD) Hike-It program is a way for folks to go out and explore the trails throughout Hancock County. For the eighth year, participants are encouraged to walk the designated trails at several Hancock County locations. Hike-It registration begins Friday, September 1.
Details and registration forms can be found online at www.HancockParks.com. Registration forms may be emailed to jshane@HancockParks.com or dropped off in our office at 1424 E Main Cross Findlay. If this is your first year to participate, you may stop into the office to pick up your complimentary walking stick.
Hiking must be done by November 30 in order for you to receive your 2023 medallion, which can be placed on the walking stick. You must return the trail chart by emailing it to jshane@hancockparks.com or you may bring it to our office at 1424 E Main Cross, no later than November 30th 2023 to be put on the list to receive a medallion.
For more information about other upcoming park programs and events, visit the “Programs & Activities Calendar” on our website, www.HancockParks.com or call the park office at 419-425-7275.
Some Arlington students were injured when the school bus they were riding in was involved in a crash on Interstate 75 Thursday night.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says an Arlington Local Schools bus was southbound on I-75 when it was struck from behind by a pickup truck near North Baltimore.
The pickup truck that hit the bus then went off the road and caught on fire.
The driver fled the scene on foot and was taken into custody.
The school bus had 26 students on it and six were transported to hospitals with minor injuries.
The school bus was transporting Arlington’s junior high football team, according to WTOL-11.
The team was returning to Arlington, in Hancock County, after playing Elmwood in Wood County.
The man accused of causing the crash has since been charged. Click here for more.
The date has been announced for Findlay’s Trick-or-Treat.
The city posted to its social media saying Trick-or-Treat this year will be on Saturday, October 28th from 6 to 8 p.m.
In August, the date was announced for the 2023 Cops & Kids Findlay Halloween Parade presented by loanDepot.
The popular annual event will be held on Tuesday, October 24th at 7 p.m. as Findlay transforms into a Halloween wonderland.
See some video from last year’s Trick-or-Treat in Findlay below.