An habitual drug offender was sentenced in Seneca County Common Pleas Court after accepting a plea agreement on multiple counts of drug trafficking.

Richard ‘Fred’ Seaburn III was sentenced to 14 to 19 ½ years in prison, with 11 years mandatory.

The sentence was the result of three separate drug investigations into Seaburn in Fostoria beginning in June of 2021.

“Mr. Seaburn’s history of drug trafficking in Seneca County spanned over 20 years,” said Det. Brandon Bell with the Seneca County Drug Task Force METRICH Enforcement Unit.

“His continued action over the past two decades has shown he is not amenable to changing his behavior and an extended prison sentence is the only option.”

Findlay City Schools is reminding parents and students that Fall Break is coming up.

Fall Break will run from Monday, November 20^th through Friday, November 24^th.

Students will return to school on Monday, November 27^th.

Looking ahead to December, Winter Break will be held from Friday, December 22^nd through Tuesday, January 2^nd, 2024.

Click here for the full Findlay City Schools calendar.

(ONN) – An insurance company has filed suit against State Representative Jon Cross and his wife after the couple lost their Kenton home in a house fire.

In the documents filed in federal court, it shows that Jon and Christina Cross are being taken to court by their insurance company, Liberty Mutual.

They found that the couple did $300,000 worth of upgrades on their home starting in March.

The house was worth $245,000 when the Crosses first bought it in 2014.

Liberty Mutual requires a 90-day notice of any updates that would increase the home’s value by more than $5,000 and says the Crosses failed to provide that notice.

The lawsuit does not provide the value of the insurance claim submitted by the cross family but Liberty Mutual is arguing they aren’t responsible for paying more than the policy limit of $634,390.40.

The State Fire Marshal investigated the fire that happened at Cross’ home.

The cause of it is undetermined.

Property records show the Cross Family bought a home in Findlay worth $792,000.

The 83^rd District that Cross represents includes Hancock County , Hardin County and a portion of Logan County.

McComb will be putting on their inaugural Hometown Christmas event in December.

It will be held on Sunday, December 3^rd from 4:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the downtown area.

The event will include a Christmas Tree lighting, a Christmas Market, food trucks, entertainment, activities for the kids and much more.

We spoke with Mayor Cathy Schroll about their Hometown Christmas event.

She said the tree lighting will be held at 4:45 p.m. at Premier Bank in downtown.

Hometown Christmas in McComb was made possible by the efforts of the McComb Community Partnership which also puts on the Cookie Festival.

Get more details by clicking here.

Transportation officials say the two new overpasses on State Route 15 are nearing completion.

The new overpasses are at County Road 180 south of Findlay and at County Road 169 near Vanlue.

Officials expect the overpasses to be finished by the end of November.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says the overpass projects are part of an overall effort by ODOT District 1 to improve the safety of four-lane, divided highways in the region.

We spoke with Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade about the overpasses.

The ultimate goal is to eliminate at-grade intersections through a combination of short-term projects, such as removing medians and installing cul-de-sacs or restricted crossing U-turns (RCUTs); and long-term projects, such as constructing overpasses and interchanges.

The project was developed and funded in close partnership with the Hancock County Engineer.

ODOT has plans to construct yet another overpass over State Route 15, with this latest one going up at County Road 193 in 2025.

(From Sergeant Mike Cortez)

Mike Cortez, a seasoned law enforcement veteran, announces his candidacy for Sheriff of Hancock County. With a distinguished career spanning almost 30 years as a Hancock County Deputy Sheriff, Cortez aims to leverage his extensive experience to enhance community safety and meet contemporary challenges in law enforcement. Cortez retired at the rank of Sergeant in October after more than 29 years.

Cortez’s campaign focuses on a modern approach to public safety, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, advanced technology, and a well-trained, professional law enforcement team. He plans to introduce initiatives such as expanding K9 units, increasing School Resource Officers, and improving mental health awareness in the community. Cortez believes that a well-run office can both deliver modern solutions while respecting the time-honored values of the Sheriff’s Office.

Key to his vision is the modernization of the Sheriff’s Office, including upgrading technology and practices to tackle new challenges like cybercrime. Cortez is also committed to developing a robust training program for law enforcement personnel, fostering a positive workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent.

“As your future Sheriff, I pledge to uphold our community’s core values, ensuring Hancock County continues to shine as a beacon of safety, unity, and prosperity,” says Mike Cortez.

For more information, visit [cortezforsheriff.com].

Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman recently announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2024 after being sheriff since 1997.

(From Welcome to a New Life)

Welcome to a New Life, a nonprofit organization mentoring adults involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, is once again holding a gift card drive as their 2023 Giving Tuesday project. The gift card drive will take place through November 30th. The organization is seeking donations of gift cards to restaurants and coffee shops. Other gift cards (Walmart, Meijer, Dollar General, cab vouchers, gas cards, etc.) will also be accepted and will be used to assist mentees with unexpected expenses needed to improve their lives.

The mission of Welcome to a New Life relies on volunteer mentors to meet regularly with adults involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, helping them to establish goals, develop healthy relationships, and improve their lives by making better choices. Often, these meetings occur in local small businesses like restaurants, cafes and other businesses providing services.

By hosting a Giving Tuesday Gift Card Drive, Welcome to a New Life believes that we are not only supporting the work of our volunteer mentors and their mentees, but also our Hancock County businesses. By purchasing a gift card and donating it to Welcome to a New Life, the restaurants and businesses win, our organization wins, and the mentors and mentees win.

Those who wish to donate can simply purchase a gift card from a local restaurant and mail it to Welcome to a New Life at PMB #105, 2447 Tiffin Ave., Findlay, Ohio, 45840. Welcome to a New Life will be hosting an open house on November 28th from 8am – 5pm  for those who wish to drop off their donations in person, meet WNL board members and staff, and learn more about the organization. The WNL office is located at 1219 W. Main Cross St. Suite 201, Findly, OH 45840.

If you would like to provide an online contribution toward the purchase of gift cards, visit https://www.welcometoanewlife.org/givingtuesday.

For more information visit welcometoanewlife.org or contact Carla Benjamin, executive director, at 419-455-6082 or director@welcometoanewlife.org.

(ONN) – Just when it looked like the Cleveland Browns were becoming a serious playoff contender comes unfortunate news.

The Browns announced that quarterback Deshaun Watson will be placed on season-ending injured reserve amid an injury that will require immediate surgical repair.

The Browns say Watson is expected to make a full recovery for the start of next season.

The team says Watson suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s win over Baltimore, but also suffered a displaced fracture in his throwing shoulder that will need surgery.

Cleveland is 6-3, just a half game behind Baltimore, and hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1724786631977394687

(From the Office of the Governor)

In honor of the lives of those killed in the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District bus crash, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States of America and the State of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Tuscarawas and Stark counties, at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes Tower from sunrise on November 15, 2023 until sunset on November 18, 2023.

All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.

Six people were killed, including three students, in the multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 in Licking County on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/ODOT_EastCenOH/status/1724429198054330424

The City Mission of Findlay’s ‘Shine a Light Walk’ will be held on Friday night, November 17^th.

It will begin at 6 p.m. at the Hancock County Courthouse.

People are invited to join the City Mission in bringing awareness to homelessness and in celebrating the possibility of renewal and hope.

In 2022, the City Mission provided more than 31,000 nights of lodging and 130,000 meals.