(From the Ohio Library Council)

The Ohio Library Council’s Board of Directors held its first meeting of the new year on Jan. 12 and is pleased to announce that Sarah Clevidence, director of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, will serve as Chair of its Board of Directors, replacing Laura Lee Wilson, director of the Huron County Community Library, who will serve as Past Chair.

Mary Ellen Icaza, director of the Stark County District Library is Chair-Elect and Stacey Russell, executive director of the Muskingum County Library System is Secretary-Treasurer. All officers will serve one-year terms.

“I’m honored to serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors for OLC in 2024,” Clevidence said.

“And look forward to working with my fellow board members to ensure that Ohio’s public libraries remain the best in the nation.”

The board also welcomed newly-elected members Travis Bautz, director of the MidPointe Library System and Sandra Hedlund Tunnell, trustee with the Ashland Public Library.

Returning board members for 2024 include:
• Kathy Bach, Public Services Director, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
• Julianne Bedel, Director, Medina County District Library
• Aimee Fifarek, Director, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County
• Robert Jenkins, Trustee, Dr. Samuel L. Bossard Memorial Library
• Cheryl Kuonen, Director, Mentor Public Library
• Richard Rubin, Trustee, Cuyahoga Falls Public Library
• Jennifer Slone, Access Director, Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library

“We are so fortunate to have these talented and well accomplished individuals join and serve on the OLC Board,” said Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council. “This is a busy time for our members. Our libraries are working hard to help teachers and students as the state transitions to the Science of Reading. They’re also expanding services to meet the unique needs of their communities. Many libraries are providing these services with less staff and from aging buildings in need of repair. I’m grateful for these volunteer leaders who have stepped up to continue our mission and to ensure that Ohio’s public libraries remain the best in the nation.”

(The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is undergoing some changes to freshen things up and you can get more on that by clicking here.)

(ONN) – State Treasurer Robert Sprague’s office has started a new program called ‘Ohio Homebuyer Plus‘ that will help Ohioans save for a down payment.

Essentially, it’s a savings account designed to encourage home ownership.

It works by giving qualified homeowners a savings account with a higher interest rate so their money grows faster to put down a down payment on a home.

On with WFIN’s Chris Oaks, Sprague says affordable housing is a big issue in Ohio.

To participate in the program must be an Ohio resident and your savings can’t exceed $100,000.

Get more details by clicking here.

We haven’t had much snow this winter, but eventually we’ll get a winter storm that makes the roads difficult to navigate.

Findlay Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Brian White was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to share some winter driving safety tips.

Brian says the best thing is to stay off the roads when they’re snow-covered and icy, but if you have to be on the road make sure you clear all the snow and ice off your windshields and give yourself extra time to reach your destination so you can slow down on the road.

Get more tips from Office White in his interview with WFIN’s Chris Oaks below.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts, and road alerts by clicking here. And get school closings and delays by clicking here.  

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Wind Chill Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The Wind Chill Advisory goes from 1 a.m. Tuesday until noon Wednesday.

Very cold wind chills of 15 degrees below zero are expected.

The coldest wind chills are expected Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, including a hat, and gloves.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts, and road alerts by clicking here. And get school closings and delays by clicking here.  

Findlay City Schools is letting parents know about an update to the school district’s attendance procedures.

“From now on, no matter which building your kids are in, you will report their absences the exact same way!” the school district said on its Facebook page.

Reporting an absence for your child will be consistent from preschool to graduation.

“When your child moves from one building to the next throughout their school years, the way you report their absences will stay the same. No more remembering which secretary belongs to which school or which building phone number belongs to which one of your kids.”

You can choose the method that works best for you to report an absence; a phone call, Final Forms, or by downloading the school messenger app. 

“You can find all of the details at fcs.org, and even start submitting for future dates that you already know your kids will be absent.”

People with questions can email pr@fcs.org.

(From Cory-Rawson Local Schools)

Cory-Rawson Local Schools will induct the inaugural class of its Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame on Friday, February 9, 2024. The purpose of the district’s Hall of Fame is to recognize graduates of Cory-Rawson, Mount Cory, or Rawson High Schools whose achievements have impacted the region, state, nation, and world. The three 2024 inductees include Melana A. Maxie (class of 1983), Jason E. Searfoss (class of 1990), and Tara C. Welch Smith (class of 1994).

The induction events include an assembly introducing the inductees to the high school students and staff and a presentation during halftime of the high school varsity basketball game that evening. The generosity of various donors made the Hall of Fame possible.

Melana A. Maxie graduated from Purdue University in 1987 with a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Her career in the aerospace defense industry focused on structural analysis, store certification, and weapons integration on the F-16 and F-35 aircrafts. When Melana retired in 2017 she was the F-35 Weapons Integration and Certification Manager, where she ensured all required data was gathered and submitted to the U.S. Government to support certification that all weapons could be safely loaded, carried, and employed on all three variants of the F-35.

Melana also served her community by coaching volleyball at the YMCA, was a Girl Scout leader, and supported middle school theater productions in set and costume design. During her retirement Melana established a Quilt of Valor Group in Clarendon County. Melana is the Governor and Assistant General for the Society of Mayflower Descendants in South Carolina, and serves the General Society of Mayflower Descendants on several committees and was awarded the Governor General’s Commendation Award in 2023.

Jason Searfoss is a recognized leader in the financial services industry. He has held leadership positions at some of the world’s leading investment managers and banks, as well as at various startups and growth-stage companies. In these capacities, he has built and led finance and investment functions, managed portfolios of alternative assets, and been instrumental in tens of billions of dollars of capital transactions.

Mr. Searfoss co-founded a technology startup accelerator and venture capital firm with more than 200 portfolio companies. He is also an active personal investor in and advisor to dozens of startup- and growth-stage technology companies.

Jason received a MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Kenyon College, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. After completing his undergraduate studies at Kenyon, Jason was one of 40 people selected worldwide to receive a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, and spent 15 months in New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, India, and Nepal during the fellowship.

In his spare time, Jason is a competitive ultramarathon runner, having completed single-stage races of up to 122 miles and self-supported adventure runs of up to 175 miles in distance.

Dr. Tara Smith is a Professor of Epidemiology at the Kent State University College of Public Health She previously held leadership roles at the University of Iowa College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology where she directed the College’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and attained the rank of associate professor with tenure. While at Iowa, she also obtained a Certificate in Agricultural Safety and Health. She completed post-doctoral training in molecular epidemiology at the University of Michigan prior to beginning her professorship at the University of Iowa. She obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Toledo, investigating the pathogenesis of the Group A Streptococcus, and her B.S. in Biology from Yale University.

Tara was the first to identify livestock-associated strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the United States, and has pioneered the investigation of this organism in the United States. Dr. Smith has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She has received significant funding to carry out these studies. She has presented her research at numerous national and international platforms, including talks on Capitol Hill on the topic of agriculture and antibiotic resistance. Her work has been profiled in many major publications. She served as a subject matter expert during the pandemic for Kent State University and was interviewed hundreds of times by various international news organizations.

Dr. Smith is also very active in science communication and outreach. She maintained a science blog for 11 years, has written a number of books and writes for a number of online news sites.

The Cory-Rawson district marks its 75th anniversary of the consolidation of Mount Cory and Rawson school districts, making 2024 a milestone year.

(ONN) – Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will be disappearing from highways across the country.

The Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to make changes outlined in its new manual released last month.

The rules spell out how signs and other traffic control devices are regulated.

Administration officials say electronic signs with obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be misunderstood or distracting.

Ohio is one of the states where light-hearted messages with a serious intent are sometimes displayed along interstates.

Some of the messages seen on highway signs in Ohio over the last few years include; ‘You’re not a Pumpkin – Don’t Drive Smashed’, ‘Protect Your Buns, Buckle Up Ohio, ‘Son of a Nutcracker, Watch your speed,’ and ‘Life is Fra-Gee-Lay, Slow Down.’

(From the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office)

Big Happy Birthday today to Wyatt, who braved the frigid weather today, so that we could share with him his special day as he turns 6.

Wyatt was named Honorary Deputy for the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office and enjoyed some presents from our office of his favorite cartoon, Paw Patrol.

Wyatt got to enjoy K9’s Bristol, Christo, and the company of several members of the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office.

Wyatt, have a great day!

The Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County is reminding people to look out for their pets during this cold snap and extreme wind chills.

The Humane Society’s Natalie Reffitt says her best advice to pet parents is to keep their pets inside during extremely cold weather and only let them out, with supervision, to go to the restroom and bring them in immediately when they finish.

She’s also advising people with outside pets to bring them in as well, even if it’s only into a garage or spare room.

If you can’t bring in outdoor pets, make sure they have shelter and insulation, such as straw for bedding.

She says pets must always have access to fresh, clean water and people need to check it to make sure it’s not frozen.

Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Wind Chill Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The Wind Chill Advisory goes until noon on Monday.

Very cold wind chills of 15 to 20 degrees below zero are occurring.

The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, including a hat, and gloves.

Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.