(From the Federal Emergency Management Agency)

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams from FEMA will be available this week to assist in Ohio communities affected by the March 14 tornadoes. Teams will help residents navigate the federal assistance process. DSA teams will begin in areas of Logan County and may move to the other impacted counties in the weeks ahead.

DSA personnel visit communities designated as federal disaster areas to help homeowners and renters apply with FEMA and quickly identify and address immediate and emerging needs. They also can provide application status updates and referrals to additional community resources.

DSA teams will never ask for or accept money and will always be wearing a FEMA identification badge with a photograph. A FEMA shirt, vest or jacket is not proof of identity. While helping someone apply, they will ask for personal information, including social security number, annual income and bank information. Residents are encouraged to ask for identification before providing any personal information. They can also call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify a FEMA visit is legitimate.

Homeowners and renters in Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, and Union counties with uninsured or underinsured disaster-related loss from the March 14 tornadoes don’t have to wait for a DSA team to apply for assistance.

To apply, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app or call 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

For even more information about the disaster recovery operation in Ohio, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4777.  

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is seeking reading camp tutors for the summer.

Tutors will meet with K-2 students from June 4 – July 26 on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Arcadia United Methodist Church.

No tutoring experience is needed and volunteers will be provided with training before Reading Camp begins. 

Tutors should be 16 or older.

Click here to sign up or you can also fill out an application at the library.

(From the Hancock County Farmers’ Market)

The Hancock County Farmers’ Market is in its 19th season.

You are invited to the market on Thursday afternoons, 4 to 6 pm, from May through the end of October.

All of our member/vendors come from Hancock and the surrounding counties.

You can tell they enjoy what they do, and it shows in their hard work, skill, and presentation.

Is the market cash only?

You can certainly use cash. You can visit the WELCOME canopy at the market to purchase tokens that spend like cash with your credit/debit card. The market welcomes the Ohio Direction Card. Produce Perks and Power of Produce for kids are available, too. Stop by the WELCOME canopy for more information.

Where is the farmers’ market held?

You can find the farmers’ market in downtown Findlay across from the Post Office in the parking lot of Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, at 200 West Main Cross.

Off-street parking is free. No one will receive a ticket in the MCPA lot after 4:00 pm on Thursdays.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is letting people know of some ramp closures on Interstate 75 in northern Hancock County.

ODOT says the I-75 northbound ramps at State Route 613 will be closed from Thursday, May 16 to Saturday, May 25 for concrete pavement repairs.

State Route 613, between the I-75 overpass and Van Buren, will be restricted to local traffic only.

Get more details from ODOT below.

(From Findlay City Schools)

We are so excited to host Hancock County’s Summer Lunch Program, offering FREE lunches to everyone under 18 years old this summer! Adult Meals are available for $4.25!

Mondays-Thursdays (with a meal to take home for Friday!)
11:30-12:30
Glenwood Middle School

There will be activities provided each day, so this is more than just a meal…it’s fun, too!

We have so much incredible help to make this amazing summer opportunity available:

Thank you to United Way of Hancock County, Findlay YMCA Feed-a-Child, and the
Hancock County Family and Children First Council for your support, as well as the support of our entire community to take care of our kids when they’re away from school for the summer.

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

An end to emergency care funding in the state is expected to leave over 130,000 Ohio children without access to childcare this year. Hancock County is already experiencing a shortage of childcare providers, which is stressing families and challenging the local workforce.

The lack of availability is so pronounced that for every one spot of childcare available in Hancock County, an additional 10 children are waiting.

These findings and more are part of a study recently released by the Hancock County Childcare Collaborative.

The March 2024 Policy Matters Ohio report on childcare defines Hancock County as a childcare desert, further cementing the need in the community.

WFIN’s Chris Oaks spoke with some local community leaders on how to solve the problem.

“The data shows that the childcare crisis in Hancock County is real and is having an outsized impact on families and businesses alike,” said Randall Galbraith, director of Hancock County Job and Family Services.

“Hancock County only has 24 licensed childcare providers, of which seven are small, in-home providers. The consequence is that families are forced to use unlicensed and possibly substandard caregivers or forego work opportunities. In turn, local employers have a smaller pool of talent from which to find employees.

“All in all, the outcome is a loss of opportunities for children to receive quality childcare that gives them a boost in their school performance, the loss of the ability to make personal economic gains for parents, and a shortfall in qualified employees for local businesses. Further, the trends indicate that the problem is getting worse, not better over time,” Galbraith added.

In the coming months, the childcare collaborative will share data related to the current state of childcare in Hancock County and develop an action plan to address needs.

“Access to reliable, quality childcare is essential to families in their quest for financial stability and has a ripple effect on the entire community,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way of Hancock County.

“As a community, we need to make a strategic effort to recruit and retain childcare workers to help support families and shore up the local workforce.”

The study is informed by a communitywide survey conducted last spring which polled over 600 parents, prospective parents, adults with grown children and people who are raising family members’ children, such as grandparents.

A separate survey was completed by over 50 local business leaders. The collaborative is led by representatives from The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, United Way of Hancock County, Blanchard Valley Health System, Hancock County Job and Family Services and Findlay Family YMCA, which is the largest childcare provider in the county.

Teachers, childcare providers, employers, government leaders, nonprofit organizations and funders are also involved. In both surveys, it was clear that a lack of childcare options is straining the workforce, as parents struggle to find or afford childcare, and may miss work due to a sick child or an unexpected closure by their provider.

Over 80% of respondents from the business community said their business operations had been at least moderately affected by the local childcare crisis. The results of the survey are outlined in the report. These results, combined with the expected end to emergency care funding in Ohio, are driving local leaders to consider several countywide solutions.

The majority will be focused on short-term (five years or less) goals that, if successfully completed, will result in increased availability, affordability and quality of childcare in Hancock County.

“Taking care of children in our community is a priority for all of us, regardless of if we represent nonprofits, schools, government, or individual families,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of The Community Foundation.

“The Foundation is proud to be part of this collaborative to address a critical need in our community. Together, we will continue to take steps forward to improve this system in Hancock County.” The full report can be found on the following websites: • Community Foundation – www.community-foundation.com • United Way – www.uwhancock.org To learn more about the childcare collaborative, contact Kimberly Bash, Chief Community Engagement Officer, at The Community Foundation.

(From the City of Findlay)

Findlay was recognized as a Tree City USA at the Northwest Ohio awards ceremony. This is the 42nd time Findlay, Ohio, has been honored with this nationally recognized award. The awards were presented to the Tree City and Tree Campus USA communities by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry.

The title of Tree City USA was bestowed upon Findlay, Ohio, for its ongoing efforts to maintain and improve quality of life through a comprehensive tree management program. The program is guided by Findlay’s Shade Tree Commission.

The Ohio DNR, Division of Forestry’s Urban Forestry Assistance Program acts as a guiding hand in helping a community to become qualified as a Tree City USA. The Regional Urban Forester recommends a community to the Arbor Day Foundation for this standing. To achieve the title and the honors, a community must meet four standards:

• A Tree Ordinance
• An active Tree Commission or forestry department
• A comprehensive urban forestry program supported by a minimum of two dollars per capita
• An annual Arbor Day proclamation and public observance.

For additional information about the Tree City USA program or the Arbor Day Foundation, visit www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.

St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Church on Bright Road in Findlay is updating its sign and part of the improvements needed the approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

The new sign will include a 7.5 feet by 4 feet electronic portion and that’s what needed a variance by the BZA.

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved the variance at their recent meeting.

Earlier this year the city code was updated to stipulate that no more than 25 percent of an approved sign area can be electronic in nature, and that’s why the variance was needed.

The electronic portion of the sign will be turned off from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

(Design concept courtesy of Toledo Sign)

(From the Fostoria Police Department)

Recently, the Fostoria Police Department has received a large number of complaints about juveniles with Splat Guns or Orbeez Guns.

These complaints range from juveniles shooting citizens and injuring them, to juveniles shooting and damaging personal property.

Many times, we see the water pellets are being frozen to increase the damage from the projectile.

These guns are legal for juveniles to purchase without an adult, so we are asking for parents to step in and monitor the use of the guns by their children.

Anyone found misusing Splat Guns in public will be subject to having the gun confiscated, and/ or possible criminal charges.

Please watch the video below for more information.

The Ohio Legislature has passed a bill to limit student cell phone use in schools.

Many school districts have already implemented policies to minimize cell phone use, such as Findlay City Schools. 

This bill would be for districts that don’t have policies in place.

The goal of the bill is to eliminate distractions and encourage more student engagement, not ban cell phones completely.

The bill would require the Ohio Department of Education to put out a model policy for schools if they don’t want to create one themselves.

If approved, the law will go into effect January 1st of 2025.

Below is the cell phone use policy for Findlay City Schools in the 2023-24 handbook.

The administration realizes that technological advancements have led to an increased number of students who have cell phones. In order to preserve academic integrity and the safety of the learning community, it will be necessary to place some limitations on the use of cell phones at school. 

In the classroom, cell phone usage is prohibited unless permitted by the teacher for specific educational use. Use of cell phones in the hallway/cafeteria/non-academic areas are at the discretion of the building principal. Cell phones must be used in accordance with the Student Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Policy (EDE and EDE-R). 

Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action being taken, as well as the cell phone being confiscated. When a cell phone is confiscated, the student and/or parent may retrieve the phone from the appropriate principal at the end of the day, provided there are no concerns with the contents of the phone.

Bringing a cell phone to school on a scheduled school day is a privilege, not a right; a student does not have a legitimate expectation of privacy as to the contents of a cell phone the student chooses to bring to school. However, a cell phone will only be searched in accordance with established search policies. The school and school personnel are not responsible for lost or stolen cell phones. Cell phones may be taken by a teacher and brought to the office due to a student not following classroom expectations.