(From Owens Community College)

Owens Community College Findlay-area Campus Dean Brad Wood was among the 35 graduates in the most recent Ohio Leadership Academy for Student Success class.

The academy, sponsored by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, annually gathers faculty and staff for a year of training, exchanging ideas and immersion in promoting student success.

The OACC created the academy in 2019 to reverse management turnover by strengthening internal advancement pipelines within the state’s 23 community colleges. Michigan, New York and Texas are among the states replicating Ohio’s initiative.

“The past year has provided a meaningful and positive professional development experience with colleagues from around the state,” Wood said. “We shared practical experiences that can be adapted to our daily work. We all want our students to succeed and achieve their high education goals.”

Wood was named to his current position in January 2023 after previously serving as chair of the Owens Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, where he worked for seven years.

A community college graduate, Wood earned his associate degree in PTA from St. Petersburg College. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University with his bachelor’s in Health Science and master’s in Teaching and Learning. He serves on the State of Ohio Physical Therapy Association advisory board. He is a national commissioner for CAPTE Commission of Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education and president of the Northwest Ohio Clinical Coordinator Consortium.

Wood is the seventh Owens employee to complete the academy cohort since 2020-21.

The academy is an outreach of work done by the OACC’s Success Center for Community Colleges. Created in 2012, the center focuses on helping Ohio’s two-year colleges marshal resources to better direct students’ education by aligning their academic choices with the careers they hope to undertake. The academy was funded by several national organizations, ensuring that colleges had minimal expenses to participate.

The OACC represents the presidents and trustees of the state’s 23 public two-year institutions that work to advance community colleges through policy advocacy and professional development. 

The Beyond the Call of Duty Rolling Memorial stopped in Wyandot County to honor and remember fallen Wyandot County Deputy Daniel Kin.

“While we are all still healing from this devastating loss, we humbly recognize the countless other brothers and sisters of law enforcement that have also paid the ultimate price,” the sheriff’s office said.

“May we all continue to heal, may we all continue to honor and remember the impact Dan had on each of us. May ALL the fallen never be forgotten.”

The Beyond the Call of Duty “End of Watch Ride to Remember” was also in Bluffton to honor fallen Bluffton Police Officer Dominic Francis who died in the line of duty on March 31, 2022.

Beyond the Call of Duty and their End of Watch Ride to Remember is an organization out of Spokane Valley, WA that travels the country with their rolling memorial every other summer to honor the officers who were killed in the line of duty in the previous two years.

(From the City of Findlay)

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE WEEK OF 7/15/24:

-Allen Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-Midland Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-South Blanchard Street will be closed to through traffic from Sixth Street to Hobart Avenue for waterline replacement.

-Garfield Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-Crystal Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Clinton Street to the Railroad for curb replacement.

-Frazer Street will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to Morey Avenue for curb replacement.

-Vincent Street will be closed to through traffic from N. Blanchard Street to Central Avenue for curb replacement.

The status of some of the projects is weather and contractor schedule permitting.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Engineering Department if you have any questions about any of these projects at 419-424-7121.

(ONN) – A building that is still standing has been declared the oldest building in Ohio.

According to the Ohio History Connection, Ohio’s oldest building is the Rufus Putnam House in Marietta in southeast Ohio.

The structure was built between 1760 and 1765 and while still standing, it is enclosed inside Marietta’s Campus Martius Museum.

It served as a stockade to house soldiers during the Ohio Indian wars.

The house is named after General Rufus Putnam who was a soldier in the war for independence and a leader in founding Marietta as the first permanent settlement in what was called the Northwest Territory back in 1788.

(pic courtesy of the Ohio History Connection)

(From the Findlay Rotary Club)

At the Club’s Wednesday, July 10 meeting, The Findlay Rotary Club presented the Service Above Self Award to Gary Steed.

The award is presented annually to a non-Rotarian in the community who exemplifies the Rotary ideals of professional leadership and service.

Findlay Rotarian Harold “Puck” Rowe wrote in nominating “there are many in Findlay who are deserving of such an honor, to me Gary Steed is most deserving. Gary has touched so many lives in such a positive way. We need more humans like Gary.”

It’s a family affair. Gary and wife Brenda along with their three daughters have a deep affinity for giving back.

The Steeds traveled to Haiti for ten years to work with the Haitian people and to share their Christian values.

Gary has coached girls’ softball and been involved with 4H. He is a member of St Andrew’s UMC, where he has served in many capacities. He is proud of his work with Habitat for Humanity, the Backyard Mission and Welcome to a New Life.

A proud graduate of Ohio Northern University where he earned a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Professionally, Steed retired in 2013 after a successful career with Marathon Pipe Line as Quality Assurance Consultant.

Gary has designated a $500 contribution made in his name by the Findlay Rotary Club to Welcome to a New Life.

The Findlay City Planning Commission approved a Sheetz gas station for the northwest corner of the intersection of Tiffin Avenue and Croy Drive, next to the new Raising Cane’s.

Sheetz is planning to build a 12-pump gas station and convenience store at that location.

The site will have two new curb cuts.

One is a full entrance onto Croy Drive while the other is a right-in/right-out onto Tiffin Avenue.

Sheetz is also building a gas station at the northeast corner of North Main Street and County Road 99, just down the road from where they’re building a large distribution center at the corner of County Road 212 and Township Road 230, east of the Lowe’s Distribution Center.

(ONN) – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered a sweep of Ohio’s voter registration rolls back in May.

The deadline to make changes and updates is looming.

Time is running out for nearly 160,000 Ohioans to update their voter registration before it’s purged.

These names will be removed because they are either inactive or have not lived at their registered address for four or more years.

The Secretary of State’s Office previously published a list of 158,000 names of inactive registered voters that could be purged from the system.

You can update your address online, through the mail, or in person by July 22.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Norwalk Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a three-vehicle fatal crash that occurred on July 11 at 10:53 a.m. on state Route 18 at County Road 24 in Scipio Township, Seneca County.

The preliminary investigation showed a Ram Promaster, operated by David Gaertner, 57, Janera, was traveling westbound on County Road 24. Gaertner failed to stop at a posted stop sign at state Route 18 and struck a northeast-bound Ford F-250, operated by Joseph Miller, 41, of Vickery. A southwest-bound Freightliner semi tractor-trailer, operated by Aaron Knoll, 42, Tampa, Fla., then struck the F-250 and the Promaster. The F-250 and the Freightliner continued off the southwest corner of the intersection, where both vehicles overturned and the Freightliner struck a utility pole and the F-250 caught fire.

Joseph Miller, and his passengers, Richard Miller, 67, and Conner Miller, 13, suffered fatal injuries at the scene. Gaertner sustained serious injuries and was transported by air ambulance to Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center. Knoll sustained serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Seneca County EMS, Mercy Health Life Flight, Scipio-Republic Fire Department, John’s Welding & Towing, Seneca County Coroner’s Office and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The incident remains under investigation.

(From The Findlay•Hancock County Alliance)

The Findlay•Hancock County Alliance board of directors has announced that Dan Sheaffer will serve as the organization’s President/CEO effective August 1st, 2024.

He follows Don Bruce who will be retiring at the end of July.

Tony Price, Chairman of the Board, said, “We are excited to have Dan take on this leadership role. His 11 years of experience working with the Alliance has provided him with a deep understanding of the organization’s mission and values.

Dan brings institutional knowledge of the Alliance’s overall operations along with excellent relationships with key stakeholders, including business (domestic/international), federal, state, local government entities, elected officials, and community organizations.

His many years of professional business experience, both corporate & entrepreneurial, will be beneficial to his new role as well.

Dan will continue to lead the Economic Development team during the transition period while the search takes place to identify his successor.”

“I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the Findlay•Hancock County Alliance as its CEO. The past 11 years have been extremely gratifying as an economic development professional,” Dan said.

“This position will allow me to continue to support the Findlay-Hancock County region through the mission of the Alliance. In my new role, I am looking forward to working more closely with the other two divisions of the Alliance, the Findlay•Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and the Hancock County Convention & Visitors Bureau.”

The Findlay•Hancock County Alliance is a partnership bringing growth and prosperity to the Findlay/Hancock County region. Through a strong economic development focus, leadership programs, business building initiatives and volunteer opportunities, The Alliance helps position its community among the top micropolitan communities in the United States. The Alliance is a blend of the area’s best resources including the Findlay•Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Findlay•Hancock County Economic Development Office and the Hancock County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

(From The Rowmark Group)

The Board of Directors for Windjammer Capital along with the Executive Team for The Rowmark Group (TRG) is proud to announce that Eric Hausserman has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer of TRG. Eric will replace Al Kabus, who has served as CEO since March 1, 2021 and announced his retirement from TRG effective July 1, 2024.

Eric has been with Rowmark for 24 years, with his most recent role being President of TRG. During his tenure at TRG, he has been responsible for all aspects of manufacturing, warehouse management, and domestic and international distributor relations. Additionally, Eric has been directly involved in numerous strategic acquisitions that have led to product growth and diversification for TRG.

Leaning on his extensive experience in polymer science, he’s been the driver for advancements in Rowmark engravable sheet materials, including innovative products such as LaserGlow, a laser engravable glow-in-the-dark safety signage material, and EcoMark, the industry’s first engravable sheet product made from post-consumer recycled plastics.

Eric has been an active member of the plastics industry for 35 years. He is a member of the Environmental Committee for the International Association of Plastics Distributors and of the Advisory Board for Bowling Green State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Continuing Education Program.

“Eric is the right person to lead TRG into the future, and I share in the Board of Directors enthusiastic support of Eric for this role,” said Kabus. “Eric has been an integral part of our organization and has demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and passion for our mission. I am confident that under his guidance, TRG will continue to reach new heights and achieve even greater success.”

“I want to sincerely thank Al for his leadership these past three years, and I look forward to working with all the talented employees we have at TRG across the globe,” Hausserman said.

Eric is a native of Ionia, Michigan. He received his Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University and his MBA at Indiana Wesleyan University. Eric served on the Board of Education for Vanlue (Ohio) Local Schools for eight years. For more than 15 years, Eric volunteered with Cancer Patient Services, a Hancock County, Ohio non-profit organization, including serving as a board member. Eric has also been active with the local United Way in Hancock County, where he was the 2018 chair for the Corporate Division of the local campaign.