(From the Hancock County Veterans Service Office)

Through Operation Green Light for Hancock CO. Veterans, our local government and residents will show veterans that they are seen, appreciated, and supported.

People are being asked to show support for Veterans by lighting their homes, buildings, churches, and schools green leading up to Veterans Day on November 11. 

These are actual photos from 2023 of various counties throughout Ohio, like Hamilton, Cuyahoga, Clermont, Montgomery, and Scioto.

We’ve reached out to Mayor Christina Muryn and she’s on board to make our version of this happen in Downtown Findlay November 4-11 in support of our Hancock County Veterans.

Help us shine a light for a veteran you know and love.

(From Women’s Resource Center of Hancock County)

Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is proud to announce the launch of the “Rise Up” Capital Campaign, with a goal of raising $3 million to expand services and enhance support for families in need throughout Findlay and beyond.

The campaign was officially unveiled at a special event on October 24, 2024, with WRC having already secured 65% of its fundraising goal, raising just over $1.95 million. The funds will support new initiatives, building expenses, foundational support, and an endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability of WRC’s Christ-centered services. As part of the event, the Generations House was dedicated in honor of the Rick and Tracy Hessling Family, whose lead gift was instrumental in moving this initiative forward. When asked about the gift, the Hesslings said, “Our family is very proud to support Women’s Resource Center because they not only support life, but they support the family after birth as well.” “They are truly the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need in our community.”

“We are called to rise up for the families in our community—to stand by those who are most vulnerable and offer practical, emotional, and spiritual help,” said Chrissy Montgomery, Executive Director of Women’s Resource Center. “With God’s guidance, we have expanded our services and facilities to better meet the needs of the families we serve.” The “Rise Up” campaign is focused on creating a safe and nurturing environment for women, men, and children facing difficult circumstances. Key initiatives include the conversion of WRC’s main office into a pregnancy medical clinic, which offers free limited obstetric ultrasounds and pregnancy testing. The newly renovated house next door has been transformed into a center for the fatherhood program, parenting classes, mentoring sessions, and supervised visitations.

Goals of the “Rise Up” Campaign:

• New Initiatives ($900,000): Expanding programs including clinic services, fatherhood mentoring, post-abortion recovery support, and family reunification.
• Building Expenses ($600,000): Covering costs for purchasing and renovating the adjacent house to accommodate program expansion and remodeling the existing facility.
• Foundational Support ($825,000): Ensuring operational expenses such as staffing, utilities, and program sustainability over the next three years.
• Endowment Fund ($665,000): Establishing a long-term fund to ensure the continuation of WRC’s services for years to come.

“We’re asking the community to rise up with us—to support the families in need of guidance and care, the mothers learning to nurture their children, the fathers becoming active and present, and the individuals making life-affirming decisions,” said Beth Reed, President of the WRC Board of Directors. Women’s Resource Center believes that healthy families are the foundation of strong communities. With a Christ-centered mission, WRC is dedicated to walking alongside families in need, offering support and resources to guide them on their path to growth and hope.

(From Findlay City Schools)

We are incredibly excited to share that FHS senior, Lindsay Clarke, was the surprise recipient of a $40,000 scholarship!

Lindsay completed quick and simple steps to plan for life after high school using BigFuture, and won!

Current sophomores, juniors, and seniors, you can do the same! Get started here https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

Thank you to College Board for this extraordinary surprise, and to the FHS Cross Country team for allowing us to interrupt your practice right before regionals to celebrate your teammate.

We’re so excited for you, Lindsay!

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has released the first-round pairings for the football playoffs.

Liberty-Benton (9-1) will host Fairview Park (7-3) Friday night at 7. The game can be heard on 100.5 WKXA. 

The Findlay Trojans (4-6) will play at Lakewood St. Edward (5-5) on Friday night at 7. The game will be aired on WFIN. 

Ottawa-Glandorf (5-5) will play at Galion (7-3) Friday night at 7. The game can be heard on 106.3 The Fox. 

See the full list of pairings by clicking here.

(From the Findlay Police Department)

October 28th sets aside National First Responders Day to honor the men and women who act quickly when an emergency is at hand.

First responders dedicate their lives to save lives. They are the people who run toward a crisis, while the rest of the world flees.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, 4.6 million career and volunteer first responders support the communities where they live.

They are firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, and 911 operators.

In an emergency, they’re the first on the scene.

These dedicated professionals answer the call when a crisis arises, often putting their own lives on the line.

Please join us in thanking all our area first responders.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the death of former Ohio Speaker of the House Jo Ann Davidson, of Findlay, who died Friday at the age of 97. 

“Fran and I are saddened to learn of the death of our dear friend Jo Ann Davidson. Jo Ann dedicated her life to public service and the people of Ohio, a model public servant who was full of wit, intelligence, class, and skill.  She was a trailblazer in the truest sense, beginning her career on Reynoldsburg’s city council in the 1960s and making history in 1995 as Ohio’s first female speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.  

“Over the decades, Jo Ann was committed to making a difference in people’s lives and was especially passionate about inspiring other women to do the same. Through her Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, she personally guided nearly 500 of Ohio’s up-and-coming Republican women on core leadership skills, giving many the confidence to run for and succeed in public office. 

“Although we mourn Jo Ann’s death, Fran and I take comfort in knowing that she will live on through those she mentored, and her legacy will be remembered by everyone who passes by her portrait on the wall of the House Chamber at the Ohio Statehouse. We extend our sincere condolences to her family.” 

In honor of the life and service of former Ohio Speaker of the House Jo Ann Davidson, DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio to be lowered upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state of Ohio until sunset on the day of her funeral. 

(Learn more about Davidson’s life and legacy in her profile in BGSU’s Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics series)

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is celebrating ten years of participating in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

A celebration will be held on Saturday, November 16 from 10 to 1.

Since launching in Tennessee in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world.

The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to children from birth to age five.

The library’s Brittany Lutes was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the program and how they’ll be celebrating the 10th anniversary.

(ONN) – A Hamilton County judge has ruled Ohio’s “Heartbeat Law” – that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy – unconstitutional.

Last November voters enshrined reproductive rights into the state’s constitution.

The constitutional amendment allows abortions until around 22 to 24 weeks.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office issued a statement saying “this is a very long, complicated decision covering many issues.”

It continues by saying the state has up to 30 days to determine next steps.

Abortion Forward’s executive director says this is a good day for people who need access to abortion and the people who provide that care.

The Hancock County Board of Elections says a lot of people are voting early in the November 5^th election.

Early voting began on October 8 and we asked Jody Beall O’Brien with the board of elections how it has been going so far.

“It’s very steady. We are voting on an average of over 600 a day, and that is fairly high for absentee voting, early voting, here in the office,” Jody told WFIN.

Looking ahead to Election Day on November 5, Jody says they have enough poll workers and even some new faces of people who haven’t been a poll worker before but wanted to help out knowing how high voter turnout is expected to be on Election Day.

The remainder of the early voting schedule is below.

Click here to see what’s on the ballot in Hancock County, here for Putnam County, and here for the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.

Chamberlin Hill Elementary held its Halloween Parade for students on Friday afternoon.

The youngsters dressed up in their favorite costumes and walked down the sidewalks outside the school as family members cheered them on and took pictures.

Other Findlay City Schools also had Halloween Parades on Friday for the kids and families to enjoy.

See video from the parade below.

Findlay’s Trick-or-Treat is on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.