The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Watch that includes Findlay and Hancock County.
The Freeze Watch will be in effect from late Wednesday night through Thursday morning.
Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 degrees are possible.
Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
People should take steps to protect tender plants from the cold.
Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.
(From the Hancock County Second Chance Coalition)
Second Chance Month is observed every April and is a national effort to raise awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction and unlocking second chance opportunities for people having completed their sentences to become contributing citizens.
The Second Chance Coalition of Hancock County is inviting the public to an awareness event on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at The Dock at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 800 South Main Street, Findlay, Ohio.
Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. and feature information and resources for individuals rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
We spoke with Hancock Public Health’s Cheryl Miller about the event.
A light lunch will be provided, and you will hear personal accounts of local individuals who have navigated barriers to rebuild their lives in Hancock County.
The Hancock County Second Chance coalition was created to highlight the challenges formerly incarcerated individuals face when they return to the community.
Many formerly incarcerated individuals strive to be fully contributing members of their communities and struggle to overcome the negative stigma of being a criminal.
It is a core belief of this coalition that every person has value in our community and together, as a community, we can help rebuild lives.
Many local and regional agencies to provide information and resources for those who are working through barriers post incarceration.
Among those agencies are the Hancock County Court of Common Pleas, the Findlay Municipal Court, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Hancock County Job and Family Services, Habitat for Humanity’s Financial Opportunity Center, Welcome to a New Life, Hancock Public Health, Focus Wellness & Recovery, and the Veterans Service Office to name a few.
For questions, please contact Cheryl Miller (567) 250-5192 or email at cmiller@hancockph.com.
(ONN) – A hot summer could be on the way in Ohio and a new heat index system will help alert citizens to potential danger.
A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to the most dangerous conditions they may see this summer.
The National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented a new online heat risk system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors with a seven-day forecast that’s simplified and color-coded.
The Farmers Almanac predicts an early summer this year with some of the hottest temperatures in recorded history.
(From Findlay City Schools)
This is 6th grader, Zane Snyder, who wanted to give back for Earth Day and reached out to make sure he was able to clean up Glenwood Middle School!
Shout-out to Zane, his family and friends for helping our facility look spectacular!
He truly showed integrity and his heart in giving back to his school!
(From the City of Findlay)
Join us for the ribbon cutting of the HAN-Greenway trail!
The event will take place on the path near the CR 236/SR 568 intersection on Thursday, April 25 at 8:30 am.
After the ceremony, attendees are encouraged to join Mayor Muryn for a walk along the trail as part of the Move with the Mayor initiative.
We hope you will join us!
(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)
It’s spring, it’s Earth Day, and it’s all happy – until you see litter, and you’re reminded of the human problem that haunts us all.
“Our highway crews are out on litter patrol all year, even through the winter when conditions allow. But come spring, litter reveals itself even more, especially as vehicle travel increases and people begin spring cleanup,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks.
Since January, ODOT forces statewide have picked up over 89,000 bags of other people’s trash.
“Please do your part and keep your trash contained wherever you work, drive, or enjoy the outdoors,” Marchbanks said.
ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning added;
With Earth Day today, many of Ohio’s 1,400 Adopt-A-Highway groups will be out, honoring their pledge to keep highways in their corner of the planet clear of trash.
Diane Bovee with First Universalist Church in Lyons organized a litter pickup along their adopted section of State Route 120 in Fulton County this past weekend.
“We love doing the highway pickup. We’re among the oldest Adopt-A-Highway groups in Ohio. We have done it for close to 30 years,” said Bovee. “We’re not a small church, we’re a tiny church. We just think it’s the right thing to do.”
The Columbus Grove Lions Club in Putnam County has participated in the program since 1991. They have a scheduled pickup along their section of State Route 65 on Tuesday.
“It comes down to pride in your community. We have so many people that drive through Columbus Grove on State Route 65. It’s a good opportunity for the Lions Club to practice volunteerism,” said Tim Staley, club member.
He said when the group is out on their pickups, their community expresses appreciation. “We get a lot of thumbs-up. We get a lot of people that honk. You think of it as a thankless job, but you do take pride in it when it’s done, and it looks good.”
Staley said ODOT helps them carry out their dedication to public service. “They’ve been great to work with. They provide us all the trash bags, the safety vests to wear, and the signs to put up,” he said.
Since January, Adopt-A-Highway groups in Ohio have collected nearly 200 bags of trash.
Adopting a highway is free to groups and individuals. Groups are asked to complete at least four litter pick-up sessions per year. ODOT provides vests, grabber tools, trash bags, and trash disposal for litter pickup sessions.
In addition to ODOT forces and Adopt-A-Highway groups, litter collection is also performed along state highways by the following:
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) – ODOT works with 11 institutions on litter pickup along state highways. Since January, their crews collected over 24,000 bags of trash.
Interstate Business Solutions (IBS) – ODOT contracts with IBS to clean up litter in the state’s metropolitan areas (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Canton, and Youngstown). Since January, the IBS team has collected over 31,343 bags of trash.
Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) – ODOT contracts with CEO to pick up along roadsides, and to clean encampment areas of unhoused individuals. Since January, the CEO team has collected nearly 25,000 bags of trash.
ODOT currently spends $10 million per year collecting trash along state and U.S. routes outside municipalities and all interstates except the Ohio Turnpike.
With another swatting call at Findlay High School recently, WFIN wanted to repost a story we did in August about how the Findlay Police Department conducts active shooter drills and how the school district’s new SafeDefend active shooter protection system works.
THE STORY BELOW IS FROM AUGUST 3
The Findlay Police Department put officers through active shooter drills at the high school ahead of the new school year beginning.
Lt. Andrew Welch says their officers are trained to enter the school immediately and become the focus of the shooter.
“If you can become the focus that means he’s not focused on hurting anybody in the school,” Welch said.
“Our safety becomes second to those in the school because we are prepared, we’re trained and we understand what we need to do.”
He says the new SafeDefend active shooter protection system installed in Findlay schools will be very beneficial because it provides emergency responders with instant information about the location and nature of the threat.
Last fall police responded to two active shooter hoax calls; one at Findlay High School and the other at Liberty Benton High School.
The police department let us tag along as they held a drill in which an officer went classroom to classroom in search of a shooter, and the video can be seen below.
It’s time to purge your home of unneeded or unused medications as part of Hancock County’s ongoing effort to combat medication misuse.
Saturday, April 27 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Medications can be safely disposed of at a drop-off location in the Findlay Municipal Building parking lot on West Crawford Street from 8 to noon on Saturday, April 27.
People can simply drive in, drop off their old medications for safe disposal and go on their way.
Findlay Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Brian White was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to talk about the event.
The Findlay Police Department says, not only will you be cleaning out those cluttered cabinets but you’ll be doing so in a safe manner.
You don’t want to flush your medications because that leads to environmental concerns.
And you don’t want to throw unused medications in the trash or leave them in your house enabling people to find them and abuse them.
People who can’t make it to the medication collection on Saturday can drop off their medications anytime in the medication collection drop boxes available in the lobby of the police department, sheriff’s office and municipal building.
People with questions can call 419-424-1985.
(ONN) – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland announced its 2024 inductees.
On Saturday, October 16th at Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland, 16 musical legends will be inducted into the Rock Hall as members of the class of ‘24.
Among the inductees are; Foreigner, Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Buffet, Peter Frampton and Kool and the Gang.
Several made it as first-time nominees.
The last time the induction ceremony was held in Cleveland was 2021.
The event will be streamed live.
(ONN) – Ohio has seen more tornadoes than any other state in the country in the first months of 2024.
Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that, so far in 2024, Ohio has recorded 38 total tornado reports, the most of any state.
Ohio’s peak tornado months are May, June and July, with June typically being the most active.
The worst year for tornadoes in Ohio’s history was 1992 with a total of 61 twisters for the year and 28 tornadoes on one July day.
In March, several homes and barns were heavily damaged when a tornado touched down in southwest Hancock County.
Ohio averages around 20 tornadoes for an entire year.