(From the Office of State Representative Ty Mathews)
State Representative Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) announced that Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill that will provide $40 million in targeted funding toward treatment programming for first responders experiencing a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury.
“I’m honored to have helped lead the effort behind Ohio’s historic PTSI law,” said Mathews. “Thanks to our work, tens of millions of dollars are now dedicated to mental health treatment for our firefighters, police, and EMS. This means real wages, real care, and real long-term support for those who put their lives on the line every day. It’s a victory for our first responders and their families.”
More specifically, the provision transfers $40 million in seed funding from the GRF to for the Post-Traumatic Stress Fund. The state’s Post-Traumatic Stress Fund will cover treatment for peace officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel who are need of care.
The provision was included in House Bill 184, legislation that sets various limitations on intercollegiate athlete contracts, in addition to including a number of clarifying provisions as related to the state operating budget.
House Bill 184 will go into effect March 18, 2026.
Sheriff Michael A. Cortez wants to alert the Hancock County community to an ongoing phone scam.
Unknown individuals are calling residents while impersonating Hancock County Sheriff’s Office deputies, claiming that the recipient has missed a court date or owes fines. In some cases, the caller ID may even display the name of an actual deputy.
Please be advised:
These calls are NOT coming from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office
The caller is typically a male with a southern accent.
The request is a SCAM!
DO NOT provide any personal or financial information!
WinterREAD, a reading program that gives participants a chance to win amazing prizes, will soon return to the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library. Readers can register to join the winter fun at findlaylibrary.readsquared.com beginning January 5. The program runs through January 31.
WinterREAD registration is open to all ages, infant through adult. This winter, the library is again using an online platform, READsquared, to keep track of reading progress. Once registered, participants can earn great prizes by logging reading, writing a book review, or completing fun activities. For those that prefer not to track reading online, there will be paper forms available at the library to log reading progress.
(From the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce)
High school sophomores across Findlay and Hancock County are invited to apply for the 2026-27 Hancock Youth Leadership (HYL) program, a leadership development experience affiliated with the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.
For more than 25 years, HYL has invested in the future of Findlay and Hancock County by helping students grow as confident leaders, effective communicators and positive role models who are engaged in their community. The program is designed for students who are curious, eager to learn and interested in building leadership and communication skills to carry into school, future careers and everyday life.
Students selected for the program participate in nine full day sessions during their junior year of high school. Monthly sessions are held during the school day and focus on interactive learning, meaningful discussion and real-world exposure to how the community operates. Session topics include city and county infrastructure, health and human services, arts and media, justice and law, diversity, business and economic development, and agriculture. Students also collaborate on a class project and complete at least one volunteer experience with a local nonprofit organization.
HYL is open to all Hancock County high school sophomores, including students enrolled in Findlay City Schools, county school districts, and those who are homeschooled. A limited number of students are selected each year to create a well-rounded class with a variety of experiences and perspectives.
Applications are available online and must be submitted by February 27, 2026. The program will begin at the start of the students’ junior year in Fall 2026.
For more information or to apply, visit www.FindlayHancockChamber.com. Questions by be directed to the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber at 419.422.3313 or by email sfoltz@FindlayHancockChamber.com.
Please join us in congratulating Emma Shick, RN, on being our December DAISY Award recipient!
Emma was nominated by a patient’s family, who deeply appreciated her compassionate care during their loved one’s stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). The family had to make some incredibly difficult choices on behalf of the patient, and Emma provided additional support, ensuring they had all the necessary information, time, and reassurance to make informed decisions. She comforted the family, respected the patient’s final wishes, and even took photos to document their last moments together.
Thank you, Emma, for providing the highest quality care to your patients. We are proud to have you on #TeamBVHS.
Pictured: Betsy Ditto, RN, BSN, ICU, inpatient dialysis & wound care clinical manager; Emma Shick, RN, ICU nurse; BJ Paztor, BJ Pasztor, RN, chief nursing officer and chief operations officer of acute care services; Jessica Salsbury, RN, ICU educator.
With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is reminding all drivers to prioritize safety and responsible decision-making while traveling and celebrating with family and friends.
“You can help make the holidays safer for those around you by simply being an alert and responsible driver,” said Governor DeWine. “This Christmas, and throughout the year, I encourage all drivers in Ohio to put their seatbelts on, put their phones away and put their full focus on the road.”
To promote roadway safety and reduce fatal and injury crashes across the state, the Patrol will be conducting a five-day Christmas holiday reporting period from midnight on Wednesday, December 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 28. Throughout this time, troopers will be increasing visibility and focusing enforcement efforts on impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and safety belt violations.
During the 2024 Christmas holiday reporting period, which ran for two days, there were three fatal crashes, resulting in three deaths. Of those crashes, one involved alcohol and/or drugs, and of the two fatalities in which safety belts were available, both drivers were unbelted.
In that same timeframe, the Patrol made 44 impaired driving arrests, issued 84 citations for safety belt violations and issued 31 citations for distracted driving.
“Every driver has the ability to make our roads safer this holiday season,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “We will have zero tolerance for impaired or reckless driving to stop preventable crashes before they happen.”
Anyone traveling on Ohio’s roadways is encouraged to be an active part of traffic safety. If you see an impaired or reckless driver, safely call #677 to connect directly with a Patrol post.
Across Ohio, there are 50 Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service boards, representing all 88 counties. When Precia Stuby was hired as the executive director of Hancock County ADAMHS in July 1997, she was the youngest ADAMHS executive director in the state.
Today, with 28 years in, she is the longest serving.
Stuby, a career-long advocate for mental health, announced her retirement, effective March 6, 2026.
Stuby was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss how much has changed since she took over.
ADAMHS Board Chair Jim Darrach said Stuby has been a guiding light for this community since 1990.
“Countless lives in the city and county have been positively impacted by her tireless work for those with addiction and mental health diagnoses,” he said.
Darrach noted Stuby ‘s accomplishments serving the residents are well known locally, but she has also gained national recognition for her groundbreaking work here in Hancock County.
Seeing opportunities to bring state and federal grants to this area, he said Stuby has been responsible for approximately $20 million in program funding coming back to Hancock County.
“These funds allowed for expansion of treatment programs without having to ask voters for an increase in levy millage over the past 20 years,” he said. “The ADAMHS Board expresses our gratitude to Precia for her countless hours, her compassion and her dedication, and wishes Precia much happiness in her retirement.”
In all, Stuby’s career in social work and public mental health and addiction systems spans 43 years, 35 of which were at ADAMHS, where she served 7 years as deputy director before taking the helm as executive director in 1997.
Along the way, she has led Hancock County’s Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC) transformation, spurred community coalition building, increased recovery housing, and
secured significant federal and state funding to enhance the system of care for Hancock County residents.
Over the years, she received numerous awards including the Leadership Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio, the National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter, Lifetime Achievement Award, the Athena Award, was named “Public Health Champion of the Year” by the Findlay City Health Department, is a past board president for the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.
Stuby, a master’s degree-level licensed social worker with a passion for inclusion, evidence-based service delivery, and lifelong learning, has been a steady advocate for at-risk populations in Hancock County.
Mary Beth Dillon, vice chair of the ADAMHS Board, has worked with Stuby for over 20 years in various roles. Dillon said she admires Stuby’s focus on “following the science and using evidence” to develop strategic plans for new and innovative programs and services.
“She is skilled in bringing community members together to work on shared issues and achieve goals that benefit the residents of Hancock County,” Dillon said. “Her creativity and tenacity in obtaining and maintaining funding for the Board and the agencies we serve are remarkable. Words cannot adequately express our appreciation for her service to the Board and the community.”
As executive director, Stuby has supervised a seven-person staff, managed contracts, budgets, and property, and served and advised the 18-member volunteer ADAMHS board on policy and program decisions.
Stuby earned her degree from Ohio State University. Her first positions were as a medical social worker at St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima (June 1983 to May 1988) and deputy director of residential services at Allen County Child Welfare Services (May 1988 to March 1990).
Stuby first joined the ADAMHS staff in 1990 as deputy director, hired by Phyllis Putnam, the first executive director of Hancock ADAMHS. As deputy director, Stuby would help secure a grant to establish the Hancock County Community Partnership, one of Ohio’s oldest prevention coalitions.
She became executive director in 1997 after Putnam’s retirement.
Whether you’re a proud alum, LB family, or community supporter, if you haven’t had the chance to see the new school, field house, or high school renovations, now’s your chance!
Join us on December 29 for a Liberty-Benton Campus Tour at 10:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.
