2/23/17 – 10:38 A.M.

The Hancock County Commissioners have forgiven a part of the debt owed to the county’s revolving loan fund from the North Central Campus for Emerging Technologies. Emerging Technologies is leasing space in its building to Brown Mackie College. The college announced last year it would close when all its current students have finished their programs.

Emerging technologies borrowed $150,000 from the county’s revolving loan fund in 2005. Hancock Regional Planning Commission director Matt Cordonnier says in total, the company will pay back around 2/3 of the amount borrowed. He added the debt forgiveness plan means the county’s revolving loan fund ends up losing around $50,000 instead of more than $100,000.

Commissioner Mark Gazarek stressed that revolving loan money comes from the state and not the county’s general fund.

2/23/17 – 5:24 A.M.

Now that Findlay Municipal Court Judge Jonathan Starn is set to be a Hancock Common Pleas Court judge, the process to replace him on the municipal bench is underway. Starn is a Republican, so it is up to the Hancock County GOP to suggest a replacement to Governor John Kasich. Party chairman Jim Baker is asking anyone interested to contact him or Vice Chairwoman Heather Pendleton.

Under state law, a judge must be a county resident, a licensed attorney for at least six years, and be under 70 years old.

Kasich recently appointed Starn to the opening left when Judge Joseph Niemeyer retired.

2/23/17 – 5:15 A.M.

Authorities consider the man accused of shooting and killing another man at a Findlay hotel last week an “extreme flight risk.” As a result, Findlay Municipal Court Judge Mark Miller set bond for Husam Coleman of Chicago at $1 million. Miller cited the severity of the charge Coleman faces, his lack of ties to the area and his record of failing to appear in court cases elsewhere.

Investigators charged Coleman with involuntary manslaughter following the shooting death of Marcus Alexander of Toledo at the Findlay Econo Lodge last Friday.

Hancock County Prosecutor Phil Riegle says police are still trying to find out what brought the two men together in Findlay.

2/23/17 – 4:29 A.M.

A Wood County man is going to prison after pleading guilty to multiple hunting violations. Robert Freeworth was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this month, and also lost his hunting, trapping and fishing rights for the next 18 years. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Freeworth shot a deer with a rifle during archery season and improperly handled a firearm in a vehicle. Witnesses claim he shot at three different deer from inside his truck while hunting without permission on three different private properties.

2/22/17 – 8:13 p.m.

The consulting firm hired to handle the research into flood mitigation talked about their findings. Stantec Project Manager Scott Peyton said that they have a recommended plan of action.

Scott Peyton

The program costs 160 million dollars with a 30% contingency. Peyton added that each part of the plan is independent. The city and county can focus efforts on one before choosing to do the next.

Peyton said that the diversion channel on Eagle Creek is not in the plan.

Scott Peyton

The dry detention basin requires fewer parcels of land than the diversion channel. Peyton added that the diversion channel would not be as effective as the Army Corps of Engineers said it would. Peyton said that the channel was based off statistics in the 25-year flood. In the 100-year flood, there will be roughly 1000 more cubic square feet of water in the creek.

Scott Peyton

USACE had a modeling error that showed a decrease of 4.6 feet of water during a flood when in reality it was a decrease of .9 feet. Stantec discovered the error and made the adjustments.