3/28/18 – 5:04 A.M.
A Hancock County man is facing a rape charge. The grand jury indicted 38-year-old Michael Lewis Jr. on charges of rape, kidnapping, assault, and aggravated burglary. The charges stem from a February 6 incident.
The indictment accuses Lewis of trespassing in a woman’s home, then assaulting and raping her. Court documents show the woman had filed for a restraining order against Lewis last September.
MORE: The Courier
3/28/18 – 4:57 A.M.
Hancock County’s jobless rate dropped in February. New numbers from the Department of Job and Family Services show a 3.3 percent unemployment rate last month. That’s down from 3.5 percent in January. The jobless rate in February of 2017 was 4.1 percent in Hancock County.
Unemployment was down all across the region. Putnam(3.7) and Wyandot(3.5) counties were both below 4 percent. Wood(4.0), Allen(4.6), Hardin(4.3), and Seneca(4.6) counties all had unemployment below 5 percent. Henry County’s unemployment rate stands at 5.9 percent.
03/27/18 – 4:04 P.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s office is in need of more storage and office space. Sheriff Michael Heldman met with the Hancock County commissioners to talk about the issue.
Heldman said that this space will give them additional storage and create an annex. He added that there won’t be any costs to the general fund.
Heldman added that the location is already being used for some of the office’s vehicles. He also told the commissioners that it would make a great spot for storing the new Hidden In Plain Sight trailer.
03/27/18 – 2:10 P.M.
There was an accident at the University of Findlay Campus today. Witnesses report that the car went over a curb and hit a tree at the intersection of Davis and North Cory Streets. Police are investigating the crash.
We’ll provide more details as they become available.
03/27/18 – 1:39 P.M.
Travel on I-75 will be affected Wednesday evening to Thursday morning. ODOT says that crews are installing a fiber-optic cable over the roadway. The work will start at midnight on Wednesday and end at 5 a.m. on Thursday.
You can expect traffic to be slowed in both directions and perhaps temporary stops as the work takes place.
03/27/18 – 12:55 P.M.
U.S. Senator Rob Portman was in Findlay to stay at the Hancock Hotel Monday night. He toured the new building Tuesday morning and offered praise to it and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Portman said, “It’s just a great commitment to the city that Marathon was willing to make the investment.” He added that the hotel creates more jobs and creates more economic activity in the city.
3/27/18 – 5:07 A.M
McComb is collecting donations for new scoreboards at the baseball diamonds in the village park. During their Monday meeting, council members learned the village has brought in more than $6,000 in pledges so far. They are trying to collect $6,700 to install the new scoreboards at two ball diamonds in the village.
MORE: The Courier
3/27/18 – 5:01 A.M.
Van Buren High School is hosting a session on active shooter training this week. The course is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday night in the high school auditorium.
Texas State University designed the course. Participants will learn what to do if an active shooter is at work, home, or elsewhere.
Registration isn’t required and the course is free.
03/26/18 – 6:59 P.M.
A Findlay woman was injured in a two-car crash Monday morning at Hancock County Road 99 and Speedway Drive in Findlay. The Findlay Police Department reports that the accident happened around 7:30 a.m. 49-year-old Corrina Walter was driving on Hancock County Road 99 when 31-year-old Chase Gundrum turned left on to the road.
Police say they entered the intersection at the same time and Corrina struck Gundrum. The two drivers gave conflicting statements on when the light changed. Police determined that Walter had failed to yield and cited her for it.
Hanco EMS took Walter to Blanchard Valley Hospital with a head laceration.
03/26/18 – 6:50 P.M.
Grob Systems in Bluffton is planning to add a building south of its existing plant. the new building will be just under 46,000 square feet and cost around $10 million. The company has obtained a zoning and building permit for east of I-75 and south of Ohio 103.
The drawings for the building show a three-story structure. The first floor will have a cafeteria and the second will have sales offices. There is no determined use yet for the third floor.
So far there hasn’t been any information released on a construction schedule.