(From Liberty-Benton Local Schools)
Home for the Holidays? Come tour LB!
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.
Sign up here: https://www.liberty-benton.org/tours
Bonus: Stick around after the evening tour to cheer on the boys’ basketball team at 6 p.m.!
(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)
Our office has received several phone calls in regard to a subject going by the name of “Captain Emery”. They state they work at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, advise the caller of a warrant out for their arrest, and demand money to make the warrant go away.
THIS IS A SCAM!
We do not have anyone at our agency by that name. The Sheriff’s Office will not call you and advise you of a warrant or demand money.
Remember: do NOT give personal or financial information over the phone!
(From the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum)
Area residents are invited aboard a holiday adventure, the “North Pole Express,” at the December 14 “Funday Sunday” program at University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum.
Free and open to the public, the program offers a joyful flurry of excitement with holiday-themed art and construction activities, games, hands-on educational stations, and interactive STEAM activities.
The family-friendly learning extravaganza encourages artistic expression, enhances literacy, and develops critical thinking skills.
“We invite families to step into a cozy, magical afternoon filled with holiday wonder and train-themed fun that brings the spirit of the season to life,” said Amanda Davidson-Johnston, assistant director at the Mazza Museum.
Santa Claus also will be a special guest at the event.
Registration is required and can be completed on the Mazza Museum’s website.
The Funday Sundays 2025-26 series takes place each month through April, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is sponsored by Hancock Federal Credit Union.
Themes for additional Funday Sundays this year are:
January 11: Happy Birthday USA!
February 8: Jungle Expedition with the Toledo Zoo
March 15: Comics Unleashed
April 19: Weather Wonders
For more information on upcoming events, visit the Mazza Museum’s Events page online at www.mazzamuseum.org/events/. For specific questions regarding Funday Sunday, please contact Amanda Davidson-Johnston at 419-434-4777 or amanda.davidson-johnston@findlay.edu
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague stopped by the WFIN Studios on Friday, ahead of his speaking engagement at the Hancock County GOP’s First Friday Luncheon.
We asked him how his campaign for Ohio Secretary of State is going and how he feels current Secretary of State Frank LaRose has done during his tenure in securing Ohio’s elections.
“Frank has made Ohio the gold standard of elections in the United States of America. Truly, Ohio does it right, and our local elections officials are a huge part of that,” Sprague said.
We also asked Treasurer Sprague about some of the latest initiatives from the Ohio Treasurer’s Office, and he spoke about the Buckeye Business Advantage Program which allows small business owners to get reduced interest loans.
You can listen to our full interview with Treasurer Sprague in the audio file below.
A longtime Findlay educator who shared his passion for the stars with generations of students has died.
LeEdwin “LeEddie” Carl Smith passed away on November 25. He was 78 years old.
You can read his full obituary below from Kirkpatrick-Behnke Funeral Home.
LeEdwin “LeEddie” Carl Smith departed on November 25, 2025, in Findlay, Ohio, at the age of 78.
He was born on August 18, 1947, to Carl E. and Betty J. (Burke) Smith, who knew their hazel-eyed boy needed a less common first name. A man of science and exploration, LeEddie was a lifelong wonderer, shaped by Nebish vacations, hours of cowboy play with his siblings, and a six-month voyage in his early career to South America.
“Mr. Smith” brought his passion for the stars and the natural world to generations of students at Donnell Middle School, where he taught for 35 years. His sister-in-law stood in for him while he took his South American tour and remembers that students were genuinely unhappy to miss out on his instruction.
During his time at Donnell, he launched the school’s first wrestling program, coached track, and mentored younger teachers. He taught his future wife to frog gig on their very first date, and together they later became expert green bean snappers.
With friends and family, “Smitty” shared the best asparagus, tomatoes, and grape leaves, a fresh-caught perch, or a bite of game from his most recent hunt. He enjoyed a cold brew with his buddies at The Moose, Lucky’s or The West End.
He shared it all with his children — and taught his grandchildren, his “little turds,” how to mow, hunt, and fish off rocks and docks at the quarry or on Lake Erie. “Pa” or “Crappa” entertained them in the garage and garden, sugared them up with Sammie’s, and got them to really listen to the outdoors.
Our “Mr. Wizard” amazed us, and the community and loved ones who surrounded him made him proud.
LeEddie is preceded in death by his parents and sister Ann (Stephen) Franklin. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cynthia (Schmidt); daughter Adrienne (Brian) Mormino of Columbus, IN; son Josh (Keely) Smith of Ashland, OH; grandchildren Hunter and Wyatt Smith, and Max, Sam, and Tess Mormino; brother Mark D. (Phyllis Ann) Smith; along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family, many of whom experienced him as their teacher or coach.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at Kirkpatrick-Behnke Funeral Home, 500 Lima Avenue, Findlay, Ohio. If you have it, please feel free to wear your camo and ball caps.
Donations in memory of LeEdwin Smith may be made to The University of Findlay https://give.findlay.edu/ with a designation, “Planetarium,” or the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Fund at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – The James https://giveto.osu.edu/makeagift/details/316444.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at http://www.kirkpatrickbehnke.com.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of LeEdwin Carl Smith, please visit our Tree Store.
(From the Hancock Historical Museum)
The Hancock Historical Museum has decked the halls and invites the community to its annual Christmas Open House from 5 – 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. This year’s event is open to everyone free of charge, thanks to the generous support of Hancock Federal Credit Union!
Bring the whole family to enjoy the sounds of the holidays with live music by the Findlay String Factor, capture memories with photos alongside Father Christmas and Mrs. Claus, and taste complimentary seasonal refreshments. Children can take part in a variety of holiday-themed crafts and games, with the first 100 families to arrive receiving a free children’s book courtesy of the Richard P. Barchent Jr. Educational Fund. Guests of all ages can explore engaging activities hosted by community partners, including (but not limited to) the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, Children’s Mentoring Connection, 50 North, the Children’s Museum, and Hancock County Parks District, while adults are invited to craft beautiful ornaments at the historic Davis Learning Institute.
Don’t forget to browse the museum’s gift shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts featuring tickets to the Historic Homes Tour: Holiday Edition (Dec. 14), vintage German nutcrackers from the private collection of Waltraud Mullinger, local history books, apparel, children’s toys, and unique Findlay Glass pieces.
Celebrate the spirit of the season with friends and neighbors at the Hancock Historical Museum’s Christmas Open House—thanks to Hancock Federal Credit Union, admission is free for all!
The Hancock Historical Museum is located at 422 W. Sandusky St. in Findlay, Ohio. For more information about the museum and upcoming events, visit HancockHistoricalMuseum.org or call 419-423-4433.
One of the remaining flood mitigation projects in Findlay is underway.
Work has begun at the Phase 2 benching site along the Blanchard River in downtown Findlay.
Crews can be seen moving dirt on the north side of the river between North Main Street and North Cory Street.
The work underway is brownfield work and soil remediation, and the benching will follow.
Phase 1 benching was previously completed between Broad Avenue and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, and involved floodplain benching near Swale Park, and removal of several low‑head dams downstream of Lye Creek.
Two more flood mitigation projects still to come are the new Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge – to eliminate a pinch point in the river – and the Eagle Creek Floodwater Storage Basin just south of town.
Mayor Christina Muryn says all the projects together will reduce floodwater levels in a 100-year flood event by three feet in downtown Findlay.
Officials say the new Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge could be completed before the end of the year or early next year.
As for the Eagle Creek Floodwater Storage Basin, officials say they’re waiting on formal signing of the grant for the project from FEMA.
(From Blanchard Valley Health System)
Recently, Myron D. Lewis, MSW, MBA, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Blanchard Valley Health System, spoke at Fresh Brewed Business.
Fresh Brewed Business is a monthly event hosted by the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, where community professionals gather to make network connections and stay informed on local business, government, education, and health news.
Myron provided updates on how BVHS is addressing nationwide challenges faced by rural health systems, such as declining reimbursements, rising supply costs, and a shrinking workforce. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining high-quality care locally, explaining how BVHS continually adapts to support the needs of our community.
Thank you for helping keep the community informed and for representing TeamBVHS!
(From the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation)
Last opportunity to have your voice heard!
Community Foundation staff will be in Findlay, McComb and Mt. Blanchard Friday and Sunday as part of Community Conversations!
Stop by, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of our community.
And a bonus, get a free treat!
Visit our website for details https://www.community-foundation.com/cc25
(ONN) – With the temperatures dropping, heating bills are rising.
There are several programs available to assist people having trouble paying their heating bills.
The Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, is a federally funded program that helps eligible people with their energy bills.
The HeatShare Program is a partnership between the Salvation Army and Columbia Gas of Ohio.
Columbia Gas also has the Warm Choice Program which can help income eligible customers receive free winterization of their homes.
And, Columbia Gas also offers a special reconnect order so those with outstanding fees can pay $175 dollars to have their service reconnected or avoid disconnection — and then set up a payment plan to pay back overdue bills.
The customer service number for Columbia Gas of Ohio is 1 800 344 4077.