(From Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade)

State Highway Clearing has begun work on the Howard Run Ditch, which originates north of East Bigelow Avenue, flows through the City of Findlay, and discharges into the Blanchard River. The project includes vegetation clearing, removal of log jams, and sediment excavation.

No traffic disruptions are anticipated during the course of this work. Activities are expected to continue over the next several months.

This project was initiated through a petition by the City of Findlay and approved by the Hancock County Board of Commissioners under the Ohio Petition Ditch process.

The Hancock County Engineer’s Office will provide updates on project progress and scheduling as new information becomes available. For questions or additional information, please contact our office at 419-422-7433.

(From the University of Findlay)

Visiting high school students got a first-hand look at the exciting world of pharmacy during the University of Findlay’s V.I.P.² Day (Very Important Potential Pharmacist Day) on Friday, Oct. 10.

Hosted by the College of Pharmacy, the event welcomed future pharmacists to campus for a full day of hands-on activities and interactive sessions designed to bring the profession to life.

To close the day, faculty and current students engaged in conversations about admissions, curriculum, and careers in pharmacy.

Findlay First Edition will be holding its Fall Fest on Thursday, October 23rd at 7:30 p.m. 

“Enjoy an evening of music by our very own Findlay First Edition and Voices in Perfection, along with other local show choirs!” Findlay High School said. 

Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door.

Get more details in the Facebook post below from the high school. 

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

UPDATE: Missing Juvenile – Savannah Kipps-Lucius

As of 2:00 PM, October 14, 2025

The search for missing juvenile Savannah Kipps-Lucius remains ongoing. Tiffin Police officers and detectives continue to actively follow up on every lead and piece of information that comes in.

We understand that members of the community often have questions about what actions law enforcement is taking during investigations like this. To help keep everyone informed and to prevent any misunderstandings, below is an overview of the steps taken so far in our efforts to locate Savannah:

• Family members, friends, and witnesses have been interviewed.
• Contact has been made with all known locations that have surveillance systems which may have captured footage of Savannah after she left her home.
• Searches have been conducted in vacant homes and buildings near the areas she may have been.
• Investigators are reviewing Savannah’s electronic devices and social media activity for any leads.
• Officers have conducted foot patrols in outdoor locations of interest.
• Drone searches have been completed in areas surrounding where Savannah was last known to be.

The Tiffin Police Department remains fully committed to doing everything possible to bring Savannah home safely.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Tiffin Police Department immediately at (419) 447-2323.

Please continue to keep Savannah and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Chief David Pauly

We may be experiencing some nice fall weather now, but the Ohio Department of Transportation knows winter weather will be here soon enough. 

ODOT District 1 is hiring Winter Seasonal Highway Technicians in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Wyandot Counties.

“Come plow snow with us,” ODOT said in a post on its Facebook page.

Applicants must have a valid CDL.

Get more details on the positions and submit an application by clicking here.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded $56,147 in federal traffic safety funding from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office for fiscal year 2026.

The sheriff’s office says the funds will provide for 700 hours of extra traffic enforcement in Hancock County.

The sheriff’s office will be focusing on traffic safety priority areas such as seat belt use, impaired and distracted driving, motorcycle safety, and youth drivers.

(ONN) – The City of Cleveland and the Haslam Sports Group have agreed to a $100 million settlement enabling the Browns to move to Brook Park when their new domed stadium is completed in 2029.

By December 1st of this year, the Browns will pay the Cleveland a sum of $25 million.

They will also pay the city roughly $30 million in order to demolish the current lakefront stadium, paving the way for that redevelopment.

Over the course of 2029 through 2033, Haslam Sports will pay the city five million per year, totaling $25 million.

Once the lease downtown is terminated, Haslam Sports will invest no less than two million per year over the next ten years to community benefit projects totaling $20 million.

(From Hancock County ADAMHS)

A 2019 event that explored community mental health issues is returning to Hancock County this fall.

Dr. Mary Steiner liames, associate professor at the Winebrenner Theological Seminary, said the Mental Health and Church Conference will be held from 8:30 am to 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the Alumni Memorial Union at the University of Findlay.

According to Dr. Iiames, “For years, individuals have asked about the return of the conference, and finally, it’s here! We will again meet to discuss the mental health needs of folks and how the Church can work with mental health professionals to address them.”

It is open to pastors, lay leaders, and volunteers from churches in the Findlay area at no cost. It is made possible through a grant from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

The topics to be discussed include Mental Health 101: an overview of mental health, The Intersection of Faith and Mental Health, Grief and Loss, Mental Health, and Nutrition and Wellness.

A panel discussion of mental health issues in the community will also be offered.

“I’m excited to have mental health professionals from our area presenting important topics and including a panel that can address the questions of conference attendees,” Dr. Iiames stated.

The first conference was held in 2019 at Winebrenner and was attended by one hundred pastors, lay leaders, and volunteers from churches around the Findlay area. Organizers had hoped to repeat it, but plans were put on hold due to the COVID pandemic.

Those interested in attending can register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScaj9RNvZ1l_7djM0zHd3vEf3W98Sdxuuzy7s92BdV2a7uPZQ/viewform?usp=header

For more information, contact: Dr. Mary Steiner Iiames, iiames@winebrenner.edu

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library)

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library will be spending the week of October 19-25, 2025, celebrating its amazing Friends of the Library group as part of the 20th annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week. This is a special week to spotlight the wonderful work that our Friends volunteers do, and what a crucial role they play for the community.

The Friends of the Hancock County Public Library was established in 1975. Currently made up of 148 community members, the Friends are a major factor in the library’s progress, advocating for funding and volunteering their time to assist with efforts that include the Book Cellar Used Book Shop, and special book sales throughout the year.

In 2025 alone, the Friends contributed approximately $75,000 to support library programming and services. Their funding helped make possible community-favorite programs like SummerREAD and WinterREAD, expanded the periodical and newspaper archive collections, added new youth and adult fiction and nonfiction titles, enhanced access to resources like The Ohio Digital Library, and supported cherished events like the Children’s Tell-a-Tale Contest.

Sarah Clevidence, Library Director said, “We are grateful to have such a dedicated Friends of the Library. Their partnership, promotion, and financial support help ensure the library’s success”.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library invites the community to join in celebrating and thanking the Friends of the Library this week—and all year long.

Please visit findlaylibrary.org/support/fotl to find out how to become a member of the Friends of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.

(From the Sprague for Secretary of State Campaign)

Today, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague announced that his supporters can now contribute to his Ohio Secretary of State campaign with Bitcoin, becoming the first campaign for statewide office in Ohio history to welcome cryptocurrency donations.

Today’s announcement follows the vote by the Ohio Board of Deposit, chaired by Treasurer Sprague, to approve Grant Street Group as the vendor tasked with preparing the state for the use of cryptocurrency as an accepted form of payment for state fees and transactions.

Said Treasurer Sprague, “Ohio has a long, storied history of innovation and technological advancement, and last month the State paved the way for digital currency to become a fixture in our state economy.  We should all be proud that Ohio has become a leader in financial technology, and I am excited that my campaign is joining the State of Ohio in breaking new ground on digital currencies.”

The campaign’s website, www.SpragueforOhio.com, is one of the few campaign sites with the capability of accepting crypto for donations. Upon receipt, the Sprague for Secretary of State campaign will not hold the Bitcoin donation; rather, the donation will be immediately converted to U.S. dollars, which will then be reported on campaign finance reports as a traditional contribution.  To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Sprague for Secretary of State will not accept any contributions from Grant Street Group.

In 2021, the Ohio Elections Commission issued an advisory opinion concerning the use of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as campaign contributions.  In it, the Commission considered cryptocurrency to be an acceptable form of an in-kind contribution, provided that the donation complies with campaign contribution limits.  Additional reporting requirements would be necessary if a campaign were to hold the digital currency over time, and the asset appreciated or depreciated in value.