(From the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services)

The Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) is offering a new app to support the family, friends, and loved ones of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). The Companion app, developed by CHESS Health, features a community of peers, a library of educational content, inspiration and guidance, virtual support group meetings, and additional resources.

The Companion app is a component of CHESS Health’s evidence-based eRecovery solution, which also includes the powerful Connections app for individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Hancock County launched the Connections app in 2022 to help people achieve and maintain recovery. The success of that app inspired the board to add the Companion app in October 2024. Like the Connections app, the Companion app is free and available to everyone in Hancock County.

Receiving support from a community of peers provides a great source of strength for loved ones of people with SUD, minimizing the stigma, isolation, and shame that often surround addiction. In addition, research shows people with SUD who are supported by family and friends experience multiple positive benefits, including an increased likelihood of seeking treatment and adhering to it, and lower instances of substance use, arrest, and hospitalization.

“Our intention is to equip families and friends with as many tools as possible,” said Zach Thomas, director of wellness and education at the ADAMHS board. “We know that people who support people in recovery need support themselves. This app helps us provide that for them.”

CHESS Health and Hancock County are both focused on a holistic approach to addressing the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis, said Hans Morefield, CEO of CHESS Health. “The recovery journey is a challenge for everyone involved, not just the person in recovery,” he said. “Connecting with a community of peers helps families learn from the wisdom of others who relate to what they’re going through, enabling them to build strength and resilience to keep forging ahead.”

About Hancock County ADAMHS Board

The Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) is a public body comprised of voluntary members who share a deep commitment to how our local community works together to meet the mental health and substance use treatment and recovery needs of our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. ADAMHS is the local mental health and substance use services planning authority for Hancock County.

About CHESS Health

CHESS Health is a leading provider of effective, turnkey, evidence-based digital behavioral health solutions backed by peer support. These tools empower providers, health plans, and public sector organizations to address the substance use disorder crisis by enhancing prevention, facilitating care coordination, and improving adherence to care plans and treatment retention, ultimately resulting in better health outcomes. For more information, visit www.chess.health.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce)

Nominations are officially open for the 62nd Annual Small Business Awards!

Help us recognize all of the amazing businesses and organizations in the Findlay and Hancock County community by submitting your nominations today!

Each year, we shine a spotlight on individuals whose entrepreneurial spirit and independent drive are crucial to building our community and boosting the economy.

Join us in acknowledging the accomplishments of the small businesses in Findlay and Hancock County. 

Visit FindlayHancockChamber.com/SBA to see the awards, their criteria, and to submit your nominations!

The awards ceremony will take place Thursday, October 9th.

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

The Interstate 75 interchange ramps at U.S. 68/SR 15 will close Sunday night, June 29, 5 p.m. – midnight, for micro milling to improve friction.

• I-75 exit ramps to U.S. 68/SR 15 closed
• Ramps will be open to Lima Ave.
• I-75 northbound lane closures prior to the ramp (MM 155.5-156.5)
• Detour: Use Lima Ave. roundabout to enter U.S. 68/SR 15

(From the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum)

The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum will showcase a selection of the world’s finest fantasy artists in its 11th annual Enchanted Brush exhibit, open now through August 29.

This year’s exhibit, free to the public in the Lea Gallery of UF’s Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion, has a theme of “Legendary.”

“This exhibition brings to life the characters, myths, and moments of epic tales,” explained Dan Chudzinski, director of curation and exhibitions at Mazza and founder of the Enchanted Brush exhibition.

There are 27 works of art, representing 22 international fantasy artists, in the display of oil paintings, scratchboard, bronze sculpture, 3D-printed digital sculpture, and more.

The theme emphasizes the connection between fantasy artwork and great literature, and how both transcend time.

“It has the power to transport us to the shadows of Sherwood, through the mists of Avalon, and beyond the boundaries of our imaginations,” Chudzinski explained. “This is art that provokes thought and curiosity.”

Among the featured pieces is “St. Petroch and the Dragon,” an oil painting by Scott Gustafson, whose work ranges from creating tea box artwork for Celestial Seasonings to covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Illustrating children’s books is his favorite creative outlet, and he currently has five books in print.

Gustafson’s painting for the exhibit features the legend of St. Petroch, a monk in Wales during the sixth century. The story tells of a distraught dragon upsetting nearby residents, and when Petroc confronted the beast, he learned that it had a splinter in its eye and needed help. The painting illustrates Petroch’s removal of the splinter, which resulted in the dragon leaving the village in peace.

Another featured artist in the exhibit is Don Maitz, with his oil paintings “Arthur in Battle” and “Arthur Knights Lancelot.”

Maitz is the original creator of the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character and an award-winning cover artist of more than 300 books, magazines, game art, and advertising for National Geographic, DC & Marvel Comics, Paramount, and Warner Pictures, among others. Maitz twice won science fiction’s Hugo Award for Best Artist, and he has exhibited in over 40 museums.

Chudzinski noted that the exhibit also highlights several “cryptids,” which are creatures whose existence is not yet scientifically proven. One of these is the curator’s own sculpture of the Loveland, Ohio Frogman.

Three other pieces feature a jackalope, a jackrabbit with antelope horns. These are an oil painting by Alan Douglas, and a skeleton and sculpture by Chudzinski.

Other participating artists in the exhibit are Iris Compiet, Allen Douglas, Quintin Gleim, Scott Gustafson, James Herrmann, Kelley Hensing, Elliot Lang, Ashly Lovett, Don Maitz, Jason Mowry, Reiko Murakami, Colin Nitta, Kristine Poole, Ruth Sanderson, Danny Schwartz, Chris Sickles, Andrew Sides, Melissa Stanley, Alex Stone, Jeremy Wilson, and Janny Wurts.

A reception will take place Tuesday, July 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with a gallery tour and some of the artists attending to discuss their work.

Many of the pieces of artwork on display are available for purchase, with all of the proceeds going to the artists.

For more information on the exhibit, visit mazzamuseum.org.

A new report by the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Ohio’s drinking water a grade of D +, saying the way the state treats its wastewater, aging underground water lines, and removal of lead pipes all threaten the drinking water system.

By the year 2050, Ohio is expected to experience a 30 percent increase in extreme rainfall events which could further strain water treatment systems and reduce clean water availability during flooding.

The report went on to say that the state needs to do more to remove lead and galvanized pipes.

Stormwater run-off is also a statewide issue.

The report says Ohio water systems need an estimated $16 billion in investment to maintain capacity and meet growing demand.

(From Findlay City Schools)

We are celebrating the 4th Annual Findlay Show Choir Youth Camp!

The talent on stage is overwhelming, with 175 students participating in Grades 1-9, and representation from every single FCS school, as well as several other area schools.

Catch these performers in action at their end-of-camp shows in the FHS Auditorium:

The SoundSations (1st-3rd graders): Friday, June 27th at 10:30am

The Show Stoppers (4th-6th graders): Saturday, June 28th at 11:30am

The Ovations (7th-9th graders): Saturday, June 28th at 3:30pm

The City of Findlay is letting drivers know that a section of a busy street will be closing for a few days.

The city says East Sandusky Street will be closed from Morse Street to Osborn Avenue from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday, June 30 to Wednesday, July 2 for bridge and sewer repairs.

The work is weather permitting.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said three people were injured in a crash involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 75 in Bluffton.

The Highway Patrol said the crash involved eight vehicles and occurred at around 11:30 Thursday morning on Interstate 75 near State Route 103.

Crash investigators say all eight vehicles were southbound on I-75 and when traffic had slowed near State Route 103 a semi driven by Barinder Sarao, 29, of Ontario, Canada struck the slower traffic causing a chain reaction of vehicles striking each other.

His semi entered the median, struck the cable barrier and came to rest in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75.

All lanes of I-75 in both directions were shut down for hours.

Of the vehicles struck, Barbara Andrews, 69, of Toledo, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St. Rita’s Hospital in Lima.

Crowell Owens, 57, of South Carolina, was seriously injured and transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay.

Mary Starks, 53, from South Carolina, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

None of the other drivers or occupants involved were injured.

The Highway Patrol said Barinder Sarao was issued a citation for ACDA (assured clear distance ahead).

The Highway Patrol said alcohol and drugs are not suspected to have been factors in the crash.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation)

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is excited to announce its latest community-wide initiative, Rooted to Rise: Supporting Work and Play in Hancock County. Unveiled at the Foundation’s Annual Celebration on June 18, this campaign is designed to strategically align community needs with the generosity of donors, bolstering existing systems and fostering long-term growth for a thriving future.

“The genesis of this campaign was the realization that these two areas in particular, work and play, are crucial to quality of life,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation. “The State of Work and Play Report we commissioned last year underscores the need for more support in these areas to ensure everyone in Hancock County has access to a thriving life.”

The “work” category focuses on vital systems such as childcare, housing, transportation, and workforce development. Complementing this, the “play” category emphasizes arts, Fun for All, parks and recreation. With a housing occupancy rate exceeding 99%, childcare costs often rivaling rent, and the cost of recreational activities increasing by an average of 38% since 2021 nationally, many Hancock County families live on the edge of financial crisis. Yet, through these challenges, the spirit of our community persists, as residents continue to seek joy, connection, and creativity. Rooted to Rise aims to encourage and propel that spirit forward.

“We envision a future where Hancock County is not just a place people pass through for work, but a place they’re proud to call home, a place where children can grow up surrounded by learning and opportunity; and adults have access to careers, culture, and community without compromise,” said Treece. “That’s the future we’re building together – a Hancock County where everyone can put down strong roots and continually rise.”

Beyond fundraising, Rooted to Rise is also an educational initiative to deepen community understanding of the critical issues impacting Hancock County. Lasting change comes from knowing the root causes rather than just the symptoms. As part of this campaign, we will highlight the interconnectedness of work and play elements, demonstrating how issues like housing availability can impact workforce development, or how access to recreational activities can improve overall well-being and productivity.

The Foundation will host a variety of community education sessions, including lunch and learns, site visits to local organizations addressing these needs, and other special opportunities. These events will provide valuable insights into how systems change works and how individuals can contribute to a thriving Hancock County.

By investing in both work and play, the Foundation is building a balanced ecosystem where people and possibilities flourish. With the help of many generous donors, there are already 100 funds supporting the systems that are part of work and play. But there’s more work to be done.

Those interested in supporting this work can find more information, including the whole State of Work and Play Report, on our website here.

(From Blanchard Valley Center)

Nominations are open for the 2025 BVC Effect Awards. Know someone who goes above & beyond in the DD field but not sure how to put it into words? Here is an example of what we want to see.

In 2024, the Hurdle to Success Award was granted to Jennifer Little, OSU Extension – Hancock County. Here is how her nomination read: “Jennifer would be the perfect recipient of the Hurdle to Success Award. We reached out to Jennifer several months ago about partnering with BVC to create a cooking class. Jennifer was very enthusiastic about this project and was honored to be asked to assist. Jennifer worked to secure a grant to be able to purchase necessary kitchen items for the cooking class and has led 5-week long cooking classes. Jennifer plans the presentation and meal for each class and then provides education and hand-on experiences in the kitchen to prep the meal for the class. Jennifer creates a well-rounded menu for the 5 weeks to ensure that the participants are learning a wide range of ways to prepare foods while eating a balanced meal. Jennifer is always eager to interact with the participants, giving lots of encouragement to step outside their comfort zone and try a new skill or food. It has been a pleasure working with Jennifer and we look forward to having her back for more classes.”

For the Hurdle to Success Award, recipients are recognized for overcoming obstacles for individuals with developmental disabilities. Nominees should be employers, volunteer organizations, community resources, or businesses that promote opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities in Hancock County. Successful nominees will create and foster opportunities for individuals to live, learn, work, and be a part of the community.

Nominate someone today!
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfQGu73Aro…/viewform…