The Findlay Police Department has released the results of its 2020 Citizen Survey.

The anonymous survey posed several key questions to assist the department in determining citizen perceptions of safety, quality of life and the quality of police services.

The police department says community feedback provides helpful insight when establishing goals, enhancing training and shaping the future direction of the department.

The police department received a B for the question ‘I believe the Findlay Police Department does a good job keeping Findlay safe’.

A new question on the survey was the public’s perception of how much crime is occurring.

That question received an F grade, indicating a strong belief that crime in Findlay is increasing, but the police department says that’s not the case.

“Although crime in Findlay has actually been going down – when you look at our previous annual reports – the general perception in the community is that these crimes are actually increasing,” said Crime Prevention Officer Brian White.

Officer White says that grade will be used by the Crime Prevention Division to better engage the community in addressing the prevention of crime.

The police department says more people filled out the 2020 survey than the previous year, and thanks the community members who took the time to fill it out.

The full survey can be seen by clicking here.

Ohio’s COVID-19 curfew is being shortened.

Governor DeWine previously stated that the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew would be pushed back to 11 p.m. if Ohio sees hospitalizations dip below 3,500 for seven days in a row.

On Wednesday the state reported 2,944 hospitalizations, which is the 7th straight day that hospital utilization was below 3,500.

Therefore, he says the state’s COVID curfew will change to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m beginning Thursday night.

If hospitalizations drop below 3,000 for seven days in a row the curfew will move back to 12 a.m.

If hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven days the curfew will be dropped.

Ohio has been under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since November.

The number of active COVID-19 cases took another drop in the latest numbers from Hancock Public Health.

The agency said there were 158 active cases of the virus on Wednesday, which is a drop of 26 from a week ago.

Active cases are cases that are currently under quarantine or in isolation.

Seven people were hospitalized with the virus on Wednesday, which is down from 13 from last week.

92 people have died from COVID-19 in Hancock County, an increase of two from a week ago.

Statewide there have been more than 878,000 cases and nearly 11,000 deaths.

Some fake money is circulating in the northwestern corner of the State.

The Williams County Sheriff’s Office is warning the community and local businesses to be aware of fake $10 bills being used by scammers in the area.

With a casual glance, the bills may seem real.

But they are prop money used in movies and say on them ‘for motion picture purposes’ – featuring a smirking Alexander Hamilton on the front.

The back carries the same ‘motion picture purposes’ label and says ‘in props we trust.’

The sheriff’s office says any suspected fake or counterfeit bills should be reported to local law enforcement.

University of Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell has accepted a contract extension offer from the University of Findlay Board of Trustees.

The extension will run through June of 2024, with a 3-year option beyond that.

“This is Dr. Fell’s 11th year as the President of the University of Findlay, and we are extremely excited that we will have the benefit of her leadership for at least another three years!” said Chris Ostrander, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Fell has been a tremendous leader not only for the University, but also within the community. She has built a vibrant culture for our students, the faculty, and the staff; and we are very pleased to have reached this extension with her.”

Ostrander says Dr. Fell’s unwavering resolve and passion for excellence have stood tall with each challenge the university has faced.

“With the team she has established around her and the support of the Board of Trustees, I am confident her vision, leadership, and relentless devotion will lead to the University of Findlay reaching much greater heights over the next several years.”

Governor DeWine says the state’s COVID-19 curfew will now be based on COVID hospitalizations.

He says the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will be pushed back to 11 p.m. if Ohio sees hospitalizations dip below 3,500 for seven days in a row.

If hospitalizations drop below 3,000 for seven days the curfew would move back to 12 a.m.

And if hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven days the curfew would come to an end.

“We’re basing the curfew on hospital utilization because it is one of our most reliable indicators of disease severity,” DeWine said.

“When people are sick enough with COVID-19 to be in the hospital in high numbers, we know that virus spread is high.”

He says the state has been below 3,500 hospitalizations for six days in a row, so we may see a curfew change this week.

Ohio has been under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since November.

Law enforcement from across Ohio came out to honor fallen Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker on Tuesday.

The funeral procession included several members of the Findlay Police Department including Police Chief Robert Ring and Captain James Mathias.

Captain Mathias says it was nice to see so many law enforcement and community members come out to pay their respects and say goodbye to Officer Stalker.

Stalker was shot and killed during a standoff with a suspect on January 18th.

Click here for information about fundraisers that have been set up for Officer Stalker’s family.

Click here to read the officer’s obituary.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is offering a free online course for people interested in learning how to fly a drone.

ODOT says, although 1.7 million drones are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, there are only about 208,000 pilots certified to fly them.

The free course will be available online and ODOT says it’s comparable to a driver’s education class.

“This is a great place to start for individuals that currently fly as a hobby or would like to fly for work-related applications,” ODOT said.

More information can be found in the e-Learning section of the Ohio Department of Transportation website and by clicking here.

Monday was the first day on the job for Jacob Rayle, Travis Flint, Derek Ricker and Eric Depinet.

Rayle previously worked for the Findlay water department and lives in Findlay. Flint comes to Findlay from the Defiance Fire Department. Ricker is from Putnam County. And Depinet was previously with the Bascom Fire Department.

“We’re excited to get these four guys on board,” said Fire Chief Josh Eberle.

“We’ve had a lot of retirements in the past four years and our department is getting progressively younger.”

The chief says the younger guys in the department have really been stepping up and filling some leadership roles that were vacated by older guys who retired, and he says the existing senior firefighters are stepping up and supporting the younger guys.

“I’m just really happy where our department is right now and the direction we’re headed.”

The chief says the four new hires will fill two existing vacancies and two anticipated retirements in the first half of this year.

Findlay City Schools will be undergoing some elementary school building consolidation in the wake of three failed operating levies in 2020.

Superintendent Troy Roth says the district is moving ahead with the difficult decision to close Lincoln Elementary at the end of the current school year.

Also, Jacobs Primary will be repurposed and will no longer be a K-3 school building.

Full details are in the following letter the school district sent out to the community.

Dear Findlay City Schools Staff and Community:

Findlay City Schools was faced with very difficult decisions after the third attempt to pass an additional operating levy failed in November 2020. It is with considerable discussion and planning that Lincoln Elementary will close at the end of this school year. Additionally, Jacobs Primary will be repurposed within the district and will no longer be a K-3 school building. This decision was made in cooperation with the Board of Education, the Director of Facilities, and other integral administrative staff members.

The decision to close school buildings is never easy; however, due to the financial challenges that the district faces, we believe this option is the best long-term option. Countless hours were spent reviewing enrollment numbers and district demographic data, in great detail, to assess the viability of the schools. The consolidation of the buildings will only require redistricting of Jacobs and Lincoln students to bring consistency to our elementary school model, with the ultimate goal of K-5 buildings.

In order to facilitate the transition of students, teachers, and staff from the closure of the two buildings into other schools within the district, we have created a timeline and plans that will be shared in follow-up communications. As the plans develop, we will provide the redistricting information on the website at www.fcs.org, social media, and Trojan Talks.

Please know that this decision was difficult and the district is truly grateful for all of the support that we receive from the community. The closures and redistricting will not affect the continuity of education programs or services. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work through this process. We will keep the community, staff, and parents informed throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Mr. Troy Roth
Superintendent