The Blanchard Valley Health System Auxiliary recently awarded ten $1,000 scholarships to students in Hancock and surrounding counties interested in pursuing a health-related career.

The 2023 BVHS Auxiliary scholarship winners include: Paige Bowman (Van Buren High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Toledo; McKenna Clark (Riverdale High School), pursuing a degree at Bowling Green State University; Hannah Davis (Bluffton High School), pursuing a degree at Ohio Northern University; Emily Ernst (Arlington High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Cincinnati; Kennedy Jones (Van Buren High School), pursuing a degree at Anderson University, Indiana; Brandon Maag (Liberty-Benton High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Dayton; Jayce Marcum (Findlay High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Cincinnati; Brooklyn Ricker (Ottawa-Glandorf High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Toledo; Alessandra Simoni (Findlay High School), pursuing a degree at Clemson University; and Jake Vermillion (Arlington High School), pursuing a degree at the University of Toledo.

Monies for the scholarship fund are derived from the annual membership dues contributed by Auxiliary members.

To learn more about scholarships offered through Blanchard Valley Health System, click here.

Applicants with the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Cadet Class 172 participated in signing day events across the state.

The cadets signed their letter of intent to become a member of the next Academy Class and officially kicked off their cadet training to become troopers.

Five recruits participated in the signing day event at the Findlay Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Lt. Scott Wyckhouse says this is the third academy class in which they’ve done the signing day ceremony.

“It’s a proud moment for them, that their signing and making a commitment to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and give them a little more motivation to have their families be a big part of that.”

The cadets will begin the 28-week academy class on Tuesday morning at 6:30.

Learn more about becoming a state trooper by clicking here.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Freeze Warning issued by the National Weather Service.

In fact, the warning covers just about the entire state.

The Freeze Warning will be in effect from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 degrees are expected.

Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Showers are possible on Tuesday with a high of 49.

Click here for the latest forecast and weather alerts.

Putnam County residents are being reminded about a new four-way stop in the southwestern portion of the county.

The engineer’s office said, due to numerous crashes over the last several years, the Putnam County Commissioners passed a resolution to make the intersection of Old State Route 12 and Township Road 17-S a four-way stop.

During the week of April 24th, the Putnam County Engineer’s Office will be installing ‘stop’ signs, ‘stop ahead’ signs with spinners, and temporary advanced warning rumble strips on Old State Route 12 to help motorists know they need to stop.

“Even while continuing to stop on Township Road 17-S, be mindful that cross-traffic may not be used to the new stop signs on Old State Route 12,” said Putnam County Engineer Michael Lenhart.

“Please make sure cross-traffic is coming to a stop before you enter the intersection. Please remember this as you travel through the area. Thank you.”

(picture courtesy of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office)

The Ohio Department of Transportation says U.S. 224/Center Street in Findlay is closing for waterline repairs.

The closure will begin on Monday, April 24^th and last for approximately 11 days.

From the map provided by ODOT, it appears the closure will go from North Main Street to North Blanchard Street.

The suggested detour routes from ODOT are below.

• Downtown Northern: Main St. to Trenton Ave. to Blanchard St. back to U.S. 224/Tiffin Ave.
• Downtown Southern: Main St. to Main Cross to Blanchard St., back to U.S. 224/Tiffin Ave.
• East/West around downtown Findlay: I-75 to CR 99 to CR 212 to Bright Rd., back to U.S. 224/Tiffin Ave

Bluffton historian Fred Steiner will be giving a presentation about Bluffton’s “Golden Age,” covering a period from approximately 1886 to 1900.

The presentation will be given at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25th at the Bluffton Public Library.

“Bluffton was a boom town during these years,” said Steiner, who will show photographs and share stories from the era during the program. The above picture is a group of young people in the 1890s.

Several significant developments occurred in Bluffton, which rival any 15-year period in the town’s history.

• Oil and natural gas discovered in Findlay, Bluffton’s first oil well drilled in 1890
• Business district, offered wide selection of products and services
• A dozen saloons operated here
• Town hall built in 1887
• Water plant in service in 1896
• Municipal power plant in service in 1897
• Telephone arrived in 1898
• Central Mennonite College opened in 1889
• Population in 1900 was 1,783; 50 years earlier the town has 12 families
• Northern Ohio Railway provided passenger and freight service
• Lake Erie and Western Railroad provided passenger and freight service
• Bluffton was one of the largest shipping points for dressed poultry in the United States, according to a news item in the Bluffton News.

The program is free and open to the public. The library is at 145 S. Main St.

Attendees are suggested to contact the library to RSVP at 419-358-5016.

Family Resource Center has completed a $1.75 million renovation of its Findlay headquarters on Carlin Street.

The facility, located at 1941 Carlin Street in Findlay, is expected to open on May 15, 2023.

An open house is planned for May 8th from 3 to 7.

“We are excited to bring our Findlay facilities up to the same high level of comfort and quality as the other locations we operate across Ohio,” said John Bindas, President and CEO of Family Resource Center.

FRC Director of Administration Allison Yeager said one of the great things about this renovation is that they will be able to offer adult and youth services under the same roof.

“This will help make things more convenient for families to access care together.”

Family Resource Center provides mental health and substance use disorder services for adults from their location at 1918 North Main, and for youth from their location at 2515 North Main in Findlay.

They plan to bring all those services together under one roof at the renovated Carlin facility.

Funded in part by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a Community Development Block Grant, the renovation project also includes the addition of an on-site pharmacy and meeting space for groups such as adventure therapy and other community support groups to gather.

An open house is planned for the afternoon of Monday, May 8^th.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was at the Correction Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker to announce millions of dollars in grant funding for local jails.

Nearly $50 million will be awarded to nearly a dozen jails.

The money will be used for construction, renovation, and safety improvement projects, and is part of the state’s capital budget.

The Hancock County Jail is one of the jails receiving that grant funding.

Hancock County will be receiving $248,480 for security upgrades at the jail.

See the full list of counties receiving the grant funding by clicking here.

The Second Chance Coalition of Hancock County held an event in Findlay to raise awareness of the challenges that formerly incarcerated individuals face when they return to the community.

“Many formerly incarcerated people strive to be fully contributing members of their communities and struggle to overcome the stigma of having a criminal record,” said Sharona Bishop, peer support specialist at Hancock Public Health.

She says the core belief of the coalition is that every person has value in the community, and together, as a community, we can help rebuild lives.

Sharona is in the center in the above picture provided by Hancock Public Health.

“I myself am a person with lived experience. I have a criminal background so I understand what it’s like when you hit barriers when you’re trying to do better.”

“And I learned that building amazing support is what has really helped me through my whole journey.”

At the event, which was held at The Dock at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, people heard personal accounts of starting over from area individuals wanting to encourage others to not give up.

A variety of local agencies were on hand to provide information and resources for those who are working through barriers post incarceration.

Among those agencies are the Hancock County Court of Common Pleas, the Findlay Municipal Court, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Hancock County Job and Family Services, Habitat for Humanity’s Financial Opportunity Center, Welcome to a New Life, Hancock Public Health, Focus Wellness & Recovery, and the Veterans Service Office to name a few.

People with questions about the event can contact Cheryl Miller (567) 250-5192 or email at cmiller@hancockph.com.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn issued a proclamation declaring April 2023 as Second Chance Month in Findlay.

The Tiffin Police Department says it arrested a man after an eight-month investigation into the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Nathaniel J. Stanton, 27, was arrested and charged with Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor, a second-degree felony.

The Tiffin Police Department said the case originated from a cyber tip sent to detectives that showed an unknown person had distributed illegal materials via the social media application Kik.

Additional investigation led detectives to Stanton’s home, and to him as the prime suspect.

The police department said detectives were also able to connect with Stanton on a social media app and conducted a covert operation with Stanton believing he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl.

Stanton was in fact communicating with a law enforcement officer, and during one conversation, he sent illicit photos to whom he believed was the 14-year-old girl.

The case will be forwarded to the Seneca County Prosecutor’s Office for review and presentation to a Grand Jury.

Additional charges are expected to be served on Stanton in the near future.

Stanton is currently being held at the Seneca County Jail and will have an initial arraignment in Tiffin Municipal Court.

The picture above and below is Detective Eric England placing Stanton into custody.