(From the Leipsic Community Center)

Come enjoy our 2nd Annual Light Up Leipsic Christmas event!

It will be held on Thursday, November 30^th from 5 to 8 p.m. along Main Street.

In year one, we couldn’t have imagined the amount of people that came to our small part of the county.

We can’t wait to see what this year’s event brings!

There will be many of the same activities, including bounce houses, cookie decorating, crafts, letters to Santa, and carriage rides.

This year, we are adding in Christmas Caroling, train rides, and a parade to finish off the evening.

There will also be jazz music, raffles, bands and more! We have a ton of things planned throughout our community, so don’t miss it!

Donations are welcome!

(From the Ohio Department of Natural Resources)

Ohio hunters checked 19,359 white-tailed deer during the opening day of gun hunting season on Monday, Nov. 27, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Ohio’s seven-day gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 3, and a two-day gun season is open on Dec. 16-17.
 
This year’s opening day harvest total includes 7,676 antlered deer and 11,683 antlerless deer, a category which includes does and button bucks. In 2022, hunters took 17,197 deer on opening day of the gun season, which traditionally falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. From 2020 to 2022, hunters checked an average of 16,616 deer during the gun season opener.

The top 11 counties for deer harvest on the opening day of the weeklong gun season were:

Coshocton (858)

Tuscarawas (712)

Muskingum (630)

Ashtabula (618)

Knox (587)

Carroll (573)

Guernsey (537)

Harrison (518)

Holmes (475)

Licking (437)

(ONN) – The two-year legal battle over maps of Ohio Statehouse districts may be over.

The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed three long-running constitutional challenges brought by Democratic and voting-rights groups in a 4-3, party-line vote, citing a September bipartisan passage of new legislative maps.

That means the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s new maps will be in place through 2030.

That is unless opponents file a new lawsuit or voters pass changes to Ohio’s redistricting system next November.

Several state petitions to overturn previous decisions finding statehouse maps unconstitutional were denied by the court as being without merit.

(ONN) – Ohio’s governor and lieutenant governor may face depositions in a bribery scheme case involving FirstEnergy.

The subpoena is for information on how much Lt. Governor Jon Husted knew about a $4.3 million payout to the former chair of the public utilities commission.

Attorneys suing FirstEnergy have also subpoenaed records from Governor Mike DeWine asking for political campaign and contributions made in 2018.

This is a separate case from an ongoing criminal case involving familiar names.

Former house speaker Larry Householder– lobbyist Matt Borges– and two others were convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering.

A fifth man was charged but died two years ago by suicide.

Householder is now serving 20 years in prison.

(From Tiffin Historic Trust)

The 2023 Tiffin Historic Trust Holiday House Tour on Sunday, December 3, from 1 to 5 PM, features the beauty of area houses of worship (Christian Churches) and older historic homes, some of which serve as commercial residences. Eight buildings are included in the self-guided tour. Visitors can admire both the architecture and the holiday decorations of the beautifully maintained buildings, some of which have received Historic Preservation Awards from Tiffin Historic Trust.

The Holiday House Tour ticket includes a map showing the locations of the sites. Several homeowners are offering holiday refreshments to their guests.

Tickets are available until December 2, at Great Lakes Ace Hardware (1550 W. Market Street) and (Simply Susan’s, 70 S. Washington Street, Tiffin). On the Sunday of the tour, December 3, tickets will only be available at the Grammes-Brown House, 172 Jefferson Street, Tiffin. The ticket donation is $20 per person.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is reminding everyone that scammers always seem to get busier around the holidays and this year is no exception.

The sheriff’s office posted the following on its social media.

Tis the season! Scammers are going strong. We have 2 scams that we are receiving calls on. One is the “you missed court and if you don’t pay you will get arrested” and the other is the “I am (name), your grandchild, and I just got arrested for (whatever) and need bail money.” Please do not send money to anyone unless you are 100% sure it is legit! And law enforcement and the courts do not contact and threaten to arrest by call, email, or text. Please be careful with your money, so you can enjoy a happy holiday season. Be safe out there!

Putnam County Habitat for Humanity recently dedicated its 14^th home, this latest one at 307 West Oak Street in Continental.

An open house was held on Sunday during which visitors toured the new home and the fine craftsmanship skills employed by PCHFH volunteers and the local industry.

The dedication ceremony then followed in which the Dudgeon Family celebrated their new home.

In July, the Dudgeon family broke ground on the 14th Putnam County Habitat for Humanity home.

The family partnered in the construction of this house which was dedicated on Sunday.

Since its inception in 2009, PCHFH has built 12 new homes and rebuilt an entire house.

Homeowners purchase their homes through low- or zero-interest mortgages provided by PCHFH or through USDA direct loans.

Critical home repair projects completed by Putnam County Habitat for Humanity include bathroom remodels, roof repairs and replacements, electrical repairs, window replacements, wheelchair ramp additions and replacements.

To learn more, visit www.putnamohhabitat.org, call 419-523-9621 or visit the PCHFH office at 150 N. Oak Street, Ottawa, OH 45875 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday. 

The County Road 169 overpass over State Route 15 near Vanlue opened to traffic on Tuesday morning, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The opening of the new overpass comes just days after the County Road 180 overpass over State Route 15 south of Findlay opened to traffic on Friday, November 24.

ODOT has plans to construct yet another overpass over State Route 15 between Findlay and Vanlue, with this latest one going up at County Road 193 in 2025.

ODOT says it is optimistic that the County Road 8 crossover, between County Road 180 and State Route 37, will be closed off permanently.

ODOT says County Road 8 will remain closed with barrels and barricades through the winter, and they are tentatively planning to remove the pavement and cul-de-sac the route in the spring.

We spoke with ODOT officials and Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade about the new overpasses (video below) and how they will improve safety along the State Route 15 corridor.

The City of Findlay is issuing some reminders regarding leaf pick-up and the green waste site.

The city is reminding residents that leaf and limb pick-up will end on Friday, December 1^st.

The city says the Green Waste Site will close for the season on Saturday, December 2^nd at 4 p.m.

The city says the Green Waste Site is closed Tuesday, November 28th due to unforeseen circumstances and will reopen on Wednesday, November 29. 

Findlay City Schools says there is an investigation underway into reports regarding student behavior and the culture of the Findlay First Edition program “that do not align with our values and expectations for our students,” Superintendent Dr. Andy Hatton said at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Dr. Hatton says the school district has retained a third-party investigator to conduct an unbiased comprehensive investigation.

Dr. Hatton made clear that the reports do not include allegations of boundary issues involving FFE Director Kevin Manley and students.

Dr. Hatton’s full statement is below.

The school district says Manley has been placed on administrative leave.

According to the school district website, Manley is in his 32nd year of teaching with Findlay City Schools and directs three concert choirs and the Findlay First Edition show choir. 

Dr. Hatton said, as the investigation is ongoing he is unable to provide any more information at this time.

“FFE is a treasured program that is rich in talent and onstage excellence, therefore, in the meantime, our top priorities will be focusing on student wellbeing and belonging and working diligently to keep the season moving forward.”