(From the Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force)

On 1/7/2026 at approx. 1842 hrs the Hancock County METRICH Drug Task Force assisted by the Findlay Police Department and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant at 1615 Burson Dr., Findlay OH, 45840.

The search of the residence yielded 215 grams of suspected cocaine, $15,501 dollars in cash, six firearms and multiple items indicative of drug trafficking. A 2021 Chevrolet 1500 truck was also seized.

As a result of the search the following person was arrested and incarcerated at the Hancock County Justice Center:

Skylar Johnson (42 year old)

1615 Burson Dr.

Findlay, Ohio

Fresh Charge: Possession of drugs felony of the first degree, trafficking in drugs felony of the first degree and third degree, and having weapons under disability felony of the third degree.

Additional charges of drug trafficking and possession of drugs are expected at the conclusion of this investigation.

The Hancock METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit is supported by METRICH in Mansfield, OH and funded in part by the Office of Criminal Justice Services.

METRICH Crime Tip Hotline: 419-52-CRIME (419-522-7463) or download the METRICH enforcement unit mobile app to “Submit a Tip.”

(From the Ohio Department of Health)

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, has reported the state’s first measles cases and outbreak of 2026. There are three infected individuals, all children, from one household in Cuyahoga County. One of the three cases that is part of this outbreak had an illness onset date at the end of 2025, and the other two cases had onsets in 2026.  

 The children were all unvaccinated at the time they were exposed and traveled to an area in the United States with an ongoing measles outbreak. ODH is working with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to follow up on potential exposures and to promote opportunities for vaccination.

 “The fact that we again have measles cases in Ohio underlines the importance of being fully vaccinated,” Dr. Vanderhoff said. “This disease can be very serious, but it is also preventable. I strongly encourage you to protect yourselves and your children by getting vaccinated.”

 Measles is extremely contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. The measles vaccine (called MMR as it protects against measles, mumps, and rubella) is very safe and effective at preventing measles. Two doses of MMR is 97% effective against measles. If you are up to date on measles vaccine, the risk of getting sick is very low.

 The measles virus can live for up to two hours in air where an infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch an infected surface and then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. People infected with measles can spread it to others from four days before, through four days after, a rash appears.

 Measles symptoms include a rash, high fever, runny nose, cough, loss of appetite and red, watery eyes. The rash usually lasts five to six days and begins at the hairline, moves to the face and upper neck, and proceeds down the body. Diarrhea and ear infections are common complications of measles. More severe complications may also occur.

 Complications from measles are more common among children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 20 years of age, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. As many as one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. MMR vaccine can also be given to adults who are not vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

 Measles can be brought back to Ohio by individuals who travel internally and within the United States to areas with ongoing measles outbreaks. If people are not protected against the disease, 9 out of 10 people who are exposed will become ill.

 Ohio had 45 cases of measles in 2025 (including the one case mentioned above) and seven cases in 2024. The state had one measles case in 2023 and 90 cases in 2022, when an outbreak in central Ohio totaled 85 cases.

 More information about measles is available on the CDC website, including general information and the recommended immunization schedule. ODH also has a measles FAQ page.

(From the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum)

A celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States will take place at the January 11 “Funday Sunday” program of the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, and area residents are invited to the party.

Free and open to the public, the program offers a red-white-and-blue bundle of excitement with art, games, and hands-on educational stations, including the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, plus face painting, birthday cake, and a variety of nostalgic birthday activities to commemorate the U.S. Semiquincentennial.

A new exhibit, “Drawn Together: An Illustrated Celebration of America 250,” also will debut at Funday Sunday.

“This birthday celebration marking America’s 250th anniversary offers a meaningful and engaging experience for families,” said Amanda Davidson-Johnston, assistant director at the Mazza Museum. “Through books, art, and the opening of our America 250 gallery, we are inviting the community to come together to celebrate and look ahead.”

The author/illustrator duo Peter Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes will be special guests at the event. The owners of VSP Books created the best-selling Woodrow, the White House Mouse as well as House Mouse, Senate Mouse and Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse, among others. Their many children’s books – that have sold nearly 1 million copies – teach young readers about government and civics.

Registration for Funday Sunday is required and can be completed on the Mazza Museum’s website.

UF’s Mazza Museum is one of the collaborators with America 250-Ohio, the commission formed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to lead the state in participating in the U.S. 250th anniversary that culminates on July 4, 2026. America 250-Ohio is showcasing Ohioans from all 88 counties as part of the state’s unique role in the nation’s story.

Thanks to a sponsorship by America 250-Ohio, each child who attends Funday Sunday in January will receive a free book, Davidson-Johnston said.

“Drawn Together: An Illustrated Celebration of America 250”

As America marks this special anniversary, a new Mazza exhibition celebrates the collective stories that have shaped the nation’s two and a half centuries, told through the enduring art of original picture book illustrations.

“From the indigenous people who first populated this land to immigrants like H. A. Rey and his wife Margaret, who escaped Nazi-occupied Paris and found new life in New York with a manuscript that would become Curious George, these images trace a sweeping and deeply human history,” said Dan Chudzinski, director of the Mazza Museum.

“They carry us through moments of discovery, struggle, creativity, and hope, from ancient earthworks such as the Serpent Mound to inventors and astronauts who carried America’s stories quite literally beyond our world, to the moon and back again.”

Highlights include the original cover art for American Girl: Felicity by Dan Andreasen, a hand-painted animation cel of Mickey Mouse by Hancock County native Madeline Porter, and illustrations depicting the nation’s founders, suffragists, abolitionists, and Civil Rights leaders, plus iconic elements of popular culture from baseball and football to Superman.

“This exhibition invites visitors of all ages to see America’s story not as a single narrative, but as many voices, many images, and many stories: shared, remembered, and still unfolding,” Chudzinski noted.

The Funday Sundays 2025-26 series takes place each month through April, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is sponsored by Hancock Federal Credit Union.

Themes for additional Funday Sundays this year are:

February 8: Jungle Expedition with the Toledo Zoo

March 15: Comics Unleashed

April 19: Weather Wonders

For more information on upcoming events, visit the Mazza Museum’s Events page online at www.mazzamuseum.org/events/. For specific questions regarding Funday Sunday, please contact Amanda Davidson-Johnston at 419-434-4777 or amanda.davidson-johnston@findlay.edu.

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Whose name is next on the plaque?

Applications for our annual Secor Scholarship will be accepted through midnight on Jan. 19.

This $2,000 renewable scholarship is open to graduating seniors in Hancock County with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Applicants are considered based on academic achievement, as well as community service and leadership.

Learn more and apply at https://www.liveunitedhancockcounty.org/…/secor…

(From Ottawa-Glandorf Athletics)

After 30 years of coaching Ottawa-Glandorf Football, Coach Schriner has decided to retire. Ken has done so much for our football program and has left a lasting impression on so many of his past and present players.

In his 30 years he led the Titans to their first State appearance in 2009 and again in 2021, won 5 WBL titles, qualified for playoffs 17 times, and hit his 200th win milestone making him the 56th coach in OHSAA to do so. Ken closes out his career with an astounding 204-132 record.

Ottawa-Glandorf Athletics and the community thank you in all that you have done. We wish nothing but the best for you in retirement, Ken!

(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

To the Hancock County Community,

Below is a summary of our key activities and accomplishments for December 2025. An annual report will be published soon!

Operational Statistics – December 2025

. Total Incidents Closed: 2604

. Criminal Investigations: 108

. Traffic Stops Conducted: 208

. OVI/Reckless Operation Investigations: 19

. Traffic Crashes Investigated: 132

. Court Documents Served: 241

. Arrest Warrants Executed: 44

. Detective Bureau/METRICH Operations: Ongoing drug investigations.

. Body-Wom Camera (BWC) Program: Awaiting award notifications in March 2026.

. Policy and Procedure Review: All existing policies and procedures have been updated.

. Emergency Communications: 825 calls received through 9-1-1 services

Corrections Division December 2025

. Average Daily Inmate Population: 87

. Total Book-ins: 134 (including both felony and misdemeanor classifications, male and

female)

. Internal Incidents Managed: 145

. Meals Provided: Over 9,012 (85,273 YDT)

Clerical/Records Division December 2025

. Background Checks: 65 (568 YTD)

. Records Requests: 69 (600 YTD)

. Reports Processed: 80 (867 YTD)

. Expungements: 19 (308 YTD)

(From Downtown Findlay)

The Jones Building Artists Show is now on view throughout January at the Findlay Art League Gallery, featuring work from the talented artists who create right here in our community.

Join them for a special opening reception on January 9 from 6–8 PM at 117 W. Crawford St. — refreshments included!

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library)

WinterREAD, a reading program that gives participants a chance to win amazing prizes, is underway at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library. Readers can register to join the winter fun at findlaylibrary.readsquared.com. The program runs through January 31.

WinterREAD registration is open to all ages, infant through adult. This winter, the library is again using an online platform, READsquared, to keep track of reading progress. Once registered, participants can earn great prizes by logging reading, writing a book review, or completing fun activities. For those that prefer not to track reading online, there will be paper forms available at the library to log reading progress.

Be sure to check the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/fhcpl for updates, surprises, and entertaining WinterREAD fun. For more information, and to view the fantastic prizes waiting to be won, visit findlaylibrary.org/winterread.

Below is the obituary for Ohio State Highway Patrol Sergeant Matthew Cook from Kirkpatrick-Behnke Funeral Home.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sgt. Cook’s home in rural McComb on December 31 and found him deceased.

Sgt. Cook worked at the Defiance Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and previously at the Findlay Post. 

“Our thoughts are with Sergeant Cook’s family, the Findlay District and the Patrol family as a whole,” the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. 

On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, Matthew Robert Cook, Jr., beloved companion, son, father, brother, and friend, went home to be with the Lord at the age of 39.

Matt was born on May 16, 1986, in Toledo, Ohio, to Matthew and Lisa Cook. In 2024, he met and fell in love with Tory Sevitz, and in January 2025, they were blessed by the birth of their wonderful son, Kellan Matthew. Together, they poured endless love, laughter, and joy into raising him. Matt took Kellan everywhere with him – doting on him, teaching him, and sharing life’s everyday adventures side by side.

Matt attended Carmel Schools and Perrysburg Schools and spent several years being homeschooled. He was active in student life at Westgate Chapel, playing guitar on the Student Ministries Worship Team. Later, he earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Owens Community College. After working at FedEx for a short time, Matt entered the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy. While awaiting his academy start date, he worked with high school youth at church, mentoring young men in their faith and leading the Student Ministry Worship Team.

During his time with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Matt received numerous commendations and awards, including the distinguished honor of being named Trooper of the Year in both 2016 and 2020, He was promoted to Sergeant in April of 2024.

His calm and steady nature, kindness and compassion earned him trust and respect from his fellow officers and made a lasting impression on all who knew him, he cared deeply for people and the community he served. He served them well.

Matt loved his home in the countryside west of Findlay. He could often be found outdoors, working on his property, bird watching, feeding wildlife or taking in strays. He always had his loyal dog, Coby, by his side. He also loved playing his guitar and making music. Matt truly loved the simple joys of life.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents Jack and Kathy Cook, and grandfather Jack Gates. He is survived by his grandmother Lois Gates; his beloved Tory Sevitz; his cherished son Kellan Matthew; his parents Matthew Sr. and Lisa Cook; his siblings Tyler (Courtney) Cook, Jonah (Meggan) Cook, and Lacey Cook (fiancé Collin); and fourteen beloved cousins (3 preceded in death). Matt was adored by his nieces and nephew, and he adored them just as much.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Gateway Church, 9555 County Road 9, Findlay, Ohio.

A private viewing for family and close friends will take place at the church on Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 4:00–8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Responders Bridge, https://firstrespondersbridge.org/.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.kirkpatrickbehnke.com

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Matthew Robert Cook Jr., please visit our Tree Store.

(From Liberty-Benton Local Schools)

Hey Liberty-Benton Alumni!

We want to hear from YOU! Whether you graduated last year or decades ago, we’d love to spotlight your story.

-Highlight alumni from all years

-Feature many careers

-Celebrate those near and far

-Build a strong alumni network

Select 1–2 photos and tell us where life has taken you after LB!

Submit your alumni info here: www.liberty-benton.org/alumni

Let’s show Eagle Nation where our wings have taken us!