All posts by John Marshall

BGSU To Require Covid Vaccinations for Spring

The administration at Bowling Green State University is following the lead of numerous other colleges and universities within the state in requiring that students and staff be vaccinated.

According to a communication from university President Rodney K. Rogers, the school will require that members of university community be vaccinated for the spring semester with proof provided by November 29th.

The statement also explained that those with health, religious, or conscientious objections to getting the shots will be considered for an exemption. Those who are granted a waiver will be required to follow designated protocols including wearing masks and submitting to regular Covid-19 testing.

See the complete statement here.

Man Missing From Assisted Living Facility

A man has gone missing from an assisted living facility on Fox Run Road, in Findlay. Roger A Bradbury was last seen at the facility on Wednesday morning around 5:30. At that time he was wearing a black tee-shirt, blue jeans, and a black hat.

Bradbury is described an 80-year-old man, 5-feet-11-inches in height, with shoulder length gray hair and a short beard.

Police report that Bradbury has dementia and may be trying to reach Lima

Anyone knowing his location is asked to contact the Findlay Police Department at (419) 424-7150

OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital Updates Visitor Policy

OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital in Kenton is joining other area hospitals in redefining its visitor policy. In response to rising Covid-19 case numbers, the number of visitors will be limited in many cases. Patients receiving end of life care will be limited to three visitors at a time, but will have no limit on total number. Other patients’ visitors will be restricted, with all visitors required to wear masks and pass a short health screening.

Find the outline of the new policy here.

Blanchard Valley Health System updated its visitor policy last week.

Putnam County Releases Latest Covid-19 Data

The Putnam County Health Department has released its Covid-19 date from last week. There were 65 new cases of the virus reported between August 22nd and 28th. That’s more than 5 times the rate of just 3 weeks earlier.
Seven of the reported cases were in those under age 19, a sign that younger people are now getting the disease at a rate not seen in earlier waves. One Putnam County resident was admitted to the hospital due to Covid. There were no new deaths reported in the period.

The county has a rate of 242 cases per 100-thousand in population, more than twice the threshold of High community transmission as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. With this rate, the CDC recommends wearing a mask when indoors in public places while also practicing social distancing and washing hands frequently.

More than 100 Putnam County residents got their first vaccine shot last week bringing the rate to just over 43%. 112 others completed their shots, giving the county a vaccination rate of just under 41% completed. Those numbers are well below the state figure of 52% with one shot and 52% complete.

Findlay Rotary Announces Golden Apple Finalists

The Findlay Rotary Club has announced the finalists for its annual Golden Apple Awards celebrating excellent teachers in Findlay and Hancock County schools.

Those selected at the high school level are Chelsea Burden at Van Buren High School; Mark Laux and Daniel Wilson from Findlay High School.
Middle school finalists are Miranda Kennedy at Vanlue ; Kristina Rodman, at Van Buren Local Schools; and Liberty-Benton’s Raymond Wolfe.

Elementary school teachers chosen as finalists are Brooke Imke at Jefferson Primary; Becky Solomon, at Washington Preschool; and Mackenzie (Macie) Wenner of Wilson Vance Intermediate School.

The winners of the award at each level will be announce on October 20th. Winner will receive $2500 each, while the other finalists will each get $250.

Hancock County Fair Returns with Tuesday Night Ribbon Cutting

The Hancock County Fair is back after a year off due to the Covid pandemic. The six-day event opens Tuesday night at 7 with a free ribbon cutting ceremony and the crowning of the fair king and queen at the Old Mill Stream Centre. Immediately following will be the dedication of the new Junior Fair building. The fair gets underway, in earnest, with a full slate of entertainment and events on Wednesday.

Make sure you stop by the WFIN, WKXA and 106.3 The Fox display in front of the Cattle Barn. We’ll be broadcasting live during the fair:

WFIN:
Wednesday, September 1…6a-9a with Chris Oaks
Thursday, September 2…6a-9a with Chris Oaks
Friday, September 3…6a-9a with Chris Oaks

WKXA:
Wednesday, September 1…11a-1p with Rex Howard
Friday, September 3…2:30p-6:30p with Rex Howard

106.3 The Fox
Friday, September 3…11a-1p with Carla Demitri

There are some changes to the fair this year. The biggest of which is the availability of online ticketing. Fair-goers are encouraged to purchase admission tickets, ride passes, and event tickets online ahead of time and have them saved to their mobile device. This will speed the entry process and reduce risk for those working at the gates.

Find more on the fair schedule here.

Fair tickets can be purchased here.

Wyandot County Covid-19 Cases Up Again

Wyandot County Public Health released its latest Covid case data on Monday. There are 84 current cases in the county. Of those, 26 patients have been vaccinated, 58 have not. Total active case are up 16 from a week ago.
There are currently 2 Wyandot County residents hospitalized with the virus.

The agency continues to offer the Moderna version of the Covid-19 vaccination each Friday from 9am to 4pm at its office on South Sandusky Avenue in Upper Sandusky.

Lt. Governor Husted Speaks to Noon Rotary

Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted visited Findlay on Monday to speak to the Noon Rotary Club. His remarks highlighted the improvements Ohio has made in drawing business into the state. Husted noted that the state has added nearly 600-million in new payroll as jobs have come to the state with businesses as diverse as Google, BarkBox, Bitwise, Morgan Stanley, and Peleton. Overall, he said, the state has drawn more than 8-thousand new jobs spread among 27 companies.

West Nile Detected In Findlay Mosquito Population

Mosquito traps set by Hancock Public Health have yielded bugs that have tested positive for West Nile Virus. To lower the chances of a human case, the agency will increase mosquito spaying in the city of Findlay over the next several days. The positive results came from traps near Swale Park, northwest of downtown.

To reduce the West Nile risk, Hancock Public Health urges residents to clear properties of standing water, wear loose light-colored clothing, and applying repellent with DEET as the active ingredient when you are outdoors during active mosquito periods around dusk and dawn

Findlay Woman, Fostoria Child Injured In Sunday Head-on Crash

A Findlay woman and a child were injured Sunday morning in a crash at the intersection of State Route 12 and Marion Township Road 212. Robyn Gerritsen was northbound on 212 and failed to stop at the intersection while making a right onto SR 12. In doing so, she traveled into the westbound lane and collided, head-on, with a tractor trailer.

Gerritsen was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by the Washington Township Fire Department. She was transported by ambulance to Blanchard Valley Hospital. Her passenger, Kayden Youngston of Fostoria was also injured and transported to BVH. The driver of the truck, Raymond Byerly of Arcadia, was not injured.

Gerritsen was cited for failure to stop at a stop sign.