(From the Ohio Department of Aging)

The Ohio Department of Aging (AGE) will host six town halls across Ohio in August and September. Older Ohioans, caregivers, providers, and others will have an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions aimed at helping Ohioans live longer, healthier lives with dignity and autonomy.

Combined with information AGE gathered at community listening sessions earlier in the summer, feedback from these new town halls will be used to develop Ohio’s 2027-2030 State Plan on Aging (SPOA).

The first town hall will be August 15 at 50 North in Findlay, followed by one more town hall in August and four in September.

“Listening to Ohioans and getting their feedback is an important part of guiding the Department of Aging,” said AGE Director Ursel J. McElroy. “With these town halls, Ohioans can be a part of planning the future of aging in this state. Together, we can accomplish our vision of making Ohio the best place to age in the nation.”

 Below is the full schedule of town halls. All Ohioans are eligible to attend these sessions, and they can register by completing this survey.

Findlay

Friday, August 15, 2025

2-4 p.m.

50 North Senior Center

339 East Melrose Avenue, Findlay, OH 45840

Cambridge

Thursday, August 21, 2025

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center

7033 Glenn Highway, Cambridge, OH 43725

Norwalk

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Enrichment Center of Norwalk County

325 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk, OH 44857

Oxford

Friday, September 5, 2025

2-4 p.m.

Oxford Senior Center

922 Tollgate Drive, Oxford, OH 45056

Columbus

Monday, September 8, 2025

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

LifeCare Alliance

699 W. Mound St., Columbus, OH 43223

Uniontown

Thursday, September 11, 2025

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Direction Home Akron-Canton

1949 Town Park Blvd., Uniontown, OH 44685

(From The Hancock County Parkinson’s Network)

The Hancock County Parkinson’s Network (HCPN) is launching its annual Tulip Bulb Sale from August 1 to August 31, 2025. This year, the sale will feature a new addition – a garden flag with the HCPN logo and the quote “Grow Hope,” alongside the sale of tulip bulbs. The red tulip, which symbolizes Parkinson’s awareness, represents hope and solidarity in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. These tulips are expected to bloom in April 2026, coinciding with Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

The sale offers the following prices:

• 25 bulbs for $20
• 50 bulbs for $35
• 100 bulbs for $65
• Garden flag for $15

Orders of 100 or more bulbs qualify for delivery within the Findlay area. The pick-up date for the tulips and garden flags is Tuesday, October 7, 4:00 PM- 7:00PM at the College First Church of God located at 1100 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840.  Please use the main entrance by parking lot.

Orders can be placed online at hcparkinsonsnetwork.org or by contacting Linda DeArment, Event Chair at dearment4@aol.com. For more information, visit the Hancock County Parkinson’s Network website or reach out to Linda directly.

Proceeds from the Tulip Bulb Sale will support the mission of the Hancock County Parkinson’s Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The organization aims to empower individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers through education, programming, and community awareness.

The front portion and main entrance to the Findlay Mall has been demolished.

You can see some video of the demolition below. The video was taken on Wednesday. 

In June, demolition began on the portion of the mall where the new Target store will be located.

At that time, the demolition was not visible from Tiffin Avenue because it began on the back side of the mall.

188,000 square feet of the existing mall is being torn down to make way for a 131,809-square-foot Target store in what was the middle section of the mall. (see the picture below)

The demolition will create separation from Dunham’s, Michael’s, and Tokyo Steakhouse to the west, leaving room for a 24-foot drive and additional parking spots on the west side.

The newly open space in the front will allow to keep a consistent drive along the front of the Target, lining up with the Runnings store.

No timeline was given on how long the demolition of the mall or construction of the Target store will take.

In March it was announced that Target finalized a purchase-sale agreement with Findlay Mall owner and developer Rocky Companies.

The Findlay Police Department is investigating a crash that sent a person to the hospital in critical condition.

The crash happened at 10:38 Thursday morning in the 2800 block of South Main Street.

Police say Calend Wise, 24, of Findlay was driving from the Greenbrier Apartments parking lot towards the 2800 block of South Main Street and turned northbound onto South Main Street and a collision occurred with a vehicle that was southbound on South Main Street being driven by Christopher Vaughan, 46, of Findlay.

Police say Sandy Sanchez, 35, of Findlay, a front seat passenger in the first vehicle was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital with serious injuries and was in critical but stable condition.

An 8-year-old in the first vehicle was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

Police say Wise was issued a citation for failure to yield and driving under suspension.

The Findlay Police Department put officers through active shooter drills at the high school ahead of the beginning of the new school year.

Lt. Andrew Welch said their training this year was bigger than ever and involved more actors with realistic-looking wounds that were treated by the fire department and HANCO personnel.

Lt. Welch says their officers are trained to enter the school immediately and become the focus of the shooter.

“If you can become the focus that means he’s not focused on hurting anybody in the school,” Welch said.

“Our safety becomes second to those in the school because we are prepared, we’re trained and we understand what we need to do.”

He says the SafeDefend active shooter protection system installed in Findlay schools a few years ago has been very beneficial because it provides emergency responders with instant information about the location and nature of the threat.

Lt. Welch says you’ll be seeing law enforcement refer to such threats as ‘active killer’ instead of ‘active shooter’ to reflect the fact that the threat can come from someone with a knife, an explosive, driving a car into a crowd, and other things.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library)

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library will host its 10th annual local author fair (“Author Fest“) on Friday, November 7, 2025 from 5:30pm-8pm in conjunction with Findlay’s Fall ArtWalk. The purpose of this fair is to give Northwest Ohio area authors (and/or illustrators) a chance to share their work with the community. Each author will be provided with one table (approximately 4ft x 2ft) for the presentation and sale of their books. Authors wishing to sell their books to the public must handle all aspects of sales as the library will not be able to provide change.

Application deadline: October 1st, 2025

Please note that application does not ensure acceptance. Books and authors will be accepted at the discretion of FHCPL staff. Authors will be notified of acceptance via email. If accepted, you will be asked to submit an author headshot for marketing purposes. Paper applications are also available at the FHCPL information desk. If you have further questions, you may contact Melody at mflick@findlaylibrary.org or 419-422-0576.

(From the City of Findlay)

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, DoorDash, and nine local entrepreneurs gathered at The Baker’s Café to celebrate the graduation of the 2025 DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses in Findlay and Hancock County.

Running a small business is challenging: 18% of small businesses fail within their first year and 65% by their tenth year in business. To help local Findlay and Hancock County entrepreneurs build more resilient businesses, the Accelerator for Local Businesses provided small business owners with dedicated mentorship, specialized programming, and grant funding to strengthen operations while fostering long-term growth through local government connections. The 2025 cohort marks the most robust iteration of DoorDash’s Accelerator yet, designed in partnership with City Hall to support the city’s thriving local business landscape.

Over the course of the program, participants engaged in hands-on learning, including:

• One-on-one mentorship from seasoned DoorDash peer merchants;
• Targeted business workshops focused on menu optimization, business operations, digital storefronts, and accessing local support resources;
• A $5,000 grant to support business development efforts; and
• $1,000 in DoorDash ad credits to expand customer reach.

The 2025 Findlay and Hancock County Accelerator cohort included:

• The Baker’s Café • Bella Floral Design • Dante’s Rolling Food Joint • Doughtroit • Fern Cafe • Hurdwell • Jonny Burritos, LLC • Leggo my eggroll • Tokyo Steakhouse

“I’m proud of every graduate from the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses,” said Mayor Christina Muryn. “Your determination and creativity showcase Findlay’s entrepreneurial spirit. I’d like to thank DoorDash for investing in Findlay and to all of our local partners – from Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development & Chamber of Commerce to AR Marketing – for making the programming such a success.”

“I’m so proud of what we accomplished together in this year’s Accelerator in Findlay and Hancock County,” said Esther Ladipo Hill, Social Impact Manager at DoorDash. “We’re incredibly grateful for the support from City Hall — this work wouldn’t have been possible without Mayor Muryn and the leadership of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce. And most importantly, thank you to this year’s cohort. The continued success of our Accelerators is driven by the dedication and grit of small business owners like you. We’re excited to watch your businesses continue to grow and make an impact in the community.”

“The Baker’s Cafe has been a fixture of downtown for eleven years,” said Lisa Allen, owner of The Baker’s Cafe, “we survived COVID and many other obstacles, and thanks to the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses, I feel confident that we are prepared for whatever challenge we face next. The program offered valuable insights and practical resources 3 that helped strengthen our business. We’re grateful for the support from DoorDash and the City of Findlay to help ensure that we remain a place for the community to gather for many more years to come.”

More Information on the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses can be found HERE.

(From the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts)

On this day 11 years ago, the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts broke ground on a bold vision to transform the former Central Middle School auditorium into a vibrant cultural hub. Backed by strong community support, this moment marked the beginning of a new era for the arts in Findlay.

Since that groundbreaking, MCPA has become a cornerstone of arts and entertainment in Northwest Ohio, hosting national touring acts, Broadway performances, local talent, and thousands of guests each season.

What started as a dream in 2014 has grown into a vibrant, thriving hub that continues to inspire creativity, connection, and community.

Celebrate this milestone with us by making a donation to support the next decade of arts, culture, and community at MCPA.

(From the Office of the Ohio Governor)

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn announced details of a new plan to address the shortage of safe, accessible commercial-truck parking in Ohio by adding at least 1,400 new truck parking spaces across the state.

Following an extensive review of ODOT property, Ohio has identified 33 sites in 19 counties where long-term truck parking lots will be created or expanded, more than doubling current truck parking capacity at ODOT-maintained sites. 

“As Ohio’s economy continues to grow, so do the number of trucks traveling on Ohio’s network of interstates and state routes,” said Governor DeWine. “By expanding safe, accessible places for drivers to rest, we’re supporting the people who keep our economy moving and making it safer for everyone on our roads.”

Perfectly situated within a day’s drive of 60% of the U.S. and Canadian population, Ohio is one of America’s most critical freight corridors. In 2023 alone, trucks logged 27.5 million miles on Ohio roads, and ODOT estimates that freight volume will increase 26% by 2045.

The 33 new truck parking areas will be located in Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Auglaize, Belmont, Clermont, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Henry, Lake, Mahoning, Medina, Ross, Summit, Warren, and Wyandot counties. Once complete, the American Transportation Research Institute projects that Ohio will lead the nation in the total number of long-term truck parking spaces available on state-owned property. 

“Ohio’s new truck parking plan is a major step forward in improving safety for truck drivers and everyone on the road,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “These projects will make our state a national leader in total truck parking capacity—setting the standard for safety and service.”

According to the American Trucking Associations, there is one truck parking space for every 11 trucks on the road in the United States, forcing truck drivers who can’t find a spot to drive drowsy or pull over to sleep in unsafe areas such as highway shoulders and entrance/exit ramps. A total of 689 crashes were caused by drowsy semi-truck drivers in Ohio since 2015, resulting in 345 injuries and two fatalities.

DETAILS: List of 33 Truck Parking Expansion Sites