The Hancock County Board of Commissioners is exploring cost-saving measures in regard to the Hancock County Jail in Findlay. 

The commissioners are looking at reducing the jail from a full-service jail and transporting inmates to and from the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) in Stryker, which is in Williams County about an hour and 20 minutes away.

Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman says Hancock County is at a size that it needs to keep a full-service jail and says reducing it would lead to a host of issues including logistical problems for the courts, the cost of transporting inmates, and the lack of mental health services for inmates.

Findlay Police Chief James Mathias also spoke at the meeting, saying having a full-service jail means a lot to the community and that CCNO is not an option as far as he is concerned.

Officials with ADAMHS, the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services also spoke at the meeting saying they were concerned about the mental health assistance inmates would get at CCNO.

The current jail is nearing the end of its viability and a new jail has been discussed for a while now.

The group will meet with the commissioners again in the near future to discuss next steps.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Findlay Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on December 5, 2024, at approximately 6:22 A.M. The crash occurred on Interstate 75 southbound on the exit ramp to State Route 103 in Orange Township, Hancock County.

Joshua Little, age 42, of Wapakoneta, Ohio was operating a 2009 Chevrolet HHR on Interstate 75 southbound at the exit for State Route 103, when it became disabled on the right shoulder. Mr. Little got out of his vehicle and walked south on the exit ramp to State Route 103 from Interstate 75. Michael Rahrig, age 64, from Findlay Ohio was operating a 2016 Ford Edge, and exited onto the southbound exit ramp to State Route 103 from Interstate 75, and struck Mr. Little walking up the ramp.

Mr. Little was pronounced deceased on scene, and there were no injuries to Mr. Rahig. Mr. Little was transported to the Lucas County Coroners office. The exit ramp to State Route 103 southbound was closed for approximately one hour, and is now open.

The Patrol was assisted on scene by Bluffton Police Department, Bluffton EMS, HANCO EMS, Ohio Department of Transportation, R and A Towing, and D and D Towing.

The crash remains under investigation

(ONN) – A new law could make it easier to adopt children in Ohio.

Ohio House Bill 5 was introduced by Republican Representative Sharon Ray of Wadsworth and Democratic Representative Rachel Baker of Cincinnati, who both have personal experience with adoption.

The new law would make it easier to adopt children in Ohio by reducing paperwork and red tape associated with the process.

It would also permit adults with developmental disabilities to be adopted.

Neglected or abused children could also be adopted without birth parent consent under certain conditions.

The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously.

(From the City of Findlay)

Residents currently enrolled in the City’s electric aggregation program can expect to receive a notice regarding a change in the name of the program supplier through the mail.

This notice is purely informational, and residents do not need to take any action in response to the letter they receive.

The notice will inform residents that the City’s electric aggregation program supplier’s name will be changing from Energy Harbor to Dynegy. There will be no interruption to their electric service as a result of this change. All of the current terms and conditions of the aggregation offering will remain the same. Program participants will simply notice the new name, Dynegy, next to the supply charges on future electric bills.

As this change is implemented for individual accounts, residents will also receive the standard utility “switch” notification indicating that Dynegy will be their new supplier. No action is needed in response to that notice either.

Residents should contact Dynegy at 888-682-2170 with questions about the letter they receive or status in the aggregation program.

A Findlay City Schools bus with students onboard was involved in a crash late Wednesday afternoon.

The crash happened on South Main Street at Sixth Street/Lake Cascades Parkway.

The crash involved three vehicles and one of the vehicles struck the side of the school bus which was heading north on South Main and was in the left turn lane.

No students were injured. They were loaded onto another bus to continue their ride home.

No injuries were involved with the drivers of the vehicles.

The crash was under investigation by Findlay Police.

(From the Ohio Division of Wildlife)

Hunters across Ohio checked 26,667 white-tailed deer on Monday, Dec. 2 during the opening day of the weeklong gun hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This is the highest harvest for opening day since 2012 (29,297). Ohio’s seven-day gun season is open until Sunday, Dec. 8, with an additional gun hunting weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22.

This year’s opening day harvest total includes 9,602 antlered deer and 17,065 antlerless deer (antlerless deer are does and button bucks). In 2023, hunters took 19,363 deer on opening day of the gun season, which traditionally falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. From 2021 to 2023, hunters checked an average of 19,439 deer during the gun season opener. 
 
The top 10 counties for deer checked on opening day were:

1. Coshocton (1,053)
2. Tuscarawas (954)
3. Knox (881)
4. Muskingum (852)
5. Carroll (804)
6. Guernsey (750)
7. Ashtabula (686)
8. Harrison (671)
9. Ashland (653)
10. Columbiana (592)

So far this deer season, archery and firearms hunters have taken a total of 128,408 deer through Monday, Dec. 2. Hunters ages 17 and younger checked 10,449 deer in the two-day youth season. 

(From Bowling Green State University)

A recent project commissioned by UNESCO sought out the expertise of Bowling Green State University researchers to better understand the complicated, but influential, world of digital content creators on a global scale in a first-of-its-kind study.

UNESCO chose the Global Social Media Influencer Research Lab (GSMI) at BGSU – founded by Professor of Research Excellence Dr. Louisa Ha – to study the motivations and ethical standards of content creators, marking the first time the University received funding from the United Nations organization for a research project.

Ha and her team anonymously surveyed more than 500 content creators across 45 countries and eight languages who post public content and meet the “nano-influencer” threshold with more than 1,000 followers, then conducted in-depth follow-up interviews with 20 of the surveyed creators.

The findings, which were released Nov. 26, revealed that content creators typically have a clear mission and good intentions, but researchers found significant gaps in fact-checking and determining source credibility.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they did not check for accuracy before sharing content with others.

Further, creators often incorrectly correlated popularity with credibility, a significant issue with online misinformation.

“One of the major discoveries is that many of these creators equate popularity – the number of views and likes – as credible sources,” Ha said. “If a post has a lot of likes and views, they view it as credible, even if it may be wrong information.”

Ironically, researchers found many content creators started with pure intentions to share information or expertise with others, though most aren’t treating the role as a full-time career.

Just more than half of surveyed content creators said they accept any sort of sponsored content agreements, and less than one-third of those sampled said content creation was their main source of income.

Researchers discovered information verification proved to be the major gap for content creators as they evaluated what to share with their audiences.

“When they share content with other people, 62% said they did not check the accuracy,” Ha said. “That is a major issue because it presents the possibility of disseminating misinformation.”

UNESCO asked for and accepted a proposal from GSMI, which was established in the BGSU School of Media and Communication. The research venture has become a leader in academia and beyond for understanding digital content creation, which includes but is not limited to social media influencers.
  
Ha said GSMI plans to further expand its research on a global scale, while UNESCO is exploring ways to help content creators become stronger fact-checkers.

With social media continuing to serve as a key connection between consumers and information, Ha said additional resources for creators could make a difference in fighting online misinformation.

“We want content creators. They are real people who have a lot of passion, but we know they have some constraints and they’re not doing too well in terms of fact-checking and verification,” Ha said. “But in general, they are usually well-intentioned. They just need guidance.”

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Executive Order 11988, is seeking public comments regarding the following proposed projects:

HANCOCK COUNTY

State Route 37 resurfacing (PID: 107677)

ODOT is proposing to resurface 13.52 miles of pavement along State Route 37 using the full-width resurfacing method known as echelon paving. Work will begin at the intersection of State Route 37 and County Road 172, just south of the State Route 37/State Route 15 interchange, and will continue south to the Hardin County line.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the summer of 2026.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/107677

PAULDING COUNTY

State Route 111 shoulder reconstruction (PID: 117046)

ODOT is proposing to reconstruct 5.59 miles of shoulder on State Route 111. Work will begin at the U.S. Route 127 and State Route 111 intersection southeast of the village of Cecil and extend to the State Route 111 and County Road 143 intersection just west of the unincorporated community of Junction.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the fall of 2026.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/117046

PUTNAM COUNTY

State Route 634 roadway reconstruction (PID: 119865)

ODOT is proposing to reconstruct and raise the profile of State Route 634 from mile marker 9.53 to 9.80 situated between Township Road J to the south and Township Road I-22 to the north.  This section of roadway is approximately one mile south of the village of Dupont.  The project will also relocate a portion of a small stream along the east side of the road in this location further away from the roadway to prevent erosion.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the summer or fall of 2026.

Work along this route may occur in the regulated floodplain of the Auglaize River. Impacts to this floodplain are anticipated to be minor and result in no rise in localized flood levels. A statement of findings detailing the results of the final floodplain analysis will be made available on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/119865

VAN WERT COUNTY

State Route 116/117/697 resurfacing (PID: 107701) 

ODOT is proposing to resurface 6.57 miles of pavement along State Route 697 and 3.11 miles of pavement along State Routes 116 and 117 using the full-width resurfacing method known as echelon paving. Work will take place along:

• State Route 697 from the intersection of State Route 697 and State Route 116 to the western edge of the city of Delphos.
• State Route 116 and State Route 117 from the Mercer County Line to the Allen County Line.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the summer and fall of 2026.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/107701

WYANDOT COUNTY

State Route 53 resurfacing (PID: 113044) 

ODOT is proposing to resurface 9.22 miles of pavement along State Route 53 using the full-width resurfacing method known as echelon paving. Work will begin at the Wyandot/Seneca County Line and end at the intersection of State Route 53 and State Route 67 just north of the city of Upper Sandusky.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the summer of 2026.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/113044

DISTRICT-WIDE

Bridge painting on various routes (PID: 119050) 

ODOT is proposing to paint various bridges in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, and Wyandot counties.

• Allen County 
  • County Road 173 structure over Interstate Route 75 at mile marker 4.83, about two miles southwest of the village of Beaverdam.
  • Township Road 84 structure over Interstate Route 75 at mile marker 20.96, a little over a mile southwest of the village of Bluffton.
  • County Road 185 structure over Interstate Route 75 at mile marker 9.30, about 1.7 miles southwest of the village of Bluffton.
  • U.S. Route 30 twin structures over the Ottawa River at mile marker 7.00, about six miles east of the city of Delphos.
• Defiance County 
  • State Route 249 structure over the St. Joseph River at mile marker 0.09, just east of the Indiana state line.
• Hancock County 
  • State Route 103 structure over Interstate Route 75 at mile marker 0.67, just east of the village of Bluffton.
• Wyandot County
  • State Route 53 structure over U.S. Route 23 at mile marker 15.06, just north of the city of Upper Sandusky.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures on the following roads:

• County Road 173, Township Road 84, and County Road 185 in Allen County
• State Route 249 in Defiance County
• State Route 103 in Hancock County
• State Route 53 in Wyandot County

Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction.

Construction is scheduled to occur from the spring through the fall of 2026.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/119050

More information on ODOT projects can be found here.

Written comments regarding these projects may be sent to: Ohio Department of Transportation District 1, Attn: Nate Tessler, 1885 N. McCullough Street, Lima, Ohio 45801; to nate.tessler@dot.ohio.gov; or submitted on the project webpage.

Please provide comments by Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. To ensure a timely response, please provide the project name, PID number, and your contact details. Comments received without contact information will not receive a response.

Project-related issues the public may wish to comment on include but are not limited to, historic or cultural resources, ecological resources, and environmental justice issues.

(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

You’re Invited!

On behalf of Sheriff Michael E. Heldman, we warmly invite you to celebrate his retirement after an extraordinary 52 years of service to Hancock County, including 28 years as Sheriff. Sheriff Heldman holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Sheriff in Hancock County’s history.

Please join us in honoring Sheriff Heldman’s lifetime of dedication, leadership, and unmatched service. Together, let’s celebrate his remarkable career and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.

Please see the invitation below for more details.

We look forward to seeing you there!

(WFIN) – Hancock County’s new Sheriff will be Mike Cortez. Click here to learn more about Sheriff-Elect Cortez.

(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

December is a magical time to visit local museums decorated for the holidays, and the Hancock Historical Museum has prepared a variety of festive offerings to celebrate the Christmas season with the community.

The holiday season at the museum begins with its monthly Brown Bag Lecture at 12 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 featuring “Holiday Magic: A Journey Through the History of Hallmark Christmas Movies,” presented by museum Curator and Archivist Joy Bennett.

Admission is free for museum members and included with regular museum admission for nonmembers.

From 5 – 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 the museum will host its annual Christmas Open House.

Guests of all ages can explore the museum’s decorated campus, enjoy crafts for children and adults, visit with Father Christmas and Mrs. Claus, hear live music, and sample seasonal refreshments.

Admission is free for members of the museum and $1 per person (cash only) for nonmembers.

The year’s final program will be Classic Movie Night at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, featuring the holiday favorite White Christmas (1954).

Admission is free to attend, and reservations are encouraged but not required.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by the museum gift shop to find meaningful, local gifts celebrating Hancock County.

Items include vintage German nutcrackers and smokers from the private collection of Waltraud Mullinger, local history books, apparel, children’s toys and unique pieces of Findlay Glass. All Findlay Glass is 20 percent off through Dec. 22.

New this year, the museum is offering gift wrapping services in exchange for a donation. Museum volunteer Mary Klein will provide wrapping services for gifts brought in by visitors while they explore the museum. Wrapping is available from 1 – 4 p.m. every Friday in December, as well as Sunday, Dec. 15 and 22. Gift wrapping is complimentary for items purchased in the museum gift shop.

The Hancock Historical Museum is located at 422 W. Sandusky St. in Findlay, Ohio. Regular hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 – 4 p.m. Sunday. The museum’s final day of operation for 2024 will be Sunday, Dec. 22. Admission into the museum is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students and free for members. For more information about visiting the museum and upcoming events, visit HancockHistoricalMuseum.org or call 419-423- 4433.