(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

Sheriff Michael Cortez would like to inform the community that the CR-99 overpass is scheduled to close on November 10, 2025, for approximately seven days.

If weather and construction progress remain on schedule, the interchange is expected to reopen by the end of the day on November 17, 2025, operating in the final Diverging Diamond traffic pattern.

During the closure:

All entrance and exit ramps will remain open.

Traffic exiting I-75 will be limited to right turns only.

Entrance ramps may be accessed from either side of the overpass.

No east–west travel will be permitted across the overpass.

No access will be available to exit and then immediately re-enter I-75 at CR-99.

Detour routes will be posted:

CR-99 Westbound: use the SR-613 exit

CR-99 Eastbound: use the US-224 exit

We appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation as this project nears completion.

Findlay’s Fall ArtWalk is happening on Friday, November 7, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Artists will be located throughout downtown Findlay in local shops, restaurants, and businesses, as well as in downtown art anchors – Findlay Art League, Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, and Jones Building Artists Studios. 

ArtWalk takes place four times a year – the first Fridays in February, May, August, and November. 

It’s a free event that is open to the whole family.  

See the ArtWalk Facebook page here and the ArtWalk Instagram page here!

People are encouraged to come out for the Veterans Day Parade in Findlay.

The parade will be held on Sunday, November 9, beginning at 2 p.m. on Main Street.

The parade will begin at the intersection of South Main and Lincoln Street and proceed north to the Hancock County War Memorial at North Main Street and Center Street where a ceremony will be held.

Anyone who wants to be in the parade to support local Veterans should arrive at the area of South Main and Lincoln Street from 12:30 to 1 to get in line.

Veterans Day is on Tuesday, November 11.

Anyone with a question may contact Bill Johns, President of the Hancock County Veterans Council, at 419-721-7275. 

The Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 says its crews are hard at work prepping snow and ice trucks across the eight-county fleet.

“Winter is Coming — and We’re Ready!” ODOT said on Facebook.

ODOT has been conducting 150-point inspections at its garages in District 1, which includes Hancock, Putnam, and other counties.

“We rolled through Hancock County today and inspected the fleet—21 trucks strong and winter-ready,” ODOT said. 

Deidra Noel, transportation administrator for ODOT in Hancock County, is asking drivers to do their part to help their snow plow operators clear the roads as efficiently as possible once the snow starts falling.

“Just take your time and slow down, give yourself enough distance between the vehicle in front of you, especially if it’s one of our trucks. Snow coming off of a truck makes visibility even worse so just back up and give us some space.”

The Hancock County ODOT Garage on Lima Avenue in Findlay is responsible for 633 lane miles in the county, including Interstate 75 from Bluffton to North Baltimore.

There are some new faces within the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Brian Siefker shared a post on Facebook welcoming Deputies Brayden Maas and Noah Becher to the sheriff’s office.

See a picture of both below.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Patrol is proud to be part of Ohio’s Blue Envelope Program, a statewide initiative designed to support individuals with developmental disabilities during traffic stops and emergency situations by enhancing communication and reducing anxiety.

Participants carry a blue envelope containing key documents and information about their condition. This allows troopers to quickly understand how to best interact with the community member.

Each packet includes:

 -A blue envelope for documents and accommodation notes
 -A car decal to alert first responders
– A program overview brochure

These envelopes are available for free through your local County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

(From Hancock County Job and Family Services)

On Monday, November 17th, 2025, Hancock County Job and Family Services will be moving back into their building located at 7814 County Road 140 Findlay OH 45840. On that day JFS will be opening to the public for regular business hours at 8 am.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 pm that day to celebrate the reopening of the facility. We invite the public to join us in celebrating our return home.

Due to the move, Hancock County JFS will be closing to the public at 12 pm on Friday, November 14th, 2025, at their temporary location (7746 County Road 140, 2ND Floor) and reopening at 8 am on Monday, November 17th 2025.

In the General Election on Tuesday, four people were running for two spots on the Findlay School Board.

They were Kaleb Brankamp, incumbent Matt Cooper, Katie Hite, and Jack Winans.

Unofficial results from the Hancock County Board of Elections show Cooper and Hite getting the most votes, with Hite garnering 3,071 and Cooper 2,486.

All results are unofficial until certified by the board of elections.

See more Hancock County results by clicking here, and for Putnam County results click here.

Liberty-Benton Local Schools had a proposed substitute tax levy on the ballot in Tuesday’s General Election.  

If approved, two existing emergency levies would become one continuing substitute levy.

Unofficial results from the Hancock County Board of Elections show the levy passing by a wide margin — 67 percent for to 32 percent against.

All results are unofficial until certified by the board of elections.

See more Hancock County results by clicking here, and for Putnam County results click here.

Shall a levy substituting for two existing levies be imposed by the Liberty-Benton Local School District for the purpose of providing for the necessary requirements of the School District in the initial sum of $1,424,600, and a levy of taxes be made outside of the ten-mill limitation estimated by the county auditor to require 4.74 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $166 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value for the initial year of the tax, for a continuing period of time, commencing in 2025, first due in calendar year 2026, with the sum of such tax to increase only if and as new land or real property improvements not previously taxed by the School District are added to its tax list?  If approved, any remaining tax years on any of the two existing levies will not be collected after tax year 2024 (collection year 2025).

Several Findlay City Council races were decided in Tuesday’s General Election.

In Findlay, four candidates were running for three At-Large seats on Findlay City Council.

The candidates were Jenny Fall, a Democrat, and Heather Kensinger, Reed Needles, and Brad Wagner, all Republicans.

Unofficial results from the Hancock County Board of Elections show Heather Kensinger, Reed Needles, and Brad Wagner winning one of the At-Large seats.

There were a few other contested city council races in Findlay.

In the Third Ward, Republican Carol Smith defeated Democrat Shaun Mason.

The Fourth Ward race between Republican Dan DeArment and write-in challenger Sarah Jo Pugh easily went to DeArment.

In the Fifth Ward, Independent candidate Kevin Cullen defeated incumbent Republican Brian Bauman in a close race.

All results are unofficial until certified by the board of elections.

See more Hancock County results by clicking here, and for Putnam County results click here.