UPDATE – Liberty-Benton has accepted the invitation and will be joining the Northern Lakes League.
The Northern Lakes League has announced that Liberty-Benton has been invited to join the NLL.
The Eagles would begin competing in the Cardinal Division of the NLL during the 2026-27 season.
The Northern Lakes League says it looks forward to hearing back from Liberty-Benton soon to formally accept the invite.
Get more from the NLL in their post below.
(From Marathon Petroleum Corporation)
Marathon Petroleum Corporation has announced that its annual meeting of shareholders will take place on April 30, 2025, at 10 a.m. ET in a virtual-only format via live webcast.
Shareholders of record as of March 3, 2025, are entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting.
The company’s proxy statement will include additional information regarding how shareholders may access and participate in the virtual annual meeting.
(From the Hancock County Parkinson’s Network)
The Hancock County Parkinson’s Network will host its second annual Empower Walk on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 50 North, located at 339 E. Melrose Ave. in Findlay. The event aims to bring the community together to empower individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers while raising funds to support the organization’s mission.
The Empower Walk offers an opportunity to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease, foster connections, and provide support to those impacted by the condition. The event will feature resource tables, a “Walk in My Parkinson’s Shoes” symptom simulation, and opportunities to hear firsthand experiences from individuals living with Parkinson’s.
This year, participants are encouraged to sign up as a team and fundraise through an online platform. Teams can raise funds to benefit the Hancock County Parkinson’s Network, and the top fundraising team will receive a special award at the event. While teams are invited to attend the walk, participation in fundraising efforts does not require attendance.
“We’re thrilled to expand our fundraising efforts this year and make it easier than ever for participants to raise funds through our new peer-to-peer fundraising platform,” said Barb Matheny, founder of the Hancock County Parkinson’s Network. “By signing up as a team, you can make a meaningful impact while supporting those living with Parkinson’s disease.”
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: 50 North, 339 E. Melrose Ave., Findlay, Ohio
How to Participate:
Register a team: Sign up online and start fundraising today.
Make a donation: Support the cause by donating to a team or directly to the organization.
Join the walk: Fundraising teams are invited to participate in the walk and activities on April 26.
Attend the Resource Fair: This free event will feature a variety of vendors providing information and resources to attendees.
For more information, to register, or to make a donation, visit HCParkinsonsNetwork.org.
About Hancock County Parkinson’s Network
The Hancock County Parkinson’s Network supports individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers through education, resources, and community awareness. Through events such as the Empower Walk, the organization aims to provide empowerment, raise awareness, and improve the quality of life for those affected by Parkinson’s.
(From American Pickers)
The American Pickers are excited to return to Ohio! They plan to film episodes of The History Channel hit television series throughout Ohio and potentially in Hancock County in March 2025.
AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on The History Channel. The hit show follows skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find historically significant or rare items, in addition to unforgettable Characters and their collections.
As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, they want to meet characters with amazing stories and fun items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way. The Pickers have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.
The American Pickers TV Show is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a unique item, story to tell, and is ready to sell…we would love to hear from you! Please note, the Pickers DO NOT pick stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums, or anything open to the public.
If interested, please send us your name, phone number, location, and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call (646) 493-2184 facebook: @GotAPick
(From the University of Findlay)
Area residents of all ages are invited take part in games galore on February 2 during the next “Funday Sunday” program at University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum. This month’s program, which is free and open to the public, features a “Game on!” theme.
Guests will enjoy art activities, games, hands-on educational stations, interactive STEAM activities, planetarium shows, and more.
“We’re excited to bring Muddy and Muddonna from the Toledo Mud Hens and our UF mascot Derrick the Oiler together for an action-packed event. It will be a day of fun, energy, and unforgettable moments,” said Amanda Davidson-Johnston, education manager at the Mazza Museum.
The family-friendly learning extravaganza encourages artistic expression, enhances literacy, and develops critical thinking skills, she noted.
Registration is required and can be completed on the Mazza Museum’s website or https://oilers.findlay.edu/pages/events/mazza-funday-sunday
Funday Sundays take place monthly at the Mazza Museum, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., through April. The event is sponsored by Hancock Federal Credit Union.
The remaining themes for Funday Sundays in 2025 are:
March 2: Accelerate!
April 6: Farmyard Fables
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, contact Amanda Davidson-Johnston, Mazza Museum education manager, at 419-434-4777 or amanda.davidson-johnston@findlay.edu.
(From the City Mission of Findlay)
Last night, we had the privilege of honoring two incredible board members at our Board Appreciation Night.
Their dedication, guidance, and tireless efforts have been instrumental in helping City Mission grow into a stronger and more impactful organization.
Through their leadership, we have expanded our services and resources to better support those in need across Hancock County.
Their legacy of compassion and diligence will continue to inspire our mission for years to come.
Thank you Cathy and Kevin for your service to our board and to the community we serve.
Together, we are building hope, one life at a time.
(From the Findlay Family YMCA)
Looking for something warm, low-key, and fun to do with the family on Valentine’s Day weekend? Stop in at the Findlay Family YMCA’s Early Learning Center (ELC) at Cory-Rawson, where we’ll host free a Sweethearts Saturday Open House from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Feb. 15. The public is invited to join us for crafts, cookie decorating, a Scholastic Book Fair, and more.
Cory-Rawson Local School District is located at 3930 County Road 26, Rawson, Ohio. To find the ELC, park in the lot on the east side of the school building and follow the signs to door B8.
The open house will also include tours of the ELC, which opened in fall 2023. Housed in ample and inviting space by the high school, the learning center serves children from infancy through fifth grade and is now a beloved part of Cory-Rawson’s signature, close-knit learning environment that prides itself on its agricultural heritage.
Parent Molly Hosler, who works for the district as a curriculum/instructor and career development director, said she loves having her preschooler, Elena, enrolled in the Y’s ELC program. Getting to see Elena during any given school day and watching her immersion inot interactive, collaborative, and customized learning has been rewarding, she explained.
“Over the 15 months that she has attended, she has bonded with her teachers well, made lots of friends, grown in her social and academic skills, and loves being part of the Cory-Rawson school community,” said Hosler. Elena has been “learning through a variety of exploratory activities in her classroom” and “the ELC staff always communicate about her daily and overall progress, community events, special programs and partnerships that have been invited into the classroom, and the social and academic skills they’re working on.”
“We feel well informed as parents and empowered to continue working on these skills at home. The experience has been so positive that our newborn will be joining the infant room later this year!” Hosler added.
Some activities ELC students have enjoyed include:
A Little Spot Program with Family Resource Center
Programs with the Hancock Park District
Summer swimming at the YMCA
Participating in the Cory-Rawson Art Show
“Dependable and quality childcare and early childhood education are only the tip of the iceberg when I think of the benefits of our partnership with the YMCA,” said Cory-Rawson Superintendent Jason Clark.
Intergenerational learning is also an important program component, benefiting program students and those at the high school who are interested in childcare as a profession.
Clark said high school students are employed at the ELC “with the goal of creating a pipeline of childcare and early childhood education professionals in the region. This relationship is a true partnership valued greatly by our community.”
Cory-Rawson High School student Hannah Reinhart said working at the “has been a great experience.”
“The children have made such a positive impact on me. It has helped me realize that working with a child holds a special place in my heart. It is something that I wish to continue with in the future,” Reinhart said.
“Our partnership with Cory-Rawson is a testament to the power of investing in young leaders,” said Child Development District Director Kari Redman. “The high schoolers who join us are wonderful Early Learning Center assets who bring fresh perspectives and energy for making a difference in young children’s lives.”
Redman remembers “Band Day” at Cory-Rawson as an indelible experience.
“Our little learners went outside to the field with their teachers, who included some of the high schoolers and Cory-Rawson alumni, to watch the band members share their musical talents with the next generation. It was a win-win-win and one of my favorite days ever,” Redman said.
For more information on the YMCA’s ELC at Cory-Rawson, visit YMCA Early Learning Center at Cory-Rawson | Findlay YMCA.
The number of suicide deaths in Ohio declined for the first time in three years in 2023, decreasing about 1% from 2022’s numbers, according to the 2023 Ohio Suicide Report released today by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
Ohio deaths by suicides dropped to 1,777 in 2023 – 20 fewer than 2022. Ohio’s decrease compares favorably to national numbers. Across the country, suicide rates declined by less than 1% last year.
Ohio’s reduction in suicide deaths comes amid the state’s increased emphasis on mental health. Under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio has launched a series of initiatives to improve mental health and serve as a lifeline to people in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide.
“Ohio has become a national leader in addressing the mental health crisis, and this latest report indicates welcome progress,” said Governor DeWine. “But while this decrease in suicide deaths is certainly a step in the right direction, we must continue to make improvements in suicide prevention and mental health. Depression and suicide remain a serious threat – especially to our kids. If anything, our progress should inspire us to further advance our commitment to this life-saving work, because the life of every Ohioan is precious.”
In 2023, suicide remained the second-leading cause of death among Ohioans ages 10-14 and 20-34 and was the 12th-leading cause of death overall. On average, nearly five Ohioans died by suicide per day, including one individual age 10-24 every 36 hours.
“Suicide is a human tragedy. It impacts the health and well-being of our loved ones, friends, co-workers, and entire communities,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., MBA. “All of us can play a part in continuing to bring these numbers down by paying attention, recognizing when someone is struggling, and knowing where to turn for help.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.
White non-Hispanic males continued to lead all groups for suicide in 2023, accounting for 68.7% of all suicide deaths (1,441).
Other key findings of the 2023 report include:
Black non-Hispanic females and White non-Hispanic females had the largest decreases in the rate of suicide deaths, both decreasing by 6%.
Ohioans ages 45-54 was the age group with the highest rate of suicide deaths (20.1 per 100,000 population).
Firearm was the mechanism used in over half (58.0%) of all suicide deaths (1,031).
The number of suicide deaths by drug poisoning increased by 11%.
(Rates are calculated as deaths per 100,000 population.)
Last January, Gov. DeWine announced the release of the 2024-2026 Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio, reinforcing his commitment to eliminating obstacles for families and individuals grappling with suicide. The plan, which is a collaborative effort of Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, serves as a blueprint to mobilize and align state efforts to prevent suicide.
“The data reflected in ODH’s latest report suggests that we are beginning to see results from our collaborative, targeted work to address suicide, but we are still losing Ohioans every day,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn, whose department leads several statewide suicide prevention initiatives. “Every Ohioan can play a role in reducing suicide in our communities simply by talking about mental health. Every time we remind someone that they are not alone, and that help is available, we can raise awareness, reduce stigma, and spread hope. Together, we can save lives.”
Suicide Prevention Strategies Underway Across Ohio
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was established to improve both accessibility of crisis services and to meet the nation’s growing suicide and mental health-related crisis care needs. The easy-to-remember, 3-digit number provides 24/7, free and confidential support to Ohioans experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Since launching in July 2022, Ohio’s 19 call centers (the most of any state in the nation) have responded to more than 440,000 contacts – which includes calls, chats, and texts from Ohioans in all 88 counties. Ohio 988’s speed-to-answer rate of 25 seconds exceeds the national average of 36 seconds. Also, 99% of calls are answered in-state by a fellow community member familiar with Ohio, meaning only 1% roll over to national 988 backup call centers.
Building suicide prevention capacity and infrastructure at the organizational, local, and state levels. Ohio has taken action to increase the number of suicide prevention coalitions that are aligned with the CDC’s best practices and established the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion at Ohio University and a School-Based Center of Excellence at Miami University to focus on prevention and early intervention among Ohio’s K-12 students. These centers provide training to the behavioral health workforce and serve as resources for communities and 71 suicide prevention coalitions representing 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Community Town Halls. In 2024, OhioMHAS partnered with Butler County and Mahoning County to implement a community-based suicide prevention process that aligns with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework and the CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action. Each county hosted a Suicide Prevention Community Conversation to decrease stigma, increase awareness of resources, and encourage help-seeking behaviors. More than 125 people attended these community conversations. Each county implemented a Suicide Prevention Assessment to identify the most prominent suicide risk and protective factors in their counties. Using findings from their assessments, each county partnered with their suicide prevention coalition to develop a Gap Analysis. Based on the Gap Analyses, OhioMHAS provided each county with tailored recommendations to inform local suicide prevention action plans. OhioMHAS is working to partner with additional counties in 2025.
Black Youth and Young Adult Suicide Prevention Initiative. Announced in January 2024, this initiative enhances local and statewide capacity to boost efforts in suicide prevention, stigma reduction, and addressing factors contributing to the comparatively high suicide rate among Black youth and young adults. It primarily serves at-risk youth ages 10-24 in Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Montgomery, Muskingum, and Summit counties. The initiative’s Community of Practice – which includes representatives from 23 organizations – supports suicide prevention through community interventions, resource sharing, and collaboration. It unites Ohio-based organizations, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to reducing suicide among Black youth. In 2024, the initiative advanced in areas such as partner empowerment, service accessibility, community education, and workforce enhancement.
Transformation Transfer Initiative. Ohio received a $250,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for their 2025 Transformation Transfer Initiative, focusing on crisis care and suicide prevention for underserved youth. Ohio will support and expand the efforts of their Black Youth and Young Adult Suicide Prevention Initiative, with a focus on engaging people with lived experience. Goals include: conducting a series of professional development and skill-building opportunities for youth-serving community leaders to build suicide prevention expertise; promoting trainings on strategies to aid faith leaders in offering effective suicide prevention programs, promoting youth awareness campaigns that incorporate messages around 988; developing and distributing a resource toolkit to guide organizations in implementing Black youth and young adult suicide prevention strategies in alignment with the 2024-2026 Ohio Suicide Prevention Plan; and empowering Black youth to engage in youth-led programs utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to develop action plans and suicide prevention strategies to implement in their local communities.
Building resiliency and promoting lifelong well-being of students. We know by increasing protective factors upstream, youth are more likely to reach out for help when they need it. In his first budget, Governor DeWine created the Student Wellness and Success Fund for schools to join community partners to help meet the physical, mental, and behavioral health needs of their students. Since FY20, this program has provided public and community schools with $1.4 billion in funding to provide wraparound supports for students. During FY24, 764 districts and community schools implemented 1,026 mental health initiatives utilizing funds. OhioMHAS and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) have also partnered with Ohio schools to provide Sources of Strength. Research suggests students who participate in these programs are less likely than their peers at other schools to struggle with mental health problems, bullying, violence, drug misuse, or to die by suicide. Ohio invested $4 million to bring sources of Sources of Strength to Ohio with the hope of preventing adverse outcomes by increasing well-being, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging in our schools and beyond. So far, Sources of Strength has reached 117,178 students in 105 Ohio districts.
Prevention efforts focused on groups that are considered at high-risk for suicide. They include:
Be Present Ohio (ages 10-24).
Life is Better with You Here (communities of color).
OhioCares (veterans/military members).
Got Your Back (Ohio’s agricultural communities).
Life Side Ohio (firearms community).
Man Therapy Ohio (men).
Older Ohioan Suicide Prevention Steering Committee and Listening sessions. In response to increasing suicide rates among older adults, OhioMHAS, in partnership with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, formed an Older Ohioan Suicide Prevention Steering Committee with partners that include the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA), Area Agencies on Aging, and other organizations serving older adults across Ohio. This committee will help guide a series of listening sessions in areas of the state with high saturation of older adults and high rates of suicide and then develop recommendations to aimed at preventing suicide, reducing social isolation, and promoting mental health and wellness.
Ohio’s Older Adult Behavioral Health & Wellness Initiative. This effort is focused on empowering older adults to make healthy lifestyle choices and navigate use of medications and alcohol using the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) program. The initiative is also addressing ways to reduce the risk of substance misuse and suicide. OhioMHAS has partnered with Montgomery County ADAMH, St. Mary Development Corporation, UMADAOP of Dayton, and others to expand these programs across Ohio. To date, the initiative has served over 1,100 older adults.
Addressing suicide prevention among refugee populations. OhioMHAS, in partnership with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, hosted a series of listening sessions with Ohio Bhutanese-Nepali communities throughout the state to gain insight into the culture and specific experiences of Bhutanese-Nepali Ohioans related to mental health and suicide. The listening sessions explored issues such as community strengths and challenges related to receiving care for mental health issues, as well as opportunities to prevent suicide and eliminate barriers to mental health and well-being. The feedback gathered through the listening sessions will inform public- and private-sector strategies aimed at preventing suicide and promoting mental health and well-being. A final report with recommendations will be released in early 2025.
Helping Ohioans recognize the warning signs and risk factors of suicide and respond appropriately. This is being accomplished through awareness campaigns, such as Be Present Ohio and Life is Better with You Here; continued support for Crisis Intervention Team training for first responders; Mental Health First Aid Training (more than 7,600 Ohio adults and teens completed training in 2024); and Question. Persuade. Refer (QPR) suicide prevention trainings.
Concentrating efforts on integrating suicide prevention practices and care into high-impact systems, including healthcare, public safety, education, and employers. OhioMHAS and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation support awareness trainings in the workplace and partnered with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce to release a Suicide Prevention Employer Toolkit to educate and equip employers with tools to address mental health and suicide concerns in the workplace. The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) provided funding to support VitalCog: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace trainings (304 employers trained in 2024), which help businesses proactively address the early warning signs of suicide in the workplace. Just as organizations have realized they can help reduce heart disease by encouraging exercise, they can also reduce suicide by promoting mental health and encouraging early identification and intervention.
Ohio’s Recovery Friendly Workplace program. Launched in August 2024 by Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace program provides Ohio businesses the opportunity to earn a designation as a “Recovery Friendly Workplace.” In addition to offering job opportunities and other supports for individuals in recovery from substance misuse, the program encourages businesses to implement practices to support employees’ mental health. According to SAMHSA’s most recent full year of data, in Ohio, 5.2% of adults – over 469,000 people – said they had experienced serious thoughts of suicide.
Safe and supportive environments that engage students and prioritize wellness. School-based mental health and wellness initiatives are key to ensuring students regularly attend school and are healthy, ready to learn, and prepared for success. Ohio law requires schools to provide instruction for students in grades 6-12 on suicide awareness and prevention, safety training and violence prevention, and social inclusion. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) encourages schools to implement comprehensive school suicide prevention strategies that address suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Ohio schools and districts can use Student Wellness and Success Funds and Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid to provide mental health services, as well as support suicide prevention efforts in Ohio schools.
Behavioral health initiatives and suicide prevention programs for veterans. Key to the state’s efforts to improve the lives of veterans is continuing to understand and address the potential challenges they face and connect them to avenues of support. The Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS) joins forces with several partners to build a more veteran- and military-informed community behavioral health system, using cultural competency training such as Star Behavioral Health Providers and the Governor’s Challenge PsychArmor Training Portal, as well as building community collaborations through OhioCares and Governor’s Challenge technical assistance, such as the ODVS PRS Program/Erie County Crisis Intercept Mapping initiative and the Ohio Suicide Mortality Review Committee. At the end of FY2024, more than 4,600 individuals had participated in a Star Training event in Ohio since its launch in 2015, and there were 329 Clinical Providers in the Ohio Star Providers Registry, serving clients in 388 locations in 65 Ohio counties.
(From the Tiffin Police Department)
This morning was the successful conclusion of an extensive covert online investigation led by Detective Eric England of the Tiffin Police Department’s Criminal Division.
With the invaluable assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the METRICH Task Force, the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Investigative Unit, and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was executed on January 23, 2025, at a residence in the 700 block of S. Washington St. in Tiffin, Ohio.
The investigation, which uncovered the active sharing of child sexual exploitation material through the peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol BitTorrent, has led to the arrest of 46-year-old Mick J. Okonski. Mr. Okonski admitted to downloading and sharing this disturbing material. He was arrested and held at the Seneca County Jail pending his arraignment.
Mr. Okonski is charged with Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor, a second-degree felony, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and/or a $15,000 fine. Additional charges may be forthcoming following the review and further analysis of the evidence recovered from the residence.
I want to express my gratitude to Detective England and the entire Tiffin Police Criminal Division for their unwavering dedication in this critical investigation. I also extend sincere thanks to the outside agencies who provided support and expertise, demonstrating the strength of our collaborative efforts in protecting our community.
The Tiffin Police Department’s commitment to the safety and well-being of children remains resolute, and we will continue to work tirelessly to hold offenders accountable.
Chief Pauly
Local Red Cross Director Todd James was on with WKXA’s Rex Howard.
James, the Executive Director of the American Red Cross of North Central Ohio in Findlay, talked about the need for volunteers, becoming a blood donor, and other topics.
Listen to Rex’s full interview with Todd below.
