The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash.
The sheriff’s office said Ronald Moening, 77, of Forest, was driving a pickup truck southbound on State Route 37 a little after 7 p.m. Sunday when his truck went off the right side of the roadway.
The truck hit a utility pole and traveled through a field before coming to rest against a trailer in a parking lot south of County Road 304.
Moening was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced deceased.
A passenger in the vehicle, Joan Moening, 79, of Forest, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Due to ongoing heavy construction projects impacting County Road 99 at I-75, patients traveling to Wellness Park should expect delays through the end of November 2025.
Please allow extra travel time to account for potential traffic congestion and road closures during this period.
As many of you have seen, we’ve officially launched our new Hancock County Sheriff’s App—another step forward in our commitment to transparency, accessibility, and community engagement with all who live in or visit Hancock County.
Open communication is the foundation of transparency, and this app allows us to share information quickly, accurately, and directly with you.
To help you stay informed, I’ve created five communication channels that allow you to choose the specific areas of the county you’d like to receive notifications from:
Hancock NW, NE, SW, SE, and City of Findlay.
The press release below lists which townships are included in each channel. If you’re a resident of Allen Township, please select both NW and NE. Likewise, if you live in Madison Township, select both SW and SE.
I hope you enjoy the new app and find it helpful in staying connected with your Sheriff’s Office.
Wrapping up National School Bus Safety Week with a celebration!
This morning, LEADS students presented gifts to the bus drivers and shared the posters middle school students had made to celebrate the important work our drivers do every day.
This afternoon, students came together for a pep rally to recognize our amazing law enforcement officers and bus drivers who keep our students safe.
Students were praised by Hancock County Sheriff Michael Cortez for the work they have done to promote bus safety and participated in some bus-themed games to close out the week on a high note.
A huge thank-you to Deputy Crouch, our bus drivers, and our LEADS students for making this week such a meaningful reminder of how safety, teamwork, and respect go hand in hand.
*Viewer Discretion Advised – The following video shows a fatal officer-involved shooting.*
The Findlay Police Department has released the bodycam footage from the fatal officer-involved shooting on Wednesday.
At a news conference at the Findlay Municipal Building on Friday, Police Chief James Mathias said all indications at this time point to the shooting of 90-year-old Robert Norton as being a suicide by cop incident.
Chief Mathias says officers responded to 1642 Cherry Lane at 1:47 Wednesday afternoon on the report of a shooting that Norton had called in.
When officers approached the door, Norton pointed a gun through the door at officers and officers fired seven rounds at Norton, striking him.
Officers rendered aid to Norton, and he was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The gun Norton pointed at officers was a BB gun that looked like a real gun.
Four officers were on the scene of the incident and two fired their gun. All four are on Critical Incident Leave as the Ohio BCI investigates.
Chief Mathias said he has reached out to Norton’s immediate family members to offer condolences for their loss, and says they have offered the department great support in return to the officers directly affected by the shooting.
Chief Mathias said he’s proud of these officers and all of the sworn and civilian personnel he leads daily at the Findlay Police Department.
Join us as we celebrate a milestone Findlay Family YMCA expansion built to uplift our community’s kids!
Our Early Learning Center Grand Opening on Friday, November 7 will give you the opportunity to explore this beautiful, inspiring, functional new space where children will soon learn, grow, and thrive.
Bring your family and friends for guided tours, fall crafts, bounce houses, food & beverage trucks, and Y on the Fly games and activities.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is letting the public know of a temporary road closure in Findlay.
The sheriff’s office says County Road 95 will be closed on Monday, October 27 from 4 p.m. until the conclusion of the event, for security purposes related to a speaking engagement by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at The Crest, located at 800 West Bigelow Avenue.
The sheriff’s office says the closure will affect the section of County Road 95 between West Bigelow Avenue and Broad Avenue to Westmoor Road.
Only authorized vehicles will be permitted access during the time of the closure.
The project will reconstruct the interchange with a diverging diamond design and upgrade the County Road 99 corridor between Technology Drive and North Main Street. Visit the project webpage: PID 102375.
TRAFFIC IMPACTS
I-75 northbound exit ramp at CR 99 (Exit 161) will close Monday, Oct. 27, at 8 a.m. for approximately four hours for paving operations.
Detour: I-75 to SR 613 to I-75 south back to CR 99.
CR 99 is restricted to one lane in both directions.
Surface course paving of CR 99, west of the interchange, will begin the week of Oct. 20. Traffic will be maintained via flaggers; expect delays.
State Route 15 at County Road 193 between the city of Findlay and the village of Vanlue is restricted to one lane, April 7-Nov. 14, to construct an overpass on County Road 193 over State Route 15.
State Route 613 between Railroad Street and Township Road 218 in the village of Van Buren will close Monday, Oct. 27 for approximately five days for railroad crossing repair.
