The 2024 Hope House Benefit Auction ‘Hope Shines Bright’ will be held on Friday, April 12 at the Hancock Hotel.

Development Director Laurie Poland was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the event and how their organization helps homeless and impoverished individuals and families in Hancock County.

With the help of dedicated volunteers and generous donors, Hope House assists with securing safe and affordable housing for over 3500 individuals each year.

Born out of the need for homeless services for women and children in 1990, Hope House now provides a continuum of services that help individuals and families locate and permanently maintain housing. In addition to the Hope House Shelter, Hope House serves as the Front Door for housing assistance in Hancock County out of its offices in The Family Center.

Get more on Hope House and their upcoming ‘Hope Shines Bright’ benefit auction by clicking here.

(WTOL) – 15-year-old Jaylah Perry was shot and killed in Toledo last month.

Now, her organs are saving other’s lives.

Kara Steele is director of community services for Life Connection of Ohio.

“Despite the circumstances of her death, Jaylah had the last word. She was able to save lives through organ donation which is an incredible life-saving legacy.”

Perry’s family decided to donate her organs through Life connection of Ohio and now six people in different states are recipients.

Life Connection of Ohio says one person has the ability to save up to eight lives with organ donation and 125 more with tissue donation.

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

United Way of Hancock County is honored to recognize Brian Kreinbrink as its 2023 Jeri Bjorling Distinguished Volunteer of the Year for his exceptional and wide-ranging service, whether it be a hands-on project in the field or offering expertise on several boards of directors.

The award is presented each year to an individual who has demonstrated dedication and willingness to serve the community through their overall involvement with United Way as a volunteer and leader, as well as with other organizations in the nonprofit sector. Kreinbrink was honored for his service at United Way of Hancock County’s Annual Meeting on March 27.

Kreinbrink currently serves as treasurer of the United Way of Hancock County Board of Directors, and has served on the board since 2019. He is also chairman of the finance committee and is a member of the administrative advisory committee. Kreinbrink has served as an Impact Team member — meaning that he helps review grant submissions for funding — and has participated in Days of Caring, United Way’s communitywide service event, for several years. Kreinbrink also served on United Way’s campaign cabinets in the 1990s, helping to distribute and collect campaign materials.

“In his role with the finance committee, Brian has strengthened and improved our financial management operations, created a financial dashboard so effective it is an example now being used by other nonprofits, has successfully managed our investments, and reinforced the overall health of our finances,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of United Way of Hancock County. “He spends a great deal of time physically present at meetings adding insight, but on top of that, hours and hours looking over numbers and doing prep work for these meetings. We can’t thank him enough for the incredible impact he has made.”

Kreinbrink, director of treasury and financing risk at Marathon Petroleum Corp., enjoys lending his expertise to nonprofit financial management. With 19 programs currently being supported, he appreciates the unique position of the United Way to address the county’s greatest needs in a diversified way.

“Accounting is looking back, finance is looking forward,” he said. “Maybe that is why I like working with nonprofits — you get to see the whole picture, investigate, check how you did on the back end and prepare for the future.

“I really have come to appreciate the broad nature on how what we do (at United Way) can have an impact and that it can move and change depending on what the community needs assessments says.”

In addition to board service, Kreinbrink enjoys helping in the field, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Backyard Mission Trip, and United Way’s Days of Caring. His most memorable Days of Caring project was helping to erect a huge Vietnam Memorial Wall, a travelling exhibit which came to Findlay last spring. His group carried stone pieces across a field and set them into place, assembling the wall.

“It was pretty impactful to be a part of that, setting up for veterans to be able to come and see it. You could see the names on the wall coming together as you were building it. It was a lot of responsibility. You think of the sacrifice they made.”

Throughout the community, Kreinbrink has served on the board of directors, often as president or treasurer, for American Red Cross, Findlay Family YMCA, Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services, and City Mission. He is currently a member of the finance committee for Blanchard Valley Health System.

Kreinbrink highly recommends volunteering to anyone considering it. He started volunteering because he wanted to make a difference and give back to his community, yet there were additional benefits. He has made close friends through service, and feels he has become a better person, too.

“I would treat volunteering the same way I would if I were talking to a young professional at Marathon — don’t pass up an opportunity,” he said. “The more you push yourself to do things through work or volunteering, you end up getting more out of it than you could ever imagine. You just have to find what fits you, and that’s going to be different for everyone. I have gotten more out of it than I have given … it has made my life better.”

The Distinguished Volunteer of the Year Award has been presented since 1981 and was renamed in 2012 in memory of Jeri Bjorling. Bjorling was chair of the United Way of Hancock County’s Board of Directors when she passed away. She was a remarkable volunteer, leaving an indelible impact throughout the community through her involvement both with the United Way and a wide range of service organizations. She was a difference maker in the truest sense.

(From One Energy)

One Energy will begin controlled restarts of its fleet of wind turbines.

On January 22, 2024, a single blade fell from a wind turbine at one of the Company’s projects in Findlay, Ohio.

No one was injured by the event and no part of the blade or debris field left the Company’s property.

The fleet has not been operating while the Company conducted, with the aid of independent engineers and research institutions, a root cause assessment of the incident and a systematic evaluation of every turbine in its fleet.

The Company has determined that there was an abnormality with the bolted flange assembly that connects the blade to the hub.

The issue was not caused by the blade, the internals of the bearing, or the blade bolts.

The flange abnormality led to a higher than intended load transfer to the blade bolts which resulted in them fatiguing much faster than designed.

The fatigue loads eventually led multiple bolts to have a cascading failure that resulted in the blade completely separating from the turbine and falling to the ground.

The Company has inspected every major bolted flange in each of its wind turbines as part of the investigation.

Every single field-installed bolt has had, or will have, its torque rechecked before each turbine begins operating again.

One Energy will begin restarting the turbines in its fleet that do not have the abnormality.

The Company is replacing every single blade bolt in the turbines that have or may have an abnormality.

The Company is also correcting the abnormality in affected turbines. This 100% bolt replacement will restart the fatigue life of the bolts, and this correction in the flanges assemblies will ensure that the bolts are properly loaded going forward. In conjunction with the independent engineers and research institutions’ support, the Company has developed new monitoring programs and testing programs that it plans to implement and share with the wind industry.

These new methods will allow the Company to gain industry-leading insights into the real-time loads on its bolts and the conditions of its flanges going forward.

“This should not have happened, but it did. Our safety protocols and the siting of this turbine ensured that this mechanical event was contained entirely to our property. Our job as the owner of these turbines is to zealously learn from this event. Our responsibility is to share what we have learned from this event with the rest of industry so they can learn from this event as well and we can all end the culture of secrecy about failures.” -Jereme Kent, CEO.

The Company is assembling long form reports and will share those reports with the public and industry once they are fully assembled and reviewed.

(From the City of Findlay)

City of Findlay offices will be closed on Monday, April 8 due to the Total Solar Eclipse.

The Mayor’s office will be accessible that day by calling (419) 424-7137 or by email mayor@findlayohio.gov.

The City Income Tax Department will have extended hours from 8:00am-6:00pm on Tuesday, April 9-Friday, April 12.

E-filing and tax return forms will be available on the City’s website at www.findlayohio.gov/incometax.

Documents may be dropped off in the drop box in the parking lot south of the Municipal building.

The following locations will be closed to vehicular traffic as of 5:00pm on Sunday, April 7 and will re-open at 6:00am on Monday, April 8: Emory Adams Park, Swale Park, The Cube facilities.

Water access will be closed at the Findlay Reservoir as of 5:00pm on Sunday, April 7 and will re-open at dawn on Tuesday, April 9.

Pedestrians will be able to access the upper walking paths during this time.

The Findlay Cemetery gates will close at 8:00pm on Sunday, April 7 and re-open at 7:00am on Tuesday, April 9.

The Solar Eclipse Task Force, which is a collaboration of many local entities, has created a website with information about the eclipse.

And, Visit Findlay has a lot of great information on their website as well. 

The City of Findlay Green Waste Site opened for the season on Tuesday, April 2^nd.

The Green Waste Site is located at 330 North Cory Street, behind the Public Works Department building, with the entrance near the railroad tracks off North Cory Street. Follow the arrow boards.

Hours are Tuesday – Friday 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information on the location, visit www.findlayohio.com.

The green waste site is for yard waste disposal (such as leaves, brush, limbs, grass) and is available to City of Findlay residents only at no charge.

The green waste site is intended for residential use only. No contractors are permitted to use this site.

Only tree trimmings, brush, leaves, and grass clippings can be dumped in designated areas at the site. Absolutely no bags, trash, or debris other than leaves, brush, limbs, and grass will be accepted.

The City of Findlay will not be responsible for any damage or injury to vehicles or equipment resulting in the loading or unloading of yard debris, mulch, or dirt.

(From the Hancock Country Veterans Service Office)

In the fall of 2023, the Hancock Country Veterans Service Office along with the Hancock Historical Museum and Hancock Park District worked together to create the Heritage Trail Story Walk. The Trail begins at Litzenberg Memorial Woods on the county’s west side and ends at Van Horn Cemetery on the county’s east side. It connects parks, historic sites, and landmarks with over 20 miles of pavement, grass and dirt. Storyboards were installed at various points along the trail to highlight the contributions from Hancock County Veterans during various wars and conflicts.

The first four boards, featuring The War of 1812, The Civil War, World War I (The Great War) and World War II have been installed and we are happy to announce that the final four boards will be completed in 2024. Being added to the story walk this year will be contributions made by Hancock County veterans during the Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm) and The Global War on Terrorism (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom).

We spoke with Nichole Coleman, Director of the Hancock County Veterans Service Office, about the new Veterans Story Walk during its unveiling in September 2023. (video below)

This trail has given us a wonderful opportunity to educate and celebrate the accomplishments of Hancock County through the Veteran Story Walk. Each storyboard includes information about a war or conflict and how Hancock County veterans served or contributed, thanks to research completed by the Hancock County Historical Museum.

“We want to make sure that we never forget about these important historic events and the part that our veterans played,” said Ed Newton, resiliency operations manager. “It gives us an opportunity to tell their story and helps us carry on our county’s rich heritage to the next generation. Our veterans enjoy telling their stories. Make sure you take time to visit our wonderful parks, learn about history and celebrate our wonderful Hancock County veterans. Maybe this will inspire you to start a conversation with a veteran to learn more about what encouraged them to serve.”

This project has been fully funded thanks to a grant from The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for all in the community. Established in 1992 as a result of an estate gift from L. Dale Dorney, The Community Foundation has granted more than $75 million to fund projects to support our community. Visit community-foundation.com or call (419) 425-1100 to learn more about how the Foundation is making a lasting community impact.

Natalie Reffitt with the Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County was on with WKXA’s Rex Howard to discuss pet safety tips for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8^th.

“It would be good to treat the eclipse like the 4^th of July,” Natalie said. “The 4^th of July is one of the busiest times of the year for your pet to get lost.”

Natalie says to keep your pets leashed, tagged, and indoors if you can and make sure you have current pics of your pet if they do get lost.  

She’s recommending people from out of the area who are coming here to leave their pet at home because the worst things that could happen is you bring your pet someplace new and they get lost.

Natalie says you don’t have to worry about your pets eyes during the eclipse because instinctually they’re not going to look at the sun.

If you’re going to have an eclipse party make sure they are indoors and safe and not running to the door and getting out.

The Findlay Municipal Court will be holding its 7th Annual Safe Surrender Day on Thursday, April 18th from 9 to 4 p.m.

Over the last 6 years, the Findlay Municipal Court has helped over 450 individuals and recalled over 545 bench warrants.

“The Safe Surrender event continues to be a great success for the court, law enforcement and the community.”

Individuals with active bench warrants who report to the Court on that day will not be arrested.

Instead, individuals who take advantage of this opportunity will work with designated court staff to solve their legal issues.

Some examples include:

Individuals who failed to attend a court hearing will be seen by the Judge, Magistrate or court staff that day.

Individuals who failed to perform community service will be reassigned to a work location. If the individual missed a community service contempt hearing, the hearing will be rescheduled to allow the person time to complete the community service;

Individuals who did not complete counseling for mental health or substance abuse will have their appointments rescheduled;

Individuals who did not attend a status conference will meet with a magistrate or court staff to review their financial ability to pay outstanding fines and to establish a new payment plan;

Individuals who did not report to serve a jail sentence will be issued a new date to report.

The Hancock County Public Defender will be available at the court to meet with clients.

Upon reporting to the Court on Safe Surrender Day, the warrant will be lifted and recalled from law enforcement.

This is a one day only event. Individuals who are unsure if they have an outstanding bench warrant can view a list of active Findlay Municipal Court warrants.

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are also accepted.

To schedule an appointment or for more information call the Clerk’s office at 419-424-7141.

The date of the total solar eclipse is almost here.

“I want people to just enjoy the experience,” said Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn.

Part of being able to enjoy the experience is being prepared for the experience, and the mayor was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the city’s readiness for the special celestial event.

Findlay is within the path of totality and will experience a total solar eclipse of an estimated 3 minutes and 44 seconds beginning at 3:10 p.m. on Monday, April 8^th.

Officials say their preparation for the rare event has been about ensuring that it’s a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.

The City of Findlay has designated Emory Adams Park, Swale Park, The Cube, and Owens Community College as viewing locations.

People are encouraged to walk to the viewing sites if they are able, or just watch the eclipse from their own residence as traffic will likely be really bad that day as outsiders pour into the area to see the eclipse in full totality.

People are reminded to wear a pair of solar eclipse glasses during the event, except during the brief phase of totality when it will be safe to view it with the naked eye.

The Solar Eclipse Task Force, which is a collaboration of many local entities, has created a website with information about the eclipse.

And, Visit Findlay has a lot of great information on their website as well.