The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation has more events coming up in February in its ‘Fun for All’ series of free community events.

February, 3rd – Winter Art Class for Families – Process-Art Winter-Themed Collage
10 a.m.
Awakening Minds Art
Registration is full.

February, 4th – Funday Sunday – ROAR Dino Dig
1-3:30 p.m.
University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum
https://www.mazzamuseum.org/event/funday-sunday-february-2

February, 7th – Winter Art Class for Adults – Winter Watercolor Painting
6 p.m.
Awakening Minds Art
Space is limited, and registration is required: Findlay Community Classes (awakeningmindsart.org)

“We’ve heard time and time again that finding affordable, family-friendly activities is a challenge in Hancock County. The Community Foundation is proud to provide Fun for All to help bridge the gap,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Brian Treece.

Brian says the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is thankful to its community partners for making the events possible.

The Fun for All series started in January 2023 and more than 10,000 people attended events that year such as Family Movie Nights at MCPA and Free Play Days at the Children’s Museum.

A trucker found guilty of deliberately crashing into and ramming vehicles on Interstate 75 in Hancock County has been sentenced to prison.

In December, Vladimir Tasciuc, 37, of Illinois, was convicted of two counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

This week, he was sentenced to 11 to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay some restitution.

Prosecutors say on the night of September 7^th Tasciuc was driving his semi southbound on I-75 near the rest area south of Findlay when he rammed the back of an SUV, sending it into the median, and then rammed a semi multiple times.

When the two semis stopped, authorities said Tasciuc then attacked the other semi driver and responding troopers had to tase him.

In his interview with the Ohio State Highway Patrol the day after the incident, which was played in court, Tasciuc said he thought that there might have been kids in the trailer of the other semi and he referred to himself as St. Vladimir the Pink Nike Shoes.

Prosecutors said it was a miracle that no one was seriously injured in the incident.

(From Garner Trucking)

Garner Trucking Inc., Findlay, OH has been named a 2024 Best Fleets To Drive For Hall of Fame Recipient for the second consecutive year!

CarriersEdge recently announced the Hall of Fame recognition for Garner Trucking, which marks the 8th year that Garner has been named a Best Fleet to Drive For, and the second year in the Hall of Fame.

Garner will be recognized on stage at the 2024 Best Fleets To Drive For Education & Awards Conference in Charlotte, NC in April.

“Garner people make this recognition possible, especially our professional truck drivers! They deliver for America; and we should take care of them and their families!” shared Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, Garner’s President/CEO.

Launched in 2008, Best Fleets to Drive For® is the only annual program dedicated to uncovering the best workplaces in the North American trucking industry.

Produced by CarriersEdge, Best Fleets to Drive For recognizes the for-hire fleets providing exceptional workplace experiences for their company drivers. To be considered, fleets must be nominated by a company driver, after which they are evaluated across a broad range of categories reflecting current best practices in human resources.

Nominated fleets are evaluated in areas such as: compensation and benefits, HR strategies, operations, professional development, and work/life balance. In 2023, Best Fleets introduced the Best Fleets To Drive For Hall of Fame.

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, fleets must be named as a Best Fleet for 10 consecutive years or 7 years with at least one overall award.

Garner Trucking has been named to the Best Fleets eight times, was named the Best Overall Small Carrier in 2022 & inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.

“Garner is honored to receive the Best Fleets To Drive For Hall of Fame Award for the second year in a row. It speaks to the commitment of our organization to remain an exceptional workplace. Achieving this feat is not possible without our dedicated staff, technicians, leadership, and an outstanding fleet of professional drivers.” stated Garner COO, Tim Chrulski.

Through a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, Garner prioritizes safety and fosters professional growth, ensuring an exceptional workplace experience for drivers, staff, and technicians.

(ONN) – Governor Mike DeWine’s School Bus Safety Working Group released its 17 recommendations to make getting to school safer for Ohio students and mandating seatbelts on school buses is not one of them.

The group examined factors including seat belts, driver training, bus inspections and more.

It found that many bus drivers would like more professional development opportunities.

DeWine created the group in the fall after an elementary school student in Clark County died in a crash.

One of the recommendations in the report is to make bus driver training more uniform throughout the state.

And, because of how expensive school bus safety upgrades can be, the working group recommended that the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce work with the legislature to set up a grant program to offset the costs.

Learn more about the group’s recommendations by clicking here.

In October, a Findlay City Schools bus was involved in a crash that left some students with minor injuries.

(From Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development)

Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, a division of the Findlay-Hancock County Alliance, is announcing Chris Keller is joining their team as Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Keller, a Findlay native, left a successful commercial real estate business, escrowing her license, to assume the new role. In addition to being the former president of Bluffton Hospital (part of Blanchard Valley Health System), Keller spent most of her twenty-four-year career as a senior executive in the Health Care delivery space and has expertise in business development and operational efficiencies. Her broad understanding of challenges facing business to drive operational value will be a great asset to Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development.

Keller received her Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Findlay. She has served multiple organizations in the community including; Handbags that Help, Open Arms, Findlay YMCA, Revolving Loan Fund, Rotary International, Miracle League of Findlay, American Red Cross and the Findlay-Hancock County Alliance.

“I am delighted to have Chris join our team,” said Economic Development Executive Director Dan Sheaffer, “Her experience and established community relationships align with the office mission and the Findlay Formula stakeholder engagement philosophy.”

Keller’s responsibilities as Director of Strategic Initiatives will be to support the Economic Development team in all activities including company retention and expansion, strategic new company attraction, workforce development, community planning, small business assistance, and downtown Findlay development. Key tasks will include leading business outreach efforts, engaging residential developers and expanding Foreign Trade Zone opportunities.

Alliance President and CEO Don Bruce said, “The addition of Keller to the Economic Development team will greatly enhance its success. It is a well-organized, effective group and the introduction of Chris will only help to create more opportunities for business and industry in our community.”

For more information about The Findlay-Hancock County Alliance or Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, call 419.422.3313, or visit FindlayEconDev.com.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) has acquired Family Medical Associates of Findlay, a primary care practice located at 1721 Medical Boulevard, Suite C, in Findlay. The practice is now part of Blanchard Valley Medical Practices (BVMP) and will be known as Lake Cascades Primary Care.

This allows BVHS to offer additional primary care services in Findlay, as part of an integrated care network in which primary and specialty providers work closely throughout Northwest Ohio to deliver quality care.

“This acquisition is an investment in our community. We know that a solid primary care foundation is essential for overall health,” said Kelly Shroll, chief operating officer, ambulatory services. “The team at this practice is known for providing excellent care, and we are happy to welcome them to the organization.”

Healthcare providers at Lake Cascades Primary Care include Daren Cheney, MD; Katie Frankart, APRN-CNP; and Lauren Studer, APRN-CNP.

Lake Cascades Primary Care will continue to offer primary care services for community members across the lifespan, including preventative care, wellness visits, health screenings, vaccinations, guidance with medication adherence, and chronic disease management. The staff at Lake Cascades Primary Care will remain, and operations will continue as usual. There are no expected disruptions in service to patients.

“BVHS provides a continuum of care throughout eight counties, and joining BVMP means that Lake Cascades Primary Care is now part of a connected network,” Shroll added.

The providers at Lake Cascades Primary Care are currently accepting new patients. For more information, please call 419.423.7663.

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

This year, the United Way of Hancock County is distributing $347,000 toward local programs working to fight hunger.

The United Way’s grant review team strategically increased funding in this area in response to rising grocery prices and a demonstrated increase in individuals and families seeking help.

Food security funds will support the Findlay YMCA‘s Feed-A-Child program, which administers the summer lunch program and provides weekend meal bags for students; supplemental food vouchers through Christian Clearing House; West Ohio Food Bank‘s distributions to Hancock County food pantries; and food programs at The Salvation Army Findlay Corps.

The United Way of Hancock County recently announced that its 2023 annual campaign raised $2 million which will be distributed among several local programs.

Dr. Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, made a video to look back on the accomplishments of 2023 and what’s to come for the Foundation in 2024.

Brian says, in 2023, the Foundation surpassed $85 million in grants and scholarships awarded since its inception in 1992.

In 2023, he says the Arlington Heart & Soul team entered the data analysis phase of its work, and a fourth Hancock County community launched its Heart & Soul initiative in Arcadia.

Looking ahead to 2024, he says the Foundation has awarded nearly $82,000 to area schools and organizations for educational opportunities surrounding the solar eclipse on April 8^th.

He says the ‘Fun for All’ Series of free community events is continuing in 2024 after a very successful first year in 2023 in which more than 10,000 people attended the events.

“On behalf of the Foundation board and staff I’d like to thank everyone who made these successes possible in 2023 and will partner with us for the exciting things to come this year.”

Brian mentions many more successes from 2023 and things to come in 2024 in the video below.

There’s a new push to enforce the death penalty in Ohio.

Officials in favor of the enforcement say as long as the death penalty is an eligible punishment under Ohio law it should be enforced.

State Representatives have filed a new bill to enforce existing law.

They note this shouldn’t change how often a jury decides to impose the death penalty but when they do the state should follow through with carrying out capital punishment as a way to give justice to victims’ families.

Officials say one of the ways capital punishment could be carried out is through the use of nitrogen gas.

Alabama recently became the first state to carry out an execution in that way.

(WTOL-11) – Some students from Bowling Green State University are heading to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas as part of their studies.

BGSU’s Sport Management Alliance is sending a group of more than 25 students on their annual trip to the NFL Championship.

The group spent months raising tens of thousands of dollars for travel, hotels and food.

The group will spend about a week working in promotional events and helping the NFL put on the biggest sports party in America.

The students have plans to run athletic departments and work in front offices after college, and there’s maybe no bigger game than the Super Bowl.