Some overnight snow caused Hancock County to be placed on a Level 1 Weather Alert early Friday morning.

Snow plows were out in force clearing the roads and main arteries didn’t appear to be too bad. 

Findlay City Schools was on a two-hour delay on Friday and many other school districts closed for the day. 

The Level 1 Weather Alert was lifted at around 12:30 Friday afternoon. 

Get a refresher course on the different advisory levels issued by the sheriff’s office by clicking here.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts and road alerts by clicking here, and school delays and cancelations by clicking here.

(From Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce)

The Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the launch of the much-anticipated Bluffton Winter Farmers Market, an initiative in response to the community’s continued requests for an indoor marketplace.

Event Details:

Scheduled to take place on the 4th Saturday of each month from January through April, the Winter Farmers Market will open its doors from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The venue chosen for this community event is the Senior Citizen Center located at 132 N. Main St., Bluffton, Ohio.

Diverse Vendor Offerings:

The market promises a delightful array of offerings, catering to a wide range of tastes and preferences. As of this press release, a total of 15 enthusiastic vendors are geared up to showcase their unique products. Visitors can look forward to exploring and purchasing:

Freshly baked goods that tantalize the taste buds

Artisanal soaps and lotions for a touch of luxury and care

Nutritious nuts packed with flavor and health benefits

Pure and natural honey straight from local hives

Rich and aromatic maple syrup perfect for breakfast delights

Fresh herbs and microgreens to enhance culinary creations

And more…

Explore Bluffton: Support Local Merchants

While in town for the Winter Farmers Market, we encourage attendees to explore and support our local merchants. Bluffton boasts a diverse range of businesses offering unique products and services that capture the essence of our community. From charming boutiques to cozy cafes, there’s something for everyone to discover and enjoy. Make the most of your visit by embracing the spirit of Bluffton and shopping local!

The Bluffton Winter Farmers Market aims to be more than just a marketplace; it’s a community gathering point where residents can connect, support local businesses, and enjoy quality products in a warm and welcoming environment.

(From the Ohio Treasurer’s Office)

Ahead of the 2024 growing season, Treasurer Sprague is reminding Ohio’s farmers, agribusinesses, and agricultural cooperatives (co-ops) that reduced interest capital is available to them through the long-standing Ag-LINK program. For the first quarter of 2024, program participants will receive a minimum loan discount of 2.65%.

“For decades, Ag-LINK has helped Ohio’s agriculture community to save money on operating costs, but our recent reform efforts have reimagined this program to make it even more powerful in light of high prices and interest rates,” said Treasurer Sprague. “After a record-breaking 2023, we’re once again putting the power of Ohio’s balance sheet to work for all those who work so hard to put food on our tables.”

Through Ag-LINK, farmers, agribusinesses, and co-ops can receive an interest rate reduction on new or existing operating loans. For nearly 40 years, the program has helped Ohio’s agriculture community to finance the upfront costs for feed, seed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, and other expenses. Loan caps are assessed and set by the Treasurer’s office on an annual basis. The loan cap for 2024 has been set at $500,000. 

An eligible borrower:

Is either organized for profit or as an agricultural cooperative;

Must have headquarters and 51% of operations maintained in Ohio;

Must use the loan exclusively for agricultural purposes; and

Must agree to comply with all program and financial institution regulations.

In 2023, Ag-LINK saved Ohio’s farming community more than $14.1 million, setting a new single-year record and shattering the previous year’s record of $2.038 million in savings. Over the 12 month-span, the program provided interest rate reductions on a total of $614,083,754 in loans to 3,132 borrowers.

The new annual records set in 2022 and 2023 were the direct result of Ag-LINK reform efforts that included the transition to a year-long application period, the addition of co-ops as eligible program participants, and the removal of outdated loan caps, as well as increases to the overall costs of borrowing.

“Finding ways for Ohio’s growers to save money and drive down operational costs is among our association’s top priorities for 2024,” said Tadd Nicholson, Executive Director of Ohio Corn & Wheat. “Programs like Ag-LINK help us to do just that. We’re grateful for Treasurer Sprague’s continued focus on this program and his recent work to modernize it and make it stronger.”

More information on the Ag-LINK program, including how to get started, can be found at www.tos.ohio.gov/ag-link/.

(From Hancock Regional Planning Commission)

The Ohio Department of Development has set aside $500,000 for Hancock County to direct towards the demolition of commercial and residential buildings as part of the FY2024-2025 Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.

Commercial and residential buildings on sites that do not contain or present environmentally hazardous substances or conditions and are located within Hancock County are eligible properties. Post-demolition site restoration costs such as grading, seeding, greening and improvements may also be covered.

Barns and other agricultural buildings are not eligible unless accompanied by a residential structure that is also to be demolished.

All costs are expected to be covered by the grant program. Property owner must grant Hancock County and its demolition contractors temporary access to the property in order to demolish structures. All application materials due to Hancock Regional Planning by 4pm on Friday, March 1, 2024.

If you have a structure you would like to be demolished and meets the above guidelines, please contact Kaysie Penzinski at (419) 424 -7095 or kpenzinski@findlayohio.com.

Application packets can be picked up at 318 Dorney Plaza, Rm 304, Findlay, Ohio or accessed on Hancock Regional Planning’s website at www.hancockrpc.org.

(From City Mission of Findlay)

City Mission and St. Andrew’s Annex will continue to operate their warming centers until Sunday evening.

If you require a warm place to stay during this cold front, you are welcome to visit City Mission’s warming center from 8 PM to 8 AM or St. Andrew’s Annex from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Please take care and stay safe during these cold conditions.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts and road alerts by clicking here, and school delays and cancelations by clicking here.

(ONN) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling on lawmakers to regulate the sales of a cannabinoid known as delta 8.

DeWine says the products are too easy to buy and purchases should be age restricted.

He warned the products need more regulation and could be deceiving to kids as candy.

The Ohio Poison Control Center reports that over the last three years, there have been at least 257 reports of delta 8 poisonings here.

Last year there were 102 of them, including 40 involving children under the age of six.

Currently, there are no laws restricting the sale of delta 8.

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Hancock County Garage on Lima Avenue in Findlay is ready for the snow we’re expected to get late Thursday and on Friday.

Deidra Noel is the transportation administrator for ODOT in Hancock County.

She says, as usual, ODOT is asking drivers to do their part to help their snow plow operators clear the roads as efficiently as possible.

“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.”

Noel says the Hancock County ODOT Garage has 21 trucks and is responsible for 621 lane miles in the county, including Interstate 75 from Bluffton to North Baltimore.

“It’s really fun. Everybody who works here enjoys it. It’s a public service and when you’re good at what you do, you’re proud of it.”

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts and road alerts by clicking here, and school delays and cancelations by clicking here.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect from 10 p.m. Thursday until 7 p.m. Friday.

Forecasters say 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible Thursday night, with another 1 to 3 inches possible during the day on Friday.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts and road alerts by clicking here, and school delays and cancelations by clicking here.

A local producer/director has a new film coming out and you’ll probably recognize some of the actors and the locations of some of the scenes.

The movie is called ‘Act of God’ and it’s inspired by a true story of a woman who sued God for destroying her home.

It’s the first feature film written and directed by AJ du Fresne for Lake Erie Films.

AJ is a former Communications professor at the University of Findlay and manager of UFTV.

Click on the trailer below and you’ll notice that some of the scenes were shot in the Hancock County Courthouse. AJ says most of the actors are from Findlay.

The movie will premiere on February 18^th at 6 p.m. at the Ritz Theater in Tiffin.

Free tickets to the premiere can be obtained by emailing a request to lakeerietv@gmail.com.

(From Putnam County Office of Public Safety)

Col. Grove Fd, Col. Grove EMS , Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and Putnam EMA responded to an accident involving a semi.

The driver went off the road and hit a parked vehicle.

As a reminder, in bad weather please slow down.

We would love for everyone to get to the place they are trying to get to.