The Findlay Police Department said a man was taken into custody after shooting a gun into the ground near people.

Police were dispatched to the 200 block of Edith Avenue at around 12:15 Thursday morning on the report of shots being fired in the area.

Officers began checking the area and then another victim called police and said he had been shot at by a man and that they saw the man enter a shed behind a residence in the 200 block of Lester Avenue.

Police checked the shed and no one was located inside.

Contact was made with a resident at 224 Lester Avenue and police say he eventually admitted to shooting a pistol into the ground at the victims.

Police said the suspect, Martin Munoz, 54, was taken into custody for aggravated menacing and discharging a firearm within city limits.

No one was injured in the incident.

State Route 568 will be closing for construction of the pedestrian bridge portion of the Blanchard River Greenway Trail extension project.

The City of Findlay says the closure will go from Bright Road to County Road 236 beginning on Monday, October 30th and lasting for approximately 45 days.

A suggested detour is included in the Facebook post from the city below.

The pedestrian bridge will be located north of the existing State Route 568 bridge and take people over the Blanchard River.

This extension of the Greenway Trail will take it to County Road 236, and in the future, the city says it wants to extend the Greenway Trail from County Road 236 out to Riverbend Recreation Area.

Anyone with questions about the project may call the City of Findlay Engineering Department at 419-424-7121.

(From Findlay City Schools)

Findlay High School Head Principal, Meg Simon, was selected as one of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan’s distinguished young leaders in the 20 Under 40 ceremony held October 24, 2023 in Toledo.

“I’m so honored to be representing Findlay City Schools, Findlay High School, and the Findlay community with this recognition,” said Simon.

“I am proud to call Findlay home. I’m grateful to be recognized for doing work I love and serving a community I love.”

Dr. Andy Hatton, Findlay City Schools Superintendent, shared that “Mrs. Simon is the epitome of servant leadership to our students, staff and this great community. Meg has a clear vision for Findlay High School and builds trust through transparent collaboration with her team. I’m so proud that a leader in public education was recognized for this incredible distinction.”

Nominees are asked to submit a detailed profile, and then are invited to attend the recognition ceremony. Past nominees and community leaders make up the panel of judges who select the top 20 recipients, and winners are not revealed until the ceremony.

Over 150 young leaders were nominated for this year’s award. Findlay City Schools is proud to have administrators like Mrs. Simon leading staff and students, and truly impacting the Findlay community.

Further information, as well as a recording of the ceremony, can be found at the 20 Under 40 website, here.

It’s time to purge your home of unneeded or unused medications as part of Hancock County’s ongoing effort to combat medication misuse.

Medications and prescriptions can be safely disposed of at a drop-off location in the Findlay Municipal Building parking lot on West Crawford Street from 8 to noon on Saturday, October 28^th which is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

People can simply drive in, drop off their old medications for safe disposal and go on their way.

The Findlay Police Department says, not only will you be cleaning out those cluttered cabinets but you’ll be doing so in a safe manner.

Many people flush their medications, leading to environmental concerns.

Others dispose of medications in the trash or leave them in their house enabling people to find them and abuse them.

People who can’t make it to the medication collection on Saturday can drop off their medications anytime in the medication collection drop boxes available in the lobby of the police department, sheriff’s office and municipal building.

People with questions can call 419-424-1985.

The 2023 Cops & Kids Findlay Halloween Parade was held Tuesday night along South Main Street.

A lot of people lined the street as dozens of floats went by with people tossing candy to the kids on a warm fall evening.

Video of the parade can be seen below.

The parade is a fundraiser for the Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20 Foundation and all proceeds go to programs that help bolster positive interaction between youth and law enforcement.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a man with an active arrest warrant exited out a second-story window in an attempt to elude deputies.

The sheriff’s office says deputies responded to an address in the Dold subdivision in Liberty Township on Tuesday morning to perform follow-up on an ongoing investigation from the previous night.

The follow-up included an interview with a man who had an active arrest warrant out of Tiffin/Fostoria Municipal Court for theft by deception.

The sheriff’s office says, when deputies arrived at the address, the man, Garland M. Breitigam, 34, exited a second-floor window, jumped off a porch roof and took off running.

After a short foot pursuit, Breitigam was caught and arrested.

A deputy and Breitigam were treated at Blanchard Valley Hospital for injuries.

The sheriff’s office says a charge of obstructing official business will be pursued against Breitigam and the original investigation is continuing.

Hancock Public Health’s Mobile Health Clinic will be stopping by the Marion Township House to offer free health screenings.

The clinic will be there on Thursday, October 26 from 7 to 10 a.m. and again from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Marion Township House is located at 16003 State Route 568.

Township trustees say the free service is part of the township’s annual fall community outreach health program.

Flu and COVID vaccines will also be available.

People who fill out a short survey will get a free $50 gift card mailed to them.

For more details contact Hancock Public Health at 419-424-7105.

(ONN) – At the Ohio Statehouse, a bill was recently introduced by a Democrat from Columbus that aims to keep the state’s election workers safe by keeping their personal information such as home addresses private.

State Senator Bill DeMora wants to protect election workers from any type of threat or intimidation.

DeMora says he was shocked to hear how common it is for poll workers to be threatened, adding that the bill has support from people on both sides of the aisle.

If passed, it would not go into effect until the next election.

Senate Bill 173 would hide the address information of election workers, the same way people like police officers and judges have their addresses shielded from the public.

The Findlay Police Department is reminding parents and kids about some Halloween safety tips as Trick-or-Treat events approach.

Findlay Crime Prevention Officer Brian White was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss Halloween safety.

He reminds parents to make sure their child can safely get around in their costume and can see well if they’re wearing a mask.

He says bright costumes and those with flashing lights are great ideas.

Brian reminds Trick-or-Treaters to stay in groups and to cross at designated crosswalks and intersections.

He also reminds drivers to keep an eye out for kids, especially in neighborhoods that don’t have many sidewalks.

He advises parents to check candy before allowing their kids to start eating it.

Brian says extra police officers will be out and about during Trick-or-Treat and the Halloween Parade.

Parents are encouraged to check the Sex Offender Database to see what offenders might be living in the area.

Get more Halloween safety tips in the audio above.

The 2023 Cops & Kids Findlay Halloween Parade will be held on Tuesday, October 24^th at 7 p.m.

Findlay’s Trick-or-Treat will be on Saturday, October 28^th from 6 to 8 p.m.

(From Dr. Bill Kose with Blanchard Valley Health System)

With a little over two months remaining in 2023, many people may be thinking about medical tests and procedures they need to get done before the end of the year.

Or, if you are not yet making these healthcare plans, perhaps now might be a good time. We at Blanchard Valley Health System advise community members to start this planning in October. If you leave making those calls until mid-December, it may be harder to schedule the things you need done. Both you and your healthcare provider will benefit from starting the process now.

After all, it can be a busy time. Many insurance plans offer incentives for wellness screening programs that should be done once a year, so patients who haven’t yet scheduled those might be trying to do so at the end of the year. Some screenings may take longer than others and be more likely to require scheduling ahead of time.

Patients may be deciding when to schedule some surgical procedures, too. Surgery to fix a hernia or a sinus problem may be necessary but not an emergency. Patients may be waiting to see whether they’re likely to meet their 2023 deductible before deciding whether to schedule these surgeries this year or next.

However, often these procedures require at least one doctor’s appointment ahead of time. So, you must allow time to schedule these appointments first and then schedule the surgery itself. In addition, while many of these surgeries can be put off for a while, if you put them off for too long, the medical situation could become more complicated. So, it’s better not to wait too long.

Keep in mind that many other people will also be trying to schedule appointments and procedures around the end of the year.

And there is another aspect of the season to consider. Around Thanksgiving, families come into contact with loved ones they haven’t seen in a long time, many of whom have traveled on planes. This, combined with more people spending time indoors rather than socializing on the patio as the weather gets colder, means there is far more opportunity for infectious disease to spread. Some hospital beds may be filled with COVID-19 or influenza patients, which may also make it harder to schedule the procedures you need.

Financially, it would be ideal to plan all of this at the start of the calendar year. However, health issues often involve surprises, and many people don’t know what to expect or whether they’re likely to meet their deductible until much later. In addition, people may want to schedule medical procedures around the holidays when they have time off to recuperate or when family can stay with them to provide care.

It makes sense that many people are thinking about this now rather than in January. But suppose you need a colonoscopy, a hernia repair, or any other type of procedure in 2023. In that case, we’d encourage you to make the initial phone call as soon as you can, especially if multiple appointments may be required. If you aren’t sure what screenings you need, you can always check with your primary care provider.

We are here to serve this community, and we are committed to providing excellent care for the remainder of 2023, all of 2024, and well into the future. But patients and providers alike will benefit from planning ahead. We’d encourage you to think about it now to ensure you’re more likely to start 2024 as your healthiest self.

William Kose, MD, JD Vice President of Special Projects, Blanchard Valley Health System