(From Hancock County ADAMHS)

A public health collaboration that has helped Hancock County residents “clean out their medicine cabinets” is still going strong.

Since 2012, the partnership between the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy, Findlay Police Department, and Hancock ADAMHS has collected and destroyed over six tons of unwanted, outdated or unused prescriptions and other drugs during curbside drop-off events and through donation drop boxes.

U of F’s Tim Burkart says residents help keep medicines out of the wrong hands and from contaminating the environment by turning them back in when they are no longer needed.

“It’s remarkable what’s been accomplished over the years,” he said. “I think through the take-back events people have become better informed about items that they don’t need to keep around their homes.”

Statistics from collection events, including “Take it to the Box,” suggest awareness is growing.

The community has turned in over 13,000 pounds of prescriptions and other-the-counter products, including 2,100 pounds in 2016 alone.

“I think people are more aware of the importance of properly disposing of certain items since the effort began,” Burkart said. “They’re keeping up.”

Crime prevention officer Brian White of the Findlay Police Department agrees the public has responded well to the program.

“From my observations, the majority of those that come through the collection points are seniors. In many cases, they have acquired a large amount of medications that go unused and know they need to get rid of them. The collection drive gives them a convenient way to get rid of them.”

The drop-off events make it easy for people to participate as they don’t even have to get out of their car. Medications are handed to a volunteer for disposal.

After collecting them, the items are later incinerated.

The first drop-off event of 2025 will be held on Saturday, April 26, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Findlay Municipal Building parking lot on Crawford Street.

A second drop-off will be on Oct. 25 at the same location.

For those unable to attend the events, residents also can dispose of unneeded medications in marked boxes located in the lobbies at the Findlay Municipal Building and the lobby at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

Seven pharmacies in the county also have boxes for those looking to dispose of unneeded prescriptions and other meds.

Burkart believes the collection efforts are worth continuing each year and encourages community participation.

“It is still an important thing for the community to participate in,” Burkart said. “I think most people realize the benefits.”

White also applauds the public buy-in of the take-back efforts.

“I would reiterate that medication needs to be disposed of appropriately and remind citizens that collection boxes are always available for disposal.”

The City of Findlay Green Waste Site is open for the season. 

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.

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 click here.

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.

A Flood Warning was issued for Eagle Creek in Findlay on Thursday.

The National Weather Service said the creek was at 9.1 feet on Thursday afternoon and minor flooding was occurring.

The NWS said at 9 feet, Eagle Creek will overrun its banks and begin to inundate portions of Fremont and Graceland Avenue and water will inundate a field near Rosemont Drive.

More rain is expected the rest of the week which could push the creek higher.

Get the latest forecast, weather alerts, road alerts, and river levels by clicking here.

(From Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County)

Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County will be repairing or replacing 25 roofs as a part of its 25th anniversary celebration during the coming months.

“Recently Habitat received a grant for roof repairs and replacements which will enable us to partner with our Habitat preferred roofing sub-contractors between now and the fall to assist 25 Hancock County residents,” explains Wendy McCormick, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County. “Warmer, safer, and drier are the core values of our Critical Home Repair program for the past 12 years and it all starts with a secure roof.”

Habitat’s Critical Home Repair team has found damaged roofs lead to leaks, allowing water to penetrate the home, causing damage to walls, ceilings, floors, and belongings and are often the root cause of many other repairs required on the home. A solid roof protects the structure and occupants from the elements, maintains energy efficiency, and prevents costly long-term damage and reduced property values.

Applicants must meet specific criteria to be eligible for the program, including having:

• household income below $45,000
• at least one resident age 65+ and/or disabled
• owned their single-family home (no mobile homes) of 1300 square feet or less for at least 2 years and it serves as their permeant year-round residence

Applications are being accepted between now and May 2. Those interested in applying, or learning more about the criteria, can go online at habitatfindlay.org/rtr or call 419-429-1400 x6.

Applications will be reviewed and prioritized based on the criteria and the severity of the roof’s condition. Manufacturer warranties will be implemented on materials, and Habitat will warranty the labor in partnership with the Sub-contractor for 1 year. This work will not be completed by Habitat volunteers.

“Our critical home repairs enable individuals to remain in a home they can afford and age in place for as long as possible,” McCormick says. “Together we are framing the future and building community, because everyone deserves a decent place to live.”

(From the City of Findlay)

The Hancock County Commissioners and City of Findlay have been diligently working to address flood mitigation.

Over the past 10 years significant progress has been made and the final three projects are on track to break ground later this year.

The combined impact, once completed is projected at 3ft of decrease in a 100-year storm event and even more benefit in smaller storm events.

As we continue to monitor potential moderate flooding in Findlay over the next few days, we are especially grateful for the completion of phase 1 benching which has appeared to provide benefit in storm events since its completion.

To learn more about flood mitigation progress check out hancockcountyflooding.com.

You can also look at the Blanchard River Hydrological map at https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/fdyo1.

We will continue to closely monitor the storm event and make sandbags available if necessary.

At this point in time we believe road closures will be the most significant impact from this storm.

WFIN – Get the latest forecast, weather alerts, road alerts, and river levels by clicking here.

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

For the fourth consecutive year, the Tiffin Police Department has been awarded the Gold Standard Award from Lexipol—the nation’s leading provider of public safety policy, training, and wellness solutions.

This recognition reflects our department’s unwavering commitment to professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement. Through diligent policy review, acknowledgment of updates, and active participation in Lexipol’s training and testing programs, our officers ensure they remain well-prepared to apply best practices in real-world scenarios.

The Lexipol Connect program evaluates agencies on five key performance metrics, measuring adherence to critical policies and ongoing education. Achieving this distinction once again underscores our dedication to maintaining the highest standards in law enforcement and delivering exceptional service to our community.

We are honored to receive this recognition and remain steadfast in our mission to enhance public safety through strong policies and continuous professional development.

Chief Pauly

(From the City of Findlay)

The City of Findlay honored 59 employees at a luncheon for their years of service with the City for year ending 2024.

The following individuals were recognized:

5 Years: Jordan Barton, Sewer Maintenance; Lynnette Camp, Street Department; Bailey Cooley, Police Dispatch; Briar Courtney, Parks Maintenance; Brock Davis, Fire Department; Makenna Dysert, Municipal Court; Jeff Fort, Civil Service Commission; Paul Frey, Police Department; Chase Glick, Water Distribution; Kyle Inbody, Airport; Jordan Johnson, Fire Department; Justin Johnson, Traffic Signals Department; Chris Johnston, Recreation Department; Sara Klay, Engineering Department; Seth Longanbach, Fire Department; Chase Miller, Parking Enforcement; Mayor Christina Muryn, Mayor’s Office; Nick Price, Police Department; Geoffrey Shilling, Fire Department; Evan Stump, Fire Department; Nathan Weinandy, Fire Department.

10 Years: Chris Brickner, Police Department; Noah Burkholder, Police Department; Mark Butler, Street Department; James Fox, Water Pollution Control Center; Cody Glick, Street Department; Dan Griffith, Police Department; Ryan Hackworth, Police Department; John Harrington, City Council ; Nick Huber, Police Department; Josh Jansen, Street Department; Michael Knight, Water Distribution; Angie Lee, Municipal Court; Jim Niemeyer, City Council ; Brent Schroeder, Computer Services; Tricia Stozich, Municipal Court.

15 Years: Sara Douglas, Police Dispatch; Jodi Mathias, Zoning Department; Jim Staschiak, Auditor’s Office.

20 Years: Gary Clevidence, Fire Department; Denise DeVore, Law Director’s Office; Aaron Flechtner, Police Department; Tom Kemp, Civil Service Office; Eric Martin, Fire Department; Vince McDonald, Street Department; Joel Rampe, Fire Department; Tonya Stillberger, City Income Tax; Brian White, Police Department.

25 Years: Brian Dill, Police Department; Heather Eigel, Municipal Court; Justin Hendren, Police Department; Dave Hill, Police Department; Lisa Mansfield, Recreation Department; Galen Spaun, Street Department.

30 Years: Judge Alan Hackenberg, Municipal Court; Glenn Springer, Parks Maintenance.

35 Years: Dean Hoge, Water Treatment Plant; Mike McKitrick, Street Department; Brian Sanders, Fire Department.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says some train cars west of Fostoria tipped over during the severe weather that blew through Wednesday night.

The train was stationary and consisted of intermodal container cars and had no hazardous materials onboard.

The railroad crossings near Township Road 261 and 262 south of State Route 613 will be closed for a considerable amount of time as CSX works to clear the tracks, the sheriff’s office said.

No injuries were reported.

UPDATE – The National Weather Service confirmed it was an EF-1 tornado that touched down in northwest Putnam County Wednesday night and went through the Dupont area.

A state of emergency has been declared for the Village of Dupont and the surrounding area.

People are asked to place debris east of the village garage on Liberty Street.

Residents whose property was damaged from the storm can call the Office of Public Safety at 419-538-7315 to report damages. 

A tornado warning was issued for northwest Putnam County Wednesday night and it’s believed it was a tornado that did quite a bit of damage in the area.

The Dupont area got hit the hardest with several buildings and homes damaged or destroyed.

Three people suffered injuries that are not life-threatening, according to the sheriff’s office.

The National Weather Service will be doing an assessment to confirm it was a tornado and how powerful it was.

(pic taken by WTOL-11’s TaTiana Cash of a destroyed trailer)

(From Findlay City Schools)

Mark your calendars for a Findlay City Schools Town Hall on April 9, 2025 at Donnell Middle School!

We are sticking with the same topic for this Town Hall (district finances) to be sure we get all your questions answered!

Join us to hear accurate information straight from our Superintendent, Treasurer, and members of the FCS Board of Education.

A link will be provided one week ahead of Town Hall for those wishing to submit questions ahead of time.

Watch the livestream here: youtube.com/live/69klF7k4rsY

WFIN – Findlay City Schools in February held a Town Hall at Glenwood Middle School on the district’s finances and financial challenges following the failed levy last November which resulted in a $6.1 million budget reduction. 

The Findlay City Schools Board of Education recently shared a second phase of potential budget reductions should the district’s 1 percent earned income tax levy on the May 6 ballot not pass.