(ONN) – The Ohio Department of Transportation has reversed course and has granted the Cleveland Browns a construction permit after all.

ODOT approved an aviation permit for the teams Brook Park stadium, helping the team clear a major hurdle to move out of downtown Cleveland.

The Browns want to build their new domed stadium near Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

ODOT originally denied the Browns a construction permit, saying the stadium exceeded height limitations by 58 feet, even though the FAA found no hazards.

Now, an independent aviation consultant determined the stadium would have no adverse effect on safety or on flight operations at Hopkins.

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Local volunteers will put in nearly 700 service hours in just three days during United Way of Hancock County’s Fall Days of Caring event.

Spanning Sept. 22-24, this biannual volunteer event has matched 173 volunteers with 26 service projects. These volunteers’ landscaping, organizing, painting, cleaning and construction efforts will add up to 692 hours and will save local organizations over $24,000 in labor costs, based on the estimated value of a volunteer hour at $33.49.

Volunteer teams are made up primarily of workplace groups and will work in four-hour shifts at locations throughout Hancock County.

“We want to thank our corporate partners for their cooperation in generously allowing their employees to devote time out of their work week to better our community,” said United Way of Hancock County CEO Kelley McClurkin.

“Fall Days of Caring is a wonderful effort that workplace teams rally behind every year, and it’s a great kickoff to our Campaign season. Thank you, volunteers, for contributing your time and energy in such a meaningful way!”

Days of Caring sponsors include City Apparel + Merch, Marathon Petroleum Corp., Whirlpool Corp., Freudenberg-NOK and First National Bank.

In addition to next week’s activities, a five-day Days of Caring event was held in May. During that week, 861 volunteers put in 3,444 service hours to complete 89 projects.

Volunteers United, the agency’s internal volunteer hub, placed over 10,200 volunteer hours in 2024. Visit liveunitedhancockcounty.org/volunteersunited for more information about Days of Caring or how you can get involved with local volunteer efforts.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol, along with members of the 6-State Trooper Project, joined forces to focus on felony drug arrests and illegal firearms seizures.

During the four-day initiative, which ran from Thursday, September 11 through Sunday, September 14, the Patrol made 48 arrests on felony charges and seized 13 illegal firearms.

The campaign included the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and West Virginia State Police.

The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and information sharing.

(From Hancock County ADAMHS)

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library now has two additional resources for community members navigating the complex emotions and challenges associated with loss, donated by the Hancock County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board.

The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman is a compassionate and practical guide designed to help individuals move beyond the pain of loss. Whether grieving the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of health, career, or faith, this book offers a structured, action-oriented program to support emotional healing.

Understanding Your Suicide Grief offers gentle wisdom, validation, and hope, encouraging readers to honor their pain from the loss of a loved one to suicide. And to move toward healing at their own pace. Using the metaphor of grief as a wilderness, Dr. Alan Wolfelt introduces Ten Essential Touchstones—principles and practices that help survivors navigate the uniquely painful and complex journey of suicide grief. These touchstones include embracing the uniqueness of your grief, dispelling misconceptions about suicide, nurturing yourself, and seeking reconciliation rather than resolution.

These books are now available for checkout.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, emotional distress, or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to connect with trained crisis staff—help is available 24/7.

Findlay is now experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The latest map, released on Thursday, September 18, shows that the northern half of Hancock County up into Wood County is identified in Severe Drought, while the southern half of Hancock County is in the Moderate Drought category. 

The Severe Drought category also extends into parts of Putnam, Seneca, and Henry Counties. 

It looks like it could still be a while before we get some rainfall.

Friday’s forecast is calling for sunny skies and then partly sunny on Saturday.

Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.

(From the City of Findlay)

The City of Findlay, in partnership with the Hancock County Commissioners and consulting engineers from Stantec, today announced submission of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to FEMA following the official completion of Phase I benching of the Blanchard River. Once approved, the revision will revise the boundaries and elevations of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) in multiple locations, removing or reducing flood risk designations for certain parcels. Letters of Map Revision will also be submitted following the additional flood mitigation projects with additional properties expected to be further positively impacted. Click here for the parcels proposed for removal. 

Key Impacts

• Reduced Flood Zones: Based on updated hydraulic modeling by Stantec, 375 parcels (totaling approximately 15 acres) will be completely removed from FEMA’s SFHA.
• Lowered Water Surface Elevations: Another 985 parcels (around 67 acres) will remain in the SFHA, but with a reduced 100‑year water surface elevation.
• Yellow‑marked areas in the attached exhibit are those that will be removed from the SFHA.

Background

• The Hancock County Flood Risk Reduction Program, which encompasses several flood mitigation efforts including Phase I hydraulic improvements, has been underway to address rising flood frequency in the Blanchard River and surrounding watershed.
• Phase I involved floodplain benching near Swale Park, removal of several low‑head dams downstream of Lye Creek, and instream riffle construction at low‑head dam sites.
• These improvements, together with property acquisition and demolition of flood‑prone structures, have lowered flood stages as measured at Main Street in Findlay. The National Weather Service revised flood stage definitions in early 2021 to reflect the benefits of these improvements.

What This Means for Property Owners

• Properties completely removed from the SFHA may no longer be required to carry flood insurance under certain regulations, depending on lender, mortgage, or insurance company requirements.
• Those with reduced flood elevations may see lower flood insurance premiums, fewer regulatory restrictions, and reduced risk exposure.
• Affected property owners will need to check with the local floodplain administrator and insurance provider after the LOMR is approved to understand specific implications for their parcels.

Next Steps

1. Review & Approval: FEMA will review the submitted LOMR. Once FEMA issues a Letter of Final Determination, the changes become official. This process is expected to take 6 months.
2. Mapping Updates: Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) will be updated to reflect the changes.
3. Notification: Property owners in affected areas will be notified once the revisions are effective. Local officials will provide resources for understanding the changes.
4. Continued Mitigation: Additional hydraulic improvements are planned, including additional river benching in downtown Findlay, replacement of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, and construction of the Eagle Creek Basin with construction anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026.

Quotes

“Phase I benching marks a significant milestone in reducing flood risk for Hancock County. These map changes will bring both regulatory and financial relief for many property owners.” — William Bateson, Hancock County Commissioner

“Progress such as this has been a long time in the works. There is more work to be done but this is a significant step forward in resolving flooding in Findlay and Hancock County. Our goal has always been to create long‑term safety, and decreased expense to Findlay and Hancock County residents.” — Christina Muryn, Mayor, City of Findlay

For more information, for maps showing which parcels are affected visit findlayohio.gov or hancockcountyflooding.com.

About Hancock County Flood Risk Reduction Program

Since the 1990s, Hancock County has been experiencing more frequent flooding. To address this, in 2016 the Hancock County Commissioners and Maumee Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) entered into an agreement to identify flood risk reduction opportunities. Key projects include hydraulic improvements (benching, dam removal, riffle construction), railroad bridge improvements, and dry basin construction, among others.

A significant reduction in workforce has occurred at One Power Company as the company undergoes a reorganization, the company confirmed to WFIN News.

One Power Company provided the following statement.

“One Power Company and its affiliates are still operational, but are undergoing a reorganization. A significant reduction in workforce occurred as part of this process. One Power is working with its lenders and creditors on this reorganization.”

According to their website, One Power Company is an industrial power company and the largest installer of on-site wind energy in the U.S.

One Power Company is located on County Road 215 just north of Findlay.

The Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20 Foundation was presented with a nice check from the 13th annual WKXA / 106.3 The Fox Charity Golf Scramble presented by Ohio Logistics.

Development Director Teresa White was presented with the $4,300 check by Chuck Bills in the picture above.

She says the money raised will go into the Cops and Kids Champion Fund.

“Which ensures law enforcement’s continued positive interaction with youth in our community. But more importantly, especially lately, the continued support of law enforcement in Hancock County. There’s been a tremendous need for that recently, specifically with the death of Office Schimmoeller, so the donation today means a little bit more than it normally does.”

FOP Lodge 20’s biggest annual events are Cops and Kids Go Shopping and the Halloween Parade, and they also put on other events.

Click here to learn more about Fort Findlay FOP Lodge 20 and its programming.

(in the picture above are Kahuna from The Fox, Teresa from the FOP Lodge Foundation, Chuck Bills of Ohio Logistics, and Rex from WKXA)

(From the University of Findlay)

The University of Findlay welcomes Broadway performer Ali Ewoldt as the featured guest artist for the latest edition of the Donnell Broadway Concert Series. She will be accompanied by Grammy-nominated Broadway conductor Phil Reno. The event will take place on Sunday, September 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Winebrenner TLB Auditorium on the University’s campus.

Ewoldt played the role of Christine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway for more than two years, including during the show’s 30th Anniversary celebration.

Her other New York credits include Cosette in the first Broadway revival of “Les Misérables,” the Tony Award-winning revival of “The King and I” at Lincoln Center, “Titanic” with NY City Center Encores! Series, and Luisa in “The Fantasticks” Off-Broadway. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Yale University. As a proud Filipino American, Ewoldt is the first Asian American featured Donnell artist.

Ticket Information:
Adults: $30
Senior Citizens: $27
Students: $10

University of Findlay students, faculty, and staff: Free (with valid University ID). UF students and employees are eligible for one free ticket using the UF discount code DBCS25 at checkout when ordering online at mcpa.org.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts (MCPA) box office, located at 200 W. Main Cross St., or at the door on the night of the event.

For additional information or to purchase tickets by phone, please call 419-423-2787. Discover more about Ewoldt’s career works and background by visiting her website at https://aliewoldt.com/.

The Donnell Broadway Concert Series is supported by the Thomas and Kathleen Donnell Broadway Concert Series Endowment Fund, established through the University of Findlay’s Give Voice to Your Values campaign. This annual series continues to bring distinguished Broadway talent to the stage locally, enriching the cultural landscape of our community.

To learn more about the Donnell Broadway Concert Series, please visit the Donnell Broadway Concert Series webpage.

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

It’s Roundabouts Week 2025 and we have some awesome news to share!

The dogbone roundabout at I-75/U.S. 68/SR 15/Lima Avenue in Findlay is a huge success.

The data is in, and we’ve seen a major drop in crashes and injuries.

ODOT said from 2016-18, before the roundabouts were built, there were 48 crashes and eight injury crashes. 40 percent were injury crashes.

ODOT said, from 2021-24, there have been nine crashes and one injury crash.

That’s an 86 percent drop in total crashes and a 91 percent drop in injury crashes.

ODOT’s Cheri Newton on the effectiveness of roundabouts.

“They improve intersection safety and improve congestion. They can handle a lot of traffic efficiently and do so while reducing crash severity and crash numbers.”

Learn more about roundabouts by clicking here.