(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

This is National Roundabouts Week — a time to celebrate a simple engineering design that has dramatically improved the safety of intersections throughout the country.

It’s also an opportunity to share the numbers that demonstrate how well they’ve performed locally.

Officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are pleased with the results where roundabouts have been constructed, and how the overall public has adapted to them.

“The acceptance of roundabouts can lag in areas where roadways rarely change. You introduce a vastly different concept like a roundabout where stop signs and traffic signals rule, and it’s understandable why some motorists are hesitant,” said Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 deputy director.

The safety improvement a roundabout brings is hard to argue against. “No intersection improvement will eliminate all crashes, but nothing equals the effectiveness of a roundabout in lessening the severity of crashes,” said Pat McColley, ODOT District 2 deputy director.

A roundabout is currently under construction near U.S. 68 and S.R. 15 on the south side of Findlay.

In 2019, Governor Mike DeWine directed ODOT to target safety improvements at 150 intersections statewide in rural, suburban, and urban areas. This represents an investment of $425 million over several years.

The table below details crash statistics at select locations throughout northwest Ohio before and after a roundabout was constructed. “The goal is always to reduce the number of injury and fatal crashes, and at every location, that occurred,” said Hughes.

Of these, four were identified on the governor’s list:

State Route 309 at Thayer Road and Napoleon Road, Allen County

U.S. 224 and State Route 587, Seneca County

U.S. 127 and U.S. 224/Marsh Road, Van Wert County

Visit ODOT’s website  and National Roundabouts Week | FHWA (dot.gov) for further information regarding the benefits of roundabouts and the week of observance.

(From the Tecumseh Police Department)

UPDATE- Police say the drowning victim was Brady Donnelly, 25, of Findlay. 

The cause of death was ruled accidental by way of drowning, as determined by the Lenawee County Medical Examiner.  

Initial news release below –

On September 15, 2024, at approximately 11:29 am the Tecumseh Police Department was dispatched to the Tecumseh Park at 403 Adrian St, Tecumseh, MI for a drowning.

Witnesses on scene indicated that the victim, later identified as a 25-year-old male from Findlay, OH, was attempting to swim across the pond within the park when he went under the water.

First Responders were on scene within minutes and entered the water attempting to locate the victim.

Ultimately, the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team located the victim at 12:04 pm and brought him to shore.

The victim was transported to ProMedica Hickman Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The victim’s identity is being withheld until all proper notifications are made.

There is no indication of foul play, alcohol or drugs playing a role in this tragic accident.

The Tecumseh Police Department was assisted by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office, including their Dive Team, Drone Team, Marine Patrol, and Victim’s Services Team, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan State Police, the Tecumseh Fire Department, and Lenawee Community Ambulance.

Authorized for Release by: Brett D. Coker, Chief of Police

(From the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office)

The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints about scammer calls claiming to be from our office who are preying on people.

These particular scammers are contacting some community members, but mainly people on probation and requesting personal information and money, claiming to be a “Sergeant” or “Deputy” from our Office.

The phone number (419) 318-6113 is being used and appears to be the one on caller ID’s. It has a voicemail set up, when you call back, stating he is one of our Sergeants and works for our office. They are telling individuals that they have a warrant and owe money And need to pay it off immediately over the phone or they will be arrested.

THIS IS A SCAM! No law enforcement agency will call and ask for money over the phone or tell you if you don’t pay it will come arrest you.

If you receive a call from this number or anyone claiming to be law enforcement asking for money:

1. Hang up immediately.
2. Look up the official phone number of the agency they mention online and dial it, hitting redial could route you right back to the spammer.
3. Call the agency directly to verify the claim. If you suspect these scammers have contacted you, have concerns, or if you have given any personal information, money, or gift cards, please contact our dispatch center at 419-447-3456 Option #4 to speak with a dispatcher.

-Sheriff Stevens

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Are you interested in becoming a foster family?

Or maybe you’re looking for an impactful way to support the foster care system in Hancock County.

Open Hearts, Open Home, scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, will bridge prospective foster families with essential resources and advocates to help them get started on their journey to foster care.

The event is being organized by Fostering Hancock County, comprised of representatives from Hancock County Job & Family Services, Findlay Family YMCA and United Way of Hancock County.

“The state of Ohio, and Hancock County in particular, is experiencing a shortfall in the number of foster homes available to care for children in the custody of public children’s services agencies,” said Randall Galbraith, director of Hancock County Job & Family Services. “This shortfall has led to a crisis in placing children into loving homes. All too often, children must wait in the lobbies of agencies or in temporary shelters until a foster home can be located. In addition, available foster homes are frequently located outside of Hancock County which disrupts kinship, school and friendship ties.

“This is added stress to a child who is already experiencing extreme levels of trauma,” Galbraith added.

Attendance for those who are interested in becoming a foster family is complimentary, provided through community sponsorships.

Sponsorships are available for an individual seat ($35) or a table of 6 ($210). When making a sponsorship, individuals will have the option of choosing to attend as well, or of simply sponsoring a seat or table for others.

To register as a potential foster family, click here.

To make a sponsorship, click here.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is encouraging people who don’t have one yet to get a library card during National Library Card Sign-Up Month in September.

Library Director Sarah Clevidence says at the library they believe there’s nothing more empowering than getting your own library card.

“It gives you access to technology, resources and services to help you pursue your passions and your dreams.”

“This year, we’re thrilled to have Optimus Prime from the TRANSFORMERS as our special ambassador, highlighting that there’s more than meets the eye at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.”

The library says 30,083 members of the community are currently library card holders and they’d like to sign up a lot more during National Library Card Sign-Up Month.

(From Findlay City Schools)

Findlay City Schools is pleased to share its overall rating of 4 stars on the 2024 Ohio School Report Card, reflecting continued progress and a strong commitment to academic excellence, while acknowledging areas where improvement is needed. A 4-star rating means that a district exceeded state standards, and Findlay CIty Schools continues to demonstrate significant strengths across many categories.

The district exceeded state standards in the category of Progress for the second consecutive year, and also maintained its 5-star rating in the category of Gap Closing. These ratings reflect the ongoing improvements in student growth and efforts to reduce educational disparities. Achieving and sustaining this top rating in Gap Closing reflects the district’s commitment to equity and inclusion for all students.

The district maintained its rating and met state standards in the category of Achievement, with notable improvement in Performance Index, which reflects the continued effort of students and staff in raising overall academic performance.

The district sustained its strong performance with a 4-star rating in the category of Graduation, affirming that Findlay’s students are successfully completing their high school education and preparing for their next steps in life.

While receiving an overall 4-star rating and exceeding state standards is a remarkable achievement, the district acknowledges the slight drop from 4.5 stars in 2023. This drop can be attributed to a decline in the category of Early Literacy performance, which fell from 4 stars in 2023 to 3 stars this year. While 3 stars still meets state standards, it is necessary for the district to take proactive steps to address early reading proficiency and ensure that young learners receive the support they need to succeed.

“Our educators at Findlay City Schools collaborate intentionally and use engaging instructional practices to drive our continued progress toward academic excellence for all students,” Katie Abbott, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning.

Superintendent, Dr. Andy Hatton, expressed optimism about the report card results, stating, “While we celebrate the many areas of strength in this year’s report card, we also recognize the importance of addressing the challenges we face, especially in Early Literacy. We remain committed to working with our dedicated staff, students, and community to ensure that Findlay City Schools continues to provide high-quality education for every student.”

Findlay City Schools is committed to ongoing improvement and will continue to focus on strategies to enhance student achievement and growth. The district extends its gratitude to all teachers, staff, students, parents, and community partners for their contributions to this year’s success.

(ONN) – In northeast Ohio in Portage County, east of Akron, a local sheriff is having to answer questions about a social media post.

In the Facebook post, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski calls on people to write down the addresses of residents who publicly support presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

The reason, the sheriff says if Harris wins the election and more migrants arrive they will already have the addresses of their new families who supported their arrival.

WKYC-TV in Cleveland reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment but did not receive a response back.

(From the Ohio Division of Wildlife)

Hunters in Ohio have additional dates this season to pursue white-tailed deer in Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance areas, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. For the 2024-25 season, the disease surveillance area includes all of Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties as well as Auglaize and Jackson townships in Allen County.

The Division of Wildlife established earlier hunting seasons within the disease surveillance area to slow the spread of CWD by reducing deer numbers before the breeding season. Archery hunting season begins Saturday, Sept. 14. An early gun hunting season is open from Saturday, Oct. 12 to Monday, Oct. 14.

Since the fall of 2020, 50 wild deer in Ohio have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), all in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties (one in Allen, one in Hardin, 10 in Marion, 38 in Wyandot). Allen County’s first case of CWD was confirmed in November 2023. Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal brain disease that impacts members of the deer family including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and caribou. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no strong evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans.

(From Findlay City Schools)

FCS Families:

The SafeDefend system was accidentally activated at Wilson Vance Intermediate at 8:45 a.m this (Monday) morning by a new employee before the school day began.

All students and staff are safe, and there was no emergency situation.

Our first responders acted quickly before confirming it was an accidental activation, and we continue to be grateful that this system effectively connects our entire safety network.

(From the Findlay Police Department)

On 9-13-2024 at 1904 hours FPD officers were dispatched to a report of a male with a gun outside of Old Stoney Ledge (752 Howard St).

While en-route to the location, officers were advised a male had been shot once and the suspect had fled from the scene.

Officers arrived in the area and the male suspect (identified as Marcuss Martinez) was located near the area of College St and Fox St.

Marcuss then ran east bound through lawns in the 600 blk of College St. Marcuss was eventually stopped by an officer in front of a residence in the 600 blk of College St and taken into custody.

The victim was transported to the Blanchard Valley Hospital by an unknown person.

The victim was found to have sustained a single gunshot wound to the lower left portion of his face.

The victim was later transported by Life Flight to OSU Medical Hospital for further treatment.

Victim’s condition is currently unknown.

After further investigation, Marcuss was incarcerated at the Hancock County Justice Center on charges of Felonious Assault (ORC – 2903.11) and Obstructing Official Business (ORD – 525.07).