(From the United Way of Hancock County)

We’re still buzzing from the excitement of last night’s pickleball tournament!

Thanks to all the pickleballers who played their hearts out, and a special shout-out to Jim’s Gym for generously providing free memberships to all players.

We also thank The State Bank and Trust Company for the much-needed refreshments and Kan Du Group Inc for the beautiful trophy.

It was a fun event, but it raised some serious cash toward our mission of measurably improving people’s lives in Hancock County.

Fifteen teams competed, and after a long night of pickling, Julie Anderson and Laiying Alvarado from AR Marketing took home the trophy!

Congratulations, ladies, on your big win at our inaugural Campaign Kickoff Pickleball Championship!

Thank you, Difference Makers, for spending the evening with us!

(From Oktoberfest Findlay!)

The 10th annual Oktoberfest Findlay! German heritage festival presented by Premier Bank will take place from 2 – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 in downtown Findlay. This fun-filled, family-friendly celebration is expected to bring nearly 7,000 people to the area.

To make the festival an enjoyable and safe experience for all visitors, the Oktoberfest planning committee is seeking volunteers to help collect admission, check IDs, sell drink tickets, or pour beverages. Oktoberfest requires volunteers who are checking IDs, selling drink tickets and pouring beverages to be 21 or older. All other positions require ages 18 and up.

Each volunteer opportunity is a three-hour shift and community members can choose the task they would like to assist with. Volunteers receive instruction, an official Oktoberfest t-shirt and free admission into the event. To guarantee a t-shirt, it is encouraged to sign up by Tuesday, Sept. 17. More information and volunteer sign-up is available online at OktoberfestFindlay.com.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the time our community members are willing to share, so Findlay can put its best foot forward and welcome thousands of people into our beautiful downtown,” said Sarah Foltz, Executive Director of the Hancock Historical Museum. “It’s a perfect opportunity for businesses, organizations, friends and family to give back to the community for a few hours and enjoy the festivities before or after volunteering.”

This year, over 300 volunteers are needed to accommodate the growing festival. Oktoberfest has become the largest single-day event in the area and serves as the primary fundraising event for the Hancock Historical Museum, a privately-funded nonprofit dedicated to preserving the rich history of Hancock County.

“We’re proud of what Oktoberfest has become for our community, bringing people together from all over to celebrate the deep German roots established throughout Hancock County,” said Foltz. “It takes a community-wide effort to bring a festival of this size to life, and once you see downtown Findlay bustling with people, many who make Oktoberfest a yearly tradition, it becomes a meaningful experience to be a part of.”

For more information about Oktoberfest Findlay! on Saturday, Sept. 28, visit OktoberfestFindlay.com or call the Hancock Historical Museum at 419-423-4433.

(From Findlay Municipal Court)

Findlay Municipal Court is providing people with driver’s license restrictions an opportunity to resolve their issues.

The 6th annual Findlay Municipal Court DUS Day Clinic will be held on Thursday, October 10th.

The goal of the clinic is to help people resolve their legal issues and get back on the road legally.

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome.

For more details and to set up an appointment, call the clerk’s office at 419-424-7141.

Officials say some people may even leave their appointment with their driving privileges restored.

Get more information on the clinic below.

(From Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn)

Dear Findlay Community Members,

Over the past week, the spotlight has been turned on Ohio and the increase in immigrants that have been impacting a number of our communities over the last few years. I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the City of Findlay, what we are seeing and how we are working with State and Federal officials to treat our immigrant population with dignity and respect and ensure the ongoing support for longtime City of Findlay residents.

We have approximately 1000 immigrants in Findlay either living, working, or both and about 1500 within the Hancock County region. I do not anticipate this number growing significantly as we do not have housing capacity. This is different from what has occurred in other Ohio communities which had significant lower cost housing available. As I have previously stated, the immigrants that are in Findlay to our knowledge are here legally. If our law enforcement interacts with someone who does not have proper documentation we notify ICE, and if they are a threat to the public, they are detained. We are fortunate that this has not occurred and the Findlay Police Department will continue to uphold the laws of the land.

Additionally, we have not seen an increase in crime. We have actually seen a significant decrease in drug overdoses and other crime which we regularly saw at the hotels which are now occupied by our immigrant population. We have seen an increase in minor traffic violations, but our Findlay Police Department has done a great job catching violations early, working to educate on proper driving safety. Also, these individuals are not being funded by the City of Findlay. Recently, I have been in communication with the Governor and the Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety on additional resources, such as driving simulators, that could be utilized for driver education for both immigrant and non-immigrant drivers.

Earlier this year I established the Immigration Task Force. This coalition meets regularly with the purpose of enhancing existing systems to meet the needs of our immigrant population to ensure efficiency and good stewardship of existing resources while assisting those who need it.

We identified language, cultural education, and healthcare education as our top priorities and are currently working with local organizations and State agencies to best address the challenges our community is facing.

We all recognize this is a complex issue because our nation’s immigration system has needed fixing for a long time. However, I believe it is beneficial for us all to keep in mind that the individuals that have come here legally are not to be blamed for the frustrations felt by many. They are looking for a safe place to live and find new opportunities to better their lives. They are humans. Not criminals. We cannot allow fear, political rhetoric, and misinformation to cause our hearts to be hardened to people who are doing what the majority of our own families did: Come to America for a safe place and a new start.

I know that the unknown is scary and that change is difficult. I can assure you that I and the City of Findlay team will do what is necessary to maintain the wonderful community we have, continue to improve upon it, and be a community of which we all can be extremely proud.

Sincerely,

Christina M. Muryn

Mayor

(From Raise the Bar Hancock County)

Raise the Bar Hancock County® announces the release of a new video series spotlighting in-demand education and human service careers in Hancock County. This initiative continues Raise the Bar’s effort to enhance workforce development and support local talent in pursuing rewarding careers.

The video series provides a close-up look at the opportunities available within several people-oriented sectors.

Each video aims to inspire and inform students, job seekers, and community members about the careers that are essential to the county’s growth and prosperity.

Area Employers and Professions Spotlighted: 1. Findlay Family YMCA Early Learning Professionals 2. Findlay City Schools K-12 Paraprofessionals 3. Millstream Career Center Instructors 4. Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Youth and Adult Learning Staff 5. Family Resource Center and Hancock County Job and Family Services Case Managers

“Our community’s best asset is our people,” says Tricia Valasek, Raise the Bar’s executive director. “Taking the time to develop people from infancy through adulthood is one of the best investments we can make. It’s imperative that we continue to create awareness and fill a pipeline of individuals who can take on this rewarding task. It is because of this demand that we focused our initial these five targeted careers.”

Each video in the series features local professionals in the field, offering viewers a glimpse into the daily responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of these careers. The videos also provide information on the education and skills required, potential career growth, and the impact these roles have on the community.

“Supporting our children is vital for the growth and prosperity of our community. Childcare workers are truly the workforce behind the workforce,” shares Kari Redman, the Findlay Family YMCA Childcare Development Center Director.

Raise the Bar highlighted the YMCA’s childcare team in one of their videos because of the growing demand for early learning/childcare options in the community. Valasek points out that the YMCA, like other licensed facilities in Ohio, requires specific staff-to-child ratios depending on age.

“Adding spots for infants, toddlers, and school-aged children requires our childcare facilities to hire more trained and qualified staff. We need to build this career sector quickly.” The video series is available on Raise the Bar’s YouTube channel (@raisethebarhancockcounty7737).

Raise the Bar also intends to release individual videos on its social media platforms and to the schools for use with their career programming.

A big box retailer’s plan to build a store at the location of the Findlay Village Mall is coming to fruition. 

The Findlay City Planning Commission at its Thursday meeting approved the application for site plan review submitted by Rocky Five Investments, the owner of the mall, for a new 131,809 square foot retail big box store at 1800 Tiffin Avenue, the location of the mall.

The new store will replace the middle section of the mall. 

The name of the big box retailer still has not been released.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn tells WFIN that she anticipates the retailer being comfortable with being identified sometime soon.

Planning commission documents show that the plan is to demolish the middle section of the mall, a 188,000 square foot structure designated lot 8 in the picture below, to build the new 131,809 square foot retail store.

The demolition will create separation of the new big box store from Dunham’s, Michael’s, and Tokyo Steakhouse to the west, leaving room for a 24-foot drive and additional parking spots on the west side.

The newly open space in the front will allow to keep a consistent drive aisle along the front of the new retail store lining up with the Runnings store.

The new retail store will have 406 parking spots, which is above the minimum required.

Mayor Muryn, in the audio above, says the city will work with mall tenants affected by the demolition of the mall to find new locations.

(From the Bluffton Fall Festival)

The Bluffton community’s 19th annual Fall Festival, with many family-oriented activities, takes place throughout the community on Saturday, Sept. 28th, with most activities occurring between 10 am and 3 pm. The locations of festivities include the Downtown Bluffton shops, Maple Crest Senior Living Village, the Schumacher Homestead (Swiss Community Historical Society), Bluffton Hospital, NWO Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, the Farmer’s Market next to Citizen’s National Bank, the Gazebo at Bluffton Presbyterian Church, Bluffton High School Gymnasium and Cars & Coffee at Masterpiece Signs.

All events are free unless otherwise noted, and free parking is available at all locations. More details can be found below and at blufftonfallfestival.com.

Here’s the schedule – all events take place on the 28th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. unless otherwise noted:

Bluffton High School Gym

51st Annual Bluffton Crafts Festival, food trucks, booths

Downtown Bluffton

• A Farmers’ Market takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 in the Citizens National Bank (102 S. Main) parking lot
• Cars & Coffee will take place from 8-11 at Masterpiece Signs (902 N. Main)
• Bluffton Discovery Days sponsored by the Bluffton Chamber of Commerce – visit Bluffton businesses for a chance to win prizes!
• Entertainment at the Bluffton Presbyterian Church gazebo from Noon-1pm (112 N. Main)

Maple Crest Senior Living Village, 700 Maple Crest Ct.

Annual Antique Tractor Show, Kiddie tractor pull with registration 12:30-1:00 p.m., pull starts 1:00 p.m., Fishing Derby (bait & poles provided), 2-3 p.m., Baked good items and food for sale, free hearing screenings by Hometown Hearing Center.

Bluffton Hospital, 139 Garau St.

Complimentary Kona Ice Treats, Coffee Truck ($), Kiddie Train, Face painting, Fairytale and Superhero Characters, and interactive activities for kids.

NWO Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, 132 Garau St.

Fall Themed Games & Prizes!

Swiss Community Historical Society (Schumacher Homestead), 8350 Bixel Road (open 10a-4p)

Farm Animals, dulcimers and fiddles, kid’s games and activities, wagon rides, horse plowing, blacksmithing, corn-shelling, bread making, fishing in Riley Creek, needlecrafts, popcorn popping, woodworking, demonstrations, and food for sale ($)

For updates and complete information on the Bluffton Fall Festival visit the website at blufftonfallfestival.com, or on facebook.com/BlufftonFallFest.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the new first responder training facility in Findlay.

The STRICT Center (Simulated Tactical Response & Incident Command Training) is located behind Fire Station 4 on County Road 236.

The event also included a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony with a tolling of the bell which you can see in the video below.  

The STRICT Center facility includes two structures; a training building with a search house and a burn building.

“An exciting aspect of the STRICT Center is the ability for our safety agencies to train together,” said Fire Chief Josh Eberle.

“At almost every emergency, there is a fire department, law enforcement and an EMS component all working alongside each other.  The STRICT Center will allow that joint training to happen on a regular basis.”

Chief Eberle says the community has been extremely supportive of the project and more than half of the cost of the facility being covered through grants and donations.

(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

LOST AND FOUND AT THE HANCOCK COUNTY FAIR

The items listed below were found and turned into the Sheriff’s Building during the fair (August 27th – September 2nd).

Pink backpack

Paw Patrol crocs

Wallet

Pokémon cards

Leopard print bag

Please contact our office if any of the items listed above may be yours. You must be able to prove the item is yours before claiming.

Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Property Room: 419-424-7411

(From the Fostoria Economic Development Corporation)

Ignite 419 is your opportunity to connect with small business leaders, gain invaluable insights, and elevate your professional journey. As the only forum in Northwest Ohio where local professionals from diverse fields can directly engage with successful small business owners and leaders, Ignite 419 is designed to provide a truly customized experience for each attendee.

What Makes Ignite419 Unique? This isn’t just another conference – Ignite 419 puts you at the center of the conversation. Our panel discussions are crafted around the questions you bring, allowing you to engage directly with experts who have walked in your shoes. You’ll hear from CFOs, business professors, CPAs, HR professionals, employment attorneys, marketing gurus, and fellow entrepreneurs who have built and sold successful businesses. This is your chance to get real-world answers to your most pressing business challenges.

Event Highlights:

• Wildfire Leadership Training: Start your day with a powerful workshop designed to help you unlock your mission, discover your unique strengths, and elevate your impact in your organization.
• Keynote Speaker: Be inspired by Meg Adams, an entrepreneur, professor, and TEDx speaker, who will share how storytelling can be a transformative tool for building community and growing your business.
• Panel Discussions: Engage with a diverse group of professionals in afternoon panels tailored to your questions and interests.
• Professional Perks: Enjoy free headshots with a local photographer, access to a business lounge for those pressing work needs and end the day with a networking hour over refreshments and cocktails.

Meet Our Ignite 419 Panelists:

• Ashley Barger – Founder of Do Some Good Marketing, LLC
• Bill Beach – Attorney at Law, RCO Law
• Ron Burns – Founder of Corporate One Benefits and Investor
• Steve Dandurand – Director of Finance, City of Fostoria
• Kyle Elfring – Sr. HR Manager / HR Business Partner for Church & Dwight
• Andy Faber – CPA, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Tiffin University
• Sarah Foltz – Executive Director, Hancock Historical Museum and Former GM at Findlay Brewing Company
• Madison Geroski – Sole Proprietor of Madison Paul Boutique and Merry by Madison
• Marisa Huss – Director of Marketing, Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Destination Seneca County
• Chris Keller – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Findlay Hancock Economic Development Office; Owner/member of Oler’s Bar and Grill, Details Auto Spa, and a property investment company
• Vickie Kent – Ohio Region Human Resources Partners, Carmeuse Lime & Stone
• Katie Keifer – CPA, Sielschott, Walsh, Keifer, Regula & Sherer (SWKR) CPAs
• Blair Lane – Senior Commercial Lender, Premier Bank
• Les Lipski – Former CFO, Callies Performance Products
• GiGi Mason – Director of Human Resources, Ohio Logistics
• Kate Mennel – Physician Practice Manager, NWO Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
• Weston Reinbolt – President and Investment Consultant at Financial Design Agency of Ohio
• Julie Reinhart – Branding and Communications Manager, Mennel Corporate Headquarters
• Kati Thompson – Economic Development Director, City of Bowling Green; Owner of Eden Fashion Boutique
• Jason Yoakam – President, Yoakam Communications Group

Don’t Miss Out – Register Today!

Ignite 419 will take place on Monday, October 21, at Stacy’s Place in Fostoria. Brought to you by the Fostoria Chamber of Commerce and Fostoria Economic Development, this event is your gateway to growth and connection in the Northwest Ohio business community. Registration is open through October 1st. Visit ignite419.com to explore the full agenda, learn more about our panelists, and secure your spot today. Or call the FEDC office at 419-435-7789.

Ignite 419: Where Your Questions Ignite Change