(From Findlay City Schools)

We are proud to announce the 2024 Findlay High School Homecoming Court!

BACK ROW

Jacob Ragland, Joel Yeater, Ryan Montgomery, Ashton Yeager

Not pictured is Donovan Crowder.

FRONT ROW

Mallory Sheets, Lauren Baker, Lauren Post, Ava Buddelmeyer, Annabelle Cooper

We will celebrate these students, and all of Trojan Country, beginning September 16th!

Join the fun by painting your windows blue and gold, participating in Spirit Week, or attending an event!

Our Findlay City Schools Alumni Association has exciting things planned, too!

Friday, September 20th:

-Homecoming Parade @ 5:30

-Homecoming Football Game @ 7:00

-Crowning of Queen & King before kickoff!

(ONN) – A city in southwest Ohio is in the running to become the new home of a major event in the film world.

Cincinnati was named a finalist for consideration to be the new home of the Sundance Film Festival.

The Sundance Institute announced that the Queen City is advancing in the selection process along with Boulder, Colorado, and Park City-Salt Lake City, Utah- the festival’s current home.

Sundance will stay in Utah for the next two years.

The winning host city is expected to be announced in late winter or early spring of next year and the festival will be held there starting in 2027.

The Sundance Film Festival is considered a premiere showcase for independent films and filmmakers from around the world.

(From Liberty-Benton Local Schools)

Meet the Liberty-Benton 2024 Homecoming Court!

Senior Queen candidates: left to right – Madi Gaerke, Carmen Hohman, Avery Knepper, Izzy Joliff, Hope Woods.

Senior King candidates: left to right – Trevor Ferris, Brayden Lemire, Jake Gerken, Silas Arredondo, Will Niese.

A huge congratulations to these amazing students!

The Queen and King will be crowned Friday, September 20, at 6:30 p.m., just before the big football game!

Don’t miss it!

(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.