(From the Findlay Family YMCA)
To prepare for our Early Learning Center groundbreaking ceremony, the Findlay Family YMCA has decided to change the date for its Family Fall Fest.
The event will now be held on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., which will coincide with the Child Development Center’s annual Trunk-or-Treat.
The festival will still be held at the CDC and across the street at the Downtown Branch on East Lincoln Street.
Food, games, pumpkin painting and more will be offered.
(From the Findlay Police Department)
The City of Findlay Police Department has been live with their Body Worn Cameras (BWC) and Fleet 3 in-Car Cameras for one (1) year as of August 14, 2024.
The following are some statistics of that program in the past year:
The twenty-one (21) marked patrol vehicles were outfitted with the Axon Fleet 3 in-car camera system as of August 6, 2024 with training on this system completed in May and June with all sworn personnel.
The City of Findlay Police Department has had five (5) charging docks replaced due to some of the charging bays not working, and have had seven (7) body cams replaced due to various issues with the devices.
One (1) dash came was replaced due to internal errors. Axon support provided the Return Authorization within minutes of the request, and that the replacement devices all arrived within days.
Overall, aside from a few minor learning curves, it has been a very successful program.
Police Chief James Mathias says the use of body cameras is increasing transparency and accountability as well as enhancing officer safety.
(From the Ohio Turnpike Commission)
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is reminding mobile device owners everywhere to be aware of a resurgence in fraudulent texts from scammers requesting payment for unpaid tolls through fake websites.
The Ohio Turnpike does NOT request its customers to make payments by text. Collections of unpaid tolls and/or toll violations do NOT occur by text either.
The only websites associated with the Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass accounts are ezpassoh.com and ohioturnpike.org.
We encourage all customers to stay alert to these text scams.
For questions about the Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass notifications, contact us through ezpassoh.com or ohioturnpike.org.
What Customers Should Do If They Have Been Victimized:
Mobile device owners who receive suspicious tolling text messages should delete them without clicking on the link.
Anyone who may have clicked on a fraudulent link and provided any personally identifiable information should immediately contact their bank or credit card provider to secure their information and financial accounts.
Victims of SMS tolling text scams should file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and be sure to include the phone number from where the text originated and the website listed within the text.
Individuals with questions about tolls incurred should check their account using the toll agency’s legitimate website or contact the toll agency’s customer service phone number.
The Hancock County Fair will be held August 27 – September 2 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds located at 1017 East Sandusky Street in Findlay.
“The Hancock County Fair is more than just a fair, it’s a tradition,” the fair says on its website.
WFIN’s Chris Oaks recently spoke with the fair’s Haley Reese about some of the exciting changes at the fair this year.
The schedule of events is listed below with Wednesday, August 28 being Veterans Day at the fair.
Thursday, August 29 will be Senior Day and also the Travis Denning concert.
Saturday, August 31 will include the Demolition Derby. Get more schedule details below.
Tickets will be sold primarily online.
Ticket bearers will be able to print their tickets at home and carry them to the gate or present their tickets digitally on their phones or tablets at the fair and/or event admission gates.
“We encourage you to purchase your tickets online prior to arriving at the fair. All gates will scan electronic tickets. Cash purchases will be limited to select gates.”
(ONN) – Republican State Senator Michele Reynolds of Canal Winchester wants to end the death penalty in Ohio.
“I don’t think it necessarily matters if being pro-life just when we’re talking about babies, I think being pro-life is really about life, period, all life.”
Reynolds also says the death penalty does not necessarily mean closure for victims and families.
Companion bills in the Ohio House and Senate would abolish the death penalty and require life sentences for those convicted of aggravated murder.
119 inmates are currently on Ohio’s death row.
(ONN) – A new ranking of the best states in the United States has been released.
US News and World Report has released its ranking of the Best States in the US.
The Buckeye State ranked 36th out of 50.
This despite the Cleveland Clinic being named best in the nation in heart care now for 30 consecutive years.
The categories for evaluation included the environment, economy, health care, crime and corrections and stability of government.
Ohio ranked 41st in environment and 17th in government stability.
Three years of data were compiled and roughly 70,000 people were polled in the survey.
Michigan ranked 42nd.
Hancock County is conducting a short survey to better understand the health needs in the community.
Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on making the community a healthier place to live by clicking on the link below.
Hancock Public Health says the survey will help them collect data for developing the 2026-2028 Hancock County Community Health Assessment, a process conducted every 3 years.
Below is the survey link and QR code, and information, as well as posters that can be circulated to the community.
SurveyMonkey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HancockCounty
(From the City of Findlay)
Nearly two dozen mayors from across Ohio gathered in Findlay for the Ohio Mayors Alliance Regional Meeting.
Mayors from both parties and nearly every corner of the state were in attendance to discuss a range of issues such as public safety, housing, education, and other policy priorities.
Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, along with Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith provided remarks at the event at the Hancock Hotel.
“We are excited to bring our bipartisan coalition of mayors together in Findlay for an important meeting and policy discussion,” said Ohio Mayors Alliance Executive Director Keary McCarthy.
“Findlay was recently named top micropolitan in the country for the tenth consecutive year. This national recognition is a testament to the city’s leadership and it makes this community the perfect place to host this year’s regional meeting.”
Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn tells WFIN it was great to host mayors from 20 cities from across Ohio.
The Ohio Mayors Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of mayors in Ohio’s 31 largest cities. Toledo, Findlay, and Lima are the three member cities in Northwest Ohio. Mayors who attended the meeting are:
Mayor Shammas Malik, Akron Mayor Steve Patterson, Athens Mayor Don Adams, Beavercreek Mayor Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati Mayor Kahlil Seren, Cleveland Heights Mayor Andrew Ginther, Columbus Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Dayton Mayor Chris Amorose Groomes, Dublin Mayor Kevin Brubaker, Elyria Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Euclid Mayor Mitch Rhodus, Fairfield Mayor Christina Muryn, Findlay Mayor Richard “Ike” Stage, Grove City Mayor Jeff Gore, Huber Heights Mayor Peggy Lehner, Kettering Mayor Meghan George, Lakewood Mayor Don McDaniel, Lancaster Mayor Sharetta Smith, Lima Mayor Jodie Perry, Mansfield Mayor Joe Begeny, Reynoldsburg Mayor Rob Rue, Springfield Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Toledo
The mission of the Ohio Mayors Alliance is to strengthen Ohio’s cities through collaboration, communication, improved advocacy, and stronger partnerships with policymakers.
For more information, please visit: www.OhioMayorsAlliance.org.
(From Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Office)
This morning, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Governor Mike DeWine tested positive for COVID-19. He started experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms yesterday, including sneezing and a runny nose. His symptoms worsened slightly during the night, but the Governor is working remotely from home today.
Planning to get together with family over the weekend, he took a cautionary test on Sunday before he developed any symptoms. The test was negative.
The Governor has started taking the anti-retroviral therapy, Paxlovid, as advised by his doctor. He will work from home for the rest of the week.
KP.3.1.1, a variant in the Omicron family, is now the predominant COVID-19 variant circulating in the United States and has been on the rise since June. COVID-19 cases and wastewater detections of COVID-19 have been on the rise in Ohio since late June. Though hospitalizations, which are a good indicator of disease severity, have risen modestly in much of the United States, they are not currently rising in Ohio.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 vaccines for all people ages six months and older.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines should be available in the early fall. Until then, those who have never been vaccinated, or those who are eligible for another dose, such as adults ages 65 years and older and people with weakened immune systems, should talk to their healthcare provider about the current vaccine.
(ONN) – The ballot language in Ohio Issue 1 has been called into question ahead of the November election.
The group ‘Citizens Not Politicians’ filed a legal challenge with the Ohio Supreme Court over the wording of Issue 1 in the November election.
The group says the language inserted into the redistricting amendment by Secretary of State Frank LaRose is misleading and includes biased language that deliberately encourages voters to reject the amendment.
Issue 1 seeks to remove politicians from the redistricting process and create an independent commission in an effort to eliminate gerrymandering and draw fairer districts.
All of this is in regard to congressional and state legislative district maps that allegedly favor Republicans.
According to the Ohio Constitution, ballot language cannot mislead, deceive, or defraud the voters.
The court will decide.