(From the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum)

The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum will showcase a selection of the world’s finest fantasy artists in its 11th annual Enchanted Brush exhibit, open now through August 29.

This year’s exhibit, free to the public in the Lea Gallery of UF’s Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion, has a theme of “Legendary.”

“This exhibition brings to life the characters, myths, and moments of epic tales,” explained Dan Chudzinski, director of curation and exhibitions at Mazza and founder of the Enchanted Brush exhibition.

There are 27 works of art, representing 22 international fantasy artists, in the display of oil paintings, scratchboard, bronze sculpture, 3D-printed digital sculpture, and more.

The theme emphasizes the connection between fantasy artwork and great literature, and how both transcend time.

“It has the power to transport us to the shadows of Sherwood, through the mists of Avalon, and beyond the boundaries of our imaginations,” Chudzinski explained. “This is art that provokes thought and curiosity.”

Among the featured pieces is “St. Petroch and the Dragon,” an oil painting by Scott Gustafson, whose work ranges from creating tea box artwork for Celestial Seasonings to covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Illustrating children’s books is his favorite creative outlet, and he currently has five books in print.

Gustafson’s painting for the exhibit features the legend of St. Petroch, a monk in Wales during the sixth century. The story tells of a distraught dragon upsetting nearby residents, and when Petroc confronted the beast, he learned that it had a splinter in its eye and needed help. The painting illustrates Petroch’s removal of the splinter, which resulted in the dragon leaving the village in peace.

Another featured artist in the exhibit is Don Maitz, with his oil paintings “Arthur in Battle” and “Arthur Knights Lancelot.”

Maitz is the original creator of the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character and an award-winning cover artist of more than 300 books, magazines, game art, and advertising for National Geographic, DC & Marvel Comics, Paramount, and Warner Pictures, among others. Maitz twice won science fiction’s Hugo Award for Best Artist, and he has exhibited in over 40 museums.

Chudzinski noted that the exhibit also highlights several “cryptids,” which are creatures whose existence is not yet scientifically proven. One of these is the curator’s own sculpture of the Loveland, Ohio Frogman.

Three other pieces feature a jackalope, a jackrabbit with antelope horns. These are an oil painting by Alan Douglas, and a skeleton and sculpture by Chudzinski.

Other participating artists in the exhibit are Iris Compiet, Allen Douglas, Quintin Gleim, Scott Gustafson, James Herrmann, Kelley Hensing, Elliot Lang, Ashly Lovett, Don Maitz, Jason Mowry, Reiko Murakami, Colin Nitta, Kristine Poole, Ruth Sanderson, Danny Schwartz, Chris Sickles, Andrew Sides, Melissa Stanley, Alex Stone, Jeremy Wilson, and Janny Wurts.

A reception will take place Tuesday, July 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with a gallery tour and some of the artists attending to discuss their work.

Many of the pieces of artwork on display are available for purchase, with all of the proceeds going to the artists.

For more information on the exhibit, visit mazzamuseum.org.

(From the Findlay YMCA)

Join us Saturday, July 19th, at the Downtown YMCA from 12-1 pm for a special autograph signing session with the Flag City Sluggers team!

Bring your favorite items to get signed and meet your favorite players.

This event is free and open to all ages!

Plus, don’t miss out on exclusive Sluggers apparel available for purchase—cash only!

Later that evening, join us for “YMCA Night at the Park” at 7:05 pm, where you can enjoy fun YMCA-themed games and cheer on the Sluggers!

Get ready for a grand slam day of activities and community fun!

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

HANCOCK COUNTY: SR 103 between CR 8 and TR 187 will close on Monday, July 7, for approximately 3-5 days to replace a culvert.

Detour: U.S. 68 to U.S. 30, to SR 37, back to SR 103

Visit our website to see all traffic impacts by county:

www.transportation.ohio.gov/about-us/traffic-advisories

The Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County is reminding pet owners that, while fireworks are fun for you, they aren’t very much fun for your pets who are more sensitive to loud noises.

The Humane Society wants to give everyone some 4th of July tips to keep their furry family members safe.

The tips are listed below and you can also listen to the information from the Humane Society’s Natalie Reffitt.

1. Take a current, clear picture. If your pet does get loose you will have a picture ready to go.
2. Make sure you put a collar with ID tags on your pet. For your feline friends please use a break-a-way collar.
3. Leave the television or radio on to drown out the noise of the fireworks.
4. If you are having people over, consider putting your pets inside a room they cannot escape from (so they won’t be able to escape with people coming in and out of your house).
   We recommend even bringing in your outside pets.
5. Take your walk(s) well before fireworks start.
6. Going somewhere to watch the fireworks? Leave your pets at home – they will thank you! As much as your pets love you or love going on rides, trust us when we say your pets are much safer in the security of their own home.

Get more on Oscar, Ivy, and Gus Gus below, as well as all the animals up for adoption at the The Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County by clicking here.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

We are happy to announce that applications are open for our Golden Apple Volunteer Program.

This 15-week program offers volunteers valuable clinical experience working with older adults.

During the program, you will earn volunteer hours and experience in a structured, supportive setting, guided by a mentor.

If you’re interested in healthcare or pursuing a degree in this field, apply today at https://www.volgistics.com/appform/1876834061.

Applications close on July 25, 2025. The program will start on August 14, 2025, and will take place once a week for 15 weeks.

(From Family Resource Center)

Family Resource Center (FRC) is expanding access to mental health crisis care in Hancock County by offering extended hours. Crisis services are now available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., giving individuals and families more opportunity to receive help when they need it most.

This change is part of FRC’s ongoing effort to reduce barriers to care and ensure that people in crisis can connect with support outside of traditional business hours.

“We know that mental health crises don’t just happen from 9 to 5,” said Maria Cool, Crisis Supervisor at Family Resource Center. “By expanding our hours, we’re making sure people can get help when they need it, whether that’s at school, in the evening, on the weekend, or any day of the week.”

Crisis services are available to anyone in Hancock County experiencing a mental health crisis, or who may be concerned about a loved one. Trained professionals can provide immediate support including de-escalation, assessment, and connection to ongoing care as needed.

To learn more about FRC’s crisis services, visit: https://www.frcohio.com/crisissupport

(ONN) – A significant change is coming to laws regarding public records in Ohio.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer calls it the most significant alteration to Ohio public records law in more than 25 years.

Text messages and emails between Ohio lawmakers and among their staff will now be exempt from public records disclosure until the next legislative session. 

The changes are similar to new federal laws.

Proponents say it allows legislators to operate without fear of public scrutiny.

Opponents say it eliminates transparency and allows legislators to function under a veil of secrecy making preventive measures untenable.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be highly visible and cracking down on impaired drivers during the Fourth of July holiday reporting period, which begins at midnight on Thursday, July 3 and will run through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 6.

The Patrol’s zero-tolerance policy is part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign aimed at removing impaired drivers from the nation’s roadways.

“Fourth of July celebrations bring Ohioans together to celebrate the founding of our country,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “I encourage everyone to celebrate responsibly to keep the holiday safe and enjoyable for all.”

Many Fourth of July celebrations involve alcohol, which increases the possibility of impaired driving. Therefore, the Patrol urges Ohioans to designate a sober driver, if they plan to drink.

During last year’s Fourth of July reporting period, a total of 16 fatal crashes killed 18 people; of those, eight crashes and eight fatalities involved alcohol and/or drugs. Also, seven of the fatalities involved individuals not wearing safety belts.

Last year’s Fourth of July reporting period included the fatalities of seven motorcyclists, two pedestrians and two moped/motorized bicyclists. Ohio state troopers made 441 impaired driving arrests during that period.  

“Protecting those who travel Ohio’s roads during the Fourth of July holiday, and throughout the year, is at the heart of the mission of the Ohio State Highway Patrol,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “Impaired driving remains a leading cause of preventable crashes and loss of life. Our troopers are committed to addressing this issue through increased enforcement and public awareness to keep Ohio’s roadways safe.”

When it comes to impaired driving, alcohol impairment remains a prevalent issue on Ohio’s roadways. In fact, while overall fatal crashes went down 6% from 2023 to 2024, alcohol-impaired driving in fatal crashes increased 13%. Last year, troopers made 14,635 impaired driving arrests. This included 1,375 marijuana impaired arrests and 2,497 drug-impaired driving arrests for a drug other than marijuana.

Motorists are urged to buckle up, follow all traffic laws and safely call #677 to report impaired drivers, drug activity or stranded motorists.

Findlay High School’s award-winning show choir, Findlay First Edition, is holding its annual Garage Sale fundraiser at the high school.

FFE says the Garage Sale is the group’s biggest fundraiser of the year and proceeds go towards competition fees and the purchasing of costumes and other items needed throughout the season.

You can drop off your gently used items July 7-9 at Findlay High School.

You can Early Bird shop on July 10^th.

And then the Garage Sale Hours are:

July 11th: 8am-8pm

July 12th: 8am-12pm

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash.

On Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. the sheriff’s office received a 911 call about a single motorcycle crash in the 15000 block of State Route 199.

Responding deputies discovered that a Harley Davidson driven by William M. Szymanski, 67, of Wayne, was southbound when it crossed the centerline line and off the roadway and into the ditch.

The motorcycle overturned several times before coming to rest.

Szymanski was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.

Assisting on the scene was Pemberville-Freedom Fire and EMS.