(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.

An 18-year-old has been indicted by a Hancock County Grand Jury in connection with a fatal shooting in Findlay in May.

Court records show Peyton S Howard, 18, is facing charges of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter, both first-degree felonies, as well as charges of having a weapon against a court order and tampering with evidence.

On May 26, the Findlay Police Department received a call that a male had been shot in an alley off of the 100 block of Howard Street.

The male, 18-year-old J’vion Zimmerman of Port Clinton, was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital by Hanco EMS where he died from the gunshot wound.

Howard was 17 at the time of the alleged shooting and his case was recently bound over from juvenile court to Hancock County Common Pleas Court and he was indicted.

His arraignment date in Hancock County Common Pleas Court has not yet been set.

(From the City of Findlay)

The City of Findlay Shade Tree Commission has two openings for members. The terms will expire 12/31/2025. Meetings are currently held the first Thursday of the month at 11:30am in the Mayor’s Conference Room on the 3rd Floor of the Municipal Building. The Commission meets at least 8 times per year. Members must live within City limits.

The Findlay Shade Tree Commission was created in 1978 by Findlay City Council to address the need to care for Findlay’s aging urban forest. Members of the Shade Tree Commission are appointed by the Mayor to three-year terms. The Commission operates with guidance from the Shade Tree Ordinance 913 and coordinates with the Public Works Department.

The Shade Tree Commission’s responsibilities are to provide leadership in selection, promotion, planting, and care of trees in public areas like street rights-of-way, parks, cemeteries and other City properties, as well as hazardous tree removal.

If you are interested in being considered, please reach out to the Mayor’s office via phone (419) 424-7125 or via email mayor@findlayohio.gov.

(ONN) – Drivers are being reminded to obey all laws involving school buses as new data is released showing just how many school bus crashes have happened in the last five years.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says there have been more than 6,000 crashes since 2019 with the most taking place in Franklin County.

Five counties, including Franklin, accounted for 47 percent of those crashes.

During that same timeframe, Troopers have given out nearly 16,000 tickets to drivers who pass a stopped school bus or other school zone violations.

A driver who fails to stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students can be fined up to $500 and have their license suspended for a year.

Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Lucas, and Montgomery Counties join Franklin in having the highest number of motor vehicle crashes involving a school bus.

(From the Office of the Ohio Treasurer)

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague has announced the latest round of Compass Award honorees for 2024. The annual recognition program commends organizations, programs, and individuals across the state who are working to guide Ohioans toward financial literacy and empowerment.

“Whether you’re in grade school or well into your retirement years, access to quality financial education can help you navigate some of life’s most daunting decision points,” said Treasurer Sprague. “This year’s Compass Award honorees are enhancing our state and their communities by empowering people with the knowledge to succeed in the workplace, manage personal finances, and plan for long-term success. We’re proud to honor these three organizations for making a genuine difference in the lives of Ohioans and helping them to take better control of their financial future.”

The 2024 Compass Award honorees are:

LISC Toledo

Local Initiatives Support Corporation Toledo (LISC Toledo) works closely with service-oriented organizations and community partners to create opportunities for individuals throughout the Greater Toledo area. LISC Toledo fosters economic growth and household stability by providing direct funding and technical assistance to small businesses, supporting affordable housing by leveraging grants and supporting neighborhood revitalization, and assisting individual growth through their Income & Wealth building program.

The Income & Wealth building program uses their trademark Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) model to give Toledo residents a pathway toward improving their financial health and literacy. The FOC offers services such as employment assistance, financial education & coaching, and access to income supports. In 2023, the LISC Toledo FOC network served more than 2,300 people and over 800 individuals achieved at least one key financial outcome.

Montgomery County Reentry Career Alliance Academy

In Montgomery County, the Reentry Career Alliance Academy (RCAA) provides personal and career development curriculum to individuals reentering society following release from incarceration. The four-week program – which serves nine cohorts each year composed of 15-20 participants per cohort – consists of 29 workshops with topics covering financial literacy, housing, education, healthcare, and more. The financial literacy series of workshops are facilitated in partnership with Day Air Credit Union and the office of Montgomery County Treasurer John McManus and provide participants with critical information about basic budgeting, building and managing credit, tax compliance, and much more.

Scarlet and Gray Financial

Scarlet and Gray Financial is a financial coaching program available through The Ohio State University’s Office of Student Life. The program has received national recognition and utilizes a peer-to-peer model where trained students deliver coaching to other students on various money-related topics. Students participating in the program have access to a variety of workshops and online courses. Through these sessions, the students work together to develop goals, create spending plans, and establish next steps to achieve greater financial stability and success.

To see a full list of previous Compass Award honorees and to learn more about other financial literacy programs from the Ohio Treasurer’s Office, visit our website.

(From the Findlay Police Department)

On 9-4-2024 at approximately 2358 hrs. an officer attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation.

The suspect vehicle fled from the officer northbound on N. Main St. from Ellis Ave., eastbound on W. Bigelow Ave., northbound on CR 139, eastbound on CR 97, northbound on CR 140 into Wood County, eastbound on Deweyville Rd. and then northbound on Mitchell Rd.

The suspect vehicle came to a stop at the intersection of Mitchell Rd. and Belmore Rd. where the two occupants fled from the vehicle into a cornfield to the east.

Officers formed a perimeter around the cornfield with deputies from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

A FPD drone was deployed to assist in search efforts. The OSP Aviation Unit was also contacted and responded to the area.

Once on scene, the OSP helicopter unit was able to locate a suspect laying down in the cornfield. The subject was ordered out of the field and detained for investigative purposes.

The aviation unit continued searching the cornfield, but was unable to locate the second suspect.

Officers searched the area in the cornfield were the first suspect was located and found items belonging to the suspect along with suspected illegal narcotics.

The suspect later admitted the items belonged to him and he was placed under arrest and incarcerated at the Hancock County Justice Center.

This matter is still under investigation.

No injuries were reported as a result of this pursuit, which went approximately 11.3 miles and lasted 8 minutes.

(From the City of Findlay)

City of Findlay officials are pleased to announce that they have established a 12-month fixed-rate of $0.515/ccf for members of the natural gas aggregation program. The fixed rate will run through the October 2025 billing cycle. Residents and small commercial customers can expect a letter from IGS Energy to arrive shortly after September 5, 2024. The letter will explain the rate, terms and conditions of the offer. The natural gas program was approved by voters in 2002 and is available for residents and small businesses in the City.

The City of Findlay is pleased to make this rate available for its residents and small businesses. The fixed-rate will give price protection and budget stability for the next term. As before, the City of Findlay program has no early termination fee.

Eric Burns, Director of Aggregation of Independent Energy Consultants, said, “Residents and businesses should carefully read their letter from IGS Energy. Residents who are currently participating in the program will receive an “opt-out” letter, and do not need to take any action to remain in the program. Residents who have not chosen a supplier and receive their gas supply from Columbia Gas of Ohio will also receive an “opt-out” letter. If they wish to be added to the program, they should simply do nothing and they will automatically receive the new rate.”

The aggregation program is simply another option for you to consider, and it is important that residents make themselves aware of the other options available to them, specifically:
• The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio provides a list of other publicly available offers on their website, www.energychoice.ohio.gov. Anyone considering those supply offers should be aware of any early termination penalties, fixed monthly charges, or automatic renewal provisions that can quickly offset any perceived savings.  The City of Findlay program includes none of the above.
• The utility’s supply rate the Standard Choice Offer (SCO) is a variable rate option. It follows monthly market conditions and trends up and down throughout the year.

Again, the City of Findlay would like to remind residents that the program is simply another option for City of Findlay residents and small businesses to consider in their efforts to manage their energy costs.

The City of Findlay is pleased to have made this program possible. Residents should contact IGS Energy at 877-353-0162 if they have any questions regarding their letter or status in the aggregation program.

Click here to see a sample letter residents will receive.

(ONN) – Ohio and six other states have filed a lawsuit to block the Biden administration’s new student loan forgiveness plan.

That plan was expected to roll out this fall.

The seven Republican-led states are claiming they have documents showing the Department of Education intends to provide some of the student debt relief as early as this week.

The lawsuit claims that would violate a statute prohibiting the education secretary from implementing a rule sooner than sixty days after its publication.

The six other states involved in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and North Dakota.

Fostoria Police Detective Brooks Hall has been named 2023 Officer Of The Year at the Fostoria Police Department.

“Thank you for all of your continued hard work, dedication, and commitment to the City of Fostoria!” the police department said on Facebook

In 2023 Detective Hall handled cases involving felonious assault, arson, robbery and many others.

He also uploaded the department’s cold case murder files with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation giving those cases a better chance of finding justice someday.

“Most importantly, Detective Hall maintains an open-door policy to the other patrolmen and is a huge influence and mentor to them,” said Police Chief Gabe Wedge.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reporting 15 people lost their lives in 15 traffic crashes during the Labor Day reporting period, which began Friday, August 30 at midnight and ended Monday, September 2 at 11:59 p.m.

During the Labor Day holiday reporting period, Ohio saw a 37.5 percent decrease in fatal crashes.

In those fatalities in which safety belts were available, seven were unbelted. Ohio’s safety belt law remains a secondary violation; however, troopers continued to have zero tolerance during the holiday reporting period when motorists were stopped for other violations and were found not wearing their safety belt. Throughout the reporting period, troopers issued more than 2,000 safety belt and child safety seat citations.

Additionally, six of the fatal crashes were OVI-related. Troopers also made 378 arrests for impaired driving and 50 for drug-related charges. The Patrol responded to 519 crashes and made 25,674 traffic contacts in total. Troopers also issued 930 citations for distracted driving and provided assistance to 1,829 motorists.

A statewide breakdown of enforcement and crashes during the Labor Day reporting period can be found here.

Motorists are encouraged to call #677 to report impaired drivers or drug activity.