(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.

A new report by the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Ohio’s drinking water a grade of D +, saying the way the state treats its wastewater, aging underground water lines, and removal of lead pipes all threaten the drinking water system.

By the year 2050, Ohio is expected to experience a 30 percent increase in extreme rainfall events which could further strain water treatment systems and reduce clean water availability during flooding.

The report went on to say that the state needs to do more to remove lead and galvanized pipes.

Stormwater run-off is also a statewide issue.

The report says Ohio water systems need an estimated $16 billion in investment to maintain capacity and meet growing demand.

(From Findlay City Schools)

We are celebrating the 4th Annual Findlay Show Choir Youth Camp!

The talent on stage is overwhelming, with 175 students participating in Grades 1-9, and representation from every single FCS school, as well as several other area schools.

Catch these performers in action at their end-of-camp shows in the FHS Auditorium:

The SoundSations (1st-3rd graders): Friday, June 27th at 10:30am

The Show Stoppers (4th-6th graders): Saturday, June 28th at 11:30am

The Ovations (7th-9th graders): Saturday, June 28th at 3:30pm

The City of Findlay is letting drivers know that a section of a busy street will be closing for a few days.

The city says East Sandusky Street will be closed from Morse Street to Osborn Avenue from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday, June 30 to Wednesday, July 2 for bridge and sewer repairs.

The work is weather permitting.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said three people were injured in a crash involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 75 in Bluffton.

The Highway Patrol said the crash involved eight vehicles and occurred at around 11:30 Thursday morning on Interstate 75 near State Route 103.

Crash investigators say all eight vehicles were southbound on I-75 and when traffic had slowed near State Route 103 a semi driven by Barinder Sarao, 29, of Ontario, Canada struck the slower traffic causing a chain reaction of vehicles striking each other.

His semi entered the median, struck the cable barrier and came to rest in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75.

All lanes of I-75 in both directions were shut down for hours.

Of the vehicles struck, Barbara Andrews, 69, of Toledo, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St. Rita’s Hospital in Lima.

Crowell Owens, 57, of South Carolina, was seriously injured and transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay.

Mary Starks, 53, from South Carolina, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

None of the other drivers or occupants involved were injured.

The Highway Patrol said Barinder Sarao was issued a citation for ACDA (assured clear distance ahead).

The Highway Patrol said alcohol and drugs are not suspected to have been factors in the crash.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation)

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is excited to announce its latest community-wide initiative, Rooted to Rise: Supporting Work and Play in Hancock County. Unveiled at the Foundation’s Annual Celebration on June 18, this campaign is designed to strategically align community needs with the generosity of donors, bolstering existing systems and fostering long-term growth for a thriving future.

“The genesis of this campaign was the realization that these two areas in particular, work and play, are crucial to quality of life,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation. “The State of Work and Play Report we commissioned last year underscores the need for more support in these areas to ensure everyone in Hancock County has access to a thriving life.”

The “work” category focuses on vital systems such as childcare, housing, transportation, and workforce development. Complementing this, the “play” category emphasizes arts, Fun for All, parks and recreation. With a housing occupancy rate exceeding 99%, childcare costs often rivaling rent, and the cost of recreational activities increasing by an average of 38% since 2021 nationally, many Hancock County families live on the edge of financial crisis. Yet, through these challenges, the spirit of our community persists, as residents continue to seek joy, connection, and creativity. Rooted to Rise aims to encourage and propel that spirit forward.

“We envision a future where Hancock County is not just a place people pass through for work, but a place they’re proud to call home, a place where children can grow up surrounded by learning and opportunity; and adults have access to careers, culture, and community without compromise,” said Treece. “That’s the future we’re building together – a Hancock County where everyone can put down strong roots and continually rise.”

Beyond fundraising, Rooted to Rise is also an educational initiative to deepen community understanding of the critical issues impacting Hancock County. Lasting change comes from knowing the root causes rather than just the symptoms. As part of this campaign, we will highlight the interconnectedness of work and play elements, demonstrating how issues like housing availability can impact workforce development, or how access to recreational activities can improve overall well-being and productivity.

The Foundation will host a variety of community education sessions, including lunch and learns, site visits to local organizations addressing these needs, and other special opportunities. These events will provide valuable insights into how systems change works and how individuals can contribute to a thriving Hancock County.

By investing in both work and play, the Foundation is building a balanced ecosystem where people and possibilities flourish. With the help of many generous donors, there are already 100 funds supporting the systems that are part of work and play. But there’s more work to be done.

Those interested in supporting this work can find more information, including the whole State of Work and Play Report, on our website here.

(From Blanchard Valley Center)

Nominations are open for the 2025 BVC Effect Awards. Know someone who goes above & beyond in the DD field but not sure how to put it into words? Here is an example of what we want to see.

In 2024, the Hurdle to Success Award was granted to Jennifer Little, OSU Extension – Hancock County. Here is how her nomination read: “Jennifer would be the perfect recipient of the Hurdle to Success Award. We reached out to Jennifer several months ago about partnering with BVC to create a cooking class. Jennifer was very enthusiastic about this project and was honored to be asked to assist. Jennifer worked to secure a grant to be able to purchase necessary kitchen items for the cooking class and has led 5-week long cooking classes. Jennifer plans the presentation and meal for each class and then provides education and hand-on experiences in the kitchen to prep the meal for the class. Jennifer creates a well-rounded menu for the 5 weeks to ensure that the participants are learning a wide range of ways to prepare foods while eating a balanced meal. Jennifer is always eager to interact with the participants, giving lots of encouragement to step outside their comfort zone and try a new skill or food. It has been a pleasure working with Jennifer and we look forward to having her back for more classes.”

For the Hurdle to Success Award, recipients are recognized for overcoming obstacles for individuals with developmental disabilities. Nominees should be employers, volunteer organizations, community resources, or businesses that promote opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities in Hancock County. Successful nominees will create and foster opportunities for individuals to live, learn, work, and be a part of the community.

Nominate someone today!
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfQGu73Aro…/viewform…

A local food truck is facing a lawsuit from the Kellogg Company.

The L’Eggo My Eggroll food truck has been sued for trademark infringement by the Kellogg Company. 

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Kellogg demanded that the food truck operators stop using L’Eggo in the name of their food truck.

The food truck did not stop using the L’Eggo mark and Kellogg’s is now seeking all profits the food truck has made from the mark and wants the food truck to pay its lawyer fees.

L’Eggo My Eggroll released the following statement regarding the lawsuit on its Facebook page.

Good afternoon, good people! We would like to clear up a few topics that have been floating around the media that had been posted in this law suit that are very untrue false statements.

1. The ignoring Kelloggs… we have sent all information to our lawyer from the very start. They were always in contact.
2. We are legally allowed by law to run and work our truck. This is not an illegal truck and we will do so until otherwise stated by our lawyer.
3. The “threats and demands” our lawyer and myself “Gabryel” talked with the lawyer about negotiations. This was meaning offers to not just close down completely. (Why would we? By court of law we haven’t done anything wrong) they waited until our opening week after being closed all winter to offer us to close down after only being open one year. (Playing nasty) kelloggs was aware we close in the winter so to offer to close us down the week we open was extreme considering full booking.
4. We did seek legal advice and had a lawyer make our llc before opening. Giving a fun play on words.
5. Yes this is a billion dollar company who is going to sell our community lies and paint us like we are bad people for not taking 5k to close down our llc business for our whole season. As a food truck we are only open seasonly. We also have bills to pay and mouths to feed, as well as employees to pay.. We are opening up to speak with all media with our lawyers as of this week.
6. Kelloggs didn’t want to work with us. They chose to take this route and either shut us down or sue us.. we stand firm knowing we are in fact a way smaller company but we will not accept cooperate bullying.
7. We will sell our wonderful fresh food (fresh cut veggies) and grilled fresh meat to our supporters and community along with friends and family and we will let the laws and lawyers work themselves out. This case is between our lawyer and ourselves.
8. We have attached a piece of the document stating that information was not true and as well can also be looked up online.

Thank you to our friends and family as well as our local foodies who support us during this crazy part of life! If u know us personally which a lot of you do then you know are intentions are always in hearts and we will not take this bullying or trolling.

We will not be responding to any information regarding our case as our lawyer advised and we will not be responding to negative nasty mean comments either.

Thank you Bobby & Gabryel

(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

On June 26, 2025, at approximately 1:21 a.m., Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 16091 County Road 8 for a domestic violence reported by a third-party, indicating a female resident had been injured and was being held against her will.

Deputies encountered two male subjects who were uncooperative and denied the female victim was present. Deputies determined that one of the men, identified as Jase Lauck, was holding the female victim against her will and preventing her from speaking with law enforcement, and also made threats towards the Deputies.

Lauck (pictured below) refused commands to exit the residence, both the Hancock County Special Response Team (SRT) and Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) were activated.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence, Lauck surrendered. While searching the residence, Deputies located the female victim hidden in a crawl space beneath the home. Also in the home at the time were the victim’s three children, along with a second male subject, identified as Chase Craig of Marion County, Ohio.

Hanco EMS evaluated the victim and the children on scene. No additional medical treatment was required.

Arrests made at the scene include:

Jase Lauck: Charged with Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, and Obstruction of Official Business. Lauck is also under indictment for Domestic Violence by Strangulation. The Hancock County Adult Probation Office has been notified, and a bond revocation has been requested.

Chase Craig: Charged with Obstruction of Official Business.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division and the METRICH Drug Task Force are continuing the investigation. Additional charges are anticipated.

(ONN) – Two Ohio lawmakers are pushing for stiffer penalties for killing a peace officer.

Republican Representatives Phil Plummer of Dayton and Cindy Abrams of Harrison are the joint sponsors of the Larry Henderson Act.

The act is named after the officer who was killed while directing traffic at the University of Cincinnati’s graduation on May 2nd.

Prosecutors say 38-year-old Rodney Hinton Jr. intentionally hit and killed Henderson.

The act seeks the death penalty or life in prison without parole for adults convicted of killing officers.

 “Our first responders should be able to do their jobs without fear of violent retaliation,” said Representative Abrams.