A Veteran-owned company held a ribbon-cutting for a new lab at its facility in Findlay.

Airborne Outfitters provides the U.S. Government and partner nations with a comprehensive range of products and services.

Their website says their mission is “providing today’s warfighter with the gear and equipment to win tomorrow’s war.”

President and CEO Jason B. Evatt, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) spent 26 years in the Air Force and retired as an intelligence officer from Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

Evatt says the U.S. is playing catch-up in electronic warfare because the country has been focused for decades on places like Afghanistan and Iraq which aren’t very EW (electronic warfare) heavy whereas countries like China, Russia and North Korea are.

One thing they’re working on is improving capabilities in combat search and rescue, specifically things that work in a GPS-denied environment.

The new lab they held the ribbon-cutting for is called an anechoic chamber which provides a zero noise environment to allow them to do antenna characterization.  

“We’re trying to lead the charge in 21^st century electronic warfare and put our troops in the best position possible to enable that.”

(From the Fostoria Police Department)

On 07/14/2024 at approximately 9:49 PM, the Fostoria Police Department received a call of an Armed Robbery at the Dollar General, at 1515 N. Countyline St. in Fostoria.

A Dollar General employee reported a male subject came into the store and demanded all of the money from the cash register.

The employee reported the unknown male stated, “Don’t make me use this,” and reached into his pocket.

The employee advised the subject then took the money from the register and ran from the store, westbound, towards Fostoria Reserve Mobile Home Park.

No injuries were reported because of this incident.

The store employee described the subject as a white, possibly Hispanic, male, approximately 5’7” tall, thin build and long dark hair.

The manager of Dollar General reported the subject made off with just over $630 in cash.

If anyone has any information about the robbery or if you live in the immediate area of the Dollar General on N. Countyline St and may possibly have home surveillance footage that might be helpful, please contact the Fostoria Police Department at 419-435-8573, or email Detective Sergeant Nate Elliott at Nelliott@fostoriaohio.gov.

Nothing further to report at this time.

Chief Gabe Wedge Fostoria Police Department

Donald Trump has selected Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance as his 2024 vice-presidential running mate.

Vance is in his first term as a U.S. Senator, winning the seat that came open when Republican Rob Portman retired.

Trump was formally nominated as the GOP Presidential candidate at the RNC on Monday, two days after surviving an assassination attempt.  

(From the Findlay Police Department)

With our 2024 Flag City Night Out event quickly approaching on Tuesday, August 6th, we’re looking for a few volunteers to help us with our event.

Whether you’re passionate about safety, want to enjoy some free food and entertainment, or simply need some volunteer hours, we’d love to have a few extra hands.

Check out our sign-up lists below to see if something works for you.

2024 Flag City Night Out – Tuesday, August 6th

https://www.signupgenius.com/…/60B0A4BACAE28A6F94…

2024 Flag City Night Out (RAIN DATE) – Tuesday, August 13th

https://www.signupgenius.com/…/60B0A4BACAE28A6F94…

(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Registration is open for volunteer teams looking to lend a hand and agencies seeking help with projects through United Way of Hancock County’s Fall Days of Caring.

The three-day volunteer event will take place Sept. 16-18.

During Days of Caring, employees of area corporations and small businesses volunteer in force to help local nonprofits complete projects such as landscaping, cleaning and organizing, painting, planning an event or general repairs. Nonprofits in need of help submit projects, volunteer teams register to help, and the United Way matches up the two groups for four-hour shifts.

More information and signup forms for both teams and agencies can be found at www.liveunitedhancockcounty.org/days-caring

Corporate groups are the most common team makeup for Days of Caring, but any group can volunteer — whether it be a classroom of students, a church group or even a group of friends. Schools can sign up a teacher-led group of students to reap the benefits of group volunteering or to fulfill graduation seal requirements.

During the weeklong Spring Days of Caring event held this May, 900 volunteers completed 93 service projects for 45 different agencies. Spring Days of Caring teams provided 3,600 community service hours, a value of about $120,564 (based on Independent Sector’s 2024 value of a volunteer hour of $33.39)

(From Owens Community College)

Owens Community College Findlay-area Campus Dean Brad Wood was among the 35 graduates in the most recent Ohio Leadership Academy for Student Success class.

The academy, sponsored by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, annually gathers faculty and staff for a year of training, exchanging ideas and immersion in promoting student success.

The OACC created the academy in 2019 to reverse management turnover by strengthening internal advancement pipelines within the state’s 23 community colleges. Michigan, New York and Texas are among the states replicating Ohio’s initiative.

“The past year has provided a meaningful and positive professional development experience with colleagues from around the state,” Wood said. “We shared practical experiences that can be adapted to our daily work. We all want our students to succeed and achieve their high education goals.”

Wood was named to his current position in January 2023 after previously serving as chair of the Owens Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, where he worked for seven years.

A community college graduate, Wood earned his associate degree in PTA from St. Petersburg College. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University with his bachelor’s in Health Science and master’s in Teaching and Learning. He serves on the State of Ohio Physical Therapy Association advisory board. He is a national commissioner for CAPTE Commission of Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education and president of the Northwest Ohio Clinical Coordinator Consortium.

Wood is the seventh Owens employee to complete the academy cohort since 2020-21.

The academy is an outreach of work done by the OACC’s Success Center for Community Colleges. Created in 2012, the center focuses on helping Ohio’s two-year colleges marshal resources to better direct students’ education by aligning their academic choices with the careers they hope to undertake. The academy was funded by several national organizations, ensuring that colleges had minimal expenses to participate.

The OACC represents the presidents and trustees of the state’s 23 public two-year institutions that work to advance community colleges through policy advocacy and professional development. 

The Beyond the Call of Duty Rolling Memorial stopped in Wyandot County to honor and remember fallen Wyandot County Deputy Daniel Kin.

“While we are all still healing from this devastating loss, we humbly recognize the countless other brothers and sisters of law enforcement that have also paid the ultimate price,” the sheriff’s office said.

“May we all continue to heal, may we all continue to honor and remember the impact Dan had on each of us. May ALL the fallen never be forgotten.”

The Beyond the Call of Duty “End of Watch Ride to Remember” was also in Bluffton to honor fallen Bluffton Police Officer Dominic Francis who died in the line of duty on March 31, 2022.

Beyond the Call of Duty and their End of Watch Ride to Remember is an organization out of Spokane Valley, WA that travels the country with their rolling memorial every other summer to honor the officers who were killed in the line of duty in the previous two years.

(From the City of Findlay)

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE WEEK OF 7/15/24:

-Allen Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-Midland Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-South Blanchard Street will be closed to through traffic from Sixth Street to Hobart Avenue for waterline replacement.

-Garfield Avenue will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to the railroad for waterline replacement.

-Crystal Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Clinton Street to the Railroad for curb replacement.

-Frazer Street will be closed to through traffic from N. Main Street to Morey Avenue for curb replacement.

-Vincent Street will be closed to through traffic from N. Blanchard Street to Central Avenue for curb replacement.

The status of some of the projects is weather and contractor schedule permitting.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Engineering Department if you have any questions about any of these projects at 419-424-7121.

(ONN) – A building that is still standing has been declared the oldest building in Ohio.

According to the Ohio History Connection, Ohio’s oldest building is the Rufus Putnam House in Marietta in southeast Ohio.

The structure was built between 1760 and 1765 and while still standing, it is enclosed inside Marietta’s Campus Martius Museum.

It served as a stockade to house soldiers during the Ohio Indian wars.

The house is named after General Rufus Putnam who was a soldier in the war for independence and a leader in founding Marietta as the first permanent settlement in what was called the Northwest Territory back in 1788.

(pic courtesy of the Ohio History Connection)

(From the Findlay Rotary Club)

At the Club’s Wednesday, July 10 meeting, The Findlay Rotary Club presented the Service Above Self Award to Gary Steed.

The award is presented annually to a non-Rotarian in the community who exemplifies the Rotary ideals of professional leadership and service.

Findlay Rotarian Harold “Puck” Rowe wrote in nominating “there are many in Findlay who are deserving of such an honor, to me Gary Steed is most deserving. Gary has touched so many lives in such a positive way. We need more humans like Gary.”

It’s a family affair. Gary and wife Brenda along with their three daughters have a deep affinity for giving back.

The Steeds traveled to Haiti for ten years to work with the Haitian people and to share their Christian values.

Gary has coached girls’ softball and been involved with 4H. He is a member of St Andrew’s UMC, where he has served in many capacities. He is proud of his work with Habitat for Humanity, the Backyard Mission and Welcome to a New Life.

A proud graduate of Ohio Northern University where he earned a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Professionally, Steed retired in 2013 after a successful career with Marathon Pipe Line as Quality Assurance Consultant.

Gary has designated a $500 contribution made in his name by the Findlay Rotary Club to Welcome to a New Life.