(From the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall Fostoria Committee)     

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be in Fostoria June 26-30, 2025.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is a 3/5 scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1982. Its purpose is honor those who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.

The original was designed by Maya Lin. She was 21 years old at the time. Etched into the black granite are the names of more than 58,300 American service members who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall in Washington, attracting more than 5 million people each year.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be at the Fostoria Community Schools, 1001 Park Ave. The Wall’s visit to Fostoria is especially significant as 2025 is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. The Traveling Wall is a program of the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard in Brevard County, Florida.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will arrive in Findlay early on the morning of June 26, a Thursday. It will leave from Findlay Reineke Ford at approximately 9:00 a.m. It will proceed on South Main St. and turn east on Center St. which becomes Tiffin Ave. then the route goes left onto Fostoria Ave. (State Route 12). It will travel through Arcadia on SR12 and into Fostoria (Lytle St.), taking a left at the Mid-Block, turning west on South St. and proceeding north on North Countyline St. The route will turn left on Park Ave. and on to the Fostoria Community Schools. The public is encouraged to line the route and participate in its arrival in Fostoria.

The Vietnam Wall frequently travels with a motorcycle escort comprised of individual riders and groups like the American Legion’s Legion Riders and the Black Swamp Veterans Motorcycle Club. Event organizers are anticipating an escort of 200 or more motorcycles.

Once the Wall arrives, some two dozen volunteers will assemble its panels. The Wall stands 6 feet tall and measures 300 feet from end to end. The Vietnam Wall in Washington is 493 feet long and 10 feet tall at its highest point.

Event organizers will have a trailer nearby for security volunteers and to serve a first aid station. There will be at least two volunteers working two-hour shifts providing 24-hour security as long as the Wall is in Fostoria. In addition, the Fostoria Police Department will regularly patrol the Wall.

Visiting the Wall can be an emotional experience for Vietnam veterans who lost comrades-in-arms and for family members who lost loved ones. There will be counseling services on site for anyone who needs them.

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall’s visit to Fostoria is made possible because of the generous support received to date from many Fostoria and area individuals, businesses and organizations, including the Fostoria Amvets Post 69, the Fostoria Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 440, the Greater Fostoria Community Foundation, the Fostoria Eagles Aerie 430, the Fostoria Police and Firefighters Benevolent Funds, and the Fostoria High School National Honor Society.

The amount owed the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard to transport the Wall here has been raised. The committee is continuing to raise funds to meet local expenses, including lodging for the individuals accompanying the Wall. In the event that there are unspent funds once the Wall has left Fostoria, those funds will be donated to the Seneca County Honor Bus which is also a 501-c-3 organization.

Also on display will be the Eyes of Freedom traveling memorial. Eyes of Freedom is dedicated to the service and sacrifice of all who have answered our Nation’s call. It specifically honors “Lima Company” from central Ohio. L-Co. lost 22 Marines and one Navy Corpsman in Iraq in a four month period in 2005. Eyes of Freedom also brings awareness to “The Silent Battle,” the struggle many veterans have with post-traumatic stress disorder and the issue of suicide among veterans. It is estimated as many as 22 veterans commit suicide each day.

Opening ceremonies will take place at 4 p.m. on June 26, the day the Wall arrives in Fostoria. The Star Spangled Banner and the hymns of each branch of the service will be performed by the Fostoria Community Band. It is planned that there will also be remarks by local officials and Sgt. Major Steve Kosinski.

(picture courtesy of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall on Facebook)

(From the Findlay Police Department)

On 6-16-2025, at approximately 2355 hours, officers were observing activity in the area of Senior Homes of Findlay (11915 TR 145) due to multiple recent complaints of suspicious activity.

Officers observed a vehicle arrive and leave the area in a short period of time.

A traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle, which pulled into the parking lot of Bellstores (1215 W. Main Cross St.).

Upon stopping the vehicle, a occupant of the vehicle fled into the store after being ordered to stop by the initiating officer.

Officers pursued the male into the store where he was taken into custody for Obstructing Official Business.

Upon checking the area the male ran and after observing surveillance footage, officers located a large amount of suspected crack cocaine (83.5 grams) the male had attempted to dispose of.

A moderate amount of currency was also located on the suspect.

The suspect, identified as Darrell J. Williams (age 52) was later incarcerated at the Hancock County Justice Center on charges of Possession of Drugs (F1) and Obstructing Official Business (M2).

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Findlay District is hosting open houses to members of the community and the media. Those attending will be able to tour the facility, meet local post personnel, talk to recruiters, see our equipment and vehicles, and more.

The Findlay District serves the counties of Allen, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Putnam, Wood, Williams and Van Wert. Patrol Post open house locations, dates and times:

– Findlay Post 3201 N. Main Street, Findlay, Ohio 44840 Tuesday, June 17 – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

– Bowling Green Post 12891 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402 Sunday, June 22 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

– Defiance Post 2350 Baltimore Street, Defiance, Ohio 43512 Tuesday, June 24 – 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

– Swanton Post 8891 County Road 1, Swanton, Ohio 43558 Tuesday, June 24 – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

– Van Wert Post o 10234 Van Wert-Decatur Road, Van Wert, Ohio 45891 Friday, July 11 – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

– Lima Post 2005 East Fourth Street, Lima, Ohio 45804 Tuesday, July 15 – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

– Toledo Post 3333 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio 43607 Monday, July 21 – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is actively seeking driven, service-minded individuals to Transform your talents into a career that serves and protects the people of Ohio. 

Applications for cadet class 178, starting this September, will be accepted through July 15. For
more information, or to submit an application, click here.

Metzger/Brecheisen Company has moved into its new offices in a renovated historic building that also includes apartments.

The company held a ribbon-cutting at 331 North Main Street in Findlay to celebrate their new offices and apartments which have the address of 333 North Main Street.

Metzger/Brecheisen Company has its offices on the first floor and there are ten loft apartments on the second and third floors.

People were able to tour the building and the apartments, of which a couple were still available.

The historic building dates back to 1889.  

Get more about the renovation of the building from Logan Metzger in the video below.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Please join us in congratulating the intensive care unit (ICU) nursing team at Blanchard Valley Hospital, a division of Blanchard Valley Health System, on being May DAISY Award honorees!

The team includes Katelyn Hildebrand, RN; Sophie Hall, RN; Brandy Sterling, RN; Kenna Schmel, RN; Brianna Overton, RN; Jessica Salsbury, RN, ICU educator; and Betsy Ditto, ICU manager.

A patient’s family member nominated the team after their grandmother spent her final moments in the ICU. The team provided support and care for the patient, as well as her family. She was a mother of 8, grandmother of 33, and great-grandmother of 60. The ICU team went above and beyond to honor her desire to see as much of her family as possible in her final moments, providing the family with pillows, blankets, a hospitality cart, and countless acts of reassurance, love, and compassion.

“They gave my grandmother the opportunity to be cared for by professionals radiating the same integrity, compassion, skill, collaboration, innovation, and humor that my grandmother lived for,” the nominator wrote. “I could never repay them for completing her life with the care that she gave others, or for giving my family the opportunity to send her off the way she deserved to be.”

Thank you so much to the ICU nursing team for exemplifying the mission, vision, and values of BVHS.

Pictured left to right: BJ Pasztor, chief nursing officer and chief operations officer of acute care services; Betsy Ditto, ICU manager; Katelyn Hildebrand, RN; Brandy Sterling, RN; Kenna Schmel, RN; Sophie Hall, RN; Jessica Salsbury, RN, and Jess Moore, RN, director of nursing.

(From Hancock Public Health)

HPH will periodically be conducting mosquito spraying in Hancock County communities this summer. (June 24th – October 1st).

If you would like your residence to be excluded from having our sprayer go by, please call (419)424-7870 or email environmental@hancockph.com

The Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center in Findlay will be holding its 5th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration.

The event will take place at 817 Harmon Street from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. 

The event will include live musical performances, food, guest speakers, comic and spoken word performers, along with children’s activities and DJ music.

The Juneteenth Celebration is part of the Findlay Hancock County Community Foundation’s ‘Fun for All’ series of free community events.

Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. 

(From Ottawa-Glandorf Local Schools)

THANK YOU TO THE OTTAWA-GLANDORF HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1965!!!!!!

Yesterday a number of members of the OGHS Class of 1965 were on hand as Tawa Tree Service planted two Elm trees in front of the high school. The goal is to eventually graft the two trees together to recreate the “Old Twin Elm” tree which was located on the property prior to the high school being built in 1964. The original Twin Elm succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease a few years before construction of the high school began. In 1955 the circumference was measured and determined to be 31 ft . 3 in. by the Ohio Forestry Association and judged to be the largest Amercian Elm tree in the state of Ohio.

Thank you to the Class of 1965 for your help and efforts in attempting to recreate this iconic landmark, which is a key part of a verse of the Ottawa-Glandorf High School Alma Mater.

“Where once stood an old twin elm tree,

Three great school in one are we.

Here we’ll grow in wisdom, courage, and humility.”

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, a division of Blanchard Valley Health System, now offers the nationally recognized “Own the Bone” program at four convenient locations throughout the region. Patients can now access the program in Findlay, Bluffton, Carey, and Ottawa.

“Own the Bone” is a specialized bone health initiative focused on preventing future fractures and improving long-term outcomes for patients who have experienced a fragility fracture, often caused by osteoporosis. The program provides coordinated care emphasizing education, prevention, and ongoing support to help patients reduce their risk of additional injuries and improve their overall bone health.

Through this program, patients receive a thorough evaluation following a fracture. The care team works closely with each individual to develop a personalized plan that may include lifestyle and nutritional guidance, physical activity recommendations, medication management, and regular follow-up. The program also ensures close collaboration between orthopedic specialists, primary care providers, and rehabilitation teams to deliver seamless, whole-person care.

Dr. Lucas McKean, an orthopedic surgeon at Blanchard Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, emphasized this initiative’s value and his team’s dedication. “The ‘Own the Bone’ program gives us a proven way to treat fractures and prevent the next one. It’s about addressing the underlying cause and empowering patients with the tools they need to protect their bone health,” he said. “Our experienced team is committed to providing the highest quality care, and this program allows us to deliver a more complete, patient-centered approach.”

Other providers assisting in the program include Katie Fultz, PA-C, Breanna Laudick, PA-C, and Crystal Guyton, APRN-CNP.

Jenn Reese, director of musculoskeletal services at Blanchard Valley Health System, also highlighted how the program reflects the organization’s broader mission. “Offering ‘Own the Bone’ across our region aligns perfectly with our commitment to keeping our community healthy and active,” she said. “This program strengthens our ability to care for patients in a way that supports long-term health and independence, which is at the heart of everything we do at BVHS.”

Blanchard Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is committed to providing exceptional care beyond treatment, helping patients actively maintain and improve their bone health. Offering the “Own the Bone” program across multiple locations reflects this commitment and brings vital preventive care closer to home for many residents in the region.

Patients interested in the “Own the Bone” program can schedule an appointment by calling 419.429.6473.

For more information about Blanchard Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, visit www.bvhealthsystem.org