(From the United Way of Hancock County)

Over 850 volunteers are spread out at project sites throughout the county during United Way of Hancock County’s Days of Caring event this week.

The biannual volunteer event matches employees of area corporations and small businesses with nonprofits and other service agencies in need of some extra hands. Spring Days of Caring will run May 5-9, with 861 volunteers working to complete 85 landscaping, building, organizing, painting, planting and construction projects for 32 different organizations.

A total of 94 volunteer teams will work in four-hour shifts at locations throughout Hancock County. Days of Caring teams will also support home projects that have been vetted by Backyard Mission Trip.

The volunteers will complete 3,444 service hours, a value to the community of about $119,820, based on Independent Sector’s national value of a volunteer hour of $34.79 for 2025. That is money organizations can save to put directly toward their mission and services.

“As a nonprofit, we know the immense value just one volunteer can bring to an organization,” said United Way of Hancock County CEO Kelley McClurkin. “It’s exciting to think about the impact over 850 volunteers can make in a community in a week, and soon we’ll be able to see the results of their hard work throughout Hancock County. Thank you to everyone who has opted in to this great week of service.”

United Way of Hancock County will host a second opportunity to participate in Days of Caring from Sept. 15-17. A separate registration will open for those dates later this year.

Volunteers United, United Way’s in-house volunteer center, placed over 10,000 volunteer hours in 2024. Visit liveunitedhancockcounty.org/volunteersunited for more information about Days of Caring or how you can get involved with other local volunteer efforts.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) will hold a community open house showcasing its new Wellness Park campus from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 8.

This community event will feature a ribbon-cutting with the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

Guided tours will be available, allowing community members to learn about the comprehensive care offered at Wellness Park. Conveniently located near I-75 on the north end of Findlay, the campus brings together primary care and a variety of specialties at one centralized location.

Services offered include primary care, pediatrics, endocrinology, diabetes management, rheumatology, orthopedics, podiatry, sports medicine, pediatric rehabilitation, and various rehabilitation therapies (physical, occupational, and speech). BVHS also offers imaging and laboratory services right on-site.

Wellness Park aims to address the growing challenges of chronic conditions like diabetes while expanding primary care options.

The site features an expanded Julie A. Cole Rehab & Sports Medicine with an on-site gym area along with a dedicated pediatric rehab space for occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral health therapy.

Wellness Park is located at 3401 and 3411 Wellness Way, Findlay.

For more information, please call 1.833.509.WELL or visit bvhealthsystem.org/wellness

The votes cast in the Allen Township zoning resolution issue on Tuesday’s Primary Ballot will be counted on Tuesday, a judge ruled.

Hancock County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan Starn Tuesday morning issued a decision overruling a request by One Power Company to temporarily prevent the counting of votes on the issue.

However, One Power Company’s efforts to nullify the votes will proceed and a pretrial hearing in the case will be held on Wednesday afternoon.

Learn more about the zoning resolution Allen Township residents are voting on Tuesday by clicking here.

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

HANCOCK COUNTY: STATE ROUTE 568 CLOSURE

SR 568 on the southeast side of the city of Findlay will close Thursday, May 15, for approximately 60 days to rehabilitate two bridges:

• Over the Blanchard River between TT 234 and CR 236
• Over Glauner Ditch between CR 236 and CR 237

Truck detour: SR 37 to SR 15 to SR 330, back to SR 568

NOTE: SR 37 will reopen before SR 568 closes.

Visit us on OHGO.com for the latest highway information:

https://www.ohgo.com/nw-ohio?lt=41.014088779928635&ln=-83.62334229595541&z=13&ls=incident,construction,construction-future,camera

(Release by the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

Monterey Township – On May 5, 2025, at approximately 10:57 A.M., the Lima Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to a report of fatal crash on US 224 and SR 66 near Ottoville in Putnam County.

Dorothy Smith, age 72, from Anderson, Indiana was driving a 2021 Honda CR-V eastbound on US 224. Brittany Patton, age 28, from Van Wert, Ohio was driving a 2007 Ford E-150 Van southbound on SR 66. The Ford failed to stop at a posted stop sign and struck the Honda. The Honda went off the right side of the roadway, struck a stop sign and overturned. The Ford went off the left side of the roadway.

Dorothy Smith was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported by Ottoville EMS to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office. Brittany Patton suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by Putnam County EMS to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima. Nathan Smith, age 72, from Anderson, Indiana was a passenger in the Honda. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported by Ottoville EMS to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima. There were three children in the Ford, ages 4, 4, and 3 months. The three children were not injured and were transported by Putnam County EMS to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima for precautionary purposes.

Both vehicles sustained severe damage and were transported from the scene by Jim Schmidt Chevrolet.

The children were all in child safety seats and all occupants were wearing their safety belts.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Ottoville Police Department, Kalida Police Department, Ottoville Fire Department, Fort Jennings Fire Department, Kalida Fire Department, Putnam County EMS, Ottoville EMS, Kalida EMS, The Ohio Department of Transportation, Jim Schmidt Chevrolet, and The Putnam County Coroner’s Office.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol encourages everyone to put their phones down while driving and wear their safety belts.

The crash remains under investigation.

A Pre-Trial Conference (Zoom) today on a dispute of ballot language with a proposed Allen Township zoning resolution on Tuesday’s primary election has been referred for second Pre-Trial (again by Zoom) on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. 

The case involves One Power Company vs. the Board of Allen Township Trustees requesting votes cast be rejected. Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan Starn has requested the parties file their briefs no later than 4:00 pm today.

According to the judgement entry, the parties discussed the status of the pending motion for the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). Based upon those discussions, the Court directed counsel for the parties to brief the issue of what impact, if any, the requested TRO could have on the ability to certify election results if resolution of this matter could not occur before the statutory deadline for certification of election results.

From Mayor Christina Muryn’s Office…

Due to a malfunction of several sirens during this morning’s monthly test, the disaster warning sirens will be retested at 1:30pm today, May 5, 2025.

(From the Diocese of Toledo, May 2025)

The Diocese of Toledo’s St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Findlay will open a Chesterton Academy for the 2026-2027 school year. This new high school will be in addition to the existing St. Michael the Archangel Elementary School, which has provided a high-quality Catholic education to students in pre-K through 8th grade for over 150 years.

“We are blessed to have many good high schools in our community which our students can attend when they complete 8th grade,” said Fr. Adam Hertzfeld, the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish. “The new Chesterton Academy, however, will provide families in our region a completely different educational option from anything else being offered.”

According to Bishop Daniel Thomas, “I am grateful to Fr. Hertzfeld and his team for this new initiative and excited that this model of instruction will be offered in our Diocese. Grounded in a faith and virtue based education, the curriculum challenges students to develop skills of logic and reason so that they can think critically and learn independently. This Chesterton Academy will enrich St. Michael the Archangel Parish, the local region, and Catholic Education in our Diocese.”

The new parish high school will be part of the Chesterton Schools Network, a faith-based educational organization that has over 60 schools around the globe. Students at Chesterton Academies receive a classical Catholic education which provides a broad humanities-focused curriculum. The course of studies defined by the Chesterton Schools Network offers classes in mathematics, the sciences, classical literature, philosophy, and theology. Additionally, all students are also required to take art, music, and drama classes. Students participate in a “house system” which helps build community, fosters
leadership, and cultivates virtues.

“We’ve done a tremendous amount of market research and analysis over the past 18 months that have demonstrated the desire for a Catholic high school in Findlay,” said board chair Rob Spicer. He continues, “a Chesterton education provides students with a broad exposure to many different disciplines which helps to expand their interest and uncover hidden talents, providing integral human formation so students may be articulate, clear thinking, well-rounded and joyful individuals.”

The Chesterton School model is based on the principle of small class sizes and small schools. Instead of a traditional classroom setting, with individual desks and a teacher at a blackboard, Chesterton Academy students are taught in a seminar style around a central table meant to foster discussion and engagement.

While the Catholic faith is interwoven into every subject within the school day, many non-Catholic students attend Chesterton Academies. Both Catholic and non-Catholic families alike appreciate the rigorous classical education the schools offer. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, visit findlaychesterton.org.

(From Blanchard Valley Health System)

Area youth can participate in “Grief Trails,” a specialized day camp designed to support children and teens who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

“Grief Trails” is sponsored by Bridge Home Health & Hospice, a division of Blanchard Valley Health System, and will take place this July at Challenged Champions Equestrian Center in Ottawa, Ohio.

This year’s program will offer two age-specific sessions, one on Monday, July 21, and the other on Monday, July 28.

Registration for the program is required by Monday, June 2.

To learn more about “Grief Trails,” please visit https://bvhs.info/4l74Mtm today.

(From the Findlay Fire Department)

Why is it important to have working smoke detectors? To practice an escape plan?

To sleep with the bedroom doors closed?

Because the amount of time we have to escape a house fire has been greatly reduced.

Fire Inspector Eric Wilkins on the importance of working smoke detectors.