(From the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating numerous cases of fraud and scam complaints.

The suspects in the investigations are contacting victims via telephone, posing as family members, court employees, law enforcement officers, and agents of several different federal agencies.

While speaking with the victims, they sound legitimate and convincing.

Many of the victims are requested to provide cash, gift cards, or several different types of electronic transactions, sometimes in the form of Cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin.

Cash transactions have reportedly been conducted at residences, parking lots and outside of closed businesses. Not only does a theft occur, these types of transactions place victims in incredibly unsafe, potentially dangerous situations, and should always be avoided.

Although anyone could fall victim to the scams, the victims targeted are typically elderly.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone that no legitimate court employee, law enforcement officer or federal agent will request anyone to conduct financial business through the form of gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Additionally, cash will not be accepted anywhere other than in-person at a legitimate, official building and only by a clearly identifiable official employee.

If you have any additional information related to or believe you or a loved one have fallen victim to this type of scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

For the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, call 419-422-2424.

Detective Aaron J. Smith L49

Hancock County Sheriff’s Office

(From Welcome to a New Life)

Welcome to a New Life, a nonprofit organization mentoring adults involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, is once again holding a gift card drive as their 2024 Giving Tuesday project. The organization is seeking donations of gift cards to restaurants and coffee shops. Other gift cards (Walmart, Meijer, Dollar General, cab vouchers, gas cards, etc.) will also be accepted and will be used to assist mentees with unexpected expenses.

The mission of Welcome to a New Life relies on volunteer mentors to meet regularly with adults involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, helping them to establish goals, develop healthy relationships, and giving them hope in their new life journey. Often, these meetings occur in local small businesses like restaurants, cafes and other businesses providing services.

By hosting a Giving Tuesday Gift Card Drive, Welcome to a New Life believes that we are not only supporting the work of our volunteer mentors and their mentees, but also our Hancock County businesses. By purchasing a gift card and donating it to Welcome to a New Life, the restaurants and businesses win, our organization wins, and the mentors and mentees win.

How to Participate:
Purchase a gift card from a restaurant, coffee shop, or store. We Serve. Coffee will match any $5 gift card purchased at their cafe. To get your donation back to WNL, you can: Bring the gift card to We Serve. Coffee – you’ll get a free 16oz. drink; Bring the gift card to WNL’s Open House on December 3 from 8am – 5pm at 1219 W. Main Cross St. Suite 201; or you can mail the gift card to:

Welcome to a New Life
1219 West Main Cross Suite 201
Findlay, OH 45840

If you would like to provide an online contribution toward the purchase of gift cards, visit https://www.welcometoanewlife.org/givingtuesday.

For more information visit welcometoanewlife.org or contact the WNL office at 419-455-6082.

(From the City of Findlay)

Mayor Christina Muryn has issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, November 30, 2024, as Small Business Saturday in Findlay, Ohio and recognizes the contributions that small businesses make to our local economy.

For information on Small Business Saturday, including extended business hours, head to the Visit Findlay website.

(From Bowling Green State University)

Bowling Green State University is the first university in the United States to accept mobile driver’s licenses for age verification. Concessionaires across BGSU’s athletic events will be able to securely and privately accept customers’ mobile driver’s licenses, including IDs in Apple Wallet, in person at its athletics events.

Ohio driver’s licenses and state IDs are available for Ohioans to add to Apple Wallet, which the state of Ohio adopted earlier this year. This has allowed Ohio residents to add their state-issued identification card or driver’s license directly to Apple Wallet for use in various locations – which now includes inside BGSU Athletics venues. Ohio driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet offer a convenient and secure companion to the physical plastic card but does not replace an individual’s physical card.

“It’s great to see Bowling Green State University become a nationwide trailblazer for adopting the Ohio Mobile ID, providing convenience to spectators and Falcon fans attending BGSU athletic events,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “At InnovateOhio, our goal is to make Ohio the most innovative, entrepreneurial state in the Midwest, and the Ohio Mobile ID is one of the latest efforts aimed at better serving our customers – the people of Ohio – through technology.”

Users can present a compliant mobile driver’s license to a Tap2iD reader using NFC technology from Credence to privately and securely verify their age when making a purchase.

When a user presents their mobile driver’s license to a BGSU concession, the concessionaire will only be provided the required information necessary for age verification, such as age and ID photo.

How to present an ID in Apple Wallet
To present an ID in Apple Wallet, residents can simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a reader. Residents’ devices will then display what information is being requested, and only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested information released from a device. Since the information is shared digitally, residents do not need to hand over their iPhone or Apple Watch to present an ID in Apple Wallet.

A cutting-edge campus
The implementation is part of the University’s continued effort to adopt cutting-edge technology on its campuses. 

In 2020, BGSU was the first university in Ohio to implement Starship Technology, which allows users to have food delivered using 100% electric robots. The University deployed an autonomous floor-scrubbing robot in 2023 to increase cleanliness and campus health while enhancing employee experiences.

This year, BGSU was among the first universities in the country to introduce Amazon Just Walk Out technology, which allows shoppers to check out at a campus market without waiting in any lines.

“Bowling Green State University has long embraced the latest in technology to streamline the student experience, as well as the experience of supporters and community members visiting our campus,” BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. “As a public university for the public good, Bowling Green is pleased to be part of the innovation taking place across Ohio. We are grateful to InnovateOhio and Lt. Governor Husted for supporting the implementation of Ohio Mobile ID at BGSU, which provides a safe, more convenient experience for our students and guests.”

BGSU Athletics already uses the All-In-1 Pass for sporting events, which allows season-ticket holders, students and mini-plan holders to add all of their seat tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet — without having to download new tickets every week.

“BGSU Athletics is continuously looking for innovative ways to implement new technologies that enhance our fan experience,” BGSU Director of Athletics Derek van der Merwe said. “Throughout the past two years, we have been directly engaging with our fans through consumer surveys to focus our efforts on elevating the game day experience. We are excited to introduce this cutting-edge technology, which aligns with the feedback we have received in finding new ways to reduce wait times and get our fans back to the game.”

Students and visitors from other states who support mobile driver’s licenses including Arizona, Maryland, Georgia, Colorado, Hawaii, California, Iowa, New York and Utah, will also be able to present their mobile driver’s licenses at BGSU events.

Ohio driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet
In addition to BGSU’s athletic events, Ohio driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet can today be used in-person at select airport TSA check lanes, including Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and John Glenn Columbus International Airport, and businesses with compliant mobile ID readers, or in select apps that require identity or age verification.

To add an Ohio driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, residents can tap the + button at the top of the screen in Apple Wallet on their iPhone, select “driver’s license or state ID,” and follow the on-screen instructions to start the set-up and verification process.

For more information on the Ohio Mobile ID, FAQS and demonstration videos, visit the OhioBMV website.

(From the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office)

Be warned Seneca County Residents, the scammers have made their rounds back to our county…..again.

The recent scammers are using our name, SENECA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE and collecting some of our names off of our website or annual reports and calling your landlines and cell phones and sounding official and even texting documents to your cell phones that look “official”. The typical scam is that you have a warrant because you missed a court date or jury duty, out of Toledo for Federal Court and a Judge has signed a warrant for your arrest. But you can pay it off and not be arrested. They then request $$$ over the phone be sent to them through gift cards or something similar.

For the thousandth time, NO POLICE/SHERIFF official will call you and threaten to arrest you if you don’t send them an ITUNE card or other means of sending money. IF you have a warrant we will come speak with you in person, in uniform with warrant in hand and if it isn’t a Felony then you will be allowed to post bond but not to us as we do not take money, that would be at the court or at TPD Dispatch. PLEASE just hang up and block that number.

There is no need to contact our office or the courthouse as this is 100% a scam. From what we can tell it has been going around about a week now in our County and even our own Deputies are getting the calls and when confronted the scammer hangs up. Of course they spoof the number they are calling on so it cannot be tracked. They have tried using Deputy’s names and a couple of our sergeants or made up Sergeant names, and just today are using our Chief Deputy’s name to make it sound official or to make you second guess yourselves because you may know the name they are using.

Please do not fall for this and let everyone know, especially your elderly relatives who may not be on social media and read this, to just hang up and block the number. The sooner they get no responses (ie. $$$) then they will move on to another geographical area to try their scam.

-Sheriff Stevens

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Lima Post is investigating a fatal crash that occurred at approximately 6:46 A.M. on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, on Reservoir Road in Allen County.

A bicycle, operated by Luis A. Santiago Garcia, age 38, of Bluffton, Indiana, was westbound on Reservoir Road. A 2020 Ford F-150, operated by James L. Kidd Sr., age 58, of Kenton, was also westbound on Reservoir Road. Mr. Kidd struck Mr. Garcia in the rear. Mr. Garcia was thrown from the bicycle after impact. Mr. Garcia’s bicycle was not equipped with lights in the front or the rear.

Mr. Garcia succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Allen County Coroner’s Office.

The crash resulted in a closure of Reservoir Road, between Cool Road and Thayer Road. The roadway has since been reopened.

The Lima Post was assisted on scene by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette-Jackson Township Fire Department, Bath Township Fire Department, the Allen County Coroner’s Office, H&H Funeral Services, and Minich Truck Repair Towing Services.

The crash remains under investigation

(From Dr. Bill Kose with Blanchard Valley Health System)

Colon cancer is very treatable when detected early, but not enough people get screened for it regularly. At Blanchard Valley Health System, we encourage people not to forget this important aspect of caring for themselves and their health.

The recommended screening age has been reduced to 45 years old for individuals who have no symptoms. People with a family history of colon cancer may want to talk to their doctor about possibly getting screened at an earlier age. People living with other gastrointestinal illnesses, such as inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis, may also be at higher risk and might benefit from getting screened at an earlier age. If you have any questions about whether you should be screened, talk to your primary care provider.

The recommended screening age of 45, which was previously 50, has been lowered because more younger adults are being diagnosed with colon cancer.

People younger than 45 do get colon cancer, too, although not as often. Regardless of your age, it’s a good idea to get checked if you experience symptoms, such as bleeding or a change in bowel habits.

Colonoscopies are the most effective way of screening for colon cancer. People may delay a colonoscopy for many reasons, but the most common is the preparation. The bowel must be completely cleaned out prior to the colonoscopy. This is a day-long process.

However, if you have heard stories of people who had really difficult colonoscopy experiences in the past, keep in mind that things have changed. The preparation process itself, while still uncomfortable, is more tolerable than it used to be.

Anesthesia, too, is very different. You will be fully sedated and should not be awake or aware at all during the colonoscopy itself. However, you should wake up fairly quickly afterward, without the same level of grogginess that patients experienced in the past. You will still need someone to drive you home, but otherwise, you should be able to go about normal activities later that day.

If you’ve never had a colonoscopy before, the process may cause some anxiety if you don’t know what to expect. Be sure to ask your healthcare team any questions ahead of time. They want you to get screened and to be well prepared.

A colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” of screening for colon cancer. It can have its drawbacks, however. For some people, taking a day off of work for the preparation may not be feasible, for example.

So, while it is considered the best test, we encourage you to seek out other types of testing if you are unable or choose not to get a colonoscopy. Home screening tests can look for microscopic traces of blood in the stool or changes in DNA that might indicate cancer or precancerous polyps. While both false negatives and false positives are possible, these tests are generally considered effective. They can be done at home and do not require preparation or any anesthesia.

A healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk of colon cancer, just as is the case with many other illnesses. Be sure to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and consume plenty of fiber. Additionally, we urge people to get exercise and generally take good care of themselves. This will go a long way toward protecting not only your colon but your entire body.

William Kose, MD, JD

Vice President of Special Projects,

Blanchard Valley Health System

Hearthside Food Solutions, which has a facility in McComb, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

According to Food Business News, the bankruptcy filing will allow Hearthside’s parent company, H-Food Holdings, to eliminate more than $1.9 billion of debt and acquire $200 million in new capital.

“With strong support from our key financial partners and other important stakeholders, we look forward to moving through this process swiftly and positioning Hearthside for significant long-term growth,” said Darlene Nicosia, Chief Executive Officer of Hearthside.

“With the significant Court approvals received yesterday, we move forward well-equipped to operate in a business-as-usual manner during our cases as we continue delivering the best-in-class products and services our customers expect.”

Hearthside intends to move through its cases in an efficient manner and expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in the first quarter of 2025.

(From the University of Findlay)

The University of Findlay’s “Fridays at Findlay” executive lecture series walks on the wild side December 13 with a presentation by Jeff Sailer, president/CEO of the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium.

His presentation, “Leadership in Challenging Times: Continuing to Make the Toledo Zoo a Premier Zoo,” is open to the public and will take place in the Winebrenner Building, TLB Auditorium on the UF campus. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for a breakfast buffet with the presentation from 7:50 to 9 a.m.

The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium was voted the “Best Zoo in the Country” by USA Today. From polar bears to red pandas, and baby elephants to electric eels, it is home to more than 16,000 animals representing 680 species.

During Sailer’s 12 years of leadership, the zoo has grown to welcome an average of 1 million guests each year, and several historic buildings have been renovated, including the Aquarium, ProMedica Museum of Natural History, and the Lodge.

Sailer has faced a variety of challenges and has persevered through them to make the Toledo Zoo a well-known place of international research and conservation as well as further its reputation as a popular destination place for family outings.

Sponsored by Premier Bank, the Fridays at Findlay lecture series encourages continued educational opportunities for members of the community, the campus, and alumni.

Register online by December 12 at www.findlay.edu/FridaysAtFindlay or call University Advancement at 419-434-5334 for more information. The fee is $12 for adults and $6 for students.

(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is urging drivers to buckle up, never drive impaired and always follow traffic laws ahead of what is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year. As those local to Ohio, as well as visitors, travel throughout the state over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, troopers will have an enhanced presence in an effort to promote and enforce safe driving.

Troopers will be highly visible and cracking down on impaired drivers and those failing to wear a safety belt from Wednesday, November 27 at midnight through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 1.

“As we enter the busy holiday travel season, I urge all Ohioans to be safe and smart while behind the wheel,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “All drivers have the opportunity to prevent senseless tragedies by driving responsibly, wearing a seat belt, and remaining focused on the road.”

Many Thanksgiving celebrations involve alcohol, which increases the possibility of impaired driving. During last year’s Thanksgiving reporting period, which ran from November 22 through 26, there were 12 fatal crashes in which 13 people were killed. Within the same reporting period, five crashes and six fatalities involved alcohol and/or drugs. Of the nine fatalities in which safety belts were available, two were unbelted. Two pedestrians and two motorcyclists were killed during this time frame.

“As we gather this Thanksgiving, we want everyone to enjoy a safe holiday,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “By designating a sober driver, staying focused on the road and ensuring everyone is properly wearing a safety belt, you’re not just protecting yourself – you’re helping to save lives.”

The Patrol also made 326 arrests for impaired driving.

Motorists are encouraged to safely call #677 to report impaired drivers, drug activity or stranded motorists on Ohio roadways.