(From the Hancock County Solid Waste Management District)

The conclusion of the 2024 Hazardous Waste & Paint collection events is approaching. The Hancock County Solid Waste Management District, will be hosting the FINAL free collection for Hancock County Residents of household hazardous waste, paint, and solvent collection.

The last opportunity for the event for this calendar year…

Date: September 24, 2024

Time: 1 pm – 6 pm

Location: Hancock County Fairgrounds 1017 E. Sandusky St., Findlay OH 45840 (follow signage – use “exit” as Entrance)

Accepted Items include Paints, Stains, Thinners, Aerosols, Mercury, Propane Cylinders, Cleaners, Fertilizers, Pesticides, Acids, Oxidizers, Lead-Acid Batteries, Antifreeze, Motor Oil, and Fuels. Reminder: this is a residential program – no business will be accepted Litter Landing Recycling Facility is located at 1720 E. Sandusky St., Findlay

Residents unable to participate in the free collection event will need to store their materials or find alternate disposal methods until another community event is scheduled, potentially in 2025. Community event guidelines, specifics and other recycling information can be found online at www.HancockEnvironment.com

(From Liberty-Benton Local Schools)

Liberty-Benton Local Schools received FIVE STARS out of five on the State Report Card for the 2023-2024 school year!

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU to all of our staff and hard-working students!

It takes everyone to make this possible.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a woman was killed when her car was hit by a train in the southern part of the county.

It happened on Township Road 150 near US 68, in Madison Township at around 7:15 Monday night.

The sheriff’s office reports that Eden Lasley, 23, of Findlay, was driving west on Township Road 150 and failed to stop at the stop sign at the railroad crossing on Township Road 150 and was struck by a CSX train.

Her car overturned and came to rest in a field.

She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Assisting on scene were the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department, Appleseed EMS, Hanco EMS, Hancock County EMA, CSX, and R&A Towing.

(ONN) – According to the US Drought Monitor, 87 of 88 Ohio counties are now under drought conditions.

More than 20 percent of the state is classified as under exceptional drought and another 60 percent is seeing severe or extreme drought.

With little to no rain in the forecast, those numbers are expected to increase.

The impact on Ohio farmers is devastating.

Farmers are harvesting soybeans and corn now, more than 30 days ahead of schedule in an effort to salvage what they can.

22 counties have been declared natural disasters with 16 more eligible for assistance from the US Department of Agriculture.

In some cases, field yield is down 50 percent from last year.

(ONN) – The Ohio Supreme Court has issued a ruling on language that would affect Issue 1 in the November election.

Issue 1 seeks to remove politicians from the redistricting process and create an independent commission in an effort to eliminate gerrymandering and draw fairer districts.

The group ‘Citizens, Not Politicians’ says the language inserted into the redistricting amendment by Secretary of State Frank LaRose is misleading and includes biased language that deliberately encourages voters to reject the amendment.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that two provisions must be revised in the ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment on redistricting.

The group ‘Citizens, Not Politicians’ requested all 8 provisions to be changed, but the supreme court ruled only two must be changed.

Those include section 5, which deals with proportionality, and section 8, which deals with public participation.

(From the City of Findlay)

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 7am-4pm, the southbound lane of McManness Avenue will be closed from Cherry Street to Center Street for concrete work on a catch basin repair.

Northbound lane will remain open.

(From Raise the Bar Hancock County)

Raise the Bar Hancock County® announces the release of a new video series spotlighting in-demand education and human service careers in Hancock County. This initiative continues Raise the Bar’s effort to enhance workforce development and support local talent in pursuing rewarding careers.

The video series provides a close-up look at the opportunities available within several people-oriented sectors.

Each video aims to inspire and inform students, job seekers, and community members about the careers that are essential to the county’s growth and prosperity.

Area Employers and Professions Spotlighted: 1. Findlay Family YMCA Early Learning Professionals 2. Findlay City Schools K-12 Paraprofessionals 3. Millstream Career Center Instructors 4. Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Youth and Adult Learning Staff 5. Family Resource Center and Hancock County Job and Family Services Case Managers

“Our community’s best asset is our people,” says Tricia Valasek, Raise the Bar’s executive director. “Taking the time to develop people from infancy through adulthood is one of the best investments we can make. It’s imperative that we continue to create awareness and fill a pipeline of individuals who can take on this rewarding task. It is because of this demand that we focused our initial these five targeted careers.”

Each video in the series features local professionals in the field, offering viewers a glimpse into the daily responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of these careers. The videos also provide information on the education and skills required, potential career growth, and the impact these roles have on the community.

“Supporting our children is vital for the growth and prosperity of our community. Childcare workers are truly the workforce behind the workforce,” shares Kari Redman, the Findlay Family YMCA Childcare Development Center Director.

Raise the Bar highlighted the YMCA’s childcare team in one of their videos because of the growing demand for early learning/childcare options in the community. Valasek points out that the YMCA, like other licensed facilities in Ohio, requires specific staff-to-child ratios depending on age.

“Adding spots for infants, toddlers, and school-aged children requires our childcare facilities to hire more trained and qualified staff. We need to build this career sector quickly.” The video series is available on Raise the Bar’s YouTube channel (@raisethebarhancockcounty7737).

Raise the Bar also intends to release individual videos on its social media platforms and to the schools for use with their career programming.

(From the City of Springfield, Ohio)

In light of recent threats and safety concerns, the City of Springfield has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s CultureFest celebration. The decision was made with the utmost consideration for the safety and well-being of our community and event participants.

CultureFest, scheduled for September 27-28, is an event that celebrates diversity, arts and local culture. City officials, in consultation with local and state law enforcement, determined that canceling the event is the most responsible course of action to prevent any potential risks to attendees, staff, vendors and volunteers.

“We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” said City Manager Bryan Heck. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time. We remain dedicated to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all.

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

This is National Roundabouts Week — a time to celebrate a simple engineering design that has dramatically improved the safety of intersections throughout the country.

It’s also an opportunity to share the numbers that demonstrate how well they’ve performed locally.

Officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are pleased with the results where roundabouts have been constructed, and how the overall public has adapted to them.

“The acceptance of roundabouts can lag in areas where roadways rarely change. You introduce a vastly different concept like a roundabout where stop signs and traffic signals rule, and it’s understandable why some motorists are hesitant,” said Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 deputy director.

The safety improvement a roundabout brings is hard to argue against. “No intersection improvement will eliminate all crashes, but nothing equals the effectiveness of a roundabout in lessening the severity of crashes,” said Pat McColley, ODOT District 2 deputy director.

A roundabout is currently under construction near U.S. 68 and S.R. 15 on the south side of Findlay.

In 2019, Governor Mike DeWine directed ODOT to target safety improvements at 150 intersections statewide in rural, suburban, and urban areas. This represents an investment of $425 million over several years.

The table below details crash statistics at select locations throughout northwest Ohio before and after a roundabout was constructed. “The goal is always to reduce the number of injury and fatal crashes, and at every location, that occurred,” said Hughes.

Of these, four were identified on the governor’s list:

State Route 309 at Thayer Road and Napoleon Road, Allen County

U.S. 224 and State Route 587, Seneca County

U.S. 127 and U.S. 224/Marsh Road, Van Wert County

Visit ODOT’s website  and National Roundabouts Week | FHWA (dot.gov) for further information regarding the benefits of roundabouts and the week of observance.

(From the Tecumseh Police Department)

UPDATE- Police say the drowning victim was Brady Donnelly, 25, of Findlay. 

The cause of death was ruled accidental by way of drowning, as determined by the Lenawee County Medical Examiner.  

Initial news release below –

On September 15, 2024, at approximately 11:29 am the Tecumseh Police Department was dispatched to the Tecumseh Park at 403 Adrian St, Tecumseh, MI for a drowning.

Witnesses on scene indicated that the victim, later identified as a 25-year-old male from Findlay, OH, was attempting to swim across the pond within the park when he went under the water.

First Responders were on scene within minutes and entered the water attempting to locate the victim.

Ultimately, the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team located the victim at 12:04 pm and brought him to shore.

The victim was transported to ProMedica Hickman Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The victim’s identity is being withheld until all proper notifications are made.

There is no indication of foul play, alcohol or drugs playing a role in this tragic accident.

The Tecumseh Police Department was assisted by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office, including their Dive Team, Drone Team, Marine Patrol, and Victim’s Services Team, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan State Police, the Tecumseh Fire Department, and Lenawee Community Ambulance.

Authorized for Release by: Brett D. Coker, Chief of Police