The Ohio Department of Transportation says litterbugs are costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning posted a video of an ODOT crew picking up litter along Interstate 75 in Dayton.

He says ODOT collects about 400,000 bags of trash a year.

“The sad thing is, this crew tells me they’ll come back here in about a week and you won’t even be able to tell they’ve been here…it’s disgusting,” Bruning said.

He says litter is 100 percent preventable, and is asking people to simply keep their trash inside their vehicle until they can properly dispose of it.

He said litter is an issue that costs taxpayers around $4 million a year.

A motorist on Interstate 75 survived a scary incident when a large piece of pipe came crashing through their windshield.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says it happened on Thursday at around 4:40 p.m. near the Wooster Street exit in Bowling Green.

The Highway Patrol says no one was injured.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the OSHP Bowling Green Post at (419) 352-2481.

The Highway Patrol reminds everyone that vehicle load securement is important for the safety of everyone on the road.

Blanchard Valley Health System, in collaboration with Hancock Public Health and the University of Findlay, will be offering a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic for the community.

The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 13th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Findlay’s Koehler Complex at 1300 North Main Street.

More than 2,000 doses of the vaccine will be available to the community.

The clinic will be open to people 60 years of age and older, along with individuals with medical conditions and occupations outlined by the State of Ohio’s Phase 1B and 1C vaccination program.

Registration will open on Monday, March 8th.

People should call Hancock Public Health at 419.424.7105 and select option 1 for COVID-19 vaccine information and scheduling.

Individuals will be screened and given an appointment time.

A caregiver or loved one may make an appointment on behalf of a patient.

Also, Hancock Public Health will be holding a 500+ dose clinic in partnership with 50 North on Thursday, March 11th at 50 North.

To learn more about the vaccination clinics within the region visit bvhsvaccineconnect.com.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says the suspect from a fatal hit-skip crash in Seneca County in November has been arrested.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on November 16th on State Route 53 in Pleasant Township, north of Tiffin.

The highway patrol says Amanda Borer, 35, of Tiffin, entered State Route 53 from the west chasing after the family dog.

The patrol says Borer was struck by a northbound car being driven by Carrie M. Conner, 33, of Tiffin.

Borer died at the scene.

Investigators say Conner fled the scene and her car was located at a residence in Seneca County.

Damage and debris from the scene matched her vehicle, the patrol said.

Upon completion of the investigation, the case was presented to a Seneca County Grand Jury, which indicted Conner on felony charges of failure to stop after an accident and tampering with evidence.

A warrant was issued for her arrest and deputies located and arrested her on Friday.

Conner is being held at the Seneca County Jail pending arraignment.

Cancer Patient Services still had a successful Chili Cook-Off this year, despite it having to be held virtually because of the pandemic.

Chief Executive Officer Carol Metzger says they’re thrilled that more than $50,000 was raised, which is higher than the goal they set.

The Chili Cook-Off is Cancer Patient Services biggest fundraiser of the year with proceeds going to local Hancock County cancer patients.

The team awards as listed on the CPS Facebook page are as follows:

Most Spirit Money Raised
1st- Hancock Federal Credit Union ($4850.68)
2nd- Spectrum Eye Care ($2962.00)
3rd- The University of Findlay Greek Life ($2068.85)

Best Chili Presentation
1st- Hancock Federal Credit Union
2nd- Millstream Area Credit Union
3rd- Rowmark

Best Decorations
1st- Millstream Area Credit Union
2nd- Hancock Federal Credit Union
3rd- Rowmark

Two people are facing charges after a police pursuit in Findlay.

The Findlay Police Department says an officer attempted to stop a car for driving the wrong way on Liberty Street at around 3:30 Friday morning.

Police say the driver failed to comply and fled from the officer.

After a 2 1/2 mile pursuit at speeds up to 70 miles per hour, the car crashed into a tree at the corner of East Street and East Front Street.

Police say the driver, Johnathin M. Hinojosa, 23, of Fostoria, fled on foot into a wooded area.

A K9 unit was deployed and located Hinojosa hiding behind a tree along the Blanchard River and he was taken into custody.

Police say a passenger in the car, Azlynn R. Brown, 20, of Fostoria, was arrested for drug possession and falsification.

Hinojosa was arrested on a felony charge of failure to comply with an officer and drug possession.

He was also issued a citation for driving under suspension and driving the wrong way on a one way street.

Both were booked at the Hancock County Justice Center.

A Findlay company is being honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Endurica, LLC received the SBA’s prestigious Tibbetts Award for its accomplishments in creating cutting-edge technologies.

The SBA says Endurica’s advancements in rubber product design have led to cost savings in development programs and more durable parts for the U.S. Army, ultimately ensuring the safety of military personnel and civilians.

Get more details in the following news release from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

(In the above pic, SBA District Director Everett M. Woodel, Jr. honors Dr. William Mars, President of Endurica, LLC, of Findlay, with SBA’s Tibbetts Award for Innovative Research)

Endurica, LLC of Findlay, Ohio, is one of 38 companies to receive the U.S. Small Business Administration’s prestigious Tibbetts Award for its accomplishments in creating cutting-edge technologies. The Tibbetts Award, named after Roland Tibbetts, founder of the Small Business Innovation Research program, honors awardees for the exceptional successes achieved through SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

“Federal research funding through the SBIR and STTR programs enables small businesses to create innovative solutions to critical American priorities in an increasingly technology-reliant world. The Tibbetts Award is SBA’s way of recognizing those small businesses who embody an entrepreneurial spirit and help bolster the U.S. economy through technological innovation,” said SBA Central and Southern Ohio District Director Everett M. Woodel Jr. “We are incredibly proud of Endurica founder Dr. Will Mars and his team for their work in revolutionizing rubber product design worldwide and for being recognized as the only Ohio-based recipient of the 2020 Tibbetts Award.”

Endurica’s advancements in rubber product design have led to cost savings in development programs and more durable parts for the U.S. Army, ultimately ensuring the safety of military personnel and civilians.

“I am very proud to receive this prestigious recognition on behalf of our team. We won the U.S. Army as our first paying customer through the SBIR program, and this enabled us to commercialize game-changing tools for analyzing the fatigue performance of elastomers,” said Endurica president Dr. William Mars. “Over the last decade, we’ve continued to improve our tools and the business. Today, we have a growing user base, six of the top 12 global rubber product producers (by revenue) are using Endurica solutions in their applications, and there are hundreds of trained users globally.”

The SBIR/STTR programs are a key pillar in the federal government’s strategy for a strong national economy, providing seed capital to innovative entrepreneurs in science, technology, and engineering. The program, known as America’s Seed Fund, focuses on funding critical technology areas that are too high risk or early-stage for traditional venture capital.

Since its inception in 1982, the program has awarded over 170,000 awards with over $50 billion in funding to small businesses through 11 participating federal agencies. It boasts one of the highest returns on taxpayer investment when measuring federal funding and economic impact.

In total 38 companies, seven organizations and 14 individuals were announced as winners. Details on each can be found at www.tibbettsawards.com.

Governor DeWine gave a special COVID-19 address on Thursday night, one year after the state’s battle with the virus began.

He said this has been a tough year, with many people having lost a parent, a grandparent, a sibling, a spouse, or even a child.

“Yet, through this most difficult year we did what Ohioans always do, we rallied together, we showed the world our Ohio grit.”

DeWine encouraged Ohioans to keep battling, saying the end of our fight is now in view.

He also gave a target for when the mask mandate and other health orders will be lifted.

He said when Ohio gets down to 50 cases per 100,000 people for two weeks, all health orders will come off.

DeWine said the state was at 179 cases per 100,000 people on Wednesday.

He said our path back is by each of us getting vaccinated when we can, and by each of us continuing to wear a mask in public.

Free COVID-19 test kits are now available at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.

Details are in the following news release from the library.

Hancock County residents are now able to able to stop into their local library and pick up their books, movies and tax forms as well as a free rapid COVID-19 test kit they can use at home.

The self-administered, at-home BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits have been provided by the Ohio Department of Health and Hancock Public Health at no cost to patrons or the library. The test, which provides results in minutes and detects the virus in the early part of the disease when people are most infectious, will be used with an online service, provided by eMed, which helps guide people through the testing process.

Testing is very simple. Tests may be picked up at the Main Library, Arlington Branch or Bookmobile and are also available through the library’s curbside service. Patrons will need to download the Navica app from the Apple App Store or Google Play App Store and create an account. Then, scan in a code on the test’s box and watch a two-minute online instruction video at ohio.emed.com. When you’re ready to start testing, a proctor from eMed joins you on your computer or other device to walk you through the process and watch to ensure the test is completed properly. The antigen test requires the user to insert a nasal swab into a nostril, add drops to it and close the kit. If you do not have internet access, you can call 844-943-0061 for assistance. Results are then returned through the NAVICA app, and the NAVICA pass can be used to demonstrate a test result to an employer, school, or other party. For public health reporting, eMed sends results through the electronic lab reporting system.

Sarah Clevidence, the Director of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library said of the testing, “The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library is pleased to partner with the State of Ohio and Hancock Public Health to help make these test kits available to our patrons. This is an important step in our community’s return to normal.”

For any questions about the testing, please contact the library at 419-422-1737.

(ONN) – The spokesman for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says the governor has no immediate plans to lift the statewide mask mandate as governors in some other states have done recently.

Dan Tierney is the governor’s press secretary.

He said that even people who have been vaccinated could still transmit a weakened form of the coronavirus to someone at risk of a serious case of COVID-19.

Tierney said Ohioans still need to wear masks and socially distance until the state reaches a critical mass of people who have received the vaccine.

The governor put the current mask order in place in July.

Ohio’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard shows that more than 1.7 million Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine so far, which is around 15 percent of the state’s population.

The dashboard shows that nearly 11,000 people in Hancock County have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is around 14 percent of the population.