A man is facing an OVI charge after a fiery crash in southeast Hancock County.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Zachary Dufek, 26, of Forest, was driving a 1989 Chevy Corvette south on Township Road 154 Thursday night when he crashed into a ditch.

The car caught on fire and became fully engulfed.

Dufek was able to get himself out of the car and was found standing alongside the road when responders arrived.

He was treated at the scene.

The sheriff’s office says alcohol was a factor in the crash and Dufek has been charged with OVI and failure to control.

The Cancer Patient Services Chili Cook-Off for 2021 will be held virtually through February.

Instead of serving up their tasty concoction at the University of Findlay’s Koehler Recreation Complex, teams this year will send in a picture of their chili and the tastiest-looking chili will be chosen as the winner.

There will also be awards for other categories. Winners will be announced on March 1st.

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

Get details about registering a team and purchasing raffle tickets here.

See our write-up from last year’s event here and there’s also video below.

Judge Vernon L. Preston, of Findlay, is retiring after a lengthy and distinguished judicial career.

Judge Preston was appointed to the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals in 2007, then elected in 2008 and reelected in 2014.

Before joining the Third District Court of Appeals he served on the Findlay Municipal Court for 13 years.

For eight of those years he was presiding and administrative judge.

In addition to his full time schedule as an appellate judge, for 16 years, at night, Preston was an Adjunct Professor of Equine Law at the University of Findlay.

Before being elected as a full time trial judge, Vern served his community in a series of part-time positions including; a magistrate for the Findlay Municipal Court, Assistant Hancock County Prosecutor and Findlay City Prosecutor.

As an attorney, Preston practiced administrative law and insurance law representing both individuals and business clients.

He tried cases in all local State Courts and Federal District Court. He also served as corporate secretary and general counsel for a manufacturing corporation.

Judge Preston proudly served his country on active duty for six years, joining the U.S. Navy in 1972.

Initially, he reported to Great Lakes Training Center for boot camp and attended A School.

Subsequently, he was assigned to Officer Candidate School and upon graduation from OCS, received his Commission as an Officer in the U.S. Navy, ultimately being assigned as a Supply Corps Officer serving the submarine force.

After leaving active duty, he served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 25 years, holding 11 duty assignments as logistics or finance officer.

Judge Preston was selected as commanding officer of four Reserve Units, including Commanding Officer of Cargo Handling Battalion Nine during Operation Desert Storm on a Presidential Recall.

During the conflict, his combat cargo handlers performed operations in six foreign countries.

Preston received his “Eagles” in 1994. In 2003, he retired at the rank of Captain, after more than 31 years of service to his country.

Judge Preston was born and raised in Findlay, Ohio.

He is a 1968 graduate of Findlay High School and a 1972 graduate of Findlay College.

In 2012, Judge Preston received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Findlay.

He earned his law degree at the University of Toledo.

After a short time in Portsmouth, where he opened a law practice, he and his wife, Debby, decided to move back home to raise their sons, JJ and BJ.

The Prestons have been married since 1971; son JJ and wife Alissa have two daughters, Molly and Claire.

Community is very important to Judge Preston, as reflected by his volunteer work in his church, with local charities and youth programs, where he served as coach and commissioner of Findlay Youth Baseball, along with involvement in Findlay Youth Football.

Judge Preston has always strived to make Findlay a great place to live and raise a family.

Judge Preston will retire on February 8th after 27 years of distinguished judicial service.

For the second straight year Cooper Tire has been named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

The company met all the criteria and scored a 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI).

Full details are in the following news release from Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.

Cooper Tire announced today it has received a score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and has been designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality for the second consecutive year. The CEI is a national benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ equality in the workplace.

“At Cooper, our Purpose says everyone deserves to travel through life’s journeys with confidence – that means everyone. To be recognized again this year for our policies and programs that support equality demonstrates Cooper’s commitment to building a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued and included for who they are and how they contribute to making great tires,” said Brad Hughes, Cooper’s President & Chief Executive Officer. “We will continue to seek opportunities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within our business and communities.”

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility.

For more information on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index click here.

For the second year in a row, we scored 100% on @HRC’s Corporate Equality Index! We’re proud of our work to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within our business and communities. pic.twitter.com/pFKPeN1Y5Z

— Cooper Tire (@CooperTire) January 28, 2021

The Findlay Police Department has released the results of its 2020 Citizen Survey.

The anonymous survey posed several key questions to assist the department in determining citizen perceptions of safety, quality of life and the quality of police services.

The police department says community feedback provides helpful insight when establishing goals, enhancing training and shaping the future direction of the department.

The police department received a B for the question ‘I believe the Findlay Police Department does a good job keeping Findlay safe’.

A new question on the survey was the public’s perception of how much crime is occurring.

That question received an F grade, indicating a strong belief that crime in Findlay is increasing, but the police department says that’s not the case.

“Although crime in Findlay has actually been going down – when you look at our previous annual reports – the general perception in the community is that these crimes are actually increasing,” said Crime Prevention Officer Brian White.

Officer White says that grade will be used by the Crime Prevention Division to better engage the community in addressing the prevention of crime.

The police department says more people filled out the 2020 survey than the previous year, and thanks the community members who took the time to fill it out.

The full survey can be seen by clicking here.

Citizen Survey Results:

At the end of 2020, citizens were asked to respond to an anonymous survey. The objective was to gain insight and feedback on the performance of the police department.

The results can be found on the department website below.https://t.co/FHMVAnvj0U

— FindlayPoliceDept (@FindlayPolice) January 25, 2021

Ohio’s COVID-19 curfew is being shortened.

Governor DeWine previously stated that the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew would be pushed back to 11 p.m. if Ohio sees hospitalizations dip below 3,500 for seven days in a row.

On Wednesday the state reported 2,944 hospitalizations, which is the 7th straight day that hospital utilization was below 3,500.

Therefore, he says the state’s COVID curfew will change to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m beginning Thursday night.

If hospitalizations drop below 3,000 for seven days in a row the curfew will move back to 12 a.m.

If hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven days the curfew will be dropped.

Ohio has been under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since November.

Today's reported #COVID19 hospitalizations stand at 2,944. Still a very high number, but this is the 7th straight day that hospital utilization is below 3,500. A forthcoming order from @OHdeptofhealth will change Ohio's curfew to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m beginning tomorrow night. https://t.co/U4qXqXih8u

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 27, 2021

The number of active COVID-19 cases took another drop in the latest numbers from Hancock Public Health.

The agency said there were 158 active cases of the virus on Wednesday, which is a drop of 26 from a week ago.

Active cases are cases that are currently under quarantine or in isolation.

Seven people were hospitalized with the virus on Wednesday, which is down from 13 from last week.

92 people have died from COVID-19 in Hancock County, an increase of two from a week ago.

Statewide there have been more than 878,000 cases and nearly 11,000 deaths.

Some fake money is circulating in the northwestern corner of the State.

The Williams County Sheriff’s Office is warning the community and local businesses to be aware of fake $10 bills being used by scammers in the area.

With a casual glance, the bills may seem real.

But they are prop money used in movies and say on them ‘for motion picture purposes’ – featuring a smirking Alexander Hamilton on the front.

The back carries the same ‘motion picture purposes’ label and says ‘in props we trust.’

The sheriff’s office says any suspected fake or counterfeit bills should be reported to local law enforcement.

University of Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell has accepted a contract extension offer from the University of Findlay Board of Trustees.

The extension will run through June of 2024, with a 3-year option beyond that.

“This is Dr. Fell’s 11th year as the President of the University of Findlay, and we are extremely excited that we will have the benefit of her leadership for at least another three years!” said Chris Ostrander, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Fell has been a tremendous leader not only for the University, but also within the community. She has built a vibrant culture for our students, the faculty, and the staff; and we are very pleased to have reached this extension with her.”

Ostrander says Dr. Fell’s unwavering resolve and passion for excellence have stood tall with each challenge the university has faced.

“With the team she has established around her and the support of the Board of Trustees, I am confident her vision, leadership, and relentless devotion will lead to the University of Findlay reaching much greater heights over the next several years.”

Governor DeWine says the state’s COVID-19 curfew will now be based on COVID hospitalizations.

He says the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will be pushed back to 11 p.m. if Ohio sees hospitalizations dip below 3,500 for seven days in a row.

If hospitalizations drop below 3,000 for seven days the curfew would move back to 12 a.m.

And if hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven days the curfew would come to an end.

“We’re basing the curfew on hospital utilization because it is one of our most reliable indicators of disease severity,” DeWine said.

“When people are sick enough with COVID-19 to be in the hospital in high numbers, we know that virus spread is high.”

He says the state has been below 3,500 hospitalizations for six days in a row, so we may see a curfew change this week.

Ohio has been under a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since November.

Moving forward, Ohio's curfew will be based on #COVID19 hospitalizations statewide. Ohio has been below 3,500 hospitalizations for six days in a row, so we may see a curfew change this week. Ohio's curfew is currently 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

More information: https://t.co/YFasxDygF2 pic.twitter.com/YUaOc3mWYe

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 26, 2021