Law enforcement from across Ohio came out to honor fallen Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker on Tuesday.

The funeral procession included several members of the Findlay Police Department including Police Chief Robert Ring and Captain James Mathias.

Captain Mathias says it was nice to see so many law enforcement and community members come out to pay their respects and say goodbye to Officer Stalker.

Stalker was shot and killed during a standoff with a suspect on January 18th.

Click here for information about fundraisers that have been set up for Officer Stalker’s family.

Click here to read the officer’s obituary.

This morning several officers from Findlay PD traveled to Toledo to pay their respects to fallen Officer Brandon Stalker. Officer Stalker was killed in the line of duty on January 18th and is 1 of 24 officers killed thus far in 2021. pic.twitter.com/kx4MuuQEAy

— FindlayPoliceDept (@FindlayPolice) January 26, 2021

The Ohio Department of Transportation is offering a free online course for people interested in learning how to fly a drone.

ODOT says, although 1.7 million drones are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, there are only about 208,000 pilots certified to fly them.

The free course will be available online and ODOT says it’s comparable to a driver’s education class.

“This is a great place to start for individuals that currently fly as a hobby or would like to fly for work-related applications,” ODOT said.

More information can be found in the e-Learning section of the Ohio Department of Transportation website and by clicking here.

Do you fly a drone? Would you like to become a certified Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Remote Pilot? ODOT is proud to offer FREE e-learning courses that provide the fundamental knowledge needed for the UAS certification exam! Get more info here: https://t.co/knGtICWaRd pic.twitter.com/6MbFr3Hb4C

— Ohio Dept of Transportation (@ODOT_Statewide) January 26, 2021

Monday was the first day on the job for Jacob Rayle, Travis Flint, Derek Ricker and Eric Depinet.

Rayle previously worked for the Findlay water department and lives in Findlay. Flint comes to Findlay from the Defiance Fire Department. Ricker is from Putnam County. And Depinet was previously with the Bascom Fire Department.

“We’re excited to get these four guys on board,” said Fire Chief Josh Eberle.

“We’ve had a lot of retirements in the past four years and our department is getting progressively younger.”

The chief says the younger guys in the department have really been stepping up and filling some leadership roles that were vacated by older guys who retired, and he says the existing senior firefighters are stepping up and supporting the younger guys.

“I’m just really happy where our department is right now and the direction we’re headed.”

The chief says the four new hires will fill two existing vacancies and two anticipated retirements in the first half of this year.

Findlay City Schools will be undergoing some elementary school building consolidation in the wake of three failed operating levies in 2020.

Superintendent Troy Roth says the district is moving ahead with the difficult decision to close Lincoln Elementary at the end of the current school year.

Also, Jacobs Primary will be repurposed and will no longer be a K-3 school building.

Full details are in the following letter the school district sent out to the community.

Dear Findlay City Schools Staff and Community:

Findlay City Schools was faced with very difficult decisions after the third attempt to pass an additional operating levy failed in November 2020. It is with considerable discussion and planning that Lincoln Elementary will close at the end of this school year. Additionally, Jacobs Primary will be repurposed within the district and will no longer be a K-3 school building. This decision was made in cooperation with the Board of Education, the Director of Facilities, and other integral administrative staff members.

The decision to close school buildings is never easy; however, due to the financial challenges that the district faces, we believe this option is the best long-term option. Countless hours were spent reviewing enrollment numbers and district demographic data, in great detail, to assess the viability of the schools. The consolidation of the buildings will only require redistricting of Jacobs and Lincoln students to bring consistency to our elementary school model, with the ultimate goal of K-5 buildings.

In order to facilitate the transition of students, teachers, and staff from the closure of the two buildings into other schools within the district, we have created a timeline and plans that will be shared in follow-up communications. As the plans develop, we will provide the redistricting information on the website at www.fcs.org, social media, and Trojan Talks.

Please know that this decision was difficult and the district is truly grateful for all of the support that we receive from the community. The closures and redistricting will not affect the continuity of education programs or services. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work through this process. We will keep the community, staff, and parents informed throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Mr. Troy Roth
Superintendent

(ONN) – A challenger to Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has announced his candidacy for the next election.

An Army Veteran named Jeff Sites will run as a Democrat for Ohio’s 4th congressional district.

Sites, from Lima, made the announcement on Monday morning.

In his statement, he took aim at Jordan.

“Jim has been the best co-conspirator Trump could ask for,” Sites said.

“But he hasn’t done squat for Ohio in 14 years in Washington. We deserve a congressman who will fight for working families as hard as Jim Jordan fought to undermine democracy.”

Learn more about Jeff Sites and his campaign here and in the video below.

UPDATE – The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says it responded to a suspected homicide at 118 South Meadow Drive in McComb at around 2:45 Monday morning.

Arthur Suydam III was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office says during the investigation Jordan Suydam, Arthur’s son, became a person of interest.

An attempt to locate was put out for Jordan and for the deceased’s vehicle.

The vehicle was located in Franklin County and is believed to be involved in a shooting incident and pursuit that resulted in a crash.

The sheriff’s office says it is believed that Jordan died in the crash, pending an autopsy.

The incident remains under investigation.

ORIGINAL STORY –

A man who died in a fiery crash after shooting at people on the west side of Columbus may have been wanted in connection with an active homicide investigation in Hancock County.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says three calls came in between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Monday of a man shooting at people and vehicles from a maroon pickup truck.

One of the shooting scenes was the parking lot of the Kroger on West Broad Street.

Authorities pursued the man but he refused to stop and eventually crashed.

When police got to the truck it was smoking and on fire.

They say the man was holding a shotgun and refused to put it down.

The truck then became engulfed in flames and ammunition that was inside starting going off.

The fire was put out and the man was declared deceased.

“The 2007 Dodge truck and the individual inside is possibly wanted in connection with a homicide in Hancock County,” said Chief Jim Gilbert with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is investigating

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio says he won’t be seeking re-election and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades.

He said he plans to use the last two years of his term to get a lot done.

“I will be the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I have a number of oversight projects and legislative initiatives I’m eager to get across the finish line,” he said in a statement.

“Over the next two years, I look forward to being able to focus all my energy on legislation and the challenges our country faces rather than on fundraising and campaigning.”

Portman said he’s looking forward to being home in Ohio full time and plans to get back into the private sector.

Portman says he hasn’t decided how he’ll vote during former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

After the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Portman said Trump had to bear “some responsibility” for what happened.

He has said he wants to hear both sides before deciding how to vote.

The new President and CEO of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation is launching a listening tour to learn about the needs of the community firsthand.

The feedback garnered from the listening tour will become part of the Foundation’s strategic planning.

The full details are in the following news release from the Community Foundation.

Dr. Brian Treece, newly appointed Community Foundation President & CEO, will embark on a virtual listening tour to hear about the needs of the community firsthand. The tour will
begin in February and end in early May.

“We are the community’s foundation and I believe we work best together with our neighbors,” said Treece. “To work together effectively, we have to be on the same page. I hope that hearing from those connected, and not connected, with the Foundation will help us establish a common understanding about the needs of Hancock County and where we hope to be in the future.”

The Listening Tour is a series of 60-90-minute, small group meetings with a sampling of residents, representatives, leaders and employees from around Hancock County. The goal is for Treece to hear directly from residents of the community about how the Foundation can help live the mission of the Foundation and make change. All conversations will take place via Zoom.

The Foundation will also host several large community-wide meetings that all are invited to attend over the next few months. Treece may be accompanied by Foundation board and staff members for meetings as well. After the tour is complete, the feedback will be part of the Foundation’s strategic planning.

The results will then be shared with the broader community when planning is complete.

“The Foundation is very mindful of our position in the community,” said Treece.

“We try to represent our community as a whole, we regularly host community engagement and listening activities to ensure our strategy aligns with the needs of the people we serve.”

Community meetings open to the public will be announced in February. Follow the Foundation on Facebook and subscribe to the e-newsletter for updates and dates for meetings as soon as they are available.

A cashier at Findlay convenience store was sexually assaulted by someone who came into the store.

It happened at around 6:30 Sunday night at the Circle K at the corner of East Sandusky Street and South Blanchard Street.

The Findlay Police Department says the cashier told officers that a man followed her into the bathroom and forced himself on her.

He’s described as a white man in his 50s, standing about six feet two inches tall.

He had white hair and a white, scruffy beard and was wearing a blue Carhartt-style jacket and a beanie of unknown color.

It’s unclear if the suspect left the store on foot or in a vehicle.

The Findlay Police Department is investigating.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

The advisory goes from Monday at 6 p.m. to Tuesday at 7 a.m.

A wintry mix of precipitation is expected.

Total snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch are possible.

People should plan on slick driving conditions and black ice which could impact travel Monday night and Tuesday morning.