National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 24th.

The Findlay Police Department says, due to the ongoing pandemic, it will not be hosting its semi-annual Take Back event this fall.

However, they say the disposal of unused and expired medications remains a very important issue.

Police are reminding people that there’s a drop box just inside the entrance to the City of Findlay Municipal Building that’s available at any time.

There’s also a drop box in the entrance to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

Learn more about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day here.

 

 

 

The number of Hancock County residents that have died of the coronavirus now stands at 24.

Three more deaths were reported in the Wednesday update by Hancock Public Health.

The total number of cases in the county now stands at 1,041, which is an increase of 46 from Monday.

143 of the cases are active, meaning the patient is currently under isolation or quarantine.

State data shows Putnam County has had 937 cases and 27 deaths.

Both Hancock and Putnam Counties are considered a “high incidence” county.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

The new map will be released on Thursday.

Statewide, 2,366 new cases were reported on Wednesday, which is a new single-day record, along with 66 new deaths.

Overall, there have been 188,005 cases in the state and 5,149 deaths.

 

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says troopers found a pound of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Wyandot County.

Troopers pulled over a car on U.S. 23 on October 14th for a lanes violation.

While performing a field sobriety test, they say the driver, Eddie Pope, 47, of Detroit, fled on foot.

He was apprehended a short time later and booked at the Wyandot County Jail.

He’s facing felony charges of possession and trafficking in drugs as well as misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and failure to comply with the order of a police officer.

 

A man robbed the West Side Carryout in Findlay.

Police say the man entered the store at 1132 Logan Avenue at 7:53 p.m. Tuesday and selected a couple of items and walked to the counter.

That’s when police say the man gave the clerk a note demanding the money from the register.

The note also implied the suspect had a gun, although no gun was seen.

The cashier cooperated and handed over the money from the register.

The suspect then left the store on foot heading westbound.

It’s unclear if he fled on foot or got into a nearby vehicle.

No one was injured during the robbery.

The suspect was described as a white male, possibly in his 20s, standing about five feet ten inches tall and weighing 190 pounds.

He was wearing a gray and white striped neck gaiter, brown leather jacket, blue jeans, brown stocking cap and brown boots.

Officers searched the area with a K9 but did not locate the suspect.

Anyone with information about the suspect is urged to contact police at 419-424-7150.

 

 

Findlay resident Ryan Drury is the newest member of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Saved by the Belt Club.

Ryan was involved in a bad crash in April at State Route 12 and Township Road 212 when he was broadsided.

 

 

Ryan is still recovering from some of the injuries he sustained that day, but, as he said, he doesn’t think he’d even be here today if he hadn’t been wearing his seat belt when he was hit.

See video of Ryan getting his Saved by the Belt certificate from Lt. Matt Crow of the Findlay Post below.

 

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No fans will be allowed inside Ohio Stadium for the Buckeyes’ season opener against Nebraska.

And Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith is cautioning fans about getting together for the game elsewhere as well.

 

 

“We would encourage everyone to not host or be a part of large gatherings or watch parties,” Smith said.

Smith says large gatherings or watch parties for Buckeyes games could turn into super-spreader events and send the state’s COVID numbers even higher.

The Buckeyes and Cornhuskers game begins at noon on Saturday.

 

4 more days…#GoBuckeyes #Fight pic.twitter.com/gwUvGPVlBl

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 20, 2020

With two weeks to go, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says ballots already cast in this year’s election are double the rate seen in 2016.

He says more than 1.1 million Ohioans have already voted in the 2020 general election.

Nearly triple the number of Ohioans are voting early in-person compared to the same time in 2016.

LaRose says absentee ballots are being returned at a rate that drastically outpaces 2016.

675,231 absentee ballots have already been returned to county boards of elections.

In 2016, that number was essentially half that with just 344,314 absentee ballots returned.

LaRose says the doubling of the number of returned absentee ballots relative to 2016 is a strong indicator that the mail is working quickly and Ohioans are easily able to cast their ballots.

More than 2.7 million Ohioans have requested an absentee ballot.

Early in-person voting continues at the Hancock County Board of Elections. (pictured above)

Click here for a list of issues and candidates on the ballot.

 

The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in a single day in Ohio has hit a new high.

Health officials on Tuesday announced there have been 216 people admitted in the last 24-hours, which is a record for new hospitalizations in a single day.

As of Tuesday, 1,221 people were hospitalized with COVID in Ohio, the highest number since July.

2,015 new cases were reported on Tuesday.

Governor DeWine said we knocked down surges in cases before and says we can do it again.

He’s urging Ohioans to wear a face mask, avoid gatherings and practice social distancing.

As of Tuesday, there have been a total of 185,639 cases in Ohio since the pandemic started and 5,083 deaths.

Both Hancock and Putnam Counties are considered a “high incidence” county.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

The new map will be released on Thursday.

 

 

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The City of Findlay’s leaf collection this year will run from November 16th through December 4th.

City workers will pick up leaves that have been placed in biodegradable paper bags at the curb.

The city makes clear that plastic bags and loose leaves will not be picked up.

The city is reminding people to not rake leaves into the street, as leaves tend to wash into and clog storm sewers, causing maintenance issues and potential flooding.

City residents may continue to drop leaves at the green waste site located at 330 North Cory Street at no charge.

The current hours for the site are Tuesday through Friday 2pm-7pm and Saturday 8am-1pm, closed Sunday, Monday.

Beginning October 27, 2020, hours for the site will be Tuesday through Friday 1pm-6pm and Saturday 8am-1pm, closed Sunday, Monday.

Beginning November 7, 2020, Saturday hours will increase to 8am-4pm.

The green waste site will be closed on November 11, 2020, in honor of Veterans Day and November 26, 2020, for Thanksgiving.

It will be open on November 27 and 28, 2020.

The last day for the green waste site for the season is December 5, 2020.

 

 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday to open Brucklacher Memorial Park, the Kiwanis Club of Findlay‘s 100th anniversary project.

The park is in honor of James Brucklacher, a longtime Kiwanian and one of the founders of the Hancock Historical Museum.

Irvin Reinhart, president of RCM Architects and a Kiwanis member, couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

“It really is a stunning design and I feel as though it fits in with the surrounding landscape just beautifully.”

Brucklacher Memorial Park is located at the site of the Little Red Schoolhouse on County Road 236 a little east of Findlay.

 

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