Governor DeWine says it appears we will have a tough winter ahead of us in dealing with the coronavirus.

“Things will get better, but in all likelihood they will get worse before they get better,” DeWine said in his Tuesday COVID update.

 

 

The governor says overall cases and hospital admissions are still increasing.

On Tuesday, the state reported more than 1,400 new cases and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total cases in the state stand at 171,626 and 5,017 Ohioans have died from the virus.

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.

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

 

Things will get better, but in all likelihood, things will get worse before they get better. This virus is sneaky and cunning and won’t give up. It has a mind of its own.

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) October 13, 2020

 

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/TheOhioChannel/videos/388010528881183/?v=388010528881183″ width=”800″ height=”” onlyvideo=”1″]

Two candidates vying for a Hancock County Commissioner’s seat will participate in a forum on Wednesday.

Republican William Bateson and Democrat Melissa Kritzell will share their thoughts on a variety of issues affecting the county during the event.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, October 14th at 5 p.m. and can be heard on WFIN.

Mike Pepple, a Republican, is also running for a commissioner’s seat. He’s uncontested on the ballot.

There are three Hancock County Commissioners.

Commissioners Mark Gazaraek and Brian Robertson are not running for re-election.

The other commissioner is Tim Bechtol.

Transportation officials are proposing the construction of an overpass on County Road 180 over State Route 15, just southeast of Findlay.

Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade says the project was initiated in 2018 with a study looking at the number of crashes along State Route 15 in Hancock and Wyandot Counties.

 

 

He says the intersection of State Route 15 and County Road 180 has become more and more dangerous as the traffic count and speeds have increased.

Cade says traffic will no longer be able to access State Route 15 from County Road 180 once the overpass is completed.

He says Hancock County will be widening County Road 172, between U.S. 68 and State Route 37, improving access to State Route 15 at those interchanges.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is encouraging people to watch a recorded presentation on the project beginning on October 16th and to provide feedback if they desire.

The project could begin as soon as 2022.

Learn more about the project here. 

 

More than 5,000 Ohioans have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

Figures released on Monday by the Ohio Department of Health put the death toll to date at 5,005, including six fatalities reported in the last 24-hours.

There have been more than 170,000 confirmed and probable cases of the virus, with 1,430 new cases reported on Monday.

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 on the alert map.

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

 

Findlay City Schools is modifying its hybrid learning model to four days a week in-person learning from the current two days.

The 4-day per week schedule will have students reporting to school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday will be a remote day.

The Trojan Academy will still be available for parents who prefer a fully remote option, and around 20 percent of students are utilizing it.

Superintendent Troy Roth says six feet of social distancing cannot be guaranteed under the new schedule but says the board of education was comfortable with that tradeoff to get students back in front of their teachers more.

 

 

He says as the school year progresses the learning model may fluctuate based on the COVID conditions in the county.

Hancock County has been at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map for several weeks.

The school district began the school year in a hybrid model that placed students in two groups with one group attending school on Monday and Tuesday and the other on Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday being a remote day.

The new 4-day per week schedule will begin October 26th for Kindergarten through 5th grade and on November 2nd for 6th through 12th grades.

Get more on the new schedule here. 

 

 

 

 

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Brian Treece to be the organization’s next President and CEO.

Treece will succeed Kathy Kreuchauf beginning Monday, November 2nd.

“I am thrilled to be chosen to lead The Community Foundation in this next chapter,” Treece said.

“I am grateful to Kathy for the meaningful work she’s made possible over 12 years and look forward to continuing to grow the Foundation and our impact. We are The Community’s Foundation because of those who make our work possible – our donors, board members, volunteers, staff, grantees, community members and leaders, and countless partners who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for all who live, work, learn, and play in Hancock County.”

Treece has served as Program Director for Community and Organizational Development and Evaluation at The Community Foundation since 2016. He’s a lifelong resident of Hancock County and a graduate of Findlay High School and the University of Findlay. He received his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership in 2010. Prior to coming to the Foundation, he was the Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Findlay.

“Brian’s leadership experience and familiarity with our work makes him an excellent choice for the future of the Foundation,” said Gary Wilson, Chair of the Foundation Board.

“His work as program director helped advance our mission of improving the quality of life. Now he can use his skills and experience to continue that work as President and CEO.”

Kathy will be working with Brian for the month of October to ensure a smooth transition. Her last day as president will be Friday, October 30th.

The Kathy Kreuchauf Future Generations Fund was established in celebration of Kathy’s 12 years of leadership.

More information is available on the Community Foundation’s website for those interested in honoring Kathy’s tenure at the Foundation.

“It has been a privilege to serve Hancock County in this role since 2008,” Kreuchauf said.

“There are still challenges ahead. However, Findlay and Hancock County is blessed to have an institution like the Foundation that is well-equipped to face them. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the President and CEO.”

 

Traffic on Interstate 75 in Findlay was brought to a standstill on Friday afternoon thanks to several fires along the roadway.

The fires started at around 4 p.m. along the southbound lanes just south of Findlay.

The pictures and video with this story were taken from the Lima Avenue overpass.

The fires sent smoke across the interstate, making it difficult for drivers to see.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol responded and shut down the southbound lanes.

The Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department responded and had the fires extinguished in a few minutes.

After about a half-hour closure, the interstate reopened but it took traffic a few minutes to get back up to speed.

There’s no word yet on the cause of the fires.

 

FIRES ALONG 75- Several small fires along I75 just south of Findlay have brought sb traffic to a halt. Use caution. pic.twitter.com/NFHapWkZrn

— WFIN News (@WFINradio) October 9, 2020

 

The Ohio State University is inviting fans to show off their “game face” with their very own fan cutout in the stands at Ohio Stadium.

No fans will be allowed inside the Horseshoe as the Buckeyes kick off the abbreviated season October 24th against Nebraska, but fans can still have a presence in the stadium in the form of their own cutout.

Most of the cutouts will be placed in A-deck although a limited number will be on the 50 yard line.

And student fan cutouts will be located in the student section in the south stands.

Ohio State points out that cutouts will not be available for pick up at the end of the season.

During the order process, there will be instructions available to order a second fan cutout to be delivered to your home.

The student cutout is $25, the A deck cutout is $50 and the 50 yard line cutouts are $75.

Click here for more details and to order.

 

?Put a lil YOU in #TheShoe

Get your official fan cutout for the 2020 opener vs. ? TODAY!

ℹ️ https://t.co/jLI2xuwCw3 | #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/T8Nv9ujBS4

— Ohio State Buckeyes ? (@OhioStAthletics) October 9, 2020

 

The number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise locally and across Ohio.

Hancock Public Health says, as of Friday, there have been a total of 866 cases in the county, which is an increase of 43 from Wednesday.

The number of active cases as of Friday stood at 105, an increase of 16 from Wednesday’s numbers.

A total of 67 people have been hospitalized from the virus in Hancock County since the beginning of the pandemic.

14 Hancock County residents have died of COVID-19.

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

State data shows Putnam County had 721 cases and 27 deaths as of Friday.

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

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

Meantime, the Ohio Department of Health is reporting the state’s highest single-day coronavirus case count since the pandemic began.

1,840 new cases were added in the last 24-hours, bringing the statewide total to more than 166,000 confirmed and probable cases.

11 additional deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to just shy of 5,000.

 

The Marion Township Trustees, in cooperation with Hancock Public Health, will be holding a COVID-19 testing event.

The free, drive-thru testing, will take place Wednesday, October 14th from 3 to 7 at the Marion Township House at 16003 State Route 568, just east of Findlay.

No co-pay or insurance card is required.

People will need to have their photo ID and those under 18 will require a parent or guardian’s signature to get tested.

The Ohio National Guard will be administering the tests which are being paid for by CARES Act grant funding.

People looking to save some time in line can print the registration form and fill it out before arriving at the site.

Forms are available through Hancock Public Health by clicking here.