Findlay Municipal Court will be holding a Safe Surrender Week from September 28th through October 2nd.

Officials say anyone who has a bench warrant for their arrest through municipal court, regardless of the reason, can set up an appointment to have the warrant released.

All the individual needs to do is show up to meet with court staff at the scheduled date and time.

In order to comply with social distancing and other health protocols, appointments and masks are required.

The number to call to make an appointment is 419-424-7141.

Safe Surrender Week is September 28th through October 2nd.

Court officials say during last year’s event, the municipal court cleared 119 bench warrants in just one day.

Click here for more information on Safe Surrender Week.

 

 

 

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Hancock County went down in the Friday numbers released by Hancock Public Health.

The agency was reporting 39 active cases as of Friday which is a drop of 17 from Wednesday.

An active case means the patient is currently under quarantine or isolation.

Five patients were hospitalized as of Friday and a total of 58 have been hospitalized from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

Total cases stood at 696 on Friday, an increase of 14 from Wednesday.

Ten Hancock County residents 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.

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is encouraging Ohioans to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day by enjoying these great American pastimes with family and friends on Saturday, September 26th.

National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1972 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and is celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in September.

In Ohio, it also coincides with the start of the white-tailed deer archery hunting season.

Ohioans have many options for hunting and fishing during National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Hunting seasons are open for squirrel and mourning dove, as well as white-tailed deer.

The fall is also a fantastic time to fish, as walleye, perch, saugeye, bass, catfish, and panfish are all biting this time of year.

Go to wildohio.gov to learn more about all the hunting and fishing opportunities Ohio has to offer.

Through fishing and hunting license sales, new additions to public access this year include the acquisition of 31,000 acres of the new Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area in east central Ohio, the 718-acre Andreoff Wildlife Area in Hardin County, a vital wetland, and 2,300 acres in Brown County known as Eagle Creek Wildlife Area.

In addition, these funds support the stocking of over 48 million fish throughout Ohio, opening the Darr-Root Fishing Access on the Sandusky River, and upgrading a boat ramp at Hoover Reservoir in Delaware County.

 

Findlay City Schools says it’s investigating an Instagram account that’s inappropriately targeting students while utilizing the Findlay High School logo.

The school district says the account ‘findlaytearoom’ is also disseminating inappropriate information and sharing sexually explicit material.

District officials say they began an investigation and reported the misuse of social media to Instagram as soon as they were made aware of the account.

Findlay City Schools says, as it continues to investigate the situation, it will take action within the Student Code of Conduct if warranted.

The school district is urging parents to have a conversation with their kids about the appropriate use of social media and the impact it could have on their schooling and future careers.

You can read the letter the district sent parents about the situation here.  

 

Hancock Public Health held a Narcan distribution event on Friday.

The agency’s Gary Bright says they handed out around 70 of the kits during the event in the parking lot of the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.

Last year, they distributed nearly 700 Narcan kits over the course of the year and he says they are on their way to handing out even more this year.

“It looks pretty clear to us that the more Narcan kits we get out there, in the hands of folks who may potentially overdose, the less fatal overdoses we’re going to have,” Bright said.

 

 

 

He says while Narcan can rapidly reverse an overdose it’s imperative to call 911 because the opioid is still in the person’s system.

Bright says non-fatal overdoses have gone up since the pandemic began, but fatal overdoses have been trending down over the last few years.

In 2019 in Hancock County there were 15 fatal overdoses while there have been six so far this year.

Click here for more information about Narcan and how to receive a kit.

 

The Findlay Police Department has released a surveillance photo of the man accused of robbing the Circle K at 2727 North Main Street on September 18th.

Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the case should contact police at 419-424-7150 or private message the police department’s Facebook page.

People with tips can also contact Crime Stoppers at 419-425-TIPS.

Police say a man entered the convenience store at 2727 North Main Street at around 2:10 Friday morning September 18th.

After a few minutes in the store, police say he ordered the clerk to open the register and give him the money from it.

The clerk complied and then the suspect ordered the clerk to the back of the store before leaving in an unknown direction.

The clerk was not injured and no weapon was used in the robbery.

Responding police officers checked the area but he was not located.

The suspect is described as an Hispanic man, standing about six feet two inches with a stocky build and likely in his late 30s or early 40s.

 

 

Visitation is expanding at Ohio’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

During his Thursday coronavirus briefing, Governor DeWine said visitors can go indoors beginning on October 12th.

Currently, only outside visitations are allowed.

The indoor visits that begin October 12th will be limited to two people at a time for 30 minutes in a designated area of the building.

DeWine said the state may require real-time COVID-19 testing as an extra precaution.

(in the picture above, a newlywed couple visits a loved one at Sunrise Senior Living in Findlay)

 

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/TheOhioChannel/videos/1198342617215748/?v=1198342617215748″ width=”800″ height=”” onlyvideo=”1″]

A motorcyclist had to be flown from the scene of a crash on U.S. 30 in southern Hancock County.

The crash happened at 12:43 Thursday afternoon on U.S. 30 at Township Road 68.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Eric Martin, 48, of Lima, was traveling east when he crashed into the back of a car that had slowed to make a right turn onto Township Road 68.

Martin was thrown from his Harley Davidson and suffered incapacitating injuries.

The driver of the car, Laura Blodgett, 38, of Lima, was not injured.

A Life Flight helicopter landed on U.S. 30 to get Martin on board and then transported him to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo.

The sheriff’s office says the crash remains under investigation.

 

Hancock and Putnam County stayed at their previous levels on the latest COVID-19 alert map that was released on Thursday.

Hancock County remained at level 2, or the orange level, while Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

Five other counties are newly-red compared to last week; Ashland, Delaware, Pike, Scioto and Stark.

According to state data, Putnam County has had 579 cases and 23 deaths as of Thursday

Hancock Public Health was reporting 682 total cases and 10 deaths from the virus as of Wednesday.

Health officials say statewide there have been 147,744 total cases and 4,715 deaths.

Health officials continue to urge people to wear a mask, wash their hands and follow social distancing guidelines.

 

Updated Advisory Levels:

Newly Red Since Last Week:
⬆Ashland
⬆Delaware
⬆Pike
⬆Scioto
⬆Stark

Remaining at Red:
↔Butler
↔Mercer
↔Montgomery
↔Putnam

Red to Orange:
⬇Portage pic.twitter.com/tDeE27LdYj

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) September 24, 2020

Lawmakers in the Ohio Senate have taken a step toward limiting the powers of the Ohio Department of Health.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 311 by a vote of 20 to 12.

The bill would prohibit the Ohio Department of Health from issuing a general, statewide mandate or quarantine order for Ohioans not directly affected by an infectious disease.

It also would allow the general assembly to rescind orders already in place.

The Ohio House would still have to pass this legislation in order for it to make it to the governor’s desk.

 

The Senate passes Senate Bill 311, sponsored by Senators @Rob_McColley and @kristinaroegner. pic.twitter.com/5FzwBQGWKo

— Ohio Senate GOP (@OhioSenateGOP) September 23, 2020