10/10/17 – 5:17 P.M.

United Way of Hancock County announced their new initiative Tuesday evening. President John Urbanski said that the new program will switch them away from program funding for financial stability.

John Urbanski

Urbanski said the funding will give the opportunity for groups to work together to combat the issues surrounding financial empowerment. He added that there are 3 strategies. The first is in workforce development.

John Urbanski

The other two strategies are investing in the area youth and helping people develop skills to manage their budget. The end goal is to give at-risk people opportunities to have a more sustainable lifestyle.

10/10/17 – 5:25 P.M.

NAMI of Hancock County is hosting Tastes and Tunes this Friday to raise funds for mental health services. NAMI’s Sunny Davis-McNeil said that there is plenty to do.

Sunny Davis-McNeil

The event will be at Legends Banquet Room from 6-10 P.m. this Friday. Admission is $30 and the funds will go to support their free programs in the community.

10/10/17 – 9:08 A.M.

A crash on southbound U.S. 23 near Carey injured at least one person this morning. The Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office says the crash closed one lane of the highway near County Highway 97. Our Waze traffic map showed a few back-ups in that area as a result.

We’ll have more details as they become available.

10/10/17 – 7:35 A.M.

The southbound exit and entrance ramps to and from I-75 at the U.S. 224 interchange in Findlay close today. ODOT says drivers from U.S. 224 who want to go south on I-75 will need to drive north to the County Road 99 interchange before heading south. Drivers on southbound I-75 who want to get off at U.S. 224 will have to get off at State Route 12 and then drive north up the interstate back to U.S. 224.

ODOT expects the closure to last 45 days.

10/10/17 – 5:37 A.M.

A head-on collision killed a Fostoria man Monday afternoon. The State Highway Patrol says 72-year-old Jimmie Yoder of Fostoria died from injuries caused by the collision, while 40-year-old Lee McCumber of Fostoria suffered serious injuries.

The crash happened on State Route 12 near Township Road 65 just after 4:30 p.m. McCumber was driving west on Route 12 when he went left of center and hit Yoder’s pickup truck. People driving by the crash dragged both drivers out of the wreckage before the vehicles caught on fire.

A medical helicopter took Yoder to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo where doctors pronounced him dead. An ambulance took McCumber to ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital. A helicopter took him from there to Toledo Hospital.

The crash remains under investigation but the patrol believes alcohol was a factor.

10/10/17 – 5:21 A.M.

McComb’s village council is looking into curb and sidewalk issues. The Courier reports village officials want to fix sidewalks damaged by trees. Village Administrator Kevin Siferd says an estimate from Dale’s Concrete of Leipsic puts the price around $7,500. Council took no action on the estimate Monday.

In a related matter, Councilwoman Carol Cary says she is filling out grant applications to repair other sidewalks on Main Street.

The village plans to start curb repair on part of Christy Court next week.

MORE: The Courier

10/10/17 – 5:14 A.M.

You can learn more about the six candidates running for Findlay City Council at-large seats tonight. Republicans Grant Russel, Tom Shindledecker and Jeff Wobser as well as Democrats Mary Harshfield, Barbara Lockard and Heidi Mercer will take part in a 90-minute forum from the University of Findlay.

The three candidates who receive the most votes will serve on city council for the next two years.

You can listen to the forum starting after the 6 p.m. news on 1330 WFIN and online at wfin.com.

10/9/17 – 1:46 A.M.

Whirlpool is in the middle of Phase 3 of its’ Findlay expansion project. Scott Osborn is a Continuous Improvement Manager for the company and says Whirlpool had to hire employees to staff the new lines faster than they expected…

Audio: Scott Osborn

Osborn says having the extra space allowed the Findlay Whirlpool plant to add another shift. That means the company hired 354 new employees rather than the 50 they planned to hire when they first announced the expansion.

Osborn says that’s a big number, but it wasn’t easy…

Audio: Scott Osborn

Osborn says Whirlpool has done more direct hiring than normal to fill open positions. He added that they are also using social media more to reach a younger generation of potential employees.