10/05/17 – 2:51 P.M.
Findlay City Schools is looking at a substantial revenue shortfall and will have to change operations. That’s according to superintendent Ed Kurt.
Kurt said that the school board is keeping on top of the issue to try and find ways to maintain programs and services. He added that the school is trying to keep their programs.
Kurt said that the school has a little leeway since it had a carryover balance this year.
10/5/17 – 12:11 P.M.
The Hancock County Commissioners heard from more people lobbying to remove Issue 3 from the November ballot during their Thursday meeting. Commissioner Brian Robertson once again motioned for a vote to remove the issue…
Audio: Brian Robertson
However, Commissioner Tim Bechtol said he didn’t want to move forward yet. He first wants to talk to the 14 elected officials who supported the sales tax measure to begin with…
Audio: Tim Bechtol
Bechtol said he had other reservations as well…
Audio: Tim Bechtol
Members of the Watershed Solutions group said they don’t believe that will be an issue. They said the upcoming 30 percent plan from Stantec Engineering would likely show lower costs for future mitigation projects.
Bechtol also said he had concerns that pulling Issue 3 could confuse voters about Issue 4. Issue 4 is a quarter percent sales tax designed to pay for an expansion at the Hancock County Jail. It would stay on the ballot
Commissioner Brian Robertson said he didn’t think that would be the case…
Audio: Brian Robertson
Robertson made a motion to pull Issue 3 from the ballot. The commissioners tabled the motion until a special meeting at 2 p.m. Friday.
Earlier this week members of the Blanchard Watershed Solutions group and Hancock United for a Better Blanchard asked the commissioners to pull Issue 3 from the ballot so they could continue to work toward common ground between business and agriculture interests.
Issue 3 is a quarter percent sales tax. The commissioners have passed a resolution that would dedicate revenue from the tax to flood reduction projects.
10/5/17 – 5:18 A.M.
Police in Kenton arrested one person following a stabbing incident at a park in the city. WKTN radio reports the stabbing happened Tuesday night following a large fight at a park on Cherry Street. Emergency responders took a 16-year-old boy to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima for treatment of a severe laceration. Investigators say his injuries aren’t life-threatening.
Police arrested a 20-year-old man. Another adult is also facing charges in the case.
Police haven’t released the names of the people involved.
MORE: WKTN
10/5/17 – 5:12 A.M.
The Seneca County Commissioners are looking at ways to cut costs on a renovation project in the county-owned Annex Building. The Review-Times reports the county’s juvenile and probate courts are moving into the building next year. The price tag for the project is just under $417,000, but officials want to bring that number down.
The county has set aside $500,000 for the renovations. However, the commissioners want to reduce that number after spending money on other improvement projects. They’ve asked the project architect to cut $100,000 if possible.
MORE: Review-Times
10/5/17 – 4:56 A.M.
The Republican candidates for Findlay City Council will talk about their views on the issues at the party’s luncheon this Friday. Incumbents Jeff Wobser, Tom Shindledecker, and Grant Russel are on the First Friday agenda. They’ll face Democrats Mary Harshfield, Barb Lockard, and Heidi Mercer in the November general election.
All six candidates will sit down for a forum on October 10 at the University of Findlay.
Friday’s Republican luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. at The Dock behind St. Marks United Methodist Church.
10/5/17 – 4:49 A.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is getting a safety grant. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office has awarded the sheriff’s office more than $35,000. The money will help the efforts to focus on seat belt and anti-distracted driving campaigns.
A release from the sheriff’s office says the agency gives money to proposals with a proven track record for reducing fatal crashes and improving traffic safety systems.
10/05/17 – 2:30 A.M.
The Hancock County Democratic Party had a dinner with several guests Wednesday evening. Former U.S. congressman and two time democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich stopped to talk about issue 2. He said that a yes vote will allow the state of Ohio to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs.
Some of the negative advertisements explain how prices can go up for people not covered by the state. Kucinich said that this is would count as price fixing and is against the law.
State treasurer candidate Robert Richardson also stopped in Findlay. He talked about student debt.
Richardson said that he wants to help make Ohio more competitive in education. He added that he also wants to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the role they had in the opioid epidemic.
Gubernatorial candidate Joe Schiavoni was also at the dinner. He said that he’s worked hard on keeping charter schools honest during his time in the Senate.
He added that he wants to see more transparency from e-schools. He said that it is important to make sure the kids are engaged and doing more than just logging on in the morning.
10/04/17 – 5:50 P.M.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office accepted money from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Sheriff Michael Heldman said the funds amount to just under $36,000 for the fiscal year 2018. The money is meant to focus on safety priority areas such as impaired and distracted driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave funds to the OTSO to support the efforts of safety partners across the state.
10/04/17 – 4:43 P.M.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jon Husted made a stop in Findlay today. The Courier reports that the field is getting crowded. There are four Republican candidates including Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, Attorney General Mike DeWine, and U.S. Representative Jim Renacci.
The newspaper reports that Husted has the most support among party leaders across the state. If elected governor Husted said he would focus on bringing business and government together.
10/04/17 – 3:40 P.M.
The University of Findlay will have Elizabeth Smart speaking next Friday. Smart is a survivor of an abduction back in 2002 when she was 14-years-old. She was held captive for 9 months before police were able to find her and return her to her family. Now she is an advocate for change related to child abductions, recovery programs, and national legislation.
Her presentation will be next Friday at 3 p.m. at the University of Findlay’s Alumni Memorial Union’s Multipurpose room. It is free and open to the public.