10/04/18 – 10:42 A.M.
The Village of Mount Blanchard declared October 6 as “Take It To The Max” Day. The day is in memory of Max Hindinger, a former mayor of the village who served the community for over 25 years.
You’re encouraged to celebrate the day by helping a neighbor or volunteering in the village. You can also help with a village project by meeting in downtown Mount Blanchard at 10 a.m.
10/4/18 – 7:37 a.m.
Fostoria’s Relay for Life is set for this weekend. The Review-Times reports organizers are hoping to raise $55,000 for cancer research. The event kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Tiffin and Main streets.
Several fundraisers will take part all throughout the event, which runs until 10 p.m. Saturday.
MORE: Review-Times
10/4/18 – 7:23 A.M.
Discussion about installing lights at Pandora’s ball diamonds continues. That’s despite village council withdrawing from the project last month. The Putnam County Sentinel reports council started talking with members of the Pandora-Gilboa Community Recreation Committee during a recent meeting.
Council members Ed Tadena and Paul Burkholder agreed to meet with the recreation committee to try and resolve the issue.
The Pandora-Gilboa school district gave the village its old lights from the football stadium. The village has concerns about the cost of installing the equipment.
MORE: Putnam County Sentinel
10/4/18 – 7:08 A.M.
Several Democratic candidates for office will meet with voters in Findlay today. 5th District Congressional candidate J. Michael Galbraith, Ohio Senate candidate Adam Papin, Ohio House candidate Mary Harshfield, and Hancock County Common Pleas Court judge Reginald Routson will be at Anchor Park this afternoon.
The “People First” bus will arrive at 215 East Street at 2:30 p.m. They’ll hold a press conference at 3 p.m.
10/4/18 – 7:01 A.M.
The Leipsic Fire Department is getting nearly $500,000 in grants to help upgrade equipment. The Putnam County Sentinel reports Fire Chief Neil Goodwin let village council know about the grants at a recent council meeting.
Leipsic will use more than $310,000 to help buy a new fire truck. The rest of the money will help pay to replace aging oxygen masks and compressors.
Leipsic has to pay 5 percent in matching funds to get the money.
MORE: Putnam County Sentinel
10/4/18 – 6:49 A.M.
The rest of this week will see plenty of road projects in Findlay. You’ll see crews working in spots on Main Street between Lima Avenue and Front Street. A resurfacing project will close Stanley Avenue from France Street to the dead end during work hours.
Crews are working on storm sewers on Midland and Allen avenues between Blanchard Street and the railroad tracks. There is also a storm sewer replacement project taking place on George Street between Crystal Avenue and the railroad tracks.
Elsewhere, waterline work is closing West Sandusky Street between Emma Street and State Route 12 during work hours. The city is also closing roads for waterline work on Concord Court from Parkside Place to Vincent Street and Woodworth Drive between Fostoria Avenue and Glen Meadow. Waterline work is also taking place on Fostoria Avenue between Bright Road and Tiffin Avenue today. You’ll only have access to that area if you live there.
10/4/18 – 5:30 A.M.
A candidate for state treasurer is facing questions about how he has handled money in the past. The Associated Press reports they’ve found two issues involving Democrat Rob Richardson. In one instance, Hamilton County records show Richardson’s wife at the time accused Richardson of setting up a private bank account to hide a work bonus just before their 2015 divorce.
Court documents also show that someone sued Richardson for breach of contract in a 2004 mortgage deal. Richardson’s campaign says the allegations in both cases are unsubstantiated. Campaign spokesman William Montague said both cases were resolved.
Richardson’s opponent, Robert Sprague, said the cases raise some, “some legitimate questions and concerns considering the office he is seeking.”
MORE: The Courier
10/4/18 – 5:16 A.M.
Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services in Findlay has seen an uptick in the number of sexual assaults reported this year. Executive director Ashley Ritz says they’ve seen a 25 percent increase in calls compared to this time 2017. Ritz adds there was a 54 percent jump in calls in September alone.
Last week’s hearings related to Judge Brett Kavanaugh did not seem to drive more reports. Ritz says while September was busy, there wasn’t an increase in calls to their hotline last week.
Open Arms’ hotline is available 24 hours a day and is confidential. The number is 419-422-4766.
MORE: The Courier
10/4/18 – 5:09 A.M.
The Blanchard River widening project officially gets underway today. Several officials will attend a groundbreaking ceremony at noon near the river. Parking for the event will be available at 330 North Cory Street.
The $6.1 million project will increase the Blanchard’s capacity between the Norfolk Southern bridge and Broad Avenue. Engineers from Stantec Engineering expect the river benches to drop the 100-year flood by a foot in downtown Findlay. It will also remove around 600 properties from the floodplain.
Construction should finish by next September.
10/4/18 – 5:00 A.M.
UPDATE – 10:56 A.M.
WTOL-11 is reporting that the coroner’s office is now calling the case a homicide. Officials are working to find the identity of the person.
There were only partial remains of the body which has made it difficult to identify. Hancock County Coroner Dr. Mark Fox said that the body is a male though.
Lt. Matt Crow of the State Highway Patrol says there’s no connection to a body found off of I-70 in Columbus Tuesday. The Columbus Dispatch reports the cause of death in that case was an overdose.
MORE: WTOL-11