Two Fostoria police officers were honored for saving a woman from a house fire.

Officers Jennifer Muro and Jerome Arnold were presented with a medal by Police Chief Keith Loreno for their courageous actions on July 4th.

Officer Muro was responding to a 911 call about a fire and an elderly woman trapped inside.

She entered the smoky residence and located the woman next to an oven that was on fire.

Officer Arnold arrived on the scene, entered the house and helped Officer Muro carry the woman out of the house.

Chief Loreno said both Muro and Arnold went well beyond the call of duty to save the woman’s life.

Both officers said they don’t see themselves as heroes – they were simply doing what they were trained to do.

Two Ohio lawmakers have introduced legislation to allow township residents to vote on whether wind farms could be built in their communities.

The companion bills were introduced by State Representative Bill Reineke of Tiffin and Senator Rob McColley of Napoleon.

The legislation would allow people to file a petition for a referendum with their local board of elections.

If they collect the required number of signatures, the decision would then be put before voters in the next primary or general election.

Reineke said no one should be told how to manage their property by outsiders, and the legislation gives property owners control over what happens in their backyard

For months now residents in Seneca County and other counties in northern Ohio have complained that state law shuts them out of the process of determining where wind farms can go.

A measure repealing Ohio’s sales tax on tampons and other feminine hygiene products has been signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.

The measure was included in another bill that provides a tax credit to teachers who buy school supplies.

Democratic State Representative Brigid Kelly of Cincinnati, and Republican State Representative Niraj Antani of Miamisburg co-sponsored the original legislation repealing the so-called “pink tax.”

Most states still tax tampons and other menstrual products.

They’re often classified as “luxury items” rather than necessities that might not be taxed, such as food or medical supplies.

Ohio is among about a dozen states that have recently changed such policies.

The University Of Findlay’s Helping Hands Food Drive brought in a record-breaking amount of food this year.

A total of 115,867 pounds of food was collected this year, breaking last year’s record of 111,436 pounds.

David Harr, the university’s director of dining services, says all the food donated will stay in Findlay and Hancock County.

“It all goes to CHOPIN Hall, and they will help supply those in need in the community.”

Not only did this year’s haul of food break the record, but it also surpassed the goal that was set of 115,000 pounds.

“We really appreciate all the support every year, it takes a community to support a community and we definitely have that here in Findlay,” Harr added.

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(ONN) – A measure to make amusement park rides safer in Ohio has been signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.

Tyler’s Law is named after Tyler Jarrell, who was killed two years ago when he was thrown from a ride at the Ohio State Fair.

Tyler’s mom has pushed for the changes since her son’s death.

“It’s a labor of love, not only for Tyler’s memory but for the future, and so we don’t have to stand here like this again,” said Tyler’s mom, Amber Duffield.

Tyler was killed and seven others injured when the FireBall ride broke apart in 2017.

Tyler’s Law calls for stronger safety regulations, including more ride inspections and better record keeping.

The Hancock County Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting two informational meetings for available grants to support local events.

The meetings will be at the Alliance Boardroom on November 13 at 3 pm and November 14 at 9:30 am.

The meetings will go over what grants are available for local events and give attendees early access to applications.

The 2020 applications will be live to everyone after the meetings.

You can register by emailing info@visitfindlay.com and indicating which date you plan on attending.

You can also learn more at VisitFindlay.com

So how did Hancock County’s new voting machines handle their first election?

The board of elections says the new machines worked great, and they received no complaints or concerns from poll workers or voters.

Richard Sullivan was the voting location manager at St. Marks United Methodist Church on Election Day.

“Everyone seems to be happy with the machines,” he said. “I know that we as workers are, they’re easier to work with and to find the information that we need.”

He said not only are the new voting machines nice, but the new check-in system for voters is also more efficient.

The new voting machines will next be used in the March primary election on March 17th, and then in the general election in November of 2020.

The Hancock County Board of Elections says voter turnout was 22.89 percent on Tuesday, which they say is comparable to similar off-year elections.

11,302 people voted out of the 49,384 who are registered.

A big honor for a Findlay Police sergeant who trains first responders on how to better deal with people suffering from mental illness and addiction.

Sergeant Dan Harmon was presented with the statewide CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Coordinator of the year award in Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s a very honorable award and I’m very humbled to get it,” Harmon told WFIN News.

Sgt. Harmon heads up the training of all first responders in the county on how to deal with people in crisis from a mental health or addiction issue.

He says it’s a 40-hour training session and sometimes they’ll do advanced training throughout the year.

He says the CIT model reduces both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system.

“The whole idea of crisis intervention is to keep people with mental and addictions out of the criminal justice system because we want to get them the help they need instead of punishing them as a criminal.”

In September, Sgt. Harmon was presented with NAMI Hancock County’s Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year Award during the Suicide Prevention Vigil & Butterfly Release in Findlay.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a driver ran a stop sign, causing a crash that injured three people.

It happened at Township Road 236 and County Road 18, northeast of Findlay, at around 9:30 Tuesday night.

Crash investigators say Lukas Kaulitz, 27, of Findlay, was driving south on Township Road 236 when he failed to stop at the stop sign with County Road 18 and was struck by a car driven by Monica Gundrum, 36, of Fostoria, who was driving southwest on County Road 18.

Front airbags deployed in both vehicles.

Kaulitz, a 16-year-old who was in his vehicle, and Gundrum were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital.

The extent of their injuries was not released.

Kaulitz was cited for failing to yield at a stop sign.

A Hocking County Juvenile Court judge says the two teenagers accused of killing a woman on Labor Day can be tried as adults.

The two teens were told in separate hearings that they would be tried as adults in the death of Victoria Shafer as she took photos near Old Man’s Cave at Hocking Hills State Park.

Prosecutors say the two 16-year-olds, identified as Jaden Churchheus and Jordan Buckley, pushed a 75-pound log from a cliff above the cave, which landed on Shafer and killed her.

Churchheus and Buckley are both being held on bonds of $100,000.

Each teen said the other was the one who pushed the log from the cliff.