Bluffton Hospital, part of Blanchard Valley Health System, will be undergoing a $4.5 million expansion of services that includes the development of a Women’s Center of Bluffton Hospital.  New services available at Bluffton Hospital will include robotic-assisted surgery, pelvic pain center and medical spa.  Services will be added throughout 2016, with construction completing and all services being open to the community in 2017.

Two public meetings will be held to plan spring tree plantings with neighborhoods selected for the 2016 Findlay NeighborWoods Projects.  Meetings have scheduled Monday, February 1, at the Millstream Career Center at 7pm in The Café for residents around the area of Howard Street and Broad Avenue.  For residents in the Greystone and Stonehedge Streets area, a meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2, at 7pm at Fire Station #4 on County Road 36.   Representatives of the Shade Tree Commission will outline the NeighborWoods projects, show maps and take applications to participate.

Randall S. Bendure, the attorney representing Pantry Plus of Seneca County, said the organization was not evicted from the Tiffin Mall, but chose to leave.  Bendure said Pantry Plus paid all of its rent to the Tiffin Mall in a timely manner — including for the whole 2015 calendar year — but the owner/agent of the shopping center “refused to cash” the checks. It was then when the mall’s owner initiated eviction proceedings.  According to documents filed with Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court, Tiffin Mall Realty Management, LLC filed to evict the Pantry on Aug. 18. Pantry Plus filed its counter-complaint on Sept. 2.  Both sides filed for voluntary dismissal of their claims on Jan. 6 and went their separate ways. Beginning Feb. 6, Pantry Plus will host its bingo nights at the Tiffin Moose Lodge, located at 1146 N. Ohio 53.

Duane J. Davidson, 16, of Upper Sandusky, was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident on US 23 at TH 44 Wednesday evening.  A release from Wyandot County Sheriff's Office states Davidson was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Venture east on TH 44 and failed to yield to a semi and trailer being driven north on US 23.  After impact, the vehicles went off the right side of the road and came to rest in a field about 200 feet east of US 23, it states…A junior at Upper Sandusky High School, Davidson is remembered as a well-know and well-liked boy who had the best smile.

The Wood County Commissioners appointed Kelly O’Boyle of Waterville to serve as Assistant County Administrator.  O’Boyle’s duties will include preparation and management of the county budget, supervision of the fiscal and clerical staff within the Commissioners’ Office, and working closely with the County Administrator to provide guidance to projects for Commissioners’ departments.  The Assistant County Administrator also serves as the Director of the Wood County Solid Waste Management District, including the Wood County Landfill.  Her employment with Wood County will begin on February 16, 2016.

Putnam County Sheriff Michael Chandler died early Wednesday as a result of complications from surgery at St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima.  The 65 year old Chandler of Fort Jennings, served in the sheriff’s office for more than 30 years.  Lt. David Roney was sworn in as the interim sheriff Wednesday afternoon and will oversee the administrative duties and operations of the sheriff’s office and adult detention facility until the Putnam County Republican Central Committee appoints a successor to finish out Chandler’s term.
 

Findlay High School’s “We the People” civics team won first place in the 29th annual We the People state championship last Friday at the Ohio Statehouse.  Findlay has won the state title 15 consecutive years and 25 out of the 29 state championships.  The team now advances to the national finals at the University of Maryland.  We the People is a competition where students present a four-minute presentation on a variety of different constitutional issues followed by a six-minute follow-up session, where judges ask questions related to their presentations or their topics.
 

The University of Findlay has announced that Shiv Gupta, a retired UF economics and marketing professor, has made a major donation toward construction of the Center for Student Life and College of Business building.  One of the building’s two auditoriums will be named the Shiv K. and Elizabeth Gupta Grand Auditorium in his and his late wife’s honor.  Gupta retired in 2015 after 45 years with the university, where he helped to develop the College of Business and many of its programs.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed Wednesday that the next generation Jeep Wrangler will offer a hybrid and diesel option and that they will be built in Toledo.  Marchionne said he wants to put more emphasis on Jeep, as the company expects Jeep sales to double to $2 million worldwide by 2018.  Low gas prices and new models are two of the reasons for the optimism.  And although he did not mention any effect on employment at Toledo's Jeep complex, he said the new Wrangler, at its home in Toledo, will have quote "additional production capacity." 

A convenience store robber in North Baltimore may be connected to a recent string of Findlay robberies.  Fuel Mart in North Baltimore was robbed Monday night.  The suspect flashed a black handgun and was described as a white male wearing a dark colored mask.  Findlay police said they are working with Wood County authorities to see if the same suspect is responsible for recent robberies at the Mobile gas station, Thunderbird Drive-Thru and Crystal Avenue Circle K.
 

Nox Corporation of Fostoria celebrated its opening yesterday with a ribbon cutting at is location on US 23 just south of Fostoria.  Proclamations were read by Fostoria Mayor Eric Keckler and representatives of Ohio State Auditor David Yost and Ohio Secretary of State John Husted.  Nox Corporate Plant Manager Charles Kim presented a donation to the United Way of Fostoria as a sign of appreciation to the community.  Earlier this week, Nox announced that it had received a state tax credit that will allow for the creation of 150 jobs.

Hancock County will spend about $1.4 million on road and bridge improvements in 2016.  A total of 11 and one quarter miles will be resurfaced throughout the county this year.  The Hancock County Engineer’s Office is also planning to replace five bridges at a total cost of $740,000.  The capital improvements were approved Tuesday by the commissioners.
 

Seneca County commissioners discussed the new justice center at their most recent meeting.  Seneca County Board of Commissioners President Holly Stacy said work was continuing on the project, and the Joint Justice Center Leadership Team met Friday, and discussion included the news that contracts soon are to be signed with the project's architect and construction manager at-risk.  She said she expected contracts to be signed before the next leadership team meeting Feb. 26.  She said once contracts are signed and preliminary work to examine the construction site is done, organizers can create a project schedule.

Back in August of 2015, Bowling Green State University discovered irregularities with the way cash was being handled at Ohio High School Athletic Association tournaments held at the Stroh Center.  In response, BGSU immediately suspended Ben Spence, the Director of the Stroh Center at the time, who then later resigned in October.  The Wood County Prosecutor's Office has since been conducting an investigation.  At this point, where the money went is still unknown.  The prosecutor's office says the earliest this case could go before the grand jury would be next week. 

NOX Corporation of Fostoria received a state tax credit this week that will add 150 jobs at an average salary of $31,200 per year.  The tax which is worth $336,000 over six years was approved Monday by the State Tax Credit Authority.  NOX is a South Korea based vinyl tile maker whose first US factory will have its open house this morning at 11am at its new location on US 23 south of Fostoria.

The Gibbs Building in downtown Findlay that was severely damaged by a Friday night fire was to be boarded up Monday night.  Mayor Lydia Mihalik said she wasn’t sure what would happen to the buildings, but said there was “significant damage” and that “some major moves” would need to take place to keep them standing and functional.  Fire officials don’t think the buildings are at risk of collapsing and should be released to their owners today.

Third Ward Tiffin City Councilwoman Lori Ritzler has accepted the deputy direct position at the Seneca County Board of Elections.  According to officials from Secretary of State Jon Husted's office and Tiffin City Law Director Brent Howard, there are technically no conflicts of interest in a city council member working at the board of elections.  However, Ritzler said she will resign from council in the near future.  Former Deputy Director Jim Ehrman will now serve as director.

The Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department is considering a levy for the November ballot.  The current three year levy was passed in 2013.  The 1.4 mill levy generated over $634,000 a year.  The new levy’s millage will be decided by a committee with consideration to additional land and facilities that are now in place.  Additionally, the department will be moving to a 5-year master plan instead of longer-range plans that have been used in the past.

At the Findlay Rotary’s weekly meeting, Hancock County Commissioners Phillip Riegle and Brian Robertson gave an update on the county.  According to the Commissioners, the finances of the county are improving with lower unemployment and fewer foreclosures and food assistance requests.  Additionally, the county sales tax recorded record collections of $14.2 million dollars.  In 2016, the commissioner’s office will be working on connecting to a dark fiber ring, security updates to the courthouse and various courts, drainage around the courthouse and new windows for the structure.

Findlay school board has agreed to spend $471,000 to upgrade a Romick Parkway property where city school buses will be parked, making the total cost of property improvements almost $1 million.  The renovations include adding restrooms, offices, an area for bus maintenance, and training rooms for employee.  Officials said more renovations than the district had anticipated were required to bring the building up to state standards.  The money will come from the district’s permanent improvement fund.

Fostoria police and agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs arrested three people for allegedly attempting to defraud a senior citizen.  According to a news release from Fostoria Police Chief Keith Loreno, Fostoria Police Department had identified a victim of a telephone scam; and after what he called a fast-paced investigation, officers arrested the suspects who arrived in an attempt to “fraudulently gain monies.”  Patricia Stuward, Sampson Cojolo and Tanor Tody were arrested and claimed to be citizens of Monrovia Liberia.  Stuward and Cojolo were both charged with grand Tody was charged with attempted grand theft.  The trio also faces additional charges pending the conclusion of the investigation. 
 

Firefighters continue to monitor the fire damaged Gibbs Building on North Main Street in downtown Findlay.  The building caught fire Friday evening.  Findlay Fire Chief Josh Eberle said the majority of the blaze was extinguished around 5 a.m. Saturday.  Thirty-two Findlay firefighters responded to the blaze. An additional four firefighters came from Fostoria Fire Department, along with equipment.  Firefighters began attacking the fire from the interior, but structural collapses forced the department to fight the blaze from the outside.  The fire was contained primarily to the upstairs floors and did not spread to the ground floor business which include an American Loan Mortgage Corporation office and the Star Pawn Shop.  No injuries were report but 11 families were affected by the blaze.

A safe and two registers were stolen from Xcaret Mexican Restaurant located at 870 W. Market Street in Tiffin Saturday night.  The Tiffin Police Department said officers found the front door smashed in Sunday morning.  Bryant said there are no suspects at this time and the incident still is being investigated.  No one was injured during the break-in.

Fostoria police officer Cory D. Brian is facing disciplinary action after he was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated last weekend.  Brian was arrested by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on January 17 and charged with one count of OVI and one count of lanes of travel upon roadways.  He pleaded not guilty to both charges last Tuesday during his arraignment.  Brian was on leave from his duties at Fostoria Police Department for the days leading up to his court appearance due to a temporary suspension of his driving privileges.  Court records indicate Brian appealed his license suspension and his privileges were reinstated. He has since returned to work.

David Zak is returning as president and CEO at Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp., five months after leaving the post for a position at Tiffin University.  Zak led SIEDC from January 2014 to Sept. 11, 2015.  He started as TU's vice president of university advancement and economic development Sept. 14 and resigned that post at the end of December.

Family Farm & Home  will be moving into the former DeHaven Home & Garden Showplace on 224 East in Findlay.  The business sells hardware, automotive, pet supplies, clothing, farm supplies, livestock feed, lawn and garden items and alternative heating.  No opening date is available, but the company plans on making $30,000 worth of interior improvements.  Family Farm & Home is headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan, and has 40 retail stores: 34 in Michigan; two in Indiana; and four in Ohio, located in Bowling Green, Defiance, Bucyrus and Austintown.

Cooper Tire and Rubber CEO Roy Armes is urging Gov. John Kasich to reject proposed income-guarantee plans by AEP and FirstEnergy.  According to Armes, if approved by Ohio regulators, the proposal “will make it more difficult for Cooper Tire and other Ohio manufacturers to remain competitive in the global markets.  The utilities say the the power purchase agreements are necessary hedges against open-market volatility that, in the long run, will benefit consumers. Opponents say it could cost consumer billions of dollars.

 Police in Toledo say they arrested a janitor at a charter school during an after-hours party he threw for his birthday.  Officers say they found the man passed out at the school last weekend after responding to reports of a fight.  Police say Devon Loggins of Toledo used his keys to get inside and throw the party.  He pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct on Tuesday.  Ten other people were cited on charges that include trespassing or unruliness.

The Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office will be requesting a maximum prison sentence today for Kevin J. Potts of McComb who attacked an off-duty corrections officer inside his Arlington residence in June.  Potts will be sentenced for aggravated burglary and felonious assault, both with firearm specifications.  He could face up to 22 years in prison.  On June 25, Potts broke into the home of John Shepard, an off-duty corrections officer.  Potts targeted the residence after his girlfriend, Lori Welly, was sentenced for falsely claiming that the corrections officer sexually assaulted her in 2014.

The Fostoria Garden Club announced that the Fostoria Farmer’s Market will move to a new location.  The markets will take place in the green space at the corner of Main and Tiffin Streets.  The move was necessitated by the sale of the former KeyBank on West Tiffin Street.

Fostoria Economic Development Corporation President Renee Smith gave the organization’s successful 2015 progress report to City Council last night.  Smith talked about the FEDC’s efforts that included $51 million investment in the city by new and existing companies.  She said 374 new jobs were created in Fostoria within the last 18 months and over $300,000 in grants were obtained through the office.  The FEDC also gave out over $14,000 to six downtown building owners last year as part of the Downtown Facade Enhancement Program.

Pay raises were a topic at last night’s Findlay City Council meeting.  A change in Findlay’s 2016 pay ordinance allowed the administration to grant a 22 percent raise to Findlay’s safety service director without City Council’s authorization.  Previous pay ordinances required the administration to consult council when giving a pay raise greater than 8 percent to a non-elected official.  That restriction was not in this year’s ordinance.  Council members Tim Watson and Holly Frische want council to have a say in large pay increases.  Legislation was then introduced at Watson’s request, would require the administration to seek authorization from council for raises of more than 4 percent.

The Seneca County Prosecutor's Office filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss a charge against Charles V. Schaeffer of Fostoria who was found guilty of charges in connection to a fatal fire in 2014.  Prosecutor Derek DeVine said Schaeffer is already serving a life sentence based on the case, and it seemed to him it was not worth the expense of a second trial to get the same result of Schaeffer serving a life sentence.  Shey Weiker who is serving a life sentence and Timoth D. Hall who is serving a 30-month sentence are also incarcerated for their roles in the fire.

The University of Findlay released its latest enrollment numbers.  A total of 3,925 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled for spring 2016, up 6% from the spring 2015 semester.  The university said it is the seventh consecutive semester that enrollment has increased.

Former Findlay resident, Ismael Gonzalez, who was wanted on a parole violation led law enforcement on a 50-mile chase from Findlay to Sandusky County before he was apprehended Tuesday afternoon.  Officers from the Special Assignment Unit of the Findlay Police Department attempted to stop Gonzalez’s vehicle on Tiffin Avenue.  According to police, Gonzalez fled eastbound on Tiffin Avenue before heading north on county roads into Wood County.  The chase continued east into Sandusky County.  The chase ended when Gonzalez’s car crashed into a ditch on Sandusky County 106, northeast of Lindsey.  The pursuit lasted more than a half-hour.  Gonzalez is facing a charge of aggravated possession of drugs in Hancock County Common Pleas Court.  On Jan. 6, he failed to report to the adult probation department as directed, and a warrant was issued for his arrest

North Baltimore officials expressed frustration that the CSX rail yard has not brought the anticipated economic development to the area.  Wade Gottschalk, director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission, said his office has been trying to lure prospective businesses to that area.  Gottschalk suggested that council concentrate on developing zoning, utilities and traffic access to other economic development sites in North Baltimore.

Fostoria Economic Development Corporation President Renee Smith gave the organization’s successful 2015 progress report to City Council last night.  Smith talked about the FEDC’s efforts that included $51 million investment in the city by new and existing companies.  She said 374 new jobs were created in Fostoria within the last 18 months and over $300,000 in grants were obtained through the office.  The FEDC also gave out over $14,000 to six downtown building owners last year as part of the Downtown Facade Enhancement Program.

Pay raises were a topic at last night’s Findlay City Council meeting.  A change in Findlay’s 2016 pay ordinance allowed the administration to grant a 22 percent raise to Findlay’s safety service director without City Council’s authorization.  Previous pay ordinances required the administration to consult council when giving a pay raise greater than 8 percent to a non-elected official.  That restriction was not in this year’s ordinance.  Council members Tim Watson and Holly Frische want council to have a say in large pay increases.  Legislation was then introduced at Watson’s request, would require the administration to seek authorization from council for raises of more than 4 percent.

The Seneca County Prosecutor's Office filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss a charge against Charles V. Schaeffer of Fostoria who was found guilty of charges in connection to a fatal fire in 2014.  Prosecutor Derek DeVine said Schaeffer is already serving a life sentence based on the case, and it seemed to him it was not worth the expense of a second trial to get the same result of Schaeffer serving a life sentence.  Shey Weiker who is serving a life sentence and Timoth D. Hall who is serving a 30-month sentence are also incarcerated for their roles in the fire.

The University of Findlay released its latest enrollment numbers.  A total of 3,925 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled for spring 2016, up 6% from the spring 2015 semester.  The university said it is the seventh consecutive semester that enrollment has increased.

Former Findlay resident, Ismael Gonzalez, who was wanted on a parole violation led law enforcement on a 50-mile chase from Findlay to Sandusky County before he was apprehended Tuesday afternoon.  Officers from the Special Assignment Unit of the Findlay Police Department attempted to stop Gonzalez’s vehicle on Tiffin Avenue.  According to police, Gonzalez fled eastbound on Tiffin Avenue before heading north on county roads into Wood County.  The chase continued east into Sandusky County.  The chase ended when Gonzalez’s car crashed into a ditch on Sandusky County 106, northeast of Lindsey.  The pursuit lasted more than a half-hour.  Gonzalez is facing a charge of aggravated possession of drugs in Hancock County Common Pleas Court.  On Jan. 6, he failed to report to the adult probation department as directed, and a warrant was issued for his arrest

North Baltimore officials expressed frustration that the CSX rail yard has not brought the anticipated economic development to the area.  Wade Gottschalk, director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission, said his office has been trying to lure prospective businesses to that area.  Gottschalk suggested that council concentrate on developing zoning, utilities and traffic access to other economic development sites in North Baltimore.

A memorial service has been rescheduled next month in Findlay, the hometown of Ohio congressman Mike Oxley, who died January 1st. The service will be at the University of Findlay on February 5th. Oxley died at age 71 in Virginia after suffering from a type of lung cancer seen in nonsmokers. Oxley spent 25 years in Congress, rarely facing a close election in his rural northwest Ohio district.

Carey Council approved an emergency ordinance Monday granting Wagner Ford a 100 percent, five-year property tax abatement for construction of a new dealership building on South Vance Street.  The abatement is available through the village’s community reinvestment area program, which allows companies to receive tax breaks for new construction or extensive remodeling that retains and creates jobs.  The company will retain 13 jobs, and add eight full-time jobs and four part-time jobs.

State Senator Cliff Hite and State Representative Robert Sprague will pursue funding to fix Main Street in the Village of Arlington.  Needed curb, sidewalk and pavement repairs have been estimated at $4 million. Council would budget $1 million if $3 million in state dollars can be found.  A heavy amount of auto and tractor-trailer traffic has translated into big repair bills for the village.
 

A 14-year-old girl in Shawnee Township outside of Lima has been reported missing.  Fourteen year-old Samantha Cowen has been reported missing since January 10.  Samantha has sandy hair and brown eyes.  She was reported as being 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds.  Officials at the Shawnee Township Police Department said Monday they have received a few tips, but the tips did not reveal her location after they were followed up on.  Police Department officials have asked that anyone with information on Samantha’s disappearance to call 419-227-1115.

A 39-year-old Scott B. Alesch of Findlay was arrested Friday night after an hour-long standoff with police at a West Street residence.  Police responded to a dispute between an adult male and an adult female or a juvenile female.  When they knocked at the front door, Alesch stated that he had a gun and threatened to harm an adult female and three children in the house, and the officers.  The Police Department’s Crisis Management Team was called in, and at 8:42 p.m. two team members took Alesch into custody.  He is now facing domestic violence and endangering children charges…
 

The city of Tiffin once again has $100,000 to award to downtown businesses looking to improve their buildings as part of the Facade Enhancement Grant Program.  The Facade Enhancement Program was started in September 2014, when Tiffin's city council agreed to provide $50,000 in matching grant funds to encourage downtown building owners to make improvements to their properties before the end of the year.  Improvements that may qualify for grants include awnings,  masonry work, painting, repair, restoration, or replacement of exterior windows and doors and the like.  Interested applicants can call (419) 619-5517 for an application.

The Mobil gas station on Main Street in Findlay was robbed by a man with a gun Sunday night.  According to police, the robber entered the gas station, produced a handgun and demanded money from the cash register.  The cashier handed the money over to the robber, who fled on foot to the northeast.  The robbery was the third in Findlay in the past week…According to police, the Thunderbird Drive-Thru and the Crystal Avenue Circle K were both held up within 24 hours on Thursday.  No arrests have been made in any robbery.

Area schools were given a look a some of the state’s school report card.  The vast majority schools did not fare well in kindergarten through third grade literacy which shows how well schools assist struggling readers.  Arlington, Bluffton and Carey were the only schools to receive a B grade.  All others fared worse.  In four year graduation rates, most schools received an A or B with the exception of Fostoria which received an F and Lakota a D.

Congratulations to Jeffrey’s Antiques Gallery that was voted Best Antique Shop and  to Dietsch Brothers that was voted Best Ice Cream in the annual Ohio Magazine Readers’ Ballot.  Dietsch Brothers was also chosen as a favorite of the editorial staff.  For more information and a full listing of Best Of Ohio voting, visit www.ohiomagazine.com.

The Findlay City Planning Commission has conditionally approved plans for the Hancock Hotel.  Marathon plans to construct the $20 million, five story hotel on the northeast corner of Main and Lincoln Streets in downtown Findlay.  Construction is set to begin this spring, but the company will need Findlay City Council approval about vacating a 10 by 60 foot section of public right of way in front of the proposed hotel.  The area is needed to accommodate pillars that will support a canopy.

The Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities announced Thursday that Superintendent Connie Ament has stepped down. Ament, who was expected to retire on March 31, will remain available as a consultant until that date.  Assistant Superintendent Kelli Grisham will take over the superintendent duties at Blanchard Valley Center beginning Sunday.  No reason was given for Ament’s earlier-than-anticipated departure.

Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz named former Mercy Tiffin Hospital president and CEO Dale Thornton as his choice for city administrator.  Thornton was hired by Mercy Tiffin Hospital in 2003 and retired in 2013.  He is an adjunct professor in the School of Business at Heidelberg University.  Thornton said he anticipates starting the job Feb. 1, pending approval of Tiffin City Council.

Representatives from Columbia Gas hosted two informational meetings at the Wood County District Public Library to tell Bowling Green residents what to expect during a gas line replacement project.  More than 10,000 feet of natural gas lines will be upgraded during the first quarter of the year, affecting 360 residents.  The project area includes East Poe Road; Frazee, Leroy, Reed, Merry and Evers Avenues; and Main, Prospect, Summit and Enterprise Streets.

The dismissal of Hopewell-Loudon football coach Jeremy Nutter was the main topic at the Board of Education’s meeting last night.  School district resident Cathy Brooks told the board that many players were upset by the action and they wanted to know what they could do to keep him.  Brooks was not given any direction by the board on how to proceed, only being told someone would get back to her in a few days.  When asked if the coach had been suspended or dismissed, board members said only that all sports coaches’ contracts had not been renewed as a pro-forma move.  There was no mention by the board why the coach was informed he would not be returning as a coach next year if no formal decisions have been made on offering Nutter or any other coach contracts for next year.
 

An early morning convenience store robbery is under investigation in Findlay. The Findlay Police Department reports they are investigating an early morning store robbery at the Crystal Avenue Circle K.  Around 1:20am, a man entered the business and demanded money from the cash register. The suspect told the attendant he had a gun, although he never showed a weapon. The man was given cash, and left the business without further incident.  The suspect was wearing a black hoodie, dark pants, glasses, gloves, and a blue bandana over his face.

The search for Tiffin's new city administrator may be close to an end.  Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz hopes to have an announcement by Friday or the following Monday.  Although negotiations are ongoing, Montz said a candidate who is "more than qualified" contacted him about the position after reading about recent developments in the search.  Last week, Montz reported he and the city's department heads had agreed to try to locate a local candidate for the position after agreeing that the two finalists who were interviewed were not the right "fit" for the job.

North Baltimore Schools announced that Greg Bishop resigned as the high school’s football coach.  Bishop wants to pursue opportunities closer to his teaching position in Tiffin.  Bishop’s first team went 2-8. But his last two went 5-5 and included the school’s transition from the Midland Athletic League into the Blanchard Valley Conference.

Fostoria’s Great Scot supermarket will close at the end of the month due to slumping profits.  Fresh Encounter, the Findlay-based parent company of Great Scot, announced it will close the Plaza Drive site by January 29, but it could close sooner if all inventory is sold before then.  39 jobs will be affected.  The decision comes less than one month after the Great Scot sold its prescription drug records to the Rite Aid Pharmacy on North Countyline Street.

The City of Findlay plans to spend the same on resurfacing roads in 2016 as in 2015.  During an informal committee-of-the-whole meeting, Officials briefed City Council members on the $2.4 million paving plan.  The city will resurface around 15 to 20 roads this year.  The city will also look at upgrading the intersections of Blanchard and Sixth streets, Blanchard and Sandusky streets, and West Sandusky Street and Western Avenue, where railroad tracks run through the intersection.  The upgrades could include roundabouts at the intersections of Blanchard and Sixth streets, and West Sandusky Street and Western Avenue.

During yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting, Findlay council members were briefed on the city’s decision to pay $500,000 to install a “fiber loop” for its Internet use and phone system, and to join a fiber network.  The network will be a collaboration with Findlay schools and will make data speeds more than 100 times faster at city facilities.  Seventh Ward Councilman Tim Watson said the city and school district should think about expanding the network once it’s in place, and consider offering paid use of the network to residents and businesses. 

There’s good news for Columbia Gas customers.  They can expect to pay about $28 less on average in January, or about 22 percent less.  The average natural gas bill for a household buying natural gas from Columbia is projected to be $98.73 in January, down from an average of $126.60 in January 2015.  A glut of natural gas has caused U.S. prices to drop.

The Hancock Park District Commissioners approved a resolution to submit a state grant application, to complete a paved trail near District headquarters on East Main Cross Street.  The trail begins at Eastpoint boat launch along the Blanchard River and extends toward the business office building, where it stops.  If approved, the grant funds would pay to complete the trail to the adjacent park district office.  Separately, a request to fund the construction of a gazebo at Riverbend Recreation Area was approved by the Hancock Parks Foundation trustees. 

Mennel Milling Company of Fostoria is planning on a $40-50 million revitalization of its plant.  The company’s 2020 Plan is a 10-year project to improve the Fostoria plant by integrating all aspects of the business into one location and to expand its grain storage capabilities.  The Fostoria’s corporate office on Crocker Street will be moved to the former Seneca Wire building on Vine Street.  The second phase of the bin replacement program to allow for more grain storage is also being worked on.
 

Old Fort Banking Company employees’ stock and 401(k) plan has bought a 45 percent interest in the bank.  According to bank CEO Michael Spragg, the sale, initiated by the bank, will boost employee pride and service and help attract and retain talented employees.  The driving force for the move was Dianne Gillmor Krumsee, the bank board’s chairman, who wanted to preserve the bank’s Gillmor family legacy and community focus.

State Rep. Robert Sprague announced his support for new opioid prescription guidelines.  The Centers for Disease Control is establishing new guidelines for how opioids should be prescribed and are designed to curb addiction by encouraging patients to use over the­ counter painkillers first, recommending prescription time limits, urging lower doses, and monitoring people taking opioids.  Sprague hopes the new guidelines will cut down on the number of opioids prescribed.

Governor John Kasich will again make the main primetime stage when Republicans hold their next presidential debate Thursday night in South Carolina. Fox last night announced the debate lineup, bumping Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina to the so-called undercard.

Fiat Chrysler announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show that a new Jeep pickup will be built in Toledo this coming fall, along with the next-generation Wrangler the city of Toledo fought so hard to keep.  The new production will keep the Toledo workforce employed along with increased production of a new Wrangler.   

Alvie Perkins, Wood County's longest-serving commissioner has passed away Friday morning.  He was 82.  Perkins began his political career as a Bowling Green City councilman in 1971. He spent two terms on council before becoming mayor.  After that, he continued as a Wood County Commissioner for nearly 20 years.

A standoff between police and an armed man ended peacefully early Saturday at a Fostoria trailer park.  Fostoria police were called Friday evening to Nye’s Trailer Park on North Countyline Street about 27 year old Theodor Schmidt who was threatening to commit suicide and was willing to kill any officers who confronted him.  After refusing to speak to anyone, Schmidt came out of his house and was taken into custody shortly after midnight.  A loaded shotgun was found inside the residence when it was searched.  Schmidt is being evaluated and charges are pending.

The Upper Sandusky Police Department arrested a driver Friday for having more than 1,200 oxycodone pills during a traffic stop.  The suspect’s name has not been released by the department.  The vehicle was stopped for one headlight and no license plate.  The department’s canine was used to check the vehicle.  Marijuana remnants were also located throughout the vehicle.  The driver is being held on a charge of possession of a schedule I or II controlled substance.  Further charges are possible, the department said.

Daniel D. Betts of Findlay pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.  The charges stem from the death of John and Kimberly Clark, of Fostoria when the truck Betts was driving struck the Clark’s who were on a motorcycle.  In exchange for his pleas, two alternative charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and another drunken driving charge will be dismissed.  A prison sentence ranging between 10 and 16 years was recommended by the prosecutor’s office, but Betts could face up to 22 years behind bars.  Betts will be sentenced on March 3.
 

A northwest Ohio man has been convicted of murder in the death of his 3-month-old son. A Wood County judge on Wednesday found James Henderson guilty of murder, felonious assault and endangering children in the 2014 death of Brandon Henderson. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced in March.

Findlay officials and residents of the Hunter’s Creek subdivision met to address concerns about the Army Corps of Engineers Blanchard River flood control plan.  Findlay Safety-Service Director Paul Schmelzer said the corps’ current plan will not have any impact on the subdivision.  He stated that plumbing problems account for most of the basement flooding in the subdivision.  Once the Army Corps releases its final report on the Blanchard River flood-control study city officials can develop “local options” to drop the flood level of Lye Creek, which should reduce street flooding in the subdivision.

Jaimye Benedict, a former North Baltimore financial clerk, has been sentenced for misappropriating village money for her own use.  Benedict must spend 30 days in jail and perform 300 hours community service.  Court documents stated that while a billing clerk for North Baltimore, Benedict stole more than $7,500 in property or services from 2012 to 2014.

A Thursday morning fire at an abandoned building in Fostoria resulted in no injuries.  No property damage was sustained after a fire at the former site of Seneca Wire and Manufacturing Company on Vine Street.  It took about 10 to 15 minutes to extinguish the fire.  A Fostoria fire division spokesman said the building was vacant and is scheduled to be torn down.

A man in Hancock County was killed in a hunting accident Thursday.  The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says they received a report of a man lying in a field near Township Road 135 just south of State Route 613 in Portage Township.  Upon investigation, police determined that the man had been hunting when the shotgun he was carrying went off.  Police say the man sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.  The identity of the man is being withheld while authorities notify the family.  The incident remains under investigation.  

The American Red Cross Ohio Buckeye Region has set up a toll free phone line and an online form to accept requests for free home fire safety visits and smoke alarm installations, as part of the Home Fire Campaign.  Call 1-844-207-4509 to request a free home safety visit and smoke alarm installation from the Red Cross and our local partners.  The Red Cross is also recruiting local volunteers to join the Home Fire Campaign team.  

Fostoria Fire Division will be adding three new members.  Seven candidates who have passed a physical agility test in May 2015, as well as written tests will be interviewed today.  The new personnel will replace three current firefighters who have left or will be leaving the division.  The Division plans are to fill the three potentially vacant positions as soon as possible as the division is down two men.
 

Two former University of Findlay athletes who were expelled in 2014 for sexually assaulting a female student are suing the university for allegedly conducting a “sham investigation.”  Alphonso Baity, who was a junior basketball guard from Henderson, Kentucky, and Justin Browning, who was a sophomore football defensive back from Detroit, were dismissed from the university after they were accused of sexually assaulting a freshman student in a university-owned house on campus on Sept. 21, 2014.  The lawsuit claims that university representatives intentionally discriminated against the two black athletes in terms of race, ethnicity and gender.  The federal lawsuit claims that the university failed to interview all relevant witnesses, including the alleged victim.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has purchased a majority interest in Qingdao Ge Rui Da Rubber Co. in China to increase its production of truck and bus tires.  The $93 million investment will fill a gap left in December 2014 when Cooper’s former Chinese partner, Chengshan Group, bought Cooper’s 65 percent ownership in a huge plant.  Most of Cooper’s $93 million will be invested in the operation, and production increases at the factory.

Lillian Schumacher has been appointed by Tiffin University Board of Trustees to serve as interim president, effective Monday.  She was appointed following the resignation of Curtis Charles Dec. 30.  Schumacher has been at TU since July 2010, first as dean of the School of Business and most recently as vice president for Academic Affairs.  She has more than 27 years of experience in higher education and corporate environments.

Bowling Green State University is banning all hoverboards from their campus.  The university says the hoverboards present a safety issue.  But they’re not the only university to have concerns.  Recent reports of spontaneous fires have several others on the fence as well, especially with the possibility of the boards being used inside dormitories.  The university says if a student is found with a hoverboard on campus, it will be confiscated and the student could face disciplinary action. 

Fostoria City Council took one step closer to providing upgrades to the boat dock at Lake Lamberjack, also known as Reservoir 3.  The city will now be seeking bids for the work.  Fostoria was awarded a $118,000 grant last year from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to fund the project.  The grant will cover 100 percent of the costs associated with the construction.

Findlay Safety-Service Director Paul Schmelzer was granted a nearly 22 percent pay raise when Findlay City Council approved the 2016 budget Tuesday.  Schmelzer will be making just under $147,000 per year.  First Ward Councilwoman Holly Frische objected, saying council was not informed about Schmelzer’s raise.  Frische tried to amend the budget Tuesday to reduce Schmelzer’s salary to last year’s amount, but she didn’t receive any support from other council members.

The Fostoria Great Scot supermarket has closed its pharmacy and sold its patient records to Rite-Aid.  The pharmacy’s inability to turn a profit forced the closure….The Rite Aid Pharmacy on North Countyline Street acquired all prescription drug records from Great Scot Community Markets on Dec. 17.  Of the 34 companies under the Fresh Encounters umbrella, Fostoria’s Great Scot is the only location to have closed its onsite Good Neighbor Pharmacy.

Two men were arrested Monday night after a drug related search warrant was served at the residence of Kegan Woodland and Veronica Lowe on Elwood Avenue in Fostoria.  Jeffrey Brightman of Toledo, and Andy Foy were arrested for trafficking heroin and on an outstanding warrant, respectively.  Additional charges of trafficking heroin, permitting drug abuse, possession of heroin and possession of criminal tools are pending on Brightman and Woodland upon the conclusion of the drug investigation and the return of lab analysis.

The Findlay Income Tax Department will begin collecting income taxes for Vanlue and Mount Cory this year.  Findlay City Council approved ordinances Tuesday to allow the city to collect taxes for each village.  The villages decided to pay Findlay to collect their taxes because of changes made in 2015 at the state level.  The cost of the tax collection service is determined by how much of the tax department’s time is spent on a village’s returns. 

A memorial service for former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley will be held Saturday at Winebrenner Theological Seminary in Findlay.  The time of the service is yet to be announced.  Oxley, a 12-term Republican congressman from Findlay, died Friday in McLean, Virginia. He was 71.

Elder-Beerman’s department store at the Lima Mall is closing this month.  About 51 full- and part-time employees in Lima will be affected when the store closes Jan. 31.  Bon-Ton Stores announced the Lima closing with one in Huntington, West Virginia, and one in Syracuse, New York.  Elder-Beerman’s Findlay store will remain open at the Findlay Village Mall.  Elder-Beerman also has stores in Bowling Green, Marion and Defiance.
 

David Zak, the former president and CEO of Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. is one of two finalists for the position he left in September.  Zak left SIEDC in September to become vice president of University Advancement and Economic Development at Tiffin University. Zak left TU at the end of December.  In addition to Zak, Lisa Wagner of Maumee, a former regional project manager at Jobs Ohio with 17 years of experience in project management and business development, was also a finalist for the position.

Arlington Village Council chose former mayor Ed Solt to fill the vacant position…Solt was the mayor through the end of last year.  He intended to seek re-election last November, but a wrong date on his candidacy petitions prompted the Hancock County Board of Elections to keep him off the ballot.  No other candidate ran for the office.  Council President Thad Dempster, who did not want to be mayor, resigned from council at Monday night’s meeting. The remaining council members selected Solt to replace Dempster on council and promptly elevated Solt to the position of mayor.  Then council reinstated Dempster to his original council seat.
 

Carey Village Council heard from Nikki Wagner Matheny, with Wagner Ford, about the company’s plans to construct a new dealership on South Vance Street across from the Dollar General store, near the U.S. 23/Ohio 15 interchange.  The dealership now is located at 300 E. Findlay St. and is landlocked.  The new location will provide additional vehicle display space on about two acres.  The nearly $2 million investment will allow the company to retain 13 jobs, and add eight full-time jobs and four part-time jobs.

The Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corporation will celebrate Tiffin’s new status as a Heritage Ohio Main Street Community at the Knights of Columbus the evening of Thursday, January14, 6:30-9:00 p.m.  The event will feature speaker Craig Krenzel, former OSU quarterback, 2002 National Championship winner and two-time Fiesta Bowl MVP.  Entertainment will be provided by local classic rock band MOJO. Food and beverages will be provided by local businesses.  To RSVP, simply contact SIEDEC.
 
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont closed Sunday and will reopen in May after a million dollar renovation.  A new handicapped accessible front entrance is already under construction.  About 40,000 visitors come to Spiegel Grove annually to visit the center, research library and adjacent Hayes home.  It's hoped the long overdue face-lift will attract more history buffs to Northwest Ohio through an aggressive marketing campaign.  The Presidential Center will reopen the weekend of May 28^th.  But the presidential home and library at Spiegel Grove will remain open during construction.