The Seneca County Drug Task Force-METRICH Enforcement Unit arrested 44-year-old Hugh Ashley Leimgruber on Wednesday in an operation conducted on North Main Street and Stearns Road.

Leimburger was taken to the Seneca County Jail on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and having an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in court in Wood County. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, authorities may charge him with trafficking methamphetamine and possessing cocaine. 

The Fostoria Police Division and Seneca County Drug Task Force were also on site during Wednesday’s arrest. 

Around 5:14 p.m. on Tuesday, Ohio State Trooper Alfonso Sierra was involved in a crash on the Ohio Turnpike near the SR 10 interchange in North Ridgeville.

The crash occurred when Tropper Sierra had activated their emergency lights while on the shoulder of the Ohio Turnpike. That’s when Robert Weisman, 65-year-old of North Olmsted, was traveling westbound when they drove off the right side of the road, striking Sierra’s vehicle. The trooper suffered minor injuries and was taken to University Hospital Elyria Medical Center. As for Wiersma, it is to be believed that he was having a medical episode when the crash occurred. He was also taken to UH Elyria Medical Center. 

The crash is still under investigation. 

To celebrate Seneca County’s Bicentennial, the committee named a Seneca County Canine Commissioner Canine. The winner was Halo, who is an 8-year-old lab/beagle mix who is a rescue from Xenia, OH and now lives with owner Nan Sauber. Halo received a Seneca County Canine Commissioner bandana, barking rights, and will be featured on the Seneca County Bicentennial website and social media pages. This contest brought residents into the fold to celebrate the counties 200 years of existence. By doing so, 13 dogs were on the voting ballot with almost 9,500 votes from the community. 

On Monday, the Seneca County Board of Health filed a civil lawsuit against WIN Waste in the Seneca County Common Pleas Court. The board is seeking a court order to enforce rules that prevent noxious gases and contaminants from escaping WIN Waste’s landfill from going into groundwater, streams, and air. 

According to the lawsuit, the health district’s inspector found WIN Waste did not plant grass or take necessary action to protect the soil layer that covered about 80 acres of waste. Failure to protect the landfill’s soil layer resulted in erosion in one and a half acres of soil cover. The lawsuit also claims that WIN Waste did not report the damages of the soil layer in their logs. 

WIN Waste is being charged with five counts of failure to protect intermediate landfill cover from erosion, failure to protect the landfill cover from water damage, failure to comply best management practices for erosion control, failure to correct conditions ponding and erosion, violation of inspection requirements, and falsification of inspection records. 

The lawsuit is based on findings from an inspection by the Seneca County General Health District in February 2024. 

On Thursday, Hancock County Prosecutor Phillip Riegel says, the hoax shooting call made Tuesday morning about Findlay High School was not local. 

The Findlay Police Department dispatch center received the call from an unknown male around 9:31 a.m. claiming he had an AR-15 style rifle and had two hostages in the second-floor restroom. Once first responders reported to the scene, the police later determined that the phone call was a hoax.

This is the third false shooting report made involving FHS in under two years. The first one was back in 2022 involving FHS and Liberty-Benton, and in 2023, when Findlay City Schools received email threats. 

Reigel states that if the suspect is caught, the city has jurisdiction to charge them because the phone call was made to Findlay dispatch.

The Church of Nazarene will hold a Veterans and First Responders Resource Fair as part of this year’s “Big Serve”, and will be recieving help from United Way Fostoria, First Call for Help Fostoria, and HOPE in Fostoria. They have scheduled the event for April 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fostoria Learning Center, 342 Perry St. 

The free event will give veterans, first responders, and family members an opportunity to meet with representatives from agencies that specialize in working with those that work on the front line. 

Attendees can expect lunch, as well as prizes, health screenings, and self-care kits at the event. 

On Tuesday, Mayor Christina Muryn introduced the application for a grant that would build an inclusive “exercise trail” at the Blanchard Valley Health System Miracle Park. 

The new trail will customize exercise equipment to cater to adult residents with disabilities and senior citizens. Each station would be set up around the park.

The Ohio Department of Development would make funding available for the new project. The vote to approve the application was 10-0, but it must be turned in by May 2. 

Currently, the park has a custom baseball field and inclusive playground. 

The Bowling Green Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating the fatal crash that happened around 9:45 a.m. on N. Fostoria Road between SR 795 and SR 51 in Millbury.

In a media release by State Highway Patrol, it states that 25-year-old Daniella Gamboa Pabon of Toledo was traveling southbound on N. Fostoria Road when a train hit her vehicle going eastbound. Pabon passed away from her injuries at the scene.

The incident is still under investigation. 

Findlay High School’s lockdown has been lifted because of a possible “swatting” call.

This morning around 9:30 a.m. As of this morning around 9:30 a.m., first responders remained on site while evacuating FHS. Students that were moved to safe spaces are returning to the building, and the level 2 lockdown for other Findlay city schools was also lifted. 

The term “swatting” is when a person reports to law enforcement accusing someone else of a serious crime. These types of reports warrant armed responses by the police. 

In a tweet postec by Josh Morgret, sports writer for the Advertiser-Tribune, states that Thom Loomis will be stepping down from head coaching duties at Fostoria High School. Loomis served as the head coach for seven seasons with a 79-84 record. He will continue to be the schools athletic director. 

As of 9:00 a.m. this moring Findlay will be under a River Flood Warning until Wednesday at 8:24 a.m. The flood warning is for Eagle Creek that will rise to 9.9 feet later this evening. It was recorded earlier this morning at 8.4 feet. 

The Buckeye Community School is in London, Mansfield, Marion, and now Fremont with their grand opening today. 

BCS considers itself a public high school with an alternative environment. Instead of having a six-hour school day with 20 students in a classroom, the school allows students to study at their own pace, with one-on-one time with instructors and individual learning plans. Students between the ages of 14 and 21 can attend the school. At the Fremont location, there are currently 84 enrolled students. 

If you are interested in enrolling, head to www.buckeyecs.org.

On Wednesday, University of Findlay President, Dr. Katherine Fell, announced the university will merge operations with Bluffton University in the fall of 2025. 

Fell says that by merging the two colleges together, it would increase revenue growth by enhancing efficiencies and combining assets. The merger will proceed in 4 phases leading up to the 2025 fall semester. 

A town hall will be held Monday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Winebrenner Theological Seminary to answer questions about the merger. 

Residents that are in need of assistance with winter heating and water utility will be closing March 28. 

The Great Lakes Community Action Partnership has been aiding Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wood County through the Winter Crisis Program. This program helps residents that are facing water shut-offs or disconnections, and establish a new water service or pay for service transfers.

Applicants must meet poverty guidelines with an income of $2,126.25 monthy of one, or over $4,375 monthy of four. Every household member needs to be listed with their social security number, birthdates, proof of citizenship, and proof of income for either the previous 30 days or 12 months. 

For more information head to www.glcap.or/utilityhelp or call 567-432-5046.

The Upper Sandusky Community Library will be one of 50 libraries across the country to host “Americans and the Holocaust”. A traveling exhibit from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and American Library Association. 

From 2021 to 23, the exhibit traveled to 50 libraries and will travel to another 50 from 2024 to 26. This will include the Upper Sandusky library from August 19 to September 30, 2026. In addition, the library will receive $3,000 in grant money, and are required to host fours programs related to Americans and the Holocaust. 

The exhibit explores America’s response on Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

On Wednesday, the Northwest Ohio sportswriters and broadcasters released their list of the 2024 All-Norhtwest Ohio players through the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. Notable players that earned top honors were Findlay's Javonte Hill and Ottawa-Glandorf's Colin White that earned player of the year honors. While Jim Rucki and Thom Loomis were announced coaches of the year in their respective divisions. 

Below are notable players recieving first-, second-, and third- team honors. 

First Team DII, Machi Johnson, Fostoria

Second Team DII, Cam Robinson, Willard

Second Team DII, Jordan Ferguson, Fostoria

Second Team DII, Ahmir Ruffin, Bowling Green

Second Team DII, Jackson Beasley, Port Clinton

Third Team DII, Joey Deidrich, Perkins

Third Team DII, Logan Hartley, Bellevue

Third Team DII, Holden Daris, Upper Sandusky

Third Team DII, Jacob Asmpoker, Bowling Green

First Team DIII, Kade Lentz, Elmwood

First Team DIII, Carter Smiley, Carey

First Team DIII, Walter Plantz, Genoa

Second Team DIII, Parker Beilharz, Van Buren

Second Team DIII, Jake Gerken, Liberty-Benton

Second Team DIII, Ethan Stokes, Oak Harbor

Second Team DIII, Grant McGruire, Wynford

Second Team DIII, Malachi Bayless, Bucyrus

Third Team DIII, Andrew Badenhop, Eastwood

Third Team DIII, Alexander Putnam, Carey

Third Team DIII, Weston Prenger, Wynford

First Team Division IV, Aiden Harris, Pandora-Gilboa

First Team Division IV, Evan Kreais, Hopewell-Loudon

First Team Division IV, North Robinson, Colonel Crawford

Second Team Division IV, Gavin Wagner, Calvert

Second Team Division IV, Luke Mason, Seneca East

Second Team Division IV, Donovan Elmore, Hopewell-Loudon

Third Team Division IV, Isiah Perez, Old Fort

Third Team Division IV, Reese Goshe, New Riegel

Third Team Division IV, Payne DeGray, Colonel Crawford

Honorable Mentions:

Zach Shawberry, Columbian

Brenna Koelsch, Perkins

Brennan Wilson, Clyde

Evan Reiter, Riverdale

Brayden Young, Carey

James Homan, Van Buren

Jack Dusseau, Riverdale

Owen Traxler, Elmwood

Colin Harris, Pandora-Gilboa

Caden Russell, Arlington

Jase Vermillion, Arlington

Caden Otterbacher, Calvert

Lucas Bordner, Seneca East

Brady Griggs, Arlington

Nate Magg, Pandora-Gilboa

Owen Roszman, Vanlue

Carter Yarbrough, Hopewell-Loudon

Jacob Rombach, Calvert

Harry Shultz, Calvert

Ryan Adelsperger, Old Fort

Carter DuBois, Old Fort

Shane Jones, New Riegel

Mathew Flores, New Riegel

Aidan Hines, Seneca East

Blake Foos, Seneca East

Reece Walby, Gibsonburg

Connor McMichael, Colonel Crawford

The Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio has disbarred 37-year-old Amber R. Goodman, of Elida, from practicing in Ohio. 

The Seneca County Common Pleas Court convicted Goodman of unlawful sexual misconduct with a minor in 2022 and sentenced her to 30 months in the Ohio Reformatory for Women. According to court documents, Goodman was classified as a tier II sex offender. So far, she has served nine of the 30 months and was granted early release after she applied for judicial release, but they sentenced her to 5 years of probation. 

The crime was committed in 2019 with a 13-year-old female who reported the allegations to her counselor, with the investigation being conducted by the Fostoria Police Department. 

Newsweek released their World's Best Hospitals 2024 list and awarded Blanchard Valley Hospital as as a Five-Year Champion. The list is based on four data sources that include recommendations from medical experts, results from patient surveys, hospital quality metrics, and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) implementation survey. 

The Reserve Fortnite Teams at Riverdale Local Schools are moving onto the state finals next week. On Monday, March 11, the district will host a watch party in the cafeteria, and will share a stream link for fans to watch remotely. 

Riverdales two teams include Josiah Thomas and Josh Thomas as the team captains, Kail Wilson, Caleb Hoffman, Matt Meffelfinger, Marc Deputy, Sydney Debut and Zach Fletcher. They will be two of the eight teams competing in the district Esports organization. There are 23 students involved in Esports that cover Fortnite, Overwatch 2, and Rocket League.

Both Premiere Fortnite teams will compete in the Esports Ohio State Tournament Drops on May 6 and the Overwatch 2 and Rocket League premiere teams will compete in the Northwest Ohio Regional Tournament on May 7.

The annual Micah Hyde Football Camp will come up June 1 at Memorial Stadium in Fostoria with registration opening this Saturday.

The camp will be free for kids from third through sixth grades this coming fall and will have separate sessions for grades three and four from 9 to 11 a.m., and grades five and six from noon to 2 p.m. Online registration starts at 9 a.m. of the next two Saturdays on a first come first served basis. Third and fourth-grade registration is this Saturday, with five and six on March 16. Once 250 participants are registered, a waitlist will be created.

For more details on registering for the upcoming camp, go to www.imagineforyouth.com. 

The Seneca Conservation District is running their annual tree sales program, which provides seeds to people who want them for erosion control, windbreaks, reforestation, wildlife benefits, and for a safer environment.

The SCD news release states that the county's pre-order will limit the amount of seedlings available. That means orders need to be prompt on what specific seed individuals want. You can place your orders through April 5. The distribution will take place 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 25 and 7 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. April 26. To order a tree, visit https://conservesenecacounty.com/tree-sale/ or pick up an order form at the office, 3140 S. SR 100, Suite D.

For more information, call 419-447-7073.

24-year-old Joshua Miller from Ontario lost his life in a two-vehicle crash on SR 314, north of Millsboro Road, Sunay afternoon. 

According to Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident happened around 3:38 p.m. when 32-year-old Evan Gale, of Mansfield, attempted to turn left out of a private driveway on to SR 314. Miller was traveling north when he connected with Gale, but tried to lay his motorcycle down to avoid a collision. Instead, Miller collided with the front of Gales’ vehicle. Miller was taken to Ohio Health Mansfield by Springfield EMS, and would later pass away from his injuries.

SR 314 was shutdown during the investigation. 

Sunday night, 78-year-old Alva Barnes, of Weston, was pronounced dead after a truck being towed overturned in a ditch at the intersection of Ohio Route 281 and Solether Road.

The Wood County Sheriff’s office says that Barnes was on the passenger side of a pickup truck that was being towed with a tow strap by another pick up driven by Timothy Workman of Fostoria. Traveling at a slow speed, the truck turned north onto Solether Road from eastbound Route 281. That’s when the truck veered off the right side of the road, ending up in a ditch and overturned. Barnes was found trapped underneath the overturned vehicle after being partially ejected. The release says they do not suspect impairment to cause the crash.

The crash remains under investigation. 

The Hancock County METRICH Task Force, Findlay Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and U.S Customs and Border Protection took part in a blitz that went after drug trafficking in the area on Wednesday. 

According to Detective Sgt. Brian Dill, there were 59 traffic stops in total. While the blitz resulted in 15 citations, three felony arrests, three misdemeanor arrests, two arrest warrants and five vehicle searches. Local law enforcement also seized 10 pounds of marijuana, one gram of fentanyl, and $100,000. 

The blitz is a planned event involving several multi-agencies for the area that is planned around the state. 

Blanchard Valley Health System has announced that they will add to the Jane & Gary Heminger HeartCare Center. By expanding the building it will allow cardiology programs and services to continue at BVHS while expanding on cardio-oncology, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, vascular care, diagnosis, and intervention of cardiac disease.