The Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Destination Seneca County met last night for their 2023 Annual Meeting. Over 200 guests showed up to Tiffin University's Marion Center to celebrate the previous years accomplishments. While recognizing several community leaders. 

Below are the winners of last night awards:

2023 Chamber Ambassador of the Year: Mikki King 

2023 Women's Career Excellence Award: Anne Lange DeVine

2023 Outstanding Citizenship Award: Andrew and Leslie Felter

Carol Yager Excellence in Tourism Award: Paul and Nancy Coffmsan

Around 12:16 a.m. this morning, Findlay Police Officers reported to the 200 block of Edith Avenue because of reports of shots being fired in the area. Another call was received by officers from the victim, who reported that a man had shot them. While one victim advised officials to search a nearby shed at 224 Lester Avenue.

Officers set up a perimeter around the shed and tried multiple times to make contact, but there was no response. The home owner gave them consent to go into the shed finding no one inside. They then asked the homeowner if they the could check his residence. Eventually the owner confessed to shooting those shots off into the ground at the victims with a .22 caliber pistol. They identified the suspect as 54-year-old Martin Munoz. 

They took Munoz into custody for aggravated menacing and discharging a firearm in city limits. They took away the firearm, and no injuries occurred because of the incident. 

The Blanchard Valley Hospital was awarded a spot on Newsweek's America's Best-In-State Hospitals 2024 list. The award was presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc. and announced Ocotber 25, 2023. 

To come up with the list a nationwide survey is held online with over 10,000 professionals recommending the best hospitals in or out of the state they are in. The decision is also based on the quality of the hospital, patient experience, and patient reported outcome measures. 

Hospitals all over the country are eligible to be ranked. 25 states that have the most hospitals are surveyed individually while the rest of the country is secionted off by Northeast, Midwest, West, and South.

34-year-old Garland Breitigam was arrested after fleeing from his second floor residence by going out the window and jumping off a porch roof. A short pursuit on foot took place but Hancock County deputies were able to subdue him. The reason for deputies to be at his residence, in the Dold subdivison, was to follow-up on an event that took place the night prior.

Breitigam already had an active arrest warrrant out of the Tiffin and Fostoria Municipal Court on charges of theft by deception. Now, Breitigam is being charged with obstructing official business.

A deputy and Breitigam were treated for injuries at the Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center.

The Seneca County Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security have announced the availability of funding opportunities through the Building Resilient Infastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance Programs. The grants are to help enhance the communities ability to combat natural disasters with a focus on flooding.

Local governments, tribal organizations, and certain non-profit organizations are allowed to apply for funding. Projects that can be approved for funding are infrastructure improvements, education and community outreach, and policies put in place to reduce the risk of future flooding and other natural disasters. To apply for one of these grants all aplications must be submitted by November 20, 2023.  

The grant programs are admistered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To learn more head to www.fema.org. 

A grand jury Tuesday indicted 60-year-old Dewayne VanAtta on a first-degree felony charge of kidnapping after the woman he held captive escaped October 9. She then went to the Millstream Career Center to call the Findlay police. When the police found her she had sustained injuries from abrasions and bruising.

Police had to cut a lock off of a white bumper utility pull trailer with no windows to make sure there were no other hostages. The trailer was found in an alley that was seperating a house at 725 Davis St. and a porpery on College Street. According to court records, VanAtta's address is a mile down the road from where the trailer was parked. VanAtta was arrested when approaching the scene when officers were searching the trailer.

If VanAtta is convicted, he would face 15 years to life in prison with a $20,000 fine. He is currently being held in the Hancock County Justice Center with a $100,000 bond. 

The Findlay Surgery Center was awarded Newsweek's list of America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2024. The award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc.The award is based on quality of care, performance data, and peer recommendations relative to in-state competition.

To come up with this decision the U.S. Medicare and Medicaid Center surveys ASC facilities. The 25 states that had the most facilities were surveyed individually. While the rest of the states were grouped into four regions. 

Statista was able to decide the outcome based on its data and business portal that can provide statistics, business relevant data, and various market and consumer studies and surveys.

NOX US, the local plant at 931 S. Springville Ave., is facing $545,853 in federal penalties along with $1.2 million they were charged with last October. The plant has a history of workplace injuries that began in 2017, which include 14 workers that sustained severe injuries and amputations. 

Scott Allen, the regional director of public affairs and media releations fro the U.S. Department of Labor, says that NOX US is currently contesting the most recent OSHA citations. The previous citations involved an employee losing a finger back in February and an employee suffering chemcial burns in late July. The penalties handed to the company are not a punishment but a deterrent to make sure employees are working in a safe and healthy enviroment, says Allen. 

OSHA will continue to make sure the company will follow the guidelines from any of the settlement agreements. NOX US has fixed the issues they were cited for but have not made any announcements on changes to the companies safety policy.

78-year-old David J. Roberts Sr., of Arcadia, was convicted in 2013 for a third-degree felony count of theft.

Roberts was served five years of probation and paid $13,808 in restitution to Findlay City Schools. Court documents state that Roberts stole gasoline from the school between July 2007 and February 2012. It is not clear if Roberts convictions disqualify him from the race.

The two other candidates running are 55-year-old Brian Fink and 51-year-old Chester Balderson. You can vote for either of the candidates on November 7th. 

The Hancock County Sheriff's Office was helping the Ohio State Highway Patrol with a crash that happened at SR 15 and TR 190 around 10:39 p.m.

While assisting at the scene another crash was reported at the same intersection. The investigation found that a semi was traveling westbound on SR 15 near TR 190 when the truck hit three vehicles and a commercial truck that were stopped for the first crash. One of the passengers was transported by Life Flight for unknown injuries. While the other three occupants were taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital by Hanco EMS with unknown injuries. 

The crash is still under inverstigation. 

The annual Small Business Awards, presented by the Findlay, Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, ceremony took place tonight at the Marathon Center for Performing Arts. It was the 60th annual ceremony celebrating local businesses around Hancock County. 

Below are the award recipients:

Small Business of the Year: Miller's Meats, BBQ & Catering

Small Business Person of the Year: Trent Farthing, Key Realty

Emerging Business of the Year: the Buckeye Co.

Nonprofit Leader of the Year: Melissa LaRocco, Legal Aid of Western Ohio

Professional of the Year: Brett Hughes, Lowenoak Landscape Developement

"Our Spirit Shows" Hospitality Award: Oktoberfest Findlay

Agriculture Enterprise Champion of the Year: Hurdwell

Diverse Small Business Champion of the Year: Bin Talking Trash & Hauling

Do Good! Award: Gillig Winery

Go Local Small Business Champion of the Year: Kendra Nye, Glass Roots

Small Business Manufacturing Excellence: Freudenberg-NOK Sealing

ATHENA Award: Glenda Renz, Blanchard Valley Health System

Manufacturing & Distribution Leadership Impact Award: Jake Warrington, American Plastics LLC-Findlay Division

Downtown Champion of the Year: Allen-Kramp Wealth Management

Family Owned Small Business Champion of the Year: Doty Dental

Women in Business Champion of the Year: Sabrina Rodabaugh, Mind Body Fitness LLC

According to the Wood County Sheriff's Office, they took 76-year-old William Grimm by air to ProMedica Toledo Hospital from the crash site, where he passed away on Monday after a three-vehicle crash on U.S Route 23, just south of Ohio Route 582.

Officers say that Grimm had stopped on southbound U.S 23 while waiting to make a left turn.. A car then struck his that was driven by the 31-year-old Chelsea Fairchild of Mansfield. The hit caused his car to veer into the northbound lane, where it was subsequently struck by another car driven by 21-year-old Andrew Holcomb of Gibsonburg.

Both Fairchild and Holcomb were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries. The crash is still under investigation.

They took 21-year-old Justin Werner, of Perrysburg, to Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo by air after the crash around 2:25 p.m. Monday. While 77-year-old Phyllis Ashworth, of Millsbury, was taken by ambulance to Mercy Health Hospital in Perrysburg with minor injuries, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol report.

The crash occurred when Ashworth’s car stopped at a stop sign on westbound Hanley Road, and Luckey Road, before failing to yield the right-of-way. She then drove her vehicle into Werner’s, who was driving southbound. The vehicle veered off the west side of Luckey Road and hit a sign and Werner then tried to correct his course, but hit a utility pole. 

Patrol says that Werner was not wearing a seatbelt. The crash is still under investigation. 

The $10,000 grant was awarded today to the organization from the National Machinery Foundation, Inc. They also received a $2,500 grant from the White Family Charitable Fund through the Tiffin Community Foundation and was the recipient of a $2,000 raised by the Firelands Association of Realtors Purse Bingo Fundraiser.

All of the funds will be going towards four different areas of interest. The first one will be expanding the knowledge of human trafficking with campaigns for the community. Next, they want to be able to provide a critical support service to help with shelter, counseling, legal aid, and vocational training. Be able to enroll survivors in programs such as art therapy and stress-relief, therapeutic interventions, relation, and personal growth. Lastly, is to increase outreach efforts to vulnerable community's, and work with local law enforcement and agencies to combat trafficking.

Sisters In Shelter is a non-profit organization that started in 2005 that supports survivors and shines a light on human trafficking through community education and advocacy.

On August 18th, at 4:12 p.m., Ohio State Troopers found 332 grams of heroin, 51 grams of fentanyl, six Oxycodone pills and 120 grams of marijuana totaling in $46,975 of drugs. They found the drugs during a traffic stop when pulling over 35-year-old Victor J. Boyd and 31-year-old Antonio L. Jones Sr., both from Detroit, for an expired registration. 

While troopers were talking to the passengers, the odor of raw marijuana was coming inside of the vehicle. The troopers found a suspected baggie of marijuana in the vehicle and conducted a pat-down on Boyd and Jones, discovering drugs on them. They found the additional drugs when troopers found probable cause to search the vehicle. 

They incarcerated both of the suspects in the Wood County Justice Center on first degree charges for possession of heroin. They were both indicted by the Wood County Court of Common Pleas. Byrd and Jones are facing first degree felony charges for trafficking and possessing heroin and fentanyl-related compound. While Jones is also being indicted on aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. 

If they convict Byrd, the court could sentence him to up to 44 years in prison and impose a fine of up to $80,000. Jones could face 45 years in prison with a fine up to $82,000.

Today, the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office recieved reports of gunshots at Mohawk Local Schools. 

The Superintendent, Jeff Holbrook, claims that they heard a noise and could not determine where it came from. They then put the school on a level 3 lockdown while first responders went around the school building to see if there were any threats. All students and staff were accounted for when going into lockdown. 

The school did release a statement for parents and community members stating that there was no immediated threat. The sound hear was reportedly from a student's bicycle tube that exploded inside the building and echoed through the hallways. 

Staff members will be coming outside of the building to the family members of students to reunite them. The school stated that family members need proper documentation including a driver's license or proper ID to pick up their student. 

The Hancock County Sheriff's Office received reports at 2:16 p.m. on Saturday that there was a two-vehcile crash on SR 12 near TR 212 in Marion Township.

The news release says that 28-year-old  Dustin Brawner, of Springfield, was traveling north on TR 212 when stopping at a stop sign at SR 12. Brawner failed to yeild the right of way when 44-year-old Jeremy Whipple, of Fostoria, was traveling eastbound on SR 12. Both vehicle's overturned when hit eachother and stayed on the roadway.

28-year-old Renea Miller, a passenger in Brawner's vehicle, was transported by Hanco EMS to Blanchard Valley Hospital with unknown injuries. Jeremy was also taken to BVH by ambulance. 

Brawner was issued a citation for failure to yeild the right of way at a stop sign and for not having a license.