A siren on Fostoria’s south end that was possibly damaged during a recent storm activated for the second time this week.  The siren that is located in the area of the former Field School on West Sixth Street was being worked on and repeated tests were the cause of the activation.  VASU Communications says a relay switch broke and caused the malfunction this past Sunday, but the repairs have returned the siren to normal operation.

The Fostoria Fire Department has been awarded almost $20,000 by the US Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program. The grand will be used for operations and safety by the department.  Fostoria Fire Chief Ken Chapman said the division will use this money to purchase fitness equipment to be used at the station, such as ellipticals, stair steppers and weights.

US Senator Rob Portman was in Findlay yesterday to speak with unionized Cooper Tire and Rubber workers in their union hall.  Portman was part of a successful effort to impose tariffs this year on Chinese tire imports when he submitted testimony to the International Trade Commission.  He also visited the Marathon Petroleum headquarters to view construction progress on the company’s expansion.  In the evening, he attended a fundraiser in his honor at the Findlay Country Club.  Portman is facing a challenge from former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland for the US Senate seat.  He holds a big lead in fundraising.  As of June 30, he had $10 million, while Strickland had $1.2 million.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Cleveland today. She will lead a grassroots organizing rally today at Case Western Reserve University. During the event, the Democratic presidential candidate and volunteers will be asking supporters to fill out a "Commit to Vote" card, pledging to vote for Hillary.

A lawyer has entered not guilty pleas for Brittany Pilkington who is facing murder charges in the suffocation deaths of her three sons over a 13-month period.  Authorities say Brittany Pilkington confessed to killing her 3-month-old son last week, a 4-year-old brother in April and a baby brother last July.  The Logan County Prosecutor says the 23-year-old Pilkington was jealous at the attention her husband paid the boys over her and their young daughter.  Pilkington's attorney entered the not guilty pleas at a hearing Wednesday.  If convicted, she could get the death penalty.