A Wood County jury found 41 year old Ronald Doogs of Fostoria guilty on one count of rape and four other counts of sexual activity with a minor.  Doogs’ case involves incidents which occurred in 2012.  The verdict came on Thursday after four hours and forty-five minutes of deliberations.  Doogs was placed in custody of the Wood County jail on a $40,000 bond with no 10-percent allowed.  His sentencing will take place on November 3.

Findlay’s leading business and educational leaders from Marathon Petroleum, Cooper Tire and Rubber, Blanchard Valley Health System and University of Findlay want a 3 percent increase in Hancock County’s hotel/motel bed tax to benefit the new, $17 million Marathon Center for the Performing Arts and the Hancock County Fair.  In a letter sent to the Hancock County Commissioners, two percent of the tax would go to the playhouse and 1 percent would go to the fair.  However, officials from the performing arts center said it may not be needed because it plans to build an endowment for operating expenses.  The Hancock Agricultural Society said it was too early to comment.

Findlay area officials are visiting with leaders in Japan this week as part of an “economic mission trip.”  Mayor Lydia Mihalik along with University of Findlay President Katherine Fell, Director of Findlay and Hancock County Economic Development Tony Iriti, Assistant Director for Economic Development Tim Mayle, and University of Findlay associate professor of Japanese and chair of the Language and Culture Department Hiroaki Kawamura will meet with business leaders, educators and politicians.  Part of their trip will be spent in meetings and presentations at the U.S.-Japan Association Conference.  The group will also be meeting with various businesses.
 

Findlay City Schools and Millstream Career Center will be collaborating with McLane Co. to prepare more students to enter the workforce after graduation.  McLane is building a large grocery distribution center in Findlay, which is scheduled to open in 2016.  Findlay City Schools Superintendent Ed Kurt said creating a workforce development relationship with McLane is a win-win situation for both the company and the district.  Kurt said he wants to work with the company to help design additional programs at Millstream that will train students interested in working at McLane.
 

An investigation continues of an outbreak of MRSA at Heidelberg University in Tiffin.  MRSA is a staph infection that is resistant to penicillin.  There are now 30 cases being investigated, with four confirmed as MRSA and two confirmed negative.  The university and health department are still waiting for the results from 24 more possible cases.  The MRSA outbreak is focused on the Heidelberg University football team, with all four confirmed cases from the program.