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Local News

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Big snowstorm closes schools, slows drivers
Hancock Federal Credit Union
By JORDAN CRAVENS and ERIC SCHAADT

staff writers

The too-familiar sounds of snowblowers and scraping snow shovels returned Tuesday as northwestern Ohio struggled with its second big snowstorm in less than a week.

Motorists slid off slippery roads, and three people were hurt in a rollover traffic accident on Interstate 75 south of Findlay.

Area schools closed and county sheriffs issued driving alerts.

Between 5 and 7 inches of snowfall was recorded Tuesday in Hancock and surrounding counties, according to measurements taken at Ohio Department of Transportation garages. More snow is expected today, and the National Weather Service said there could be blowing and drifting snow today.

Tuesday's snowfall was apparently enough to keep people at home.

"It's been slow today," Jeff Winkle, director of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, said Tuesday afternoon. "We've been so busy lately, the weather must be the reason we are a little slower today."

At the Findlay Village Mall, there wasn't a spike in the number of shoppers despite school closings, according to store managers.

At the Findlay YMCA on Lincoln Street, fewer adults came in Tuesday.

The usual crowd from downtown businesses who can walk to the gym were able to get a workout on their lunch hour, but the number of adults who came to the YMCA on Tuesday was less than normal, according to Brian Hitchcock, associate executive director.

"We did have quite a few youths coming in today," Hitchcock said. When schools are closed, the YMCA schedules activities for kids to keep them busy on their day off, he said.

More snow was predicted overnight and today, although expected snowfall was diminishing.

A National Weather Service winter storm warning remains in effect until 7 p.m. today. The weather service said another 1 to 2 inches of snow could fall overnight in Hancock County, and west winds of 18 miles per hour could cause blowing snow.

Still more snow, 1 to 2 inches, is possible today, according to the weather service. North winds between 20 and 30 miles per hour are expected to cause "considerable" blowing and drifting snow today and "near-blizzard" conditions will be possible at times, especially in open areas, the weather service said.

With news of that forecast, 38 employees of Blanchard Valley Health System spent Tuesday night at the hospital.

Kristen Steele, communications coordinator with the hospital, said the employees are mostly nursing staff.

Most of the employees stayed in single-patient rooms on the fourth floor of the hospital, which is designated for pediatrics and has been closed since last May as a result of fewer in-patients staying at the hospital.

"Because we don't have any patients on the fourth floor right now, this seemed like a good solution," Steele said.

Other staff slept on cots in a conference room on the hospital's first floor.

Steele said the employees who spent the night did so for a variety of weather-related reasons. Some were scheduled to work today, while others were staying to fill in today in case others couldn't make it to work because of the weather.

By Tuesday night, seven inches of snow had fallen on Hancock County, according to measurements taken at the Ohio Department of Transportation garage in Findlay. Accumulated snowfall, including snow from last Friday's windy storm, reached 12 inches.

Tuesday's snowfall statistics, and snow accumulation, for surrounding counties as measured at state garages:

Allen County, 5.5 inches snowfall on Tuesday; accumulation 13 inches.

Wyandot County, 5 inches; accumulation 10.5 inches.

Seneca County, 7 inches; accumulation 13 inches.

Wood County, 5 inches; accumulation 7.5 inches.

Putnam County, 4.5 inches; accumulation 8.5 inches.

Henry County, 5 inches; accumulation 7.5 inches.

Hardin County, 5 inches; accumulation 15 inches.

Many motorists slid off slippery roads Tuesday.

Three people required hospital treatment following a rollover accident at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday on Interstate 75, two miles south of Findlay, according to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol. Additional details were unavailable Tuesday night.

Also, a tractor-trailer was expected to be removed today after it jackknifed into a median of the interstate near Mount Cory at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Dispatchers at sheriff's offices in Hancock and surrounding counties reported many cars sliding off the roads.

In Hardin County, at least four tractor-trailers went off the roads, according to a dispatcher.

In Wyandot County, a traveler suffered a possible broken ankle after a traffic accident on Ohio 53 at Wyandot County 11 at 2:58 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's office said.

The Findlay post of the state patrol handled many fender-bender accidents, a dispatcher reported.

The Fostoria Police Department said a tractor-trailer slid off Ohio 12 east of the city on Tuesday afternoon. The semi was back on its way by Tuesday evening, a dispatcher said.

Hardin and Allen counties were under a Level 2 weather advisory late Tuesday. Hancock, Seneca, Wood, Henry and Putnam counties were at a Level 1 weather alert.

People can hear about Hancock County's road advisory level by calling the Courier's InfoLine telephone service at 419-421-8888, Ext. 2424.

Throughout Ohio, more than 1,050 state snowplows and trucks worked to clear and salt state and federal roads Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Seventeen state snowplows were at work in Hancock County.

In addition, 16 Hancock County snowplows worked to clear county roads from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, County Engineer Steve Wilson said.

The county crews were expected to return to duty at 4:30 a.m. today, Wilson said, but the timing would depend on wind conditions and visibility. Blowing snow hampers plowing efforts.

Jim Rhodes, who oversees Findlay's street crews, said eight plows were on the road as of Tuesday night.

One shift of drivers worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with another shift on duty from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. today.

Fostoria, meanwhile, was under a snow emergency until 6 p.m. Thursday, city officials said. Under the emergency, all cars on "snow streets" must be removed or they will be towed. Additionally, the police department will tow vehicles parked on any city street for more than 48 hours without being moved.

Dennis Fligor, Fostoria's safety service director, also reminded businesses and residents that under city law, sidewalks must be cleared within 12 hours of any storm. A violation is a minor misdemeanor. Each day's violation constitutes a separate offense.

Bluffton also was under a snow emergency, according to Village Administrator James Mehaffie. Today, drivers should park their cars on the even-number side of streets because it is an even-number calendar day.

On odd-number calendar days, cars should be moved to the odd-number side of streets, he said.

Mehaffie said any time Bluffton accumulates more than two inches of snow, the village is under a snow emergency, according to village ordinance.

Ideally, he said, the village would like to have all cars moved off the street, but moving the cars to one side of streets allows plows to get closer to the curb.

The snow emergency "lasts until we are able to clear the roads," he said.

Courier reporter Linsey Maughan contributed to this story.

Cravens: 419-427-8422,

Send an e-mail to Jordan Cravens

Schaadt: 419-427-8414,

Send an e-mail to Eric Schaadt


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1 Comment

KM wrote:
PLOW!
“ One way to stop all the accidents/problems driving/etc would be to actually PLOW the streets! I saw MANY city snow plows driving around on bad streets with the plows up! Another good way to stop that is to declare a level 3 on days like today (Wednesday) which was just as bad as it was on Saturday!!!!! ”
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:12:20 PM
   NEWS VIDEO

Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.