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Local News

Friday, July 23, 2010

City makes economic argument for $750K grant
Hanco EMS
By DENISE GRANT

Staff Writer

Findlay plans to make an economic argument for $750,000 in grant money from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund. The money would be used to remove arsenic from the planned site of a new middle school on the city's north side.

A final public hearing on the grant application was held Thursday in City Council chambers, with only a handful of city and school officials in attendance.

To obtain the grant, Findlay Schools must guarantee the project will create or keep jobs on the site. Superintendent Dean Wittwer said the new middle school will retain about 42 staff positions on the property, and create 25 new ones.

Glenwood Middle School's student population is expected to be about 420 in the upcoming school year. The new north side middle school that will replace Glenwood will have more than 600 students, because it will also be taking about half of Central Middle School's student population. Central will be closed to students in 2013.

"We will need the additional staffing that comes with 260 more students, so that accounts for the new jobs on the site," Wittwer said.

The project has been dubbed by the city as the "Findlay North Middle School Redevelopment Project" for the purposes of the grant application. Public hearings on the grant were held in April, May, June and July prior to meetings of the Findlay school board.

The application will now be submitted to state agencies for approval. The Ohio Department of Development, the state Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Controlling Board must all approve the grant.

If the city is successful in securing the grant, it may be the first time a middle school has been the "end user" of a Clean Ohio Fund site, according to state officials.

The north side middle school will be built on the old DIFCO/Trinity Rail Group property behind Glenwood Middle School, 1715 N. Main St. The property was used primarily for rail car manufacturing from the 1920s until 2003, and is considered a brownfield.

Arsenic, which is often naturally occurring in Hancock County, has been found on the property in higher levels than permitted by the Ohio EPA for school use.

The agency says exposure to arsenic at low levels for long periods can add to a person's risk of developing lung, bladder, skin, kidney, nasal, liver and prostate cancer.

Contaminated soil will be removed from the site and clean fill will be put in its place.

If the grant is approved, the cleanup will most likely take place in April, just one month prior to groundbreaking for the new school.

In November, Findlay School District voters approved a 4.3-mill bond issue to help build two middle schools and a career technical center. The bond issue will raise $54 million and will be matched with $19 million from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.

The career cooperative is expected to open in the fall of 2012. Both middle schools are expected to open in January 2013.

Grant: 419-427-8412,

Send an e-mail to Denise Grant


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1 Comment

bws wrote:
Demand core samples first!
“ Given what I know about the property, I think before one damn dime is spent on construction, there needs to be a number of soil samples, taken from varying depths, to ensure theres no contaminates, that the children could be exposed to. Who knows what solvents, chemicals or debris were dumped into the storm sewers on that property, prior to demolition? While, Trinity/Diffco may have done an adequate job of removing most visible traces, heaven only knows whats been sitting a foot or two under the top soil, for all those years? And I believe it would be an absolute travesty to put that much money and effort into a school, only to have it condemned later, due to unusually high concentrations of hazardous material. ”
Friday, July 23, 2010 9:17:15 PM
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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.