News Briefs

Dog license registration
Wood County Auditor Matthew Oestreich reminds dog owners that Ohio law requires all dogs 3 months of age and older to be registered in the county in which they are kept before Jan. 31 of each year.
As a convenience, the auditor’s office mails renewal registration forms to owners of record. Owners who registered in 2023 through the internet will receive a reminder email.
Dogs may be registered for a one- or three-year term, or a permanent license, good for the dog’s life, may also be purchased. Fees are $14 for one year, $42 for three years and $140 for a permanent license (no refunds permitted).
Kennel owners are also required to register annually and pay an application fee of $70.
Ohio law provides that the penalty after Jan. 31 is the amount equal to the registration fee for each type of license, therefore, the penalty would be $14 for regular licenses and $70 for kennel licenses in addition to the regular registration fee.
Persons acquiring dogs after Jan. 31 have 30 days after the date of acquisition or the date that the dog reaches 3 months of age to register with the auditor’s office.
For more information, visit auditor.co.wood.oh.us. The preferred method of renewal is by mail or online. When mailing the application please include the license fee, a self-addressed, stamped envelope and dog information, including the dog’s age, sex, whether spayed or neutered, color, length of hair, breed, name of dog and the name, address and phone number of the owner. The Wood County District Board of Health has adopted a regulation requiring that all dogs be immunized against rabies.
Licenses may also be purchased in person at the Wood County Auditor’s Office, located on the second floor of the Wood County Office Building, One Courthouse Square, Bowling Green between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday or at the Wood County Dog Shelter, 1912 E Gypsy Lane Rd., Bowling Green.
Internet applications can be made at auditor.co.wood.oh.us and require an additional $2.15 processing fee per license which goes to the online firm processing the credit card purchase.
For more information, call 419-354-9150.

Veteran banner purchase deadline extended

The deadline has been extended to Feb. 2 for purchasing a banner honoring a veteran in Oak Harbor.
The Oak Harbor Development Group is sponsoring the sale of 24-inch by 48-inch banners that will be displayed for up to two years on street light poles in the downtown area.
The cost is $200 for each banner on a first paid basis.
Photos will be scanned on Wednesdays or Fridays. Forms for purchasing a banner and payments should be dropped off at the Oak Harbor Development Group office, 161 W. Water St., Oak Harbor, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information call the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 419-898-0479.
Banners will be hung in the spring of 2024. Current banners will be taken down. Previous photos can be used if someone is renewing a banner.
The banners include the veteran’s name and photo, branch of service, rank, and dates served.
H2Ohio enrollment
deadline extended
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has announced it will extend the enrollment deadline for H2Ohio producers in the 14 counties of the Maumee River Watershed.
Due to a considerable amount of interest during the current signup period, farmers now have until Feb. 2, 2024, to enroll.
Producers in the active signup area are eligible to enroll new acres or re-enroll acres into H2Ohio and earn incentives for implementing best management practices that are scientifically proven to improve water quality. Eligible counties include Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Hardin, Hancock, Lucas, Mercer, Putnam, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood.
For information about H2Ohio or the extended enrollment deadline, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District.
H2Ohio focuses on encouraging agricultural best management practices, restoring wetlands, and replacing home septic systems to reduce nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms. For more information on the H2Ohio initiative, visit h2.ohio.gov.

Honor Flight sets
2024 flight schedule
Flag City Honor Flight (FCHF) announced its 2024 flight schedule, continuing its mission to honor our nation's Veterans.
The 2024 flight dates include April 23, June 11, Sept. 10 and Nov. 12.
“We are honored to announce our 2024 flight schedule,” said Flag City Honor Flight President Steve Schult. “Our veterans have given so much to our nation, and it is our duty to ensure they have the opportunity to visit the memorials that stand in their honor. Flight sponsorships, financial contributions, and dedicated guardians (volunteers) are increasingly crucial as we prepare for four flights this season.”
World War II, Korea, and Vietnam War veterans living in Northwest Ohio and surrounding areas are encouraged to apply. If veterans have already applied, there is no need to reapply. FCHF will begin making calls in January to veterans who are scheduled to fly in 2024.
“We encourage veterans from other eras to go on flights as guardians,” Schult said. All applications can be found on flagcityhonorflight.org.
Individuals or groups looking to volunteer at welcome home celebrations, host a third-party fundraiser to benefit FCHF, or explore partnership opportunities may visit the Flag City Honor Flight website or email info@flaghonorflight.org.

Lopez appointed
county commissioner
Anita Lopez was appointed last week as a Lucas County Commissioner by the Lucas County Democratic Party Central Committee.
"We welcome Ms. Lopez to our board. We certainly have experience working together with her as the county auditor and as a longtime Democrat. We've seen her rise from where she started on the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education, to the recorder's office, to the auditor's office, and now commissioner," commissioner Pete Gerken said
Lopez was appointed to the seat vacated by commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, who retired at the end of 2023.