Village Voice of Ottawa Hills

02/13/2025

TWO HOUR DELAY ... for Ottawa Hills schools Thursday. Superintendent Adam Fineske said he wanted to give parents time to prepare, and officials will be monitoring conditions over night and in the morning, but for the moment, Ottawa Hills schools will be operating on a two hour delay Thursday.

02/12/2025

LEVEL ONE ... Snow Advisory has been declared for Lucas County. Roadways are hazardous with ice and drifting snow. Drive cautiously.

02/12/2025

ICE STORM WARNING ... in effect for our area until 7 a.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service is predicting significant icing with total snow and sleet accumulations of around one inch and ice accumulations of up to three tenths of an inch.

Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel will be very difficult due to slippery road conditions and periodic poor visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commutes.

A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain is expected Wednesday afternoon. The heaviest precipitation will occur Wednesday evening as precipitation transitions to primarily freezing rain. Surfaces will rapidly become icy.

02/11/2025

STATE OF THE DISTRICT ... school officials will present the annual State of the District at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Ray E. Deardorff Auditorium at the high school.

Superintendent Adam Fineske and Treasurer/CFO Tom Siloy will discuss the district's performance,
facilities, and financial state.

Student speakers will also share their insights on the state of the junior/ senior high and elementary schools.

The event will end with a Q&A session with district leadership and the Board of Education.

The schools' livestream of the event can be viewed at: https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=b3R0YXdh&c=T0hMU0JvYXJkTWVldGluZ3M%3D

02/06/2025

SCHOOLS ON TIME ... Ottawa Hills schools are operating on time, with no delays Thursday, according to Superintendent Adam Fineske.

Early Thursday morning, Fineske, who had been out checking on the condition of area streets, said Village crews did a good job addressing icy conditions on the streets and the schools' operations team was tackling the sidewalks at the schools.

"We are on time," he said. "I just encourage folks to take it slow, and give themselves extra time" when out and about.

02/06/2025

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ... for our area from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service is forecasting freezing rain with total ice accumulations between one tenth and two tenths of an inch.

Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Walking conditions may be icy and dangerous. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning commute.

Freezing rain will begin transitioning to light rain early Thursday morning. However, slick spots may linger through mid-morning as surface temperatures remain chilly in the mid-30s. Temperatures will warm into the 40s by early Thursday afternoon.

Be prepared for slippery roads. Slow down and use caution while driving. If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.

01/28/2025

WINNING PHOTO … Michael Harding of Hillandale Road won the grand prize of the Alaska Railroad “Catch the Train” photo contest, the railroad announced Monday.

As the grand prize winner, Harding will receive $1,500 in cash, a pair of round-trip tickets, and his winning photo will be featured on the cover of the 2026 Alaska Railroad calendar.

Photographers from across the country took part in the competition, submitting their best images of Alaska Railroad trains throughout different seasons.

Harding snapped his winning photo, “Freight along the Turnagain Arm,” on June 28, 2024. He and his wife Claudia were in Alaska celebrating their second anniversary at the time.

“I just have always like trains,” Harding admitted.

A long time railfan, he started with model trains – HO scale – in his youth but has enjoyed the real thing for as long as he can remember.

“I came to the train photography hobby late,” he said. “Most the guys I know have been doing since they were teenagers. I picked it up about 20 years ago, in my early 30s.”

“I started just taking random train pictures here or there, very occasionally,” Harding said. “You can kind of give the hobby as much or as little time as you want.”

Just like location, location, location is the mantra of any successful business or valuable piece of real estate, it plays a big part in the enjoyment of the hobby for railfans.

In his current job, Harding works in an office near Owens Community College, which happens to be close to the CSX raid yards and is about a mile away from the Stanley yard near Walbridge.

“I went down the photography route increasingly,” Harding said. “It became a case of see what I can do with it, see what pictures I can get, see what pictures I can get published in certain venues.”

“It kind of became a personal challenge of what can I do with this,” he said. “I am a CPA. I am better with numbers than words. I can write, but that is a little bit more work for me.”

So, he chose to focus his efforts on his railroad photography. In this case, it paid off.

01/21/2025

NO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY ... Ottawa Hills schools will be closed Wednesday due to continuing bitter cold weather.

Superintendent Adam Fineske cited "extreme cold temperatures and dangerously low wind chills" in his decision to close schools Tuesday, and noted conditions are decidedly worse headed into Wednesday.

01/21/2025

EXTREME COLD WEATHER WARNING ... for our area from 7 p.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The National Weather Service is forecasting dangerously cold wind chills as low as 27 below, that can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.

People who must go outside are encouraged to dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible. Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors.

01/21/2025

CONDOLENCES ... to the family and friends of Jeffrey Vischer McFellin, 75, who died Jan. 16.

A life-long resident of northwest Ohio, he was s member of the Ottawa Hills High School class of 1968. A 1972 graduate of the University of Toledo, he worked more than 45 years for Cass/Samuel Strapping.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Yvonne (“Bunny”) -- his wife of 47 years, who lost her battle to cancer in December, 2020 -- and his son, Jeffrey, Jr.

He is survived by his sons, Matt and John, their wives, grandchildren Finn and Lauren, and brother, Jack.

Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Ave. Funeral services will be at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Friday. Interment will follow at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jeff’s name to Open Door Ministry, Inc., 2823 Cherry St, Toledo, Ohio 43608.

View Jeffrey V. McFellin, Sr.'s obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

01/20/2025

NO SCHOOL TUESDAY ... Ottawa Hills schools will be closed Tuesday due to a forecast predicting bitter cold weather.

In an email to parents, Superintendent Adam Fineske cited "extreme cold temperatures and dangerously low wind chills forecasted for Tuesday morning and that they will be becoming colder throughout the day" as the reason for his decision.

"Many of our students walk to and from school. With wind chills predicted between -15°F and -20°F throughout the day tomorrow, this decision prioritizes student safety," he said. "These are the temperature and wind chill thresholds I consistently use to determine delays or cancellations."

01/20/2025

COLD WEATHER ADVISORY ... in effect for our area until 10 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service has forecast very cold wind chills as low as 24 below zero.

The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.

Low temperatures Monday night into Tuesday morning will be in the range of 5 above to 5 below zero with wind chill values as low as 20 below. Low temperatures Tuesday night into Wednesday morning will be the coldest of the stretch, ranging from zero to 13 below zero. Wind chill values will be as cold as 24 below, but could trend colder. Lingering cold with sub zero wind chills could continue through Wednesday night.

Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside. Keep pets indoors as much as possible. Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors.

01/19/2025

TRASH COLLECTION ... will be delayed one day this week due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Homes normally serviced on Mondays will be visited on Tuesday, while Tuesdays normal collections will be on Wednesday. The recycling collection schedule is unchanged.

01/11/2025

2025 DOG LICENSES ... need to be purchased by Jan. 31. Licenses can be purchased at any Toledo Lucas County public library; the Lucas County Auditor’s Office in One Government Center; Lucas County Canine Care & Control, 410 S. Erie St.; or online at lucascountydogs.com/licensing-your-dog/

01/10/2025

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY... in effect for our area until 4 a.m. Saturday. The National Weather Service is predicting two to four inches of snow. Prepare for slippery road conditions.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission strongly encourage motorists to heed all travel restrictions and delay unnecessary travel. Visit www.ohgo.com for the latest travel, roadway, and traffic conditions.

01/08/2025

TICKETS GOING FAST ... for SpongeBob the musical, youth edition. With just 30 days until opening night, tickets are already selling like hotcakes. Don't miss out. Order them now!

01/03/2025

CONDOLENCES ... to the family and friends of Helen Iossi, 94, a beloved former music teacher at Ottawa Hills Elementary School, who died Dec. 26

Born in Davenport, Iowa, on July 29, 1930, she married Glenn Iossi in 1950. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Music with a minor in History in 1970 from Ball State University.

She taught elementary school music at OHES -- where she founded the brown bag chorus -- until retiring in 1990. She was named an Outstanding Teacher at OHES in 1988.

She was inducted into the Ottawa Hills Foundation's Ottawa Hills Hall of Fame in 2013. A former member of the Toledo Symphony Chorale, her volunteer work garnered accolades from the American Red Cross, David’s House, and NAMES Project Quilt Maker and participant.

She is survived by sons, David Iossi and Paul (Sharon) Iossi; grandchildren, Devon Iossi, Ryan Iossi, Alison (Larry) Melia, Aileen (Michael) Callan, Elizabeth (Jordan) Keller, Connor (Rebecca) Gaffney, Brian (Megan) Gaffney, Nolan Gaffney; and five great-grandchildren.

View Helen Iossi's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

12/29/2024

WIND ADVISORY ... has been issued for our area from 4 p.m. Sunday until 1 a.m. Monday. The National Weather Service is forcasting southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50.

Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. The strongest winds are expected along and behind a cold front that will move through the area late this afternoon into the first half of tonight.

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms may accompany the cold front. Any stronger showers or thunderstorms can locally enhance wind gusts to greater than 50 mph.