Registration is open for CLC STARS Summer Programs within the BG, Eastwood, Elmwood, North Baltimore, Northwood, and Rossford school districts. The programs will run from 6:30am-6pm with the theme "All Together Now" to celebrate the fact of getting students back together and becoming a unit once again.

Register online.

Downtown Bowling Green SID has a page on their website dedicated to commercial space that is available for rent/sale. If you have commercial space located in the Special Improvement District that you would like showcased, you can contact them at info@downtownbgohio.org.

For a limited time, Efficiency Smart will reward small businesses with an increased incentive for purchasing qualifying LED bulbs or fixtures from a designated local supplier or contractor. Standard incentives still apply for all other qualifying purchases. Contact Efficiency Smart at 877-889-3777 to get started.

Step One: Report identity theft through the hotline or website.
If you receive an unemployment notification from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services regarding someone you don’t know, please notify them as soon as possible by calling our hotline at (833) 658-0394.

If you would like to report identity theft involving one or more of your employees, you can either use the hotline or complete this secure online form. If you use the online form, you will be prompted to download an Excel template, enter the requested data in the template (including your employees’ full Social Security numbers), and upload the file as instructed.

Step Two: Continue to respond to any “Request for Separation Information” notices that you receive from us.
Please respond timely to these notices and write “fraud/identity theft” on them so that the ODJFS can investigate the claims and take appropriate actions. The most expedient way for employers to respond to Request for Separation forms is by responding via your online account or by using the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) portal.

Step Three: Share resources with your employees.
Please share the resources for individuals on this website with the employees at your organization. This web page includes a link to the IRS guidance regarding identity theft involving unemployment benefits and other measures individuals can take to protect themselves.

For additional information visit their website: unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/IdentityTheftEmployer

NAMI Wood County has a variety of programming available in February. This programming is FREE and available to Wood County residents. The following program will be offered virtually:

• The next Mental Health First Aid course will be held on Zoom over two days: Wednesday, April 28 from 9:00-12:00p.m. and Thursday, April 29 from 9:00-12:00p.m. Mental Health First Aid teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to people with the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in a crisis, and connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self-help care.
• NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a recovery-focused educational program for adults who wish to establish and maintain wellness in response to mental health challenges. The course provides critical information and strategies related to living with mental illness. Classes begin on Monday, May 3rd from 2:00-4:00p.m. on Zoom.
• On Wednesday, May 19, 2021 from 6:00-8:00p.m., NAMI Wood County will be discussing the process of Planning for the financial future of loved ones impacted by mental health conditions for our NAMI Education Series. They will have speakers to discuss STABLE accounts (an investment account available to eligible individuals with disabilities, including people with mental health diagnoses), and estate planning.

If you are interested in becoming a NAMI Wood County member, visit their website for more details. There are many benefits included in a NAMI Wood County member including: discounts on programs, newsletter subscriptions and more. Membership levels range from $5 to $60.

NAMI Wood County is continuing online support groups as well including Family Support Group, NAMI Connections, Parent & Caregiver, and others! Visit www.namiwodocounty.org for more information and to register for their programming. Email info@namiwoodcounty.org or call 419-352-0626 for more information, and be sure to follow NAMI Wood County on social media: @NAMIWoodCounty for additional resources and updates.

From April 10-May 31, 2021, ten signs located along the green trail of the Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve will narrate historical features of the park, from indigenous occupation, to farming, to the present preserve. QR codes on the signs connect visitors via their smartphones to the Stories in the Woods website, providing more information, primary sources and a short reflection. Community members of all ages are invited to visit the preserve for fresh air, captivating stories, and a rejuvenating walk in the woods.

BGSU graduate students in Dr. Amilcar Challu’s environmental history seminar class developed a community-based history told along the hiking trails of the Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve in Bowling Green, Ohio. Funded by a grant from Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, “Stories in the Woods” introduces the public to the fascinating environmental history of this local nature preserve.

On April 21 from 3pm-4:30pm there will be an "Honoring Our Plants" webinar hosted by Dani Tippman, Chris Gajewicz, and Cinda Stutzman. You can join the webinar at bgsu.edu/storiesinthewoods.

Sylvan Learning Center is offering a special on their Insight Assessment for your kids. Get a clear picture of your child's academic health with computer-adaptive skills assessment, and observations on your child's abilities in oral reading, writing, and math. From April 12 until May 9 Sylvan will be donating $10 of the assessment price to The Northwest Ohio Food Bank. For more information call 419-353-7608.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Wood County Museum has made the difficult decision to cancel the Tea & Talk Program Series again this year. Please know that the Museum struggled with this decision, but the safety of the attendees comes first.

The Museum is excited to offer a few of the originally planned Tea & Talk Series programs virtually via Zoom. The Virtual History Series will be available online through a partnership with the North Baltimore Public Library, free of charge, on the second Thursday of each month at 12:00 PM. Visit the Wood County Museum website for schedule details or follow the Museum on Facebook at Wood County Museum. If you are not currently receiving emails from the Museum, be sure to sign up using the link on their website at woodcountyhistory.org to get program details sent directly to you.

Virtual History Series presented by: Edwin & Irma Wolf and Lynn & Betty Wineland. Support for the Virtual History Series is in thanks of the many Tea Card Holders of the Tea & Talk Series.

The Wood County Museum is looking forward to welcoming everyone back and hopes to have tea with everyone in 2022.

Questions can be directed to the museum at any time by calling 419-352-0967 or email marketing@woodcountyhistory.org

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers as well as local and state-level partners to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities, and build community resiliency. MRC units prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks.

Once you've registered or if you have any questions, you can reach out to Julie Kauffman at the Wood County Health Department.

The Wood County Museum will be open for extended evening hours on the third Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm, starting January 21. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children, with discounts for seniors, students, and military. Historical Society members receive free admission as well as a gift shop discount.

Due to state and county COVID-19 restrictions, social distancing & masks are required inside the museum buildings at all times. There are multiple hand sanitizer stations set up throughout the building as well. The Museum is handicap accessible with an elevator, handicap restrooms, and ample parking in the visitor lot as well as behind the museum (south side). The south elevator entrance is also behind the museum.

The Wood County Museum received a Gold Visual Communication Award from the Ohio Museums Association (OMA) for the video of the Utopia: A Visual Storytelling of Our Home.  

The OMA Awards program is an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of Ohio museums in visual communications, individual and institutional achievement, and the tireless work museum professionals undertake to help advance Ohio’s museum community both locally, and on a national level.

The “Utopia” exhibit is a celebration of Wood County's bicentennial (2020), and is not an exercise in looking back, but a symbol of the many possibilities waiting ahead. Young people are full of hope, and the journey of local photographer, Taylor Houpt Ayres, is told visually through beautiful landscapes, vibrant cityscapes, and a multitude of back road barns and farm fields.

Winning the award is the creative short film, “Utopia: A Visual Storytelling of Our Home”, showcasing the story of how the exhibit developed, its purpose, and what made “Utopia” come to life. The video was produced and created by local videographer and filmmaker Zak Kolhoff, of Zak Films.

The exhibit was made possible with support from American Frame, the Wood County Historical Society, and with a generous in-kind donation of videography services by Zak Films.

This is the second award for this exhibit; the Museum was recognized by the Toledo City Paper as Runner-Up for Best Art Exhibit of 2020.

For more information, contact the Wood County Museum at 419-352-0967 or visit www.woodcountyhistory.org.