The Wood County Museum will host a free concert series, Music at the Museum Presented by Visit BG Ohio, this summer featuring Live Music on the east wing porch of the historic County Home building on September 19^th starting at 6:00 PM. This will be the last concert for the 2024 season.

The event, Music at the Museum Presented by Visit BG Ohio, will feature 3 bands: 6PM – Grand Royale Ükuleists of the Black Swamp (GRÜBS), 7pm - Trip-Lettes, 8pm - Corduroy Road

Concert-goers are asked to bring chairs or blankets for lawn seating.  Food trucks will also be onsite – The Tamale Guy, Jikoni Toledo, & BD's Lemonade King

“Music at the Museum” is Presented by Visit BG Ohio. Supporting Sponsors: Visit Perrysburg, Dave & Cindy Hollinger, Mike & Terri Marsh, Charles & Liesel Traister, & Tucker Electrical Service, LLC. Additional Funding by: Bowling Green Manor, Edwin & Irma Wolf, Lynn & Betty Wineland. Friends of the Museum: Pam Deeds, For Keeps, Portage Lions Club, Cornelia Wagener, Wood Haven Health Care.

For more information about museum events, visit woodcountyhistory.org or follow the Wood County Museum on social media. The museum is located at 13660 County Home Road in Bowling Green, Ohio.

USA Curling is pleased to announce host locations for the U21 Junior Men’s & Women’s National Championships through 2028.

In 2025, the Bowling Green Curling Club (BGCC) in Bowling Green, OH, will welcome the nation’s best junior curlers from April 1st through April 6th. In 2026, the Junior Nationals will head to Bismarck, ND, and the Capital Curling Club, while the 2027 Junior Nationals will return to the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, MA. In 2028, the event will be held in northern Michigan at the Traverse City Curling Club.

A change in the dates of the World Junior Championships forced USA Curling to adjust the timing of the 2025 Junior Nationals, and prompted a search for a new host this coming season. Numerous clubs expressed interested before the decision was made to move ahead with BGCC.

"We are so excited to showcase the talents of junior curlers in this country,” said Lauren Whitmer, Bowling Green Board Secretary and the 2025 Event Chair. “I am confident this club and community will make it a memorable experience for competitors, family, and fans.”

At the 2024 Junior Nationals in Eau Claire, WI, Team Giroux (Allie Giroux, Tessa Thurlow, Ella Fleming, Brooke Giroux, Savannah Koch) captured the Women’s title, while Team Wendling (Wesley Wendling, Nicholas Cenzalli, Daniel Laufer, Shaheen Bassiri, Dylan Ciapka) won the Men’s Championship. In the upcoming season, Team Giroux will travel to the World Junior B Championships to earn a spot in the World Junior Women’s Championship, while Team Wendling will have a direct berth into the 2025 World Junior Men’s Championship based on the results of Team USA in 2024.

“Delivering great events is a key part of our mission, and securing championship sites far in advance let’s us plan effectively and be better partners to the Member Clubs that take on hosting responsibilities,” add USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “I’m thrilled that we have a schedule for Junior Nationals through 2028, and we are grateful that Bowling Green was able to put the event into their schedule in this upcoming season.”

In addition to the national championship announcements, USA Curling has also selected the five bonspiels that will serve as Junior Nationals qualifiers in 2024-25. USA Curling aims to provide reasonable opportunities to curlers in all parts of the country, and the organization is excited to announce that recently opened CurlVegas in Las Vegas, NV, will host a Junior Qualifier bonspiel in 2024-25. Other qualifiers will be held it at the Madison Curling Club (McFarland, WI), the Broomstones Curling Club (Wayland, MA), the Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club (Fargo, ND), and Four Seasons Curling (Blaine, MN). Dates and contact information for all the Qualifier bonspiels are below.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office along with the Bowling Green Police and Fire Divisions, and Perrysburg Township Police and Fire Divisions invite you to attend a FREE event:

Law enforcement officers and agencies are frequently requested by schools, businesses, and community members for direction and presentations on what they should do if confronted with an active shooter event.

Members of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office Special Response (SWAT) team will be presenting Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), designed and built on the Avoid | Deny | Defend™ strategy.  Avoid | Deny | Defend™ has been developed as an easy to remember method for individuals to follow.  Attendees will also receive the Stop the Bleed training.  During this portion of the training, Medics will demonstrate how to identify life-threatening bleeding, how to control it, and how to apply direct pressure techniques, tourniquets, and hemostatic gauze.

Given the continued active shooter/active attack incidents globally, it's crucial to be ready. Register now to receive FREE training from dedicated Deputies, Officers, and Medics who are committed to ensuring your safety. This training is available to all, encompassing schools, colleges, businesses, hospitals, and places of worship.

**This training is for individuals 18 years and older

Date: 09/18/2024 (Wed.)

Time: 5:00pm EDT

Location: Bowling Green Veterans Memorial Building, 520 Conneaut Ave, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

Registration Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45A4A922A5FFC43-50748962-citizens

The City of Bowling Green is warning residents and businesses about a concerning rise in utility impostor scams impacting surrounding communities.  The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has reported receiving numerous complaints regarding these scams, which target consumers and businesses alike.

While utility bill and power shutoff scams are unfortunately not new, these latest tactics are particularly bold, aggressive, and alarming. What sets them apart is the involvement of individuals impersonating service technicians who physically enter properties and demand immediate payment.

City officials are concerned about the coordinated nature of these scams, which seem to follow a pattern and are disproportionately affecting our region at present. It's not uncommon for scams perpetrated by organized groups to target specific areas heavily before moving on to others, and these "utility impostor" scams appear to be following this trend.

Residents and businesses are urged to remain vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves from falling victim to these scams. If approached by someone claiming to be a utility worker demanding immediate payment:

• Do not allow these individuals into your home, and do not provide them with your utility bill or other personal information.
• Do not leave your home unattended to accompany an individual who shows up without an appointment.
• Report them to the Bowling Green Police Division by calling 419-352-1131.

City employees are happy to provide identification to residents.  If you’re ever unsure about someone’s identity, call the Utilities Business Office at 419-354-6252.  City employees will never come to your home to demand payment, will never request to meet you somewhere for payment, and will never demand immediate payment or payments made with gift cards or prepaid credit cards.

The Utilities Business Office is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM to assist residents with bill payment, budget payment plans, payment assistance resources and more.  They can be reached by phone at 419-354-6252 or by email at bgutil@bgohio.org.

For options how to pay your Utility Bill, please visit https://www.bgohio.org/650/Pay-My-Bill.

See the press release from the Better Business Bureau below:

Dear BBB Businesses:

BBB has received several complaints about electric power shutoff scams currently targeting consumers AND businesses in both the Toledo and Lima areas.  Utility bill and power shutoff phone and email scams have been around for years but these latest tactics are bold, aggressive and, for some, scary because they involve actual people entering the property in-person, dressed as service technicians, and demanding immediate payment. In one recent case, an impostor dressed like a technician entered a local insurance agency in Oregon and walked directly past the front desk, looking for the meter and service panel, and claiming payment was needed immediately. This agent-owner might be willing to appear with BBB on air for a story.

The problem appears coordinated because it follows a pattern and is hitting our areas hard right now. Often, scams perpetuated by organizations instead of individuals are widespread and target a region heavily before moving on to other areas. These current “utility impostor” scams seem to follow that pattern. Both FirstEnergy (for Toledo) and AEP (for Lima) have warnings on their websites about these bold scams.

FirstEnergy’s website says, in part:

“Power Shut Off Scams 

Caller or visitor demands immediate payment 
AKA: Pre-Paid Debit Card Payment Scam, Green Dot, Money Gram or Western Union scam

In this widespread scam, which frequently targets small businesses, a telephone caller poses as an electric utility company employee. The caller threatens to shut off the customer’s power unless an immediate payment is made. In many cases, the customer is told to use a pre-paid debit card, such as a Green Dot/MoneyPak card, or a money transfer service like Money Gram or Western Union.

The facts:

• If your account is past due, you will receive a written notice of your account status, with instructions on how to avoid disconnection of service.
• While our representative may call a customer whose bill is in arrears in order to remind them that a payment is due, the representative would explain how a payment can be made using our established payment options. They will not demand payment over the phone, in person, or at a particular physical location.
• Our utilities do not accept prepaid debit cards or wire transfers as payment, and our representatives will not demand your bank information or credit card number over the phone.

What should you do:

• If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately.
• Be aware that scammers often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call, or provide you with a fake "verification" phone number. These call-back numbers may even include exact replicas of company greetings and hold messaging. If you would like to verify your account status, always call our Customer Service department using the numbers on our website, or log in to your account on our website.
• If a person appears at your door demanding payment, do not allow them into your home, and do not provide them any personal information.
• If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, please contact your local police department or your state attorney general’s office, and report telephone scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.

Utility Imposters

Criminals posing as sales or service people

In this scam, individuals appear at the door, claiming to be affiliated with one of FirstEnergy’s utility companies. The scam artists often work in pairs, are very persistent, and use a variety of excuses to gain personal information or access to your home. In some cases, once access is gained and/or the victim is distracted outside, the home has been robbed.

These criminals may try to distract victims by requesting a copy of the resident's utility bill, allegedly to "see if you're getting the lowest rate." Another tactic reported to police involves a pair of people claiming to be tree trimmers contracted by the utility. One individual walked the property with the homeowner, while the other took items from the home.

The facts:

• These individuals do not represent FirstEnergy, our utilities, or subsidiaries. Our utility employees do not solicit door-to-door, and they would not ask you to provide a copy of your electric bill.
• While some third-party generation suppliers may use door-to-door sales tactics, they should represent themselves as such; not as affiliates of our company.
• If a utility employee or authorized contractor needs access to your home or needs to review an issue with you, an appointment will be scheduled in advance, and proper identification will be provided for your review.

What you should do:

• Do not allow these individuals into your home, and do not provide them with your utility bill or other personal information.
• Do not leave your home unattended to accompany an individual who shows up without an appointment.
• Report them to your local law enforcement authorities.”

AEP also provides this online warning:

“Criminals will do anything to steal money from unsuspecting victims. With the COVID-19 pandemic and holidays right around the corner, this is a particularly high-risk time for many people including senior citizens, low-income residents and understaffed small businesses.

It’s important to be alert and know how to spot the signs of a scammer. Scammers posing as AEP Ohio employees often target those who are most vulnerable, including senior citizens, low-income residents and small business owners. Have a conversation with your older loved ones about the importance of recognizing scams so that they’re not victims of fraud and putting their financial safety at risk.

Whether they approach by phone, email or at your front door, scammers typically claim to be an AEP Ohio employee. These imposters will threaten to shut your power off if you don’t make an immediate payment.
We’ve also recently learned of scammers targeting our customers with automated calls, threatening disconnection. Please know, we don’t make automated phone calls with important information about your account status.

You’re probably talking to a scammer if they:

• Demand immediate payment
• Insist a payment be made with a prepaid credit card
• Ask to meet at another location to make a payment

Here are some key ways to recognize scams and stay safe:

• If you’re told your account is past due, you should check your account status online.
• Only make payments online at AEPOhio.com or through mail, online, by phone or at authorized payment locations.
• AEP Ohio employees are always willing to show their company IDs. Just ask.
• If you’re ever unsure about someone’s identity, call AEP Ohio at (800) 672-2231."

Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Survey is now OPEN! This survey allows Ohio businesses to provide feedback on the state’s Top Jobs List, which guides workforce training priorities and federal funding.

The survey helps the state collect feedback based on what Ohio businesses need, creating a portal for Ohioans to learn what jobs will be important now and in the future, so they can better plan their pathway to a successful career. The survey is open to any registered business in Ohio, allowing businesses of all sizes and in all areas of the state to share their needs.

The Top Jobs List is a customizable portal for Ohioans to research what pathways are right for them and how they can take advantage of employment opportunities in their field of interest. Ohioans can easily access the Top Jobs List and search for job titles in the state based on region, education required, experience required, and more.

Ohio is required to maintain an up-to-date In-Demand Jobs List, part of Ohio’s Top Jobs List, that directs the spending of 85 percent of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training funds. Although not required, Ohio has previously chosen to survey employers to ensure that state programs meet business needs.

To take the survey, visit TopJobs.Ohio.gov/Survey.