Bowling Green Fire Division Annual Open House

The Bowling Green Fire Division invites the community to its annual Open House on Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Pearl Street Fire Station, 1060 Pearl Street.

The day begins with a pancake and sausage breakfast at 8 a.m. for a donation. Visitors can tour the station, explore fire trucks and equipment, meet firefighters and Sparky, try the Kids Firefighter Fitness Challenge, and enjoy a Dilly Bar donated by Dairy Queen. Firefighters will also share information on car seats, smoke and CO detectors, residential Knox boxes, and other fire safety topics.

Demonstrations begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day, including fire extinguisher demonstrations, auto extrication, the Fire Safety House, and a Tower 1 rope rescue.

The Open House is free and open to the public and offers a fun opportunity for families to meet local firefighters while learning important fire and home safety tips.

Fire Open House Schedule

Brush Collection Began September 21

The September Brush Collection began on Monday, Sept. 21. To ensure pickup, residents must have placed their brush on the curb by Monday, Sept. 21, by 7am. This is the third brush collection of the year. The next collection will be in October 2026. NOTE: Pickup is by WARD and NOT by normal refuse collection day. 

Removal and Replacement of Callery Pear Trees

The work to remove and replace Callery pear trees planted in the City Rights of Way will continue this fall. Beginning the week of September 28th, the Urban Forestry Division will be removing Callery pears located along Wren Rd. The removal of the trees will take 3-5 days to complete.  Removed trees will be replaced this fall and residents directly adjacent to the tree removals will receive direct notification.

Intermittent parking restrictions may be necessary as this project progresses. Tree removal areas where crews are working will be clearly marked.  

Callery pear, a once popular choice for landscapes and street trees, has been found to be highly invasive. An invasive species is a non-native species that causes harm to the environment, economy, human, animal, or plant health. The Callery pear is particularly invasive due to its ease of reproduction; it overtakes natural areas and chokes out desirable native species. Cultivars and varieties of Callery pears include Cleveland select, Whitehouse, Bradford, among others...Read Full Callery Pear Release

Annual Hydrant Flushing & Testing Began Sep. 16

The Water Distribution Division began flushing and testing fire hydrants on Sep. 16, 2026. Crews began in the fourth ward, and will continue through the first ward, then the third, finishing with the second ward. Fire hydrants in the City are flushed annually to ensure they operate properly during emergencies and to clear any water line buildup. This work will continue daily, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Customers may experience discolored water and are encouraged to check their cold water supply before use. This condition is temporary and water quality will return to normal once the flushing process is complete. If discoloration occurs, briefly flush the cold water line until it clears. 

The discolored water is not harmful to drink; however, it may stain light-colored clothes laundered in it. Residents experiencing problems may pick up laundry rust remover from the Municipal Water Distribution office at 324 North Maple Street, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

City crews will be working near the roadway. Please slow down and use caution when passing. 

City Ward Redistricting

Finalist Maps Selected

The Bowling Green City Council COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE met on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to consider the Proposed Ward Redistricting Maps (PDF) and narrowed the field to three (3) finalists.  

Residents may view the three maps selected as finalists and select a top choice using the feedback form linked below:

View Map Finalists & Provide Feedback

Note: Submissions for feedback will close on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:59p.m.

Read Original Ward Redistricting Release

Visit City Ward Redistricting Webpage

Community Conversation Series for Not In Our Town Bowling Green 

Not In Our Town Bowling Green (NIOT-BG) is holding a series of conversations to discuss the results of last year’s survey, to gain a sense of what the community wants the organization to be, and to plan events for the spring.

The conversations will take place:

• Monday, September 21st, 5:30-7pm, 427 Bowen-Thompson Student Union (on campus)
• Tuesday, October 13th, 5:30-7pm, 427 Bowen-Thompson Student Union (on campus)
• Tuesday, November 10th, 5:30-7pm, BG City Building, Conference Room 111 (adjacent to the main City Council Chambers) 

Read Full Not In Our Town Bowling Green (NIOT-BG) Release

Bowling Green Part of Wood County’s New Emergency Alert System 

Those who live, work or regularly visit the City of Bowling Green can receive emergency notifications with the new Wood County Alert system, powered by Everbridge. Similar to CodeRED, the City and County will use this system to communicate with the public during critical events, including severe weather, fires, electrical outages and other safety alerts, to more routine announcements. Users can choose how they prefer to be contacted, including by text message, phone call, email or a mobile app. 

The new system replaces the previous emergency notification platform, CodeRED. It is important to note that prior registrations for CodeRed will not transfer, and all users will need to create a new account to receive alerts.

Emergency Alert Sign Up + Further Details

City of Bowling Green | 419-354-6204 | 305 N. Main St. | www.bgohio.gov