The City of Findlay is advising drivers that a section of Sandusky Street will be down to one lane for several weeks.

The Engineering Department says East Sandusky Street will be reduced to westbound traffic only from Osborn Avenue to Fishlock Avenue from 8 am to 5 pm daily from Monday, February 17th through April 10th for a gas line installation.

Columbia Gas will be installing a new 12 inch gas line.

The city says to avoid East Sandusky Street if possible, as delays are expected.

Anyone with questions may contact the city’s engineering department at 419-424-7121.

Flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio have risen to twice the level they were a year ago.

According to state health officials, during the week of February 2nd through the 8th, nearly 1,000 flu-related hospitalizations were recorded.

That marks an almost 20-percent jump over the previous week.

Nearly 5,500 such hospitalizations have been reported since the Ohio flu season started at the end of September.

Officials say two flu-related deaths have been recorded so far this year in Ohio.

Health officials are still recommending people get a flu shot for this flu season if they haven’t already.

In December, Blanchard Valley Hospital instituted precautions as the flu started to hit Ohio harder and earlier than last year.

Two days before Christmas the hospital started requiring visitors and employees who haven’t had a flu shot to wear a flu mask.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn delivered her State of the City Address at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.

Her speech looked back at the accomplishments of last year and what lies ahead for the city this year.

A few of the accomplishments of 2019 she highlighted were the STRICT Center, the Move With The Mayor campaign (video below) and the benching project to mitigate flooding.

The STRICT Center is the regional training center for emergency responders that’ll be located near Fire Station 4 on County Road 236 and is expected to break ground this year.

The mayor highlighted the response times of the police and fire departments in 2019.

Police response times averaged 5:48 and fire response times averaged 4:07, which is quicker than their targeted times.

She says the city’s finances are strong and the 2020 budget as adopted has a projected surplus of nearly $1 million.

Mayor Muryn says areas of focus for 2020 will be flood mitigation – with more benching and a basin project planned for Eagle Creek – as well as a community strategic plan and improving the #FindlayOhio brand.

Also, coalition work on housing, workforce, health, mental health/substance abuse, food security, literacy and transportation issues will be a focus in 2020.

In her speech she also revealed that changes will be coming to the intersection of West Sandusky Street and Western Avenue.

She says the city’s been working for a couple of years with the railroad to get permission to put together a new design for that intersection and plans are now moving forward.

The mayor took some time to mention how important the 2020 Census will be for the city, and encouraged everyone to fill it out, as the data helps determine funding for critical infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals.

She says the city’s overall focus continues to be on outstanding service and financial responsibility.

Look through the mayor’s speech at your own leisure here.

The Fostoria Police Division says someone is trying to use their good name to scam people out of money.

The police department says an individual who goes by the name of Steven has been calling people and asking for financial donations in support of law enforcement.

Police Chief Keith Loreno assures residents that police are not soliciting money and if you get a similar call to hang up and report it to police.

He says, with tax season approaching, people will start to see scammers claiming to be with the IRS requesting money or gift cards in lieu of payment.

He says to hang up, as the IRS will never call you and request money.

The chief also reminds people to not fall for the classic scam of someone calling and saying you have a warrant and they try to collect the bond over the phone.

“We find it more personal to serve these in person,” the chief said.

Findlay and Hancock County residents are being encouraged to take part in a housing market survey.

The Hancock Regional Planning Commission is conducting the survey which will examine both the rental and single-family markets to identify development opportunities among all housing types and price points.

Officials say, while there have been housing studies completed in the past, this is the first countywide market study to assess opportunities to improve the housing situation among all residents and local workers.

Also, the Greater Ohio Policy Center will provide policy recommendations related to clearly defined housing issues, so that the public and private sectors can work together to address regional housing needs.

The survey will be available online until February 25th.

People can contact the Hancock Regional Planning Commission at 419-424-7094 with questions.

(ONN) – Governor DeWine is backing legislation that takes phones out of the hands of drivers and makes distracted driving reason enough to pull someone over.

The new bipartisan bill addresses hand-held devices and would ban talking, sending or looking at texts, watching or recording photos or videos, or livestreaming while handling the device.

The legislation would make those a primary offense, meaning police don’t need another reason to pull drivers over.

The bill would also increase fines for people who are caught repeatedly violating the law.

DeWine says the bill will save lives.

“What we’re talking about doing is changing the culture in the State of Ohio. This is a culture problem,” the governor said.

Supporters of the bill say states that have enacted similar bans have seen traffic fatalities drop by more than 20 percent.

Exemptions include using a phone to place an emergency call.

(ONN) – Another former member of the Ohio State wrestling team is accusing former assistant coach and current congressman Jim Jordan of standing silent as a team doctor molested hundreds of athletes.

Adam DiSabato, who wrestled for the Buckeyes between 1988 and 1993, testified before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee during a hearing on a bill that would allow a victim to sue a university if a university doctor abused them.

DiSabato told state lawmakers he told both Jordan and head coach Russ Hellickson of Dr. Richard Strauss’ sexual abuse of members of the team, but the pair “did nothing.”

The university has confirmed that Strauss committed nearly 1,500 acts of fondling and more than 40 rapes between the late 1970s and early 1990s.

A lot of kids spent their snow day off school on Thursday doing some sledding at the Findlay Reservoir.

We spoke with Heather, who was there with her three boys and one of their friends.

She said they try to get out there whenever there’s enough snow.

One of the kids said he went down the hill at 147 miles per hour, but we’re not sure that checks out.

Heather said she’s usually just the one that carries the sleds up the hill, but every once in a while she hops on and enjoys the ride down as well.

(You can see her at the end of the video below in a tube with her kids)

If you didn’t have a chance to enjoy the snow on Thursday, it’ll be sticking around.

The high on Friday will only be about 20 degrees, and the high on Saturday in the low 30s.

The Fostoria Police Division says a man who was trying to break into a safe at a residence fled from officers before being apprehended.

Police responded to 217 West Center Street at around 2 a.m. Thursday to investigate noises coming from the downstairs of the building.

Officers arrived to find a safe/lock box with heavy damage.

They searched the property and that’s when the suspect ran from the building.

The foot chase turned into a vehicle chase and then back into a foot chase again when the suspect bailed out his vehicle.

Officers caught up with the suspect, Joshua V. Garner, 36, of Fostoria, in the area of Sandusky and Fremont Streets.

He was taken to the Seneca County Jail where he’s facing charges of breaking and entering and other charges are pending.

Two Findlay City Schools students will be spending half of the next school year in Kawaguchi, Japan as part of the high school student exchange program.

Japanese Teacher Tanya Schubert will travel along with students Kale Fuller and Megan Taber in August.

“They really stood out in the interview process because of their enthusiasm to go and their desire to grow their language skills.”

She says this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students.

“They’re going to grow as people, they’ll learn a lot about themselves and about what being American means to them and about what being Japanese means.”

Schubert lived in Japan for three years but this will be her first time in Kawaguchi.

Two students from Kawaguchi are attending Findlay High School this school year as part of the exchange program.