The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday that all winter tournaments will be postponed until further notice due to coronavirus concerns.

Tournaments include boys basketball regionals as well as state wrestling, ice hockey and girls basketball.

“This decision, though it may appear at the last minute, is based on so many developing situations that have occurred in the last 8 hours,” said OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass.

He says as much as they want this opportunity for the kids they must look at the safety aspect that mass gatherings create.

Snodgrass said they will continue to take their advice on how to respond to the virus from the CDC and Ohio Department of Health.

Ottawa Glandorf boys basketball had been set to play Evergreen in the regional final at BGSU on Saturday night.

On Tuesday the OHSAA said games would continue but with limited spectators.

(ONN)  – An annual event scheduled for April 11th that drew 60,000 fans to Columbus last year isn’t happening this year.

The Ohio State Football spring game is officially canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

Ohio State released a statement saying the game will not be played and attendance to all other sporting events will be limited.

Only immediate family members and essential gameday employees will be permitted to other events.

In addition to that news, head football coach Ryan Day said he’s shutting down recruiting operations until at least April 20th.

(picture courtesy of Columbus Wired)

The Findlay Police Department says the autopsy has been completed and the death of a man found in the Blanchard River will not be ruled a homicide.

Police say the final ruling on the manner of death will be made after the toxicology examination is completed.

Authorities say Alex A. Stewart, 28, of 112 Hurd Avenue in Findlay, was discovered in the river at about 6:15 Sunday night.

Stewart’s body was found in the river west of the Norfolk and Southern Railroad Bridge, north of the 300 block of Washington Street.

The body was recovered from the river by the Findlay Fire Department and turned over to Hanco EMS for transport to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.

50 North is closing due to coronavirus concerns.

The senior center on East Melrose Avenue in Findlay says its board of trustees decided to close the facility beginning on Thursday, March 12th until at least Sunday, March 29th.

Mobile Meals will be delivered Thursday, March 12th.

Members utilizing Mobile Meals will be contacted by the director for future deliveries.

All other programs and services will be canceled.

50 North says even though there are no cases of COVID-19 in Hancock County at the time of their decision on Wednesday, they’re being proactive in an effort to prevent illness.

50 North says it serves the population at high risk for coronavirus as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is people over the age of 60 and people with chronic medical conditions like diabetes and heart and lung disease.

They say they will continue to work with Hancock Public Health and follow the guidelines of CDC and local, state, and federal authorities.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will be removing crossover access at two locations on State Route 15 during an upcoming bridge project in Findlay.

Details are in the following media release from ODOT. Get more on the bridge project here.

Two median crossovers on State Route 15 south of Findlay, between the interchange with U.S. 68/Main Street and State Route 37 will close March 16 for approximately four months while the bridge deck over State Route 15 is replaced.

County Road 8 and County Road 180 will be limited to right turns only at their intersections with State Route 15. Through traffic on the county roads will not be allowed to cross State Route 15. Traffic will not be able to turn left onto or off of state Route 15.

The decision to remove crossover access was made during a meeting with local officials on Thursday, Mar. 5.

“The project is anticipated to increase traffic at intersections where serious accidents have occurred in the past,” said District Deputy Director Chris Hughes. “We are limiting access due to concerns for the safety of the traveling public,” he said.

In addition, the bridge deck replacement on U.S. 68 over state Route 15 includes the following traffic impacts:

– U.S. 68 northbound traffic will be detoured onto state Route 15 eastbound, to state Route 37, to state Route 15 westbound, back to U.S. 68.

– Main Street southbound traffic will be detoured onto U.S. 68 north/state Route 15 west, Interstate 75 northbound, state Route 12, Interstate 75 southbound, back to U.S. 68.

Ramps to state Route 15 east and U.S. 68 north/state Route 15 west will remain open. U.S. 68 southbound traffic will not be impacted. State Route 15 traffic will be maintained under the bridge. Periodic lane closures may be necessary.

A man was killed in a crash at SR 15 and CR 8 on Wednesday morning.

A fourth person in Ohio has tested positive for coronavirus.

Health officials say the 53-year-old Stark County man is the state’s first patient to catch the virus through “community spread” meaning officials cannot point to a clear source from which the person contracted the disease.

Twenty-four people are being monitored for symptoms because of possible exposure. Another 21 have tested negative for coronavirus.

Governor DeWine said on Wednesday that in the next several days his office will be issuing orders that will limit mass gatherings.

He also said that schools may need to be closed if the coronavirus continues to spread across Ohio.

DeWine says if he is forced to close schools, he’ll work with legislators to waive state testing requirements for students.

Get more information about coronavirus here. 

A neat event at the University of Findlay in which people wrote letters of encouragement to local kids who, due to their circumstances, wouldn’t normally receive one.

“These letters of encouragement really show children that there are people in the community looking after them even if they might not know them personally,” said UF senior Tristan Meyer.

He says the more than 900 letters will be delivered to the children, providing them with the encouragement they need to bring out the great potential that’s inside of them.

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day was founded by National Camp Fire U.S.A. to provide an opportunity for all children to receive a letter of encouragement.

“They need to know that they can do whatever they want in their life and achieve anything,” Meyer added.

The University of Findlay is canceling all in-person classes as a precaution to the coronavirus.

The university says it will follow Governor DeWine’s recommendation that universities transition to remote, online classes and limit large gatherings.

The classroom change goes into effect on Monday, March 16th. Beginning then traditional classroom courses will be delivered remotely. This will continue until at least April 14th.

To facilitate the change and allow faculty time to prepare their course materials, all classes are canceled on Friday, March 13th.

The all-campus meeting scheduled for Friday, March 13th is postponed.

Also, effective Monday, March 16th, the university is canceling all events, either University-sponsored or on University property, at least until Tuesday, April 14th.

The university says, even though there are no campus-associated cases of COVID-19, they are being proactive in their effort to prevent illness and promote a healthy campus environment.

Get more here.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says a man was killed in a crash south of Findlay early Wednesday.

The crash happened a little after 4 a.m. at State Route 15 and County Road 8.

The sheriff’s office says David Rayford, 39, of Arlington, was driving north on County Road 8 when he entered the intersection with State Route 15 and struck an eastbound commercial vehicle.

Rayford was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the commercial vehicle was treated on the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.

During a coronavirus update at the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday, Governor DeWine recommended that all upcoming indoor events be canceled over coronavirus concerns.

He says if high school sports competitions and other events go on as scheduled, they should include only the participants and essential officials, not spectators.

“This will be a very difficult time for our schools and fans, but we cannot ignore the directive of the Governor,” said OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass.

“We are pleased that our tournaments can continue and we will soon determine who can attend. However, we can already say that it will most likely be no more than the immediate family of the student-athletes participating in the event.”

Boys basketball regional tournament games scheduled for Tuesday night can proceed with fans.

The OHSAA will announce Wednesday morning how the tournaments will proceed moving forward.

Ottawa Glandorf Boys basketball takes on Colonel Crawford in the regional semifinals Wednesday night at 8 from BGSU on 106.3 The Fox.

The OHSAA girls basketball state tournament begins Thursday at St. John Arena, the wrestling state tournament begins Friday at the Schottenstein Center and the ice hockey state tournament begins Saturday morning at Nationwide Arena.

Addressing upcoming political rallies with Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, the governor said people have a First Amendment right to attend, but added that a gathering with a lot of people is, quote, “probably not a great idea.”