The Findlay Trojans lost a heartbreaker in their home opener against St. John’s on Friday night.

It was a defensive struggle in the first half and the Trojans were trailing St. John’s 6-3 at halftime.

But Findlay’s offense came alive in the second half and they were leading by a score of 24-19 late in the 4th quarter.

St. John’s would score with about one minute to go to go up 25-24.

Findlay had one last possession and marched down the field but threw an interception and lost by one point.

This is the first loss of the season for the Trojans after previous road wins at Whitmer and Fremont.

Findlay is on the road next Friday night at Central Catholic in another game you can hear right here on WFIN.

You can also listen to replays of Trojans games by clicking here.

An eighth Hancock County resident has died from the coronavirus.

Hancock Public Health says the patient was a 92-year-old man.

Health officials say, as of Friday, there have been 595 total cases of the virus in the county and eight deaths.

38 of the cases are active which means the patient is currently under quarantine or isolation.

Hancock Public Health says 50 people have been hospitalized from the virus in Hancock County since the beginning of the pandemic and eight residents have died from it.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

Friday marked 19 years since the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City that took the lives of nearly 3,000 people.

Among the dead were 343 firefighters.

Findlay Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Cooper says they took some time on the anniversary to reflect on the sacrifice made by so many of their fellow firefighters.

He says the firefighters that entered the World Trade Center on 9/11 weren’t thinking about themselves or the possibility that they could die, they were just doing their job and trying to help the people stuck in the buildings.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judi French was the guest speaker at the Hancock County Republican Party luncheon on Friday.

French became a justice in January of 2013 and was elected to her first full term in 2014.

Justice French says she’s proud of the decisions she has written and has established herself as a conservative justice by applying the law in a straightforward way.

She says one of the big things on the horizon is a uniform sentencing database to require all courts to collect uniform data to see if there are sentencing disparities based on race or other factors.

Justice French says she’s used her voice as a supreme court justice to advocate for changes and programs that will ensure access to justice for all Ohioans.

From 1997 to 2002 Justice French worked for Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery and argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court.

One of those cases was the Cleveland school vouchers case, in which her presentation of the state’s position helped ensure equitable educational opportunities for all Ohio students.

French is from Mahoning County and got her law degree from Ohio State and currently lives near Columbus.

French is up for re-election in November and is being challenged by Democrat former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Ohio State Football coach Ryan Day wants answers from the Big Ten about when the conference plans to begin the football season.

The Big Ten announced last month it was postponing fall sports because of concerns about playing during the pandemic.

The Pac-12 soon followed suit, but six other major college football conferences are still playing.

The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference are kicking off this weekend.

Day said communication with the Big Ten has been disappointing and often unclear.

The coach said he and his players deserve answers about why they aren’t playing when other schools are.

And he said losing the fall season should result in financial consequences for those responsible, and he’s hopeful the Big Ten will reverse its stand.

Ohio’s attorney general recently said Ohio State could sue the Big Ten over the issue.

(above picture courtesy of Columbus Wired)

With flu season approaching, Hancock Public Health is putting together some drive-thru flu clinics where people can get vaccinated.

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, Health Director Karim Baroudi says it’s more important than ever to get the flu vaccine this year.

He says it is possible to come down with the flu and the coronavirus at the same time.

The drive-thru flu clinics will be held at the Legacy Building at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

One will be held on September 18th from 10 to 2 and 3 to 6, and the other will be held on October 10th from 8 to noon.

Most insurance plans will cover the cost of the vaccine.

For people who do not have insurance the cost is as follows:

Children $20
High Dose 65+ $60
Flublok 18+ $60
Flulaval 6 months+ $40

People are being asked to fill out some required paperwork ahead of time, and more details on that can be found here.

You’re running out of time to give your thoughts on the proposed improvements to the Interstate 75 – County Road 99 interchange in Findlay.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will be accepting feedback on the four design alternatives for the project until Sunday, September 13th.

Tim Mayle, director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, prefers the design that also includes a pedestrian bridge (similar to the one below north of Columbus) being built across Interstate 75, from north of Hillcrest Golf Course across to Miracle Park and The Cube.

“We really view this as a gateway to the community,” Mayle said.

He says the redone interchange and the pedestrian bridge would really help bring together the recreation opportunities at The Cube, the planned multi-family and mixed use development by Blanchard Valley Health System and the industrial corridor.

And he says the new interchange and pedestrian bridge would not only make the area safer but also put Findlay and Hancock County on the map as a growing community.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says increased traffic and congestion are resulting in travel delays and above-average crash rates in the area, and if left unaddressed, will only get worse as growth continues.

Click here for more information on the design alternatives and to provide your feedback to ODOT.

(the picture above is courtesy of ODOT)

The annual 9/11 flag display at the Ohio Statehouse has been called off this year.

Normally 2,977 flags are planted on the west lawn to honor the victims of the 2001 terrorist attack.

Officials say they had concerns about COVID-19 as well as the possibility of “pop-up protests.”

The American Flags at the Statehouse will be at half-staff Friday to honor the victims.

Friday marks the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

(pictures courtesy of the Ohio Statehouse)

Putnam County and Hancock County stayed at their previous level in the latest COVID-19 alert map that was released on Thursday.

Putnam County was still at level 3, or the red level, while Hancock County is still level 2, or orange.

Lucas County was dropped from level 3 to level 2.

According to state data, Putnam County has had 445 cases and 17 deaths.

Putnam County for a few weeks now has had the highest occurrence of COVID-19 in the state based on population.

Hancock Public Health is reporting 583 total cases and seven deaths from the virus.

Hancock County health officials say if people continue to wear a mask, wash their hands and follow social distancing guidelines we could get bumped down to level one, or the yellow level.

Ohio’s attorney general has joined the chorus of lawmakers pushing for Big Ten sports seasons to be reinstated this fall.

In fact, Dave Yost says he thinks Ohio State University can sue the Big Ten for tens of millions of dollars in damages if there isn’t football this fall.

The Big Ten continues to evaluate various options, but according to the attorney general’s office, they will recommend a lawsuit if those negotiations fall apart.

Yost told the Columbus Dispatch the Big Ten did not have the legal authority to cancel football this fall.

The Big Ten commissioner has previously said that the decision to postpone fall sports will not be revisited.

Big Ten schools voted 11-3 to postpone the fall sports season.

Ohio State voted against postponing fall sports.

(picture below courtesy of Columbus Wired)