U.S. 224 will be closing for a week a little west of Interstate 75 for a project to elevate the roadway and there will also be daily lane closures for a resurfacing project.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says U.S. 224 will close at County Road 223 on Monday, May 10th for seven days for a project to raise the profile of the roadway and for resurfacing.

Elevating the roadway will lift it out of the floodway and help in ensuring access to the city would be maintained during a flood.

The detour will be County Road 140 to State Route 12 to I-75 back to U.S. 224.

As part of the project, a six mile stretch of U.S. 224 between Findlay and State Route 235 will be resurfaced and there will be daily lane closures.

Get more details on the project by clicking here. 

Governor DeWine dedicated a memorial grove of trees to honor the victims and survivors of COVID-19 as well as all Ohioans who made personal sacrifices to protect others amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The ceremony was held Friday at Great Seal State Park in Chillicothe.

At the dedication the governor said the trees symbolize the hope and resiliency of the people of Ohio.

“We’ve been through a lot, we have a little more to go, but we will come out of this,” the governor said.

“We will not forget those who we have lost, but we will push on.”

The Ohio Department of Health reports that 19,284 Ohioans had died of the coronavirus as of Friday.

You can watch the dedication by clicking here. 

Police in Fostoria say a suspect they’re looking for was last known to be staying in Findlay.

On Tuesday Fostoria police say they responded to investigate an individual who was violating a protection order and brandishing a gun.

The suspect, Tyler R. Day, had fled the scene before officers arrived.

Shortly after that, police received a report of someone shooting at a vehicle on Central Avenue.

The Fostoria Police Division says they have been searching for the suspect in several different cities and he was last known to be staying in Findlay.

Police say the 36-year-old Day (pictured below) stands five feet seven and weighs around 165 pounds.

He has an active warrant and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Under no circumstances should anyone approach him.

Anyone knows where Day is is urged to call the Fostoria Police Division at 419-435-8573 or call the law enforcement agency where he is located.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has announced that its stockholders have overwhelmingly voted to approve the transaction agreement and planned merger with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

On February 22nd the two companies announced that they had entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which Goodyear will acquire Cooper for a value of approximately $2.5 billion.

Cooper Tire says, at a special meeting of Cooper stockholders held Friday, approximately 99 percent of votes cast were in favor of the transaction.

Goodyear is not required to hold a vote of its stockholders to approve the merger agreement.

“We are pleased with the strong support of our stockholders for the proposed business combination of Cooper and Goodyear as all proposals related to the acquisition were approved,” said John Holland, Cooper Chairman.

“This step is an important one in the process of bringing together our two companies to continue to meet the needs of customers, consumers and other stakeholders around the world while driving value for shareholders.”

Cooper Tire said in a news release that Cooper and Goodyear continue to work toward closing the transaction, which remains subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

When the news broke on February 22nd, WFIN spoke Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development Director Tim Mayle who said he had spoken with Cooper CEO Brad Hughes about the deal.

From that conversation, Mayle said there would be no expected changes or job losses with the manufacturing operation in Findlay.

And while the combined company will be headquartered in Akron, Goodyear is committed to maintaining an office presence in Findlay.

It’s unclear how many Findlay office jobs will be affected.

(ONN) – Former Ohio State Buckeyes Quarterback Justin Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 11th pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night in Cleveland.

Fields talks about what kind of player the bears are getting in him.

Fields said he knew that, wherever he was drafted, it would be the right fit.

The Bears traded several draft picks to move up and take the former Ohio State quarterback with the 11th overall pick.

Now, it’s up to Fields to finally give Chicago the franchise quarterback they have always wanted.

(picture courtesy of Columbus Wired)

Findlay City Schools is inviting people to an open house at Lincoln Elementary to bid the school a fond farewell and celebrate its long service to the Findlay community.

The open house will be on Tuesday, May 18th from 4 to 6.

You’ll be able to enjoy the building with self-guided tours, get your picture taken and share your memories of the school building.

The family of longtime principal Dick Dillon will be there to visit with Lincoln friends and family.

You’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to the Lincoln Memorial Scholarship.

In January, Findlay City Schools announced that it would be undergoing some elementary school building consolidation in the wake of three failed operating levies in 2020.

Superintendent Troy Roth said the district is moving ahead with the difficult decision to close Lincoln Elementary at the end of the current school year.

Also, Jacobs Primary will be repurposed and will no longer be a K-3 school building.

Read more about the consolidation by clicking here.

The National Weather Service on Thursday issued a Flood Warning for Eagle Creek in Findlay

The warning will extend until late Thursday night.

Forecasters say the creek will rise to 9.2 feet Thursday afternoon, which is slightly above flood stage of 9 feet, and cause minor flooding before receding.

The National Weather Service says, at 9 feet, Eagle Creek will overrun its banks and begin to inundate portions of Fremont and Graceland Avenues.

Water will also inundate a field near Rosemont Drive.

You can check out local river levels by clicking here.

A Wood County Grand Jury has returned indictments against eight people in connection with the death of Bowling Green State University student Stone Foltz.

The following is from a news release from the office of the Wood County Prosecuting Attorney listing the individuals indicted and the charges each faces.

On Wednesday, April 28th, the grand jury indicted Jacob Krinn, 20, of Delaware, Ohio on charges of first degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Homicide, Felonious Assault, Hazing, Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws, and Obstructing Official Business; Daylen Dunson, 20, of Cleveland, Ohio on charges of third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Tampering with Evidence, Obstructing Justice, Hazing, Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws, and Obstructing Official Business; Troy Henricksen, 23, of Grove City, Ohio on charges of third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Homicide, Tampering with Evidence, Hazing, and Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws; Canyon Caldwell, 21, of Dublin, Ohio on charges of third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Tampering with Evidence, Hazing, Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws, and Obstructing Official Business; Niall Sweeney, 21, of Erie, Pennsylvania on charges of third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Hazing, Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws, and Obstructing Official Business; Jarrett Prizel, 19, of Olean, New York on charges of third degree felony Involuntary Manslaughter, Hazing, and Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws; Aaron Lehane, 21, of Loveland, Ohio on charges of Tampering with Evidence, Hazing, Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws, and Obstructing Official Business; and Benjamin Boyers, 21, of Sylvania, Ohio on charges of Hazing and Failure to Comply with Underage Alcohol Laws.

Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson says the indictments stem from an alleged Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity event the night of March 4th at an off-campus house which Foltz was required to attend along with other new members.

A roommate later found Foltz unresponsive in his Bowling Green apartment. When first responders arrived, Foltz was not breathing and was being given CPR by his roommate.

Foltz was taken to the Wood County Hospital and then transferred to Toledo Hospital where he died on March 7th.

The Lucas County Coroner ruled his death an accident as the result of a fatal level of alcohol intoxication during a hazing incident

Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson thanked the Bowling Green Police Division for their tireless and ongoing investigation, as well as the Bowling Green State University police and administration for their cooperation.

There was a slight increase in the number of active COVID cases in the latest numbers released by Hancock Public Health.

The agency on Wednesday reported 89 active cases in Hancock County, which is an increase of four from a week earlier.

Active cases are defined as cases currently under quarantine or in isolation.

As of Wednesday, seven people were hospitalized with the virus in the county, an increase of two from a week earlier.

126 people in Hancock County have died from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

Click here for information on scheduling a vaccination through Hancock Public Health and here through Blanchard Valley Health System.

Most Ohio colleges won’t require people to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to return in the fall.

The University of Findlay says it will not require students or staff to be vaccinated for the fall semester.

UF does plan to continue making the vaccine available to those who want to receive it.

Earlier in April UF held vaccine clinics for students who wanted the shot but it was not required.

Ohio University, Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati say they have no plans to force students or staff to be vaccinated for fall semester.

Cleveland State University and Kenyon College will require it.

A few other schools, like Case Western Reserve University, Xavier University and Bowling Green State University still haven’t decided if it will be required.