The Findlay City Schools Board of Education has approved for Assistant Superintendent Krista Crates-Miller to be the interim superintendent for the 2022-23 school year.

School Board President Matt Cooper points out that, with many districts currently engaged in superintendent searches and after consulting with OSBA (Ohio School Boards Association) which has assisted the board of education with previous searches, now is not an appropriate time to begin a search.

“We believe this is the right option for FCS and the community as a whole at this time. We are confident that our decision to move forward with Mrs. Crates-Miller, as an FCS veteran educator and administrator, will allow us to move forward with the progress and momentum that has been evolving, even throughout the pandemic.”

Krista grew up in Findlay and attended Findlay City Schools where she graduated in 1987.

She then started teaching with the district in 1993 in various roles.

She has continued in multiple capacities within the district, including her first leadership role in 2013 as a principal.

Findlay City Schools Superintendent Troy Roth is leaving the school district to become the new superintendent at Bellevue City Schools.

He expects his last day at Findlay City Schools to be in the middle of July and his first day at Bellevue City Schools will be August 1st.

The Ottawa-Glandorf boys basketball team will be playing for the state title after a close, comeback win in the final four on Friday morning.

The Titans defeated Africentric by a score of 53-48 in the Division III state semifinal in Dayton.

The 25-2 Titans will now play for the state championship against the winner of the game between Cleveland Heights Lutheran East and Cincinnati Taft that was to be played at 2 p.m. Friday.

You can hear the state championship game on 106.3 The Fox at 10:45 Sunday morning.

COVID numbers fell again in the latest data released by Hancock Public Health on Friday.

The health department is reporting only 12 new cases, one new hospitalization and one new death for the week of March 11th to March 17th.

The level of community transmission in Hancock County is “low” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The numbers for the previous week were 29 new cases, one new hospitalization and two new deaths.

Blanchard Valley Health System has adjusted its visitation guidelines to lessen restrictions on visitors as COVID cases continue to decline.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Thursday opened the Ohio Summit on Ukrainian Refugees at St. Vladimir Grand Hall in Parma.

Hosted by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the event brought together various organizations to ensure Ohio is ready to help, should it be asked to accept Ukrainian refugees.

“We are gathered today because we are concerned about the people of Ukraine. We are concerned about families who have been forced out of their homes, their neighborhoods, and their country because of the unprovoked, brutal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his military,” said Governor DeWine.

“But we are here to get started, to plan, to get ready, and to brainstorm so we are prepared if, as a state, we are asked to help support those families.”

More than 110 people attended, representing at least 60 organizations, including resettlement agencies, faith-based organizations, charities, and others with an interest in the well-being of Ukrainians.

They heard presentations from federal and state officials, as well as panel discussions regarding the resettlement process, and the refugee experience.

The day ended with a networking session that allowed community organizations to ask questions and exchange ideas with others wanting to help displaced individuals.

The governor’s office says the day ended with agreement that it could be some time before the exact needs of those fleeing Ukraine are known, but that there are numerous organizations willing to work together to address those needs.

Gliding Stars of Findlay is putting on their ice show this weekend.

Cindy Bregel is the coordinator of the Findlay chapter of the adaptive ice skating program that helps people with disabilities increase their personal potential through development of ice skating skills.

She says the event couldn’t happen without all the great on-ice volunteers they have.

The Gliding Stars Awesome Dance Party ice show is coming up on Sunday at 2:30 at The Cube on North Main Street in Findlay.

Tickets are $10 at the door. Get more information by clicking here, or on the post below from the organization.

Cindy was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks, and you can listen to that full interview below.

The University of Findlay will kick off 24 Hours of Giving, the University’s biggest annual fundraising event, on March 24th at noon.

The event will be “rung-in” by ringing the bell at the center of campus at noon.

Funds from the event directly benefit UF students by providing funds scholarships, emergency funds, improvements to academic areas and equipment and so much more.

Donors are able to select the specific area to donate to including the Findlay Fund, Findlay Forward Scholarships, UF Student Emergency Fund, the Mazza Museum, athletics, or any of the six colleges.

Get more details by clicking here.

For a third time now, the Supreme Court of Ohio has ruled that proposed Ohio House and Senate district maps are unconstitutional and must be redrawn.

In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that the maps were of partisan intent to favor Republicans over Democrats.

The court ordered the Ohio Redistricting Commission to draft a new plan and file it with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office by March 28 and with the court by 9 a.m. on the 29th.

The ruling puts a full May 3rd primary in jeopardy, because new district lines are required for the Ohio House and Senate, as well as congressional races.

The Findlay Police Department says a man with a knife and a handgun robbed a business on Wednesday morning.

Police say a white male entered Shamrock Skills at 1101 Tiffin Avenue at 10:44 Wednesday morning and began to demand money from a worker.

The suspect was holding a knife and had a gun in his waistband, according to police.

The suspect and worker went to an office where the suspect grabbed money from the register.

The suspect then fled with an unknown amount of money.

Police say seven customers were present during the robbery and that no one was injured.

The suspect was wearing a gray sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black and white shoes and had a white mask covering his face from the nose down.

Anyone with information about the robbery can contact the Findlay Police Department at 419-424-7150.

People can also contact Crime Stoppers at 419-425-TIPS and may be eligible for a reward.

Chamberlin Hill Elementary School in Findlay is fundraising to update its Land Lab outdoor space or possibly build a new indoor lab for year-round learning.

STEAM educator Tonya Thorbahn (below) says the goal of the Land Lab Innovation Center project is to bring learning into the hands and minds of the students in a manner that challenges all levels of learning.

She says the ability to utilize a space, such as the Land Lab Innovation Center, will allow teachers to dramatically elevate the learning experience of all students.

As Tonya mentioned in the audio above, the students have been involved in every step of the process and have done presentations and videos on why updating the space would be beneficial to their learning.

She says they’re in the early stages of fundraising and Casey’s recently donated $25,000 for the project.

Chamberlin Hill Elementary School is located at 600 West Yates Avenue in Findlay.

Lawmakers are looking to increase penalties for those charged with summoning police under false pretenses.

Officials say Senate Bill 292 would make calling for an aggressive police response by reporting a fake crime a first-degree felony if someone is harmed, and a third-degree felony in all other instances.

The practice is known as swatting since police often respond to the fake threats with a SWAT team.

Lawmakers say Senate Bill 292 would combine parts of existing laws that currently apply to swatting.

In February, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says a man made swatting calls to Ottawa, Ohio when he thought he was calling police in Ottawa, Canada.

Read more about that by clicking here.