Ohio Governor Mike DeWine along with other officials announced Wednesday night that evacuated residents in and around East Palestine could safely return home.

Hundreds of residents evacuated their homes after a Norfolk Southern Railroad train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in Columbiana County on Friday night.

To avert a possible explosion, the railroad conducted a controlled release of the chemicals, which discharged toxic and potentially deadly fumes into the air.

The governor said air quality samples in the area of the wreckage and in nearby residential neighborhoods have consistently showed readings at points below safety screening levels for contaminants of concern.

Based on this information, state and local health officials determined that it was safe for community members to return to their residences.

Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted is leading a new proposal that would require certain online companies to get parental consent before allowing kids under 16 to use their platforms.

The Social Media Parental Notification Act is part of Governor Mike DeWine’s 2023-24 Executive Budget.

If the proposal is signed into law, companies would need to create a parental consent splash page for those under 16 and get verifiable parental consent.

Companies would then need to send written consent confirmation to parents.

Learn more about the proposal by clicking here.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a High Wind Warning issued by the National Weather Service.

The High Wind Warning will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Forecasters say winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour will gust up to 60 miles per hour at times.

The strong winds could blow down trees and power lines, causing power outages.

Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

Loose objects should be secured before the winds kick up.

Click here for the latest forecast and watches and warnings.

The high temp on Thursday is expected to be around 62.

St. Marks United Methodist Church in Findlay will be hosting ‘Night to Shine’ on February 10^th.

Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs – ages 14 and older.

Night to Shine is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and this year is celebrating its ninth anniversary as thousands of people will come together to honor those with disabilities.

St. Marks Senior Pastor Dan Metzger and Associate Pastor Dave Charles were on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the event and that interview can be heard below.

Click here for more information on Night to Shine.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has an opportunity for Ohio school districts and their partners to apply for funding to develop and implement projects that enable and encourage children to safely walk or bike to school.

ODOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is funded at $5 million annually, a one million dollar increase from last year.

It provides funding for infrastructure improvements such as pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements, new or improved sidewalks, and bike racks.

It also helps fund non-infrastructure activities such as walk to school days, bike rodeos, public awareness campaigns, and educational programs.

Eligible applicants include local governments, school districts, health districts, park districts, or key non-profit partners involved in advancing safe routes to school in your community.

ODOT will make awards on a competitive basis to projects that have been identified in a School Travel Plan, Active Transportation Plan, or similar plan approved by the Department.

For full guidance on eligibility, be sure to check out the 2023 SRTS Application Guidance.

To assist local governments in developing a School Travel Plan (STP), ODOT is also accepting applications for STP development assistance.

Questions about the SRTS application process can be sent to Caitlin Harley.

Many Safe Routes to School projects have been completed throughout Ohio over the past couple of years and those can be viewed by clicking here. 

Reineke Ford Lincoln in Findlay will be holding an event to answer questions about and provide demonstrations of electric vehicles.

This electric vehicle event will be held at Reineke Ford Lincoln at 12000 County Road 99 from 8 to 10 Thursday morning.

The event, hosted in cooperation with the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, aims to educate, demonstrate, and answer any questions around electrical vehicles, in both residential and commercial settings.

Alex Reineke was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the event.

Vehicles on display will include the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Ford E-Transit.

Trained EV professionals will be on site to answer any questions people might have.

Representatives from Frankart Electric Inc. and the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative will also be on site for discussion.

The event is free and open to the public.

Sarah Sisser, Executive Director of the Hancock Historical Museum, has been selected as Chair of the Ohio Humanities Board of Directors.

“Sarah brings a wealth of organizational leadership and a fresh perspective to the helm of Ohio Humanities,” said Ohio Humanities Executive Director Rebecca Brown Asmo.

Sisser previously served as the board’s Vice Chair.

“Ohio Humanities is our state’s leader in advancing the initiatives and organizations that help us to better understand one another,” Sisser said.

“The public humanities in Ohio, including local history organizations like the Hancock Historical Museum, share the stories of our collective human experience. These stories have the power to connect us. I’m honored to help further this work that I believe to be vital in our state today.”

As the state-based partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ohio Humanities hosts programs and awards grants that support storytellers statewide, from museums to journalists to documentary filmmakers.

In 2022, Ohio Humanities awarded $743,557 in grants to 75 different organizations in 32 counties across the state.

UPDATE – The area is now under a High Wind Warning.

Findlay and Hancock County are included in a High Wind Watch issued by the National Weather Service.

The High Wind Watch will be in effect from Thursday morning through Thursday night.

South winds of 20 to 35 miles per hour will gust as high as 60 miles per hour at times.

The strong winds could blow down trees and power lines, causing power outages.

Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

Loose objects should be secured or put away before the strong winds begin.

Click here for the latest forecast and watches and warnings.

The Findlay Police Department is asking the public for help in identifying a theft suspect.

Police say the man in the surveillance picture entered stores on the east side of Findlay on January 23^rd and stole merchandise including security and surveillance equipment.

Anyone with information about the suspect is urged to contact the Findlay Police Department at 419-424-7150 or Crime Stoppers at 419-425-TIPS.

Tipsters may be eligible for a reward.

Findlay City Schools will be receiving more than $1 million in state funding through Ohio’s K-12 School Safety Grant Program.

945 schools across the state will receive a combined $68 million in grants in the fourth round of the program.

The money will go towards physical safety and security upgrades.

Findlay City Schools will likely use the money to cover some of the cost of the SafeDefend active shooter protection system that was recently installed in district buildings.

The district recently held training on the system and you can get more on that by clicking here.

“When we created the K-12 School Safety Grant Program, we expected that the need for funding would far exceed the amount of money available,” said Governor DeWine.

“But I vowed to go back to the legislature and ask for more. Now, with the generous support of the Ohio General Assembly, I’m proud to announce that every single qualifying school that applied for a grant will receive funding.”

Other Hancock County schools receiving the grant funding in this round are Arcadia, Cory-Rawson and McComb. Click here for the full list.