The Camp 911 educational safety camp is being held this week in Findlay.

The free camp is for kids entering kindergarten and teaches important safety lessons like stranger danger, drug safety, pedestrian safety and more through a combination of demonstrations, activities, and videos.

Beth Baker with the Findlay Fire Department says 175 kids are participating in the morning and afternoon sessions this year.

When we stopped by the camp on Tuesday, Officer Atkins and his K9 partner Deke were giving the youngsters are demonstration as Atkins pretended he was being attacked and Deke fought off the attacker. (video below)

The kids also asked Officer Atkins a variety of questions about Deke, like whether he was a boy or a girl and does he bite people.

“Only when I tell him to,” was the answer Officer Atkins gave to the biting question.

Camp 911 is a joint effort led by local emergency response agencies, including the Findlay Fire and Police Departments, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Hanco, and Hancock Public Health.

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, of Findlay, was inducted into the American Legion Buckeye Boys State Hall of Fame.

The induction took place during the evening program and following Treasurer Sprague’s address to this year’s participants.

“Each summer, young men from every corner of the state come together at Buckeye Boys State to learn about the rewarding and challenging roles in public service, while also gaining invaluable leadership experience,” said Treasurer Sprague.

“Joining this year’s attendees brings back fond memories of my time at Buckeye Boys State, and I’m grateful to receive this honor from the Ohio American Legion.”

Treasurer Sprague attended Buckeye Boys State while in high school in 1991.

According to the Ohio American Legion, the Hall of Fame was established in 1970 to honor and recognize the achievements and contributions made by former Buckeye Boys State citizens and others who have bettered the State of Ohio and the nation. Past Hall of Fame inductees include Astronaut Neil Armstrong, former Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder, and fellow-Findlay native, former Congressman Michael Oxley.

American Legion Buckeye Boys State is an is an eight-day hands-on experience in the operation of the democratic form of government, the organization of political parties, and the relationship of one to the other in shaping Ohio government. Founded in 1936, Buckeye Boys State is the largest Boys State program in the nation with an attendance of over 1,200 young men annually.

 More information on the American Legion Buckeye Boys State Hall of Fame can be found online here.

(story and picture courtesy of Treasurer Sprague’s office)

The Ohio Department of Transportation says State Route 65 north of Ottawa is back open.

ODOT said State Route 65 a little north of the Village of Ottawa in Putnam County had been closed at the location for a culvert replacement project for more than a month.

ODOT said crews removed the barricades at around 1 p.m. Tuesday and the roadway reopened.

The Ohio Department of Transportation posted the pictures below to their Twitter account, showing the completed culvert.

A passenger in the stolen car that struck and killed Bluffton Police Officer Dominic Francis in March of 2022 learned how long he’ll be behind bars.

Zachary Love previously pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, having a weapon under disability, and improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle. He was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

Another passenger, Dante Tate, pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced to 2 ½ years.

The man who was driving the stolen vehicle, Emin Johnson, previously pleaded guilty to various charges including involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 21 to 26 ½ years in prison.

Authorities say the three were in a stolen car that was fleeing from police on Interstate 75 southbound around 2:30 a.m. on March 31^st 2022 that struck and killed Officer Francis as he was placing stop sticks on the highway in an effort to end the pursuit.

Donations can be made in Dom’s honor to the Dominic Francis Memorial Scholarships through The Findlay Hancock Community Foundation.

The Ohio Supreme Court handed a limited victory to the nonpartisan group One Person One Vote which opposes State Issue One and the special state election planned for August 8th.

Issue One is an effort to make it harder for voters to change the Ohio Constitution.

The court has ordered Republican state officials to rewrite ballot language summarizing Issue One and fix errors in that language.

Currently, it takes a 50 percent plus one vote to pass a constitutional amendment in Ohio on an election ballot and this measure wants to increase that minimum up to 60 percent.

One Person One Vote has also filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of holding an August special election.

The Cleveland Browns’ new dog logo has officially been selected by the fans and players, according to ClevelandBrowns.com.

The winning logo was Option number two in the final round of the Browns’ fan vote and created by Houston Mark, a designer who sought to create a logo that displayed the intensity and passion of the fanbase while including several symbols that highlight the history of both the franchise and Cleveland.

The logo will be prominently displayed in future merchandise and other team uses.

“We are so excited to unveil a new dawg logo that perfectly encapsulates who we are as a franchise and as a city,” Executive Vice President and Partner JW Johnson said.

“Our fans have been asking us for a new dawg logo for quite some time, so it made perfect sense for them to select the logo themselves and decide how they want our team to be represented – and they made a great choice.”

Get more on the new logo below and by visiting ClevelandBrowns.com.  

(From Blanchard Valley Center)

The 2023 Special Olympics Torch Run is set for Friday, June 16th, beginning at 3 p.m. at the University of Findlay.

“We’d like to invite everyone in the Findlay and Hancock County area to join us in celebrating the Torch Run on June 16th,” said Nadine Weininger with the Blanchard Valley Center.

Hancock County law enforcement officers will assist in the run.

The route will take the torch carriers south on Main Street and east on Sandusky Street to the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

There, Special Olympics athletes will join the run to the campus of Blanchard Valley Center, 1700 E Sandusky St.

Runners are expected to arrive at Blanchard Valley Center between 4 and 4:30 pm.

At the conclusion of the run, Blanchard Valley Center will host a torch run celebration with activities for kids including a bounce house and face painting, a DJ, and food while supplies last.

According to the Special Olympics Ohio website, “The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio is a volunteer movement that was established by members of the law enforcement community to support Special Olympics. Each year, officers carry the ‘Flame of Hope’ along with athletes into the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at The Ohio State University. The flame symbolizes courage, perseverance, and the inclusion movement taking place in Ohio and across the globe.”

The 2023 Special Olympics Ohio Summer Games will take place on June 23-25 in Columbus.

Hancock County will have 30 athlete representatives, participating in bowling and track and field events.

The annual torch run, with Special Olympics athletes escorted by our law enforcement officers, has been a Hancock County tradition since 1981.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted joined mental health experts at a news conference to discuss how they want to keep kids safe online.

There is legislation that would require children in Ohio under 16 to get permission from their parents to use social media. It’s called the Social Media Parental Notification Act.

Governor DeWine spoke with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services about the proposal.

DeWine also pushed for more in the state budget to keep mental health initiatives like this a priority.

“The Surgeon General and children’s health experts have concluded that these platforms are responsible for negative physical and mental health outcomes for a generation of our children and it is our responsibility to protect them by holding social media companies accountable for the consequences of what happens on their platforms,” said Lt. Governor Husted.

“Requiring social media companies to get parental approval before children under 16 have access to these addictive platforms is one way we can help parents protect their children.”

The longtime host of WFIN’s “Racing World” and “A Second Look at Sports”, Dwight Allen, has passed away.

Allen died on Saturday at the age of 82.

Dwight’s obituary on ColdrenCrates.com states that visitation will be held on Thursday, June 15, from 5 – 7 p.m. and on Friday, June 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Coldren-Crates Funeral Home, 205 West Sandusky Street, Findlay.

A funeral service will be held at the funeral home at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 16.

Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Findlay.

“I’ve always had a desire to combine sports with my faith,” is how Dwight said his show “A Second Look at Sports” came about.

“I didn’t know how I was gonna do it but through the years a plan kind of came together and it ended up being on 601 stations across the country.”

After 23 years of being on the air “A Second Look at Sports” came to an end at the end of 2019.

Dwight said he loved doing the show and getting to meet people like Super Bowl winner Joe Gibbs.

His show was syndicated and broadcast on more than 600 radio stations.

Dwight told us in November of 2019 that he decided to bring the show to an end because he was getting older and for health reasons.

The last show aired on December 29, 2019 and can be heard on the WFIN Sports Audio Archive by clicking here.

The Findlay Police Department’s James Mathias was sworn in as the department’s new Police Chief on Monday morning.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn performed the swearing in ceremony, which you can see video of below.

Mathias told us he’s looking forward to this new challenge.

“I’m looking forward to working with the community and the different organizations and groups and building public trust.”

Mathias began his career with the Findlay Police Department in 1995. He was hired as a full-time officer and was assigned to the Patrol Division.

Prior to his appointment at Findlay Police Department, he worked four and a half years with the Upper Sandusky Police Department and was Auxiliary Deputy with the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office.

He has served as a Field Training Officer and was the Department’s Officer of the Year in 1996. Mathias was honored with the John Edward Seman Award for Employee Excellence from the City of Findlay in 2014.

Mathias has served in various positions within the department; including Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant in the Hancock County METRICH Enforcement Unit, Special Services Lieutenant, and Patrol Division Lieutenant.

Mathias had been assigned as Police Captain, which oversees all three Divisions (Patrol, Detectives and Special Services) of the Police Department. Mathias is a graduate of New Riegel High School and of Terra State Community College. He has an associate degree in Law Enforcement/Police Science. He is also a past President and current member of the Fort Findlay Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #20.

Mathias is married to his wife Tina and they have two sons, Cory and Logan.

Mathias takes over from former Police Chief Robert Ring who retired at the end of April.