(From the University of Findlay)

Former University of Findlay professor, coach, and administrator Dr. James Houdeshell passed away on Saturday, March 2 in Marana, Arizona. He was 93 years old.

“We are saddened by the loss of Dr. Houdeshell”, said Director of Athletics Jim Givens. “Coach (James) Houdeshell represents everything that is great about this institution. A student, coach, administrator, and ambassador of Findlay, his legacy of commitment and mentorship will forever resonate on this campus. There is arguably no person that has loved this school more than he did and, while our hearts are heavy today, we are thankful for the positive impact that he made on countless lives of those who have known him. Our thoughts are with his family as they mourn the loss of an incredible man.”

A native of Rawson, Ohio, Dr. Houdeshell attended Findlay College, earning varsity letters in basketball, baseball, and football. He earned his degree, graduating in 1953 and immediately returning to the school to begin 60 years of service in 13 different positions on campus. After graduation, Houdeshell went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and a Doctorate in Physical Education from Indiana University.

In 1955, Houdeshell returned to Findlay where he was hired as the school’s Director of Athletics, head football coach, head basketball coach, head baseball coach, and an assistant professor.

As a basketball coach, Houdeshell served for 30 years. In that time, he had 21 winning seasons and put together a record of 434-311 that included 16 NAIA District 22 playoff qualifying teams.

In five seasons at the helm of the football program, his teams put together a record of 24-17 and, in four seasons as the baseball team’s head coach, he had a record of 30-23-1, winning a pair of conference titles along the way. Houdeshell also spent time in those early years as the Oilers’ head track and field coach and head cross country coach.

Coach Houdeshell was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Hancock County Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2019 he was honored with induction into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1975, where he would still serve as the school’s head coach for ten more years, he was inducted into the Findlay College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Striving to honor his legendary career and love for the Oilers, the University of Findlay Department of Athletics stamped the names of Jim and his wife, Mira, on the basketball court inside Croy Gymnasium in 2019. Houdeshell played a major role in the planning and construction of Croy in 1969, and it served as his arena for 16 seasons.

“I had 60 years of opportunity to work at the University of Findlay,” said Coach Houdeshell in his acceptance speech at the 2019 Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame induction. “I had the pleasure of watching it move from two buildings and eight house dorms to what it is today, and if anybody has the opportunity to stop at Findlay, you’re going to see a great university. We had all the coaches, all the administrative staff, all the school staff, and support all the way up to the president. It’s my contention that nobody would be in those spots except for those students that are in that school, and in my case, my basketball players. I was never so proud to have been able to be a part of the development of my teams in the 30 years that I coached. I’m so proud of (my players) in terms of being student-athletes. We graduated nearly 95% of the students that started with us and I feel very very good about that.”

Outside of the college, Houdeshell served as president of the NAIA in 1990-91; president of the NAIA Athletic Directors Association, 1981-82, and received the Athletics Administrator of the Year (Charles Morris Award), 2001-2002. His service to the Findlay community included serving on the Board of Directors of the Findlay Rotary Club, the Board of Education of Findlay City Schools, and as the first Chair of the Hancock Recreation and Parks Commission.

(From the Findlay Police Department)

The Findlay Police Department has announced the hiring of a new police officer.

Nathaniel Staley was sworn in by Mayor Christina Muryn on March 4, 2024.

Nathaniel Staley, 24, is a graduate of North Baltimore High School.

He attended Owens Community College from 2018-2020 and graduated with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice.

Staley also attended the Basic Peace Officer Training Academy at Owens Community College and earned his OPOTA certification in 2020.

Staley previously served at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff for three years.

Staley will be assigned to the department’s Patrol Division.

Please join us in welcoming Officer Staley.

Ohio’s Primary Election is coming up on March 19^th and WFIN has been holding candidate forums to get you familiarized with the candidates.

On Monday night a forum was held with the Republican candidates for Hancock County Commissioner; Jeffrey Hunker, Holly Frische, and Jeff Wobser.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Joshua Shaferly in the fall, who is running unopposed on the Democrat side.

Topics of the forum included facilities needs, parking issues, the county and city working better together, and more.

If you missed the forum live, you can listen back to it in the audio files below or watch the video below. 

Three previous forums were also held on WFIN.

On February 26^th we heard from the candidates for Hancock County Sheriff; Mark Price, Mike Cortez, and Dan Harmon.

On February 19th we heard from the Republican candidates in the 83^rd District of the Ohio House of Representatives, incumbent Jon Cross and challenger Ty Mathews. 

On February 12^th, a forum was held with the candidates for Hancock County Prosecutor, Heather Pendleton and Sean Abbott.

The forums were held live at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts from 5 to 6 p.m. and were moderated by WFIN’s Chris Oaks.

The forums can be heard on AM 1330 & 95.5 FM WFIN, WFIN.com and Alexa and also viewed live on WFIN Facebook and WFIN.com.

See what candidates and issues are on the ballot in Hancock County by clicking here for the Board of Elections. 

(From Findlay City Schools)

Millstream Career Center has been awarded a grant under the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program from the state of Ohio, which will allow Millstream Career Center to expand opportunities and community partnerships.

The award totals $350,000, and the funds will be used to create a class for 5G/Broadband in partnership with the University of Findlay, and enhance the Health Professions classrooms with interactive mannequins used for simulation in partnership with Blanchard Valley Hospital.

“We are listening attentively to the needs in northwest Ohio and the state level,” said Pam Hamlin, Director of Millstream.

“We are thrilled to have support from so many entities to enhance the programming at Millstream Career Center.”

This grant’s purpose is to “award competitive grants to schools to establish or expand CTE programs,” according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

56 schools in Ohio were awarded funds totaling more than $67.7 million.

This grant is received in addition to the Career Technical Construction Program grant awarded to Millstream Career Center in November.

These grant funds used at Millstream will allow for greater opportunities for all students enrolled in Millstream Career Center.

Currently, Millstream serves students from fifteen school districts in Hancock, Putnam, and Wyandot counties.

(From Children’s Mentoring Connection)

Our 41st Annual Bowling for Kids Event has a brand-new twist – Glow Bowling! Picture this: lights down low, bowling under black lights, and a whole lot of glow-in-the-dark fun. It’s a glow-up like never before! Join us for this exciting event, register your sponsorship or team, and let’s make a positive impact on young lives together. Let’s Glow Bowling and light up the lives of the youth we serve!

Stacy Shaw with Children’s Mentoring Connection was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks.

Sportsman Lanes in Findlay Saturday, March 23, 2024 – Three Sessions: 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. Sunday, March 24, 2024 – Three Sessions: 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.

One lane has been donated to allow for any mentor/mentee match (past or present) to bowl together. Watch for registration information to come.

You can participate by becoming a sponsor, creating a team, registering as a player, or making a donation. Visit bowlathon.net.

To SPONSOR a team, click HERE.

To REGISTER a team, click HERE.

For photos, the latest schedules, and more details, see the CMC Facebook Page.

(ONN) – Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Columbus over the weekend for his annual sports festival, took some time to support the group “Citizens Not Politicians” in their effort to get an amendment on the November ballot that would exclude politicians from the Ohio Redistricting Commission and ultimately change the state’s voting maps.

Right now, the Ohio Redistricting Commission is made up of 3 statewide officeholders and 4 state lawmakers.

Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the effort for the amendment, saying politicians draw maps to help themselves stay in office.

Schwarzenegger says he helped create an independent redistricting commission in California and thinks all states should follow.

Citizens not Politicians has until July to submit their signatures to get that amendment on the ballot in November.

(ONN) – A $250,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest after a postal carrier was shot to death in his delivery vehicle over the weekend in Warren, east of Akron.

Police are calling this a targeted attack.

Officers were called just before 2 in the afternoon on Saturday.

Police found 33-year-old Jonte Davis inside a postal van with multiple gunshot wounds.

Lifesaving measures were performed but the man later died at the hospital from his injuries.

A $250,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library)

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly has been chosen as the featured title for the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library’s 2024 CommunityREAD. The selection is the New York Times bestselling true story of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s African-American female mathematicians that played a crucial role in America’s space program. Since there is a very fortunate astronomical event occurring in April of 2024, we have the opportunity to celebrate CommunityREAD in a brand-new way.

Usually, CommunityREAD culminates with the author of the chosen book giving a presentation about the title.  Because Hancock County is in the path of totality of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse, the library has chosen in lieu of the author visit, to invite the Imagination Station to share in the CommunityREAD and eclipse excitement. They will visit the library to help educate and inform the community about science and space with hands-on fun for the whole family. 

Library Director Sarah Clevidence was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss CommunityREAD.

Participants in the Imagination Station event will have an out-of-this-world experience learning about our solar system by way of 12 interactive stations throughout the library. They include: – Soil Observations – Classifying Rocks – Eclipse Exploration – Bear’s Shadow – Investigating Clouds – Objects in Motion – Land Cover – Star Formation – Space Bingo – Phases of the Moon – Spacecraft Design & Film Canister Rockets.   Attendees will discover how stars are born, learn facts about the objects in the solar system, learn about the moon’s phases, and explore how objects orbit each other. 

The event will also feature the Imagination Station’s giant inflatable STARLAB^®.  Once inside the STARLAB^®, this large planetarium will transform the library into a beautiful sky. Participants will have an amazing adventure while learning the science behind the solar eclipse. The event is slated to take place on March 16, 2024 from 10 AM-3 PM.

 ***Registration for STARLAB® has closed, as the reservation list if full, but please join us for the amazing 12 interactive stations from The Imagination Station! 

There will be an evening presentation by Laura Freeman, illustrator of the picture book version of Hidden Figures, on Wednesday, March 6 at 7pm at the Mazza Museum. 

(From the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation)

The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $888,484.69 at the February board meeting. This total includes 17 responsive grants, one president’s discretionary grant and 156 donor advised fund grants.

“Many of the grants awarded support the continuation of The Community Foundation’s Fun for All series of free community events,” said Brian Treece, President & CEO of the Foundation. “In addition to affordable community activities, this round of grants addresses eight of the 12 community priorities as determined by participants in Community Conversations. We continue to align our grantmaking with Hancock County’s priorities.”

Responsive Grants

Responsive grants are awarded to organizations to meet community needs and match the goals, objectives and priorities of The Community Foundation. Grantseekers must submit a written grant proposal for consideration. Applications are reviewed four times per year.

Funding for responsive grants comes from our Community’s Endowment, made up of Funds for the Common Good and Field of Interest Funds established by donors at The Community Foundation. The following responsive grants were approved by the Board of Trustees, made possible by our Community’s Endowment:

Arlington Local Schools was awarded $4,524 for the school’s groundbreaking service-learning project.

Awakening Minds Art was awarded $2,632 for eight community painting sessions as part of the Fun for All series of free community events.

Children’s Museum of Findlay was awarded $10,500 for three free play days as part of the Fun for All series of free community events.

City of Findlay was awarded $3,738 for free ice skating as part of the Fun for All series of free community events.

Crime Prevention Association of Findlay-Hancock County was awarded $6,568 for a Safety Shield and Entry tool.

Findlay Hope House for the Homeless was awarded $13,500 to support strategic planning for the Affordable Housing Alliance.

Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation was awarded $3,438.91 to support the childcare data project in partnership with Blanchard Valley Health System.

FOCUS Recovery and Wellness Community was awarded $29,475 as a matching grant for the new Loft space.

Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County was awarded $5,250 for strategic planning to help meet local housing needs.

Hancock County Veterans Services was awarded $5,584 for the Heritage Trail Story Walk.

Hancock Properties Foundation was awarded $91,852.09 for debt service on The Family Center.

Hancock Public Health was awarded two grants:

$3,819 for updating donated AED equipment.

$36,000 to support the Serving Up My Plate youth nutrition program.

St. Andrew’s Church was awarded $35,000 for staffing costs to launch a project serving homeless individuals in the community. St. Andrew’s Annex will be available for individuals to wash and dry clothes in a safe environment and provide referrals for additional support.

University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum was awarded $2,900 for two Funday Sundays as part of the Fun for All series of free community events.

Village of Jenera was awarded $12,950 to support the installation of ballfield dugouts and a pickleball court.

President’s Discretionary Grants

President’s Discretionary grants fund urgent or special requests outside The Community Foundation’s various grant cycles. The President of The Community Foundation is allocated an amount each year. These grants typically do not individually exceed $5,000. The following discretionary grants were awarded:

City of Findlay Police Department was awarded $5,000 for community engagement activities throughout the year.

Donor Advised Grants

Donor Advised funds are established by individuals, families or corporations to recommend grants to nonprofits they’re passionate about. The nonprofits are vetted by the Foundation and grants are awarded. The following donor advised grants were awarded:

156 grants to 94 organizations totaling $613,253.69.

(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Executive Order 11988, is seeking public comments regarding the following proposed projects:

WYANDOT COUNTY

U.S. 23 resurfacing (PID: 116684) 

The Ohio Department of Transportation is proposing to resurface 3.93 miles of pavement along U.S. 23. Work will begin at the U.S. 23 and State Route 15 interchange just southwest of the village of Carey and will continue northward through the village of Carey ending at the Seneca County line.

Construction activities will result in temporary roadway closures from north of the village of Carey to the Seneca County line. Vehicular through traffic will be detoured temporarily in this area. Access for local traffic to all properties will be maintained throughout construction. No temporary roadway closures are anticipated within the village of Carey.

Construction is anticipated to occur in the summer of 2025.

Additional information about the project can be found on the project website:

transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/116684

Please provide comments by Friday, March 15, 2024. To help expedite a response, please provide the project name and PID number provided above as well as contact information. Comments without contact information cannot be responded to.

Written comments may be submitted via the link provided for each project or mailed to the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1, Attn: Nate Tessler, 1885 N. McCullough Street, Lima, Ohio 45801; or to nate.tessler@dot.ohio.gov

Project-related issues the public may wish to comment on include, but are not limited to, historic or cultural resources, ecological resources and environmental justice issues.

Media inquiries, please contact: ODOT District 1’s public information office at
D01.PIO@dot.ohio.gov; 419.999.6803