(WTOL-11) – Former Ohio priest Michael Zacharias, who is serving life in prison for sexual abuse, has been dismissed from the Catholic Church by the Pope.

According to the Diocese, his case was transmitted to the Holy See, which is the governing body overseeing Vatican City.

The case was sent with the request that the Pope dismiss Zacharias from the clerical state.

Zacharias was sentenced to life in prison last year for sex trafficking minors and adults.

He served in multiple parishes, including in Toledo, Fremont, and Findlay.

(ONN) – Ohio lawmakers have introduced bills to protect Ohioans from artificial intelligence.

Lawmakers have introduced two different bills.

House Bill 410 aims to fight election misinformation by requiring creators to put disclaimers on any AI-generated political content.

This is similar to House Bill 367, which would add the use of artificial intelligence into an existing law that states no one can use another person’s name, image or likeness without their consent to either promote or bash a product.

The Ohio House is in session again next month.

The grand opening was held for Findlay’s first Raising Cane’s restaurant.

The restaurant, which, according to its website, serves “only the most craveable chicken finger meals”, is located in front of the Findlay Village Mall on Tiffin Avenue.

A lot of people braved the cold on Tuesday morning for a chance to win free Raising Cane’s for a year and other prizes.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held by the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce which you can see video of below.

“We’re excited to open our second Restaurant in Northwest Ohio and serve our ONE LOVE® to this community!” said Erin Rawson, Area Leader of Restaurants.

“Our next-closest location is almost an hour away in Perrysburg, so we are thrilled to bring our craveable Chicken Finger meals to Findlay and to get involved in the community beyond our Box Combos by active community involvement.”

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

Please allow me to introduce Officer Trent Shoemaker, the newest member of the Tiffin Police Department and our community. Officer Shoemaker brings with him extensive law enforcement experience gained from serving at the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office, the Findlay Police Department, as well as his military law enforcement career. Officer Shoemaker brings that seasoned expertise to our team, further enriching our force with valuable knowledge and skills.

Holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University, Officer Shoemaker is well-prepared to tackle the challenges ahead. As previously noted, he proudly served in the United States Air Force, completing two deployments to the Middle East and earning an honorable discharge.

Tonight, Tiffin Mayor Lee Wilkinson officiated Officer Shoemaker’s oath of office, with his family proudly present. His wife, Rachel, had the honor of pinning his badge, officially recognizing Officer Shoemaker as a Tiffin Police Officer.

We extend a warm welcome to Officer Shoemaker, confident that his presence will strengthen our team and uphold the vision and mission of the Tiffin Police Department. Welcome aboard, Officer Shoemaker. I have no doubt that your contributions will be invaluable to the city of Tiffin.

Chief David Pauly

Outdoor warning sirens will be activated at 9:50 Wednesday morning March 20th as part of the Statewide Tornado Drill.

This test will be canceled if there is a chance of stormy weather, or at the request of the Ohio EMA.

The drill coincides with Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week March 17 – 23.

Businesses, schools, and households are encouraged to practice their tornado drills and emergency plans this week.       

The City of Findlay is letting people know of the following road closures across town.

The following road closures are in effect from March 18, 2024 to March 22, 2024.

-Putnam St. will be closed to through traffic from Western Ave. to Portz Ave. for curb replacement.

-Portz Ave. will be closed to through traffic from Sandusky St. to Main Cross St. for curb replacement.

-Imperial Lane will be closed to through traffic from Saratoga Dr. to Bristol Dr. for curb replacement.

-Greendale Ave. will be closed to through traffic from Bright Rd. to Sutton Pl. for curb replacement.

Avoid these blocks if possible.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Engineering Department if you have any questions about these projects at (419) 424-7121.

The United Way of Hancock County will host its 69th Annual Meeting from 5 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27th, at the office of its downstairs neighbor, Kan Du Studio, at 318 West Main Cross Street in Findlay.

The event is open to the public and will celebrate donors and organizations committed to United Way’s mission of measurably improving people’s lives in Hancock County.

Those who plan on attending may RSVP by emailing marketing@uwhancock.org or calling 419-423-1432.

(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

Get in the spirit for the upcoming total solar eclipse and learn about some of the local history behind solar eclipses at the Hancock Historical Museum’s “Eclipse Excitement” event taking place 5 – 8 p.m. Saturday, March 23.

Open to all ages, this program is free to attend with no registration required. Enjoy refreshments and discover Hancock County’s connection to eclipses including Cass Township native William Wallace Campbell who used eclipses to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

While exploring the museum campus, visitors will find family-fun stations led by community partners: Hancock Park District, University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, Hancock Public Health and Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.

Attendees will also learn how to protect their cameras when taking photos of an eclipse and enjoy the park district’s planetarium.

The first 50 families will go home with a children’s book made possible by the museum’s Richard Barchent, Jr. Educational Fund and all attendees will receive a pair of solar eclipse glasses while supplies last.

Thanks to the generosity of the Findlay Elks Lodge #75, Heavenly Pizza and The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, this event is completely free and open to the public.

For more information, visit Hancockhistoricalmuseum.org, call 419-423-4433 or follow the Hancock Historical Museum on Facebook and Instagram.

Ohio’s Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 19^th.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In Hancock County, voters will be deciding on many races, including Hancock County Sheriff, Commissioner, and Prosecutor.

Voters in the 83^rd Ohio House District will decide between incumbent Jon Cross and challenger Ty Mathews.

Ohio voters will decide the U.S Senate Republican Primary between Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose, and Bernie Moreno.

Among the issues Hancock County voters will decide on will be a renewal levy for the Blanchard Valley Center – Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and a replacement levy for the Hancock Park District.

In Putnam County, there are two contested commissioner races.

Incumbent Michael Lammers is being challenged by Brad Brubaker, and incumbent Vincent Schroeder is being challenged by Tim Wehri.

Get more details from the Hancock County Board of Elections by clicking here, the Putnam County Board of Elections here, and click here for the Ohio Secretary of State website.

(From the Ohio State University)

Senior Advisor for Intercollegiate Athletics Ross Bjork today announced the hiring of Jake Diebler as head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball program. Diebler, who becomes the 15th head coach in program history, will receive a five-year contract.

“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” Bjork said. “Those include coaching ability, passion, energy, program knowledge, character, integrity and ties to Ohio. As an Ohio native, the son of a longtime Ohio high school coach and with deep connections to Ohio State, Jake knows what it takes to lead this program on a championship course.

“I’d like to thank Dan Cloran, our executive associate athletic director who oversees the men’s basketball program, for his efforts throughout our search.”

Diebler, the first Ohioan to be named Ohio State’s head coach in 35 years, is in his eighth season at Ohio State. He was named the interim head coach on Feb. 14 and led the Buckeyes to a 6-2 record over the last month of the season. The first of those six wins came in his first game as the interim coach and in stunning fashion, over No. 2 Purdue on Feb. 19. Ohio State lost at Minnesota in its next game, but then won five consecutive games: at Michigan State, vs. Nebraska, vs. Michigan, at Rutgers and over Iowa in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. 

The team played a terrific quarterfinal game against Big Ten tourney finalist Illinois only to lose, 77-74, on Friday. The Buckeyes are 20-13 overall.  

“Throughout the search, every time we analyzed what was best for the program, our decision kept leading right back to Jake,” Bjork said. “The way he has led the program since February 14 has been exemplary and is only the beginning of what lies ahead for Buckeye Basketball. The future is exciting, and I cannot wait to watch him lead this program.”

“Our Buckeyes have rallied and shown true grit on the court with Coach Diebler, who has exhibited impressive leadership with the team,” said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “In addition to his multiple wins since being named interim head coach, he’s been an inspiration to the players. I’ve gotten to know Jake and I’m confident he will continue to lead the team admirably.” 

Diebler first worked with Ohio State basketball in 2014, spending three seasons as a video coordinator on Thad Matta’s staff. After three seasons as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, he returned to Ohio State as an assistant coach under Chris Holtmann prior to the 2019-20 season. He was then promoted to associate head coach before the 2021-22 season. 

“It’s a blessing and a privilege to serve this program and I’m excited for this opportunity,” Diebler said. “I’d like to thank Ross Bjork and President Carter for believing in me and the vision that I have moving forward. Ohio State basketball is special and means so much to me and my family. I look forward to serving the entire Ohio State basketball family as best as I possibly can.”

Diebler’s stellar high school career included three seasons at Fostoria High School and one at Upper Sandusky High School, and he is still the OHSAA career leader in assists and steals. He then played four seasons at Valparaiso from 2006-09 for head coach Homer Drew. Known as one of the hardest workers in the program, Diebler set a Valparaiso Division I record by starting every one of the Crusaders’ 98 games over his final three seasons. He also had a string of 278 consecutive minutes played over seven games in the final half of his senior season.

After graduating with his marketing degree in 2009, he spent three more seasons at Valparaiso, one as a graduate assistant and two as an assistant coach under Bryce Drew. He then joined Drew at Vanderbilt from 2016-19, serving as assistant coach for three seasons. 

While at Ohio State in the role of video coordinator, he helped mentor Aaron Craft, the 2014 National Defensive Player of the Year, and D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and 2015 first-team All-American.

Coaching runs deep in the Diebler family. His father Keith coached high school basketball in Ohio for almost 40 years, while his older brother Jeremiah coached high school basketball as well. His younger brother, Jon, is currently the director of recruiting at Butler University.

Jake and his wife, the former Jordyn Ellwood, from Columbus and an Ohio State graduate, have two young daughters, Jaymes and Jessa and a young son, Jackson. The couple is expecting a fourth child this July.

(above pic courtesy of Ohio State)