Visitation is expanding at Ohio’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

During his Thursday coronavirus briefing, Governor DeWine said visitors can go indoors beginning on October 12th.

Currently, only outside visitations are allowed.

The indoor visits that begin October 12th will be limited to two people at a time for 30 minutes in a designated area of the building.

DeWine said the state may require real-time COVID-19 testing as an extra precaution.

(in the picture above, a newlywed couple visits a loved one at Sunrise Senior Living in Findlay)

A motorcyclist had to be flown from the scene of a crash on U.S. 30 in southern Hancock County.

The crash happened at 12:43 Thursday afternoon on U.S. 30 at Township Road 68.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Eric Martin, 48, of Lima, was traveling east when he crashed into the back of a car that had slowed to make a right turn onto Township Road 68.

Martin was thrown from his Harley Davidson and suffered incapacitating injuries.

The driver of the car, Laura Blodgett, 38, of Lima, was not injured.

A Life Flight helicopter landed on U.S. 30 to get Martin on board and then transported him to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo.

The sheriff’s office says the crash remains under investigation.

Hancock and Putnam County stayed at their previous levels on the latest COVID-19 alert map that was released on Thursday.

Hancock County remained at level 2, or the orange level, while Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

Five other counties are newly-red compared to last week; Ashland, Delaware, Pike, Scioto and Stark.

According to state data, Putnam County has had 579 cases and 23 deaths as of Thursday

Hancock Public Health was reporting 682 total cases and 10 deaths from the virus as of Wednesday.

Health officials say statewide there have been 147,744 total cases and 4,715 deaths.

Health officials continue to urge people to wear a mask, wash their hands and follow social distancing guidelines.

Lawmakers in the Ohio Senate have taken a step toward limiting the powers of the Ohio Department of Health.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 311 by a vote of 20 to 12.

The bill would prohibit the Ohio Department of Health from issuing a general, statewide mandate or quarantine order for Ohioans not directly affected by an infectious disease.

It also would allow the general assembly to rescind orders already in place.

The Ohio House would still have to pass this legislation in order for it to make it to the governor’s desk.

This is Rail Safety Week, and agencies like the Ohio State Highway Patrol are taking to social media to remind people to obey all safety devices at railroad crossings.

Officials say you can stop track tragedies by never driving around a lowered gate and never trying to beat an approaching train.

The highway patrol says, not only is that illegal, it’s also potentially deadly.

Get more on Rail Safety Week by clicking here.

The City of Findlay is in the process of updating its zoning map that was adopted in 1956.

The city says the update is necessary to correct inconsistencies between the existing use of properties and their current zoning classification.

Those inconsistencies can cause limitations on property utilization and cost the owner time and money to get the property properly classified.

The city says the owner would often encounter such a zoning issue when selling or making changes to the property.

Findlay officials say the updates will affect about 7,000 parcels out of a total of 20,000 in the city.

The city sent out postcards to those 7,000 addresses explaining the need for the change.

The city points out that the proposed zoning change will not change the size of a property or change the property taxes.

The city says, in most cases, the change will not lower the property value, but in some cases it might.

Property owners may choose to opt-out of the proposed change.

The city recently held an online public meeting on the issue that you can watch below.

(ONN) – The Ohio Senate has approved legislation that would prohibit the statewide or regional closing of gun stores, even during a pandemic.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Senate President Larry Obhof himself sponsored Senate Bill 360, fast-tracking it through the chamber’s legislative process.

Obhof said that, while Governor DeWine has been respectful of the Second Amendment and did not attempt to force licensed firearm dealers to close, the proposed law changes would ensure future state and local officials follow suit.

The National Rifle Association and other advocates support the legislation.

The number of total and active COVID-19 cases went up in the latest data from Hancock Public Health.

The agency on Wednesday said there were 682 total cases, an increase of 20 from Monday.

Active cases were at 56 on Wednesday, an increase of 11 from Monday.

An active case means the patient is currently under quarantine or isolation.

Hancock Public Health says 56 people have been hospitalized from the virus in Hancock County since the beginning of the pandemic and ten have died.

Hancock County is still at level 2, or orange, on the state’s COVID-19 alert map.

State data show Putnam County has had 568 cases and 23 deaths.

Putnam County is still at level 3, or the red level.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has taken the first step toward blocking a fee on Ohioans’ electric bills that’s at the center of a nearly $61 million bribery scheme.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Yost filed a lawsuit in Franklin County asking a judge to block payments to Energy Harbor, which owns two nuclear plants in northern Ohio, slated to hit Ohioans’ electric bills in January.

These fees for the nuclear company, previously called FirstEnergy Solutions, are at the center of a federal investigation that allegedly involves former GOP speaker Larry Householder, former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges and three others.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Ohioans can expect stunning fall colors across the state this year.

This year, the ODNR Division of Forestry is expecting peak color to arrive in mid-to-late October.

“It is still a little too early to see trees changing color right now, but you can expect to see patches of colors in the northern part of the state early next week,” said ODNR Fall Color Forester Jamie Regula.

“Ohio is fortunate to have 125 different tree species which will provide a wide spectrum of colors ranging from deep reds to golden and light yellows. Look for species such as black gum, ash, and the Ohio buckeye that will be some of the first to change color.”

The ODNR says forecasting fall color can be difficult as foresters must consider several variables such as sunlight, temperature, wind, and rainfall when estimating the intensity and longevity of leaf color.

The ODNR’s Fall Color Reports will begin on September 30th and can be seen on the ODNR’s fall color website.