(WTOL-11) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says he wishes he never signed off on legal sports betting in Ohio.
He told the Associated Press that he regrets it, especially after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were accused of being involved with gamblers.
DeWine has pushed Major League Baseball to crack down, leading to new limits on prop bets.
He admits there’s no chance lawmakers will repeal sports betting now, but says he’ll keep pushing leagues and sports books to tighten the rules.
(From the United Way of Hancock County)
Volunteers are needed to help run a free tax preparation program that is expected to return over $1 million to the community.
United Way of Hancock County is seeking volunteer tax preparers and greeters for its free income tax preparation program, called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). This IRS program serves income-eligible individuals who live, work or attend college in Hancock County and may not otherwise be able to afford to have their taxes prepared and filed. The United Way is again collaborating with the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library and 50 North, who will host the service at their sites.
The United Way is recruiting volunteers to serve as tax preparers and greeters at both the library and 50 North. Morning, afternoon and evening shifts are available Mondays through Fridays, plus Saturday mornings. Volunteers schedule their own hours during whatever days or months they are available.
Tax preparers will prepare and electronically file taxes for clients. No experience is necessary. Volunteers can work through training online or may attend training sessions with the VITA site coordinator in December to become certified. All new volunteers will work with an experienced tax preparer until they are comfortable with the program.
Greeters are needed to welcome clients as they arrive for appointments. Responsibilities include checking taxpayers in and ensuring that they have the necessary paperwork for their appointment.
During the 2025 VITA season, nearly 1,100 state and federal tax returns were filed by a group of 23 VITA volunteers. United Way of Hancock County has won a large federal grant that will allow for expansion of the program during the 2026 tax season to assist even more community members.
Appointments for the 2026 VITA season will begin Feb. 2 and will continue into the days leading up to Tax Day, based on demand.
Contact Bridgit at accounting@uwhancock.org or call 419-423-1432 to sign up as a volunteer or for more information.
The Findlay Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 100 block of George Street around 1 p.m. Wednesday.
WFIN was told at the scene that the occupants of the house were able to get out and are okay.
The Red Cross was contacted to help out the family.
WFIN News Director Matt Demczyk got more details from the scene from Fire Chief Josh Eberle in the video below.
(From Findlay City Schools)
$13,679.60 raised. More than 100 families fed. One community, united.
This year’s Turkeys for Trojans outreach was more than a fundraiser—it was a powerful reminder of what it means to be part of Trojan Country. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our students, staff, and community supporters, 100 local families received full Thanksgiving meals.
Special thanks to our partners:
-Great Scot Community Markets – $1,000
–Taylor Automotive Family – $1,500
For Mrs. Andrea Barger, coordinator of development, this initiative goes far beyond dollars raised. It’s about building community.
“It’s a way for everyone—students, staff, and neighbors—to give and receive together. Our students get to see firsthand the joy that comes from lifting others up.”
From donation collections to team deliveries, this effort brought people together around one purpose: showing kindness, one meal at a time.
This is what being #TrojanTrue looks like.
(From Hancock County ADAMHS)
Across Ohio, there are 50 Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service boards, representing all 88 counties. When Precia Stuby was hired as the executive director of Hancock County ADAMHS in July 1997, she was the youngest ADAMHS executive director in the state.
Today, with 28 years in, she is the longest serving.
Stuby, a career-long advocate for mental health, announced her retirement, effective March 6, 2026, at Tuesday’s monthly board meeting.
ADAMHS Board Chair Jim Darrach said Stuby has been a guiding light for this community since 1990.
“Countless lives in the city and county have been positively impacted by her tireless work for those with addiction and mental health diagnoses,” he said.
Darrach noted Stuby ‘s accomplishments serving the residents are well known locally, but she has also gained national recognition for her groundbreaking work here in Hancock County.
Seeing opportunities to bring state and federal grants to this area, he said Stuby has been responsible for approximately $20 million in program funding coming back to Hancock County.
“These funds allowed for expansion of treatment programs without having to ask voters for an increase in levy millage over the past 20 years,” he said. “The ADAMHS Board expresses our gratitude to Precia for her countless hours, her compassion and her dedication, and wishes Precia much happiness in her retirement.”
In all, Stuby’s career in social work and public mental health and addiction systems spans 43 years, 35 of which were at ADAMHS, where she served 7 years as deputy director before taking the helm as executive director in 1997.
Along the way, she has led Hancock County’s Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC) transformation, spurred community coalition building, increased recovery housing, and
secured significant federal and state funding to enhance the system of care for Hancock County residents.
Over the years, she received numerous awards including the Leadership Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio, the National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter, Lifetime Achievement Award, the Athena Award, was named “Public Health Champion of the Year” by the Findlay City Health Department, is a past board president for the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.
Stuby, a master’s degree-level licensed social worker with a passion for inclusion, evidence-based service delivery, and lifelong learning, has been a steady advocate for at-risk populations in Hancock County.
Mary Beth Dillon, vice chair of the ADAMHS Board, has worked with Stuby for over 20 years in various roles. Dillon said she admires Stuby’s focus on “following the science and using evidence” to develop strategic plans for new and innovative programs and services.
“She is skilled in bringing community members together to work on shared issues and achieve goals that benefit the residents of Hancock County,” Dillon said. “Her creativity and tenacity in obtaining and maintaining funding for the Board and the agencies we serve are remarkable. Words cannot adequately express our appreciation for her service to the Board and the community.”
As executive director, Stuby has supervised a seven-person staff, managed contracts, budgets, and property, and served and advised the 18-member volunteer ADAMHS board on policy and program decisions.
Stuby earned her degree from Ohio State University. Her first positions were as a medical social worker at St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima (June 1983 to May 1988) and deputy director of residential services at Allen County Child Welfare Services (May 1988 to March 1990).
Stuby first joined the ADAMHS staff in 1990 as deputy director, hired by Phyllis Putnam, the first executive director of Hancock ADAMHS. As deputy director, Stuby would help secure a grant to establish the Hancock County Community Partnership, one of Ohio’s oldest prevention coalitions.
She became executive director in 1997 after Putnam’s retirement.
(By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Sheriff’s Office Public Relations Coordinator)
Some of Seneca County’s little-known heroes work in the shadows – and some deep in the water – and now they have a new home. On Nov. 24, Seneca Regional Chamber & Development hosted a ribbon cutting for the Seneca County Support Operations Center (SOP), the new home for the Seneca County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Seneca County Water Rescue Team (SCWRT). Both organizations are fully volunteer-run.
The much-needed building, located near the Seneca County EMA building at the Seneca County Fairgrounds, will house the organizations’ equipment and provide a central location for operations, which will streamline service and prevent response time delays.
John Meisner is a member of CERT, the former director and a current member of SCWRT, a Clinton Fire Department Captain, and a Seneca County EMT. He said the building is a vital addition to CERT and SCWRT operations because assets were stored in different locations around the county. Those assets include a SCWRT equipment trailer, inflatable boat with trailer, and V-bottom boat with trailer, and CERT’s operations truck.
“We would get a call, and no one would know where to go to pick up what. Not everyone had a radio,” Meisner said. “It created delays, and if it’s a rescue, you don’t have time for delays.”
Meisner said the SOC committee hoped to build a 30-by-40-foot structure, but generous donations allowed for the construction of a 36-by-44-foot building, giving them even more space. CERT Coordinator, Suzanne Black, is grateful for the new building. Black has been a member of CERT since 2010 and has served as its coordinator since 2014.
“This is fantastic,” she said of the new building.
SCWRT provides lifesaving service to the community. The group is dispatched by the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office to respond to water and ice-related emergencies in Seneca County and the surrounding area. Their work includes search and rescue and recovery. Their service is vitally important to the county, which includes the Sandusky River, Wolf Creek, tributaries to the Huron River, and numerous reservoirs and ponds.
CERT volunteers assist with emergency and non-emergency situations. CERT members are educated on disaster preparedness and trained in basic disaster response skills. They provide support to First Responders during extended emergency calls by providing canteen services and other assistance. They help with traffic control and safety monitoring at community events, verify operation of emergency sirens, and participate in search and rescue operations.
Seneca County Sheriff Fredrick Stevens attended the SOC ribbon-cutting along with several local and state dignitaries, including Congressman Bob Latta; State Representative Gary Click; Seneca County Commissioners Bill Frankart, Tony Paradiso, and Brent Busdeker; Seneca County EMA Director John Spahr; Seneca County Collaborative Executive Director Bryce Riggs; Tiffin Mayor Lee Wilkinson; and Tiffin City Councilman Kevin Roessner.
Sheriff Stevens is grateful for the impact that SCWRT and CERT have on the community and on his staff.
“The Water Rescue Team provides a vital service to our county. I’m grateful they are ready at any moment to respond to calls and save lives,” he said.
Sheriff Stevens has worked with CERT since he was the Tiffin Police Chief.
“Since being Chief of Police in Tiffin, I have utilized CERT for various things – parades, accidents, large scenes, etc. – and watched them grow into the organization they are today. As Sheriff, they have been a tremendous asset to our office and frankly to our community,” he said. “The time and effort that their membership puts in for the training is outstanding and unselfish. When our deputies are at a critical scene at two in the morning for hours, they are right there assisting us behind the scenes with whatever we need.”
SCWRT and CERT are the quiet heroes supporting and serving the county in residents’ most difficult moments. The new SOC building is a well-deserved and lifesaving addition to their operations.
“What a dedicated and remarkable group of volunteers we have,” Sheriff Stevens said. “This building was greatly needed to house their equipment and to give them a headquarters.”
(From the City of Findlay)
Due to a minor mulch fire this morning, the Green Waste Site will be closed today (Wednesday, November 26th) and will reopen Friday, November 28th with hours of operation between 8am-6pm. Thank you for your understanding.
WFIN – As leaf pick-up continues in Findlay, the city says residents may continue to drop leaves at the green waste site located at 330 North Cory Street at no charge.
The last day for the green waste site will be December 6, 2025.
The Findlay Police Department says a pedestrian was hit by a minivan while trying to walk across Tiffin Avenue.
The police department said it happened at 7:41 Tuesday morning in the 1900 block of Tiffin Avenue.
Police say David A. Feasel, 76, of Findlay, was attempting to walk across Tiffin Avenue from south to the north when he was struck by the minivan.
Feasel was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital for a cut on his head and general pain.
He was later said to be in stable condition, and had a broken leg, police said.
The police report shows Feasel was cited for jaywalking.
Police said the minivan was being driven by Jordan M. Jacobsen, 37, of Findlay.
(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is urging all motorists to prioritize safety as they travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
During the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday reporting period, which runs from midnight on Wednesday, November 26 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 30, troopers will be focusing on removing impaired drivers from Ohio’s roadways. In addition, they will be on the lookout for safety belt, speeding and distracted driving violations.
“As the busy holiday travel season begins, I urge all Ohioans to be safe and smart while behind the wheel,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Every driver has the ability to prevent devastating crashes and serious injuries by buckling up, putting distractions away, and driving sober.”
To promote roadway safety and prevent needless tragedies, the Patrol is asking drivers to keep four critical safety steps in mind as they travel this week:
According to Ohio State Highway Patrol statistics, 11 people were killed in 10 crashes on Ohio’s roadways during last year’s five-day Thanksgiving reporting period. Of those, alcohol and/or drugs were a contributing factor in five of the fatal crashes. There were also three pedestrians fatally stuck during the five-day reporting period.
“Driving responsibly isn’t just a choice; it’s a shared obligation,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “Help make this a fatality-free holiday period by prioritizing sober driving, wearing your safety belt and staying focused on the task of driving.”
Motorists are encouraged to safely call #677 to report impaired drivers, drug activity or stranded motorists on Ohio roadways.
Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Wind Advisory issued by the National Weather Service.
The Wind Advisory goes from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday.
Forecasters say winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour will gust up to 50 miles per at times.
Unsecured objects will blow around and some tree limbs could come down, resulting in a few power outages.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Use extra caution when driving.
Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.