The Findlay Fire Department says a detached garage at a residence caught on fire and they responded to put it out.

The fire department says it got the call of the fire at 430 Walnut Street at 8:04 Thursday morning.

When firefighters arrived fire was visible from the back side of the garage and firefighters quickly got to work on putting it out. The cause of the fire was not yet determined when we spoke with the fire department.

The fire department tells WFIN that the homeowner saw smoke coming from the garage and was able to get their dog out of the garage.

Damage was limited to the back side of the garage.

Hanco EMS also responded in case they were needed but they were not as there were no injuries.

The street department was contacted to deal with some ice that built up in the area from the water the fire department was putting on the fire.

(From the National Baseball Hall of Fame)

Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland Guardians games on the radio for 35 seasons, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation as part of Hall of Fame Weekend, July 25-28, 2025. Hamilton becomes the 49th winner of the Frick Award, as he earned the highest point total in a vote conducted by the Hall of Fame’s 16-member Frick Award Committee.

The final ballot featured broadcasters whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card Era. The 10 finalists were: Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims, John Sterling and Hamilton.

“With an unmatched love for Cleveland, Tom Hamilton has narrated the story of one of the franchise’s most successful eras since joining the team’s broadcast crew in 1990,” said Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Guardians fans adopted Tom as one of their own as soon as he arrived in Cleveland thanks to his knowledgeable play-by-play and passionate calls of some of the franchise’s most historic moments. For a generation of listeners, Tom Hamilton is the very definition of Cleveland baseball.”

Born Aug. 19, 1954, in Waterloo, Wis., Hamilton came to Cleveland in 1990 after spending the previous three years as the voice of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Teaming with the franchise’s beloved former pitcher Herb Score in the broadcast booth, Hamilton soon had a front-row seat to call a resurgent team that advanced to the World Series in both 1995 and 1997.

Assuming duties as the voice of the franchise following Score’s retirement in 1997, Hamilton has partnered with Mike Hegan, Dave Nelson, Jim Rosenhaus and Matt Underwood during the ensuing decades on WWWE-AM and WTAM-AM, the longtime radio home of the Guardians.

A seven-time winner of the Ohio Sportscaster of the Year Award, Hamilton has called more than 100 postseason games and is the only broadcaster in franchise history to call three different Cleveland World Series teams.

The 16-member Frick Award voting electorate, comprised of the 13 living recipients and three broadcast historians/columnists, includes Frick honorees Marty Brennaman, Joe Castiglione, Bob Costas, Ken Harrelson, Pat Hughes, Jaime Jarrín, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Al Michaels, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Bob Uecker and Dave Van Horne, and historians/columnists David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (formerly of the Dallas Morning News) and Curt Smith (historian).

The list of 10 Frick Award finalists was constructed by a subcommittee of the electorate that included Brennaman, Castiglione, Nadel, Halberstam and Smith. The Ford C. Frick Award is voted upon annually and is named in memory of the sportswriter, radio broadcaster, National League president, baseball commissioner and co-founder of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Frick was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1970.

For a complete list of Frick Award winners, click here.

As established by the Board of Directors, criteria for selection is as follows: “Commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.”  To be considered, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network, or a combination of the two.

The Frick Award election cycle rotates between a composite ballot featuring local and national voices whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card Era in four consecutive years, followed by a fifth year featuring a ballot of candidates whose broadcasting careers concluded prior to the advent of the Wild Card Era in 1994. The cycle began with the 2023 Frick Award, with composite ballots of local and national voices continuing with the Awards through 2026 before the pre-Wild Card Era ballot is considered for the 2027 Award. The cycle then repeats.

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

Tiffin Police Department’s Detective Justin Nowak, a highly trained and skilled instructor in Defensive Tactics, generously took time out of his busy schedule to share his expertise with Jeff Smith’s Public Safety students at Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Technology Centers.

The session focused on self-defense and defensive tactics, providing the students with valuable knowledge and hands-on experience. Detective Nowak’s professionalism and passion for teaching shone through as he equipped the next generation of public safety professionals with critical skills for their future careers.

The students not only learned important techniques but also had a fantastic time engaging with an expert in the field. Experiences like this help foster strong connections between law enforcement and our community, emphasizing our commitment to education and public safety.

Thank you, Detective Nowak, for your dedication and for making a positive impact on these aspiring professionals!

Chief Pauly

The Ohio Department of Transportation is letting drivers know about an upcoming ramp closure on Interstate 75 in Findlay.

ODOT says the Interstate 75 northbound ramp to U.S.68/State Route 15/Lima Avenue will close Monday, Dec. 16, between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to repair the guardrail.

Get more details on ODOT projects in the area by clicking here.

Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, December 14, when people will honor the service and sacrifice of our Veterans by placing wreaths on their graves at local cemeteries including Maple Grove Cemetery in Findlay.

Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, President and CEO of Garner Trucking, was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss how they got involved with the event and how the public can help.

Wreaths Across America came to Hancock County through Jon Brumbaugh’s Eagle Scout project in 2016.

In Hancock County this year the goal is to place 5,260 wreaths on Veterans’ graves at Maple Grove, St. Michael’s, Benton Ridge, North Baltimore, Arlington and Eagle Township cemeteries.

Maple Grove, St. Michael’s, Benton Ride and North Baltimore cemeteries ceremonies will all take place at 10:00 a.m. and the Eagle Township Cemetery and Arlington Cemetery will hold their ceremonies at 1:30 p.m..

More details can be found at www.hancockveterans.com.

The Humane Society and SPCA of Hancock County is reminding people to look out for their pets this winter especially during times of extreme wind chills.

The Humane Society’s Natalie Reffitt says her best advice to pet parents is to keep their pets inside during extremely cold weather and only let them out, with supervision, to go to the restroom and bring them in immediately when they finish.

Natalie also advises people with outside pets to bring them in as well, even if it’s only into a garage or spare room.

If you can’t bring in outdoor pets, make sure they have shelter and insulation, such as straw for bedding.

She says pets must always have access to fresh, clean water and people need to check it to make sure it’s not frozen.

Get the latest forecast and weather alerts by clicking here.

(ONN) – One piece of legislation currently in the Ohio Legislature would specifically impact LGBTQ youth in schools.

House Bill 8, also known as the Parents Bill of Rights is getting a lot of attention for one section in particular that requires schools to out LGBTQ students to their parents.

There is an exception if the disclosure would result in abuse or neglect.

The bill had its fourth hearing in the Senate Education Committee.

The bill has already passed the House.

(ONN) – The grocery mega-merger between Cincinnati-based Kroger and Albertsons is dead after two courts rejected the merger based on anti-trust and competition concerns.

One was a permanent injunction from a judge in Seattle.

In addition to the competition issue, the judge said the merger would violate the state of Washington’s consumer protection laws.

Albertsons is now suing Kroger claiming Kroger did not do the diligence necessary to secure regulatory approval for the merger valued at almost $25 billion dollars.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn was on with WFIN’s Chris Oaks to discuss the latest progress with the Downtown Recreation Area.

The park would be part of the Phase 2 benching project north of the Blanchard River and east of Main Street.

The Downtown Recreation Area will be from Main Street east to the railroad tracks, and from the river north to Clinton Court.

There will also be a triangle-shaped area west of Main Street over to North Cory Street.

Mayor Muryn said the cost estimate from their consultant for the recreation area is $10 to $40 million.

Muryn tells Chris in the audio above that currently they are going over what elements will be included in the park and the cost of those amenities.

The mayor believes the Phase 2 benching project will begin in mid to late 2025 and then work on the Downtown Recreation Area could begin in late 2026 or more likely in 2027.

Muryn said, in regard to the Downtown Recreation Area, the city wanted to ensure that the benching area east of North Main Street not only serves its primary purpose of flood mitigation but also provides a broader community benefit as a recreation and gathering area.

Get more from Mayor Muryn in her interview with Chris in the audio file above.

(From the Tiffin Police Department)

Tiffin PD School Resource Officer (SRO) Doug Skornicka and our beloved School Resource K-9, Scout, paid a visit to Mrs. Jill DeVore’s class at Tiffin Middle School. The students were thrilled to hang out with Scout, and it’s safe to say he was the star of the show! Sorry Doug!

From wagging tails to lots of pets and smiles, Scout soaked up all the attention like a pro. These interactions are about more than just fun—they help foster strong relationships between our department and the youth in our community. It’s amazing to see how a furry friend like Scout can open doors for meaningful conversations about safety, trust, and responsibility.

A huge thank-you to Mrs. DeVore and her class for their warm welcome. Scout is already looking forward to his next visit!

Chief Pauly