A high-flying adventure is promised Friday, March 8, at the next presentation in University of Findlay’s “Fridays at Findlay” lecture series, “The Biggest Week in American Birding: Birding Means Business.” The event, open to the campus and community, will take place in Winebrenner, TLB Auditorium on the UF campus. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for a breakfast buffet with the presentation from 8 to 9 a.m.
The informative and lively discussion will feature experts with the Black Swamp Bird Observatory: Kimberly Kaufman, executive director, and Mark Shieldcastle, research director.
Ohio is home base for the nation’s largest birding festival – the Biggest Week in American Birding, May 3-12, 2024, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 human visitors to watch as millions of beautiful birds migrate through Northwest Ohio.
Kaufman and Shieldcastle will discuss the importance of bird conservation in the ecosystem – and how bird tourists pump $40 million into the regional economy.
From tiny songbirds to majestic bald eagles, Ohio plays a vital role in the survival of hundreds of bird species and millions of migratory birds each year.
“And the birds give back to us in myriad ways, performing valuable ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, plant pollination, and keeping insect populations in balance,” Shieldcastle explained. “They also bring health and wealth to Ohio through the joys of birding and the economic impact of birding tourism.”
Sponsored by Premier Bank, the Fridays at Findlay lecture series encourages continued educational opportunities for members of the community, the campus, and alumni.
Register online by March 7 at www.findlay.edu/FridaysAtFindlay or call University Advancement at 419-434-5334 for more information. The fee is $12 for adults and $6 for students.
UPDATE – The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says the National Weather Service confirmed that there was a tornado in the county on Tuesday afternoon.
The tornado was in the area of 6142 Road H-5, a little south of Leipsic, at around 2:40 Tuesday afternoon.
When deputies arrived on the scene they found a structure heavily damaged.
A homeowner advised that there were no injuries.
The National Weather Service says it was an EF-0 tornado with winds up to 65 miles per hour and that nothing was seen on radar.
WTOL-11 Meteorologist Chris Vickers says it was a landspout tornado, which is different from a traditional tornado as it originates near the surface and extends upward.
And landspout tornadoes are typically shorter in duration and much weaker than traditional tornadoes.
ORIGINAL STORY –
WTOL-11 Meteorologist Chris Vickers is reporting that a tornado likely touched down briefly in Putnam County on Tuesday afternoon, causing dome damage.
He says this pic that was submitted is in the area of State Route 65, Road 5F, and State Route 613.
The tornado touched down sometime between 2:45 and 3 p.m.
In the picture, it appears a roof has been torn off a building.
The National Weather Service said conditions on Tuesday were favorable for funnel clouds to form and some could briefly touch down.
Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that he will host Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn as his guest at the State of the Union on Thursday, March 7. Brown joined Sheriff Wasylyshyn on a trip to the southern U.S. borderin November, and they are working together to ensure that law enforcement have the tools and support they need to keep communities safe and address the fentanyl crisis devastating Ohio communities.
“Sheriff Wasylyshyn is on the frontlines of fighting the fentanyl crisis and has seen up close what needs to be done to keep Ohio communities safe,” said Brown. “The best ideas come from Ohio, not Washington, and the Sheriff has been an invaluable advocate as we work together to ensure Ohio law enforcement get what they need to protect their communities.”
“I am very humbled and honored to be U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s guest for the State of the Union Address. As an Executive Committee and Board member of the National Sheriffs Association, former President of the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association, Sheriff of Wood County, Ohio since 2005, and son of immigrants from Ukraine, I have had numerous interactions with Senator Brown. Sherrod Brown has been instrumental in advancing legislation that helps sheriffs fight fentanyl and keep terrorists out of our country, and on a personal note, he has strongly backed support for Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s aggression. When Senator Brown and I went to the southern border together in November, Senator Brown was very engaged with all the groups we met with including several county sheriffs, Texas Department of Public Safety, border patrol agents, and others affected by those crossing the border into our country,” said Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn.
“I lookforward to continuing to work with Senator Brown. As Senator Brown once stated to me, ‘we may be of different political parties but that doesn’t mean we cannot work together on items we have a common interest in,’” continued Wasylyshyn.
Brown and Sheriff Wasylyshyn visited the border in South Texas in November and heard firsthand from Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agents about the tools they need to stop the deadly flow of fentanyl, stop the cartels’ human and drug trafficking, and secure the border. Last month, Brown supported the bipartisan border security bill which would have provided much-needed resources, personnel and technology to law enforcement at the southern border, and had the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council.
I'm bringing Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn to the State of the Union this Thursday.
Sheriff Wasylyshyn is on the frontlines of the fentanyl crisis in Ohio. He's seen up close how urgent it is for us to come together, fight fentanyl, & keep Ohio communities safe. pic.twitter.com/81NusXz1nU
Your Liberty Township Fire Department was dispatched to a 3-vehicle accident at US 224 and CR 139 this morning.
This accident involved a box truck, a garbage truck, and a school bus without any students onboard.
One individual was transported to BVH as a precaution.
We would like to thank Hanco, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Ed’s Towing, Liberty Benton Local Schools, and ODOT for their assistance.
The intersection was shut down for approximately 2 hours while this scene was cleaned up.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said the driver of the garbage truck, Tayt Mayberry, 39, of Columbus Grove, crashed into the back of the box truck that was slowing down to turn while traveling east on US 224, and both overturned.
The box truck then struck a school bus that was stopped at the stop sign on County Road 139.
Mayberry was treated on the scene while a juvenile passenger in the box truck was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Mayberry was issued a citation for assured clear distance ahead.
The Hancock County Veterans Service Office is excited to introduce: Our Veterans, Our Stories. A campaign to focus on our veterans and how we can positively impact their lives. We are taking time to highlight the veterans that live and work right here in Hancock County and how we can show them that we appreciate their service. We began this campaign in 2023 with the release of Our Veterans, Our Stories Podcast available on or YouTube channel.
This 2024 campaign focuses on four pillars. The first pillar, to begin in March is to identify and highlight Veteran owned, veteran ran and veteran managed businesses. The next pillar will be to collaborate with local businesses that offer discounts to veterans.
We would like to identify those businesses and their discounts and then recognize and highlight them on our website and social media. The third pillar will be educating and empowering local employers in issues that military veterans face and the talents and skills they bring to our community.
And the final pillar is to provide Veteran welcome home signs at local retail establishments and eateries who would like to offer a reserved parking spot for veterans.
We know our community is veteran friendly and many people want to honor veterans and thank them for their service. Our Veterans, Our Stories provides that opportunity and gives the veteran a chance to share their story. There are many advantages to hiring veterans and we want to highlight the success stories in hopes that more organizations will see the benefits.
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.
With heavy hearts, we share the news of the passing of Dr. James Houdeshell, who died this past Saturday.
He graduated from Findlay College in 1953. Starting in 1955, he dedicated 60 years of service to the campus. Throughout his tenure, he served in 13 different roles,… pic.twitter.com/IjtYf9QbYY
Ohio’s Primary Election is coming up on March 19th 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 26th 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 83rd District of the Ohio House of Representatives, incumbent Jon Cross and challenger Ty Mathews.
On February 12th, 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.
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.
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.
