On Saturday, offensive tackle Michael Jerrell heard his name be called  during the 2024 NFL Draft as the 207th pick to the Seattle Seahawks. 

Jerrell started his career with the University of Findlay in 2018. Since then, Jerrell started 40 games for the Oilers and earned the title of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Lineman of the Year in 2022 and 2023. No Findlay player has been drafted since 1987, when the New York Giants took Dana Wright in the ninth round.

Oilers tight end, Mike Rigerman, was signed as a priority free agent by the Ravens after the draft.

The Seneca County Drug Task Force-METRICH Enforcement Unit arrested 44-year-old Hugh Ashley Leimgruber on Wednesday in an operation conducted on North Main Street and Stearns Road.

Leimburger was taken to the Seneca County Jail on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and having an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in court in Wood County. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, authorities may charge him with trafficking methamphetamine and possessing cocaine. 

The Fostoria Police Division and Seneca County Drug Task Force were also on site during Wednesday’s arrest. 

Around 5:14 p.m. on Tuesday, Ohio State Trooper Alfonso Sierra was involved in a crash on the Ohio Turnpike near the SR 10 interchange in North Ridgeville.

The crash occurred when Tropper Sierra had activated their emergency lights while on the shoulder of the Ohio Turnpike. That’s when Robert Weisman, 65-year-old of North Olmsted, was traveling westbound when they drove off the right side of the road, striking Sierra’s vehicle. The trooper suffered minor injuries and was taken to University Hospital Elyria Medical Center. As for Wiersma, it is to be believed that he was having a medical episode when the crash occurred. He was also taken to UH Elyria Medical Center. 

The crash is still under investigation. 

To celebrate Seneca County’s Bicentennial, the committee named a Seneca County Canine Commissioner Canine. The winner was Halo, who is an 8-year-old lab/beagle mix who is a rescue from Xenia, OH and now lives with owner Nan Sauber. Halo received a Seneca County Canine Commissioner bandana, barking rights, and will be featured on the Seneca County Bicentennial website and social media pages. This contest brought residents into the fold to celebrate the counties 200 years of existence. By doing so, 13 dogs were on the voting ballot with almost 9,500 votes from the community. 

On Monday, the Seneca County Board of Health filed a civil lawsuit against WIN Waste in the Seneca County Common Pleas Court. The board is seeking a court order to enforce rules that prevent noxious gases and contaminants from escaping WIN Waste’s landfill from going into groundwater, streams, and air. 

According to the lawsuit, the health district’s inspector found WIN Waste did not plant grass or take necessary action to protect the soil layer that covered about 80 acres of waste. Failure to protect the landfill’s soil layer resulted in erosion in one and a half acres of soil cover. The lawsuit also claims that WIN Waste did not report the damages of the soil layer in their logs. 

WIN Waste is being charged with five counts of failure to protect intermediate landfill cover from erosion, failure to protect the landfill cover from water damage, failure to comply best management practices for erosion control, failure to correct conditions ponding and erosion, violation of inspection requirements, and falsification of inspection records. 

The lawsuit is based on findings from an inspection by the Seneca County General Health District in February 2024. 

On Thursday, Hancock County Prosecutor Phillip Riegel says, the hoax shooting call made Tuesday morning about Findlay High School was not local. 

The Findlay Police Department dispatch center received the call from an unknown male around 9:31 a.m. claiming he had an AR-15 style rifle and had two hostages in the second-floor restroom. Once first responders reported to the scene, the police later determined that the phone call was a hoax.

This is the third false shooting report made involving FHS in under two years. The first one was back in 2022 involving FHS and Liberty-Benton, and in 2023, when Findlay City Schools received email threats. 

Reigel states that if the suspect is caught, the city has jurisdiction to charge them because the phone call was made to Findlay dispatch.

The Church of Nazarene will hold a Veterans and First Responders Resource Fair as part of this year’s “Big Serve”, and will be recieving help from United Way Fostoria, First Call for Help Fostoria, and HOPE in Fostoria. They have scheduled the event for April 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fostoria Learning Center, 342 Perry St. 

The free event will give veterans, first responders, and family members an opportunity to meet with representatives from agencies that specialize in working with those that work on the front line. 

Attendees can expect lunch, as well as prizes, health screenings, and self-care kits at the event. 

On Tuesday, Mayor Christina Muryn introduced the application for a grant that would build an inclusive “exercise trail” at the Blanchard Valley Health System Miracle Park. 

The new trail will customize exercise equipment to cater to adult residents with disabilities and senior citizens. Each station would be set up around the park.

The Ohio Department of Development would make funding available for the new project. The vote to approve the application was 10-0, but it must be turned in by May 2. 

Currently, the park has a custom baseball field and inclusive playground. 

The Bowling Green Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating the fatal crash that happened around 9:45 a.m. on N. Fostoria Road between SR 795 and SR 51 in Millbury.

In a media release by State Highway Patrol, it states that 25-year-old Daniella Gamboa Pabon of Toledo was traveling southbound on N. Fostoria Road when a train hit her vehicle going eastbound. Pabon passed away from her injuries at the scene.

The incident is still under investigation. 

Findlay High School’s lockdown has been lifted because of a possible “swatting” call.

This morning around 9:30 a.m. As of this morning around 9:30 a.m., first responders remained on site while evacuating FHS. Students that were moved to safe spaces are returning to the building, and the level 2 lockdown for other Findlay city schools was also lifted. 

The term “swatting” is when a person reports to law enforcement accusing someone else of a serious crime. These types of reports warrant armed responses by the police. 

In a tweet postec by Josh Morgret, sports writer for the Advertiser-Tribune, states that Thom Loomis will be stepping down from head coaching duties at Fostoria High School. Loomis served as the head coach for seven seasons with a 79-84 record. He will continue to be the schools athletic director. 

As of 9:00 a.m. this moring Findlay will be under a River Flood Warning until Wednesday at 8:24 a.m. The flood warning is for Eagle Creek that will rise to 9.9 feet later this evening. It was recorded earlier this morning at 8.4 feet.