Around this time of year, it's likely that you'll be spending more money than usual, and Crime Victim Services is encouraging the public to take this opportunity to check their credit reports. Credit Check Wednesday is a chance for people to grab a free copy of their credit report either onl… More >>

Here are local and state COVID-19 numbers for December 1, 2020. More >>

Ten hospitals in the state have already been identified to receive the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. It could be available as early as December 15th from Pfizer, and December 22nd from Moderna. Both companies are waiting on emergency authorization from the FDA. DeWine says vaccine… More >>

If you're on the roads while the weather isn't ideal, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has a few tips to keep in mind to keep and other drivers safe. The biggest things to remember when the roads are covered in ice and snow are to slow down, watch your following distance behind the person in fr… More >>

Just a few weeks ago, the Ohio Hospital Association said they are struggling to keep up with COVID-19 patients because much of the staff is getting sick. Hospital capacity wasn't an issue, but now it is. A record of over 5,000 people are in the hospital right now with COVID-19. 1,100 of thos… More >>

The Better Business Bureau wants to make sure online shoppers are practicing safe purchasing practices. They suggest using credit cards, not debit cards, as they are easier to dispute fraudulent purchases. Also, make sure you have updated virus protection and pay attention to the site you ar… More >>

As for statewide numbers, there were 30 new deaths and 66 hundred new cases. 357 people were hospitalized and 38 people were placed in the ICU. The Ohio Department of Health says there are more than 271,000 people presumed recovered from the coronavirus. More >>

Lee Peterson and Stanley Justice-Keeton, both from Muncie, Indiana were arrested last week and charged with Breaking and Entering and Grand Theft. On November 25th just before midnight, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office got an alarm from a farm implement dealer in Coldwater. When deputies a… More >>

The Mercer County sheriffs office has decided to close their lobby to the public because of the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county.  More >>

The overhauled EdChoice Program is looking at more criteria to issue vouchers to attend private school for low-income students. Governor DeWine signed changes into law last week. State Senator Matt Huffman revised the EdChoice program after the previous formula placed 1,200 Ohio schools on t… More >>

To help with local efforts, the Ohio Department of Health has been offering pop-up testing locations throughout the state. In the past, the Ohio National Guard has visited places like Allen and Hancock Counties to conduct COVID testing. Being tested allow infected individuals to be identifie… More >>

A lawsuit was filed against the State of Ohio to increase support payments for people who take custody of children they are related to. The Ohio Grandparents/Kinship Coalition filed a federal lawsuit last week against the state that could help qualified caregivers receive the help they need.… More >>

Federal officials say national reading and math tests used to track what U.S. students know are being postponed from 2021 to 2022.This is because of concerns whether such testing would be feasible or produce valid results amid the pandemic. The biennial national assessment of educational pro… More >>

Three more Ohio counties went purple on the latest coronavirus alert level map. Montgomery, Lake, and Lorain Counties join Franklin county at level four, because of increased cases and medical visits. All of West Central Ohio remains at red level three, but eleven counties statewide have bee… More >>

As people prepare to make the traditional Thanksgiving turkey on Thursday, people are looking for a simple meal the night before. Thanksgiving eve is one of the top nights for the pizza industry as people are not looking to cook a meal, instead opting for an affordable meal for the family th… More >>

In a year like 2020, with not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also continued updates surrounding the presidential election, a lot might be brought up at your Thanksgiving celebration, whether it's in person or a virtual affair. If a topic that might cause contention is brought up, Walton sug… More >>

Allen and Auglaize counties have 4 new deaths each, Hancock has 3 more deaths. Mercer, Shelby, and Van Wert have 2 new deaths each and Logan has 1 more. Allen County has 295 more cases, Hardin went up 87 cases, Mercer 61, Logan 57, Auglaize 54, and Putnam 47. Hancock increased 46 cases, Van … More >>

Statewide, Ohio is seeing 98 new deaths and over 86 hundred cases today. 364 people were hospitalized and 29 more people were sent to the ICU. The Ohio Department of Health is now reporting that over 236,000 people are presumed recovered from COVID-19 in the state. More >>

DeWine says Pfizer will be delivering the first batch of a Coronavirus vaccine to Ohio on Dec. 15. It's expected that 30,000 doses will be delivered to start, but DeWine expects a constant flow of deliveries every few days. For Pfizer's vaccine, it requires two shots taken three to four week… More >>

The new date to get licenses, ID cards and vehicle registration is July 1st, 2021. This new bill signed by Governor Mike DeWine on Monday applies to information expiring through April 1st, 2021. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles locations are still open, but customers are encouraged to check in … More >>

West Central Ohio unemployment rates fell for the month of October.  According to Ohio Job and Family Services,  Allen county has the highest unemployment rate in our area at 5.4%,  but Allen, plus Logan and Shelby counties had the biggest drop from September to October with a difference of … More >>

Many people will be busy cooking for Thanksgiving, and fire departments are asking that you keep in mind a few things to avoid a fire this holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. More >>

Governor Mike DeWine speaks with members of the Ohio Hospital Association to get an update on COVID-19 hospitalizations throughout the state. More than 4,100 people are currently in the hospital with coronavirus-related symptoms, including more than one thousand on intensive care units and m… More >>

“Thrive” representatives went car to car at Monday’s food distribution at the West Ohio Food Bank. They were explaining the services they can offer to those suffering from addiction and mental health issues. Beating substance abuse and mental illness is difficult and just knowing there is he… More >>

As for statewide numbers, there were nearly 12,000 new cases reported today, but Governor DeWine says that number is misleading because two health systems in the state couldn't report their numbers for two days and they were added into today's total. The department of health also says there … More >>

A new public service announcement call upon Ohioans to dig deep to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Health released the PSA entitled “Grit”. It is hosted by former Ohio State basketball star Clark Kellogg, who looks at moments of history when … More >>

Even though the coronavirus numbers have spiked in recent weeks, Ohio’s unemployment numbers have fallen. According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services the statewide October unemployment rates are at 5.6%, which is down from the 8.3% in September and the 17.3% in April at the s… More >>

A local hospital is trying to help people breathe a little easier by getting them screened for lung cancer.  November is Lung Cancer Awareness month and Mercy Health-Saint Ritas is trying to bring attention to lung cancer and how to prevent it.   According to the American Cancer Society, lun… More >>

There has been a lot of promising news in the last couple of weeks about having a vaccine that could protect against COVID-19.  Drug company, Pfizer, applied for emergency approval of their vaccine with the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.   The company says that their studies sh… More >>

Senate Bill 311 inches closer to becoming a law after passing the Ohio House on Thursday. The bill narrowly passed through the Senate in September.State Sen. Rob McColley introduced the bill after Stay-at-Home orders were issued at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ohio health dire… More >>

An Ohio bill that would prevent any business from another shut down, could be voted on this week.Rep. Jon Cross has brought House Bill 621 back to the forefront of legislators minds. Despite a health order closing businesses, this bill would allow any business to stay open as long as they co… More >>

Gov. DeWine is hopeful with the news of vaccines on the way, but to bridge the gap of getting to that point, he says he has to take action.DeWine has put a curfew in place beginning Thursday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. It will go on for 21 days. DeWine's reasoning is that while masks and distanci… More >>

While the "wait-and-see" travel trend continues, AAA says we can expect a decrease in people traveling for thanksgiving this year.AAA is projecting a 9 percent drop in people traveling, down from the 2.3 million that traveled in 2019. Although a decrease in travel, there still will be many p… More >>

The Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery still holds history on its stage.  The venue opened in 1883 by Russel Morvilius. It housed operas, plays, medical shows, and different forms of entertainment.  More >>

The Ohio National Guard says the 100-year-old building is no longer economically realistic to continue working from, and has relocated its soldiers to the Lima Readiness Center. More >>

 Local County numbers More >>

Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services says initial claims for unemployment compensation continue to rise along with the state's number of coronavirus cases.  For the week ending November 7th, there were 21,868 Ohioans filed claims for unemployment.   That is a 3% from the previous wee… More >>

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center remains committed to the health and safety of our patients, associates and community. As we continue to focus on the safety of those we serve and who serve our ministry, the medical center has updated our restrictions to allow limited visitors on site.  More >>

Governor Mike DeWine says he could close bars, restaurants, and fitness centers, if Ohio's COVID numbers remain high.  But businesses may put up a fight with that order.According to cleveland.com, the governor has been sued around 25 times because of the health orders he issued during the pa… More >>

Congressman John Lewis and Justice Ruth Bater Ginsberg are just some of the familiar names who recently died from the cancer. Jeopardy host Alex Trebek died Sunday after fighting pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. More >>

Paulding, Shelby, and Hancock counties went red, leaving only Van Wert and Logan counties in our area at the orange level. Plus, seven local counties are in the top 20 for the highest number of cases per capita for the last two weeks, with Putnam County at the top of the list. Last night dur… More >>

As for statewide numbers, there were 35 new deaths and a record 7,100 new cases. 286 people were hospitalized and 21 patients were placed in the ICU. The department of health says there were 195,000 people presumed recovered from the coronavirus. More >>

During his statewide address Wednesday, DeWine revised the mask mandate for all of Ohio, that he first instituted back in July, by making it mandatory for all business to post signs requiring masks for customers and employees. DeWine shifted the authority of mask enforcement from the local c… More >>

As for our statewide numbers, there were 76 new deaths and nearly 5,900 new cases today, which is the second-highest number of new daily cases since setting the record yesterday with 6,500. There were 253 people hospitalized and 36 patients were placed in the ICU. The department of health sa… More >>

Scam calls seem like they're the norm nowadays, and the Better Business Bureau in Lima gave Your News Now a few tips to avoid falling for a scam dealing with Social Security. The BBB says that scammers will start the call with claiming that your Social Security number has been compromised or… More >>

DeWine did not hold a coronavirus briefing Tuesday. Instead, he will wait until Wednesday to talk about the critical stage Ohio is in battling COVID-19. The state's 13 highest numbers for new daily cases have occurred in the last 13 days, with Ohio setting their new record on November 10th w… More >>

As for the statewide numbers, there were 23 new deaths reported and there were over 6500 cases. Ohio set another record with hospitalizations with 386 today and there were 39 patients who were admitted to the ICU. The Ohio Department of Health is reporting nearly 190,000 people recovered fro… More >>

12th District State Senator Matt Huffman has been elected to serve as the Ohio Senate President.The Majority Caucus voted unanimously to put Huffman as the head of the state’s senate.  He has been the 12th District State Senator since 2016 and he was picked to be the majority floor leader in… More >>

As for statewide numbers, there were seven new deaths reported today and 4,700 cases. 154 people were hospitalized and 34 patents were placed in the ICU. The Ohio Department of Health says there are 186,000 people presumed recovered from the coronavirus. More >>

In the summer, hospitals struggled to maintain PPE, medication and ventilators, but now they are all set on that equipment. Instead, they say those caregivers providing treatment, are getting sick because the virus is out of control in their communities. The chief medical  officer of the Cle… More >>