A Findlay man is behind bars after allegedly trying to flee from police in a vehicle and on foot.

The Findlay Police Department says an officer on patrol observed 35-year-old Jon Pinkney driving on Tiffin Avenue at around 8:30 Wednesday morning and knew he had an active warrant for his arrest.

The officer tried to pull over Pinkney but says he proceeded to drive through the parking lot of Lee’s Chicken very slowly before rapidly accelerating onto Center Street.

Police pursued the vehicle with lights and sirens activated for a short distance and then Pinkney jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving and it struck a utility pole.

Police say Pinkney fell to the ground and then began running.

He was located hiding underneath a vehicle and taken into custody.

Police say suspected drugs were located in his vehicle.

Pinkney, who goes by the alias Shortstop, was booked at the Hancock County Jail on the warrant and a fresh charge of fleeing and eluding.

With election season in full swing, the City of Findlay is reminding people that yard signs cannot be on public property.

The city says there have been a lot of instances where yard signs are being located in the public right of way (the area between the sidewalk and road) and those signs are being removed. (the signs above on South Main Street are appropriately placed)

Yard signs that have been pulled are being taken to the Parker Building at 224 West Crawford Street where the owner can pick them up.

The city also points out that removing, defacing or destroying a yard sign is vandalism and is illegal.

The Presidential Election is coming up on Tuesday, November 3rd.

Get more information on the upcoming election from the Hancock County Board of Elections by clicking here.

It is political sign season. Just a couple of reminders.
1) Signs cannot be on public property. This means you cannot put signs between the sidewalk and the roadway. They will be removed!

2) Removing, defacing, or destroying a sign is vandalism and is illegal. #FindlayOhio

— City of Findlay (@CityOfFindlay) September 16, 2020

A woman was injured in a crash involving a dump truck east of Findlay.

The crash happened at 12:43 Wednesday afternoon on County Road 7 east of Township Road 248.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says Thomas Lonyo, 78, of Findlay was going west on County Road 7 in a Mack dump truck loaded with stone when he went off the road at a curve, overcorrected and then his truck started to flip onto its right side going across the roadway.

The dump truck hit an SUV being driven by Nichole M. Bowen, 44, of Forest, in the driver side rear and she went off the road and into a ditch.

The dump truck came to rest across County Road 7 and into the ditch and its load of stone poured onto the road.

Bowen was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital while Lonyo was not transported.

The sheriff’s office says the crash is still under investigation.

The Findlay Police Department says a driver led officers on a pursuit before crashing into a guardrail and trying to run away.

Police say they tried to pull over a car on Trenton Avenue for following another vehicle to closely and for a turn signal violation at around 2:15 Wednesday morning.

Police say the vehicle continued westbound on Trenton Avenue and got onto Interstate 75 northbound before coming to a stop.

Police say as they approached the vehicle, it accelerated heading northbound on I-75 at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour.

Police say the vehicle exited at County Road 99, ran a red light and crashed into a guardrail.

Police say the driver, later identified as Rebecca C. Evans, 41, of Findlay, ran away from the scene and got about 50 yards before being detained by an officer.

Evans was found to have several warrants out of Findlay Municipal Court and from Auglaize County.

Police say she was in possession of illegal drugs.

Evans was arrested and taken to the Hancock County Jail where she faces the charges in the warrants as well as new charges of failure to comply with an officer, a 3rd degree felony, and drug possession, a 5th degree felony.

The Big Ten conference has announced that it will play football this fall after all.

The conference confirmed Wednesday morning that the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to have the football season start the weekend of October 23-24.

It will be an 8 game season for each team.

The conference had postponed its entire fall sports season in August because of COVID-19 concerns and how football could be played safely.

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren previously stated that the decision to postpone the season would not be revisited.

The conference says it will adopt stringent medical protocols for the season.

(above picture courtesy of Columbus Wired)

So excited for Buckeye Nation and enthusiastically support unanimous @bigten decision to give our student-athletes an opportunity to compete in the sports they love this fall. Grateful to Big Ten colleagues, @OSU_AD, @ryandaytime, and all our coaches and athletes. Go Buckeyes!

— Kristina M. Johnson (@PresKMJohnson) September 16, 2020

The Findlay Police Department is reminding drivers to obey school bus laws and to watch for children getting on and off of buses now that the school year is underway.

Crime prevention officer Brian White says drivers also need to remember to slow down in school zones when children are present.

He says one particular trouble spot is on Bright Road near St. Michaels.

A driver who fails to stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students can be fined up to $500 and have their license suspended for a year.

On a two-lane road drivers going the same direction and opposite direction must stop for a school bus that’s loading or unloading students.

On a four-lane road only vehicles going the same direction as the school bus must stop.

Officials at Little Miami High School have reversed their decision to punish two football players who carried flags the district called political.

The players were suspended from the team after they took the field on 9/11 with Thin Blue Line and Thin Red Line flags, which represent support for police and firefighters.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the school now says that there were no political motivations behind the display.

However, they say the students were “insubordinate” since they had been told not to bring out the flags.

A few weeks ago, a school district in Geauga County banned Thin Blue Line flags after a football player carried one onto the field.

Putnam County still has the highest occurrence of COVID-19 cases in the state based on population.

In his Tuesday coronavirus update the governor said Putnam County had 280.6 cases per 100,000 people from August 31st through September 13th.

95 cases were reported during that timeframe.

State data shows Putnam County, which has a population of 33,861, has had 493 cases and 18 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Putnam County is at the “red” alert level, or level three, on the state’s COVID-19 county by county alert map.

Hancock County is still at level two, or the “orange” level.

Top ten Ohio counties ranked by highest occurrence ⬇ pic.twitter.com/Fn5ufSOYj4

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) September 15, 2020

A man is facing a felony charge after getting pulled over by the highway patrol in Wyandot County.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says troopers stopped a car on State Route 15 on September 4th for speeding.

Troopers say they could smell an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

They say a probable cause search of the car revealed about 1,300 doses of ecstasy pills and 120 bottles of promethazine cough syrup worth approximately $158,000.

The highway patrol says the driver, Daniel Woodard, 23, of Columbus, was booked at the Wyandot County jail and charged with possession of drugs, a 2nd degree felony.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will be holding hiring events to find seasonal snowplow drivers.

Throughout September and October, ODOT Districts 1 and 2 will be holding three hiring events to fill approximately 65 winter seasonal positions across the region.

The schedule of events is as follows:

Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ODOT District 2 district garage, 317 E. Poe Rd., Bowling Green

Tuesday, Oct. 13, from noon to 4:30 p.m. at ODOT District 1 district office, 1885 N. McCullough Street, Lima

Tuesday, Oct. 20, from noon to 4:30 p.m. at ODOT District 1 Defiance County maintenance garage, 2340 Baltimore Rd., Defiance

District 1 is looking to fill 36 positions in Hancock, Putnam, Allen, Defiance, Hardin, Paulding, Van Wert, and Wyandot counties.

District 2 maintains Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood, and Williams counties.

District 2 seeks drivers for Lucas, Northwood, Ottawa, & Wood garages.

Plowing snow is the primary job responsibility for winter seasonal positions but employees may also be asked to perform other operational duties.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; a valid class A or B commercial driver’s license (CDL) with a tanker endorsement, without air brake restriction; and three months of training or experience in basic equipment operation.

Previous experience plowing snow is not necessary. Training is available for applicants who meet the basic requirements.

The salary is $18.05 per hour. The positions are temporary, and benefits are not provided.

People planning on attending one of the hiring events are encouraged to apply in advance here.