Ohio
Five Ohio Catholic schools form football scheduling alliance, end plans for new conference
Five Catholic high schools from central and northeast Ohio will partner on football scheduling rather than move forward with a plan to create a new conference, DeSales assistant principal Jim Jones told The Dispatch on Monday.
The scheduling alliance between DeSales, Hartley, Watterson, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit and Youngstown Ursuline will begin in 2026, which was the original plan for the Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference.
The OCAC was announced last July between those five schools, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Youngstown Mooney. The goal was to alleviate scheduling issues and strengthen competition among several of the state’s strongest Catholic programs.
Mooney, St. Vincent-St. Mary and VASJ later backed out because of cost and travel concerns.
In February, Jones told The Dispatch the OCAC was forging ahead, but the remaining schools would have to make sure the new league would be “sustainable.” The original OCAC plans called for a football-only conference with potential expansion into other sports at a later date.
“At this point, we want to get things off to a great start with the alliance and see what takes shape from there,” Jones said Monday. “It’s something that we want to keep building and hopefully things will happen, and maybe even more teams will want to get involved, but right now we just have to work with what we have.”
DeSales, Hartley, Watterson and St. Charles will continue to play a CCL schedule, according to Jones, who has been the CCL commissioner since 2017. St. Charles was not involved with the OCAC.
With only three league contests, CCL teams are used to playing out-of-town teams and traveling to games.
“(The OCAC) just unraveled,” said Watterson coach Brian Kennedy, whose team won the Division III state title last fall. “We’ll play Ursuline and Walsh forever. We need games. For nothing other than scheduling, this was going to be nice. We already travel. Getting on a bus and driving for two or three hours to play a game doesn’t bother me. It’s trying to find games when everybody else is in league play.”
This isn’t the first time CCL members have partnered with out-of-area programs. They formed an alliance with the southwest Ohio-based Greater Catholic League in 2019 to alleviate issues with scheduling, but that lasted for one season.
“I’m slightly disappointed, but I’m not surprised,” Watterson athletic director Doug Etgen said. “I don’t mean that in a negative way towards any of the schools who backed out. We’ve been down this road before, so I’m very skeptical when these things start formulating. … I’m disappointed because I was looking forward to some other opportunities in some other sports to do some neat things to tie our teams together.”
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
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Ohio
Car flipped, police investigating scene in Boardman
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — A heavy police presence could be seen near Meadowbrook Avenue and Market Street in Boardman after one vehicle flipped on its roof Saturday evening
It happened a little before 7:30 p.m. on Market Street, right at the Meadowbrook Avenue intersection.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, multiple people involved have been taken into custody.
Large police presences were also at the corner of Southern Boulevard and Meadowbrook Avenue, and at the intersection of Indianola Avenue and Market Street.
Our crew is on the scene, but right now we’re unsure if there are any injuries or how the crash happened.
The intersection is currently blocked off while crews work.
The crash is under investigation.
No other information has been given at this time.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
Ohio
Ohio’s first mountain coaster coming to Hocking Hills
HOCKING HILLS, Ohio (WJW) — Visitors to Hocking Hills will soon have an opportunity to experience the beauty of southeastern Ohio in a whole new way.
Jake Ryan is one of the visionaries behind the Hocking Hills Mountain Coaster, a brand new attraction set to open next year.
According to Ryan, the coaster will feature 3,640 feet of track that will bob and weave through the trees at speeds up to 26 miles per hour, allowing riders to view Hocking Hills through a completely different lens.
Crews will break ground on the project August 1.
“We are so proud to bring this to the Hocking Hills community. This isn’t just for the tourists who visit this incredible area, it’s for the local community too, and we truly believe it’s going to be a blessing for everyone in the region,” Ryan wrote on social media, announcing the project and sharing a video rendering of what’s to come.
Ryan, who also manages more than two dozen cabins in the Hocking Hills area, told Fox 8 News visitors to the scenic region often share feedback about their stay, and one thing they always seem to ask for is more attractions.
Though rich with hiking trails, waterfalls, caves to explore and more, Ryan said he is filling a gap in the area with the creation of the Hocking Hills Mountain Coaster.
“It is definitely a need for the area based on feedback we get directly from guests we’re hosting,” Ryan said.
After looking across the country for different ideas and inspiration, Ryan said an alpine coaster – popular in areas like Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains – made the most sense in terms of giving visitors a unique, fun adventure they wouldn’t get anywhere else in the state.
“There’s nothing like it in Ohio,” Ryan told Fox 8. “It is a completely different experience.”

The project should be complete by late winter 2026 or early spring 2027.
Along with the coaster, Ryan said a 5,000 square foot commercial building will also be constructed to house a gift shop, merchandise and activities for the whole family.
Ohio
Has there been an explosion of chipmunks this year? Yes. Here’s why
CANTON ‒ If you have been seeing more chipmunks near your yards and gardens this year, you aren’t alone.
And it was expected, says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“2025 was an exceptionally hard mast year for trees in Ohio which means a surplus in food for small rodents like chipmunks,” said Monika Bowman, wildlife communications specialist for the state agency. “More food leads to more chipmunks in a cyclical nature that we expect to see.”
A mast year is when trees and other plants, such as oak drop more acorns and other seeds, which are a main source of food for chipmunks.
Chipmunks also reproduce twice a year.
“Unlike some other small rodents, chipmunks have two mating seasons,” Bowman said. “We’re coming up on the second one at the beginning of summer, so more chipmunks would be in gardens to prepare.”
Chipmunks can damage homes and gardens. They love to burrow in mulch and under logs, said Curtis Daye of Canton-based Day & Night Pest Control.
“The best thing to do to prevent animals like chipmunks from getting into your yard is to get it treated early with granular deterrents,” Daye said. “It’s safer for the yard and the chipmunks, too.”
These deterrents include plant-based remedies like peppermint and capsaicin, which can also be used to prevent chipmunks in your yard if getting it treated isn’t an option.
Chipmunks love birdseed
One food that really attracts chipmunks is birdseed.
“They really love birdseed. Chipmunks see it and say, ‘Thanks for the buffet,’” Bowman said.
Interestingly though, birds don’t need birdseed to feed on during the summer months as they can consume insects and native plants, “but if you are going to use it, add in a spicy mix to prevent chipmunks from eating it, too,” Bowman recommended.
ODNR also suggested using birdhouses on metal posts that chipmunks can’t climb.
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