Ohio
It’s your chance to see rare birds in Northwest Ohio during Biggest Week in American Birding festival
OREGON, Ohio (WTVG) – Bird is the word here in Northwest Ohio as people travel from across the country and even the world for the Biggest Week in American Birding festival.
Northwest Ohio contains the warbler capital of the world and birders are flocking to the birding festival to see a large variety of species as they migrate through out area.
Birders say having so many bird enthusiasts in one place feels like one big family reunion.
“It is seeing friends from all over the world,” said Katie Andersen, a birder at the festival. “Once a year this is our big party, big get together and it really carries me throughout the rest of the year.”
Andersen traveled here from Pennsylvania and is a volunteer who guides people on bird walks.
She said she never goes anywhere without her binoculars.
“There are birds no matter where you go,” Andersen said.
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory hosts the birding festival, which features a variety of speakers, vendors, and bird walks from now until May 12.
India Hobbs, a birder from Cleveland said that she loved hearing the keynote about diversifying birding.
She said her one advice for people who haven’t gone birdwatching is to try it out.
“Try it. Definitely if you’re someone who’s not your typical birder … I think it’s a hobby that everyone should enjoy and to learn about not only the beauty of the birds but the conservation as well,” Hobbs said.
Gary Peters is a local to Northwest Ohio. He photographs birds and is an avid member of several birdwatching groups.
“There aren’t a lot of disabled people that I know doing it, let alone leading it,” Peters said.
He started becoming a guide at the Biggest Week in American Birding this year, leading accessible birding walks.
“We want to get as many disabled people as we can,” Peters said.
As the festival continues, the community encourages people to come out.
“There’s a place for everyone in birding,” Andersen said.
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UPDATE 6/30/26 @ 6:30 p.m.
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – Four people are in custody Tuesday after a search found 16 children inside a home in the Hamden area of Vinton County, officials said during a news conference.
“This is pure evil what we saw down here today,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who described it as one of the worst scenes he has ever seen.
It happened in the 100 block of Ohmer Street.
Two children had to be life-flighted to trauma centers, and the victims are being treated at hospitals throughout Ohio.
Their ages range from one and a half to 18 years old.
“Lives were in danger,” officials said during the news conference, saying it has been a long-term investigation.
They said there is a secondary investigation underway at the property.
The suspects are set to be arraigned at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Vinton County Common Pleas Court.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, the Vinton County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are among the investigators.
We have a crew at the scene working to get more details. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
ORIGINAL STORY
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – A news conference is scheduled Tuesday evening about a search warrant that was executed at a home in the Hamden area of Vinton County.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s office made that announcement, saying the news conference is scheduled at 6 p.m. in McArthur, Ohio.
Along with Wilson, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer and members of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are set to attend the news conference.
The search warrant was executed at a home along Ohmer Street, with a heavy law enforcement presence reported throughout the day.
Additional details are unavailable now, but we have a crew headed to the scene.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
Central Ohio 2026 summer weather forecast
Weather forecasts call for a hotter- and drier-than-normal summer in the region.
The Columbus Dispatch
Central Ohio is under an extreme heat warning starting at noon due to dangerously hot conditions.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued the extreme heat warning from noon June 30 to 8 p.m. July 2 in central and south central Ohio as well as parts of Kentucky. The heat index will rise to about 105 degrees, the weather service said.
On June 30, there will be sunny skies and a high near 95 degrees in Columbus, according to a forecast by the weather service. The heat index will reach about 106 degrees.
Columbus will see a high of 98 both July 1 and July 2, with a heat index as high as 106 on July 2, the weather service said.
People should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioned rooms and out of the sun and check on their relatives and neighbors.
People should not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles because car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in minutes, the weather service said.
Cooling centers will open June 30, and the city has waived bus fares and public pool entry fees during the heat wave.
Public safety and breaking news reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com
Two people were found dead in a vehicle at a park in North Canton, Ohio, authorities said.
The North Canton Police Department said in a news release on Facebook that officers were called to Eastwoods Park around 11 a.m. on Sunday for reports of a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, they found a Honda with its engine running and two unresponsive people inside.
The two people, a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. They have not been identified as of Monday night.
Police said the preliminary findings show carbon monoxide levels in the vehicle were at levels exceeding what is considered safe. The North Canton Fire Department responded to the scene to help confirm the findings.
“At this time, there are no signs of foul play and no indication of violence or struggle associated with this incident,” North Canton police said in the news release.
The Stark County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death for the two people. No other information was released by law enforcement.
“This remains an active investigation, and no further information is available at this time,” the news release said.
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