Ohio
New law requires all Ohio school districts to create a cell phone policy
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Cell phones. We see them everywhere we go, we all have them and it’s hard to go without them. But a new law will soon require Ohio school districts to create polices regarding cell phone use in school.
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 into law Wednesday which requires every school district in Ohio to create a cell phone policy.
“They need a place, at least for several hours a day, to go and be students and have social interactions and have academic opportunities that are away from TikTok and Snapchat and all of these things that are distractive and addictive in their lives.” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted.
Locally, several school districts already have policies in place, most of them stating students aren’t allowed to have phones throughout the school day. At Anthony Wayne and Pike Delta York, their policy says phones are only allowed out during the school day when approved by a staff member. Other schools such as Perrysburg and Sylvania have similar policies which state phones can be used before and after school and at after-school activities as long as they don’t cause a distraction.
“It is a device that can be a positive at times to have during the day and students access it, but it also, we know, can be a very negative tool and a distracting tool,” said Tom Hosler, superintendent of Perrysburg Schools. “So trying to thread that needle of what is appropriate, what makes sense for the classroom, what makes sense for families, what makes sense to keep kids safe.”
But some other districts have a “no phones at all” policy.
“It’s just a distraction,” said Leigh Pancoast, principal at Swanton Middle School. “It’s just not needed in the school day. They have chrome books if they need anything to do any research, so we believe that it isn’t necessary for them to have them.”
Both districts 13 Action News spoke with say they will adjust their policies as needed to align with the new law. Schools will be required to adopt their cell phone policies no later than July 2025, ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.
Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals
Copyright 2024 WTVG. All rights reserved.
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.
-
Tennessee3 minutes agoTennessee’s heat wave flirting with records
-
Texas10 minutes agoPhoenix Merchant Partners and Texas Capital Alternative Asset Management Form Strategic Relationship
-
Utah13 minutes agoTherapy dogs offer a welcome break for firefighters battling Utah’s Iron, Cherry fires
-
Vermont18 minutes agoShe moved from Paris to Vermont and found her ‘dream job’ opening a bakery – The Boston Globe
-
Virginia25 minutes agoReopening date set for Virginia Creeper Trail after months of work
-
Washington28 minutes agoColorado Democrats punish Washington ties in primaries
-
Wisconsin33 minutes agoMissing Wisconsin teen Joniah Walker found safe 4 years after disappearing from home
-
West Virginia40 minutes agoTransmission line proposals raise ratepayer cost concerns in West Virginia
