Ohio
Women’s Basketball: Ohio State selected as No. 2 seed, will host No. 15 seed Maine in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Ohio State women’s basketball team has earned a No. 2-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. It was announced Sunday that the Buckeyes will play No. 15 Maine in the first round. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
March Madness is finally here.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team (25-5, 16-2 Big Ten) was selected as the No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Sunday and will host the 15-seed Maine Black Bears (24-9, 14-2 America East) in the Round of 64 Friday at Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center.
It is the first time since 2010 that the Buckeyes will be a No. 2 seed and the first time under head coach Kevin McGuff.
McGuff said Ohio State has been focusing on moving on from its recent two-game skid and preparing for its matchup with Maine.
“I think we learned from that tough loss and then also moved past it and started focusing on ourselves and getting better,” McGuff said.
The Black Bears are coming off a 64-48 win over Vermont in the America East Championship Friday. They are led by graduate guard Anne Simon and junior forward Adrianna Smith.
Simon leads the team in scoring at 18.8 points per game, while Smith averages a double-double of 16.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will look to shake off an 82-61 loss to Maryland on March 8 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Minneapolis.
Ohio State will be led by its trio of superstars in graduate guard Jacy Sheldon, sophomore forward Cotie McMahon and the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year graduate guard Celeste Taylor.
Sheldon leads the team in scoring at 18 points per game, while McMahon averages 14.1 points per game and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game. Taylor leads the Big Ten in steals per game at 2.3, while also averaging 10.2 points per game.
McMahon said there is still unfinished business for the Buckeyes as they look to build off last season’s Elite Eight run.
“We’re capable of doing a lot more and we’ve had a week to prep,” McMahon said. “Now we have another week to prep and prove to ourselves what we’re really capable of and what this team is capable of and the sky’s the limit for us.”
With a win, Ohio State will face the winner of the matchup between No. 7 seed Duke and No. 10 seed Richmond in the Round of 32.
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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