State Probes Landfill Chicken Disposal

A viral video of hundreds of chickens dumped at a Logan County landfill, some of them still alive, has triggered a state investigation.

The footage, posted to a local Facebook group on June 16, showed a truck unloading the birds at the Bellefontaine site. State agriculture officials say disposing of euthanized, disease-free hens in an approved landfill is legal and that these birds had reached the end of their laying cycle.

But the state’s review found that not all the chickens had been properly euthanized before they were dumped. The county health commissioner said his office is concerned that some of the birds were still alive when they were disposed of.

For now, no agency has clear enforcement authority. The landfill says it halted shipments from the customer, and investigators are still working to confirm the birds’ origin, believed to be a Union County farm.

Mayflies Swarm Lake Erie Shore

Billions of mayflies are once again blanketing communities along Ohio’s Lake Erie shore in their annual early-summer hatch.

The insects spend up to 2 years as nymphs in the lakebed before surfacing to live for only 24 to 72 hours, coating cars, buildings, and porch lights before they die. They do not bite or sting, though their oily carcasses can leave roads dangerously slick.

Biologists see an upside: the swarms signal healthy water in Lake Erie and feed prized fish like walleye and bass. To cut the mess, FirstEnergy has begun suspending streetlights in lakeside towns such as Port Clinton, Marblehead, and Erie Township.

The hatch has already reached the islands, where recent footage shows the swarm overtaking a Put-in-Bay visitor center. Watch a video of the swarm here.

Tressel Joins Ohio Stadium Legends

Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will be added to the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor when the Buckeyes open the season against Ball State on Sept. 5.

The 2002 national champion becomes just the third coach to earn the distinction, joining Woody Hayes and Paul Brown on the C-deck that rings the Horseshoe. He is the first person enshrined since 2014, when his former quarterback, Troy Smith, was honored.

Tressel went 106-23 over 10 seasons, won six Big Ten titles, and posted a 9-1 mark against archrival Michigan. His 2002 squad capped a 14-0 run by toppling Miami in double overtime for the program’s first title in 34 years.

Now 73 and serving as Ohio’s lieutenant governor, Tressel called the honor “truly humbling” and said it places him alongside the men he grew up admiring. His name is unveiled before the 12:30 p.m. kickoff in Columbus.

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➤ Strongsville: The Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear a new appeal from Mackenzie Shirilla, convicted in the 2022 crash deaths of two people. Her post-conviction petition was filed one day late. (More)

➤ Statewide: Stealing a catalytic converter is now a felony in Ohio under a new crackdown that tightens oversight of scrap buyers. Thefts hit 45,000 insurance claims worth $115 million in 2022. (More)

➤ Reynoldsburg: A two-alarm fire that started in a backyard early Tuesday damaged three homes and displaced 11 people, with no injuries reported. Arson investigators are still working on the cause. (See Photos)

➤ Statewide: Six Medicaid providers were indicted on fraud and theft charges totaling more than $326,000, part of a national health care fraud sweep. One Westerville doctor allegedly billed almost $200,000 for services that were fabricated. (More)

➤ Ashland: Ashland City Schools topped state averages on several exams, with third-grade reading proficiency climbing to 86% from 58% last fall. Eighth-grade math hit 74.6%, far above the state’s 52%. (See Details)

➤ Girard is advancing a one-year moratorium on new data centers. City council gave a second reading to the proposal Monday, with a final vote expected in July. (More)

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➤ The Cleveland Cavaliers traded the 29th pick in last night’s NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings for the No. 34 pick and a future second rounder. (More)

➤ The Cleveland Browns are fielding calls about the availability of quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie season but is now competing with Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and rookie Taylen Green for the starting job. (More)

➤ Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was named the university’s Male Athlete of the Year, winning the Thorpe Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year this football season. He capped it off by being drafted 11th overall in the NFL Draft. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: World Cup | MLB | WNBA

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➤ The 42-year-old Northwest Ohio Rib Off in Toledo is changing hands and relocating to nearby Oregon in 2027, after The Blade sold the longtime tradition to the German-American Festival Society amid rising costs. (See Details)

➤ DiCarlo’s Pizza has closed its Westerville location, and Columbus sandwich spot Fat Arnie’s will take over the State Street space with its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, a takeout-focused concept. (More)

➤ Delaware’s city council passed an emergency resolution urging the state attorney general to halt OhioHealth’s plan to end inpatient maternity care at Grady Memorial on July 31, citing longer drives for expecting mothers. (More)

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Musk: This Will Make Everyone Wealthier Than Me

After SpaceX’s history-making IPO, Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire. But he says the forthcoming AI and robotics boom will make everyone wealthier than him.

Over 44,000 people are tapping into this boom by investing in a private robotics company: Miso Robotics.

Miso’s AI and robots are becoming fixtures across the $1T fast-food industry, serving customers at Cinnabon, Jersey Mike’s, Jamba, and many more. In fact, Miso’s Flippy Fry Station AI robot has already logged over 200,000 hours in real kitchens like White Castle. 

Now Miso’s scaling Flippy across a $4B/year US revenue opportunity.  And it’s only one piece of Miso’s growing platform.

This is your chance to tap into this growth as a Miso shareholder. Invest before Miso hits their $2.5M raise goal for June.

➤ Canal booms and railroad money once built bustling Ohio towns that have since crumbled into ruins. A new photo tour traces the forgotten communities the woods are quietly swallowing. (See Photos)

➤ Columns of ants have been spotted marching up the walls of multi-story buildings in Ohio cities, and University of Dayton researchers say the odd behavior is actually a hopeful sign. (See Study)

➤ A Cleveland suburb of Parma has crowned the plastic pink flamingo its official mascot, lighting up homes and landmarks in pink for its bicentennial. The 1957 lawn ornament became an unlikely civic icon. (More)

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➤ A Harvard scientist discovered a new “facelift protein” that smooths wrinkles, shrinks pores, and evens-out red blotchy skin in just 7 seconds a day. What surprised researchers the most wasn’t just the results…It was that women with higher levels of this “facelift protein” appeared to age dramatically better than their peers. Learn about this new discovery here.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Savannah Guthrie made a tearful on-air plea as new details emerge in her mother’s disappearance. (Listen Here)

➤ Should weight-loss drugs be banned in sports? Serena Williams reignited the debate. (Hear More)

➤ These are the 20 highest-paying jobs in America that aren’t doctors. (Tune In)

How do you handle the mayfly invasion?

1. Grin and bear it
2. Hide indoors
3. Hose ’em off daily
4. Never see them here
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which Ohio MLB team are you rooting for this summer?

1. Guardians: 26%
2. Reds: 24%
3. Don’t follow: 21%
4. Both: 15%
5. Neither: 14%

Ambrose Bierce was seriously wounded in which Civil War battle?

Show me the answer