Monday, August 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1915, Dayton inventor Charles Kettering received a patent for his automobile electric self-starter.

🏘️ From Ohio River towns to Lake Erie communities, a WorldAtlas list highlights a dozen of the Buckeye State’s nicest small towns. See which destinations made the cut in Et Cetera.

How does the military decide who’s tough enough to become a Navy SEAL? Why does it take a full year to train someone to fly a plane that never leaves the ground? And what exactly happens inside the school that teaches Americans how to survive being captured? The military doesn’t advertise most of this, but the answers are out there, buried in Navy attrition reports, Army training records, and firsthand accounts from the people who made it through. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla digs into what that paper trail reveals about how America really forges its warfighters. Tune in here!

Car insurance has become one of those bills that seems to creep higher every renewal, even if nothing about your driving has changed. That’s why today’s sponsor is Insurify, a free comparison tool that helps drivers quickly see if they’re paying more than they need to.

Flooding Triggers Water Rescues

Crews carried out 50 water rescues in Perry County on Sunday after overnight storms dropped about 4 inches of rain, flooding roads, stranding drivers, and forcing residents from their homes.

New Lexington Fire Chief Jim Fain said most of the rescues came from a mobile home park. The American Red Cross reported 54 people stayed overnight at a shelter at the Perry County Fairgrounds, while residents across the county continued cleaning up after another round of severe weather.

State Route 13 was closed in multiple locations, while State Route 669 was also shut down.

Kroger’s Columbus Division announced a $10,000 donation for storm aid for families recovering from severe weather in Franklin and Perry counties.

Four Die in Mill Creek Crash

Four people died and a fifth was hospitalized after a vehicle crashed into Mill Creek near Queen City Avenue in Cincinnati’s South Fairmount neighborhood Saturday evening.

The vehicle was found upside down in the creek. One occupant escaped and waited on a portion of the submerged vehicle until rescuers arrived, telling crews that four others remained trapped inside.

The car had been underwater for nearly an hour before crews were able to reach the vehicle using an inflatable boat.

Prisoner Continues Hunger Strike

Jacky Robinson Jr. of Akron has been on a hunger strike since July 24 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville to protest illicit drugs inside Ohio prisons.

Robinson said he had lost about 22 pounds and was experiencing dehydration, low blood pressure, pain, and numbness. He aims to launch a program to educate incarcerated people about the dangers of K2 and to obtain a transfer to another prison.

State officials said they are monitoring Robinson under prison policy, which allows involuntary medical treatment before death or serious, irreversible damage occurs.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction says its anti-contraband efforts include centralized mail screening, body scanners, drone detection, and drug-detecting dogs.

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➤ Cleveland: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority began a 3% service reduction Sunday, eliminating the B-Line Trolley and reducing service on several routes. (See Changes)

➤ Southwest Ohio: Ohio awarded nearly $2.1 million for safer school routes in Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren counties, including $1 million for sidewalks and crosswalks near Colerain Township’s Taylor Elementary School. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: A Wedgewood Polls survey showed Democrat Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, 48% to 44% for U.S. Senate, while Democrat Amy Acton led Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 47% to 46% for governor. (See Poll)

➤ Stark County: A woman died Saturday after a tree fell from a wooded area and struck her Jeep as she traveled west on U.S. 30. (More)

➤ Lorain: A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were fatally shot during a gathering at a short-term rental early Sunday. Police arrested 19-year-old Alexander Gibbons at the scene. (More)

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➤ The Cleveland Guardians earned the 10,000th victory in franchise history on Saturday with a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres, becoming the third American League club to reach the milestone. (More)

➤ Matt McLain set the Cincinnati Reds’ franchise record for a second baseman with his 108th consecutive errorless game, passing Brandon Phillips. (More)

➤ Three-time Cincinnati Open champion Novak Djokovic lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to No. 50 Thiago Agustín Tirante in his first match since Wimbledon, ending Djokovic’s 10-match Cincinnati winning streak. (More)

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➤ Gas prices across Ohio rose by 32 cents on average to $4.27 per gallon. Prices were highest in Canton-Massillon at $4.42, while Lima was the lowest at $4.15. (See Prices)

➤ Georgesville Nissan has permanently closed after nearly a decade on Columbus’ West Side. The dealership is consolidating its operations and vehicles with sister store Buckeye Nissan. (More)

➤ Cencora, a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company, has started work on a $106 million, 534,000-square-foot facility in Harrison at the Harrison Commerce Center. (See Details)

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➤ 15X Bigger Than SpaceX: Elon’s New Launch. While the rest of the market goes crazy for “the mother of all IPOs,” a new Elon Musk innovation is quietly being rolled out nationwide. It’s been 27 years in the making, and it could have a radical impact on how millions of people manage their money… and even collect Social Security. Here’s everything you need to know.

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➤ A WorldAtlas list highlights 12 of Ohio’s nicest small towns, stretching from Portsmouth along the Ohio River to Vermilion on Lake Erie. (See List)

➤ Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said the decision to change Senior Day to the Sept. 5 opener against Ball State was made to keep rivalry week focused on the Michigan game. (More)

➤ Two Ohio Powerball tickets won $50,000 each in Saturday’s drawing. No ticket claimed the $21.7 million jackpot, pushing Monday night’s prize to $35 million. (More)

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➤ Most People Blame the Wrong Thing for Easy Bruising. “I must just be clumsy.” “It’s my age.” “It’s probably my medication.” If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking one of these after another bruise seemed to appear out of nowhere, you’re not alone. Click here to discover the 7 warning signs experts say are worth paying attention to—and why so many people overlook them until much later. Learn More

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:

➤ Navy SEAL candidates cover more than 200 miles on roughly four hours of sleep, and most still don’t finish. (Hear Toughest Training)

➤ Two million American raccoons have taken over Germany, and the Nazi commander blamed for it didn’t do it. (Hear Real Culprit)

➤ Your beach read reveals which of four anxieties is quietly driving you. (Hear Your Type)