Cleveland Tourism Hits $7 Billion Record

Visitors spent a record $7 billion in Cuyahoga County in 2025, according to new figures from Destination Cleveland.

That’s up from $6.9 billion in 2024. The county logged 18.9 million visits, a 1.7% increase that outpaced the national rate of 1.5%  and Ohio’s 1.2%.

The spending generated an estimated $11.4 billion in total economic impact and supported more than 70,400 local jobs. Visitor tax revenue worked out to a $1,475 benefit for every Cuyahoga County household.

“Visitors bring new dollars into our economy that support local businesses, jobs and residents,” said Destination Cleveland CEO David Gilbert.

The group says major projects, including the new Browns dome in Brook Park, could help draw even more visitors in the years ahead.

Case Western Tops College Rankings

Case Western Reserve University ranked first among Ohio colleges in WalletHub’s annual rankings, placing No. 69 nationally.

That makes eight straight years atop the state list for the Cleveland school, which held the No. 1 spot for the seventh time last year.

WalletHub graded over 700 schools on 30 metrics, from cost and campus safety to graduation rates and post-graduation salaries. Case Western led Ohio in median salary after attendance and ranked second in graduation rate.

Ohio State’s main campus placed sixth in the state and No. 127 nationally. That’s a step back from fifth in Ohio and No. 113 nationally a year ago.

Oberlin, Kenyon, Denison, and the College of Wooster filled out Ohio’s top five. The report lands ahead of early-decision college application deadlines Nov. 1.

Purple Heart Recipient Tells His Story

A deputy U.S. marshal shot while serving a warrant in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood last October is speaking publicly about it for the first time.

Ryan Jasinsky, a former Navy SEAL on the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, said the suspect opened fire as his team breached a door. “It was very slow motion,” he said.

Hit in the arm, Jasinsky returned fire to keep the gunman from ambushing teammates in a nearby kitchen. The suspect barricaded himself for hours before surrendering and was later indicted on federal charges, including attempted murder of a federal officer.

Surgeons rebuilt his arm, and he said a bullet path 2 millimeters to either side could have killed him. After months of rehab, he’s back on the task force.

Last month, he received the U.S. Marshals’ Purple Heart Award. He says he now tries to be grateful for every day.

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➤ University Heights: The city council delayed a vote on ending a rule that requires landlords to accept housing vouchers such as Section 8 after residents packed Monday’s meeting in opposition. The city’s law director cited a lawsuit claiming the rule is unconstitutional. A second reading is set for Nov. 2. (See Details)

➤ Atwater Township: Waterloo and Southeast schools went on soft lockdown Tuesday after a man shot a woman at a Portage County home and fled in a small black car, the sheriff’s office said. (See Details)

➤ Toledo: A two-alarm fire broke out in a third-floor unit at Beacon Point Apartments on Cheyenne Boulevard early Tuesday, displacing five people. Crews kept the flames to that apartment, no one was hurt, and the cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ Granville: Village voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to amend the charter to ban data centers with peak loads above 25 megawatts. The proposal mirrors a statewide petition drive for the same limit that fell short of this year’s ballot. (See Details)

➤ Findlay: Neighbors near Fox and Davis streets say weekend parties at homes where University of Findlay students live have become unbearable, citing loud music, yelling, and speeding cars. One resident said the university told her its hands are tied because the houses are off campus. (Read Story)

➤ Dayton: Mt. Moriah Baptist Church hosted the fourth annual Operation Warm giveaway Tuesday, with more than 1,500 new coats and 500 pairs of gym shoes set aside for children from TANF-eligible families. The first 300 attendees also received hats, gloves, and scarves. (More)

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➤ Ohio State will be without quarterback Julian Sayin for “at least several weeks” after he was hurt in Saturday’s 19-15 win over Indiana, coach Ryan Day said Monday. True freshman Luke Fahey will likely take over. (More)

➤ The Columbus Crew hosts St. Louis City SC tonight in the U.S. Open Cup final, chasing its first trophy since the 2024 Leagues Cup. (More)

➤ Polymarket US sued Ohio officials in federal court Tuesday, arguing state rules requiring sportsbooks to keep servers and a corporate presence in Ohio unconstitutionally discriminate against out-of-state businesses. (See Details)

➤ Chuck Amato, who built some of Bobby Bowden’s best Florida State defenses before ending his career as Akron’s defensive coordinator, has died at 80. His final Zips team won the 2017 Mid-American Conference East Division title. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NCAAF | NHL | Soccer

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➤ Valor Energy agreed to buy an 18-megawatt computing facility on Logan Avenue in Youngstown for $3.6 million and plans to convert it into an AI data center. The deal hinges on a one-month due-diligence period, and the timeline still depends on equipment, permits, and funding. (See Details)

➤ Mayfield Village Council on Monday weighed the futures of two Progressive sites: Campus 1 on Wilson Mills Road, which the insurer sold, and the planned Campus 3 on Center Road, which was never built. Any rezoning in the village requires voter approval. (See Details)

➤ The U.S. Chemical Safety Board says Columbus paint and resin maker Yenkin-Majestic hasn’t responded to five safety recommendations issued after a 2021 explosion at its OPC Polymers plant killed one worker and injured eight. (See Report)

➤ RoadPrintz, a Cleveland startup, has built a 1,000-pound robotic arm that mounts on a truck and paints road arrows and markings while crews stay in the cab. The Pennsylvania Turnpike and the City of Houston are already renting the robots. (Read Story)

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➤ Mikey’s Late Night Slice brings back its self-proclaimed “Hottest Pizza on Earth,” made with Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, and ghost peppers, Oct. 26 in Grandview. Two days later, eight contestants will pay $6.66 to eat three slices and a fresh Carolina Reaper, then sit five minutes without a drink. (See Details)

➤ Buddy the Unicorn, the grinning villain of Buddy, a horror movie made in Cleveland, tops Google’s 2026 list of trending Halloween costumes. Google says searches for a Buddy unicorn costume passed searches for a kids’ unicorn costume for the first time in September. (More)

➤ Two Michigan men say a bracket that fell off the Cedar Point coaster Millenium Force on Friday bounced and landed in a chair beside them in a VIP lounge. “At first we thought it was a phone,” Ryan Rowton said. No one was hurt, and the ride has reopened. (See Details)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ What are Americans’ favorite fast food chains, and which ones land at the bottom? (Hear List)

➤ Ohio’s Democratic candidate for governor is being denounced as a liar by her mother in a new ad. (Hear Story)

➤ Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s granddaughter has died at 42, years after a paralyzing spinal cord injury. (Listen Now)

How much heat can you handle?

1. Bring on the Carolina Reaper
2. A little kick is plenty
3. Mild, please
4. No peppers for me

Yesterday’s Results:

Where would you most like to fly nonstop from Ohio?

1. Europe: 38%
2. Hawaii: 24%
3. Other/Don’t fly: 22%
4. Caribbean or Mexico: 14%
5. Asia: 2%

What gold charm do Ohio State football players and coaches receive after beating Michigan?

Show me the answer