Fairgrounds Future in Flux

The future of the Warren County Fairgrounds remains unsettled after a proposed $4.25 million sale to Lebanon collapsed amid legal uncertainty, political disputes, and public resistance to redevelopment plans.

Warren County entered negotiations in 2025, but officials split over whether state law permitted the sale and how the 94-acre property should be used. Lebanon’s proposal included townhomes, commercial space, redesigned parkland, a new horse arena, and upgraded campgrounds.

The aging grounds have accumulated code violations and have been at the center of years of strained relations, but volunteers have been replacing structures and gutters, repainting the property, and restoring a historic mural.

The 2026 county fair runs today through Saturday, featuring 4-H exhibits, harness racing, rides, live music, a rodeo, tractor pulls, and a demolition derby.

Third Eye Sets Championship Records

Hamilton’s Third Eye Brewing captured the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship’s Grand National Champion title and set a competition record with five gold medals.

The brewery won nine medals overall: five gold, two silver, and two bronze. The haul tied the single-year record for total medals.

Third Eye’s gold-medal beers were Mocha Operandi, Double Astral, Unleashed Potential, and two versions of Kelly’s Private Stash Barley Wine. The official championship results spanned more than 180 categories and subcategories, with breweries entering from across the United States and abroad.

The victory marked Third Eye’s second overall championship in the event’s 18-year history. Rhinegeist Brewery placed sixth nationally, while several Stark County breweries also earned medals or division honors.

Hilltop Estate Hits Market

A hilltop Cincinnati estate with sweeping Ohio River Valley views has hit the market for $3.25 million, placing it among Greater Cincinnati’s most expensive active listings.

The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home spans 12,373 square feet on 10.64 wooded acres in the California neighborhood, about 10 minutes from downtown. Built in 1962, the residence is being offered for the first time since a major renovation and 6,500-square-foot addition in 2001.

Features include four fireplaces, a chef’s kitchen, a heated in-ground pool, a hot tub, and a three-level stone terrace. The property also offers garage space for up to 10 vehicles, plus a detached building with a heated detailing bay and workshop.

The property listing includes 90 photos showing the estate’s stone-column gate, tree-lined drive, private terraces, and expansive river-valley views.

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➤ Southwest Ohio: Flash flooding across Cincinnati’s East Side and nearby Fairfax killed one person and injured at least three others, according to Cincinnati Fire officials. (More)

➤ Statewide: Ohio is seeking proposals for up to $10 million in federal grants pairing abandoned-mine reclamation with local economic development. Letters of intent are due Aug. 7. (Details)

➤ Northeast Ohio: More than 40% of FirstEnergy customers in Silver Lake remained without electricity Sunday morning after severe thunderstorms swept through the region, with nearly 1,000 outages still reported across Summit County. (See Updates)

➤ Licking County: Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation designating part of Interstate 70 in Licking County as the Tuscarawas Valley Memorial Highway, honoring six members of the Tuscarawas Valley school community killed in a 2023 crash. (More)

➤ Dayton: The city will launch a national search for its next city manager after Shelley Dickstein announced she will retire in March 2027. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: A city training academy is working to rebuild Cincinnati’s building inspector workforce, which was at roughly 50% capacity three years ago and is projected to reach 95% by spring 2027. (More)

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➤ Travis Bazzana launched a 414-foot, two-run homer in the ninth inning for his first career walk-off hit, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 5-3 comeback win over Pittsburgh in Saturday’s doubleheader nightcap. (Watch Highlight)

➤ Ohio State secured a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Karlos May of Birmingham, Alabama, the No. 78 Rivals300 prospect. He’s the fourth top-100 defensive lineman to commit to the Buckeyes in the 2027 class. (More)

➤ The Columbus Clippers will wear Ohio State-inspired scarlet-and-gray uniforms Sept. 18 against St. Paul, one day before the Buckeyes host Kent State. (See Details)

➤ Ohio scored the game’s final three touchdowns to erase a 21-7 deficit and rally past West Virginia 28-21 in the OVAC All-Star Game in Wheeling. (See Highlights)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | The Open | MLB | NASCAR | F1 | WNBA

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➤ A. O. Smith will close its Groveport water-treatment plant and Lockbourne warehouse, shift work to Wisconsin and Texas, and eliminate about 92 jobs during a six-month period beginning Aug. 24. (See Timeline)

➤ Northside Marketplace in Akron will close July 31, leaving 140 vendors searching for new sales space after operators said debt and liabilities made continued operations unsustainable. (More)

➤ Wildfire smoke temporarily closed shops in downtown Elyria and the Aut-O-Rama Drive-In Theatre in North Ridgeville last week, while Elyria’s Third Thursdays event was rescheduled for July 30. (See Details)

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➤ Taylor Farms recalled 25 shredded iceberg lettuce and salad-mix products distributed in Ohio and 26 other states because of possible cyclospora contamination tied to an outbreak that sickened more than 1,500 people. (See Recall)

➤ Speed was a factor in 146,961 Ohio crashes from 2021 through 2025, according to a state report. Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Summit, and Montgomery counties accounted for 35% of them. (More)

➤ Central Ohio residents have spotted invasive red swamp crawfish in yards and near waterways, but experts say the self-cloning marbled crayfish could pose the greater ecological threat. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Scientists are closing in on regrowing human teeth, and the first breakthroughs could make implants and dentures a thing of the past. (Hear Breakthrough)

➤ Wildfire smoke doesn’t stay outside. A few simple steps can keep the air inside your home clean when the haze rolls in. (Hear How)

➤ Wall Street firms were pitched a $100,000-a-month subscription for one product: faster access to President Trump’s social media posts. (Hear Details)

What do you call the small freshwater crustaceans found in Ohio’s creeks and streams?

1. Crayfish
   
2. Crawfish
   
3. Crawdads
   
4. Mudbugs
   
5. Something else
   
6. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

Were you affected by flooding in southwest Ohio?

1. No: 61%
2. Family/friends were: 20%
3. Yes: 19%

On this day in 1917, a former mayor of which Ohio city presided over the nation’s first World War I draft lottery?

Show me the answer