Monday, May 4, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings played their first game as America’s first professional baseball club, defeating the Great Western Base Ball Club of Cincinnati 45-9.

If you’re planning a trip to an amusement park soon, you may want to turn off your phone. Find out why in Et Cetera.

As a Christian, you shouldn’t be getting most of your news from social media. It’s designed to trigger your emotions, not inform your faith. That’s why we read The Pour Over. It’s one of the sources we trust to deliver the facts, while uniquely keeping our hearts grounded in Christ.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Zoos Reopen After Bomb Hoaxes

Four Ohio zoos closed temporarily after a multistate series of zoo-related bomb threats that began Friday and continued through Sunday.

On Friday, the Toledo Zoo, the Louisville Zoo, and the Phoenix Zoo were evacuated after bomb and active shooter threats. No explosives were found at any of the sites.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium received similar threats on Saturday. On Sunday, the Akron and Cleveland zoos were evacuated because of threats.

The Toledo Zoo reopened as scheduled Saturday, and the Columbus Zoo reopened Sunday.

Cavs Surge Past Toronto

The Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to face Detroit in the NBA playoffs after beating the Toronto Raptors 114-102 Sunday in Game 7 of their first-round series.

Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Pistons is set for Tuesday night, with Detroit holding home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.

In Sunday’s game, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen each scored 22 points for Cleveland, and Allen added 19 rebounds for a double-double.

Toronto led for most of the first half, but a 15-6 Cavaliers run tied the game at 49 heading into halftime. Cleveland took control after the break, outscoring the Raptors 38-19 in the third quarter.

Historic Castle Lists for $6M

The historic Northeast Ohio mansion owned by former Walgreens and Joann executive Wade Miquelon went on the market for nearly $6 million.

Known as Playmore, the Kirtland castle was built in 1929 and originally owned by architect Benjamin S. Hubbell, who co-designed the Cleveland Museum of Art and the West Side Market.

Playmore features seven bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a 3,000-square-foot entertainment area, a hookah lounge, a wine cellar, a music studio, and a cocktail bar.

A stone patio surrounds the backyard pool, and the 12-acre property also includes a formal garden and thousands of trees. You can see 50 photos of the estate here.

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➤ Belmont County: Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags flown at half-staff in honor of former state Sen. James Carnes, who died at 84. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: Former police chief Teresa Theetge appealed her firing, which her attorney called grossly unfair. The city said it sought a change in leadership. (More)

➤ Nelsonville: The Nelsonville Aquatic Center closed after a structural analysis determined the pool was unsafe because of cracking and leakage, and found that design drawings weren’t signed by a professional engineer or architect. (More)

➤ Columbus: More than 100 demonstrators gathered at McCoy Park on Friday to protest the city’s deal to turn the park into a training facility for a professional women’s soccer team. (More)

➤ Toledo: The University of Toledo College of Law will serve as a testing site for the state bar examination for the first time in July, joining five other law schools in the state. (More)

➤ Jerome: Township Fire Chief Douglas Stewart was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into possible policy and legal violations. (More)

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➤ Cincinnati Reds pitchers Rhett Lowder and Connor Phillips combined to tie a major league record by walking seven consecutive batters in a 17-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. (More)

➤ Zach Kreft broke a 20-year-old Flying Pig Marathon record, finishing in 2:17:41, nearly three minutes faster than the previous mark set in 2006. (More)

➤ Evander da Silva Ferreira’s hat trick—capped by a penalty kick in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time—lifted FC Cincinnati to a 3-2 road win over Chicago Fire FC on Saturday. (More)

➤ Ohio State baseball swept No. 16 Nebraska for the first time in program history, closing the series with a 10-1 win Sunday. (More)

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➤ The state’s sales tax holiday will return for three days in August, but won’t include an expanded tax holiday for items $500 or less. (More)

➤ Bipartisan legislation would create a state-funded family and medical leave insurance program providing Ohio workers with up to 14 weeks of leave. (More)

➤ A federal lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Ohio alleges the parent company of Ohio-based Pins Mechanical Co. violated federal and state wage-and-hour laws. (More)

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➤ The state launched an online tool to help older Ohioans and their caregivers access information about long-term care facilities, Department of Aging data, and other resources. (More)

➤ Authorities advised Kings Island guests to turn off their cellphones while on rides to avoid triggering crash-detection technology or pocket-dialing 911. (More)

➤ A $50 scratch-off lottery ticket sold at AJ’s Drive Thru in Cleveland won the top $5 million prize, paid out over 25 years. (More)

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