Court Blocks Data Center Vote

Wilmington residents won’t get to vote on data center rules this November after the Ohio Supreme Court blocked a citizen-led measure from the ballot in a 6-1 decision issued Friday.

The proposed ordinance would have set city limits on data center noise, water use, and backup generators. It also would have let residents sue over zoning violations, which is not allowed under Ohio law.

The ruling arrives as local pushback on data centers spreads, with at least 138 municipalities and townships holding active data center moratoriums as of Sept. 17.

A Bowling Green State University poll found 78% of Ohioans favor pausing construction until the effects are better understood, while The Buckeye Institute argues the state should reject moratoriums and instead require developers to carry their own costs.

Ohio Starts Accepting Crypto Payments

Ohioans can now pay state fees with cryptocurrency, making Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office the first in state government to accept digital assets for routine business.

The change came through a “payment modernization project” LaRose announced earlier this year that also added Apple Pay and Google Pay. It covers transactions from registering a new business to securing a trademark or a minister’s license.

Crypto payments run through a digital wallet called Buckeye Billfold. Digital currency converts to U.S. dollars the instant a transaction clears, so the state never carries volatile assets on its books.

CVG Named Ohio’s Best Airport

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International was named the best airport in Ohio by travelers in a new North American satisfaction study, finishing No. 7 overall in its size class.

John Glenn Columbus International ranked No. 12, and Cleveland Hopkins International placed No. 14. All three compete in the medium category, which covers airports handling 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers a year.

The rankings drew on nearly 25,000 surveys of American and Canadian travelers, weighing how easily passengers move through a terminal, how much they trust the place, and what the facilities are like.

A companion study of airport lounges found a more mixed picture, with free food drawing 39% of travelers through the door but 46% reporting that the lounge they use most often is usually crowded.

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➤ Statewide: Half of Ohio’s deer permit buyers took at least one animal last season, an “unprecedented” success rate, but permit sales have fallen 22% since 2011, leaving fewer hunters to check herd growth. (More)

➤ Southeast Ohio: Flash flooding forced evacuations in Pickaway and Hocking counties early Sunday, starting near state Route 56 around 2 a.m. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: A retired Cincinnati fire chief, 83, saw flames on his front porch last week, grabbed his son’s dog, and escaped through the basement to safety. (See Photos)

➤ Toledo: Fire Chief Allison Armstrong was seriously injured Friday on her way to a firefighters memorial in Colorado when a driver struck her car at high speed. (More)

➤ Clayton: City officials warned residents about an AI-generated video pushing a fake federal program to freeze property taxes for older homeowners. (See Details)

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➤ The Cleveland Browns defeated Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19 after a weather delay with two minutes remaining halted play for more than two hours. Rookie Denzel Boston caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. (More)

➤ Ja’Marr Chase caught two touchdown passes, while Joe Burrow overcame five sacks to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a 20-6 road win over the Houston Texans. (More)

➤ Federal prosecutors listed 18 pitches thrown by Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase across 17 games as the core of their gambling case against him, which goes to trial in November. One came in a 2024 playoff game against the Detroit Tigers. (See Games)

➤ Heidelberg stunned No. 8 Mount Union 37-34 in Alliance on Saturday, its first win over the Purple Raiders since 1988. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | WNBA | Golf | Soccer

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➤ L3Harris won a $60 million Air Force contract to build proximity sensors that let aircrews set a munition’s exact detonation altitude. Production is set to run through a plant in Clermont County. (More)

➤ Cincinnati-based Kroger plans to invest $253 million over three years in Harris Teeter, renovating stores across the Carolinas and opening three new ones. (More)

➤ Fifty West plans to close its Chillicothe taproom by year’s end, citing financial difficulties after six years in operation. (More)

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➤ Kart racers descended on Lorain this weekend from more than 20 countries for the U.S. Pro Kart Series championships, the first national event at a track built on a former landfill. (More)

➤ Cleveland police welcomed two miniature horses, Valor and Grace, into a mounted unit that traces its history back to 1911. The pair will patrol neighborhoods and work community events. (See Horses)

➤ Young adults are skipping the family doctor, with more than a quarter of Gen Z patients in a study commissioned by The Ohio State University reporting having no primary care provider. (More)

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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. 

➤ The drug-pricing deals the White House celebrated turned out to have terms nobody was supposed to see. (Hear Terms)

➤ President Trump says he is close to a decision on Iran and named the three paths on the table. (Hear Options)

➤  A homeschooled firefighter in Nebraska applied for a paid job and was told his diploma did not count. He has 30 days to sue. (Hear Story)

Do you own any cryptocurrency?

1. Yes
   
2. I used to
   
3. No

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite way to use the library?

1. Borrowing books: 37%
2. I don’t use it: 32%
3. Borrowing e-books: 18%
4. Movies or music: 4%
5. Working or studying: 3%
6. Events: 3%
7. Other: 3%

Which Ohio city is home to America’s oldest concrete street?

Show me the answer