Lakewood Weighs FirstEnergy Options

Lakewood officials are weighing legal action against FirstEnergy after repeated outages over the past two years left residents without power.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered FirstEnergy last fall to improve reliability and install two new transformers. Lakewood sought another investigation after July outages left some homes without electricity for days during extreme heat, and at least one senior resident required emergency care.

Lakewood City Council President Sarah Kepple is considering calling FirstEnergy representatives before the council to answer residents’ questions. The city may also oppose a rate increase as it presses for fewer and shorter outages, equipment upgrades, and an end to preventable failures.

Afroman Sues Former Deputy

Rapper Joseph Foreman, known as Afroman, has sued former Adams County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brian Newland, alleging Newland stole $400 during a raid before suing Foreman for defamation.

Newland and six other deputies previously sued Afroman over music videos featuring home security footage from a 2022 raid. A jury sided with the musician in March after the deputies sought nearly $4 million in damages.

The raid stemmed from a drug-trafficking and kidnapping investigation but produced no charges.

Afroman says roughly $400 seized from his home was never returned, and his new complaint claims the deputies’ earlier lawsuit violated his free-speech rights.

Ohio Names Four Teacher Finalists

Four educators have been named finalists for the 2027 Ohio Teacher of the Year award, which honors classroom expertise, leadership, innovation, and strong partnerships with their communities.

The finalists are Kasey Church of Napoleon Area City Schools, Sarah Walters of Troy City Schools, Taya Kidd of Reynoldsburg City School District, and Angela Bowman of Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Church teaches special education to students in grades six through 12. Walters provides literacy support for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Kidd teaches second grade, and Bowman is an intervention specialist for students in grades one through three.

The winner will be announced at the start of the school year and serve as Ohio’s ambassador for public education.

Dear Ohio Flyover Reader,

A month ago, the Minnesota Star Tribune won a Pulitzer Prize. Last week, it announced it’s cutting 15% of its staff.

That’s been the shape of the whole year. In February, the Washington Post eliminated more than 300 newsroom jobs and closed its sports and books desks outright. The BBC is shedding up to 2,000 roles. BuzzFeed and HuffPost cut about a third of their people. In Pittsburgh, the Post-Gazette shuttered its entire opinion section and published its last editorial.

Here’s what none of those outlets will say out loud: this is what happens when you spend years telling your audience what to think instead of what happened. Readers can tell when the news is tilted, and they’ve been walking away by the millions.

The numbers back it up. Gallup now finds just 28% of Americans trust the media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. That’s the lowest it has ever measured.

The legacy media created this problem. The Ohio Flyover was built to be the solution, and the difference is simple. They editorialize in their reporting. We don’t. They tell you what to think about the news; we just show you what happened, clearly and fairly, and trust you to make up your own mind.

And it’s working: while they shrink, we’re about to cross six million readers. Six million Americans who start their morning with the facts and decide for themselves. They’re fleeing the spin, and they’re finding us.

The Ohio Flyover will always be free. Producing it isn’t.

So as The Flyover family of readers closes in on six million, let me ask you two questions:

Do you rely on us for news without the spin? Is fact-first journalism worth fighting for?

If your answer is yes, will you chip in and help us hit this milestone at full speed?

I’ll be honest with you: I read the same headlines you do, and there are mornings this industry looks like it’s coming apart. But then I look at what this team builds every single day, and at six million of you choosing the facts over the spin, and I’ve never been more sure we’re on the right side.

Will you support The Ohio Flyover today? I’d appreciate it very much.

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Thanks for reading—every morning, and today.
— Cole

California Surgeon: “Muscle Loss in Seniors is Real, But It Doesn’t Have to Be”

➤ Toledo: A Lucas County deputy used Flock license plate readers to locate a missing Belmont County girl in less than 30 minutes. Authorities detained an 18-year-old suspect. (More)

➤ Columbus: U.S. Route 33 will close for 45 days between Fishinger Road and State Route 161 beginning Aug. 3 as crews replace a culvert beneath the highway. (See Detour)

➤ Summit County: The county fair strengthened security with more deputies, active monitoring, staff training, and revised emergency plans after a targeted parking lot shooting wounded a teenager last year. (See Details)

➤ Cincinnati: A Cincinnati Public Schools plan to put an earned income tax levy on the November ballot is drawing backlash. It’s the first time the district has asked the public to approve this kind of levy. (More)

➤ Cuyahoga County: The county is making $4.37 million available for affordable housing development projects, a locally controlled housing fund, and down payment assistance for eligible homebuyers. (See Details)

➤ Centerville: Cincinnati Children’s reopened its Centerville facility after replacing the brick exterior, addressing water intrusion, and completing additional upgrades. Primary care returns Aug. 3. (More)

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➤ Shemar Stewart, a defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, was carted off the field with an apparent left leg injury during the team’s first training camp practice. He was later seen using crutches and wearing a brace. (More)

➤ Dane Myers preserved the Cincinnati Reds’ 2-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians and a doubleheader split on Tuesday with a running, game-ending catch at the right-center-field wall. The series rubber match was set for last night. (See Catch)

➤ The Cleveland Browns agreed to a three-year, $48 million extension with safety Grant Delpit, one day after signing cornerback Denzel Ward to a two-year extension. (More)

➤ Cardinal Stritch Catholic High School canceled its 2026 eight-man football season because it lacked enough players and family volunteers. It’s the school’s third canceled season since 2022. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Soccer

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➤ Vitro reversed plans to close its Crestline glass plant, preserving 265 jobs and creating 53 more after state, regional, and county development groups stepped in. (See Details)

➤ EdgeConneX asked to intervene in an Ohio Supreme Court case involving an Ashville data center agreement and a referendum petition with 669 valid signatures. (See Details)

➤ Columbus State Community College dropped a proposed 1.9-mill property tax levy that would have raised $95 million annually and provided tuition-free college to Franklin County high school graduates. (See Details)

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It also plays an important role in maintaining strength, mobility, heart health, and gut health as you age. But according to Dr. Steven Gundry, simply eating more collagen isn’t the most effective way to support your body’s collagen levels.

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➤ Ohio teachers’ unions back Republican candidates 16% of the time, more than twice the 7.8% national rate, according to a national study examining union strength and political activity. (More)

➤ Hilary Duff sampled Skyline Chili onstage before more than 20,000 fans at Riverbend Music Center and declared, “That’s good chili. You should be famous for that, it’s really good.” (Watch Video)

➤ A Columbus man turned a $1 scratch-off ticket into a $182,500 lump-sum prize. He plans to use the winnings for home repairs, back-to-school shopping, family trips, and savings. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ These five everyday foods are quietly increasing your chance of heart disease. (Hear Details)

➤ Federal officials are ending a Medicare drug subsidy, raising concerns that millions of seniors could face higher costs. (Hear Episode)

➤ One of America’s most prescribed drugs, taken daily by roughly 23 million people, has been hit with a nationwide recall. (Listen Now)

Have you dealt with power outages this summer?

1. Yes, once
   
2. Yes, a few times
   
3. Yes, regularly
   
4. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you been to IKEA?

1. Yes, once or twice: 40%
2. No, never: 33%
3. Yes, lots of times: 27%

On this day in 1943, Warren twins Paul and Charles Wishart earned the Silver Star for heroism during which World War II campaign?

Show me the answer