School Voucher Numbers Grow

The state of Ohio spent $1.1 billion on school vouchers in the 2025 fiscal year, as participation continued to swell.

More than 142,000 students took part in EdChoice Expansion and EdChoice, the largest of the state’s five K-12 private school voucher programs. See data for all of Ohio’s programs here.

The other voucher programs, utilized by about 23,000 students, are the Autism Scholarship, the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship, and the Cleveland Scholarship.

Two years ago, the state broadened the income qualifications for the EdChoice Expansion program to include families at or below 450% of the federal poverty level, making eligibility nearly universal.

NOAA Predicts Wet Winter

Above-average precipitation is expected across Ohio this winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2025-26 winter weather outlook.

Temperatures are expected to remain near average statewide. See forecast maps here.

The Farmers’ Almanac also calls for a cold, snowy winter in the Buckeye State, while the Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasts a drier winter for much of Ohio.

Reese’s Pumpkins Claim Candy Crown

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins are Ohio’s most popular Halloween candy this year, according to Kroger.

Last year’s top treat was M&M’s, but the classic candy didn’t crack this year’s top six.

Rounding out the 2025 rankings were Snickers Fun Size, Brach’s Classic Candy Corn, Reese’s White Crème Peanut Butter Pumpkins, Milky Way Fun Size, and Tootsie Caramel Apple Pops.

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➤ Cincinnati: Police are investigating reports that a shot was fired into The River Church, where mayoral candidate Cory Bowman and his wife are pastors. Bowman is the half-brother of Vice President Vance. (More)

➤ Springfield: Christian M.M. Brady began his tenure as the 16th president of Wittenberg University. (More)

➤ Akron: Judge Jill Lanzinger, a Republican serving on the Akron-based Ninth District Court of Appeals, announced she will run for the state Supreme Court. (More)

➤ Central Ohio: Health care workers from The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital launched a mobile lung cancer unit to serve rural and other underserved areas of the state. (More)

➤ Youngstown: Coworking space Edge 1343 opened in the Belmont Corridor, offering private offices for individuals or groups of up to 50 people. (More)

➤ Cleveland City Council does not want any lawsuits against the Cleveland Browns dismissed pending the council’s review of the $100 million stadium agreement between the team and the mayor’s office. (More)

➤ Elder High School in Cincinnati ranks No. 1 in the USA Today Network Ohio Super 25 prep football rankings. St. Edward, Archbishop Hoban, Avon, Anderson, and Marion Local also received first-place votes. (Rankings)

➤ McDonald’s restaurants across Ohio will donate 10% of their Oct. 23 digital sales to high school athletics programs statewide. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | Soccer | Tennis

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➤ Vick’s Gourmet Pizza in Reynoldsburg held its grand reopening on Monday, with owner Charlotte Vickers saying she couldn’t bear to keep the site closed after 64 years. “The following Friday (after closing) I went to my window, peeked out, and saw nobody at Vick’s… nobody in front of it… and it was devastating,” she said. (More)

➤ MetroHealth System will close its psychiatric emergency department in Cleveland Heights at the end of the year and reassign the unit’s 35 employees to other area facilities. (More)

➤ Big Boy Restaurant Group will close its Dolly’s restaurants in Southwest Ohio, citing a legal battle that has prevented the company from using the Big Boy brand name. (More)

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“One of the Largest Industries Ever”

That’s what NVIDIA’s CEO said about robotics. And he’s not alone. Ark Invest values it as a $24 trillion global opportunity. 

So it’s a big deal that NVIDIA, Uber AI, and Amazon helped Miso Robotics perfect Flippy, its new fully commercial kitchen robot. It’s no wonder that initial units sold out in just one week.

Miso already has 200K+ hours for brands like White Castle under its belt. With the $1T fast-food industry facing 144% employee turnover rates, Flippy provides 24/7 labor and can boost profits by up to 3X.

Now, Miso’s leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale US-based production nationwide across a $4B annual revenue opportunity. 

➤ Steve Salopek, a 62-year-old Ohio State business professor, completed his 100th marathon on Sunday at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon. (More)

➤ HBO’s new show The Chair Company is filmed in New York but set in Columbus, with references to a Brutus Buckeye statue and multiple Ohio towns and schools. (More)

➤ Victor Gressler, a World War II U.S. Navy veteran from Maumee, celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday. He joined the Navy soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. (More)

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Have you ever run in a race?

1. Marathon
   
2. Half-marathon
   
3. 10K
   
4. 5K
   
5. Other
   
6. No
   

Yesterday’s Results:

Which soccer club do you cheer for?

1. I don’t watch soccer: 29%
2. FC Cincinnati: 24%
3. Columbus Crew: 24%
4. Other: 23%

What is Ohio’s longest-running marathon?

Show me the answer