E-Check’s Days May Be Numbered

Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday directed the Ohio EPA to begin ending E-Check emissions testing in seven Northeast Ohio counties.

The move follows the U.S. EPA’s June ruling that the Cleveland region now meets the federal ozone standard, after the agency declared it out of compliance in 2018. DeWine said decades of work to cut pollution “have finally paid off.”

Many vehicles in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties have required a test every two years since Ohio launched the program in 1996. State Rep. Bill Roemer, R-Richfield, who has pushed for years to scrap it, called it a “burden on working families”.

Ohio EPA will open public comment next month and hold a public meeting in November before sending its request to the U.S. EPA by year’s end. Testing continues until federal regulators sign off.

State Puts CPS in Fiscal Caution

Ohio has placed Cincinnati Public Schools in fiscal caution status after projecting a $44.5 million deficit by 2029.

The district must send the state a recovery plan by Nov. 30. Treasurer Mike Gustin told the school board Monday that options include school consolidations, athletic fees, transportation changes, and cutting positions not required by law.

CPS usually ends its fiscal year with 25 to 30 days of cash on hand, Gustin said, about half of what sound practice calls for. Fiscal caution is a step short of fiscal emergency, when the state would take control of the district’s finances and decisions.

The plan can’t count on the property tax levy headed to voters in November. If the levy fails, Gustin said the district faces roughly $20 million more in cuts.

FDA Clears New Parkinson’s Pill

The FDA on Monday approved Juvmo, a daily Parkinson’s pill whose global clinical trials were led by a Cleveland Clinic neurologist.

Dr. Hubert Fernandez, a neurology professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, served as global principal investigator for drugmaker AbbVie. Juvmo is the first drug to selectively target the brain’s D1 and D5 dopamine receptors, a different pathway than existing dopamine agonists use.

Patients can take it alone or alongside levodopa, the long-standing standard treatment. It’s expected to reach patients in October.

An independent review by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review in March rated the drug’s benefit “promising but inconclusive” and said 26-week trials were likely too short to judge some side effects.

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➤ Shelby County: A fire broke out Monday morning at the Honda Anna Engine Plant, sending one person to a hospital for evaluation. The plant’s internal fire team contained the blaze, and Honda said there’s no longer a risk to workers or operations. (More)

➤ Marietta: Sharon Jacks is suing Selby General Hospital, alleging surgeons removed the wrong leg during a September 2025 cancer surgery. The hospital acknowledged that an “adverse surgical event” occurred. (See Details)

➤ Licking County: Off-duty Newark police officer Kevin Distelhorst was grocery shopping with his wife at the Heath Kroger when he saw a man holding a gun to another man’s head in the parking lot. Distelhorst ordered him to drop it, then held him down until Heath police arrived. (Read Story)

➤ Youngstown: The co-owners of downtown’s Blue Heron Treasure Shop want two nearby bars, Circle Hookah Bar and The Social, shut down, saying people leaving them are loud and violent. (See Details)

➤ Akron: JobsOhio chairman Josh Rubin, a longtime adviser to Gov. Mike DeWine, is set to be deposed today and Thursday in a federal civil suit against FirstEnergy over the bribery scheme behind a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout. Rubin once lobbied for FirstEnergy and didn’t respond to comment requests. (More)

➤ Athens: Invasive ambrosia beetles have killed about 75% of the pawpaw trees at Integration Acres, one of the world’s largest pawpaw processors, co-owner Chris Chmiel said. The beetles target trees stressed by waterlogged soil, and Chmiel is replanting with new drainage, sandier soil, and alcohol traps. (See Details)

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➤ The Columbus Blue Jackets traded leading goal scorer Kirill Marchenko, goalie Elvis Merzlikins, and forward Miles Wood to Toronto on Monday for forwards Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a conditional 2027 second-round pick. Toronto then signed Marchenko to a six-year, $75 million extension. (More)

➤ The Harlem Globetrotters bring their new Rivalry Tour to Rocket Arena on Dec. 30, facing the Washington Generals and a new lineup of rivals. General tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m., and the tour debuts a half-Globetrotters, half-Generals Spalding game ball. (See Details)

➤ The Crestview school board will take the first step Wednesday in hopes of joining the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference for all sports. The OVAC contains more than 50 schools in Ohio and West Virginia. (More)

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

➤ Youngstown-born Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream plans six Greater Cincinnati shops, its first in the region, under a franchise deal with local operator Royal Scoop LLC. The first is expected to open in late summer 2027. (See Details)

➤ A federal appeals court ruling Friday restored part of Ohio’s ban on intoxicating hemp products sold outside licensed dispensaries, halting THC drink sales again. Saucy Brew Works CEO Brent Zimmerman said it’s the third halt since January and he’ll ship product to Indiana, putting Cleveland jobs at risk. (See Details)

➤ Walmart plans to build a $300 million fulfillment center for oversized items like TVs and furniture on nearly 100 acres in Warren County’s Turtlecreek Township, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday. The state approved a nine-year tax credit for the project, which is expected to create 315 full-time jobs and $19.5 million in annual payroll by 2029. (See Details)

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Colombia’s Most Prized Coffee Beans are Coming to America

70% of Americans prefer Colombian coffee. After six decades of dominating Colombia’s coffee scene, the world-renowned brand Juan Valdez is relaunching into the $100B US coffee market.

None of it would be possible without Green Coffee Company (GCC), which holds the exclusive distribution rights to Juan Valdez across the U.S. and Canada.

Juan Valdez pioneered the single-origin coffee category in the U.S., at one point garnering more brand recognition than Nike. Once GCC introduced it to American shelves, its presence grew 445% in Target locations, driven by consumer demand alone. 

After beating its 3,000-store goal for the year early, GCC has hundreds more in the pipeline. Final call to invest at $1.10/share before the share price changes after tonight.

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➤ The Toledo Zoo’s ADaPT program, which pairs teen volunteers who have developmental disabilities with peer partners, ends today. Jordan Burriola, its first participant and now a full-time zoo employee, has joined families pushing to save it. (Read Story)

➤ HER Cincinnati marks 20 years of its Off the Streets program, which has helped more than 2,500 women overcome sex trafficking and addiction, with a graduation ceremony Thursday. Mayor Aftab Pureval is expected to declare Oct. 1 Off the Streets Day. (See Details)

➤ Mahoning County’s Jan Brown, a 27-year Air Force veteran and the first woman elected AMVETS national commander, will be inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 12. She’s one of 20 members of the Class of 2026. (Read Story)

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➤ The #1 cause of heart attacks isn’t blood pressure. An ER nurse says the real problem is a hard buildup inside the artery that pills never touch. A doctor is showing a 7-second morning ritual that starts to break it apart. Learn More

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Streaming prices keep quietly climbing, and eight fixes can claw your monthly bill back down. (Hear Fixes)

➤ Lindsay Clancy’s defense now argues prosecutors never proved she killed her children, a sharp shift after her murder mistrial. (Hear Details)

➤ Homeowners are sitting on a record $11.5 trillion in home equity they could borrow against, and barely touching it. (Listen Now)

Have you ever eaten a pawpaw?

1. Yes, and I like them
2. Yes, but once was enough
3. No, but I’d like to
4. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Who will win Saturday’s Ohio State-Iowa game?

1. Buckeyes, in a close one: 47%
2. Buckeyes, easily: 31%
3. No opinion: 15%
4. Iowa pulls off an upset: 7%

Ohio’s state flower was adopted in 1904 in honor of President William McKinley. What is it?

Show me the answer