Friday, August 14, 2026

Storm Updates, Little League, and Feast of the Assumption

Friday, August 14, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1966, Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry was born in Cleveland.

⚾️ One of Ohio’s most successful Little League programs is headed back to Williamsport for the first time in years. Read about the team’s road to the Little League World Series in Top Stories.

⛈️ Also, our coverage of this week’s severe weather continues today in Top Stories, with updates from the National Weather Service and information about city resources available to those affected.

What if the hours you already spend on your phone could actually earn you money? Today’s sponsor, Mode Mobile, is building technology to do just that, and more than 66,000 investors have already backed its vision. Learn more below, and watch for a special message later today about the technology behind its “EarnPhone” and the opportunity to invest.

NWS Confirms Tornado, Derecho

The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that an EF1 tornado struck south Columbus during Tuesday's severe storms, with estimated winds of 86 to 110 mph. Franklin County received no tornado warning before the touchdown.

The broader storm system was preliminarily classified as a derecho after producing winds above 80 mph and widespread damage.

In response, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther declared an emergency to free up additional resources for cleanup and “significant infrastructure repairs.”

In southwest Ohio, Hamilton County is directing residents to storm debris drop-off sites at Oakdale Elementary School, Bzak Landscaping, and Rumpke Sanitary Landfill.

Michigan Group Praises Ohio Economy

A Michigan think tank says Ohio is outperforming Michigan economically, citing lower unemployment, higher per capita income, lower income taxes, and regulatory reforms.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy noted that Ohio's unemployment rate stood at 3.6% in June, compared with Michigan's 5%, while the Buckeye State’s per capita income has averaged $796.25 higher than Michigan’s since 2007.

The group's analysis, titled "Ohio Is Eating Our Lunch", highlighted a DeWine administration initiative launched in 2023 to eliminate nearly one-third of the Ohio Administrative Code by removing duplicative and unnecessary rules.

The praise follows CNBC's recent ranking of Ohio as the nation's top state for business, about which DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said, “Being named America's Top State for Business by CNBC this year means Ohio is not just outperforming Michigan; we're outperforming every state in the country.”

Hamilton Reaches Little League World Series

Hamilton West Side Little League is headed back to Williamsport after shutting out North Oldham, Kentucky, 6-0 in the Great Lakes Region championship on Wednesday.

Boone Treadway threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout, striking out nine on 62 pitches. Josiah Infante delivered the biggest swing with a two-run home run during Hamilton's six-run first inning.

The victory sends West Side to its sixth Little League World Series and its first since 2021. Hamilton, a 23-time Ohio state champion, previously reached Williamsport in 1991, 1993, 2007, 2010, and 2021.

The 2026 tournament begins Aug. 19. West Side will face the Mountain Region champion on Aug. 20 at 2 p.m.

Flying together with our sponsor

What 66,281 investors saw when they looked…

More than 66,000 investors already decided to invest in Mode Mobile.

They saw a company with:

$107M+ invested to date
$115M+ lifetime revenue
$1B+ earned/saved by users

They saw a company already profitable before going public.

They saw 32,481% three-year revenue growth which ranked #1 in software on Deloitte’s fastest-growing companies list.

And they saw an opportunity to invest while Mode was still private.

Over 4 trillion hours are spent on smartphones each year. Mode is building ways to turn that screen time into income.

Over 66,000 investors are already in. You can still join them at $0.52/share before the price changes.

⚠️ Last chance to invest at $0.52/share. Price changes today.

➤ Ottawa County: State Rep. Elgin Rogers Jr., D-Toledo, was released from the Ottawa County jail after a traffic stop led to charges including improper handling of a firearm, driving too slow, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence. (More)

➤ Cleveland: Little Italy's 127th Feast of the Assumption runs through Sunday with Italian food, live music, and religious observances, including Catholic Mass on Saturday at Holy Rosary Church. (See Schedule)

➤ Mentor: CityFest returns the next two days with concerts, food vendors, children's activities, a color run, and a parade featuring more than 100 groups. (See Schedule)

➤ Belmont County: An endangered eastern hellbender halted an Ohio Department of Transportation retaining wall project for two days while wildlife officials captured the salamander and transferred it to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. (See Photo)

➤ Akron: Akron Public Schools will require clear bags at district events this school year, prohibit weapons and other restricted items, and subject guests to security screenings. (More)

➤ Toledo: More than $32 million in federal funding will go toward a remediation project at the Lower Maumee River between the Petroleum Marine Terminal and Ironville Marine Terminal. (More)

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➤ Joe Burrow completed 5 of 6 passes for 39 yards over two drives as the Cincinnati Bengals opened the preseason with a 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions. (More)

➤ The Cleveland Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Saturday's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, while Shedeur Sanders is slated to start the second preseason game. (More)

➤ Former Cincinnati Bearcats standout Jason Kelce will join the university's 2026 James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame class, with induction set for Oct. 23 at Fifth Third Arena. (More)

➤ The Columbus Blue Jackets unveiled their 2026-27 theme nights and giveaways, including Peanuts, Marvel, military appreciation, and Star Wars events. Ticket packages go on sale today at 10 a.m. (See Schedule)

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➤ The Better Business Bureau is warning Ohio homeowners about scammers, also known as storm chasers, offering residents potentially fraudulent inspections or repairs. (See Tips)

➤ Delaware County’s Liberty Township and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium settled a lawsuit over fire and EMS funding, with the zoo agreeing to provide $725,000 through 2030. (See Details)

➤ Creekside Restaurant & Bar owner Matt Harper estimates that the Brecksville business discarded about 5,000 pounds of food worth $30,000 after a 35-hour power outage. (More)

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Palantir grew 1,540% This company did 32,481%

Palantir just rocketed to $420 billion by helping companies turn vast amounts of data into value.

There’s just one group that missed out on the data boom: the people producing it.

Mode Mobile wants to change that.

By allowing users to share in the value of everyday smartphone activity, they’ve facilitated over $1 billion in earnings and savings.

With 32,481% 3-year revenue growth, they ranked #1 in software on Deloitte’s fastest-growing companies list, and investors have until August 14 to invest at $0.52/share.

Like Uber turned cars into taxis and Airbnb turned homes into hotels, Mode is transforming smartphones into EarnPhones.

🚨Last chance to invest at $0.52/share. Price changes at 5PM ET.

This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile Regulation A+ offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.modemobile.com/ *Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur. *Mode cumulative revenue includes full year revenue of businesses acquired in 2025.

➤ Ohio residents who lost power are being reminded not to taste questionable refrigerated or frozen food after an outage and to follow federal time-and-temperature guidance before keeping or discarding the food. (See Guide)

➤ Starr Manufacturing is suing a Columbus woman for more than $25,000, alleging her one-star Google review contained false and defamatory statements that harmed the Trumbull County company's reputation. (More)

➤ The F-16 Viper Demonstration Team is practicing over Akron ahead of this weekend's Props and Pistons Festival, which will feature the U.S. Air Force team, historic aircraft, and STEM activities. (See Details)

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➤ Johns Hopkins researchers identified a “silent epidemic” that may increase frailty risk by 230% in Americans over 50. The surprising solution isn’t another medication, but a forgotten superfood linked to Nobel Prize winning research. This nutrient dense food may support memory, muscle strength, and bone health, yet most Americans rarely eat it. 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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Hawaii's Big Island is under a hurricane watch as a strengthening Pacific storm threatens heavy rain and flooding. (Hear Details)

➤ Luigi Mangione is reportedly weighing a courtroom move that could upend his murder trial in New York. (Hear Episode)

➤ Tech executives are cloning themselves with artificial intelligence, and some of the digital doubles are already going rogue. (Listen Now)

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Rolling farmland: 22%
Appalachian hills: 21%
Ohio River: 12%
City skyline: 10%
Other: 10%

On this day in 1945, thousands of Ohioans celebrated what historic event?

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Spanberger Censured, Black Lung Disease, and a Backstroke World Record

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1864, Union Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock pushed his troops across the James River to strike Confederate lines at Deep Bottom, just 11 miles from Richmond. The assault stalled in brutal August heat.

The nation’s largest firefighters union voted to formally censure Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Learn more in Top Stories.

Firefighters Union Censures Spanberger

The nation’s largest firefighters union (IAFF) voted to formally censure Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger over her veto of a public-sector collective bargaining bill.

The International Association of Fire Fighters passed the censure unanimously at its biennial convention—a public rebuke of a governor the union had endorsed. IAFF General President Edward Kelly said Spanberger “turned her back on the very workers who helped put her in the governor’s mansion.”

The vetoed legislation would have extended collective bargaining rights to roughly 500,000 Virginia public employees, including firefighters, teachers, and police. Spanberger proposed amendments in April, lawmakers rejected them, and she vetoed the bills in May.

She said then that she supports establishing bargaining rights but believed “additional amendments” were needed. A 2021 law still lets localities decide whether to allow public-sector bargaining.

Virginia Holds to Vaccine Schedule

The Virginia Department of Health is sticking with the standard childhood vaccine schedule after President Trump signed an executive order directing a federal overhaul of childhood immunization guidance.

The order, signed Monday, calls for splitting the combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine into three separate shots given at different visits, and it trims the list of recommended childhood diseases from 18 to 11. Trump signed it alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and linked vaccines to autism.

The Virginia Department of Health said Tuesday it will keep following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 schedule and that the order does not change the state’s school immunization requirements.

Both the department and the AAP say the science does not support spacing the shots out—and that single-disease measles, mumps, and rubella shots aren't even available in the U.S. right now.

Python Turns Up at School Fire

When firefighters pushed into a burning classroom at Forest Middle School early Thursday, they found an 8-foot python waiting inside.

Crews were called to the Bedford County school around 12:45 a.m. and arrived to find water pouring from the second floor amid fire and heavy smoke. They secured the snake then knocked down the flames.

With the fire out, crews shut off the sprinkler system to stop the flooding and ran ventilation fans to clear the smoke. Eight classrooms took water damage.

Bedford County Public Schools staff were on site working with cleanup contractors and preparing to relocate affected classrooms if needed. The county fire investigator is leading the investigation.

Flying together with our sponsor

What 66,281 investors saw when they looked…

More than 66,000 investors already decided to invest in Mode Mobile.

They saw a company with:

$107M+ invested to date
$115M+ lifetime revenue
$1B+ earned/saved by users

They saw a company already profitable before going public.

They saw 32,481% three-year revenue growth which ranked #1 in software on Deloitte’s fastest-growing companies list.

And they saw an opportunity to invest while Mode was still private.

Over 4 trillion hours are spent on smartphones each year. Mode is building ways to turn that screen time into income.

Over 66,000 investors are already in. You can still join them at $0.52/share before the price changes.

⚠️ Last chance to invest at $0.52/share. Price changes today.

➤ Richmond: A judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Xavier Brown, charged in two 2023 Richmond killings, after a defense question on cross-examination referenced a co-defendant’s separate Brunswick County homicide case that had been ruled off-limits. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: A masked ICE agent pointed a gun at Carolina Molina, 36, a U.S. citizen, after she yelled at officers making arrests near Bailey’s Crossroads. Molina denies nearly hitting agents with her car; ICE says she could face charges. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: City officials warned Thursday that Verizon customers may have trouble reaching 911 during an ongoing mobile-service disruption. (More)

➤ Roanoke: A federal judge declined Wednesday to rule on hemp sellers’ bid to block new state THC limits, saying he needs more time. The rules cap consumable hemp at 2 milligrams of THC per package. (More)

➤ Southwest Virginia: A new report warns black lung disease cases among coal miners are nearing a 50-year high in Southwest Virginia, with even younger workers affected, prompting calls for stronger silica dust protections and improved benefits. (More)

➤ Salem: Sixteen U.S. senators, including Virginia’s Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, urged the Trump administration to designate several Americans held in Russia as “wrongfully detained,” among them Salem native Chuck Zimmerman, 59, who was seized while sailing the Black Sea. (More)

➤ Washington County: Emory & Henry University welcomed the largest incoming class in its 190-year history, with 492 new students—a nearly 30% jump over last fall—pushing total enrollment past 1,200 across its Emory and Marion campuses. (More)

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➤ UVA sophomore Sara Curtis broke the world record in the 50-meter backstroke at the European Swimming Championships in Paris this week, clocking a 26.63 to shatter the previous mark by more than two-tenths of a second. (More)

➤ Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels told LSU the school can no longer use his name, image, or likeness after it gave his Heisman-era No. 5 jersey to cornerback DJ Pickett. No player had worn the number since Daniels left. (More)

➤ Capital One extended its naming rights for the home of the Washington Wizards and Capitals through 2047. The D.C. arena is in the middle of a billion-dollar-plus renovation expected to be finished by the 2027-28 season. (More)

➤ Former Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook announced his retirement after 18 NBA seasons. Washington reportedly tried to sign him for a second stint this offseason, but he declined the offer. (More)

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➤ A 300,000-square-foot FedEx shipping and logistics facility will open along Emmaus Church Road near I-64 in New Kent County in 2028, bringing about 40 full-time and 300 part-time jobs. The county offered up to $1.1 million in tax rebates tied to the company hitting investment benchmarks. (More)

➤ Unionized workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Henrico County rejected management’s “best, last, and final” contract offer, extending a yearlong fight over their first contract. The union says wages—averaging $17.52 an hour—are the sticking point. (More)

➤ Dominion Energy asked the State Corporation Commission to recover an extra $922 million in fuel costs over several years, blaming a January cold snap and higher gas prices. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Struggling With Blood Pressure Management? This device helps monitor your vital signs accurately at home without expensive doctor visits or unreliable readings. Learn More

Flying together with our sponsor

Palantir grew 1,540% This company did 32,481%

Palantir just rocketed to $420 billion by helping companies turn vast amounts of data into value.

There’s just one group that missed out on the data boom: the people producing it.

Mode Mobile wants to change that.

By allowing users to share in the value of everyday smartphone activity, they’ve facilitated over $1 billion in earnings and savings.

With 32,481% 3-year revenue growth, they ranked #1 in software on Deloitte’s fastest-growing companies list, and investors have until August 14 to invest at $0.52/share.

Like Uber turned cars into taxis and Airbnb turned homes into hotels, Mode is transforming smartphones into EarnPhones.

🚨Last chance to invest at $0.52/share. Price changes at 5PM ET.

➤ A programming glitch in an Alexandria school-zone speed camera on Seminary Road wrongly issued 115 tickets outside the legal enforcement window between August and February. Alexandria police have dismissed the citations and are refunding drivers who paid for them. (More)

➤ Group-buying Solarize programs—a Costco-style bulk approach to rooftop solar—are drawing strong interest from Virginians. The nonprofit-run Solarize Virginia campaign has extended its sign-up deadline through tomorrow. (More)

➤ The Konnarock Crew wrapped up its 44th season of building and maintaining the Appalachian Trail from Virginia to Georgia, recently carving 200 feet of new path and 12 campsite pads near McAfee Knob. (See Photos)

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