Thursday, May 28, 2026

On this day in 2016, Cincinnati Zoo officials shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, after a child climbed through a public barrier and dropped 15 feet into the Gorilla World exhibit’s moat.

🦈 A Bellaire resident thought he had found the teeth of a massive ancient shark, but an archaeologist disagrees. Read more about the intriguing discovery in Et Cetera.

Could a one-time treatment replace a lifetime of daily cholesterol pills? Researchers have uncovered a treatment with results so promising that cardiologists are calling it a potential game-changer for heart health. On The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown unpacks the findings and reveals which big pharma giant is already behind it. Tune in here!

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Lawmakers Push K-12 DEI Ban

Ohio Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from public K-12 schools, with companion bills introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Both bills would require local boards of education to dismantle existing DEI offices and end DEI-related orientation and training programs, while prohibiting the creation of any new offices or positions dedicated to such efforts.

State Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena, argued that DEI has shifted the focus of education toward "ideological indoctrination, while Democrat opponents contend that neither bill provides a clear definition of DEI.

This legislation builds on the existing Senate Bill 1, which bans DEI initiatives at the state's public colleges and universities.

Oz Discusses Medicaid Fraud, OhioSEE

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, visited Dublin and said he trusts Gov. Mike DeWine's handling of Ohio's Medicaid program amid what he described as a "nationwide" problem with fraud.

Oz called for stronger oversight of home healthcare, saying the system has devolved into "doing things for somebody that their family would normally do for them.”

He also joined DeWine to announce an expansion of the OhioSEE program, which provides free eye exams to elementary school students.

The program will expand statewide next year, backed by $25 million in annual funding from the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund.

Ohio School Earns National Gold Star

Maddux Elementary, part of Cincinnati’s Forest Hills Local School District, was among 57 schools named to the inaugural 2026 National Gold Star Schools class by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

The NAESP created the Gold Star designation to honor elementary and middle-level schools that demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation, and commitment to student success.

Principal Joy O'Brien highlighted two programs that distinguish the school: one that pairs second and sixth graders for reading enrichment, and another that tasks sixth graders with escorting kindergartners to their buses.

Maddux was the only Ohio school selected for the inaugural class.

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➤ Statewide: Ohio recorded just six traffic fatalities during the four-day Memorial Day weekend—the lowest total in 18 years and a drop of more than 50% from 2025. (See Chart)

➤ Also statewide: The Ohio House passed legislation requiring municipalities to post searchable spending data online, granting taxpayers direct access to local expenditure records without filing public records requests. The bill now heads to the Senate. (More)

➤ North Royalton: A helicopter equipped with suspended circular saws will soon fly along the Ohio Turnpike to trim tree branches that threaten FirstEnergy transmission lines. The contractor admitted the contraption looks "terrifying" but assured that it's routine maintenance. (More)

➤ Columbus: Mayor Andrew Ginther hired Julia Kennedy—a Democrat campaign adviser who worked on the presidential campaigns of former President Biden and Kamala Harris—as he prepares for a potential 2027 reelection bid. (More)

➤ Also Columbus: Two more retired first responders publicly came forward as survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, a former physician at The Ohio State University. (More)

➤ Steubenville: Steubenville's building inspector told city officials that ongoing structural deterioration is responsible for the “keep out” notices posted at Fort Steuben Mall, a property that has been under city monitoring since November. (More)

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➤ Travis Kelce has purchased a minority ownership stake in the Cleveland Guardians, a team the Kansas City Chiefs star said he grew up watching. "I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland," Kelce said. (More)

➤ Westerville resident Jason Day has committed to play in this year's Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club, joining World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy in the field. (More)

➤ Miami University men's basketball coach Travis Steele signed a contract extension through the 2033-34 season, keeping the RedHawks coach in Oxford following one of the most successful seasons in program history. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer

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➤ Mitchell's Steakhouse permanently closed its downtown Columbus location on North Third Street, ending decades of business at that address. The Polaris location remains open. (More)

➤ Breeze Airways is offering 45% off base fares on new round-trip bookings from John Glenn International Airport through May 29—with promo code BIRTHDAY—to mark the airline's fifth anniversary. (More)

➤ Cincinnati-based Kroger plans to cut prices on thousands of products in one of new CEO Greg Foran's first major moves since taking the helm in February. (More)

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➤ Ohio ranks among the 10 best states for police officers, according to a new study that weighed pay competitiveness, training standards, and other key factors. (More)

➤ A Warren County estate spanning 22 acres in Lebanon has hit the market for just under $2.5 million, featuring more than 9,000 square feet of living space and an in-ground pool. (See Photos)

➤ An archaeologist confirmed that objects unearthed by a Bellaire man from a Belmont County stream, which he believed to be megalodon shark teeth, are, in fact, rocks. (More)

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