Friday, June 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1975, the Adena Mound in Chillicothe was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

🚂 The world’s largest operating steam locomotive rolls into Ohio this weekend, with stops across the northern part of the Buckeye State. Read more about Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 in Top Stories, and feel free to send us your photos if you spot the historic train!

Today's sponsor, BOXABL, is working to tackle America’s housing affordability crisis with factory-built, foldable homes designed for faster production, easier shipping, and scalable deployment. Later today you’ll receive a message from them detailing the opportunity they offer.

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.

Ohio Companies Climb Fortune 500

Ohio maintains a strong presence on this year's Fortune 500, with several Buckeye State companies holding their positions or climbing on the annual ranking of the nation's largest corporations. A complete ranking of Ohio companies is available here.

Dublin-based Cardinal Health ranked No. 15 nationally—the highest placement among Ohio companies on this year's list—while Columbus-based Nationwide and American Electric Power also earned spots.

Cincinnati-based Kroger held steady at No. 27, while Procter & Gamble came in at No. 54. GE Aerospace rose 17 spots to No. 101, one of the largest gains recorded by an Ohio-based company.

Other notable Ohio companies include Findlay-based Marathon Petroleum (No. 30), Mayfield Village-based Progressive Insurance (No. 51), and Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams (No. 194).

Ohio Company Settles Wildfire Lawsuit

Hubbard-based Wholesale Fireworks Corp. and its subsidiary, American Fireworks Warehouse, agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit tied to a 2020 California wildfire ignited during a gender reveal party.

Federal prosecutors accused the northeast Ohio company and its subsidiary of manufacturing "defective" smoke bombs that emitted an excessive number of sparks.

The device ignited the El Dorado fire, which burned more than 22,000 acres and killed a firefighter. As a result, the couple that held the party pleaded guilty to several charges.

A third company, Florida-based Pink or Blue Gender Team, agreed to pay $50,000 after being accused of organizing the gender reveal photo shoot.

Big Boy Steam Engine Rolls into Ohio

Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, will pass through Ohio this weekend as part of a historic coast-to-coast tour celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.

The 132-foot locomotive will first stop in Continental and Fostoria on Saturday. Fostoria—known as Train City USA—is expecting thousands of visitors during the engine's appearance.

The locomotive will continue to northeast Ohio the following Monday, stopping in Lorain and Euclid before departing for Pennsylvania. It's scheduled to return to Ohio on July 12 and remain in Fostoria for a full day on July 14, where it will be on display from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This trip marks the first time Big Boy No. 4014 has traveled east of the Mississippi River since its delivery to Union Pacific Railroad in 1941. Complete route details are available here.

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BOXABL Is Betting on Factory-Built Housing

Boxabl’s goal is ambitious: build homes more like automobiles using factory automation and standardized production.

The company says a single automated factory could eventually produce thousands of homes annually while using significantly less labor than traditional homebuilding methods.

Its foldable Casita homes are designed to ship efficiently and unfold on-site in about one hour. BOXABL also says it is developing stackable housing systems for multifamily and larger residential projects.

BOXABL has announced plans for a proposed SPAC merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), with the combined company expected to under the anticipated ticker symbol $BXBL following closing.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Learn more about the proposed transaction here.

➤ Columbus: The Ohio State University board of trustees approved a $100 million settlement with 279 survivors of sexual abuse committed by former university physician Dr. Richard Strauss. (More)

➤ Portage County: Three people were hospitalized and later released after an accidental chemical reaction generated chlorine gas at the Akron Water Plant, prompting an hours-long shelter-in-place order for residents within a half-mile radius of the facility. (More)

➤ Middletown: Documents containing Social Security numbers and financial and medical information belonging to up to 21,000 people were compromised in a 2025 data breach, the city said. Middletown has begun notifying those affected. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that school boards cannot challenge property tax valuations on property they neither own nor lease, in a case brought by Olentangy Local Schools. (More)

➤ Dayton: Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, a Beavercreek High School graduate, has assumed command of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. (More)

➤ Youngstown: Bricks fell from a building at the intersection of North Phelps Street and West Rayen Avenue on Wednesday, narrowly missing a pedestrian who said he's thankful to be alive. (More)

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➤ Four players share the lead at the Memorial Tournament at 5-under par, while pre-tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler finished the first round at 1-over. (See Leaderboard)

➤ Denison baseball captured its first national championship in program history, beating Endicott 4-3 in 10 innings at the NCAA Division III College World Series in Eastlake. Jack Lutte drove in Kelly Crittenberger for the winning run. (Watch Video)

➤ Ohio State plans to replace the south end zone scoreboard at Ohio Stadium with a $22.8 million project in 2027, while a new video board is set to be installed in the north end zone ahead of the upcoming football season. (More)

➤ A golfer’s tee shot on the 12th hole at U.S. Senior Open qualifying in Dayton shattered a pickup truck's windshield, prompting the driver to pull onto the fairway in search of the culprit. Mark Knecht then stepped to the 13th tee and recorded a hole-in-one. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Mansfield City Council unanimously approved a development agreement with Buc-ee's, paving the way for Ohio's second location of the Texas-based travel center chain. The site is planned for the Interstate 71-State Route 39 interchange. (More)

➤ U.S. House members called on the Department of Justice to provide an update on its investigations into suspected labor trafficking and other unlawful practices at Chinese Communist Party-affiliated companies, including Fuyao Glass America and other companies with ties to the Dayton area. (More)

➤ American Airlines has suspended six routes, citing rising jet fuel costs, including flights from Los Angeles to Cleveland and Los Angeles to Columbus. (More)

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Flying together with our sponsor

BOXABL’s Growth Story Is Drawing Investor Attention

This company has raised more than $235M from investors as it works toward its goal of transforming the housing industry with factory-built homes.

The company’s foldable housing system is designed to reduce shipping costs and speed up installation. Its flagship Casita unfolds on-site in less than one hour.

The company has announced a proposed merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), which could result in BOXABL trading publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker $BXBL.

Shareholder meetings related to the proposed transaction are expected on June 9, 2026.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Find important information related to the proposed merger here.

BOXABL and FGMC have extended their merger deadline to June 30, 2026, pending shareholder approvals, see SEC Exhibit 99 for further details https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1816937

➤ The National, a rock band from Cincinnati, was named to a reader-selected list of the 100 greatest living American songwriters, placing ahead of popular names like Alicia Keys and Olivia Rodrigo. (More)

➤ The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles must review thousands of previously rejected vanity license plate applications after a federal judge ruled the BMV's criteria for denying plates may violate First Amendment free speech protections. (More)

➤ The Columbus Taco Fest will relocate to Fortress Obetz this weekend and, for the first time, will require attendees to be 21 or older—a policy prompted by fights at the event the past two years. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Upgrade your oral care routine with DentaBlast, the hydrosonic tooth cleaner designed to help remove debris from hard-to-reach areas between teeth and along the gumline. Easy to use and gentle on gums, it delivers a refreshing clean that leaves your mouth feeling healthier and fresher. (LEARN MORE)