Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1905, Orville Wright made the first flight of the Wright Flyer III at Huffman Prairie near Dayton.

A farm in Olmsted Falls, just outside Cleveland, is celebrating a barnyard arrival so rare that most Ohioans have never seen one in person. It's a genuine two-animal mashup, and we'll introduce you to the little gal below.

Why is everyone suddenly arguing about tipping? The coffee counter, the takeout window, the screen that flips around before you've gotten anything at all. Have you ever felt the pressure, hit "No Tip," and felt a little guilty? The debate over tipping is heating up. But did you know the rest of the world thinks our 20% habit is bizarre? And a lot of Americans agree. Tune in to today's Flyover Podcast as Amy breaks down the facts about tipping and why foreign visitors might not be the confused ones. Listen now, and JOIN THE DEBATE. Tell us in the comments: Is tipping out of hand?

Today’s sponsor, Oricle Hearing Aids, is helping readers hear more clearly without the sky-high prices—offering a tiny, easy-to-use hearing aid with clear sound and all-day power for under $100.

Ohio Firm Lands Reflecting Pool Deal

A Brookfield company owned by a Trumbull County businessman won a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install a new water-cleaning system in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The pool was repainted "American flag blue" and refilled this month ahead of the nation's 250th birthday, only to quickly turn green with algae. Crews have since used hydrogen peroxide to clear it.

Greenwater Services is owned through a trust led by John Cafaro, a Trump donor with two prior federal guilty pleas, including one for conspiring to bribe an Ohio congressman. He told a local newspaper he urged the Park Service to open the job to bidding, and that his ozone system did its job by clearing algae from the pool's old pipes.

Interior officials said they chose the firm for its expertise and deadline, were unaware of the owner's politics, and cited an urgency exemption to skip competitive bidding.

Drone Bill Lands on DeWine's Desk

A bill creating Ohio's first statewide rules for police drones now sits on Gov. Mike DeWine's desk, awaiting his signature or veto.

The measure would generally require officers to get a warrant before flying a drone over a home or other private space. It carves out exceptions for emergencies, disaster response, and traffic-crash investigations.

The legislation also bars public agencies from buying or operating drones made by foreign adversaries, a provision aimed at the Chinese manufacturers that dominate the market.

It passed both chambers with bipartisan support, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is urging a veto, warning that a broad exception for observing what is visible to the naked eye could open the door to wider surveillance. The governor has not signaled which way he is leaning.

Rare 'Geep' Born on Ohio Farm

An Olmsted Falls farm has welcomed a goat-and-sheep hybrid so unusual that no one even keeps statistics on how often one is born.

The owners, a husband and wife who run a small rescue farm, were surprised their sheep had given birth at all, then realized the Memorial Day kid looked far more like a goat than a lamb.

Nobody is certain yet. Sheep and goats carry different chromosome counts, 54 and 60, so the only way to know is a chromosome test running $700 to $1,000, and the family is raising money to pay for it. Most such pairings never produce a living animal at all.

For now, the mystery rides on Clara's mother, a sheep, and the prime suspect next door, a 2-year-old goat. Her owners say that geep or not, she is healthy, curious, and already a local celebrity. See a photo of Clara here.

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➤ Steubenville: Officials are urging residents to watch for taste and odor changes in their tap water after an algae bloom in the Ohio River prompted hydrant flushing and extra monitoring. They report no health risks. (More)

➤ Belmont County: The state is launching a $27 million overhaul of Interstate 70 near Morristown, with bridge work, lane shifts, and nighttime construction expected to reshape the corridor this summer. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: A bill that critics call a "drag ban" and supporters call an indecent-exposure update has stalled in the Ohio Senate, with no hearings since April as the session winds down. (More)

➤ Boardman: Residents on the township's east side say they have battled rat infestations for over a year, trapping rodents some likened to the size of kittens, and are pleading with the township for action. (More)

➤ Pickerington: A central Ohio woman says a restaurant turned her away over her service dog, a dispute now drawing attention to what businesses may legally ask under federal disability rules. (More)

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➤ Canton's own could go first in the NBA Draft on Tuesday, with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson projected to top the board, the first Ohioan taken No. 1 since LeBron James in 2003. (More)

➤ Ohio State's biggest rival took a hit, as Michigan coach Dusty May, fresh off a national title, left for the Dallas Mavericks, leaving the Wolverines to replace him and three projected lottery picks. (More)

➤ The Horseshoe is back near the top: a popular new football video game ranked Ohio Stadium the second-toughest place to play in the country, trailing only LSU and sitting 10 spots ahead of Michigan. (See List)

➤ Eight Ohio high schools are moving up to Division I football for the coming season, reshaping the playoff picture in the state's largest classification. (See List)

➤ Yesterday’s results: World Cup | MLB | College World Series | WNBA | Men’s Tennis

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➤ The Columbus Partnership, the region's coalition of top CEOs, said leader Jason Hall will resign June 30, leaving the civic group searching for its third chief executive in two years. (More)

➤ Youngstown's transit authority broke ground on a $5 million "bus barn" that will store and charge up to 20 electric buses, replacing its oldest garage and anchoring development along the Mahoning Avenue corridor. (More)

➤ A new analysis projects Ohio will lose roughly 51,000 jobs and $5.3 billion in economic output by 2029 as federal Medicaid, food-aid, and insurance-subsidy cuts phase in, even with new rural-health money flowing to the state. (See Analysis)

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➤ Ohio's booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, open Wednesday through July 10 for the nation's 250th birthday, leans on state parks, childhood programs, and a "Heart of It All" theme. (See Details)

➤ The Air Force Research Laboratory has switched on a $20 million supercomputer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that runs 8.7 quadrillion calculations per second. (See Details)

➤ A new ranking of the most welcoming towns in Ohio's countryside runs from river settlements older than the state to Amish-country crossroads and a village where a waterfall tumbles through downtown. (See Towns)

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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:

➤ Everyone's suddenly fighting about tipping, and the rest of the world thinks Americans are the confused ones. (Listen now)

➤ Nearly 50 years after little Etan Patz vanished on his way to the school bus, the Supreme Court just had the final say. (Listen here)

➤ A new book traces a question the Catholic Church keeps reopening but never answers: Were women once ordained as deacons? (Listen here)