Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1934, Jamie Farr, known for his role as Cpl. Maxwell Klinger in the sitcom M*A*S*H, was born in Toledo.

A water main break in Akron sent a geyser of water over the street, spraying cars, with one car falling into a hole. Learn more in Around Ohio.

Your home address, phone number, and even family connections may be easier to find online than you think. Later today, watch for a message from our partner, Incogni, on how to help remove your personal information from hundreds of websites.

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Supreme Court Allows Late Mail Ballots

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Monday that states can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day as long as they're postmarked beforehand.

The decision lands months after Ohio Republicans repealed the state's four-day grace period, expecting the court would require all ballots by election night. Gov. Mike DeWine reluctantly signed that repeal, Senate Bill 293, which took effect in March.

The ruling doesn't revive Ohio's grace period; it only lets states keep theirs. About 6,000 ballots arrived after polls closed in Ohio in 2025 and nearly 12,000 in 2024, votes that no longer count.

Jen Miller of the League of Women Voters of Ohio called it proof that the Ohio legislature needs to stop rushing legislative changes to elections. Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, who wrote the bill, stood by it as an election-integrity measure, though state audits have found no evidence of widespread fraud.

Record July 4 Travel for Ohio

A record 3.48 million Ohioans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the July 4 holiday week, most of them by car.

The Ohio Department of Transportation released city-by-city traffic forecasts for Akron-Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo. AAA expects the worst congestion to be on Thursday and advises drivers to leave in the morning rather than mid-afternoon.

Gas is the wrinkle: pump prices are near a four-year high, with the holiday-week average around $3.75 a gallon. Even so, 85% of holiday travelers nationwide are driving, since a tank still beats airfare for most families.

Nationally, AAA projects a record 72.2 million travelers, edging past last year's 71.8 million. Ohio air travel is expected to dip about 2% to 117,000 flyers, while ODOT points drivers to its OHGO site for real-time road conditions.

Cleveland Factory to Build Modular Homes

Cleveland has tapped manufacturer MMY U.S. to convert a historic East Side factory into a plant that mass-produces houses.

Mayor Justin Bibb and the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund announced the pick Tuesday for the Wellman-Seaver-Morgan plant, which once built the Hulett unloaders that hoisted iron ore off Lake Erie freighters. The $26 million restoration aims to create up to 150 jobs.

Cleveland is turning to modular construction to chip away at its 18,000 vacant lots, designating the Hough, Central, and St. Clair-Superior neighborhoods a housing innovation district. MMY builds with American-made steel rather than timber and says a house takes about eight weeks.

Restoration could begin this fall, with the first production line running next summer and the plant eventually turning out three homes a day. CEO Robin Bartram Brown said Cleveland's size and its port, a gateway to Canada, made the deal too good to pass up.

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➤ Statewide: More than 70 Ohio school districts and 15 Christian schools have authorized staff to carry firearms on campus under a 2022 law that allows local school boards to decide whether employees may be armed. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: Residents at the Gateway Plaza apartment complex say their air conditioning has been out for weeks, leaving them sweltering as a heat warning pushed temperatures to 90 degrees Monday. (More)

➤ Akron: A water main break sent water spraying over West Market Street on Monday evening, swallowing one car in a hole and cutting service to the LeBron James I Promise School, a McDonald's, and a Circle K. (See Video)

➤ Sylvania: After voters rejected a 7.9-mill operating levy in May, the school board voted Monday to advance a 1% earned-income tax toward the November ballot, paired with a 1-mill property tax cut. (Details)

➤ Mahoning County: County commissioners approved an owner-occupancy tax exemption, meaning homeowners will have a 2.5% decrease in property taxes. (Details)

➤ Warren: A federal judge lifted the pause on a lawsuit by four women who say former officer Michael Edwards sexually assaulted them on duty, letting it proceed against Edwards, the city, and Chief Erik Merkel. (More)

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➤ Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers was removed from the field on a cart and taken to a hospital after crashing into the outfield wall to make a catch against Milwaukee earlier this week. (More)

➤ Ohio's online sports betting market is on pace to generate a record $1.2 billion in revenue in 2026, a 17% increase over last year, even as state lawmakers push legislation that would ban mobile wagering and restrict bet types. (More)

➤ NBA Free Agency kicked off last night, meaning a frenzy of signings have already taken place for the Cavaliers and other teams around the league. Contract negotiations and trades will continue throughout today. (See Deals)

➤ Yesterday’s results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA

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➤ Convenience chain Sheetz opened its 26th store in the Franklin County area on Tuesday, at 1535 Georgesville Road. The company, known for made-to-order food alongside fuel, is closing in on 30 area locations. (More)

➤ The state's Oil and Gas Land Management Commission approved more than 20 bids Monday to frack under state wildlife areas and Salt Fork State Park. (Details)

➤ Officials broke ground on a parking lot at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the first step in a $1.6 billion modernization slated to run through 2032. Funded by the airport's airlines, the plan will eventually replace the aging terminal. (More)

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➤ An Ohio food reviewer known online as "mullet reviews" has gone viral with a tongue-in-cheek series eating his way through the state's Chinese and Asian buffets, from Middletown to Columbus, saying he won't stop until he gets food poisoning. (See Photo)

➤ Extreme heat forced the Cleveland Orchestra to postpone its free community concert at Cain Park, originally set for today. The orchestra has rescheduled the outdoor program for Sept. 2. (Details)

➤ The Vermillion Institute, an 1845 Greek Revival landmark in Ashland County that once ranked among Ohio's larger private colleges before sitting vacant for decades, is on the market for nearly $1 million. (See Photos)

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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:

➤ These six science-backed tricks are supposed to help fussy children finally eat their vegetables. (Hear Details)

➤ The pope is pleading with a breakaway traditionalist group to abandon what he calls a sin of extreme gravity. (Hear Story)

➤ Experts have a clear pick for the best long-term investment, but Americans keep choosing something else entirely. (Listen Now)