Monday, August 17, 2026

More Flooding, Rising Gas Prices, and 10,000 Wins

Monday, August 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1915, Dayton inventor Charles Kettering received a patent for his automobile electric self-starter.

🏘️ From Ohio River towns to Lake Erie communities, a WorldAtlas list highlights a dozen of the Buckeye State’s nicest small towns. See which destinations made the cut in Et Cetera.

How does the military decide who's tough enough to become a Navy SEAL? Why does it take a full year to train someone to fly a plane that never leaves the ground? And what exactly happens inside the school that teaches Americans how to survive being captured? The military doesn't advertise most of this, but the answers are out there, buried in Navy attrition reports, Army training records, and firsthand accounts from the people who made it through. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla digs into what that paper trail reveals about how America really forges its warfighters. Tune in here!

Car insurance has become one of those bills that seems to creep higher every renewal, even if nothing about your driving has changed. That's why today's sponsor is Insurify, a free comparison tool that helps drivers quickly see if they're paying more than they need to.

Flooding Triggers Water Rescues

Crews carried out 50 water rescues in Perry County on Sunday after overnight storms dropped about 4 inches of rain, flooding roads, stranding drivers, and forcing residents from their homes.

New Lexington Fire Chief Jim Fain said most of the rescues came from a mobile home park. The American Red Cross reported 54 people stayed overnight at a shelter at the Perry County Fairgrounds, while residents across the county continued cleaning up after another round of severe weather.

State Route 13 was closed in multiple locations, while State Route 669 was also shut down.

Kroger's Columbus Division announced a $10,000 donation for storm aid for families recovering from severe weather in Franklin and Perry counties.

Four Die in Mill Creek Crash

Four people died and a fifth was hospitalized after a vehicle crashed into Mill Creek near Queen City Avenue in Cincinnati's South Fairmount neighborhood Saturday evening.

The vehicle was found upside down in the creek. One occupant escaped and waited on a portion of the submerged vehicle until rescuers arrived, telling crews that four others remained trapped inside.

The car had been underwater for nearly an hour before crews were able to reach the vehicle using an inflatable boat.

Prisoner Continues Hunger Strike

Jacky Robinson Jr. of Akron has been on a hunger strike since July 24 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville to protest illicit drugs inside Ohio prisons.

Robinson said he had lost about 22 pounds and was experiencing dehydration, low blood pressure, pain, and numbness. He aims to launch a program to educate incarcerated people about the dangers of K2 and to obtain a transfer to another prison.

State officials said they are monitoring Robinson under prison policy, which allows involuntary medical treatment before death or serious, irreversible damage occurs.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction says its anti-contraband efforts include centralized mail screening, body scanners, drone detection, and drug-detecting dogs.

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➤ Cleveland: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority began a 3% service reduction Sunday, eliminating the B-Line Trolley and reducing service on several routes. (See Changes)

➤ Southwest Ohio: Ohio awarded nearly $2.1 million for safer school routes in Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren counties, including $1 million for sidewalks and crosswalks near Colerain Township's Taylor Elementary School. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: A Wedgewood Polls survey showed Democrat Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, 48% to 44% for U.S. Senate, while Democrat Amy Acton led Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 47% to 46% for governor. (See Poll)

➤ Stark County: A woman died Saturday after a tree fell from a wooded area and struck her Jeep as she traveled west on U.S. 30. (More)

➤ Lorain: A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were fatally shot during a gathering at a short-term rental early Sunday. Police arrested 19-year-old Alexander Gibbons at the scene. (More)

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➤ The Cleveland Guardians earned the 10,000th victory in franchise history on Saturday with a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres, becoming the third American League club to reach the milestone. (More)

➤ Matt McLain set the Cincinnati Reds' franchise record for a second baseman with his 108th consecutive errorless game, passing Brandon Phillips. (More)

➤ Three-time Cincinnati Open champion Novak Djokovic lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to No. 50 Thiago Agustín Tirante in his first match since Wimbledon, ending Djokovic's 10-match Cincinnati winning streak. (More)

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➤ Gas prices across Ohio rose by 32 cents on average to $4.27 per gallon. Prices were highest in Canton-Massillon at $4.42, while Lima was the lowest at $4.15. (See Prices)

➤ Georgesville Nissan has permanently closed after nearly a decade on Columbus' West Side. The dealership is consolidating its operations and vehicles with sister store Buckeye Nissan. (More)

➤ Cencora, a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company, has started work on a $106 million, 534,000-square-foot facility in Harrison at the Harrison Commerce Center. (See Details)

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➤ A WorldAtlas list highlights 12 of Ohio's nicest small towns, stretching from Portsmouth along the Ohio River to Vermilion on Lake Erie. (See List)

➤ Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said the decision to change Senior Day to the Sept. 5 opener against Ball State was made to keep rivalry week focused on the Michigan game. (More)

➤ Two Ohio Powerball tickets won $50,000 each in Saturday's drawing. No ticket claimed the $21.7 million jackpot, pushing Monday night's prize to $35 million. (More)

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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:

➤ Navy SEAL candidates cover more than 200 miles on roughly four hours of sleep, and most still don't finish. (Hear Toughest Training)

➤ Two million American raccoons have taken over Germany, and the Nazi commander blamed for it didn't do it. (Hear Real Culprit)

➤ Your beach read reveals which of four anxieties is quietly driving you. (Hear Your Type)

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Driving Records Suit, the USS Kennedy, and Operation Foster

Monday, August 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1990, Newport News-born entertainer Pearl Bailey died at 72. She won a Tony for Hello, Dolly!, served as a delegate to the United Nations, and earned her Georgetown University degree at 67.

A Virginia county’s school board is appealing a federal order requiring it to strip the names of Confederate generals from two schools. Learn more in Top Stories, then reply to let us know how you feel about that.

How does the military decide who’s tough enough to become a Navy SEAL? Why does it take a full year to train someone to fly a plane that never leaves the ground? And what exactly happens inside the school that teaches Americans how to survive being captured? The military doesn't advertise most of this, but the answers are out there, buried in Navy attrition reports, Army training records, and firsthand accounts from the people who made it through. Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla digs into what that paper trail reveals about how America really forges its warfighters. Tune in here!

Car insurance has become one of those bills that seems to creep higher every renewal, even if nothing about your driving has changed. That’s why today’s sponsor is Insurify, a free comparison tool that helps drivers quickly see if they’re paying more than they need to.

VA One of 22 States Suing Over Driver Records

A coalition of 22 states, Virginia among them, is suing the Trump administration in federal court in Alexandria to block the seizure of a database holding personal records for about 17 million commercial drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration demanded the files from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Arlington-based group that runs the shared licensing system, threatening to pull more than $10 million in funding if it refused to turn over the data by today, Aug. 17.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the government is entitled to the data and needs it for highway safety. The states counter that the demand oversteps federal authority and threatens drivers’ privacy.

A federal judge has since issued an administrative stay halting the handover.

Shenandoah Board to Appeal School Names Ruling

The Shenandoah County School Board voted 6-0 to appeal a federal order requiring it to strip the names of Confederate generals from two schools.

On Aug. 6, U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski ruled that the board’s 2024 vote to restore the names Stonewall Jackson High and Ashby-Lee Elementary violated students’ civil rights.

Board members say they are defending local authority over school naming and challenging legal errors in the ruling, with member Lewis Michael Scheibe stating, “we should not be bullied by strong-arm tactics.”

The plaintiffs—the Virginia NAACP and six students’ families—had offered to fund mediation to establish a community-driven renaming process, warning that an appeal would drive up costs. Total attorneys’ fees have exceeded $15 million so far.

Carrier Kennedy Passes Acceptance Sea Trials

The future USS John F. Kennedy has completed its acceptance sea trials, clearing a major hurdle before the aircraft carrier is delivered to the Navy.

Newport News Shipbuilding, which builds the nation’s aircraft carriers, said Saturday that the ship returned to the yard after testing its systems at sea. The USS John F. Kennedy is the second Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, following the USS Gerald R. Ford.

“It is an honor to take Kennedy to sea to demonstrate the quality work and commitment by our shipbuilders,” said Derek Murphy, the yard’s vice president of new construction aircraft carrier programs.

Next comes preliminary acceptance, after which the Navy begins its own underway testing. Delivery is projected for spring 2027, with seven of the ship’s 11 advanced weapons elevators now installed.

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➤ Eastern VA: Del. Mark Downey, a pediatrician and first-term Democrat, will challenge Republican Sen. Danny Diggs in the 24th Senate District next year. Downey joins Democrat Jason Parker in seeking the party’s nomination. (More)

➤ Ettrick: Camron Harris, 19, was arrested after a shooting outside Virginia State University dorms Saturday during Welcome Week left five people wounded, one critically. Chesterfield County police found him hiding in a closet on campus. (More)

➤ Bedford County: Liberty Counsel has appealed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia after a judge dismissed its challenge to the abortion-rights amendment set for the November ballot. The suit argues lawmakers skipped required procedural steps, but the state says those steps weren’t mandatory. (More)

➤ Roanoke: The city council is weighing whether to bring a casino to the aging Berglund Center as the anchor of a new entertainment district. The idea has stalled in the General Assembly, which must approve any Virginia casino, and a city focus group will present recommendations to the city council this fall. (More)

➤ Petersburg: Meanwhile, the temporary Live! Casino Virginia has drawn nearly 480,000 visitors and generated about $16 million in taxes in its first six months. The Cordish Companies is building a permanent resort next door, due to open by the end of 2027. (More)

➤ Accomack County: A wildfire near Nandua Creek on the Eastern Shore has burned about 360 acres of marsh and woodland and was roughly 80% contained as of Saturday. No homes were threatened. (More)

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➤ UVA alumna Kate Douglass broke the 50m freestyle world record twice on Saturday, recording a time of 23.49 in the preliminary heat before breaking the record again with a 23.19 in the final. (More)

➤ Washington Nationals injured players James Wood and DJ Herz appear to be approaching a return to the MLB. Wood has progressed to playing catch and swinging a bat at moderate intensity, while Herz tossed two perfect innings in his recent rehab start at AA Harrisburg. (More)

➤ Former JMU safety Jacob Thomas made his mark in his NFL preseason debut on Saturday with the Minnesota Vikings, snatching an interception in the team’s 13-10 win over the New York Giants. (See Highlight)

➤ Former Patrick & Henry Community College pitcher Bradley Hanner became the school’s first Major Leaguer when the New York Yankees called him up. The 27-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut Friday against Toronto. (More)

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➤ Virginia is imposing a $179,000 civil penalty on the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline for environmental violations, including inadequate erosion and sediment controls, during its expansion project in Pittsylvania County. (More)

➤ Great Big Game Show, an interactive live experience with rotating mini-games like trivia and team competitions, opened Aug. 15 at Short Pump Town Center in Richmond as the chain’s 25th location, charging $39.99 per person. (More)

➤ Jetset Pilates, a reformer-Pilates chain, will open its first Richmond-area studio in early 2027 at Winterfield Crossing in Midlothian. The franchisee plans four area locations and has claimed Northern Virginia’s Tysons market. (More)

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➤ Operation Foster is helping deployed military members and veterans in Virginia and other states by serving as temporary foster families for their pets. The nonprofit has arranged more than 3,500 placements nationwide, with owners covering the costs. (More)

➤ New Kent paralegal Danielle Tawney is expanding her pop-up bookshop, Paperback Parlor, into a mobile truck, launching Sept. 12 at Brambly Park to sell new romance, fantasy, and sci-fi titles across the Richmond region. (See Photo)

➤ Virginia’s average in-state tuition and fees at public four-year universities stand at $16,095 for 2025-26, placing the state among the pricier options nationwide, though below the Northeast’s highest costs. (See Map)

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