Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1773, the first European-style schoolhouse west of the Allegheny Mountains was completed at Schoenbrunn Village, a Moravian Delaware settlement near present-day New Philadelphia.

The Cleveland area is getting its very first IKEA next year. Find the details below. How often do you shop at IKEA—or have you never been? Hit reply to let us know.

Do you know which of your daily habits actually controls your dreams? That coworker from years ago who suddenly showed up in your dream last night, or that random worry that turned into a whole storyline while you slept. Well, scientists just finished one of the largest dream studies ever, and it turns out none of that is random. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shares the five things this study uncovered about what your dreams are really made of, including one thing that's been hiding in people's dreams for years without them realizing it. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor, Spot Pet Insurance, is helping pet owners prepare for unexpected veterinary expenses with affordable coverage options that can provide reimbursement for covered accidents, illnesses, and more.

Ohio State, JPMorganChase Reach Jersey Deal

Ohio State announced a new corporate partnership with JPMorganChase on Tuesday that will put a Chase patch on the uniforms of all 36 varsity teams, a deal sources expect to generate nearly $17 million a year.

Chase also becomes the official bank sponsor of Ohio State Athletics, and the agreement includes name, image, and likeness opportunities plus financial literacy programming for athletes.

The Buckeyes are the latest Big Ten program to sell space on game uniforms, a revenue stream Division I leaders cleared this year as athletic departments look for new ways to pay their players.

Ohio State football will debut the Chase patch Sept. 5, when the Buckeyes host Ball State at Ohio Stadium in the 2026 season opener.

Cleveland to Get First IKEA

Northeast Ohio is finally getting an IKEA, with the owner of Crocker Park announcing Tuesday that the Swedish home furnishings retailer will move into the Westlake shopping center.

The store is set to open in spring 2027 in a former Dick's Sporting Goods space, ending a wait that has sent Northeast Ohio shoppers to Columbus, Pittsburgh, or Detroit for years.

At roughly 80,000 square feet, the Westlake location is one of the retailer's new small-format stores, less than a quarter the size of the sprawling warehouse outside Columbus.

Shoppers will find about 3,250 items available to carry out the same day, with larger furniture ordered for delivery or in-store pickup.

Ohio State Fair Kicks Off

The 2026 Ohio State Fair opens Wednesday in Columbus and runs through Aug. 9, showing off a transformed fairgrounds with two new air-conditioned buildings, a new amphitheater, and a glacial misting park.

The butter cow display was unveiled Tuesday, and this year the traditional cow and calf anchor a patriotic tribute marking America's 250th birthday.

Anyone who cannot make it to the fairgrounds this week can still see this year's design, which the dairy farmers who sponsor the sculpture kept secret until the unveiling.

The other new centerpiece is the Ohio Children's Carousel, hand-carved in Marion with 30 ride figures drawn from Ohio history, agriculture, and wildlife, and all 88 counties worked into the design.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Mike DeWine called the Trump administration's plan to ramp up arrests and deportations of Haitian migrants a "mistake," warning it could bruise Ohio's economy and put people in danger back home. (More)

➤ Cuyahoga County: The county Scam Squad is warning of a surge in reloader scams, in which someone who already lost money to a con artist is contacted later by a fake investigator promising to recover it for a fee. (More)

➤ Butler County: Severe storms carrying high winds, heavy rain, and lightning rolled over the Butler County Fair on Monday evening, sending hundreds of fairgoers to shelter and shutting down rides for the night. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: City leaders are weighing a graffiti amnesty program after property owners along Interstate 75 and in Northside said repeat tagging has left them with cleanup bills of roughly $18,000 each time. (More)

➤ Columbus: Police say the suspect in a shooting that left one man in critical condition at the Leader Square Shopping Center remains at large and should be considered dangerous. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: The founder of a laundry and dry-cleaning delivery startup was sentenced Monday to 40 months in federal prison for defrauding investors of more than $6.5 million, including $850,000 spent on a Hyde Park home. (More)

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➤ Former NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan is interested in joining the Cavaliers after being bought out by the Sacramento Kings earlier this month. He averaged 18.4 points in 77 games last season and grew up as a childhood friend of Cavs guard James Harden. (More)

➤ Three Ohio-based MLS players represent the state in tonight's All-Star Game in Charlotte, where the MLS All-Stars face a Liga MX squad. Columbus Crew defenders Max Arfsten and Steven Moreira were both selected alongside FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander. (How to Watch)

➤ Bobb Vergiels, a longtime Toledo sports announcer, is receiving a kidney through a paired donation set in motion by a fan he met while working inside the penalty box at the Huntington Center.

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➤ Ohio's McDonald's locations rank among the lowest-rated in the country, according to a study of 346,236 Google reviews across 193 restaurants that put the state's average at 3.25 out of 5. (More)

➤ Mitsubishi Electric will add 180 jobs in Mason with a 154,000-square-foot manufacturing and technology hub focused on industrial air conditioning and IT cooling systems, its eighth expansion there in three decades. (More)

➤ Home prices in Cuyahoga County rose again in 2026, climbing in nearly every city in the county as well as countywide. (More)

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Unexpected vet bills can be costly, but pet insurance may be more affordable than you think. Spot Pet Insurance offers plans starting around $9/month for cats and $15/month for dogs, with up to 90% cash back on covered vet bills.

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Check your price today.

➤ Columbus ranks as the fourth-cloudiest major city in the U.S.—taking in about 2,183 hours of sunshine a year, behind only Pittsburgh, Anchorage, and Seattle—according to a new analysis. (More)

➤ Tickets are on sale for A Christmas Carol at the Ohio Theatre over Thanksgiving weekend, with performances Nov. 27 through Nov. 29 and a pre-show concert on the house's Mighty Morton theatre organ before each one. (More)

➤ A hand-painted mural honoring Clinton County's manufacturing history now greets northbound drivers on Interstate 71 near Wilmington, the sixth and final barn in Ohio's America 250 series. (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:

➤ Your dreams follow hidden rules, and scientists just uncovered what actually controls them every night. (Hear Details)

➤ Air Force One has scrapped its decades-old look for new colors. (Hear Episode)

➤ Birds are struggling to stay hydrated in extreme heat, and you can help by adding this one common freezer staple to your feeder. (Listen Now)