Report. Reflect. Respond.
Friday, October 9th, 2026
Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.
On this day in 1919, the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago White Sox 10-5 to win their first World Series, a title later clouded by the "Black Sox" scandal.
Top of the Fold today: Ohio's largest school district is in a battle over rising health care costs, and an insurer that drained first responders' fund faces fines.
In the Peach Section, a look back at Ohio State homecoming: a cow queen, a DieHard that died, Harry Buffalos for breakfast and Warren's negatives.
Top of The Fold
Teachers in Ohio's Largest School District Take No-Confidence Fight to Board
COLUMBUS — More than 100 Columbus Education Association members packed a school board meeting earlier this week after voting no confidence in the board over health insurance increases of 8% for teachers and 10% for classified staff in January.
The union wants the board to sue former consultant Aon over health insurance cost overruns projected to reach $40 million over two years; the district says the actual overrun was about $24 million as of July.
Board President Antoinette Miranda, heckled by the crowd, said the district warned unions in March and pays 87% of employee health costs.
The union can't strike under its current contract.
Magistrate Signals Fines for Insurer That Drained First Responders' Fund
COLUMBUS — A Franklin County magistrate said he will quickly issue a decision promising fines against Thin Blue Line, a health insurer for retired first responders, unless it returns about $2.9 million withdrawn from a court-protected account meant to pay Ohio policyholders' claims.
The company, which argues federal law exempts it from state regulation, waived its right to appear at the contempt hearing.
The state sought a $90,000 initial fine plus $10,000 a day if the money isn't returned within 30 days.
DeWine: Ohio's Addiction Fight Continues as His Term Ends
COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine told the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council that the state's work on mental health and addiction continues, even if the council he created in 2019 ends with his administration.
Ohio Department of Health officials reported overdose deaths fell 23% from 2024 to 2025, the fourth straight annual decline and well ahead of the 13% national drop, though the share of deaths involving cocaine rose and a new class of opioids called orphines is emerging.
Page One
National
MIAMI — Hurricane Isaias should hit the Gulf Coast near Pensacola tonight or early Saturday as a Category 2, bringing up to 10-foot storm surge and heavy rain inland. Track it here.
NEW YORK — Spotify signed a new multiyear deal with Joe Rogan, keeping licensing and ad rights to the nation's top podcast on terms reported to be similar to his last deal.
WASHINGTON — The NFL urged the Supreme Court to let states regulate sports prediction markets, arguing in a brief supporting New Jersey against Kalshi that the contracts are gambling.
Statewide
MAUMEE — Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Don Kissick helped find a body while filming an ad on Toledo's Maumee River, his campaign said.
LIMA — Vice President JD Vance headlines a midterm rally at 12:15 p.m. today at Allen County Regional Airport, days after President Donald Trump's Dayton-area visit.
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported that local firms have been chosen to plan next steps for reviving the city's never-used subway tunnels, abandoned since 1927.
BRATENAHL — Village officials approved a privacy fence for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's lakefront mansion, but landscaping plans remain under review after neighbors objected.
COLUMBUS — Ohioans will lose about an hour and 15 minutes of daylight during October, up to an hour and 19 minutes in Cleveland, before daylight saving time ends Nov. 1.
STATEWIDE — Sunny, warm weather should hold through Saturday, but remnants of tropical system Isaias could bring rain to Ohio on Sunday and slow the fall harvest, forecasters say.
Festivals & Football
Kraut, Costumes and Kickoffs
Grab a jacket. Ohio's fall weekend is stacked, from the festival grounds to the gridiron.
FESTIVALS
Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, Waynesville (Saturday-Sunday): The state's tangiest tradition is one of Ohio's biggest fall draws.
Holmes County Antique Festival, Millersburg (Saturday-Sunday): Antiques plus three parades in the heart of Amish Country.
Oak Harbor Apple Festival (Saturday-Sunday): Small-town charm in northwest Ohio.
Chillicothe Halloween Festival (Friday-Sunday): Get an early start on spooky season.
Columbus Italian Festival (Friday-Sunday): Great food and fun in Italian Village.
Ohio Renaissance Festival, Harveysburg (Saturday-Sunday): Costumes are encouraged.
FOOTBALL
Saturday
Maryland at Ohio State, 4:15 p.m., BTN. For pre- and post-game coverage, go here.
Bob Evans Farm Festival, Rio Grande (Friday-Sunday): Old-fashioned fun.
Sacramento State at Bowling Green, noon
Miami at UMass, 2 p.m.
Buffalo at Toledo, 3:30 p.m.
Central Michigan at Ohio, 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Akron, 3:30 p.m.
Kent State at Western Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
Browns (3-1) at New York Jets, 1 p.m.: Cleveland goes for its fourth straight win.
Bengals (2-2) at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.: Cincinnati looks to rebound.
Our Salute to Homecoming at Ohio State — Some of Us Were There
A Peach Section look back, spanning the '70s, '80s and '90s: four days, three sophomores, one cow and zero cell phones
By The Peach Section Gang
This month marks 100 years since Ohio State crowned Maudine Ormsby homecoming queen. Maudine was a prize Holstein. The ag students stuffed the ballot box, producing 12,000 votes from fewer than 10,000 students, still the most efficient thing anyone in Columbus has ever done.
Homecoming used to have standards, the kind that left a generation of college students with memories and, thankfully, no way to upload them. In 1978, Bob Hope was grand marshal because Woody Hayes made him do it, and he dotted the "i" in Script Ohio while he was at it.
In 1995, the late, great Richard Lewis led the parade, the only grand marshal who could find something to worry about in a convertible. In 1996, it was Olympian Butch Reynolds and CBS's Erin Moriarty.
Back then, homecoming was a four-day event. It started Thursday night with float building, when some civil engineering major with a minor in petty theft announced he'd motorized Brutus' head. By 3 a.m. it nodded. Occasionally on purpose.
Friday was the parade down High Street. The "borrowed" motor, powered by a Sears DieHard car battery, always died, ironically, somewhere between 15th and Chittenden. Then, without hesitation, three semi-sober sophomores crawled inside and became the moving parts.
Friday night meant live music at the Newport, or a TGIF party at a fraternity house, depending on how much of Thursday was still in your bloodstream.
Saturday began with the social chairman's version of a continental breakfast: Bernie's Bagels and a trash can full of purple punch known as Harry Buffalos. There was fruit floating in it, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The Back Page
Are you a rabid OSU football fan?
Previous Poll Results
How do you feel about Amazon's delivery drones?
- They're helpful/useful - 38%
- They shouldn't be allowed - 24%
- They're cool, but unnecessary - 38%
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