Report. Reflect. Respond.
Friday, April 24th, 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 April 24th, 1980, the United States launched “Operation Eagle Claw,” an attempt to rescue 52 American hostages held in Tehran, Iran. With eight U.S. service members killed and no hostages freed, marking a significant failure in the Iran Hostage Crisis.
Ohio lawmakers are considering stripping local governments of the power to block new nuclear plants. Find out why in the Top of The Fold.
As the deaths of the 11 NASA scientists continue to be investigated, more developments continue to be unearthed, including the discovery that China has also had multiple scientists die mysteriously. Read about this in Page One.
Top of The Fold
Ohio State Investigation Finds Former President Misused Office to Benefit Romantic Partner
The Ohio State University's investigation found that former president Ted Carter Jr. misused his position to help a personal associate and romantic partner, Krisanthe Vlachos, securing her a $60,000 JobsOhio grant for her podcast and connecting her with multiple state agencies and corporate partners for her business ventures.
Carter, who was earning more than $1.1 million a year, resigned on March 7 and was replaced by Ravi Bellamkonda, while three state and two federal agencies are now making inquiries into the matter.
Lawmakers Look to Reduce Local Governments’ Veto Power of Nuclear Plants
Ohio lawmakers are considering stripping local governments of the power to block new nuclear plants, arguing that statewide energy standards are needed as tech companies and data centers drive a sharp increase in electricity demand.
Page One
National
National - As part of our ongoing series Gone Dark, The Pennant has been tracking U.S. scientists and government officials tied to sensitive nuclear and aerospace research who have died or vanished — a list now at 12.
Part III drops this weekend and in Monday's edition, including new details on Alabama researcher Amy Eskridge, who told friends she was targeted by an energy weapon aimed at her hands before her death was ruled a suicide.
More on this story here and links to Part I and Part II.
China - China has also lost at least nine top scientists working in military AI, hypersonics, and space defense under suspicious circumstances, including an AI professor whose 2 a.m. car crash was called a "sacrifice" by state media while he was war-gaming Taiwan invasion scenarios. (More)
Iran - President Trump extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire indefinitely, saying Iran's government is "seriously fractured" and must submit a unified peace proposal before talks can move forward.
Despite the extension, Iran seized two commercial ships and fired on a third in the Strait of Hormuz, though the White House said it does not consider the incident a ceasefire violation.
A second round of peace talks in Pakistan remains uncertain, with Iran refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the U.S. naval blockade continues. (More)
Statewide
Cleveland - A former Cleveland lawyer charged with stabbing his client, Aliza Sherman, in 2013, was back in court this week as both sides battle over evidence ahead of his September murder trial. (More)
OSU - New England Patriots head coach and former Buckeye, Mike Vrabel, is taking an indefinite leave from the team to seek counseling and focus on his family following a controversy involving his relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. (More)
Statewide - Ohio's childcare system is in crisis, but three years after its own study committee issued recommendations, the Republican-majority legislature still has no consensus on how to fix it — and the latest state budget added no new childcare funding. (More)
Statewide - Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would place a 2% fee on all sports betting wagers, generating an estimated $200 million annually, with most of the money going toward stadium construction and renovation and a small share supporting K-12 school athletics. (More)
Columbus - Columbus will be home to the NWSL's 18th franchise in 2028, with the Haslam Sports Group owning the team after the city and Franklin County each committed $25 million in public funding despite a contentious 5-3 city council vote. (More)
Toledo Drummer Beats the Rap: Charges Dropped After Key Witness Disappears
By Edward W
According to a report by David Patch of the Toledo Blade, a South Toledo man's long-running legal battle over garage drumming came to a surprisingly quiet end this week — not with a bang, but with a missing witness.
Patrick Chaney had been fighting misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges after his neighbor, Shaun Enright, president of the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO, filed noise complaints about Chaney's drumming sessions. Chaney always insisted he kept his practice to before 9 p.m. and accused the city of targeting him because of Enright's political influence.
Toledo Municipal Court Judge Dwight Osterud dismissed the charges Monday after the city admitted its key witness — a noise measurement technician from the Division of Environmental Services — had left city employment in January and wasn't available to testify. No witness, no case.
City Prosecutor Rebecca Facey said refiling charges was unlikely unless the technician turned back up, adding that she hoped the whole situation had "been mitigated." The case had already survived a failed mediation attempt, a judge reassignment to avoid the appearance of impropriety, and Chaney's defense attorney was gearing up for a full trial, complete with police body camera footage.
In the end, the drummer walks free — and presumably, the drumming continues.
Ohio's Biggest Celebrity Is Back — And She's a Duck
By Bella Riley
Mama Duck, the world's largest rubber duck at six stories tall, is waddling back to Cuyahoga Falls this week for the 12th annual All-City Art Walk and Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival.
The giant inflatable will perch next to the Sheraton starting Thursday, while students from Cuyahoga Falls schools display more than 1,000 pieces of artwork across downtown under the theme "Art Quacks Me Up!" The free, family-friendly event runs through Saturday — and if you miss her, Mama Duck returns to Ohio this summer for a stop at Put-In-Bay in July. (More)
NFL Draft Continues Friday in Pittsburgh
The second round of the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway today in Pittsburgh, with rounds two and three on tap. Coverage can be found on ESPN and the NFL Network. (More)
WTOL 11 Documentary Revisits Toledo's Most Haunting Cold Case: The Murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl
By George E
In 1980, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was stabbed 31 times in the sacristy of Toledo's Mercy Hospital on Holy Saturday — one day before her 72nd birthday — and the case went cold for nearly 24 years, largely because church officials interrupted a police interrogation that investigators believed was close to producing a confession.
A cold case team finally cracked the case in 2004 using a distinctive letter opener found in Father Gerald Robinson's quarters, leading to his historic 2006 conviction as the first Catholic priest in U.S. history convicted of killing a nun. WTOL 11's new documentary, "Her Name Was Sister Margaret Ann," released in March 2026, revisits the case and the questions that still linger — including why a street outside Fifth Third Field honors the church official many believe helped delay justice for more than two decades.
The Back Page
Will You Be Going to See The World's Largest Rubber Duck This Weekend?
Previous Poll Results
Are you for or against property taxes?
- Yes - 20%
- No - 60%
- Unsure - 20%
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