Wednesday, October 7th, 2026

Welcome to Wednesday’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 2023, Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.

Top of the Fold today: New Ohio laws change what you must tell police at traffic stops, and Amazon delivery drones are buzzing — and bugging — Northeast Ohio.

And, in a Note to Readers, we explain how the Pennant's editorial page works, plus a Grove City business owner makes the case against Issue 28.

COLUMBUS — About a dozen new Ohio laws took effect Tuesday, including one requiring drivers and passengers to give their name, address, and date of birth during traffic stops. 

Refusing is now a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail. Another bars people from approaching within 15 feet of first responders after a warning if they interfere or make threats. 

Schools must also now teach students they're more likely to succeed if they marry before having children.

CLEVELAND — Amazon has begun drone deliveries in Northeast Ohio, flying packages within 7.5 miles of its North Randall facility, including to Cleveland Heights. 

Some customers are thrilled, but other residents say the drones sound like a swarm of bees and raise privacy concerns. 

Cleveland Heights Mayor Jim Petras plans to meet with Amazon next week to ask whether flights can be shifted away from neighborhoods. 

Residents with concerns can call the FAA's Northeast Ohio office at 440-686-2001.

PERRY — The U.S. Energy Department on Monday offered up to $4.2 billion in conditional loans to upgrade Vistra's Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear plants in Ohio and Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania. 

The upgrades would add 433 megawatts of power, support about 3,000 project jobs and keep the plants running 20 years beyond current licenses. 

Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the plan at Perry, saying it would lower electricity costs.

Our coverage of Issue 28, the proposed amendment to Grove City's charter, has drawn a lot of feedback from readers in recent weeks, including questions about our editorial judgment and balance. That's a more than fair conversation to have, so we want to explain how The Pennant separates news from opinion, a standard that has guided newspapers for generations.

News stories are the work of our reporters and freelance journalists. Their job is to gather and present the facts fairly and accurately, without taking sides. We don't always get it right, but The Pennant was launched to give readers the facts and context they need to make their own decisions.

Editorials, which appear without a byline, represent the views of The Pennant's editorial board. Columns represent the views of the individual writers and don't necessarily reflect the positions of The Pennant.

The editorial board took a position on Issue 28 because we see it as less about data centers than about economic development, which pays for Grove City's schools and city services. We also expect to see many more charter amendments across Ohio framed as data center moratoriums. As the debate grew more heated, the amendment's consequences, intended or not, got too little attention. Voters deserved to know them before casting their ballots.

Ours is not the only perspective, and The Pennant remains a public forum. We thank the readers who have already sent letters and guest columns. Letters and guest columns should be 300 words or fewer and address the issue rather than individuals. We edit for grammar, length, and clarity, never for viewpoint.

We've received letters from supporters of Issue 28, but so far they have focused on The Pennant rather than the amendment itself. We welcome, and will gladly publish, letters and guest columns that make the case for Issue 28 on its merits. We also invite the amendment's sponsors and petition organizers to submit a guest column explaining why voters should support it.

The Pennant is here for you Monday through Friday. If you believe we've missed facts that matter, this space is yours. Use it.

Send letters and guest columns to [email protected].

To the editor:

I've never publicly taken a side on a ballot issue before, but I'm asking Grove City voters to vote no on Issue 28, the proposed city charter amendment.

The yard signs urging a yes vote suggest this is about data centers. It's about much more.

If it passes, any proposed development on more than 50 acres must first win a citywide vote in a November election before the Planning Commission or City Council can even consider it, and the developer must pay the full cost of putting it on the ballot. Faced with that time and expense, many developers will simply skip Grove City.

Like every Ohio city, Grove City relies on new development to fund rising costs for police, roads, parks, and senior services. Without it, that burden shifts to residents or services get cut.

Worse, the amendment reaches existing businesses and institutions that began on more than 50 acres, with no exceptions for schools or hospitals. That includes Mount Carmel, Grove City, and Central Crossing high schools, Pinnacle and Parkway Centre. Expanding by as little as 10%, or selling to a willing buyer, would trigger a referendum. Fines can reach $500,000 per day.

We already have a process for vetting development, and it produced our current data center moratorium. We elected good people to City Council to make these decisions.

Yes, as Grove City prospers, so does my business. So do we all. I don't represent any development affected by this amendment, but I know bad policy when I see it. Please vote no on Issue 28.

Chris Roach
Grove City

Have you noticed a difference in gas prices since the start of the tax holiday?
- Yes - 46%
- No - 54%

The Pennant welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns from readers. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity, and AP style. The Pennant reserves the right to verify all information contained in submissions before publication.

Please send all submissions to [email protected]