Report. Reflect. Respond.
Friday, August 14th, 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 2003, a sagging power line brushed a tree in northern Ohio and knocked out power to 55 million people across eight states and Ontario.
Above the fold: federal regulators declare iceberg lettuce safe after the Taco Bell Cyclospora outbreak, and Rep. Max Miller faces a lawsuit over his daughter's photo.
And, in today's Peach Section: why tomato juice, Johnny Marzetti, fair food and drive-ins all make sense in Ohio — and one thing that still doesn't.
Top of The Fold
Miller Sued Over Daughter's Photo
WASHINGTON — Emily Moreno, daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, sued her ex-husband, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, on Wednesday, alleging he recklessly published a nude photo of their 2-year-old daughter in a public Dropbox folder viewed more than 400,000 times.
Miller's attorney, Aaron Minc, took sole responsibility and called the release unintentional.
FDA Says Lettuce Is Safe Again
COLUMBUS — Iceberg lettuce is safe to eat again, federal regulators said Tuesday, weeks after a Cyclospora outbreak traced to Taco Bell restaurants sickened thousands across the Midwest and killed two in Michigan.
The FDA said all recalled lettuce has been pulled from the market.
Supplier Taylor Farms is separately recalling salsas, dips, and guacamole sold in Ohio and 25 other states due to possible salmonella.
Storms Gut Central Ohio Harvests
COLUMBUS — Tuesday's storms, the region's worst since the 2012 derecho, destroyed crops across central Ohio and prompted Gov. Mike DeWine to declare emergencies in Perry and Muskingum counties.
Nessley's Farm Market in Sugar Grove expects to lose half its pumpkin yield, along with sweet corn, peppers and tomatoes.
One Perry County grower called it the worst weather-related crop damage in 13 years of farming. Tens of thousands remain without power.
Page One
National
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave the job at the end of August and become an outside adviser to President Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is seeking up to $20 million to buy electric shock gloves for ICE officers in the field, described in filings as conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.
WASHINGTON — Iran is likely to grow more aggressive because it doubts President Donald Trump will act militarily before the midterms, retired Gen. Jack Keane said Wednesday on Fox News.
Statewide
CLEVELAND — Cleveland police arrested six people in connection with multiple theft investigations and recovered thousands of dollars in stolen property.
OHIO — The Justice Department declined to appeal a Texas ruling that struck down some federal silencer registration rules under the National Firearms Act, potentially simplifying federal compliance while Ohio laws remain in effect.
AKRON — Akron Public Schools banned backpacks and large purses at sporting events and will require fans to pass through metal detectors.
OHIO — The Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state's financial institution tax is constitutional, denying a Pennsylvania-based bank's request for tax refunds.
COLUMBUS — Ohio attorney general candidates have acknowledged growing public concern over abuse of Flock surveillance cameras and privacy while defending the cameras' usefulness to police in solving crimes.
KETTERING — Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant will close Aug. 30 after 22 years, with owners citing rising food costs and operating expenses they say made it impossible to continue.
Four Things That Make Perfect Sense, And One That Doesn't
By The Peach Section People
Every state has stuff that outsiders just don't understand. In Ohio, most of ours make sense. Except one.
Our state beverage is tomato juice
Ohio made it official in 1965. Not root beer, not a Wendy's Frosty, nothing that regular people sit down and order on purpose. Tomato juice.
The logic was agricultural. Ohio grew a lot of tomatoes, and Reynoldsburg has claimed the title of tomato birthplace for more than a century, festival and parade included.
They're not alone. The Henry County Fair still crowns a Tomato Festival queen every year and has been doing it since the early 1960s. The 2024 pageant was the 64th. Campbell's puts up the scholarship, which tracks, because the plant in Napoleon has a 33-foot water tower painted like a can of tomato soup sitting right outside it.
Sixty-one years on, we'd still like to hear from anyone who has poured a glass on purpose.
Johnny Marzetti was an actual person
We got an email after yesterday's column asking what exactly goes into a Johnny Marzetti. Fair question, and the answer starts on North High Street.
Teresa Marzetti ran a diner in the University District in the 1920s and named the dish for her brother-in-law. It's egg noodles, ground beef, onion, tomato sauce, and a lot of cheese, baked until the top browns. Everything past that is a regional argument — green pepper, mushrooms, whether the cheese goes in or only on. In our house we use Velveeta. You should too. And put the cheese on top. You're welcome.
From that diner, it became a staple in cafeterias across the Midwest and never left. The family also started bottling salad dressing on the side, which is why an expired bottle of it is sitting in your refrigerator door right now.
Fair food is a competitive sport
Somewhere in Ohio, there is a county fair happening almost every week from June into October. Holmes and Erie counties opened Monday. Ashtabula and Cuyahoga started this week.
The elephant ear gets the attention. But the real work is done by a hot dog on a stick, deep-fried in a batter whose ingredients are best left unresearched.
The drive-in never died here
Ohio has somewhere between 22 and 24 still operating, depending on who's counting, which puts us third in the country behind New York and Pennsylvania. We peaked near 190 in the late 1960s.
The Lynn Auto Theatre outside Strasburg has been running since 1937, which makes it one of the oldest anywhere still in business. Most Ohio drive-ins run double features and let you bring your own cooler, which probably has more to do with the survival rate than nostalgia does.
We're the eastern wall of the Pop Belt
It's pop here, and it isn't close. The long-running Pop vs. Soda survey puts Ohio around 83% pop, 13% soda, 2% Coke.
Pennsylvania to the east says soda. Kentucky to the south says Coke. Ohio is where the Midwest holds the line, and that 13% has to be coming from somewhere.
Next time somebody at the office says soda, ask where they grew up.
The Back Page
Was your property (residence or otherwise) harmed in anyway from Tuesday's storm?
Previous Poll Results
Do you agree with U.S. News & World Report's ranking of Ohio?
- Ohio should be ranked higher - 56%
- Ohio should be ranked lower - 11%
- The ranking was accurate - 33%
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