Tuesday, September 8th, 2026

Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.

A Note to Our Readers

Today's Pennant is an abbreviated edition as we return from the Labor Day holiday. Full coverage resumes tomorrow. 

On this day in 1974, President Gerald Ford granted former President Richard Nixon a full, unconditional pardon.

Ohio's Senate race draws $174 million in outside spending as election season nears, and health officials urge Ohioans to get flu shots early this season.

And No. 1 Ohio State heads to Austin to face No. 5 Texas Saturday, and our editorial board asks why some school boards care more about calendar fights than the budget.

OHIO — Ohio's Nov. 3 election is drawing national attention, with the Senate race between Sen. Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown drawing over $174 million from outside groups. 

Brown has outraised Husted every quarter this year. The open governor's race pits Vivek Ramaswamy against Amy Acton. Early in-person voting begins Oct. 6 and runs through Nov. 1, giving Ohioans nearly a month to cast ballots ahead of Election Day. 

For voter information, go here.

OHIO — Health officials are urging Ohioans to get their flu shots now, with September and October marking the ideal window for protection before flu activity typically peaks in December and February. 

The CDC recommends vaccination by the end of October, since it takes about two weeks for the body to build immunity. 

Free flu shots are available through most pharmacies and primary care providers, and doctors say even a later shot can reduce the severity of illness.

OHIO — Apple-picking season has arrived across Ohio, with orchards statewide opening their gates for fall visitors. 

Peak harvest typically runs through October, offering popular varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Jonathan. 

Many orchards also feature hayrides, cider pressing, and pumpkin patches alongside the picking. 

Officials with the Ohio Farm Bureau note the state's apple crop remains a significant part of its agricultural economy, and cooler fall weather tends to bring out the best flavor in the fruit.

NEW YORK — As The Pennant has reported extensively on the growing enrollment crisis facing schools like Syracuse University, Sterling College, and a number of Ohio institutions, a new trend is emerging nationally: colleges skipping the application process entirely.

According to The Wall Street Journal, hundreds of colleges are now sending "direct admissions" offers to students who never applied, based solely on high school transcripts. The process skips essays, extracurricular questions, and standardized test requirements.

Participating schools, often less-selective private colleges competing for a shrinking pool of students, say the strategy helps them reach prospects who might not have known about them otherwise. On the Common App platform alone, the number of schools offering direct admissions has more than tripled since 2023-24.

Supporters call it a win-win: students avoid the stress of traditional applications, while struggling colleges widen their recruiting funnel. Critics counter that the flood of unsolicited offers adds confusion, particularly around financial aid, since an acceptance letter doesn't guarantee an affordable one.

The trend reflects a broader shift already underway as colleges nationwide grapple with the shrinking pipeline of college-age students — the same demographic pressure The Pennant has tracked in its coverage of struggling schools across the country.

COLUMBUS — Ohio State, ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll, travels to Austin Saturday to face No. 5 Texas at 7:30 p.m. on ABC in the biggest early-season matchup in college football. It's the Buckeyes' first trip to Texas since 2006 and the return leg of last year's home-and-home series. 

Head coach Ryan Day will meet with reporters today to preview the matchup. Buckeye Insiders will carry Day's press conference live on their YouTube channel and provide game coverage throughout the week. Texas enters at home behind quarterback Arch Manning in his second full season as starter, making this Week 2 showdown an early measuring stick for both playoff contenders.

OHIO — The NFL season begins Wednesday night with a Super Bowl LX rematch, as the New England Patriots visit the defending champion Seattle Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. on NBC. Seattle beat New England 29-13 in February to claim the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.

Ohio's teams open Sunday at 1 p.m. The Browns start their season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Bengals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. Both games air at 1 p.m. Week 1 also features the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia, with the 49ers facing the Rams in Melbourne on Thursday night.

School calendars used to be simple. Christmas break. Easter. Summer off. Somewhere along the way, those names quietly became "winter break" and "spring break," and most families didn't blink — the majority of any given district is still celebrating Christmas and Easter regardless of what the calendar calls it.

Lately, though, some Ohio school board members seem more interested in relitigating calendar labels and adding every possible observance than in doing their actual job. Schools already make reasonable accommodations for students and staff of other faiths and backgrounds. OK, that's acceptable, as long as it's not just a bunch of people looking for a day off.

But flooding the calendar with special-interest dates is political theater that 90% of the district didn't ask for and doesn't want to watch. It eats up meeting time that should go toward, oh, you know — budgets, staffing, test scores, and building maintenance. But for some members, that stuff doesn't gin up their "base."

Monitoring the district's checkbook is the primary job. It's boring to many, but that's what you ran for. Test scores, building repairs, teacher compensation, and levy requests come next.

A levy request in the middle of property tax adjustment season means school boards should be paying even closer attention to make sure every penny is accounted for. When a board would rather fight over holiday labels than watch the budget, that's a giant red flag with a bullhorn.

Voters should take notice. School board members should be interested in educational excellence and fiscal responsibility. Do that, and leave the calendar to whoever prints the free ones at the bank.

Comments and letters to the editor are welcome: [email protected]

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]