Wednesday, August 26th, 2026

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On this day in 2016, Colin Kaepernick remained seated during the national anthem at a 49ers preseason game, sparking a national debate over race and protest in sports.

Two more men face child sex crime charges tied to the Siders family case, while Google pledges $10 million for Ohio water infrastructure — both top of the fold.

And, Main Street Sports sues Comcast and Charter over unpaid fees for Cavaliers and Blue Jackets broadcasts. Plus, country music icon Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80.

MCARTHUR – Brandon Henderson, 40, and Josh Saunders, 23, were arraigned Monday on a combined 25 counts of child sex crimes tied to the Vinton County Siders family investigation. 

Both pleaded not guilty. 

The state's probe into the pair led investigators to the Siders family and the June 30 discovery of 16 children living in a Hamden home, who remain in state custody.

COLUMBUS – Google announced a $10 million investment in Ohio water resources and infrastructure, including a $3 million grant to the state's H2Ohio Farmland Water Management Program to reduce agricultural runoff and improve water access. 

The move ties to Google's broader water stewardship efforts near its data centers, part of a $500 million global commitment to water infrastructure.

CLEVELAND – Ohio has seen nearly 300 cases of Candida auris this year, a hospital-acquired fungal infection resistant to most antifungal treatments and fatal in 30-70% of cases. 

Cuyahoga County leads with 61 cases. 

Health officials say the risk to the general public is low, as it mainly threatens critically ill, tube-dependent hospital and nursing home patients.

Dolly Parton, the beloved "Queen of Country" whose music and warmth touched generations worldwide, has died at 80, her family announced Tuesday. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared the news in a video posted to her Instagram, though no cause of death was given. 

Parton's stardom spanned six decades, from her country music roots to Hollywood fame in films like "9 to 5." Known for classics such as "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," she was also celebrated for her philanthropy, particularly her Imagination Library, which provided books to children across the world. 

COLUMBUS – Big Ten coaches, including Ohio State's Ryan Day, have voiced growing frustration over NFL players returning to college rosters. Day called the situation "frustrating," saying, "I told myself I would stop saying this is crazy. So I'm not gonna say that," while stopping short of ruling out adding such players to Ohio State's own roster. 

Day said he's spoken with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti about setting a roster lock-in date to curb the trend. Oregon's Dan Lanning echoed similar discomfort.

The SEC's presidents and chancellors, meanwhile, released a joint statement Monday declaring that athletes who sign professional contracts "should not then be permitted to return to college competition," warning the practice would blur the line between college and pro sports and hurt opportunities for current players. 

The statement followed LSU coach Lane Kiffin signing former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright and other recently cut NFL players, after a court ruling opened a path for fifth-year eligibility.

Despite the tough talk from both conferences, no formal rules have been implemented yet, leaving the door open for more NFL-to-college moves as the legal fight continues.

COLUMBUS – A new bill at the Statehouse wants to help keep the lights on without building new power plants.

State Rep. Roy Klopfenstein introduced House Bill 427 to allow electric companies to establish special programs for homes and small businesses. If customers choose to join, they could let the power company briefly adjust things like their thermostat or water heater during the busiest times of day. In return, customers would get paid. They could also say no to any single event if they didn't want to take part that time.

Before a power company could start one of these programs, the state's utility commission would have to approve it and make sure it actually saves money. Most of the extra revenue from these programs would have to go back into lowering customer costs, though power companies could keep a small share.

The bill would also make it easier for power companies to share customer data with other electric providers, and it gives people choices on how their bills are set up.

Supporters say this is a much faster way to handle rising power demand than building new plants. Robert Kelter, with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, told lawmakers it usually takes five to six years to build a new gas plant, and even longer for a nuclear plant. Demand response programs, he said, could start working in less than a year.

The bill has had several hearings but hasn't moved out of committee yet.

Should Les Wexner be stripped of his chair emeritus title?
- Yes - 75%
- No - 35%

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