Ohio
Ohio town launching treasure hunt for $10K worth of gold, jewelry
Tom Colosimo came up with a wacky idea to try to bring more people into Newton Falls and help struggling local businesses: create a treasure hunt with real treasure.
Inspired by the legacy of Forrest Fenn and his nationwide treasure hunt — more on him in a minute — Colosimo hopes to give away $10,000 worth of gold, silver, jewelry and cash.
Whoever finds the treasure, keeps it.
“I thought I could do something on a smaller scale for Newton Falls to bring a ton of people here … so I was playing off (Fenn’s) idea of a treasure chest of a million dollars,” said Colosimo, 53, who owns Fieldview Acres Mercantile in the small Trumbull County city.
The Newton Falls Treasure Hunt is expected to kick off in March.
As of Feb. 4, Colosimo said he’s gathered $7,000 in gold, silver, jewelry and cash, with a goal of having $10,000 worth of treasure. He’s looking for sponsors to help.
The Sarchione Chevrolet dealership in Garrettsville donated a 2026 PCGS MS70 Gold Eagle – First Strike, valued at over $5,000. Hometown Hound in Newton Falls donated a $1,000 in rare silver coins. Colosimo said he donated more than $1,000 in silver coins and jewelry.
“Everybody seems excited,” Colosimo said. “I wish somebody else was doing it so I could do it.”
Who inspired the Newton Falls Treasure Hunt?
Colosimo drew inspiration from Fenn, a New Mexico art dealer who hid a chest full of gold, jewels and valuables worth an estimated $1 million to $2 million in 2010. After hiding the chest, Fenn leaked clues. But it took more than a decade for someone to find the treasure.
The search — which has since inspired other nationwide hunts — resulted in some people being injured and even dying.
Colosimo doesn’t want anyone hurt during this hunt, which also coincides with the America250 celebration.
“Less risky,” he said. “Everything is going to be out in the open and the public areas. No trespassing. No going into water, climbing stuff or anything like that.”
Just like Fenn, Colosimo plans to provide clues in riddles and poems. He hopes the treasure will be found before the Fourth of July, meaning people spend plenty of time in Newton Falls and visit the local businesses.
And what if someone stumbles across the treasure on the first day?
“There’s no way,” he said, adding that he doesn’t think searchers will be able to decipher the clues to pinpoint the location that quickly.
Treasure hunt’s goal is to promote Newton Falls
Colosimo is releasing details about the hunt on the Facebook page for Fieldview Acres Mercantile. He said he will notify people when the hunt is over.
As for the actual treasure, it won’t be hidden. Colosimo has decided to hide a key to safeguard someone taking the gold, silver, jewelry and cash without letting anyone know.
No one but Colosimo will know where the key is hidden.
“My wife won’t even know,” he said.
The person who finds the key — which hasn’t been hidden yet — will have to return it to Colosimo to collect.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to promote the town and provide a boost for small businesses that are struggling.
Newton Falls is a beautiful community, he said, with two waterfalls, and the downtown, covered bridge and U.S.O. building on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We have a lot to offer. But we just got to figure out a way to get people here,” he said. “And I’m hoping if this goes well, we can do this every year.”
Paul McEwuen, general manager at Sarchione in Garrettsville, which is nearby, said buzz about the treasure hunt is growing and the dealership is excited to participate, especially because Colosimo has tied it to the America250 celebration.
“We’re excited to help bring everyone to the community and show them what Garrettsville and Newton Falls are all about,” he said.
Ohio
Is another team ready to take over the top of the Big Ten from Indiana and Ohio State?
After years of unchecked dominance from the SEC, the Big Ten Conference cemented its place as the best in college football in the 2025-2026 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers completed a remarkable 16-0 season by winning a National Championship, beating Ohio State in the conference championship game, dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, then blowing out Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
That completed a Big Ten trifecta, with the Michigan Wolverines winning a championship in 2024, then the Buckeyes following it up by beating Notre Dame to win the title in 2025. While the SEC might have better depth overall, it’s no question that the top of the Big Ten is as good or better than anyone.
SEC, BIG TEN ARE DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THANKS TO MASSIVE ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONFERENCES
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
And a new program might be ready to take their turn at the top of the Big Ten: those same Oregon Ducks.
One of the most predictive measures of a team’s strength from year to year is how much production they return from the previous season. It makes sense; the more key players that stay with the team, the better it is for continuity and development.
The Big Ten, oddly enough, has several teams that return much of their production on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly ran the numbers, finding that teams like Maryland, Nebraska, Minnesota and UCLA all ranked in the top 10 nationally in returning value. Though given how these teams played in 2025, that’s less important. Number 12, though? The Oregon Ducks.
And that carryover production is coming from a team that lost just two games all season, both to Indiana. They handled a very good USC team, 42-27, overcame miserable conditions to outlast the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, beat the rival Washington Huskies, and most impressively, shut out an elite Texas Tech team 23-0 in the College Football Playoff. And they bring back the players responsible for 66% of their overall production, including star quarterback Dante Moore.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up prior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Just behind them at 65%? USC, heading into a pivotal season under Lincoln Riley.
Here’s where Oregon has the advantage, however. They bring that percentage back from a team that was significantly better than USC. It’s no surprise then, that per Connelly’s SP+ projections, Oregon is expected to be the No. 2 team in the country, by efficiency on offense, defense and special teams.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BIG 12 WINNER NOT NAMED TEXAS TECH OR BYU, CONSIDER THE HOUSTON COUGARS
What about the other Big Ten schools, though?
USC is the biggest wildcard. They sit at No. 13 in the SP+ projections, thanks to an elite offense and a defense that’s expected to be solid, if unspectacular. But their special teams projections are all the way down at No. 100 in the country, thanks to a series of disastrous mistakes in 2025. Special teams, though, should be the easiest area to improve upon. So if the Trojans can make some adjustments, they could exceed the eight game win expectancy.
Ohio State and Indiana, the two most recent champions, have a bit of a tougher hill to climb, though their roster composition is far from disastrous. The Buckeyes bring back 60% of their production, while Indiana is at 56%, even with several huge departures. That ranks at No. 31 and No. 52, respectively. Important, but not enough to push either team out of the top 5 in the national projections. And Ohio State sits at No. 1, thanks to consistently elite recruiting and key players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
But if there is an upset brewing at the top of the conference, Oregon might be the place to look. The question then becomes, can they put it all together against a difficult schedule? The Ducks play USC on the road, host Nebraska, travel to Illinois, play Ohio State on the road, host Michigan and have their rivalry game against Washington at Autzen.
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It won’t be easy, but don’t be surprised if at the end of the season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks are right back in the mix.
Ohio
Woman missing for more than 2 weeks found dead in Ohio
A Kentucky woman who had been missing for more than two weeks was found dead in her vehicle in Ohio, authorities said.
The body of Debra Wireman was found in her vehicle on July 3 in Clermont County, Ohio, the Flemingsburg Police Department in Kentucky said on Facebook on Wednesday. Investigators were called to the scene after a report identifying the vehicle as belonging to a missing person, police said. The remains were identified as Wireman’s by the Clermont County Coroner’s Office on July 7, according to law enforcement.
Police in Kentucky said the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio is investigating the woman’s death. No additional information will be released by Flemingsburg police “out of respect for Debra’s family and the integrity of that investigation.”
“While this is not the outcome any of us hoped and prayed for, we are thankful that Debra has been found and that her family can now begin to receive the closure they deserve,” police added on Facebook.
Wireman, according to police, was last seen on June 17 at around 4:30 p.m. in Aberdeen, Ohio, while traveling toward Maysville, Kentucky. She was driving a white 2020 Kia Forte with front-end damage. Police said family and friends were “concerned for her welfare.”
“The overwhelming response from our community, neighboring agencies, the media, and countless individuals across the region demonstrated the very best of people coming together in the hope of bringing someone home safely,” Flemingsburg police said.
Ohio
Jeff’s Donuts opens first Ohio location, open 24 hours
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Central Ohio has a new option for late-night sweets.
Jeff’s Donuts opened its first Ohio location Wednesday morning at 5717 N. Hamilton Road, between Gahanna and New Albany.
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The shop will be open 24 hours.
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