Ohio
Bull sharks in the Ohio River? What we found when we investigated the rumor
As the Ohio River reached near-record-setting flood levels recently, a recurrent rumor surfaced about the alleged danger of bull sharks in its waters. The theory? That bull sharks swim up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico and occasionally troll the waters.
If the idea of sharks in the river fuels your “Jaws”-inspired fear, you can exhale now.
“The likelihood of encountering a bull shark in the Ohio River, particularly in Kentucky, is zero,” Chris Plante, animal care director at the Newport Aquarium, said in a statement to The Enquirer.
That makes sense considering exactly how far a shark would have to swim to make its way into Kentucky. The Ohio River connects with the Mississippi River about 350-driving-miles south west in Cairo, Illinois – and the river twists and winds its way there through dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Calling bull on bull shark lore
When the Ohio River finally meets with the Mississippi, it’s then still about 1,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
In fact, there have only been two semi-confirmed reports of a bull shark making its way into the Midwest on its own.
The first alleges that a fisherman caught a bull shark in Alton, Illinois in 1937. But a reporter at the The Telegraph in Alton debunked that theory by spilling some family lore in 2021. He wrote that, according to family legend, the notorious prankster who said he caught the shark actually bought it at a St. Louis fish market.
In 1995, a bull shark was allegedly caught in a grate south of Festus, Missouri. It’s a bit more difficult to track down where that claim originated from.
What about bull shark pets?
Now, aside from swimming up the river, is it possible people release sharks into the Ohio River?
That sounds strange but strange things happen.
In Michigan, for instance, where pet alligators are legal unless municipalities create their own restrictions, escaped alligators are found in rivers, yards, and even a hotel room just last month, the Detroit Free Press reported.
In Ohio, permits are required for alligator ownership and two were spotted in a river back in 2023. An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer killed one of them, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, there aren’t any regulations against bull shark ownership in Kentucky and the species isn’t federally protected.
But considering that bull shark pups can be around 3 feet long and adults top out around 13 feet, it seems unlikely the average person could have a bull shark in captivity for long and much less so transport a live one to the Ohio River for dumping.
Have you ever seen a shark in the Ohio River? Can you prove it? Send an email to Northern Kentucky Reporter Jolene Almendarez with more information. She can be reached at jolenea@gannett.com.
CANFIELD, Ohio (WJW) – Nobody took home the massive Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, but one Canfield man is still celebrating after purchasing a winning ticket worth $50,000.
According to Ohio Lottery, Bryan decided to try his luck after realizing the Powerball jackpot was over $1 billion. He bought a ticket from the Meijer grocery store on Boardman-Canfield Road in Boardman.
The next morning, Bryan woke up and checked the ticket, stunned to discover that he won $50,000.
After mandatory state and federal taxes, the lucky winner will take home more than $36,000.
Bryan told lottery officials that he doesn’t have specific plans for money yet, but the big win will certainly make for “a very good Christmas.”
It has been months since someone won the Powerball jackpot, which now sits at a massive $1.5 billion. There is also a cash option worth $689.3 million up for grabs.
The next drawing will be Saturday night at 11 p.m. Learn more about the Powerball right here.
A mom searching for answers about her son’s death in a car wreck won a victory on Dec. 19 when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Richland County Sheriff to release records to her.
The court ruled in a unanimous decision that Andrea Mauk is entitled to three sets of records withheld by the sheriff, with only Social Security numbers being redacted. Mauk will be awarded $2,000 in damages but will not receive attorney fees.
On June 23, 2023, 18-year-old Damon Mauk lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang and slammed it into a tree. His mother wanted to piece together what happened, collect his belongings and grieve the loss of her child. She didn’t think she’d have to fight for public records and take her case to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Following the crash, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, a township fire department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.
During the investigation, a trooper told a deputy to leave Damon’s iPhone and wallet in the car, according to Mauk’s court filings. Instead, the deputy took the belongings to the hospital and handed them off to someone who said he was Damon’s dad.
Mauk didn’t understand. Damon’s father was largely absent from his life. How could he have been there to pick up the wallet and phone?
A few weeks after the fatal crash, Mauk asked for records, including: the sheriff’s report and inventory of items taken from the car, body camera footage from deputies who gave away the belongings, the report, photos and videos created by the patrol and more.
Mauk, of the Mansfield area, received some but not all of the requested records. Mauk hired attorney Brian Bardwell to pursue records she believes exist but weren’t provided or were improperly redacted.
The sheriff’s office claimed that some of the requested records were exempt from disclosure because they are confidential law enforcement records or personal notes. The court privately reviewed the records withheld from Mauk and determined that they should be released.
The decision in favor of releasing records runs contrary to recent rulings from the high court.
In 2024, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren’t subject to disclosure and that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released on an individual case basis.
In 2025 the court ruled that police officers’ names may be kept confidential if they’re attacked on the job, giving them privacy rights afforded to crime victims.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.
Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.
Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.
Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.
Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.
Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Up next
Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.
Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.
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