Ohio
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine proposes money for Browns Stadium, public schools in $218B state budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed $218 billion state budget would fully fund public education, make marijuana more expensive and would raise taxes on sports betting companies to help fund projects like the Cleveland Browns stadium renovation.
The budget is in the early stages, with its announcement coming during a press conference late afternoon Monday. The budget is projected at $108 billion for fiscal year 2026 and $110 billion for fiscal year 2027.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the governor’s press conference was based around children. DeWine did not release the proposal until after the presser took place.
“It’s a budget for our kids,” DeWine said. “And I think it’s a very, very good budget for our kids.”
He included fully funding public education, a story I have been following through on for a month now.
More in-depth analysis of the budget proposal in upcoming stories, including of public education.
Ohio GOP backtracks on cutting public school funding
Ohio GOP backtracks on cutting public school funding
Other benefits include creating new child tax credits for parents, providing more access to literacy and vision care for children and proposals to make childcare more affordable by expanding the eligibility for publicly funded programs.
There would also be a new scholarship, which provides the top 5% of each high school graduating class with a $5,000 scholarship to attend an Ohio college or university.
The governor would also focus on drug task forces, preventing opioid deaths and expanding 911 services.
The transportation budget would have hundreds of millions for roadway safety without $100 million to provide more affordable housing in rural communities.
The governor, who is not a fan of marijuana or gambling, used his budget to crack down on the industries.
Mirroring a bill passed by the Senate in 2023, DeWine wants to make marijuana significantly more expensive by raising the tax from 10% to 20% at the point of sale.
In Nov. of 2023, voters overwhelmingly passed Issue 2 — which allowed adults 21 years of age and older to smoke, vape and ingest weed. Individual Ohioans are able to grow up to six plants with up to 12 per household. Dispensaries have been able to sell recreationally since Aug. 6, 2024.
Ohio GOP backtracks on restricting recreational marijuana
Ohio GOP backtracks on restricting recreational marijuana
And finally — the Browns Stadium Debacle.
The Cleveland Browns are suing the city of Cleveland in federal court as the battle over the future of Huntington Bank Field heats up, as my colleague Michelle Jarboe reports.
The team is going to court to get clarity on the so-called Modell law, a state law designed to make it harder for sports teams to leave taxpayer-supported venues in their home cities. The Browns are asking a judge to rule that the law is unconstitutional – or that it doesn’t apply to the team’s plan to build a domed stadium in neighboring Brook Park.
The Browns ‘are wrong’: Attorney General Dave Yost weighs in on Modell law battle
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb broke the news last week that Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said they’re focusing on building a new stadium in Brook Park — and no longer exploring the possibility of renovating the existing, city-owned stadium on the Downtown lakefront. The team’s lease in Cleveland ends after the 2028 season, and the Browns hope to move in 2029.
Browns leaving Downtown Cleveland for Brook Park
The Haslam Sports Group is said to be lobbying the state and asking for upwards of $600 million toward the project
From Cleveland to the Statehouse, Browns future dome stadium funding in question by state lawmakers
Instead of giving the Browns a lump sum of money, DeWine proposes adjusting the sports gaming tax and creating the sports construction & education fund for any professional team.
He would double the gambling tax from 20% to 40%, which would fall on the backs of the betting companies.
“These sports gaming [groups] are extremely aggressive… They’re in your face all the time,” DeWine said. “They’re getting Ohioans to lose. massive amounts of money every year and it seems to me only just and fair that some of the stadiums be paid for by them or a portion of it.”
Dave Jenkins, the COO of the Haslam Sports Group, responded to the budget with the following:
“We appreciate Governor DeWine’s commitment to looking at creative ways to solve sports facilities development while positively impacting youth sports throughout Ohio. We look forward to learning more about the options this legislation may provide. At the same time, we continue to work with the appropriate stakeholders and other experienced experts to develop alternative funding mechanisms for an enclosed Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, knowing the importance of not tapping into existing taxpayer funds that go to other pressing community needs. The model we’ve proposed on the state level would leverage only the incremental tax revenues from within the development itself to enable the project. The Brook Park Huntington Bank Field project is more than just a stadium. Combined with the adjacent mixed-use development, which would be enabled by approximately $2B in private investments, this $3B+ economic development project would be among the largest ever in Northeast Ohio. It truly is a generational opportunity to create a robust, revenue-generating district that will bring in new jobs and new visitors to our region and significantly impact our economy.”
The House Finance Committee will hear the budget over the next few weeks before making changes and sending it to the Senate.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
Where do bed bugs come from? How they get could get into your home
Does the thought of bed bugs keep you up at night? Here’s what to know.
Columbus remains one of the nation’s top cities for bed bug treatments, according to Orkin’s latest annual rankings, while Ohio continues to dominate the list more than any other state.
Orkin ranked Columbus eighth on its 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most bed bug treatments, the same position the city held last year. Cleveland ranked even higher at No. 4. Cincinnati came in at No. 15.
Overall, six Ohio cities made the Top 50, more than any other state: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton and Toledo. The rankings are based on residential and commercial bed bug treatments Orkin performed between May 2025 and May 2026.
Chicago claimed the top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Ohio continues to rank high for bed bugs
Ohio’s strong showing on the list comes as the state has repeatedly appeared near the top of national pest rankings.
A recent USA TODAY report, citing an analysis by Casino.ca, estimated Ohio has the second-highest bed bug risk for travelers in the country, behind only Michigan.
The Orkin rankings do not measure the total number of bed bugs in a city. Instead, they reflect where the company performed the greatest number of residential and commercial treatments over the past year.
Columbus has dealt with bed bug sightings before
The rankings also follow several high-profile bed bug incidents in downtown Columbus government offices.
Last fall, The Dispatch reported a bed bug was discovered inside the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s downtown office, prompting treatment of the affected area.
The Dispatch also reported that employees at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation had reported bed bug sightings, leading to inspections and pest-control efforts.
Those incidents highlighted the challenges large office buildings face when dealing with pests that can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks and luggage rather than originating inside the buildings themselves.
It’s not just bed bugs
Bed bugs aren’t the only pests putting Columbus on Orkin’s radar.
In October 2025, Orkin ranked Columbus No. 21 on its annual “Rattiest Cities” list, a slight improvement from previous years but still among the nation’s leading metro areas for rodent treatments.
Taken together, the rankings suggest central Ohio remains a busy market for pest-control companies as the city holds steady on this year’s bed bug list.
Which Ohio cities made Orkin’s 2026 list?
Among Ohio cities, the rankings were:
- Cleveland– No. 4
- Columbus– No. 8
- Cincinnati– No. 15
- Youngstown– No. 32
- Dayton– No. 38
- Toledo– No. 42
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
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.
OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
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.
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.
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