The Ohio State Buckeyes boast arguably the most talented roster in the country heading into the 2024 season. While it’s certainly exciting, it also puts a whole lot of pressure on the team.

Really, anything short of a championship this year will be a disappointment, and new Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has doubled down on those expectations.

“For us, it’s natty or bust,” Howard said, via Zach Barnett of Football Scoop. “I mean, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

That goes for pretty much everyone, but it definitely hits different when the projected starting quarterback vocalizes it.

Howard is transferring over from Kansas State and is expected to be under center when the Buckeyes open their regular season agains Akron on Aug. 31.

Funny enough, as stacked as Ohio State’s roster is, the one area of potential concern is the quarterback position.

While the Buckeyes certainly have a talented group of signal-callers, there are questions as to whether or not any of the quarterbacks on the squad are truly capable of leading the team to a national title.

Howard was good—not great—in his final season at Kansas State, throwing for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes in 2023. He also rushed for 351 yards and nine scores.

“We have all the talent. We have all the intangibles,” added Howard. “Now, we’ve just got to go do it. I’m tired of hearing how talented we are and how good our team is. It’s about the work ethic and how we go to work every single day, and I think we’re doing the things that we need to to put ourselves in that position to be there at the end of the year and now we’ve just got to go do it.”

Clearly, Howard knows what needs to be done. You get the feeling that the rest of the ballclub understands, as well.

But until Ohio State actually gets on the field in 2024, we won’t actually know how dominant the team really is…although you have to admit that the Buckeyes look pretty scary.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) – The Ohio Department of Development wants to give Ohioans a voice in the creation of programs aimed at helping families save on their electric bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

They’re seeking stakeholder engagement that will support the planning, design, and implementation of the new Ohio Home Energy Savings Program. The State of Ohio was allocated $249 million through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to provide qualifying Ohioans discounts for high-efficiency appliances and equipment, as well as funding for energy efficiency improvements to single- and multi-family homes.

“High energy bills are a concern for many Ohio families, and we want them to know relief is on the horizon,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “This effort will ensure the Home Energy Savings Program is crafted with direct input from the people it aims to help, allowing us to deliver meaningful solutions while also empowering residents to contribute to its success.”

This outreach effort, which kicks off July 11, will include a series of informal, in-person sessions in communities across the state, as well as two live webinars for interested Ohioans to learn more about the program and provide valuable insight on how it can best serve their needs.

All Ohio residents, businesses, utilities, contractors, government entities, and nonprofit/community-based organizations are encouraged to participate.

Dates and locations for each event are, as follows:

Webinar 1 July 11 | 6-7 p.m. Register for the webinar here

In-Person Session 1 – Bowling Green July 24 | 6-8 p.m. Bowling Green Simpson Banquet Room1291 Conneaut Avenue Bowling Green, Ohio 43402Register here

In-Person Session 2 – Toledo July 25 | 6-8 p.m. Toledo Public Library – Mott Branch1010 Dorr Street Toledo, Ohio 43607Register here

In-Person Session 3 – Cleveland Aug. 6 | 6-8 p.m. Cleveland Public Library – MLK Branch962 Stokes Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44106Register here

In-Person Session 4 – Youngstown Aug. 7 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. Youngstown Public Library – Main Branch305 Wick Avenue Youngstown, Ohio 44503Register here

In-Person Session 5 – Columbus Aug. 13 | 6-8 p.m. Columbus Public Library96 S. Grant Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43215Register here

In-Person Session 6 – Athens Aug. 14 | 6-8 p.m. Athens Community Center701 E. State Street Athens, Ohio 45701Register here

In-Person Session 7 – Cincinnati Aug. 27 | 6-8 p.m. Price Hill Branch Library970 Percell Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45205Register here

In-Person Session 8 – Dayton Aug. 28 | 6-8 p.m. Greater Dayton Recreation Center2021 West Third Street Dayton, Ohio 45417Register here

Webinar 2 Sept. 4 | 6-7 p.m. Register for the webinar here

Press planning to attend any of these events should RVSP to clowrie@werthpr.com.

For more information, visit the Home Energy Savings Program webpage or the U.S. Department of Energy website.

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Americans celebrate Independence Day with parade floats decked out in red, white and blue, hot dogs fresh off the grill, and sparkler streaked sketches into the summer night.

But perhaps no symbol is more iconic of Fourth of July festivities than the American flag itself.

The national emblem flies all over the world, but many started from strips of fabric at a warehouse in a small Ohio city.

Making American flags

When Director of Operations Bobbi Parks opens a set of double doors to Annin Flagmakers’ Coshocton factory, the space comes alive with the sounds of humming sewing machines.

“All the way down through here are our sewing cells,” she said, walking past workers stitching together ribbons of red and white fabric from 500-yard spools.

“This here is our stripe department.”

Flag makers sew stripes together in sets of sixes and sevens. One set attaches to a blue field filled with 50 white stars. The other connects underneath, tying the banner together.

“There’s a sense of pride in what we do,” said flag maker Jonna Smith. “You go down the street and see them hanging on the poles, and you’re like, ‘Hey, I probably made that.’”

With 12 years under her belt, Smith is one of the factory’s newer hires. Many of her coworkers have been here upwards of two, three, even four decades.

But Annin Flagmakers has been in business long before them.

A history of Annin Flagmakers

The company started in 1847 in New York City, when two young entrepreneurs took over their father’s business. Instead of continuing the ship chandlery, Edward and Benjamin Annin — who were just 15 and 13 at the time — decided to focus on flags.

They got the business started just in time to supply American flags to the army during the Mexican-American War and later, the Civil War.

Since then, the company has made some iconic banners: the flag draped over Abraham Lincoln’s casket, the flag raised by U.S. Marines at Iwo Jima, the flag on the moon and the flags at every presidential inauguration since Zachary Taylor.

Annin Flagmakers expanded to Coshocton nearly 50 years ago. It’s now one of three factories in the county. Two others in Virginia embroider stars and print state and custom flags, while the Coshocton facility focuses mainly on producing American flags.

After terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11, workers at this location pieced together the Red, White and Blue. Production manager Kelly Watson remembers demand for flags was so high, the factory could hardly keep up.

“We had truck drivers that sat outside for like two, three hours waiting on the women to sew so they could take off with finished flags,” she said.

It was a time when patriotism was fervent.

“I mean, everybody flew a flag,” she said.

These days, demand isn’t quite what it was post-9/11, but it’s still high. Workers at the Coshocton factory alone make upwards of 50,000 flags a week during peak season, Parks said.

So if you’re raising a flag this Fourth of July or waving one in the neighborhood parade, it just might be made right here in Ohio.