Feds may end Ohio manufacturing program after audit cites $20.9 million in misspending
The state’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has been suspended since late last year. A regional affiliate in Cleveland, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, which was also cited for poor oversight, is disputing the findings.
LATEST NEWS FROM SIGNAL STATEWIDE
Election 2026
Amy Acton backs Issue 3, the voter ID amendment, breaking with Ohio Democrats
The Democratic governor candidate says she’ll support the voter ID amendment, putting her on the same page as her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy unveils plan that goes beyond requiring Ohio data centers to pay for their own costs
Ramaswamy’s plan, which he claims will guarantee completely free electricity to residents near newly-built data centers, otherwise bears similarities to a plan Democrat Amy Acton previously unveiled.
Ballot language set for Issue 3, the Ohio voter ID amendment
A state panel approved the ballot language for Issue 3 on Monday in a bipartisan 4-1 vote. If voters approve the measure, it would make Ohio’s existing voter ID law more difficult to undo or change in the future.
GOVERNMENT
DeWine called for a prop betting ban a year ago. Little has changed in Ohio
Sportsbooks continue to offer a full suite of prop bets, one year after Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio should ban them all. In a year of prosecutions and league investigations, only MLB has budged.
EDUCATION
Ohio State won’t say if it will answer Trump administration’s latest call to colleges
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently sent an open letter to universities asking leaders to publicly share ‘statements of principle.’
HEALTH
Millions of addictive, opioid-like kratom drinks have flown off gas station shelves in Ohio
Company data filed in court shows nearly 59,000 addictive kratom drinks were sold each day in Ohio before a recent ban took hold. One doctor said he’s treating as many patients for kratom withdrawal as for fentanyl.
STATE SIGNALS NEWSLETTER
Mike DeWine wants to crack down on the recovery home boom in Ohio
The governor warned of unscrupulous recovery home operators preying on vulnerable Ohioans. Plus, an addictive, opioid-like drink has flown off shelves.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Kratom to remain illegal in Ohio, judge rules, handing DeWine a win on drugs
A Franklin County judge denied an industry request to freeze a state rule banning processed kratom products. Until recently, the drug was sold over the counter, alarming public health and addiction experts.
NEWS FROM NOTUS
DOGE Cut Off Small Town America’s 250th Birthday Money
Ohio Humanities was planning history projects for the 250th when DOGE axed its funding last year. Then Trump redirected federal money for his own beautification projects.
Local Newsrooms
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Why Local News
Local news is in crisis. Across the country, including here in Ohio, the commercial news industry has been on the decline, leading to the loss of nearly three-quarters of journalism jobs since 2005, leading to less accountability, more polarization, and more government waste. With the volume of original reporting in Ohio communities reduced to a small fraction of what it once was, nonprofit news offers a path forward