Greene County, Ohio

Miami Township Fire-Rescue, which serves Yellow Springs and surrounding areas in Greene County, Ohio, is asking voters to approve a five-year, 0.8-mill property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot dedicated to capital equipment. If approved, it would cost $28 annually per $100,000 of appraised home value. Fire Chief Jim Cannell said much of the department's equipment is due for replacement, including turnout gear and a 16-year-old pumper truck, which now costs over $1 million to replace. The levy would free up existing operating funds for staffing and daily operations. Call volume is already up from last year, with over 1,000 runs through September, about 80% medical calls.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 on Thursday, suspending the state's 38.5-cent gasoline tax and 47-cent diesel tax for 90 days, effective Sunday through Jan. 2, 2027. The Senate passed the bill 26-5 and the House 78-16 in an emergency vote Wednesday, with the measure fast-tracked days before early voting begins for the Nov. 3 election.

The roughly $725 million in lost revenue will be covered by a state budget surplus rather than road-project funds or ODOT's cash reserves, an earlier sticking point for DeWine. The Legislative Service Commission estimates average drivers could save up to $55 over three months, though lawmakers acknowledge oil companies may not pass along the full savings. Gas prices in Ohio have climbed to around $4.20 a gallon and diesel to $6.66, driven partly by the Iran conflict. Supporters, including GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, framed it as consumer relief; some Democrats argued the surplus should instead address utility and property tax burdens. The tax holiday's fate after expiration will fall to the next governor and legislature.

Ohio's governor race intensified this week as Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic rival Amy Acton both proposed suspending the state's gas tax amid a spike in fuel prices, with statewide averages topping $4.52 a gallon and diesel hitting a record $6.77. Ramaswamy, joined by GOP legislative leaders Rob McColley and Matt Huffman, unveiled a plan for a 90-day tax suspension that lawmakers could act on before Election Day, funded initially through ODOT reserves and the state's rainy-day fund. Acton called for an "emergency gas tax holiday" but offered fewer details on duration or funding. It remains unclear whether the GOP-controlled legislature will reconvene early or whether Gov. Mike DeWine, who has raised the gas tax before, would sign such a measure.

Separately, prediction markets continue to show Acton leading Ramaswamy by a wider margin than public polling suggests. Ohio lawmakers are also pursuing a bid to bring the U.S. Space Academy to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with a decision due to NASA by October 26 and final approval resting with President Trump.

Democratic Ohio gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton was unharmed after an armed man attacked her Sept. 6 at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown, her campaign said. The suspect, identified as Patrick Havas, 38, of Canfield, forced his way toward Acton inside a local Democratic Party tent before being intercepted by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers on her protective detail. Multiple fairgoers were knocked over in the struggle, and two people were injured. Havas was found carrying two pistols, brass knuckles and a Taser, though no weapons were brandished; he was jailed on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault. Authorities are seeking cellphone footage as the investigation continues.

The attack drew bipartisan condemnation, including from Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy and outgoing Governor Mike DeWine, though some conservative commentators and the local sheriff, a Ramaswamy endorser, downplayed the incident. Acton returned to the trail the next day at a Cleveland Labor Day parade with heightened security, thanking first responders as fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown denounced political violence. The episode underscores rising tension in Ohio's toxic, closely watched governor's race between Acton and Ramaswamy.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has asked President Trump to issue a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration covering 23 Ohio counties, including Butler, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene and Preble in the greater Dayton area, following severe thunderstorms that struck from Aug. 10 through Aug. 23. The storms brought flash flooding and 17 confirmed tornadoes, killing two people, injuring at least four, and prompting about 59 water rescues.

Preliminary damage assessments from FEMA and the Small Business Administration found at least 50 homes and businesses destroyed, 806 with major damage, and 475 with minor damage. DeWine requested activation of FEMA's Individual Assistance Grant program to help with temporary housing, home repairs, rental assistance and other needs, along with SBA low-interest loans for uninsured losses and FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. DeWine said the damage exceeds the state's capacity to respond alone, and federal aid would be critical to recovery efforts.