Kings, Queens & Data Dreams: Ohio’s Wild Ride
Tom and Robert kicked off Show #32 with a bang — talking new vinyl drops, big concerts, political pearl-clutching, and the digital gold rush reshaping Ohio’s future. From data centers draining energy to Cleveland cruise ships and Cuyahoga County’s cash return, the guys dive into everything shaping the Buckeye State this week. Let’s get right into the latest lineup from the Crooked River Cast crew.
🎶 Rock & Roll and Vinyl Vibes🎸
Robert started the show hyped about the new Mammoth WVH vinyl drop — and their latest track “Same Old Song” 🎧 Watch on YouTube, there’s plenty of buzz about this next-gen rock act bringing back real guitars and raw sound. The guys talked live music energy and the upcoming Cleveland Agora concert on November 18th — the perfect prelude before diving into Ohio’s latest political and economic madness.
👑 They Don’t Want Kings… But Love Their Queens
After the music hype, the guys revisited the “No Kings” protest from October 18th, where demonstrators made a loud statement about leadership and power (and maybe a little pageantry). The discussion got lively as Tom and Robert broke down the irony and media reaction to the event.
🏛️ Pearl Clutching Time: White House East Wing Gets a Makeover
Talk about political décor drama — photos from WKYC showed the White House East Wing demolished as Trump moves forward with ballroom construction. Tom and Robert couldn’t help but laugh (and cringe) at the “remodeling priorities” playing out in D.C.
📎 White House East Wing demolished as Trump moves forward with ballroom construction
💼 JobsOhio or “Jobs? Ohio…”
Ohio’s economic engine is in the hot seat again. Critics say JobsOhio is big on promises but short on transparency and measurable results, while defenders claim it’s boosting long-term growth. The guys debate where the truth lies. Robert and Tom tried to untangle the web of JobsOhio — and its equally confusing cousin, the JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS) — but even after reading through multiple articles, they couldn’t quite make sense of it all.
🧾 JobsOhio is supposed to be a private nonprofit driving Ohio’s economic development.
🍸 JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS) is its liquor-handling affiliate, managing the state’s booze business and funneling those profits into JobsOhio’s programs. That setup allows the organization to operate without direct public funding — at least on paper.
Then Ryan Squire, VP of Communications & Marketing for JobsOhio, chimed in on X (formerly Twitter), defending the model and insisting it’s transparent and effective. But after sifting through both the official spin and the investigative reports, the guys admitted they’re still scratching their heads. Is this a smart, self-funded success story — or a confusing cocktail of public money and private management?
📎 JobsOhio Big on Promises, Short on Transparency – Ohio News
📎 Understanding JobsOhio’s Financial Impact – JobsOhio
🖥️ Data Centers: Big Money, Bigger Bills
It’s official: the Norton Data Center project is dead, but the conversation about Ohio’s energy strain is very much alive. The guys dig into how data centers are reshaping communities — and possibly your electric bill. Robert dug into the story behind the Norton Data Center project, officially called Project Triton, and uncovered why the big plans fell apart. The proposal — slated for the former PPG Mine site — was withdrawn after residents strongly opposed it during a town hall meeting. Concerns over environmental impact, noise pollution, local wildlife, and water quality led the city council to pull the plug entirely.
The project promised 280 construction jobs and new tax revenue for the Norton City School District, but the pushback showed how community voices can still steer big development — especially when the details aren’t crystal clear in the reporting.
Meanwhile, across Ohio, energy prices continue to climb, and data centers are partly to blame. As more tech giants move in, the strain on the grid is becoming real — and it’s showing up on electric bills.
📎 Proposed Data Center in Norton Will Not Move Forward – WKYC
📎 $1B Planned Data Center Backs Out of Central Ohio – 614Now
📎 Ohioans’ Electric Bills Are Spiking – Cleveland.com
🏠 Population Shifts: Shrinking & Exploding at Once?
Ohio’s population is projected to decline by 2050, but some towns are booming — especially those tied to new jobs and industry growth. The ripple effects? Housing crunches, shifting politics, and strained infrastructure.
📎 Ohio Faces Population Decline by 2050 – WKYC
🔦 Spotlight Ohio: ⚓Cleveland Cruise Capital of the Great Lakes?
Yep, you read that right — Cleveland’s cruise season wrapped up strong, and plans are already in motion for expansion in 2026. Robert’s calling dibs on the first ticket.
📎 Port of Cleveland Ends Landmark Cruise Season, Eyes Expansion – WKYC
💸 Money Back in Cuyahoga County
Good news for local budgets — $35 million in assessment funds are being returned to Cuyahoga County taxing authorities. The guys call it “a rare win for taxpayers.”
📎 $35M in Assessment Funds Returning to Taxing Authorities – Ohio News
🎓 Ohio Spent More Than $1 Billion on Private School Vouchers
The latest numbers are in: for fiscal year 2025 the state of Ohio poured $1.09 billion into five private-school voucher programs, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
- Nearly half of that amount — $492.8 million — went into the “Education Choice Expansion” scholarship program.
- Private‐school enrollment (in nonpublic schools tied to these vouchers) was about 181,244 students, up 4.6 % from the previous year.
- Some critics argue the scale and growth are troubling — for example the Ohio Education Association said: “it seems like the EdChoice voucher program is expanding … and there aren’t nearly as many students … to warrant that kind of infusion of money.”
📎 Ohio Spent More Than $1 Billion on Private School Vouchers in 2025 – Ohio News
👮 Cincinnati Police Chief on Paid Leave
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the drama continues as Teresa Theetge — the city’s police chief — was placed on paid administrative leave effective October 20, 2025, pending an investigation into her leadership of the Cincinnati Police Department.
- A letter obtained by reporters shows the city manager’s office formally authorized the leave. The letter also restricts access to email and city facilities for the chief during the leave.
- The city announced they’ll hire outside counsel for the investigation “to ensure a timely, fair and thorough process.”
- The chief’s attorney maintains she has no intention to resign and suggested politics may be driving the move.
📎 Cincinnati Police Chief Placed on Paid Leave – Ohio News
✋ Ashland Dems Sue Over Removal from County Fair
In Ashland County, Ohio, the local Democratic Party is suing following events at the county fair. The Ashland County Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil‐rights violations after being kicked off fairgrounds because they distributed buttons with messages about the former President.
- The incident occurred September 18, 2025: the fair board and sheriff’s office removed their booth over buttons with slogans like “Is he dead yet?” and “8647” (references to President Trump). (FIRE)
- The lawsuit lists the sheriff, fair‐board officials, and deputies as defendants. It alleges viewpoint discrimination (i.e., removal because of what they were saying).)
📎 Ashland Sheriff, County Fair Sued Over Booting Dems – Ohio News
⚖️ Hamilton County Judge Under Removal Process
In Hamilton County, Ohio, state lawmakers have initiated proceedings to remove Municipal Judge Ted Berry following controversial social-media posts about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk.
- Lawmakers say Judge Berry’s comments violated portions of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct — namely, maintaining public confidence, avoiding bias, and not letting personal views influence judicial duties.
- One resolution describes his posts as “vitriolic, racially charged and political language” related to Kirk’s death. (dayton-daily-news)
📎 Lawmakers Begin Process to Remove Hamilton County Judge – Ohio News
🌞 GOOD THINGS
Because not everything in Ohio is doom and gloom.
💵 The Cleveland Cash Challenge
Image suggestion: people holding cash envelopes in Cleveland landmarks
Locals are hiding cash around Cleveland and dropping clues on Instagram — it’s a citywide scavenger hunt with real rewards.
📎 Instagrammers Challenge Clevelanders to “Find the Cash” – Cleveland Scene
🎃 Ohio-Made Horror
Spooky season’s got a homegrown flair — four new Ohio-made horror films are out now. Support your local scream scene!
📎 4 New Cleveland-Made Horror Movies to Watch – Cleveland Scene
🧭 Citizen Portal Spotlight
Want to dig deeper or get involved in your local community decisions? Check out the Ohio Citizen Portal for resources, news, and engagement tools.
What is Citizen Portal? Citizen Portal AI is the ultimate tool for staying informed and holding leaders accountable. Get direct access to what elected officials say and do—no spin, just facts. Empower yourself with clear, reliable information straight from the source and make smarter decisions with confidence.
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