A freeze warning lifts at 9 a.m. ahead of a sunny week near 70°, the Renaissance Festival closes Romance Weekend, and Village Council, early voting and the county budget all get going Monday and Tuesday.

Weather

Today: 64°F, Widespread Frost then Sunny (high 64° / low 37°)

Outlook: - Monday — high 68° / low 37°, Areas Of Frost then Sunny - Tuesday — high 69° / low 39°, Sunny - Wednesday — high 70° / low 41°, Sunny

Alerts: Freeze Warning — Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 2:57AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

This morning in Waynesville

1. Freeze warning until 9 a.m., then a sunny, warming week. The National Weather Service in Wilmington has a Freeze Warning in effect until 9:00 a.m. today, with widespread frost this morning. After that, the forecast turns sunny with a high near 64° today, and highs of 68° Monday, 69° Tuesday and 70° Wednesday, though more frost is possible early Monday. Village leaf pickup begins Monday; rake leaves to the curb, not into the street. (NWS · Village of Waynesville)
2. Last day of Romance Weekend, and fossils at Caesar Creek. The Ohio Renaissance Festival's Romance Weekend wraps up today, 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Myths & Monsters Weekend follows October 24–25. At Caesar Creek, the ODNR Geological Survey leads guided fossil collecting for Earth Science Week at the Lake Visitor Center from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and the state park has Campfire and Craft at 10:00 a.m. and Rocks and Relics at 1:00 p.m. (Renaissance Festival · Campfire and Craft · Rocks and Relics)
3. A busy civic Monday and Tuesday. Village Council meets Monday at 7:00 p.m.; the draft minutes in its agenda packet record that council adopted Ordinance 2026-043 as an emergency at its previous meeting, 7-0, authorizing the village manager and finance director to open a village credit card account with Peoples Bank and enroll in the bank's Insured Cash Sweep service. Early in-person voting resumes Monday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Board of Elections in Lebanon, and the county commissioners hold a 2027 budget work session Tuesday. (council agenda packet · Board of Elections schedule)

Schools

Waynesville High School students toured Sinclair Community College's Manufacturing Day, getting a look at robotics, welding, biotechnology, chemistry and a guitar lab, the district said Saturday. This week, October 19–23, bus drivers count student riders each morning and afternoon for the state report, and the band's Goodwill "Drive to Victory" donation drive runs October 19–22. Wednesday is Unity Day; students and staff are asked to wear orange. Next Saturday, October 24, the WHS Leo Club hosts a Halloween Carnival with games, bingo, a Sweet Treat Walk, food and candy at Waynesville Elementary from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., with proceeds going to Leo Club causes. Fresh off Friday's 35-7 Senior Night win over Eaton, the football team plays at Valley View Friday at 7:00 p.m.; boys soccer hosts Northwestern Tuesday and girls soccer hosts Indian Lake Thursday, both at 7:00 p.m. The Mary L. Cook Public Library board meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Library programs (Mary L. Cook Public Library) - Mon · Oct 19, 1:00 PM — Paper Ghost Take and Make (TEENS) - Mon · Oct 19, 4:15 PM — Art Class for Kids (Cozy Fall Cat) - Tue · Oct 20, 10:30 AM — Toddler Time - Tue · Oct 20, 4:00 PM — Rapid Readers Book Club - …and 4 more — see the full list

This week in sports

Results - Volleyball (Varsity) — Waynesville 2, Valley View 3 (sets) (Away) — box score - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 1, Bellbrook 6 (Home) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 0, Badin 3 (Home) — box score - Football (Varsity) — Waynesville 35, Eaton 7 (Home) — box score

Upcoming - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — vs Northwestern, Tue · Oct 20, 7:00 PM — details - Volleyball (Varsity) — @ West Liberty-Salem, Wed · Oct 21, 5:00 PM — details - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — vs Indian Lake, Thu · Oct 22, 7:00 PM — details - Football (Varsity) — @ Valley View, Fri · Oct 23, 7:00 PM — details - …and 1 more — see the full list

Local government

Next up: Warren County Commissioners, Tue, Oct 20 · 9:00 AM — agenda posted (Regular Session 2) · agenda posted (Regular Session 1). Latest posted by the commissioners: agenda, Oct 13 · resolutions, Oct 13 · minutes, Sep 29. Also next up: Wayne Township Trustees, Tue, Oct 20 · 7:00 PM, 6050 N. Clarksville Rd., Waynesville — latest posted agenda: Trustees Meeting Agenda, Oct 15, 2026. Waynesville Village Council meets Monday at 7:00 p.m. The draft minutes in the agenda packet show council approved its September 21 minutes and adopted Ordinance 2026-043 as an emergency, 7-0, establishing a village credit card account with Peoples Bank and enrolling the village in the Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) service. At the county, Tuesday's sessions include a 2027 benefits renewal discussion at 10:00 a.m. and a 2027 budget work session at 10:30 a.m. (agenda); the morning session has up for consideration an emergency repair to an aerator blower at the Lower Little Miami Wastewater Treatment Plant, advertising for bids on North Wellfield Test Wells 8, 9 and 10, and a 9:15 a.m. continued public hearing on rezoning about 30 acres in Union Township to light industrial with a planned unit development (agenda). The board also scheduled executive sessions. Wayne Township trustees meet Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., and the village Finance Committee meets October 26 at 6:00 p.m. at 1400 Lytle Road.

Official notices (past two weeks): - Oct 16, Village of Waynesville — Finance Committee Meeting Rescheduled: The Finance Committee Meeting has been rescheduled to 6:00 p.m. on October 26th at 1400 Lytle Road. The public is encouraged to attend. - Oct 15, Village of Waynesville — Leaf Pick-Up: Leaf Pickup will begin on Monday, October 19th. The Street Department will be following the provided schedule. We ask that leaves be raked to the curb, but not into the street. Leaves in the street can get into the storm drains and plug them up, causing flooding. - Oct 13, Wayne Township — WAYNE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING: View Notice

November 3, 2026 General Election — 16 days away. Early voting resumes Mon, Oct 19 (8:00 AM–5:00 PM) at the Warren County Board of Elections, 520 Justice Dr, Lebanon. Full schedule. Statewide and countywide issues on the ballot, as labeled on the Board of Elections' issue list: - Constitutional Amendment Requiring Photo Id for Voting with Pros and Cons (ballot language) - Mental Health Recovery Board Ren 1 Mil 5 yrs (ballot language) - Warren County Senior Services Ren 1.21 mills 5 Yrs (ballot language) 4 other local issues appear only on ballots elsewhere in the county. All issues · candidates

Around town

Today is the last day of the Renaissance Festival's Romance Weekend (10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.), and Waynesville Fall Fest on S.R. 73 is open noon to 6:00 p.m. In Springboro, Trunk-Or-Treat in the Park runs 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at North Park. Historical Haunts ghost walks resume Thursday at 7:00 p.m. from the gazebo across from the Hammel House, and downtown merchants hold Trick or Treat next Sunday, October 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Kings Island's Halloween Haunt runs Thursdays through Sundays through October 31. See the Trick-or-Treat Guide for every event nearby.

Museum at the Friends Home (next 7 days; book on the museum's site): - Thu, Oct 22 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Fri, Oct 23 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Sat, Oct 24 · 6:00 PM — Ghost & Goblet Dinner/Tour (sold out) — 260 Chapman St, Waynesville, OH, USA - Sat, Oct 24 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH

Merchant Association events (waynesvilleshops.com) - Sun, Oct 25 · 1:00 PM–4:00 PM — Trick or Treat - Fri, Nov 6 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM — Hearthwarming Holidays - Sun, Dec 6 · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Waynesville Street Faire The Christmas Market

Caesar Creek State Park

Naturalist programs at the park, about five miles east of the village, over the next 14 days. Check each program's page for meeting points and any changes.

• Sun, Oct 18 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Campfire and Craft
• Sun, Oct 18 · 1:00 PM–3:00 PM — Rocks and Relics
• Fri, Oct 23 · 6:00 PM — Fall Campout
• Thu, Oct 29 · 1:30 PM–3:00 PM — Guided Nature Center Tours
• …and 2 more — see the full list

Public safety

NWS alerts in effect: Freeze Warning (Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 2:57AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH). Expect flaggers on S.R. 73 east of the village, where resurfacing and a new left-turn lane at Old S.R. 73 keep traffic to one lane each way through November 30; resurfacing between Springboro and Red Lion-Five Points Road runs through November 1. No new county prosecutor releases this week.

Road work near Waynesville (ODOT, within about 8 miles): - S.R. 73 Resurfacing and Turn Lane Addtiion — lane restrictions through Nov 30. Resurfacing S.R. 73, between Red Lion- Five Points Road and Harveysburg Road, as well as the installation of a left-turn lane on S.R. 73 at Old S.R. 73 near Waynesville. Traffic will be maintained in one lane in either direction with the use of flaggers and/or other traffic… - WAR-73-5.88 — lane restrictions through Nov 1. Resurfacing on S.R. 73, between its junction with S.R. 741 in the city of Springboro to Red Lion Five Points Road. Traffic will be maintained in a minimum of one lane in either direction with the use of flaggers and traffic control devices.

County road closures (Warren County Engineer, countywide): - Began Oct 16: Innovation Way Closure Cyclocross Bike Race (see release for duration) - Began Oct 15: Wilkens Blvd Northbound Closure (see release for duration)

This week's events

• Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays through October · $20 — Historical Haunts — ghost walk of downtown Waynesville (Downtown Waynesville (Museum at the Friends Home)) — details
• Thursdays–Sundays through Oct 31 — Halloween Haunt at Kings Island (Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Dr, Mason) — details
• Sep 26 – Oct 31 — Windmill Farm Market Spooktacular (Windmill Farm Market, 1454 E State Route 73, Springboro) — details
• Sat/Sun through Nov 1 · Sat 11–6, Sun 12–6 — Waynesville Fall Fest (7392 E State Route 73, Waynesville) — details
• …and 2 more — see the full list

Trick-or-Treat Guide: 7 trick-or-treat events in and around Waynesville, night by night — see the guide.

See the full events calendar.

Obituaries

• Janet A. Spencer — Mar. 22, 1939 - Oct. 12, 2026 (tribute)

Local headlines

• "Pheasant Releases Coming to Caesar Creek Wildlife Area as Ohio Prepares for Fall Hunting Season" — Warren County Post, full story.
• "School funding, housing top issues for Warren County Ohio House candidates" — Dayton Daily News, full story.
• "Janet Spencer Obituary (2026) - Waynesville, OH - Greene County Dailies" — Legacy | Obituary, full story.
• "Ohio’s 2027 Wildlife Legacy Stamp Will Feature Stunning Gray Fox" — Warren County Post, full story.
• …and 1 more — see the full list

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Have a question about Waynesville? A road project, a building going up, something you heard and want checked? Email the editor at [email protected] with "Ask the Brief" in the subject line. We'll answer reader questions in upcoming editions.

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