The North Warren County Transportation Plan open house runs 4–6 p.m. at the Career Center and its comment survey opens today; early voting continues ahead of Tuesday's election; and Halloween week brings trick-or-treat at Quaker Heights and the Chamber mixer tonight.

Weather

Today: 76°F, Mostly Sunny (high 76° / low 50°)

Outlook: - Thursday — high 77° / low 51°, Sunny - Friday — high 73° / low 48°, Sunny - Saturday — high 71° / low 52°, Mostly Cloudy

No NWS alerts in effect.

This morning in Waynesville

1. Open house today on a possible new I-75/I-71 connection. The North Warren County Transportation Plan open house runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. today at the Warren County Career Center, 3525 S.R. 48, Lebanon; drop in anytime. The study area takes in Waynesville, Corwin and Wayne Township, and the project team will show several general locations being studied for a new link between I-75 and I-71 (the county stresses these are not final routes) along with 10 roadway locations it has flagged as high priorities for improvement. The same materials go up on the project website today, and the online comment survey is open through November 17. (project website)
2. Early voting today until 7:30 p.m. The November 3 general election is six days away. Early in-person voting is open today from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Warren County Board of Elections, 520 Justice Dr., Lebanon. Countywide, the ballot carries renewal levies for the Mental Health Recovery Board and Warren County Senior Services, plus a statewide constitutional amendment on photo ID for voting. (Board of Elections notice)
3. Halloween week, Wednesday edition. Ohio Living Quaker Heights, 514 High St., opens its doors for trick-or-treat tonight from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., and the Chamber's Bourbon & Cigars mixer is at the Villager Pub, 144 S. Main St., from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., open to members and non-members alike. Village-wide trick-or-treat is Saturday, October 31, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Chamber events)

Schools

Boys soccer fell 4-0 at Archbishop Alter on Tuesday night (box score). Girls soccer, 4-1 winners over Valley View on Monday, plays at Madeira on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Both Spartan cross country teams run at regionals this weekend. The WHS swim team holds its athlete/parent meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the middle/high school cafeteria, and the Warren County Career Center Information Night for students in grades 9 and 10 and their parents is Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the Spartan Room.

In the classroom, the district says students in grades K–4 took the mCLASS Math Diagnostic this fall, and for kindergartners that meant working on "real computers" with a keyboard and mouse, a step the district calls important in building digital skills (post). At the library, Thursday brings a Goosebumps event and a Winnie the Pooh movie, both at 4:00 p.m., and Trivia Night returns Monday at 6:00 p.m. The Board of Education next meets Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m.

Library programs (Mary L. Cook Public Library) - Wed · Oct 28, 10:30 AM — Baby Bookworms - Thu · Oct 29, 10:30 AM — Preschool Storytime - Thu · Oct 29, 4:00 PM — Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump Movie Event - Thu · Oct 29, 4:00 PM — All Things Goosebumps Event - …and 4 more — see the full list

This week in sports

Results - 2 earlier — see the full list - Football (Varsity) — Waynesville 31, Valley View 28 (Away) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 8, Madison 0 (Home) — box score - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 4, Valley View 1 (Home) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 0, Archbishop Alter 4 (Away) — box score

Upcoming - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — @ Madeira, Thu · Oct 29, 7:00 PM — details

Local government

Next up: Warren County Commissioners, Tue, Nov 3 · 9:00 AM — agendas. Latest posted by the commissioners: agenda, Oct 27 · resolutions, Oct 20 (Regular Session 1) · minutes, Oct 13. Also next up: Wayne Township Trustees, Tue, Nov 3 · 7:00 PM, 6050 N. Clarksville Rd., Waynesville — latest posted agenda: Trustees Meeting Agenda, Oct 20, 2026. The commissioners have not yet posted an agenda for their November 3 session; the October 27 agenda and the latest resolutions and minutes are linked above. Wayne Township trustees also meet November 3, Election Day, at 7:00 p.m. In the village, leaf pickup continues on the Street Department's schedule: rake leaves to the curb, not into the street, where they can clog storm drains (Village notice).

Official notices (past two weeks): - Oct 21, Wayne Township — WCTA Scholarship Application 2027: View Application - 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.

November 3, 2026 General Election — 6 days away. Early voting is open today, 7:30 AM–7:30 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

Tonight it's trick-or-treat at Quaker Heights and the Chamber mixer at the Villager Pub. Historical Haunts ghost walks meet at the gazebo across from the Hammel House on Main Street Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m.; book on the museum's site. This weekend is the closing weekend for both the Ohio Renaissance Festival, with its Heroes and Villains theme, and Waynesville Fall Fest on S.R. 73. Boat owners: Caesar Creek State Park says only a few days remain to apply for a seasonal marina dock in the annual Ohio State Parks Dock Lottery (post). Looking ahead, the Merchant Association's Hearthwarming Holidays is Friday, November 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Nearby, Halloween Haunt at Kings Island in Mason runs through Saturday.

Museum at the Friends Home (next 7 days; book on the museum's site): - Thu, Oct 29 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Fri, Oct 30 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Sat, Oct 31 · 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) - 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.

• Thu, Oct 29 · 1:30 PM–3:00 PM — Guided Nature Center Tours
• Fri, Oct 30 · 2:00 PM–3:00 PM — Nature Shapes and Shadows
• Sat, Oct 31 · 1:30 PM–3:00 PM — Guided Nature Center Tours

Public safety

No NWS weather alerts are in effect this morning. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 76°, with sunshine continuing Thursday and Friday. On S.R. 73, ODOT resurfacing continues with flaggers and one-lane traffic between Red Lion-Five Points Road and Harveysburg Road through November 30, and between Springboro and Red Lion-Five Points Road through November 1. The county's Wilkens Boulevard closure continues; see the County Engineer's release for details.

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 26: Wilkens Blvd Closure (see release for duration) - 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: 2 trick-or-treat events in and around Waynesville, night by night — see the guide.

See the full events calendar.

Obituaries

• Samuel C. Holden — Jun. 05, 1996 - Oct. 25, 2026 (tribute)
• Dorothy "Dottie" A. Pfeiffer — Aug. 15, 1933 - Oct. 23, 2026 (tribute)
• Christopher Byrum — Dec. 20, 1975 - Oct. 21, 2026 (tribute)
• Deborah M. "Debbie" Mullins — Jun. 08, 1954 - Oct. 21, 2026 (tribute)

Local headlines

• "Bull rider dies after suffering chest injury at Warren County stables, police say" — FOX19 | Cincinnati, full story.
• "Bull rider dies after accident at Warren County rodeo" — WKRC, full story.
• "Ohio Highway Patrol Sees Largest Incoming Class in Nearly 10 Years" — Warren County Post, full story.
• "Bull rider identified after fatal accident occurs at rodeo in Warren County" — WLWT, full story.
• …and 4 more — see the full list

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