The 56th Ohio Sauerkraut Festival wraps up today under a chance of showers and thunderstorms, Wayne Local students are off Monday for fall break, and early in-person voting resumes Monday in Lebanon.
Weather
Today: 69°F, Showers And Thunderstorms Likely (high 69° / low 55°)
Outlook: - Columbus Day — high 81° / low 63°, Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny - Tuesday — high 85° / low 64°, Sunny - Wednesday — high 79° / low 58°, Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
No NWS alerts in effect.
This morning in Waynesville
- Last day for the Sauerkraut Festival. The 56th Ohio Sauerkraut Festival is open downtown today from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., per the Chamber. The National Weather Service calls for showers and thunderstorms likely, with a high of 69°, so bring rain gear. The Ohio Renaissance Festival's Time Travelers Weekend also wraps up today (10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), and the Devil's Staircase hillclimb near Oregonia runs its second day. (Festival)
- No school Monday; early voting resumes. Wayne Local students are off Monday for fall break, per the district. Also Monday, early in-person voting for the November 3 general election resumes from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Warren County Board of Elections, 520 Justice Dr., Lebanon. (Board of Elections schedule)
- The week ahead. Warren County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. in Lebanon. Girls Soccer Senior Night is Tuesday, when the varsity hosts Bellbrook at 7:15 p.m. Friday brings a two-hour early release to end the quarter, then Football Senior Night as the Spartans (fresh off a 45-7 win over Madison) host Eaton at 7:00 p.m. (MaxPreps)
Schools
October is Fire Prevention Month, and Waynesville Elementary kindergarten and young fives students visited the Wayne Township Fire Station this week to learn fire safety skills, the district reports. Wayne Middle School eighth graders in the Flight & Space class toured the Warren County Airport, including a look at CareFlight. Classes resume Tuesday after Monday's fall break. At Mary L. Cook Public Library, the Getting Reel Film Club meets Monday at 5:30 p.m. and Teen Tuesday starts at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Library programs (Mary L. Cook Public Library) - Mon · Oct 12, 9:00 AM — Monsters University Interactive Movie Kits - Mon · Oct 12, 5:30 PM — Getting Reel Film Club - Tue · Oct 13, 10:30 AM — Toddler Time - Tue · Oct 13, 3:00 PM — Teen Tuesday (6th-12th Grade) - …and 4 more — see the full list
This week in sports
Results - 2 earlier — see the full list - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 1, Tippecanoe 4 (Away) — box score - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 3, Dayton Christian 1 (Away) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 0, Dayton Christian 0 (Home) — box score - Football (Varsity) — Waynesville 45, Madison 7 (Home) — box score
Upcoming - Volleyball (Varsity) — @ Valley View, Tue · Oct 13, 6:45 PM — details - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — vs Bellbrook, Tue · Oct 13, 7:15 PM — details - Volleyball (Varsity) — @ Archbishop Alter, Thu · Oct 15, 6:30 PM — details - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — vs Badin, Thu · Oct 15, 7:15 PM — details - …and 1 more — see the full list
Local government
Next up: Warren County Commissioners, Tue, Oct 13 · 9:00 AM — agenda. Also next up: Wayne Township Trustees, Tue, Oct 20 · 7:00 PM, 6050 N. Clarksville Rd., Waynesville — latest posted agenda: Trustees Meeting Agenda, Sep 15, 2026. Wayne Township Trustees meet Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m.; the township's most recent posted agenda is from September 15. Village Council's October 5 agenda packet remains the latest posted; it records council's 6-0 votes adopting Ordinances 2026-040 and 2026-041 as emergency measures, the latter authorizing a contract to buy real property on Third Street. Council agenda packet (PDF).
November 3, 2026 General Election — 23 days away. Early voting resumes Mon, Oct 12 (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
Waynesville Fall Fest is open today from noon to 6:00 p.m. on S.R. 73, and Historical Haunts ghost walks continue downtown through October, with tours Thursday through Saturday this week. The Warren County Post reports that the Jason Lagore Memorial Dog Park has opened at Caesar Creek State Park. Downtown shops host Trick or Treat on Sunday, October 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; see the Trick-or-Treat Guide for every date nearby.
Museum at the Friends Home (next 7 days; book on the museum's site): - Thu, Oct 15 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville (sold out) — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Fri, Oct 16 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH - Sat, Oct 17 · 6:00 PM — Ghost & Goblet Dinner/Tour (sold out) — 260 Chapman St, Waynesville, OH, USA - Sat, Oct 17 · 7:00 PM — Historical Haunts - Downtown Waynesville — Meet at the Gazebo across from the Hammel House 121 S Main St Waynesville, OH
Building permits, August 2026 — 17 permits issued in Wayne Township and the villages of Waynesville and Corwin, $571,097 in listed project costs. The Warren County Building Department posts each month's report about five to six weeks after the month ends, so these are not new filings. Full report - Aug 4 — CIERRA WAY (Wayne Township): 16x35x5 Pool Trench, Bonding, Electric — $100,000 - Aug 7 — Cobblestone, 10 N MAIN STREET (Village of Waynesville): inspect is needed to restore power to the building after being turned off for more than 30 days per AES - Aug 19 — SANDY RUN DRIVE (Wayne Township): 34x20 add on to detached garage — $40,000 - Aug 20 — FERRY ROAD (Wayne Township): in-ground fiberglass pool w/ concrete pool decking — $103,000 - …and 3 more — see the full list
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.
- Thu, Oct 15 · 9:30 AM–11:00 AM — Giving Back to the Wild: Land Stewardship
- Thu, Oct 15 · 1:00 PM–2:00 PM — Nature Shapes and Shadows
- Fri, Oct 16 · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Thirteen Mile Guided Perimeter Hike
- Sat, Oct 17 · 8:00 AM–12:00 PM — Give Back Day
- …and 4 more — see the full list
Public safety
No NWS weather alerts are in effect this morning, and the Warren County Prosecutor's Office posted no new releases in the past week. Flagger-controlled lane restrictions continue on S.R. 73 between Red Lion-Five Points Road and Harveysburg Road through November 30, and between Springboro and Red Lion-Five Points Road through November 1; expect delays with festival traffic today. The County Engineer lists an Innovation Way closure starting Friday, October 16, for a cyclocross bike race.
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): - Starting Oct 16: Innovation Way Closure Cyclocross Bike Race
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: 6 trick-or-treat events in and around Waynesville, night by night — see the guide.
See the full events calendar.
Obituaries
- Bradley Allen Michael Pursley — Apr. 03, 1980 - Oct. 08, 2026 (tribute)
- Rev. Dennis P. Purvis Sr. — Mar. 21, 1957 - Oct. 08, 2026 (tribute)
- Dr. Joyce M. Leifheit — Apr. 08, 1952 - Oct. 06, 2026 (tribute)
Local headlines
- "Jason Lagore Memorial Dog Park Opens at Caesar Creek State Park" — Warren County Post, full story.
- "Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival brings food, fundraising and community pride" — WKEF, full story.
- "First responders recover body of missing 10-year-old boy from pond in Warren County" — WLWT, full story.
- "James Engle Obituary (2026) - Waynesville, OH - Dayton Daily News" — Legacy | Obituary, full story.
- …and 4 more — see the full list
Ask the Brief
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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