The Wayne Local board approved an extra school bus and a cost-cutting end to its Cintas contracts, the Spartans host Madison in tonight's Pink Out game, and the Sauerkraut Festival opens downtown Saturday under a chance of rain, with storms in Sunday's forecast.

Weather

Today: 80°F, Sunny (high 80° / low 58°)

Outlook: - Saturday — high 77° / low 57°, Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers - Sunday — high 73° / low 58°, Showers And Thunderstorms - Columbus Day — high 78° / low 61°, Mostly Sunny

No NWS alerts in effect.

This morning in Waynesville

1. School board buys a bus, ends Cintas contracts. At its October 5 meeting, the Wayne Local Board of Education declared an urgent need for an additional school bus and approved buying one for $145,525, paid for with unspent capital-project borrowing that came in under budget after planned vans were unavailable. The board also approved a $27,818.04 settlement ending the district's contracts with Cintas; the district says buying its own rugs, towels and bathroom dispensers instead of renting them should save about $40,000 to $70,000 a year. Source: Wayne Local Board Meeting Recap (Oct. 8, 2026). (wayne-local.com)
2. Pink Out tonight. Waynesville hosts Madison at 7:00 p.m. at Spartan Community Field in the WHS Pink Out game for breast cancer awareness. There is no school for students today (teacher professional day) or Monday (fall break). (MaxPreps)
3. Sauerkraut Festival opens Saturday. The 56th Ohio Sauerkraut Festival runs downtown Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., per the Chamber. The National Weather Service calls for mostly cloudy skies and a chance of showers Saturday (high 77°) and showers and thunderstorms Sunday (high 73°). (Chamber)

Weekend planner

The Sauerkraut Festival is the big one, downtown Saturday and Sunday; the Ohio Renaissance Festival's Time Travelers Weekend and the 77th Devil's Staircase hillclimb near Oregonia run the same two days, and Fox Hollow Rodeo has bull riding Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Pack a rain plan for Sunday.

Weekend weather: Saturday — high 77° / low 57°, Mostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers · Sunday — high 73° / low 58°, Showers And Thunderstorms (National Weather Service)

All weekend - Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays through October · $20 — Historical Haunts — ghost walk of downtown Waynesville (Downtown Waynesville (Museum at the Friends Home)) — details - Sep 26 – Oct 31 — Windmill Farm Market Spooktacular (Windmill Farm Market, 1454 E State Route 73, Springboro) — details - Thursdays–Sundays through Oct 31 — Halloween Haunt at Kings Island (Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Dr, Mason) — details - Oct 10–11 · Sat 9 AM–8 PM, Sun 9 AM–6 PM — Ohio Sauerkraut Festival (Downtown Waynesville) — details - …and 3 more — see the full list

Friday - No School for Students — Teacher Professional Day (Wayne Local Schools) — details - 7:00 PM — Waynesville Football Pink Out Game (Spartan Community Field, Waynesville) — details - 7:00 PM — Spartans football vs. Madison (home) — details

Saturday - 6:00 PM — Fox Hollow Rodeo — Bull Riding (Fox Hollow Rodeo, Waynesville) — details

See the full events calendar for what's coming after the weekend.

Schools

The Board Meeting Recap from the October 5 meeting leads with the district's 2025–26 Ohio School Report Card: Superintendent Dr. Ison reported an overall rating of 4.5 stars, with Waynesville High School and Waynesville Elementary holding 5 stars and Waynesville Middle School rising from 3.5 to 4. He said the Progress component, which measures whether students show the academic growth the state expects and counts for 25% of the overall rating, will be a key focus this year. The board approved revisions to the WMS/WHS student handbook that set expectations for student use of artificial intelligence and AI-enabled devices such as smart glasses, along with consequences for unauthorized use. Also approved: a $5,700 donation from the Waynesville PTO for art, music, PE, computer and PBIS activities; a five-month facility dog internship at Waynesville Elementary with Circle Tail, Inc. starting January 1; and overnight trips to Williamsburg, Virginia, for gifted/enrichment students in grades 4–7 and to Washington, D.C., for eighth graders next May. Dr. Ison recognized seven WHS student artists for a large mural in the new movement rooms at Waynesville Elementary, and said turf and track installers need to repair a few areas before the project is finalized. Board members discussed how to handle finance topics, including whether to form a board finance committee, and Dr. Ison said he is arranging a meeting with Warren County Auditor Matt Nolan to share levy information with the board. The board next meets Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. at the WLS Performing Arts Center, opening with the Spartan Recognition Awards. Source: Wayne Local Board Meeting Recap (Oct. 8, 2026). On the field Thursday, boys soccer played Dayton Christian to a 0–0 draw.

Library programs (Mary L. Cook Public Library) - Sat · Oct 10, 10:00 AM — Sauerkraut Festival - 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 - …and 4 more — see the full list

This week in sports

Results - 4 earlier — see the full list - Volleyball (Varsity) — Waynesville 0, Fairmont 3 (sets) (Home) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 1, Legacy Christian Academy 1 (Home) — box score - Girls Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 1, Tippecanoe 4 (Away) — box score - Boys Soccer (Varsity) — Waynesville 0, Dayton Christian 0 (Home) — box score

Upcoming - Football (Varsity) — vs Madison, Fri · Oct 9, 7:00 PM — details - 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 - …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. No local government meetings are scheduled today. The Warren County Commissioners meet Tuesday, October 13, at 9:00 a.m. at 406 Justice Dr in Lebanon, and the Wayne Township Trustees meet Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. Early in-person voting for the November 3 election is open today from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Board of Elections in Lebanon.

November 3, 2026 General Election — 25 days away. Early voting is open today, 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

At Caesar Creek State Park, the Jason Lagore Memorial Dog Park is dedicated today at 10:00 a.m. in honor of the late Natural Resources Officer, per the park. Beyond the festivals, Waynesville Fall Fest is open Saturday and Sunday on S.R. 73, Historical Haunts ghost walks continue downtown through October, and in Mason, Kings Island's Halloween Haunt runs Thursday through Sunday nights through October 31 (the park says it is not recommended for children under 13).

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

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 3 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; allow extra time on S.R. 73 with festival traffic downtown this weekend.

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

See the full events calendar.

Obituaries

• Dr. Joyce M. Leifheit — Apr. 08, 1952 - Oct. 06, 2026 (tribute)
• James "Jimmy" Henry Engle — Aug. 16, 1968 - Oct. 03, 2026 (tribute)

Local headlines

• "Court Celebrates Sibling Success in Recovery" — Court News Ohio (.gov), full story.
• "Soybean Harvest Cab Cam – Mike Lutmer, Warren County" — Ohio's Country Journal, full story.
• "The 56th Waynesville Sauerkraut Fetival Is Happening This Weekend" — Warren County Post, full story.
• "Warren County sheriff searching for suspects after multiple people report shattered car windshields" — WLWT, 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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