It’s the end of an era. Tonight is the last game the Clippers will play at Cooper Stadium. They’ll be playing at Huntington Park next year.

Here’s columbusING, and here’s the Dispatch. And from last year, an old post of mine with pics of the stadium.

Steve Stivers is running an ad now. His Democratic opponent Mary Jo Kilroy has already had several. Though I notice her negative ad isn’t posted to her site. Strange, that. More at The Daily Briefing.

UPDATE: Oops. That negative ad wasn’t put out by the Kilroy camp- it’s a Democratic committee ad. So that explains that.

Some good news for all you flyboys:

Local travelers still stinging from Skybus Airlines’ demise are expected to get a welcome piece of news today, as discount carrier AirTran Airways announces it will begin flights from Port Columbus in November.

The Orlando, Fla.-based airline will offer nonstop flights to Atlanta and Orlando and Fort Myers, Fla., beginning Nov. 6. Atlanta service will be twice daily, while service to the Florida destinations will be once daily.

A bit limited but it’s a help.

Regarding the interminable egg controversy surrounding the race for the OH 15th district, the state’s Fiscal Note & Local Impact Statement on the 2003 bill (H.B. 152) says:

The bill also makes other changes regarding regulation. The bill states that an owner or operator of a facility shall not be required by any political subdivision of the state, or any officer, employee, agency, board, commission, department, etc. of a political subdivision to obtain a license, permit, or other approval pertaining to manure, insects or rodents, odor, or siting requirements for installation of an animal feeding facility if the facility has any of the following:

*a permit to install
*a permit to operate
*a review compliance certificate
*a NPDES permit
*an operation and management plan that is approved by the Chief of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation in DNR or by *supervisors of the appropriate soil and water conservation district.

This provision clarifies that CAFO regulation shall fall under the Department of Agriculture.

Hmm, a clarification. (Emphasis added.)

Republican Steve Stivers, says the 2003 bill, which he co-sponsored, did not remove local control- that happened earlier. His opponent, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, says the bill did limit local control. It might be a little more nuanced than all that.

“The Central Ohio Transit Authority experienced an 18 percent increase in bus ridership on its fixed routes for the month of July,” according to Columbus Local News. That’s over July 2007. Stay high, gas prices! Keep these people off the road. Disclaimer: I have never ridden on a COTA bus. (Via RetroMetro.)