Catching Our Eye News Roundup, Oct. 2, 2026

Every morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio and around the country and world that is catching our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye, republished here.

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Catching Our Eye

• Booked solid. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Erin Glynn reports, “Republican Eric Conroy won’t attend President Trump’s SW Ohio rally”

You won’t find President Trump in the ads for Eric Conroy, a Republican House candidate in a competitive Greater Cincinnati district. He’s hard to find on Conroy’s website.

But now that Trump is coming to Southwest Ohio, Conroy faces a choice: Should he appear with a president whose popularity is hitting record lows?

Eric Conroy, a Republican Air Force veteran running against Cincinnati Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, has Trump’s endorsement but hasn’t referred to the president in recent ads.

Conroy will be attending his sister’s wedding on Oct. 3 and thus will be unable to attend the Trump rally. The Enquirer confirmed the timing by checking Conroy’s sister’s wedding website.

• Catholic Foundation arrest. The Columbus Dispatch’s Shahid Meighan reports, “Catholic Foundation executive charged with sex crimes involving teenage girl”

Scott Richard Hartman, 49, of Westerville, was arrested Oct. 1 by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at his home while deputies were executing a search warrant.

He faces a misdemeanor charge of grooming, and felony charges of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and pandering an obscenity involving a minor. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.

• Good Fences, good neighbors. Cleveland.com’s Kaylee Remington reports “Bratenahl board approves privacy fence for Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce home after neighbors express concerns”

The board voted Sept. 8 to approve the fence at 12725 Lake Shore Boulevard, with conditions that it match the design and appearance of a fence on Ingall Brook Lane, that its gates match and that its height align with existing stone walls.

The revised plan calls for a 6-foot fence and leaves a corridor open to preserve lake views.