Hey there, Thursday.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high in the 70s.

🎂 Happy birthday to Central Ohio's spookiest native, R.L. Stine.

🎵 Sounds like: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg.

Today’s newsletter is 1,079 words — a 4-minute read.

Ohio drivers are already seeing results of the state's gas tax holiday — but there are bigger factors that affect the price at your gas pump.

Why it matters: Prices may still fluctuate even with the tax break in place, gas price expert Patrick De Haan warns.

Catch up quick: Ohioans normally pay 38.5 cents per gallon of gas to fund infrastructure work.

• Legislators passed a 90-day tax holiday that took effect Sunday and used state reserve funds to offset the lost revenue.
• Columbus-area gas was $3.73 on average as of yesterday, about 50 cents cheaper than a week before, per AAA data.

What they're saying: De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, tells Axios that much of the state's tax holiday is already reaching drivers.

• "It's very evident that it's being passed along very quickly."

Yes, but: The tax holiday isn't responsible for the entire drop from recent days.

• Ohio prices were already falling before the holiday. De Haan says a refinery outage that was repaired also helped push prices lower.
• A transparency wrinkle: Gas stations aren't required to show the 38.5-cent tax savings as a separate line item on customers' receipts, making it difficult for drivers to verify the exact savings themselves.

Between the lines: Ohio's gas prices have fallen much faster than neighboring Indiana's, where prices dropped about 11.5 cents over the same period, De Haan says.

• He attributes the difference in part to Ohio's highly competitive market, with more gas stations here compared to Indiana. Stations have an incentive to cut prices to attract customers, forcing competitors to respond.
• "The beauty of competition is working here to drive prices down."

The big picture: Gas prices surged in recent months as the war with Iran disrupted global oil supplies.

Reality check: De Haan warns against expecting prices to keep falling in a straight line.

• Oil and wholesale gasoline prices were rising again yesterday, De Haan says, which could push pump prices higher even while the tax holiday remains in effect.
• So a price increase in the coming days doesn't automatically mean a station is pocketing the tax savings.
• "The gas tax holiday does not freeze changes in the world."

"I promise we'll be a festering sore in their side until they're accountable. They chose to gut punch us instead of having labor peace. Our contract campaign starts now."

Over 100 union teachers packed this week's Columbus School Board meeting to condemn an insurance "disaster" that cost the district millions. (Dispatch)

🎤 Two Upper Arlington middle schoolers are among 10 finalists for NPR's nationwide Student Podcast Challenge for their show, "The Careers Kids Consider." (WOSU)

⚖️ As courts work to address "a backlog of millions of cases," immigration attorneys are reporting delays and abrupt changes to the timing and location of hearings. (WCMH-TV)

Some new public art — and a special tree — is coming to Columbus over the next week.

🌱 A symbolic planting: Franklin County and America 250-Ohio will dedicate our new "Heritage Tree" today at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

• It's part of a statewide program to plant native white oaks in all 88 counties.

The intrigue: The museum's own floors are white oak, which was used to build early U.S. Navy ships.

If you go: 11:30am, 300 W. Broad St.

🚰 A tribute to water: A new mural will be unveiled at a pump station along the Olentangy Bike Trail.

• Dane Khy's "Flow Together" will capture "how water shapes and supports every form of life," per Columbus Water & Power.

The intrigue: It's the third pump station to be designed in an effort to deter vandalism and beautify public spaces.

If you go: 10:30am Oct. 14, 560 W. Goodale St.

🏛️ Women's monument: The first Ohio Statehouse monument honoring women's achievements will get a formal unveiling.

• Sculptor Brenda Councill created nine bronze figures and four granite pillars representing eras of progress.

The intrigue: One pillar is intentionally empty to note gender equality progress still happening today.

If you go: 9:30am Oct. 14. The program begins at the Ohio Theatre and ends on the Statehouse's South Plaza.

• Free with RSVP.

Baby Mozart's growing up, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra wants kids to be classical music fans for life.

Strumming the news: The symphony recently launched a website dedicated to making the music engaging for elementary-aged kids.

Zoom in: There are easy explainers of each instrument with fun facts and YouTube links to famous pieces.

• Did you know, for instance, a violin's bow is made out of horse hair? And an early trombone was called a sackbut?
• Digital activities include quizzes, a symphony word search, memory games and a coloring page of "bee-thoven."

Reality check: There's also a "music manners" page on how to behave at live performances, which some adults could stand to read, too.

The big picture: CSO also offers free admission to kids ages 6-16, hosts field trips to the Ohio Theatre and travels to perform in-school concerts.

💭 Tyler's thought bubble: This type of outreach totally rules, and I'm excited to show my kid this website when he's a little older.

• Here are a few of my own kid-friendly musical suggestions for your next family road trip:

🦘 "Carnival of the Animals" — A fun suite of themes representing various creatures.

🖼️ "Pictures at an Exhibition" — Another suite, with movements depicting the different moods felt while touring an art gallery.

🌙 "Clair de Lune" — I loved this as a kid and still very much do.

Columbus' first Axios Social Club event was a hit, thanks entirely to our awesome readers.

Zoom in: Central Ohio's very coolest people (we believe this is objective truth) were matched with fellow readers in the Short North for a hand-picked dinner and after-party.

👀 What we're watching: This won't be the last Social Club gathering — sign up to hear about our next one!

Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.

Our picks:

📴 Alissa is off.

🍽️ Andrew was bummed to miss our first Axios Social Club event but hopes to see you at the next one!

🎵 Tyler encourages attending the New Albany Symphony Orchestra's Sunday concert celebrating International Day of the Girl.