Monday has arrived.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, high of 66. We'll take it!

Situational awareness: Bayer announced plans Friday to build a $2.2 billion pharmaceutical facility and create 600 new jobs in the New Albany International Business Park.

Today’s newsletter is 982 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike has renewed national scrutiny of lethal injection — an issue with a troubled history in Ohio.

Why it matters: Ohio still has the death penalty, but hasn't carried out an execution in more than eight years.

• Gov. Mike DeWine has cited Ohio's persistent problems obtaining lethal injection drugs, and called for abolishing capital punishment in June, saying it doesn't deter crime.

Driving the news: Tennessee officials tried to execute Pike with pentobarbital on Wednesday, but she survived two doses of the drug and was hospitalized in critical condition.

• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called the failed execution "deeply disturbing," suspended another execution and ordered an independent review.

Zoom in: Ohio last carried out an execution in July 2018. DeWine has repeatedly postponed executions because the state has been unable to obtain lethal injection drugs without jeopardizing pharmaceutical suppliers' access to medications used for other purposes.

• More than 100 people remain on Ohio's death row, including seven sentenced in Franklin County, and execution dates have been pushed as far as 2030.
• DeWine, who helped write Ohio's modern death penalty law as a state legislator, came out against capital punishment in June and believes it does not deter crime.
• He has said he doesn't expect another execution during his term, which ends in January 2027.

What they're saying: The candidates hoping to succeed DeWine have taken different approaches.

• Republican Vivek Ramaswamy supports the death penalty "only in the most egregious cases."
• Democrat Amy Acton hasn't taken a firm position, saying she'd respect Ohio's current pause and "take a hard look" at the issue.

Flashback: Ohio has its own history of troubled lethal injections.

• Officials halted Romell Broom's 2009 execution after more than two hours of failed attempts to establish an IV.
• Dennis McGuire's 2014 execution lasted about 25 minutes as he gasped and snorted. Two earlier executions also encountered serious IV problems.

What's next: Whether Ohio resumes executions could largely depend on the state's next governor — unless lawmakers abolish capital punishment or establish another execution method.

It's probably too late to start training for the 2028 Olympic Games, but the event sure could use you as a volunteer.

State of play: Columbus is set to host men's and women's soccer matches at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

• The LA 28 Volunteer Crew is now accepting local applications to help, NBC4 reports.

Zoom in: You must be at least 18 years old, proficient in English and available to volunteer during the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

• There are eight volunteer categories, with Experience, Operations and Sport the most relevant in Columbus, per NBC4.

Whatever you choose, be sure to select the "Columbus Zone" as your location.

On World Teachers' Day, we're paying tribute to the inspiring stories of four Ohio educators:

📺 Sandy Anderson, a sudden TV broadcaster.

When a 1977 gas shortage led to Columbus school closures, Anderson and others stepped up to keep learning going.

• They turned into "producers, script writers, performers and production artists" to broadcast daily lessons on local news stations, the Cleveland Press reported.
• Anderson, a fine arts supervisor, headed the team that prepared TV visuals.

🏛️ James A. Garfield, a future president.

Garfield worked as a part-time teacher and school janitor in Northeast Ohio in the decades before entering the White House.

• There's now a Portage County school district named in his honor.

❤ Ellis Braught, a hero.

The Columbus teacher saved a man's life in a 1927 fire, surviving his own burns and a fall out of a window.

• He was later awarded a bronze medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

🚀 Gail Klink, a champion for space education.

Klink was an Ohio finalist for the Teacher in Space program that sent Christa McAuliffe on the Challenger space shuttle, which broke apart and killed all on board.

• "I have never felt lucky or happy that I wasn't picked," she told the Newark Advocate in 2011. "I was not lucky or happy. My comrade died."
• The Newark teacher later served as a global public speaker on the importance of space exploration.

We told you last week how Ohioans walk about a half mile a day and asked readers for tips on staying active.

Russell G. says his walking routine used to involve getting to the office early, logging 10,000 steps, then heading inside for work.

• Now retired, Russell takes a few morning walks before ending at Third Way for a "coffee treat."
• "The key is to not let the heat or cold deter you."

🤔 What's your advice? Hit reply.

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Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election.

How to register: You can do so online or at your county board of elections office.

Pro tips: Today is also the last day to update your registration — i.e., to change your residential address.

• Take a moment to double-check that your registration is active and has the correct information.

What's next: Early voting starts tomorrow at county elections offices, or you can request a mail-in ballot.

• If voting on Nov. 3, find your polling place.

What's on local ballots

Thanks to Delano Massey for editing today's newsletter.

Our picks:

📴 Alissa is off.

🤒 Andrew is sick.

🏰 Tyler is reading about the Cleveland castle for sale.