Hell is Real sign, back-to-school dates, here are today's top stories | Daily Briefing

Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
The Hell is Real sign is on Interstate 71 between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 in Mount Sterling, Ohio. A painted devil smile is on one side of the sign.
The Hell is Real sign is on Interstate 71 between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 in Mount Sterling, Ohio. A painted devil smile is on one side of the sign.

Hell is Real.

No, you didn’t open the wrong newsletter this morning. And this isn’t a sermon.

Sherry Coolidge here with a story about exactly where that Hell is Real sign on I-71 in Mount Sterling came from.

Even I couldn't remember when it went up (2004), and I drove by it a dozen or so times a year to get to my parents' house in Youngstown, Ohio, after I moved to Cincinnati in late 2002. But there it always was, defying drivers not to talk about it. (Impossible.)

I spoke to the Kentucky developer who commissioned it, the wife of the farmer who agreed to put it on his land and the Ohio Tourism director. The latter had a sense of humor when a reporter called asking serious questions about a billboard that has somehow become synonymous with the state and its Major League Soccer teams (fans have adopted the slogan as a name for the rivalry between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew).

So, without further ado, here's everything you ever wanted to know about the Hell is Real billboard. (Including why that H is red.) Click or tap here to learn more.

What else you need to know Wednesday, Aug. 16

🌤️ Weather: High of 81. Partly sunny and nice.

📚 Back-to-school: When does school start in 2023? Here are back-to-school dates for Greater Cincinnati.

🍻 Voodoo Brew Pub: Here's what's on the menu at downtown Cincinnati's new spooky brewpub.

🗳️ Marijuana legalization: See who is opposing the effort to legalize marijuana in Ohio.

🏈 Sports: Zac Taylor considering playing Bengals’ starters in preseason game vs. Falcons.

Before you go: Luke Combs is coming to Cincy 👀

Luke Combs will perform two nights at Paycor Stadium on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, and Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
Luke Combs will perform two nights at Paycor Stadium on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, and Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.

Mark your calendars! Country superstar Luke Combs is coming to the Queen City next summer.

Combs will perform two nights at Paycor Stadium on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, and Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, as part of his Growin' Up and Gettin' Old Tour.

So grab your cowboy boots and get ready to boogie. Here's when tickets become available and which artists will open for possibly the biggest name in country music.

📰 Get today's top stories at your fingertips. Subscribe to the Daily Briefing today 📰

Today's Top Stories

Reds second baseman Jonathan India shakes his right hands after fielding a bouncing ground ball in the third inning against the Giants at Great American Ball Park on July 20, 2023.
Reds second baseman Jonathan India shakes his right hands after fielding a bouncing ground ball in the third inning against the Giants at Great American Ball Park on July 20, 2023.

• Jonathan India: 'What pissed me off' about Cincinnati Reds' original injury diagnosis

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon stands at the start of day two of his aggravated menacing bench trial, Tuesday, August 15, 2023. His attorney’s are Meryln Shiverdecker, left, and Scott Croswell. Hamilton County Municipal Judge Gwen Bender is presiding over what prosecutors say was a road-rage incident involving a gun on Jan. 21, 2023 in downtown Cincinnati.

• Bengals' Joe Mixon trial: Lawyers zero in on whether woman was afraid or enraged

• Want to make sure your child's school is safe? These are the questions parents should ask

Cincinnati-based supermarket giant Kroger offers home delivery through its growing in-house service but also via outside delivery vendors, such as Instacart.
Cincinnati-based supermarket giant Kroger offers home delivery through its growing in-house service but also via outside delivery vendors, such as Instacart.

• Instacart scam leads to $2,800 Kroger bill and no delivery

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron delivers remarks at a Moms for Cameron event, Aug. 3, 2023, in Newport.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron delivers remarks at a Moms for Cameron event, Aug. 3, 2023, in Newport.

• Daniel Cameron unveils education plan, appeals to teachers who voted for Beshear

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hell is Real sign, back-to-school dates | Daily Briefing

Recommended Stories