John Kasich will skip the governor's traditional opening day tour of the Ohio State Fair on Wednesday due to the scheduled execution of a killer at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.

"The governor will be monitoring the activities in Lucasville on Wednesday, and will tour the state fairgrounds on Thursday," said spokesman Jon Keeling.

Ohio begins its lethal-injection execution process at 10 a.m. — generally about the time the governor presides over the opening of the fair, which continues through Aug. 6 at the Columbus fairgrounds.

Ronald Phillips’ execution would end a 3 1/2-year lull in Ohio’s death penalty due to court challenges and problems finding lethal injection drugs. Phillips, 43, was convicted for the 1993 beating, rape and murder of three-year-old Sheila Marie Evans, his girlfriend’s daughter.

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The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put executions back on track in Ohio late last month by an 8-6 decision, overturning an earlier 2-1 ruling by an 6th Circuit panel and one by a district court judge. The case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ohio’s last execution was Jan. 16, 2014, when Dennis McGuire struggled against his restraints, gasped for air, choked and coughed for about 20 minutes before succumbing to the lethal drugs. The state now plans to use a combination of midazolam, rocuronium bromide and potassium chloride.

Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson contributed to this story.

rludlow@dispatch.com

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