News

Breaking news, crime, public safety and city government coverage in Columbus, Ohio

Ohio Secretary of State Speaks on DHS Voter Fraud Investigation Targeting Franklin County Residents Four Days Before Primary

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Ohio Secretary of State Speaks on DHS Voter Fraud Investigation Targeting Franklin County Residents Four Days Before Primary

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed Friday that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security voter fraud investigation is active in Franklin County, with federal agents having requested records on more than 50 Columbus-area voters since January — four days before Ohio’s May 5 primary election. LaRose addressed the probe in an interview with ABC … Read more

Columbus City Schools, City Council Form Joint Committee Amid $100M Budget Crisis

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Leaders from Columbus City Council and Columbus City Schools holding a press conference at Northland High School.

Columbus City Schools and Columbus City Council announced a joint leadership committee Tuesday morning at a news conference held at Northland High School on the city’s North Side, formalizing a partnership between the CCS Board of Education and City Council as Ohio’s largest school district confronts a two-year budget shortfall that district officials have pegged … Read more

A Cigarette, a Gas Theft, and Singed Eyebrows: Former Employee Charged with Felony Arson on Walcutt Road

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He Went Back to Steal Gas From His Old Job. Then He Lit a Cigarette. Now William Bush Faces Felony Arson Charges.

COLUMBUS: The plan was simple enough. Drive to the old workplace in the dark, slip through the gate, fill up some containers with fuel, and disappear before anyone noticed. It did not go that way for William Bush. Bush, 31, now faces a felony arson charge after surveillance cameras captured what investigators say was a … Read more

John Glenn International Airport to Permanently Close Walking Lot in Early May as $2B Expansion Begins

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Travel Alert: CMH to Permanently Close Popular ‘Walking Lot’ This May for $2B Terminal Expansion

COLUMBUS Travelers who frequently fly out of John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) are about to lose a favorite parking option. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority has officially confirmed that the popular Walking Lot will close its gates for good on May 4, 2026. This move marks one of the first major physical changes on … Read more

Gov. Mike DeWine Launches Statewide School Attendance Dashboard to Track Absenteeism Across Ohio

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Ohio Education Update: Gov. DeWine Unveils Statewide Dashboard to Combat Chronic Absenteeism

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced the launch of a new statewide school attendance dashboard designed to track student absenteeism across Ohio, including in Columbus City Schools and districts throughout Franklin County. State officials said the dashboard provides publicly accessible data on attendance rates, with a focus on chronic absenteeism — typically defined as … Read more

Man Shot by Columbus Police at Schrock Road Moose Lodge Died by Suicide, Franklin County Coroner Rules

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COLUMBUS, Ohio A 38-year-old man who died during a police shooting outside a private club on Columbus’ Northeast Side on March 31 died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office. The incident occurred around 10:01 p.m. March 31 at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1427, located at 1970 Schrock … Read more

Man, 26, Charged After Double Shooting Sends Two to Hospital in Northeast Columbus

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Northeast Columbus Double Shooting: Tyuan McClain Charged as Victims Recover; Neighborhood Safety Under Scrutiny

COLUMBUS, Ohio A 26-year-old man has been arrested after two people were shot overnight in northeast Columbus, according to the Columbus Division of Police. Tyuan Joe McClain, 26, is charged in connection with the shooting, which occurred early Sunday on Marcia Drive. Police said just after midnight, officers received information that two victims had arrived … Read more

Matt Schmidt, Fifth-Generation Member of Schmidt’s Sausage Haus Family, Dies in Easter Morning House Fire in Upper Arlington

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Columbus Mourns: Matt Schmidt, Face of Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, Dies in Easter Morning House Fire

UPPER ARLINGTON: Matt Schmidt, 43, a fifth-generation member of the family behind Schmidt’s Sausage Haus in German Village, died early Easter morning after a house fire at his home on the 3800 block of Chevington Road in Upper Arlington, according to the multiple local news outlets. Firefighters found Schmidt on the first floor of his … Read more

Columbus Crime Dropped 13% in 2024 and Fell Again in 2025, Here’s the Safest Neighborhoods in Central Ohio

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Columbus Crime Trends: 14.5% Drop in Serious Offenses Marks Steepest Decline in Recent Memory; Safest Neighborhoods Revealed

COLUMBUS Crime in Columbus fell significantly in both 2024 and 2025, according to data from the Columbus Division of Police and the FBI. Homicides dropped 31% in 2025 compared to 2024, and serious crimes citywide fell 14.5% in the same period, the steepest single-year drop in recent memory. The numbers give context to a city … Read more