Breaking news, crime, public safety and city government coverage in Columbus, Ohio
COLUMBUS, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to appoint Ravi V. Bellamkonda as the university’s 18th president without conducting a nationwide search, a decision that drew criticism from some faculty groups and higher-education experts. The vote took place during a special meeting at 9 a.m. at the Longaberger Alumni House on … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s travel center has not even opened yet, but plans for a second location in the state are already being discussed. Officials in north-central Ohio say a new Buc-ee’s could be built near Mansfield along Interstate 71, a highway many Columbus drivers use when traveling north. The first Buc-ee’s in Ohio is … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther delivered his 2026 State of the City address Tuesday, highlighting falling violent crime rates, record housing construction and plans to grow women’s professional sports in the city. Ginther gave the speech at the Franklin County Harmony Center in the Northland area. The event was also streamed live on the … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State University President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. resigned Monday after informing the university’s Board of Trustees that he allowed someone outside the university inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership. Carter said the individual later used that access while seeking public funding for a private business project. “For personal reasons, I have … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Petrocelli Robertson will spend 20 years in federal prison after admitting he led a drug trafficking operation that distributed fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in west Columbus, federal officials said. Petrocelli Robertson, 40, also known as “Bible” and “Juice,” received a 240-month prison sentence from Michael H. Watson in the United States District … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Plumbing professionals in the Columbus area are urging homeowners to check their sump pumps after severe storms caused power outages across parts of central Ohio this weekend. Strong thunderstorms moved through the region Saturday and knocked out electricity for thousands of customers in Pickaway County and Fairfield County. Because most sump pumps … Read more
COLUMBUS, A person died after a shooting early Saturday outside a hotel in north Columbus, police said. Officers from the Columbus Division of Police received a call about a shooting around 1:31 a.m. on the 6100 block of Quarter Horse Drive. Police went to the scene and found a person with a gunshot wound. The … Read more
The Ohio Senate is considering legislation that would create a statewide emergency alert system for missing children with autism and other developmental disabilities, a proposal that previously passed the Ohio House unanimously. House Bill 359 would establish what lawmakers are calling a “Joshua Alert,” a notification system designed to quickly alert the public when a … Read more
COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is warning Columbus residents about fake text messages that claim they owe unpaid parking or toll fines and must pay right away or show up in court. The texts are scams. The fines are not real. And clicking the QR code in the message could put a virus … Read more
COLUMBUS — A teacher at Independence High School is on leave after she took students out of class during school hours to join an anti-ICE protest on Feb. 20 — something the school had not allowed. The school is on Refugee Road on Columbus’s south side. The teacher has not been named publicly. Columbus City … Read more