Author

Nick Evans

Nick Evans

Nick Evans has spent the past seven years reporting for NPR member stations in Florida and Ohio. He got his start in Tallahassee, covering issues like redistricting, same sex marriage and medical marijuana. Since arriving in Columbus in 2018, he has covered everything from city council to football. His work on Ohio politics and local policing have been featured numerous times on NPR.

Trump rallies for slate of Ohio GOP candidates in Youngstown

By: - September 19, 2022

Former President Donald Trump walked onto the stage in Youngstown to “I’m Proud to be an American.” During the last half of the song he simply stood there, squinting into the spotlights, closed smile plastered on his face, basking in the crowd’s applause. The back quarter of the 7,000-seat Covelli Centre was less than half […]

New poll: Gov. DeWine holds strong lead, Rep. Tim Ryan a narrow one

By: - September 16, 2022

A new poll paints a familiar portrait of Ohio’s two major statewide races. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine holds a commanding lead in his reelection bid, while Democrat U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan has a slight edge in the race for U.S. Senate. Columbus-based lobbying firm The Montrose Group commissioned the survey of statewide races and campaign […]

Ryan courts Black voters, Vance prepares for Trump visit as polls show tight U.S. Senate race

By: - September 14, 2022

Two months from election day, recent polling indicates a close U.S. Senate race. Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance are eager to spin those results to their advantage. But outside observers caution that poll and others might overstate Democrats’ position. The Suffolk University/USA Today poll puts the race at “a pure toss up” with […]

Intel breaks ground at “Silicon Heartland” in Licking County

By: - September 12, 2022

White tents sprung up like mushrooms Friday on the dusty patch of dirt where Intel is building two microchip factories. Returning to a line from his last state of the union address, President Biden called it a “field of dreams” serving notice that “the industrial Midwest is back.” “Since I took office, our economy has […]

Casey Goodson’s family wants civil suit to proceed as criminal case faces new delay

By: - September 8, 2022

The family of Casey Goodson, Jr. wants to go forward with its civil case against Franklin County and Jason Meade, the former sheriff who killed Goodson in December 2020. A federal judge put that civil suit on hold pending a criminal trial against Meade. Last week a county court again delayed those criminal proceedings. Goodson’s […]

Akron organizers turn to the ballot box for civilian oversight of police

By: - September 7, 2022

The Akron NAACP and other local organizers are leading the push for a city charter amendment establishing civilian oversight for the police department. The ballot measure comes on the heels of the police killing of Jayland Walker, a Black man shot nearly 50 times by Akron officers after fleeing a traffic stop. Walker was unarmed […]

Gov. Mike DeWine’s shifting record on debating

By: - September 6, 2022

In about two months Ohioans will decide on their next governor. But so far, Gov. Mike DeWine has refused to debate his Democratic challenger, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. “Throughout the fall, Governor DeWine and his opponent will have ample opportunity to outline their very different records and visions for Ohio,” a DeWine campaign spokeswoman […]

Family of Donovan Lewis demand accountability after police killing

By: - September 2, 2022

A stream of Donovan Lewis’ family members and friends filed into a hotel meeting room in downtown Columbus Thursday. His mother Rebecca Duran sobbed quietly as the family’s attorney replayed the video of a Columbus police officer shooting Lewis while serving a warrant early Tuesday morning. Doctors pronounced him dead at Grant Hospital less than […]

Fans frustrated Crew owners hosting fundraiser for J.D. Vance

By: - September 1, 2022

Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance will visit Columbus in three weeks for a campaign fundraiser hosted by owners of the Columbus Crew professional soccer team. Team supporters are unhappy and see it as a reversal from previous decisions to avoid politics. Morgan Hughes co-founded Save The Crew and remains active in the community of […]

Ohio Debate Commission announces gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and Chief Justice debates

By: - August 30, 2022

The Ohio Debate Commission announced its plans Monday for the U.S. Senate, governor, and chief justice of the state supreme court races. The Democrats in all three contests plan to attend. The Republicans haven’t signed on yet. The commission’s schedule includes a gubernatorial debate Oct. 10 and a U.S. Senate debate Oct. 12. They plan […]

Ohio’s U.S. Senate nominees trade debate plans

By: - August 29, 2022

The Republican and Democratic nominees for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat are wrangling over participating in televised debates. As of Friday, it appears they will hold (at least) two. First out of the gate, Democrat Tim Ryan announced his commitment to three debates — two in or near his Youngstown-area congressional district and one in […]

Foreign entities buying U.S. farmland: threat or hyperbole?

By: - August 26, 2022

During his visit to Ohio last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance’s forceful opposition of the “Chinese communist party.” He said Vance would be “tough” on them in the Senate. DeSantis described how, in Florida, he’s signed legislation banning Confucius Institutes — programs funded by the Chinese government to […]