Columbus
How some Columbus prosecutors got vaccinated before health care workers and the elderly
A 29-year-old Columbus prosecutor received a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday despite officials limiting the scarce doses to nursing home residents, health care workers and certain emergency responders. Brandon Edwards, a lead prosecutor for Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, posted a photograph of his CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccination record card on Instagram. He is one of about 175,000 […]
Homelessness already a struggle, but curfew could add complications
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine emphasized the fact that a new curfew order seeking to stop the spread of COVID-19 would not be perfect. But advocates for the homeless say the order could complicate things for the unsheltered people without homes across the state. The order itself, signed by Ohio Department of Health director Stephanie McCloud […]
Columbus, Dayton allege ‘dangerous failure’ in state gun background check system
Two of Ohio’s largest cities have accused the state government of a “continuing and dangerous failure” to report criminal convictions to the federal background check system, leaving the door open for felons to procure firearms. Attorneys for the cities of Columbus and Dayton filed the lawsuit in Franklin County court Monday morning. They’re asking a […]
Columbus-area driver of the rich and famous wants leaders to relate
A typical week for Amy Pache includes a trip to the golf course, a run to the airport, and maybe an event or a visit to Ohio Stadium. She gets invited backstage to a concert from time to time, and politicians talk to her regularly. But mostly, she stays in the car. She waits on […]
Pence, Biden visit Ohio in late battleground push
Flanked by dump trucks and construction equipment, some adorned with flags and campaign signs, Vice President Mike Pence told hundreds of supporters about the need to “Make America Great Again, again.” Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also made his case to Buckeye State voters Monday in back-to-back events in Toledo and Cincinnati. The two […]
Why aren’t Ohio’s city budgets collapsing under COVID-19?
In March of this year, the Brookings Institution had a blog post that pegged four Ohio cities — Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Cleveland — in the top five “cities with the most immediate fiscal impacts from COVID-19” in the entire country. Yet this gloom and doom about Ohio fiscal prospects did not materialize. Columbus cut […]
Hey, look, a pandemic positive! Neighborhoods emerge as vital social oases
If one is rooting around for a positive about the ongoing pandemic, anecdotal evidence suggests that neighborhoods may be just what the doctor ordered. Face it. Most of us have only limited time and tolerance for in-person contact with our fellow human beings. Pre-pandemic, what with working all day, visiting friends, going shopping, going out, […]
Protests have put the spotlight on community review boards, but is it enough?
The United States has had a rough summer. Ohio has, too. Aside from COVID-19 wreaking havoc on our state, the death of George Floyd has galvanized thousands of people to protest and demand a more egalitarian treatment of citizens concerning policing in our communities. Ohio has not been immune to the now-ubiquitous videos and images […]
Ohio cities desperate for federal funding to save jobs, local economies
City officials from across the state say federal funding is the only way their previously thriving municipalities can survive the pandemic and its accompanying recession. City mayors and city council members are trying to push U.S. Sen. Rob Portman to support funding through the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act), saying […]
Columbus statues in Columbus: Their legacy and future
Standing in a light rain at City Hall, U.S. Sen. John Bricker marveled at the 20-foot bronze figure unveiled in a city which bears its likeness’ name. It reminded Bricker of the harbor in New York City. He predicted the new statue of Christopher Columbus would be viewed in Ohio as a “symbol of friendship,” […]
Protesters report adverse effects from tear gas exposure, demand Columbus ban chemical agents entirely
“I feel very violated by the state” Mason Hickman distinctly remembers the burning sensation as he inhaled a waft of tear gas on the Ohio Statehouse lawn when police used the chemical agent to disperse a group of peaceful protesters. Afterwards, he felt exhausted — likely because of the blistering summer heat, he thought. That […]
Mayors pledge police reform, racial inequity efforts
Mayors from across Ohio said they are already implementing plans to address racial bias and increase police relations in their cities. The Ohio Mayors Alliance said a Police Reform Support Network will be formed to take recommendations on changes to police and community efforts, and “focus on turning these ideas into action by supporting policy […]