The Columbus Dispatch
Trump shifts course on plan for Hormuz
President Donald Trump on July 14 quickly walked back his proposal to charge a 20% fee on ships that pass through the Strait of Hormuz, saying he will instead look to make “trade and investment deals” with Middle East nations that use the critical...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Housing could replace surface lots near Main Library branch
A developer’s plan for a high-profile housing development in the center of Downtown’s Discovery District may begin to transform a pockmarked landscape of surface parking lots into housing, retail and parking options near the Columbus Metropolitan...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
March of robes
Michael Donnelly is used to speaking to the public through his judicial opinions. No more, the former Ohio Supreme Court justice said. So Donnelly, along with a bipartisan group of sitting and retired state and federal judges, did what their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Covering regional trends has been fun, enlightening
Since I last wrote one of these columns, my beat has shifted to cover more regional and suburban trending news around Columbus and Ohio. I’m also enjoying continuing to write some stories based on data around Columbus and elsewhere. I’ve been having...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Fragile ceasefire seems to collapse
The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to have fallen apart over continued strife over the Strait of Hormuz as Iranians buried their supreme leader, killed by U.s.-israel forces at the outset of the war. There were no new...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Past and present collide on city’s Near East Side
Tom Dillard and Lawrence Auls, who have lived in Columbus’ Near East Side for a combined 125 years, have seen firsthand how the area has changed over the decades. h Dillard and Auls, who are ages 82 and 83, respectively, reflected on a time when there...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BIGGER SAFETY NET?
Central Ohio’s safety net is already struggling to catch all the residents who need help with food, housing, health care, childcare, elder care and lots of other expenses that have outpaced wages. As the federal government cuts funding for social...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Symbol of community
With three empty tubes of yellow acrylic paint on his left and a canvas standing taller than him on his right, Talle Bamazi sat in his studio and focused on the work in front of him. “Talle” was painted in white, with slow, swift brush movements, in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY
The 56 steps, cut from pink granite, ascend to a neoclassical temple that seems plucked from ancient Greece and deposited on a Kentucky hilltop. One for each year of President Abraham Lincoln’s life. h If the first eight steps, rising amid the site’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How this reporter covers area transportation and Columbus neighborhoods
If you’ve been following my work closely (which I’m not sure anyone does except for my mom), you might have noticed that the topics I cover changed over the past month. I still cover transportation, which includes all things roads, trains, bikes and...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Columbus dedicated new park for bicentennial
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Reflecting on Columbus in 1976
A lot can change in 50 years. When the United States celebrated the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1976, Columbus was smaller by just about any measure. Its geographic footprint was tinier, its population a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Child endangerment case riles officials
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said that if 16 children who were rescued from a home in Vinton County June 30 were rescued even 24 hours later, the case could have been fatal. At a noon press conference July 1 at the University of Rio Grande...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘We can’t sleep’
SPRINGFIELD – After the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end temporary protected status, federal officials say Haitians in the U.S. have two options: apply to stay or leave. On CNN’S State of the Union on June 28, Homeland...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FUNDING THE FUTURE
Rising above the tree line along Spring Street and Cleveland Avenue in the corner of a former campus parking lot, the 80,000-square-foot structure doesn’t look like much more than concrete and steel beams. But by next fall, the building will house...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Making way for the new
The skyline on Columbus’ Near East Side is changing as crews dismantle the former Latitude Five25 apartment towers. h Demolition, which began in May, is expected to wrap in the fall. Formerly a public housing complex known as Sawyer Towers, the twin...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain you.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
U.S. attacks Iran after drone strike on cargo ship in strait
WASHINGTON – The U.S. military attacked Iran on June 26 in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, throwing the fate of the interim peace deal recently agreed between the two countries into question. U.S. Central...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dewine vetoes bill on absentee voting
Gov. Mike Dewine rejected an effort by Ohio’s Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten the rules for mail-in voting. Dewine vetoed legislation that would require photo ID to vote absentee starting in 2027. GOP lawmakers fast-tracked the bill in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City limits plate reader sharing
Amid concerns that federal immigration authorities could access Columbus’ license plate camera data, as they have elsewhere, the Division of Police has clarified how it’s restricting data sharing. The division paused nationwide sharing of its Flock...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TOP ATHLETES
Central Ohio’s top high school athletes, coaches and teams – the best of the best for 2025-26 – were honored June 22 at Upper Arlington High School. h Watterson’s Michael Boyle, Olentangy Liberty’s Elena Aldrink, Watterson football coach Brian Kennedy,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HELPING TO EASE THE CRUNCH
With a historic half-billion dollars from voter-approved housing bonds to work with, the city of Columbus is attempting to include smaller developers and reach more neighborhoods. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s administration opened a new round of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
P R I D E
Hundreds of thousands of marchers and spectators from across Ohio celebrated the LGBTQ+ community on June 20 by taking over part of High Street and Goodale Park for the 2026 Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March. It’s the second-largest pride...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dispatch reporter makes sense of the area’s rapid growth
Since becoming a Dispatch reporter in the early 1990s, I’ve written thousands of stories, not all of them easy to cover. And not all of them captivating. Spanning a variety of news beats and topics, communities and personalities, each assignment has...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
GETTING READY
The Columbus Air Show, presented by Scottsmiracle-gro, will take to the skies again June 20 and 21 at Rickenbacker International Airport. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds — seen here performing practice survey flight maneuvers in F-16 Fighting Falcons...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Celebrating freedom
More than 100 people gathered June 15 in front of Columbus City Hall to celebrate the day federal troops informed enslaved African Americans in Texas that they were free – two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The June 15...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
GOING DIGITAL
Your local Kroger is going digital. By the end of 2027, all 115 Columbusdivision Kroger stores will sport electronic shelf pricing labels, rather than physical paper ones, for their products. It’s a rollout the Cincinnati-based grocery chain says will...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dewine wants lawmakers to abolish death penalty in Ohio
Gov. Mike Dewine is urging lawmakers to repeal the death penalty more than four decades after he helped bring capital punishment back to Ohio. In a June 16 news conference, Dewine said he no longer believes the death penalty is a deterrent for violent...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Local Somalis ‘disappointed’ after referee denied U.S. entry
The Somali national soccer team was among the 163 national teams that did not make the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a potential disappointment for the roughly 60,000 Somali Americans who call central Ohio home. But one of Somalia’s own still found a place on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How this Dispatch reporter covers crime and public safety
If you are a frequent early-morning reader of Dispatch.com, you’re probably familiar with my byline. I’m the first reporter online in the mornings, starting my workday at 6 a.m. I catch up on whatever has happened since our nighttime reporter clocked...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
“The WNBA belongs in Columbus.”
Talking about landing a women’s professional basketball team in Columbus
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Trump says he canceled new strikes on Iran
President Donald Trump on June 11 said he has canceled the latest wave of airstrikes he threatened on Iran, citing productive discussions with the nation’s leaders and a potential peace deal in the works. “Based on the fact that discussions with the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Study: Ohio has enough water for data centers
Ohio has enough water for its data centers and its communities for the near term, but whether water infrastructure and public trust can keep pace will determine the industry’s future, a statewide report found. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce released a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A ‘best-in-class’ goal
Mccoy Park could soon be the site of state-of-the-art, heated soccer fields and a two-story, 45,000 square-foot training facility for Columbus’ newest professional sports team. The Haslam Sports Group shared its plans for a National Women’s Soccer...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘An example of how to contribute to society’
Josh Stroud twisted the wrench, tightening the wheel to the lawnmower before standing up. The 15-year-old had just finished putting together his second lawnmower of the day, a shiny red push mower that he and other teens would use to mow nearby...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain you.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TEEING OFF INTO THE WEEKEND
The Memorial Tournament continues through June 7 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. As always, legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, an Upper Arlington native, is the host of the tournament, which was first played in 1976. Gates open at 9 a.m. June 6...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Federal officials, state leaders unveil fraud crackdown in Ohio
Fourteen people face charges in Ohio after the Trump administration accused them of stealing nearly $60 million through government programs and other fraud schemes. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, joined by Ohio leaders and federal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Time for golf, fans
Celebrities joined PGA Tour players for the Workday Golden Bear Pro-am at the Memorial Tournament on June 3 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. Actor Chris Pratt was a fan favorite as he signed autographs and participated in an impromptu Irish...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘The antidote to hate is visibility’
At a time when Columbus leaders fear that LGBTQ+ rights are under attack nationally, the city kicked off the first night of Pride Month with a visible display of support: illuminating City Hall in rainbow colors. “The antidote to hate is visibility,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
All eyes are now on Ohio’s Husted vs. Brown showdown
Sherrod Brown toured a Guernsey County farm on a recent spring afternoon, taking in the cows and rolling hills that surrounded him. This wasn’t another day of retired life for Brown, the 73-year-old former U.S. senator from Ohio. It was part of his...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
She gave everything to help these kids
Charlene Porter was well into her 60s before anyone called her “mom.” Now, two little boys use the word to refer to her frequently. “Sometimes I look at them and think: ‘They’re really mine. I don’t have to give them back,’” Porter said of her...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
When it comes to senior living, one size does not fit all.
As a life plan community, Ohio Living Westminster-thurber’s campus is designed to provide the housing option that’s right for you, right now.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Double killing suspect had faced prior charges
A Columbus man charged with killing his wife and her young daughter previously faced accusations of strangling and assaulting the woman, according to court records reviewed by The Dispatch. Derrick Marcus Green, 35, faces two charges of murder in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Intel’s Apple deal could renew hopes for delayed Ohio plants
Intel has reportedly reached a preliminary deal to make computer chips for Apple products, according to national and local sources. It’s important news for officials who had been relying on company statements to justify their optimism about the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Heavy rains batter region, lead to flash flood warning
Heavy rain pounded central Ohio again May 27 with the National Weather Service issuing a flash flood warning after 2 to 3.5 inches of rain fell on some areas of the region. State Route 104 was closed during the morning hours after water blocked the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Columbus considers giving up its water utility control
Decades ago, Columbus mayors used the city’s water supply as a powerful bargaining chip to force communities to submit to annexation into the city. h Those days are gone. Today, Columbus Water & Power has contracts with about 30 municipalities to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City pays special tribute to airman
This year, Memorial Day carried a different weight for Mylo Simmons. It’s his first since losing his son, Tyler – and he and his family are honoring the holiday while, as he put it, “learning to live a new normal.” “It gives a whole new meaning to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Blackout license plate bill advances
Ohio is one step closer to offering the popular blackout license plates. The Ohio Senate unanimously advanced Senate Bill 358 on May 20, which would allow drivers to purchase license plates with a black background, white lettering and no designs. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain you.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Most expensive summer ever’
Memorial Weekend will launch a costly summer as gas prices soar and inflation jumps to its highest level in three years. Inflation in the United States is up 3.8% from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It hasn’t been that high...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CHANGE OF PLANS
When Honda Motor Co. in Japan announced March 14 that it was scrapping plans for three electric vehicles to be made in Ohio, local officials remained outwardly optimistic, despite Honda being told to retool its manufacturing plants in Marysville and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
He’s a champ!
Ray Sharp, Ohio State University’s head mascot coach, pulled out a dry erase marker and walked to the whiteboard inside the St. John Arena conference room. “What are the four elements of a great mascot skit?” he asked the nine members of the Brutus...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘There’s no one here’
One of the main entrances to The Mall at Tuttle Crossing is seen. It’s 3:30 p.m. on a Friday, but it feels like closing time at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing. h Silver security gates seal off dozens of storefronts, many of which are vacant. Escalators...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Electric costs are up
Electricity prices in the Buckeye State are skyrocketing – but how much can be attributed to Ohio’s data center boom is a matter of debate. h From February 2025 to February 2026, Ohioans’ electricity bills rose a whopping 22%, according to data from...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Football is Buckeye mascot’s moment
The roar of the crowd was reduced to a single voice echoing around Ohio Stadium as one of college football’s greatest ambassadors began to make his famous prediction live from the field on ESPN’S College Gameday. It’s a scene that has repeated itself...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reporter shares 2026’s biggest stories in education and what’s next
Editor’s Note: Beat notes is a weekly feature from Dispatch journalists who share what’s been happening in their area of coverage and upcoming events. This week we hear from Cole Behrens, who covers K-12 education in central Ohio. He has been at The...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Sizable ceremony
Columbus State Community College had a lot to celebrate at its 211th commencement ceremony, but at the top of the list was its record-breaking graduating class. More than 1,400 Columbus State students petitioned to graduate at the spring commencement...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘It’s kind of scary sometimes’
The sun had barely risen and Tyler Wisman was already vomiting inside Ohio Stadium. h Wisman, an Ohio State University senior, and the rest of the Brutus Buckeye mascot team got to the ’Shoe just before dawn for one of their weekly summer conditioning...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OH, DEER!
Columbus residents can no longer legally put out snacks for deer, but accidentally feeding the deer with your garden doesn’t count. Following vehement calls for deer population control from Clintonville residents, a majority of whom said in a survey...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Amazing young people’
Ohio State University’s 12,315 graduates were certainly the center of attention at spring commencement May 10. But moms were easily a close second. Ohio State’s largest annual graduation ceremony fell on Mother’s Day this year, the first time since...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ai-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A look at how we cover breaking and trending news
It’s never a dull moment in the world of trending news. From breaking developments to communitydriven stories, the past few months on the trending and breaking beat have been a wonderful bundle of urgency, range and a focus on what matters most to...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Ceremony honors Ohio officers killed in 2025
A day after his killer pleaded guilty in court, Morrow County Deputy Daniel Weston Sherrer was honored at a memorial ceremony for law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. “Yesterday, I am pleased to report that his killer accepted...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Expensive celebration
The late afternoon sunshine poured through the windows of Ohio State University’s Longaberger Alumni House as a steady stream of doctoral students, just days away from commencement, waited in line to try on their academic regalia. Sabrina Durso could...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ramaswamy wins GOP nod for governor
It’s official: Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will face off against Democrat Dr. Amy Acton in the race to replace Gov. Mike Dewine. Ramaswamy, 40, of Upper Arlington, easily defeated his primary foe, Casey Putsch, after a roller coaster GOP...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Primary voters discuss issues with an eye toward November midterms
A steady yet slow stream of voters headed to polling locations around the Columbus area May 5 to cast ballots in what were largely expected to be uncompetitive primary elections. At the Linden Community Center on Briarwood Avenue, polling location...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OSU head commits to 36 sports ‘as long as we’re able to compete’
Ohio State University President Ravi Bellamkonda said he is committed to maintaining all of its current 36 Division I sports teams – with a caveat. In a sit-down interview May 1 inside the president’s offices, Bellamkonda told reporters that he wants...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RARE BUT MORE DEADLY
Wrong-way crashes in Ohio are rare, but much more likely to be fatal than a regular crash, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. There have been two fatal crashes related to wrong-way drivers in April in the Columbus area. One driver...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hendrickson breaks down consumer issues for you
In April, I celebrated two years of working for The Columbus Dispatch. In that time, my beat has shifted and changed with the needs of our newsroom. What hasn’t changed is that journalism, ultimately, is a public service. Last year, I transitioned...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Iran submits peace plan; Trump not seeking Congress’ approval
President Donald Trump showed no signs of trying to obtain congressional approval for the war in Iran despite reaching the 60-day deadline to do so, and a maritime blockade remained in effect as the president expressed doubt about Iran’s efforts to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)