Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio is working to remedy a shortage of skilled trade employees by providing resources for incarcerated juveniles to start careers in fields such as construction or welding once they are released.

The Ohio Department of Youth Services and Department of Commerce have partnered to educate incarcerated youth about skilled trade career opportunities. So far, the departments held an event at the Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility in May and at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility in July. At the events, workers from local skilled trades taught incarcerated youth who are close to graduating about available careers and apprenticeship programs. 

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“Ohio is growing leaps and bounds,” said Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield. “There's lots of construction going on. We have a shortage of people in the trades for a lot of different reasons and this is a good golden ticket forward for these formerly incarcerated youth to have a career path.”

Maxfield said the two events are just the first steps in a long-term plan for the state to gain much-needed workers.

“We’re going to have to start thinking about those that are in community-based programs as well,” Maxfield said. “It’s going to take a lot of years for the effect to show up because there will be people that certainly sign up for this program. We hope they make it through their apprenticeship and go on to become a certified electrician or plumber or HVAC installer, but realistically, some will drop out, but we are thinking about the long game.”

In Ohio and across the country, skilled trades are facing an aging workforce resulting in a high demand for workers. Construction, plumbing, HVAC, electric, welding and pipefitting positions are highly sought after and offer competitive salaries even at the apprenticeship level, according to the Department of Commerce. 

After as little as five years as an apprentice, individuals in a trade can expect to earn more than twice the median income in Ohio while avoiding student debt, the Department of Commerce states. In numerous cases, if a higher education is desired, skilled trade employers will offer to pay for an individual to earn college credit toward an associate or bachelor’s degree. 

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“I think a second chance is extremely important because we’re still young and still have our whole life ahead of us,” an incarcerated juvenile told the Department of Commerce. “It’s a great program, it’s definitely something to look into.”

Research shows that having a job reduces the chances of a formerly incarcerated person reoffending, and similarly finds individuals are less likely to commit crimes when they have stable, full-time employment, according to The Brookings Institution. Additionally, providing education in prison is proven to reduce recidivism rates and is associated with higher employment rates, the U.S. Department of Education claims. 

Ohio is seeing an increase in the number of incarcerated youth who are completing their high school education, according to the Department of Youth Services. During the 2023 to 2024 academic school year, 34 incarcerated juveniles in the department's facilities earned GEDs and 53 earned a high school diploma. These figures mark the highest number of high school diplomas earned in at least a decade and the highest combined number in five years, according to a spokesperson. 

Additionally, youth completed 1,307 skill certificates and 187 industry credentials. Several juveniles also earned college credit hours through Stark State College and Sinclair Community College. The Department of Youth Services funds three correctional facilities that housed a total of 411 juveniles as of June 2023.

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Maxfield said while this particular project is aimed at young people who are incarcerated, the state needs more skilled trade workers and people of all ages are encouraged to consider a career in these fields. 

The state agencies will visit the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in August to continue their initiative and educate more incarcerated juveniles about career opportunities.

Central Ohio Weather and Radar QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Today: Isolated showers, clearing, high 85
• Tonight: Mainly clear, low 61
• Friday: Mostly sunny, high 84
• Saturday: Warm sunshine, high 89
• Sunday: Some clouds, showers later, high 90
• Monday: Sct'd showers, high 87

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Happy Thursday!

A cold front is working through our area this morning, and as a result, we've got some isolated shower activity across Central Ohio. Showers will remain very isolated in nature today, leading to mainly dry conditions overall. Clouds will gradually break, so we will see a good bit of sunshine, with highs in the middle 80s, and lowering humidity.

For Friday, we will see abundant sunshine, with a much more comfortable feel to the air. Highs top out in the middle 80s once again, with a dry feel.

We warm up this weekend, with highs in the upper 80s to near 90 on Saturday, but luckily, humidity still remains comfortable, and we hang onto the sunshine!

Sunday will feel a bit more sticky. Expect highs near 90, with gradually building cloud coverage. We'll then see spotty showers approaching the area mainly late-day Sunday, and overnight into the start of the next workweek.

-McKenna

GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) - Around 20 parents and children stood outside a Grove City church Wednesday evening chanting and holding signs that read "Keep Church and State Separate" and "Our Public Schools are not Mission Fields."

The group was demonstrating against the Bible-based education non-profit LifeWise Academy, which was holding its largest event of the year with around 800 LifeWise directors and employees from all over the country in attendance.

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Zachary Parrish is a father who lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., but made the three-hour drive with his daughter to voice his disappointment with the organization.

His daughter was a second grader in Defiance schools when he was first introduced to LifeWise Academy.

"The school had listed LifeWise as the special class, right along with music and the work list listed LifeWise as the class that they would be going to on Wednesday, and when I asked what's my daughter was going to be doing? Because this is an optional program supposedly," Parrish said.

Parrish wanted to know what his daughter would be doing at school instead of the LifeWise program. LifeWise CEO Joel Penton said it's up to the school to decide how the program is implemented.

"They said she'd be going to a study hall to read by herself and to work on making it work, and I mean, that's just not right,” Parrish said. “Your program is costing my child's education.”

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On top of missing out on "real" educational opportunities, he said she is being ostracized and judged by other students.

"She's been told she's going to Hell for years, things like that,” Parrish said. “I mean, that's super common. We see a lot of kids, is not just my daughter, was going through it.”

Alan Limke was also protesting against LifeWise Wednesday.

"I was a STEM teacher from kindergarten through fifth grade and once a week, students would miss my class,” he said. “Sometimes, a few students would miss my classes, so some students would miss music. Some would miss art.”

The group chanted slogans like "Separate, Church and State. Separate, Church and State," and "Yes to education. No to indoctrination."

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Limke complimented the LifeWise staff he encountered, saying, "The people that were involved, likewise at my school, are lovely people. They got great friends and great kids. But in this one area, we disagree."

LifeWise Academy touts itself as "Bible-based character education." Skeptics, like Limke, aren't sold. 

"I'm not too sure what amount of it is character, education and what amount of it is actually indoctrination of this very narrow interpretation of the Bible,” he said. “If it was just about character education, I'm fine with that. I'm fine and responsibility of being accountable for your actions. We do a lot of that in school already, and kids need to be in school. We do a lot of that in school already, and kids need to be in school, willing to work together, learn how to collaborate. We do that in public school very well and we're very trained to do that. We're fingerprinted and we are vetted vigorously, so that we are, we're qualified to do that. I'm not too sure all the LifeWise teachers are.”

LifeWise founder and CEO Joel Penton spoke with NBC4 after the two-day summit. When asked about the protesters, he said, "We respect others' rights to have their own beliefs. We respect others' rights to express their beliefs. We believe in what we're doing, providing Bible-based character education for public school students across the country. If there are some that don't like that, they are entitled to that belief. But we see the impacts every day, and so we're going to keep going."

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Penton has grown the organization from only two schools in 2019 to more than 350 schools in 26 states in 2024. That number is going up. He said LifeWise confirmed a 27th state Wednesday and will have more than 500 programs next year.

"I would just invite anyone who is curious to look into it, to look into LifeWise, go to life outside of work,” Penton said. “You can watch videos. You can learn about the program. You can see the curriculum. We'd love to engage with anyone who's curious.”

LifeWise uses an outcomes report to show schools and legislators the success it is having. The results of the study have been questioned for validity by Honesty for Ohio Education.

"A lot of the impact is invisible,” Penton said. “A lot of the impact is planting seeds that you won't see the fruit of for years. But you can certainly quantify something, and we see attendance go up for schools that have LifeWise. We see disciplinary issues decrease.”

As for the protesters, Penton maintains the program is completely optional.

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"I would encourage them to consider that our program is entirely optional, that only parents that want to enroll their children do enroll their children, and I would encourage them to look at what's happening again, the rapid growth across the country and hundreds of people there today from nearly 20 states to see that parents really do want this for their kids,” he said. “Parents for years have been longing for an opportunity like this, and we simply want to give all parents the option."

A lawsuit filed by LifeWise Academy against Parrish has not yet been settled. Parrish posted the LifeWise curriculum on a website without permission. It was removed by the website host, WordPress. LifeWise has since made its entire curriculum available by request.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- For the second year in a row, the MLS All-Stars were blown out as the Liga MX All-Stars won 4-1 at Lower.com Field in Downtown Columbus in front of a record crowd.

The best of the Mexican first division were able to go into halftime up 2-1 despite hometown favorite Cucho Hernandez's 17th minute goal, the lone bright spot for MLS. As MLS pushed for an equalizer, Liga MX silenced the stands and were able to add two more to complete the rout.

The Crew stated nearly 21,000 fans were in attendance, marking the most attended match in Lower.com Field's three-year history.

After some good pressure from MLS, Liga MX opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a German Berterame header. Seconds later, Hernandez equalized for the MLS All-Stars in front of his hometown fans with the assist from his Columbus teammate Diego Rossi. It was the first time in three years an MLS player scored in their home stadium in an All-Star game.

10 minutes later in the 26th minute, MLS thought they were awarded a penalty kick from a handball but VAR reversed the decision to the disappointment of the crowd as Hernandez was set to take the penalty.

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Just before halftime in the 41st minute, Liga MX regained the lead as Pachuca's Oussama Idrissi curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

Crew defenders Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira came on to start the second half for MLS as Hernandez and Rossi were subbed out in a full lineup shift. Crew captain Darlington Nagbe came on later in the half.

Nashville SC attacker Hany Mukhtar had multiple chances in the middle part of the second half for MLS, trying a long distance chip that was just over and hitting the bar on a point blank header.

MLS continued to push for that second goal but Liga MX was able to take the key edge by scoring a third in the 68th minute through Juan Brunetta after some excellent passing. A few seconds later, Liga MX added a fourth as Monterrey's Maximillian Meza slotted one past Maarten Paes, making it 4-1.

The defeat is MLS' first to the Liga MX All-Stars but its second straight in the All-Star Game. With last year's 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in Washington D.C., MLS has conceded nine goals in the last two All-Star games. Next year's edition will be played at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

This was the third MLS All-Star Game in Columbus and continued a trend of each edition of the game producing at least five goals when played in central Ohio.

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) – After a recent kidney transplant, a central Ohio athletic department secretary and head football coach are connected for life.

Lisa Daragona, the athletic secretary at Olentangy High School, had a rare kidney disease. She got her first transplant from her sister in 2013. But in the fall of 2022, she said she started not feeling well again. She got back on the transplant list. In May, she found out she had a match.

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“I gave him a huge hug and just started crying all over again and that was pretty much what I did for about two hours that morning," she said.

The match was Wade Bartholomew, math teacher and head football coach at Olentangy High School. The moment Daragona found out he'd be giving her a kidney was recorded on camera by someone else in the office. Batholomew's wife works in the same office as Daragona. She told Wade what Daragona was going through. He wanted to help and got tested.

“I was just raised to be super selfless and as soon as somebody’s in need that you know needs help,  go help them," he said.

The transplant was performed last month at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

“I’m just healing good, still trying to take it easy,” Daragona said. “Trying not to do too much to set myself back. But I feel great, I have a lot more energy, I feel better, people tell me I look better.”

The pair hopes their story inspires others to donate. Dr. Uday Nori, who is part of the kidney transplant team at the Wexner Medical Center, said there are about 96,000 people around the country in need of a kidney. About 700 of them at the Wexner, according to Nori.

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“We rely heavily upon the generosity of people who mean well, who are literally going to save somebody else’s life," he said.

Both Daragona and Bartholomew are back at work. He's been with his team and she's been making sure everything in the department is running smoothly.

“It is a really neat gift to make sure Lisa gets to go be the mom she wants to be," Bartholomew said. "Just knowing that what she was going through and now how much better she says she feels, and the things she’s able to get accomplished, that's all I need to hear. And I'm giving her that opportunity to do that."

Now they have a special bond.

“It's not something I think words can express,” Daragona said. “He gave me an organ so I could continue to live and live a normal life.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ballots will be packed with several high-profile races this fall, and that now includes a redistricting amendment put forward by a coalition called Citizens Not Politicians.

The amendment, if passed in November, would create a 15-person redistricting commission entirely composed of citizens: five democrats, five Republicans and five Independents. That contrasts with the current seven-person Ohio Redistricting Commission, which voters also approved less than ten years ago, made entirely of politicians.  

“When politicians and lobbyists get to rig maps, it harms every Ohio voter and our democracy,” Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio Jen Miller said. “Citizens Not Politicians will make sure that maps are made by everyday people and will fairly represent all of us. This is about restoring balance and fairness and transparency in mapping so that we have truly responsive lawmakers.”

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“The group in favor of this has branded themselves as citizens and not politicians, which, frankly, I don't think is true at all. I think it's I think it's the reverse of that,” Republican strategist Matt Dole said. “It's being led by Maureen O'Connor and other liberal activists who have an interest in in changing the map for the good of Democrats in the state of Ohio.”

Maureen O'Conner, who is highly involved in the Citizens not Politicians campaign, is a retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice.

The 2024 redistricting question will be the third one in less than ten years. In 2015 Ohioans approved the current system overwhelmingly, with more than 71% of the vote.

“This campaign should be called political outcomes over people,” a spokesperson for Ohio Senate Republicans John Fortney said. “It is designed to gerrymander guaranteed political wins for the progressive left with no accountability to the more than 70% of voters who approved the current system that produced a unanimous bipartisan set of maps for the General Assembly.”

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Four of the seven members on the current redistricting commission rely on district lines for their re-election. The commission has had seven maps ruled unconstitutional, but their latest effort resulted in the passage of bi-partisan maps. That is why -- despite the coalition receiving more than half a million valid signatures from Ohioans across the state -- some say the current system works just fine.

“We have elected officials who face term limits and I think citizens have an oversight right now. If they don't like the results, they can vote out those who drew the maps,” Dole said. “I think the proof of them working is again, last year, the state maps being approved unanimously by Republicans and Democrats on the redistricting commission.”

“The politicians and the Ohio Redistricting Commission ignored the Ohio Constitution and the Ohio Supreme Court that struck these maps down seven times,” Miller said. “Right now, there is absolutely no accountability in the system.”

But Miller said this is not a Democrat versus Republican issue. She said the effort to asked voters if they want a citizen-led redistricting commission started decades ago “when the Democrats were the ones rigging the maps.”  

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“I had signature collectors who've been doing this since the '80s when the Ohio Republican Party endorsed our ballot initiatives and the Democrats opposed,” she said. "And so, to finally get to a point where we know that we can end partisan gerrymandering by restoring power to Ohio voters through Citizens Not Politicians is just incredibly exciting.”

Miller said the campaign for those in favor of the amendment is straight forward.

“Everyday people from across Ohio creating fair, impartial districts through a transparent process. This will ultimately end partisan gerrymandering because those making the maps aren't trying to get reelected,” Miller said. “This is a really simple message. It's about restoring power to the people of Ohio through a citizen led commission that also has party balance.”

There is no official coalition opposing the issue yet, but will likely form in the coming weeks. Dole said it may be a challenge, but not an uphill battle, to spread the opposition’s message “because there’s nuance involved."

He said when he thinks of why Ohioans should be opposed, he points to other independent redistricting commissions, like the one in Michigan.

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“It's sort of the same model that the group in Ohio used, and the maps created by that process were declared in violation of the Voting Rights Act by federal courts and they had to start over. This is bad governance in addition to bad politics,” he said. "The Voting Rights Act requirements are at stake.”

Meanwhile, Governor Mike DeWine has yet to take a firm stance on this amendment. The governor has said several times that, “in principle,” he does support an independent redistricting commission by citizens. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, DeWine said as far as specifics for this amendment go, “I’ll have something to say shortly about that.”

“I’ve looked at this, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it and trying to really understand what it would do,” DeWine said. “I’ve also looked at what other states have done, so stay tuned.”

The Ohio Ballot Board will likely meet in the coming weeks to set both the title and the language that Ohioans will see on their ballots this fall. Both the opposition and support for the amendment will also write arguments that voters will be able to read before they vote both online and at the polls.

GROVEPORT, Ohio (WCMH) -- An osprey caught in a tree at Walnut Woods Metro Park was freed safely after a quick-thinking rescue mission.

A park visitor alerted staff Tuesday morning after witnessing an osprey tangled in a dead tree right off the Kestrel Trail at Walnut Woods. About 30 feet off the ground, the bird's talon was wrapped in material caught on a branch, according to a Facebook post from the park's team.

Osprey is stuck in a dead tree (Courtesy photo / Walnut Woods Metro Park)

Park staff partnered with Admar Construction Equipment and Supplies, who brought a lift to reach the tree top. It lifting park tech James Boston into the air to free the osprey.

Boston, who park staff said has no fear of heights, was lifted into the air to help detangle the osprey. On the ground, park staff prepared to transport the osprey. Staff said it was unclear if the bird was injured while it was trapped. Once free, Boston wrapped the bird in a towel for both the staff and the osprey's safety.

Safely returned to the ground, staff worked to cut the material from the osprey's talon. With no visible injuries, the bird was released back to the skies.

"See ya later!" the team wrote. "Park staff was so happy to see this guy fly away."

Osprey's talons are no joke, and the bottom of their feet are covered in short, sharp spines -- specific adaptations for gripping and carrying fish, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. According to ODNR, ospreys have a typical wingspan of 4-5 feet.

"We could not have hoped for a better outcome," Walnut Woods staff said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The City of Columbus is still investigating a cyber security threat that has been impacting its systems since last Thursday.

As of now, city employees are still not able to send or receive external emails. City officials said 911, 311 and payroll are all back to normal operations.

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City leaders said the incident started through a malicious email, but aren’t offering any further details.

NBC4 called several city departments Wednesday with questions and they have all directed us back to the mayor's office.

Mayor Andrew Ginther's office said it has no updates to share outside what he said on Tuesday.

“We want to share as much information as we can, be as transparent as we can. But obviously, we have not totally, you know, figured out what happened here, who was behind it and how we can do what we need to do to prevent it from happening again," Ginther said.

Denise Bergstrom is the chairperson of the cyber security program at Franklin University.

She said knowing this started from a malicious email, the problem could be one of several things. She said it could be to get personal information, account numbers, or even something bigger.

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“And that's the danger of it,” she said. “It's so simple. Now, obviously, an attack like this is probably more complicated. It was probably a targeted attack at somebody at the city to be able to gain access to the systems because it would have a lot of potential for terror.”

The city said that at this time, they do not know if this is ransomware. Bergstrom said if there is a hacker, the FBI could get involved, depending on the location. She said these things do take time to fix because investigators have to make sure the threat does not spread.

“So they're doing their due diligence,” Bergstrom said. “It takes time. Unfortunately, it takes a lot less time to make the problem than it does to fix it. It's a factor of a number of things. How many systems were affected based on how much that particular user had access to, but also if they were doing real-time backups, they've backed up the infection, they've backed up this malware. So they have to make sure that they go back and purge any backups.”

Bergstrom said this should serve as a reminder of the importance of cyber security best practices at work and home.

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“But the reason these attacks work is because we are so busy and so prone to just get things done, and so clicking on a link when you're not 100% sure, you don't even think about it. For a lot of us, that's become second nature because you know what? What bad thing could happen? Well, now we know what bad thing could happen, right?” Bergstrom said.

The city said it is working with law enforcement to stop the threat. They have not given a timeline for when the problem will be fully fixed.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - Pins Mechanical Co. with locations across Ohio is raising money in honor of a Sunbury teen who died from cancer last year.

Pins is selling a special beer called "Ally's Bee Beary Strawberry Blonde Ale" that was brewed for Ally Anderson. Ally was 11 when she was diagnosed with Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), a rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer. After putting up a brave fight for five years, Ally died in November. She was 16 years old.

Now to keep her memory and legacy alive, Pins is selling her special ale with $1 from each beer sold going to Ally's ARMS research fund through the Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation. The ale was crafted by Biker BrewHouse, a brewery out of Youngstown.

Patty Anderson, Ally's mother, said the name behind the beer comes from Ally's favorite stuffed bear that she carried with her everywhere since she was 18 months old.

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"The bear itself had a zipper and on the zipper pull was a bee, so we ended up naming the bear 'Bee Bear,'" said Patty. "This bear went everywhere with Ally until she passed away. Bee Bear was cremated with Ally, so he even went with her.” 

While Ally was fighting her own battle, she was still advocating for children who were battling cancer, even in her sickest moments. Ally was a spokesperson for CureFest in Washington D.C., which is held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. She was also an advocate for Shave for a Cure.

“When you looked at her, you didn’t realize what was going on on the inside," said Patty. "Even four months before she passed, she went through another major surgery and still was giving everyone hope.”

Ally's Bee Beary Strawberry Blonde Ale is now on tap at Pins locations in Downtown Columbus, Easton, Dublin and Cleveland. Biker Brewhouse is also donating 2% of their proceeds from Ally’s Bee Beary ale as well.

"Ally became our force to continue her legacy and to be her voice," said Patty. "I promised her the last week that she was here that I would carry on her voice, and I would keep fighting for her and for all the other kids."

For more information on Ally's ARMS Research Fund or to make a donation, click here.

Watch a previous report on this case in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A juvenile was charged with murder in the death of Alexa Stakely, a single mother who was trying to stop a carjacking while her son was in the car.

According to the Columbus Division of Police, the juvenile was taken into custody and police are still searching for two other suspects.

Stakely was killed on July 11 at approximately 1:30 a.m. when she was picking up her child from the boy's babysitter's apartment. Police said that while the child was asleep in the car and Stakely ran back to the apartment to pick up the boy's belongings, someone started to drive away in her vehicle.

Watch a previous report on the shooting in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two men have been charged in connection with the mass shooting in Columbus' Short North neighborhood last month that left 10 people injured.

Rondell Sharif Mallory Jr., 22, of Columbus, and Gabriel David Michael Hunter, 19, of Lancaster, were both indicted by a grand jury this week for their alleged roles June 23 shooting.

Mallory is charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence, while Hunter is charged with third-degree tampering with evidence and third-degree having weapons while under disability.

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Mallory and Hunter join DeAngelo Fuller, 19, as the only people charged with the shooting. Fuller is facing an obstructing official police business charge; no one has been charged with firing any weapons in the incident.

The details surrounding Mallory's and Hunter's charges were not immediately available in online court records.

Fuller is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase out of the Short North after the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Columbus Police Felony Assault Det. Jones at 614-645-4373, or email JMJones@columbuspolice.org. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).

View a previous report on a lawsuit against Melt Bar and Grilled's Easton location in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A bankrupt restaurant chain that focused on grilled cheese sandwiches is no more in Columbus, as photos surfaced of a notice its last shop in the area was closing.

A Redditor posted a photo of the Easton Town Center storefront, located at 4206 Worth Ave., on Friday. Paper signs taped to the front doors announced the closure. The Easton location was one of only two in Columbus, and the company shut down the other in the Short North, at 840 N. High St., in 2022.

"Melt has left the building," the letters read. "This Melt Bar and Grilled location has been permanently closed. We thank you for years of support."

Melt's marketing manager confirmed the Easton closure in an email to NBC4. Company owner Matt Fish, who is navigating bankruptcy proceedings, also shared a statement on the particular location's shutdown.

“We enjoyed our nearly 10 years at Easton,” Fish wrote. “However it is now more important than
ever to get back to our hometown roots.”

A copy of Melt's website preserved by the Wayback Machine also shows the rapid change in its locations section over the course of a year. In February 2023, it advertised nine different storefronts -- Easton included -- throughout Ohio. But checking the present day version, that number had been cut down to five. Three of the remaining brick and mortar locations are in Lakewood, Mentor and Akron, while the site also listed Cleveland booths at Progressive Field and Case Western Reserve University.

The chain's shop at Easton, in particular, became embroiled in a lawsuit in May over missing its rent payments. The Easton Gateway property company sued over more than $200,000 owed, claiming it sent Melt a notice of unpaid rent on Nov. 9, then a second notice on April 10. No attorney was on file for Fish or Melt in Franklin County Common Pleas Court records, but on July 5, the company's bankruptcy filing came into play and halted the lawsuit. Gateway's case against Melt won't be able to run its course until after the federal proceeding finishes. Still, records showed attorneys scheduled a case management conference for Sept. 5.

The cost to lease buildings came up in Melt's bankruptcy filings from June. Fish reported the company had income of nearly $9 million, but claimed losses of almost $5 million after factoring in rent for storefronts, taxes, salaries and wages, and compensation of officers.

Watch a previous NBC4 report on the incident in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A hate crime charge has been dismissed against the 21-year-old man who was caught on a home surveillance camera allegedly urinating on a LGBTQ+ Pride flag.

Charges of ethnic intimidation, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct were dismissed against the man on Wednesday, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records. Still, the man pleaded guilty to a criminal trespassing charge, a misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 30 days. A judge also ordered him to pay a $250 fine and serve one year of probation.

The incident happened on the night of Feb. 8, and security camera video was posted online several days later. In the video, a man can be seen walking up the porch of a home in the Weinland Park area near the Ohio State University campus. Meanwhile, a second man stays at the bottom of the porch stairs, recording the incident on a cell phone.

The man on the porch then exposes himself and begins urinating on the pride flag, saying, "F*** the gays, f*** the gays," while holding up a middle finger. The man then bangs twice on the house's doors before the two men run from the scene.

After the video was posted, one of the victims said Columbus police contacted them.

"It was less than two hours, less than two hours because it exploded a little bit on Reddit," Zoe, one of the home's residents, told NBC4 in February. "Our major goal was just to have a record that something happened; it was less about pursuing, like, some sort of justice for the situation as it were because it's not exactly like it can be undone."

A Columbus police spokesman confirmed in February that the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. While the U.S. Department of Justice handles certain hate crime charges at the federal level, records show no case against the man was opened in one of its courts.

A spokesperson for LGBTQ+ advocacy group Stonewall Columbus said that while they were not familiar with the specifics of the incident, there is no place in Columbus for such acts.

"As a Columbus resident, I am disheartened to see people have such blatant disrespect for the property of others and as a community organization, we do hope that the individuals in question are swiftly caught and subject to whatever legal recourse there may be," Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous said in a statement. "We must work to ensure residents and visitors understand that our city is a welcoming and safe place and such acts are not welcome here.”

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- More than 49 acres of farmland in Delaware could soon be home to a new development with restaurants, shops and a range of housing.

A proposal by Fincon Epic Ventures calls for the 49.9-acre Delaware site on the northeast corner of South Section Line Road and Marysville Road to be developed into four sections, each referred to as a "Sub-area" in the proposal. Areas A and C would feature multi-family housing, while Area B would include single-family housing and Area D would be dedicated to commercial space.

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The proposal lists several likely opportunities for the development's commercial area, including offices, a day care, banks, retail and restaurants with outdoor seating. Other possible ventures, like a car wash, a gas station or a fast-food chain with a drive-through window, would need to undergo additional review.

• The proposal calls for the 49.9-acre Delaware site to be developed into four sections. (Courtesy Photo/Delaware Planning Commission)
• A proposal calls for the development to be built on a 49.9-acre Delaware site on the northeast corner of South Section Line Road and Marysville Road. (Courtesy Photo/Delaware Planning Commission)

The Delaware Planning Commission approved Ventures' request on July 17 to rezone the 49-acre site to allow for a mixed-use development. Now, Ventures can continue tinkering with the proposal before returning before the commission for further review.

Todd Faris, CEO of Faris Planning and Design, is aiding Ventures' proposal and last month also presented before the Dublin Planning Commission to build a new neighborhood on part of a 101-acre site divided by railroad tracks. However, for the second time, the commission shot down the design and argued that a more creative development should be proposed for a site that is divided by a railroad.

Ventures' proposal is one of several other developments take shape in Delaware. The commission approved in May a proposal to construct the last three of six phases making up Winterbrooke Place, a sprawling subdivision built by M/I Homes, Rockford Homes and Arlington Builders. Plans call for the development’s final three phases to include 84 lots, increasing the subdivision’s total footprint to about 260 homes.

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Maronda Homes is building 655 homes as part of a residential and commercial development named “Donovan Farms” on a 114-acre site next to Boulder Park, east of South Section Line Road and west of Houk Road. Fincon Bowtown is developing 132 for-sale townhomes across a 16.8-acre site home to city-owned farmland, located north of Bowtown Road and west of the Village Gate Apartments complex.

Romanelli and Hughes is constructing 97 single-family homes to continue building out the 473-acre Terra Alta development north of Braumiller Road and west of Berlin Station Road. The plan calls for 43 homes to be built on 27.2 acres and 54 homes on 21.2 acres.

Further, Addison Rutherford is moving forward with plans to expand its central Ohio footprint by building more than 72 single-family homes across 22 vacant acres. The developer is one of several development companies owned by Jason Friedman -- a prolific real estate developer also constructing Delaware’s sprawling 273-acre Addison Farms development.

Central Ohio Weather and Radar

Skies will remain partly sunny on a warm, humid summer afternoon. High temperatures will peak in the mid-80s.

A disturbance will trigger scattered showers and storms later this afternoon and evening, with a few stronger storms capable of producing damaging winds and hail, primarily over the northern part of the state ahead of a sagging frontal boundary.

The trailing cold front will cross the state beginning tonight, with a few showers and isolated storms. Low temperatures will dip into the mid-60s.

Scattered showers and storms are possible Thursday as the cold front pushes across the southeastern part of the state.

Less humid air will filter into Ohio the rest of the week, as high pressure builds across the Great Lakes, creating a northwesterly flow.

A warm-up this weekend will push readings back into the upper 80s as high pressure pushes off to the east, creating a southerly flow, and eventually into the low 90s. A few showers and storms could return as early as late Sunday, and more likely early next week.

Forecast

• Wednesday: Partly sunny, scattered storms. High 86
• Tonight: Evening showers, storm, partly cloudy. Low 67
• Thursday: Partly sunny, lingering showers early. High 84
• Friday: Sunny. High 82 (62)
• Saturday: Sunny, warm. High 88 (62)
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, hot, humid. High 90 (67)
• Monday: Partly sunny, sticky, scattered storms. High 89 (71)
• Tuesday: Hot, humid, few storms. High 90 (72)

View a previous report on Lavash Cafe's appearance in a Twenty One Pilots music video in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Palestinian-owned central Ohio restaurant that recently appeared in a Twenty One Pilots music video revealed on social media it had been vandalized with graffiti.

Lavash Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant at 2985 N. High St. in Clintonville, posted pictures to its Facebook and Instagram accounts of the graffiti left on its windows and bakery door over the weekend. The vandalism included a message that appeared to say "Join the KKK."

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In the post, Lavash said a passerby alerted it of the vandalism. Beechwold Hardware and Curb Appeal Clean, both local businesses, then helped take down the graffiti. Lavash expressed appreciation to Clintonville for its support.

"We love our Clintonville neighborhood because of moments like this," the post said. "After sharing it on our Instagram story, community members messaged with support and suggestions on clean up."

Lavash concluded its social media post with the hashtag "Fight Racism Together."

A representative of Lavash declined to discuss the incident further.

Twenty One Pilots recently released the music video for its song "Lavish," which featured the restaurant's storefront. In response, Lavash held a fundraiser with 21% of hummus sales going to a food pantry.

Co-founder and head chef of Lavash, Nasir Latif, got his culinary start with his mother in Hebron, Palestine. With that experience under his belt, his kitchen serves traditional and contemporary halal dishes, including shawarma, lamb chops, gyros and more.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 19-year-old central Ohio man has been charged with murder after authorities said he intentionally ran over another man with his pickup truck on Tuesday.

Joshua Harper, of Westerville, was taken into custody after the deadly incident on Fancher Road in Harlem Township around noon on Tuesday, according to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.

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Harper got into a verbal dispute with 37-year-old Matthew Cox when Harper "used his vehicle as a weapon" and ran over Cox who was on foot.

Cox was pronounced dead on the scene. Harper is being held in the Delaware County Jail and is awaiting arraignment, the sheriff's office said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The stage is set at Lower.com Field for the 28th Major League Soccer All-Star Game at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

For the third time in four years, the best of MLS will take on the best of the Mexican first-division Liga MX for North American supremacy before each club from both leagues competes in the Leagues Cup tournament.

Liga MX wins MLS All-Star skills challenge in Columbus at Lower.com Field

The match is likely to be competitive and features some of the biggest stars in soccer, including five players for the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. Fans will flock to the Arena District to catch a glimpse of these worldwide stars.

Here is what you need to know about Wednesday night's MLS All-Star Game in Columbus.

Columbus' third time as hosts

Ohio's capital is hosting the MLS All-Star Game for a third time and for the first time since 2005. The previous two iterations were both at Historic Crew Stadium and each had a different format.

The 2000 All-Star Game pitted the East and West teams against each other in what is still the highest-scoring All-Star Game in MLS history. The East won 9-4 in front of over 23,000 fans in the first soccer-specific stadium built for an MLS club. Notable players featured in that game included Lothar Matthaus, Carlos Valderrama, and Brian McBride.

Five years later, Columbus hosted again and for the first time, the MLS All-Stars played a European team. English Premier League club Fulham was welcomed to Historic Crew Stadium in a true test of MLS' talent. MLS won 4-1 with two goals scored by Crew great Jeff Cunningham. Frankie Hejduk, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan were among the other players featured.

Crew quintet headlines MLS squad

No MLS team is bringing more players to the All-Star Game than the Columbus Crew. In what you could argue is maybe the best MLS All-Star team ever, the Black & Gold have five players on this summer's roster after a phenomenal start to the season.

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The Crew's top-two scorers Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi feature in the attack while captain Darlington Nagbe was chosen for the squad by MLS commissioner Don Garber. Defenders Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira were each picked by head coach Wilfried Nancy, who will manage the team.

Many fans likely bought tickets to see Lionel Messi in central Ohio for the first time but he is not on the roster after suffering an ankle injury during the Copa America final. Some of the world's best players of the last decade feature on MLS' squad, including Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Hugo Lloris.

MLS All-Star team

Goalkeepers (3): Roman Burki (St. Louis CITY SC), Hugo Lloris (Los Angeles FC), Maarten Paes (FC Dallas)

Defenders (9): Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Jordi Alba (Inter Miami), Moise Bombito (Colorado Rapids), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Herrera (D.C. United), Thiago Martins (New York City FC), Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), Keegan Rosenberry (Colorado Rapids)

Midfielders (10): Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew), Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami), Mathieu Choiniere (FC Montreal), Evander (Portland Timbers), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Robin Lod (Minnesota United), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

Attackers (7): Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew), Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew), Christian Benteke (D.C. United), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Gabriel Pec (LA Galaxy)

Liga MX players to watch

Of the 30 players on the third Liga MX All-Star roster, the Columbus Crew faced 12 of them during this year's CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Black & Gold's run to the CONCACAF final pitted them against three Liga MX sides: Tigres, Monterrey, and Pachuca.

Each of those teams feature its stars on this year's squad with Pachuca striker Salomon Rondon one of the centerpiece players. Rondon scored twice in the 3-0 CONCACAF final win over Columbus and looks to pair with Tigres' star Andre-Pierre Gignac in the attack.

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Other stars to watch on the Liga MX side include Tigres defender Jesus Angulo, Pachuca midfielders Alan Bautista and Oussama Idrissi, and Mexican soccer veterans Jonathan Dos Santos and Andres Guardado.

Liga MX All-Star team

Goalkeepers (3): Angel Malagon (Club America), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul), Fernando Tapia (Tigres)

Defenders (9): Jesus Angulo (Tigres), Brian Garcia (Toluca), Bryan Gonzalez (Pachuca), Alan Mozo (Guadalajara), Jesus Orozco (Guadalajara), Alexis Pena (Necaxa), Gonzalo Piovi (Cruz Azul), Guido Pizzaro (Tigres), Unai Bilbao (Tijuana)

Midfielders (13): Alan Bautista (Pachuca), German Berterame (Monterrey), Juan Brunetta (Tigres), Nelson Deossa (Pachuca), Javairo Dilrosun (Club America), Jonathan Dos Santos (Club America), Rodrigo Dourado (Atletico San Luis), Alvaro Fidalgo (Club America), Andres Guardado (Club Leon), Cesar Huerta (Pumas), Oussama Idrissi (Pachuca), Maximiliano Meza (Monterrey), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul)

Attackers (3): Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres), Guillermo Martinez (Pumas), Salomon Rondon (Pachuca)

Series history

This is the third time MLS and Liga MX are putting their best on the pitch against each other at the All-Star Game, but the first time the match is preceding the joint Leagues Cup tournament that features both leagues' clubs, which begins on Friday.

In the two previous meetings, MLS was able to come away victorious with a penalty shootout win in Los Angeles in 2021 and a 2-1 win in Minnesota two years ago.

POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) -- A central Ohio chef whose résumé spans Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Bon Vie and 101 Beer Kitchen has launched his own eatery, taking over the former home of a taco joint that closed last year.

Chef Michael Frame's Two Rivers Restaurant and Bar is now welcoming patrons at 4046 W. Powell Road after hosting a grand opening celebration earlier this month. The eatery is the first solo venture for Frame, a Powell resident who served as the executive chef of 101 Beer Kitchen for more than 10 years and previously worked for Bon Vie and Cameron Mitchell.

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"Every plate is a testament to Michael's passion for flavor and innovation," the Two Rivers site states. "Whether you're enjoying a casual meal or celebrating a special occasion, Michael's kitchen offers a culinary journey complemented by a selection of fine wines, craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails, making every visit unforgettable."

Two Rivers Restaurant and Bar is now welcoming patrons at 4046 W. Powell Road. (Courtesy Photo/Powell Chamber of Commerce)

Frame's eatery is launching in the kitchen that previously belonged to Yabo's Tacos, a central Ohio-based joint known for unique takes on Southwestern dishes. Yabo's closed at the Powell site last September and moved operations to the chain's Lewis Center restaurant. At 5915 Evans Farm Blvd., the 2,500-square-foot Lewis Center location with a wraparound bar and a 500-square-foot patio opened in late 2022.

"Powell friends, thank you for the support over the years," wrote Yabo's, which also has a restaurant at 5242 Cemetery Road in Hilliard and its original location at 7097 State Route 3 in Westerville, on Facebook. "We've moved our business to Yabo's Evans Farms."

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Now, Two Rivers, which boasts itself as the "perfect destination for family meals and everyday celebrations" is serving up a selection of salads, sandwiches and mains like grilled New York strip, seared Aukra salmon and spinach and ricotta tortellini. An extensive wine, craft beer and cocktail list rounds out the menu.

Frame's restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The last remaining York Steak House has been purchased by the owner of a local restaurant, two months after the outgoing operator announced his retirement.

Starliner Diner -- a Cuban restaurant in Hilliard owned by Tim Burkhammer -- has acquired the steakhouse at 4220 W. Broad St., it announced in Facebook posts Tuesday. The posts confirmed that both businesses would remain separate, being run "the way they have for decades."

"We are 100 percent committed to serving you the dishes you fell in love with," one post said.

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Despite this, the post did indicate the steakhouse's menu could soon be found at Starliner. It said the acquisition was made in part because 90% of Starliner's sales come before 3 p.m., asking social media followers for their opinion on serving food from York from 4 to 9 p.m.

York Steak House was a chain dating to 1966, expanding to nearly 180 locations by 1976. Most York restaurants have been discontinued or sold off over the years, with the Columbus location the last of its kind. In May, Jay Bettin announced the steakhouse was for sale after 45 years.

Being the last location left standing is portrayed as a point of pride on the York Steak House website.

“This last unit strives to maintain the same quality and atmosphere, where loyal guests continue to have that past nostalgic experience, with a fresh, present day appeal,” the website said. “For many of our customers, mentioning the words York Steak House invokes not just memories, but also the smell of a mouthwatering grilled sirloin.”

In December, York Steak House was the 16th highest-rated steakhouse in Columbus, according to TripAdvisor. It received an average rating of 4.0 from its 46 reviews.