Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A bill at the Ohio Statehouse would require health benefit plans and Medicaid to cover “medically necessary” tests used to determine a patient’s cancer diagnosis. 

Biomarker testing is used on cancer patients, for example, helping doctors more specifically determine to target a specific patient’s cancer directly, rather than using generalized treatments.

Meet the Michigan man who fought Ohio State players over team flag

“I have gone through thousands of biopsies, hundreds of surgeries encompassing my entire body,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer Leah McCleary said. “Eighty-nine of those surgeries have been from my neck up alone. I've done chemotherapy twice, clinical trials. The list goes on and on. Had I had access to this test years ago, I would have avoided years worth of treatments that were painful and expensive that inevitably didn't work best for my body's needs.” 

McCleary was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer when she was nine years old and is still in active treatment to this day.    

“I have been fighting cancer for 20 years now,” she said.    

McCleary, alongside her seven-year-old son, has been advocating for the passage of House Bill 24.    

“Being a cancer fighter for the last 20 years, it's important for my lawmakers to know that my voice matters and cancer impacts my life deeply and impacts my son and our lives together,” she said. “I'm not a number on a spreadsheet. I'm a patient, I'm an advocate, and I think it's important for them to hear those stories.”  

Not everyone is quite on board with the idea. Chris Ferruso, state director for the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), said he understands its importance.

Twenty One Pilots to perform at outdoor Columbus Blue Jackets game

“First and foremost, the important thing we are talking about here is people and patients and outcomes and our members want to make sure that their patients get the treatment they need,” he said. 

While Ferruso acknowledges that opposition to the bill is “not popular,” it is more complicated than it seems.    

“It's a struggle to provide,” he said. “We just want policymakers to be aware that there will be upward pressure put on premium.”    

Ferruso said the bill would only impact about 12% of the private sector, but his biggest concern is the way the legislation is currently drafted, saying it isn’t clear enough. 

“At least the way we interpret it, that any new test that comes on the market so long as it meets the criteria delineated in the bill, will be required to be covered under this state law, and that’s where our concern lies,” he said. “We know the cost of the test today. We don't know what those tests cost in the future and so, when there's a state mandate put in place, it kind of tips that scale in favor of one side versus the other.”

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Ferruso said while he cannot say that this legislation will cause companies to lay people off, he said it could still result in some difficult decisions.   

“Do they move to a plan that has a higher deductible or a greater cost-sharing requirement?” he said. “Do they ask employees to contribute a greater percentage of premiums, and in a worst-case scenario, do they make the ultimate decision that, ‘Look, I can no longer provide this benefit, it's just too costly.’ The pie is only so big.”  

Ferruso said he would favor some sort of cap to ensure that costs “don’t run away and go crazy.”

“What we'd like to see is the General Assembly look at perhaps Medicare as a benchmark and allow some sort of delta from Medicare, whatever that number is, 30, 50, 100% above Medicare reimbursement as a means to ensure that these tests do get covered,” he said.   

Ferruso said he has been able to work closely with the bill’s sponsor and is grateful for the open-mindedness. He said if they were able to achieve such an amendment to the bill, the NIFB would take a neutral stance instead of opposition.

Jerod Smalley commentary: Ohio State’s Ryan Day dilemma

McCleary said cancer treatment has advanced so much in the past several years and now is not the time to stop. 

“It's important that we continue to pave that path forward for people like myself who are in active treatment for cancer, but also the millions of other Americans that are going to hear those words, ‘You have cancer’ just this year alone,” McCleary said.    

The bill has its third hearing in the Ohio Senate Insurance Committee on Wednesday afternoon. Opponents will have the chance to testify on Wednesday; Ferruso said he plans to do so, in hopes of convincing members to amend the bill. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – As winter weather arrives in central Ohio, warming centers are opening across Columbus. 

Community Shelter Board, a Columbus nonprofit, opened seven “warming shelters” across the city on Monday, according to the group. The shelters remain open until March 31.  

“As the temperatures drop, Warming Centers provide a critical refuge for those in need, offering protection from extreme cold, frostbite, and hypothermia,” the nonprofit wrote on its Facebook. 

The centers are available for those seeking shelter from the cold, including individuals with pets, homeless adults or youth, those struggling with addiction and survivors of human trafficking, the nonprofit said. 

A list of the shelters and their hours can be found below

• Jordan’s Crossing, located at 342 N. Hague Ave. in Valleyview. The shelter is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Open Shelter, located at 1037 Parsons Ave. in Merion Village.
• Star House, located at 1220 Corrugated Way 4 in Milo-Grogen. The shelter, open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, is specifically for people aged 14 through 24 and their young children. 
• Third Shift Warming, located at 1015 E. Main St. in Olde Town East.
• New Covenant Believers Church, located at 1505 E. Deshler in Deshler Park.
• MY Project USA, located at 3275 Sullivant Ave. in Burnside Heights. 
• Columbus Relief, located at 2000 Parsons Ave. in Steelton. 

Daytime shelters can also be found at Columbus Metropolitan Library branches and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s community centers. 

Community Shelter Board offers an emergency 24/7 hotline for those in need of shelter and can be reached at 614-274-7000.

A list of shelters in the city and their contact information can be found in the document below.

Columbus-Warming-CentersDownload

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- NBC4 Investigates is getting the latest on the Ohio State University police officer who was injured during Saturday's game between the Buckeyes and Michigan that ended in a brawl after the game. 

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9 President Brian Steel said the officer suffered a very serious head injury and is an Ohio State University Police Department veteran. He was released from the hospital on Sunday and will be off from work for a couple of weeks. 

Jerod Smalley commentary: Ohio State’s Ryan Day dilemma

The injury happened when players on both teams started fighting. Officers representing both Ohio and Michigan ended up using pepper spray to break it up. 

"One of the biggest things we expect is something like the goalpost being taken down, something like that,” Steel said. “A full out fight, assaults that took place is something a little out of the realm for us. It was an outlier.” 

NBC4 Investigates looked through the general orders that outline when OSU police can and cannot use pepper spray. OSU said the general orders "...outlines the procedures/use of a chemical agent like pepper spray. It is important to note that these are the OSUPD General Orders. There were other agencies at the game and on the field as well from central Ohio and Michigan.” Their general orders can differ.   

Those rules state that pepper spray can be deployed "when it is objectively reasonable" to overcome someone resisting arrest, to defend police personnel or another person from an attack or imminent attack that may result in physical harm.  

Meet the Michigan man who fought Ohio State players over team flag

The orders also said pepper spray shall not be used to disperse protestors when they are nonviolent protestors mixed in with people using or threatening physical harm to others. 

"There's no playbook in here,” Steel said. “You can't determine what's going to happen. You have to make split-second decisions. I guarantee no officer going in there thought there was going to be a full-blown fight in the middle of that field.” 

Ohio State said a spokesperson was unavailable on Monday, but did send a copy of the school’s pepper spray deployment policy, which can be seen below. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The City of Columbus is welcoming three FUSE executive fellows for the first time, each of whom has been given a special project to work on. 

FUSE is a national nonprofit that works with local government agencies to advance racial equity and address challenges faced by urban communities.  

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It’s no secret that Columbus is a rapidly developing city, and because of that, things like public health, public safety and housing need to be looked at closely and thought about differently to keep up with the demand, which is exactly what these FUSE fellows will be doing.   

“The mayor challenged all of the directors of the department to propose a project for a FUSE fellow if they were interested in one,” Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said. 

The FUSE fellows will spend a year working on their special projects. For Columbus Public Health (CPH), they will focus on the growing mental health crisis in the city and underserved areas. 

“How are we providing mental health to our vulnerable populations, and is that something that Columbus Public Health should lean more into?” Roberts said. “Should we do more in mental health, or is that really the role of somebody else?” 

Dr. Lisa White is the FUSE fellow tasked with doing a needs assessment to identify unmet needs within the community. The first step is talking with members of the staff and getting to know all of the different programs.   

Twenty One Pilots to perform at outdoor Columbus Blue Jackets game

“This gives me a unique opportunity to marry my skills as a social worker and find ways that I can, like, look at the whole system, find ways to expand the services that are currently being offered,” she said. 

White said CPH is on the cutting edge, but while the department offers a lot of different services, one thing it needs more of is clinicians. Despite current efforts, there remains a significant shortage of mental health providers, causing long wait times unable to meet the city’s rising demand.   

“If we can close that gap, that is going to be the key to reaching under-represented groups,” White said. “If you know, there isn’t enough clinicians out there to meet the need of that demand. As Columbus grows, it's just going to go up.” 

As for what Columbus is currently seeing in terms of mental health, Roberts said behavioral health has been an issue across the nation for some time, but that the pandemic accelerated the need for more mental health services of all kinds. CPH currently offers programs like alcohol and drug services and a social work program that works closely with the city’s young people. 

“We know that behavioral health is often the root cause of substance use disorder can even lead to violent behavior,” Roberts said. “We know domestic violence has gone up. So all of those factors are concerning to us, particularly in our vulnerable population who don't have insurance, maybe don't speak English as their first language and don't have access to regular health care,”.” 

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White's role for more than 20 years has been to uplift those who have been left behind, especially Black residents and low-income households. She said that while the services currently in place are unique and offer specific things, some programs may be able to collaborate to work more efficiently. 

“If we're able to do that, that will allow us more opportunities to reach additional people and bring that hope and healing that we're all striving for within the city,” White said. 

By the end of the project, CPH will have a detailed roadmap for addressing the city’s mental health crisis.  

The other two fellows are focusing on public safety and housing, all working to create a better Columbus. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) –  Grammy award-winning musical duo Twenty One Pilots will perform at the Blue Jackets' outdoor game. 

Twenty One Pilots, a Columbus-based group consisting of lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, will give an intermission performance during the game March 1 at Ohio Stadium against the Detroit Red Wings. Faceoff is set for 6 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster. Ohio State students will have the opportunity to use their school email address to purchase discounted tickets, priced at $20.99, through Ohio State Account Manager. 

Jerod Smalley commentary: Ohio State’s Ryan Day dilemma

The game will the Blue Jackets' first outdoor home game. They're 11-9-3 and next play Tuesday night at the Calgary Flames. The Red Wings are 10-12-2.

Twenty One Pilots, was formed in 2009 and has since amassed over 33 billion streams and sold over 3 million tickets for performances.

The band, known for its songs such as “Heathens” and “Stressed Out,” is on a world tour for its seventh studio album, Clancy. The tour featured three stops in Columbus – the most stops of any city – in October.

DELTA, Ala. (WCMH) – The Cleburne County Sheriff's Office said it is still investigating the death of a Marysville woman who went missing and was found dead in a remote area of eastern Alabama.

The sheriff’s office said Monday during a news conference that Vendula “Wendy” Rose was found Saturday about five miles north of the Pinhoti Trailhead in Cheaha State Park, which is where authorities originally found her car on Oct. 8, six days after she was reported missing.

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Rose’s body was discovered by a hunter, deputies said, in the Talladega National Forest. The hunter told deputies he came across a campsite and saw what appeared to be a body inside a hammock style tent. Identification was made based on photos and on ID cards in a nearby bag.

An Alabama flock camera caught a photo of Vendula "Wendy" Rose's car leading up to her disappearance. (Courtesy Photo/Marysville Police Division)

Deputies said they are still investigating and would not say whether foul play was suspected.

“At this point in time, it is under investigation,” Cleburne County Coroner Adam Downs said regarding whether they thought Rose’s death was the result of foul play. “I’m going to leave all those questions to the sheriff’s office in terms of foul play.”

Reports of Rose's disappearance were received after she never returned from her camping trip. Police said she was last seen Sept. 24 and had been scheduled to return home on Oct. 2.

After Rose’s car was found, search parties looked for her on foot through 36 miles of surrounding trails and also checked remote areas with helicopters and drones.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 256-463-2277.

Nexstar's WIAT contributed to this report.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man who pleaded guilty in connection to the death of a 13-year-old boy after the two exchanged gunfire in west Columbus received his sentence Monday.

According to court documents, Krieg Butler Sr. will spend six months in Franklin County Jail, then be placed in Community Control probation for three years on charges of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence.

Butler Sr., 38, was originally arrested on murder charges one day after the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Sinzae Reed in October 2022. The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, however, dismissed the charge after Butler claimed he shot Reed in self-defense.

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While a grand jury also didn’t pursue the charge, they did indict him on a count of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, and another of tampering with evidence.

Butler pleaded guilty to both charges and a judge upheld a recommended sentence agreed upon by the prosecution and defense attorneys. Butler also agreed to testify “should anyone ever be charged in connection with Reed’s death.”

Krieg Butler appears over a video conference for his arraignment hearing May 24, 2023. (NBC4 Photo/Steve Wainfor)

Butler gave descriptions of witnesses to the shootout in the Wedgewood Village Apartments during an interrogation, and told police they would corroborate his claim of self-defense. Investigators then found and interviewed three people matching the descriptions and confirmed the 13-year-old shot at Butler first, according to the prosecutor.

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All three of them added that after Reed collapsed in the street, they also saw someone approach and remove what they thought was a firearm from his body. The latter detail matched what one initial witness told investigators, but that person only described it as an object.

After initially denying owning a firearm or that he shot back at Reed when officers arrested him, prosecutors noted Butler later admitted to returning fire and then got rid of his gun after leaving the scene.

Should Butler Sr. violate the terms of the agreement he would be subject to up to four and a half years in prison – 36 months for the weapons charge and 18 months for tampering.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ryan Day’s Ohio State program, as it is currently constructed, cannot beat Michigan.

Ryan Day’s Ohio State program, as it is currently constructed, can win the national championship.

They’re both true. And that’s why the modern OSU program could not be in a weirder state.

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Let’s start with Day’s future as coach and the program’s short-term goals.

National signing day is Wednesday.

Playoff pairings are announced Sunday.

Making a move right now doesn’t help this team or the program in the short term.

Day has $37 million reasons not to resign, and Ohio State paying him $37 million to go away hurts NIL resources and the school at large.

They’re stuck with each other for the moment. In a way, they’re together “for the children.”

In Day’s defense, he didn’t throw two irrational interceptions Saturday in a 13-10 loss to the Wolverines. He didn’t miss tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He didn’t miss two reasonable (more like gimme) field goals. His players did that. If any of those things happened, we’re talking about how Ryan Day finally got Michigan off his back.

For people saying OSU has the most talent in the country … do they? The offensive line development continues to lag, and despite the glimmer of hope at end of the Penn State game, you can also cite the performances against Nebraska and Michigan and wonder how the Penn State game happened.  Injuries to Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin are certainly an explanation for the struggles, but both of them were transfers. In terms of linemen OSU recruited and developed, that development has yet to materialize in the most physical moments.

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The defense has consistently folded in fourth quarters. On Saturday, Michigan had the ball 13 MINUTES of the fourth quarter! In fact, Michigan has not punted in the fourth quarter in any of the past four meetings, all Michigan wins. The young men, many of whom are now paid like professionals, can handle the criticism. They’re likely harder on themselves than any outside observer will ever be. They want to be great and certainly work like they’re chasing greatness.

They have some elite individuals on the roster, but as a team they’re unwilling to dictate the terms of a game. That’s a coaching flaw. You’re allowed to throw 60 passes if it’s the best way to move the ball with your best talent. Doing otherwise is stubbornness at best and ego at worst. No one cares who rushes for more yards. That’s not how they keep score, and if they did Army would win the national title most years. Just trying to run the ball to prove a point when it does not play to your strengths seems like a bold strategy. People only care that you score one more point than the opponent.

Now … here is why Ohio State fans should still be optimistic. These setbacks happen to teams at all levels, and good NFL teams can finish 9-8 in the regular season. They lose, reset and go again. And with the new College Football Playoff, with 12 teams receiving invites starting this year, you can achieve the biggest goal in the sport without beating your rival or winning every game along the way. That was not the case in the 1990s and Ohio State coach John Cooper endured the wrath of those results. OSU clearly is desperate to win every game it plays, and in particular against the rivals from Ann Arbor. But In the modern game there are other avenues to win at the highest level.

Should fans, boosters, players coaches and administrators be frustrated? Without question. Expectations are not being met, and OSU’s leadership in the biggest regular season game of any season is failing.

Being a real fan means you’re willing to wear disappointment to enjoy the good times. And, man, Buckeyes fans are carrying that weight like a boat anchor. However, no program in America has won more consistently for more than six decades than Ohio State. Disappointments are still far less frequent at OSU than almost anywhere else.

Ohio State’s leadership supports Day. He is not getting fired. He also has to know he’s lost a major bloc of the fan base. He will have another opportunity to prove doubters wrong. And those doubters have the right to remain doubtful.

Dilemma, indeed.

Jerod Smalley, anchor of First at 4 and NBC4 at 5, was NBC4's sports director from 2006 to '23.

BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) — A celebration of the life of American poet Emily Dickinson will take place at the Drexel Theater on the anniversary of the renowned writer's birthday, with the screening of an award-winning short film produced and shot in Columbus.

According to a news release, the Dec. 10 event will include talks on Dickinson’s life and details about the film's production, a birthday cake, and a poetry contest. Attendees are also welcome and encouraged to dress the part by donning the Victorian-style apparel of the mid-1800s.

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The movie, “Showdown in Amherst,” was created by a central Ohio filmmaking team, made up of writer and producer Amy Drake, director and cinematographer Kingsley Lims Nyarko, scriptwriter Tiana Coreus, and other crew from the Columbus College of Art and Design. Additionally, Ohio-based actors served in starring roles with Courtney Lucien as Dickinson, Douglas Fries as Higginson, Gaynelle Sloman as Mary, and Drake as Dickinson’s sister Lavinia. 

• “Showdown in Amherst” movie poster (Photo Courtesy/ Amy Drake)
• A still with Courtney Lucien and Douglas Fries (Photo Courtesy/ Amy Drake)
• Producer Amy Drake and director/cinematographer Kingsley Lims Nyarko with the Telly Award (Photo Courtesy/ Amy Drake)
• Behind the scenes shot of Kingsley Lims Nyarko directing a scene (Photo Courtesy/ Amy Drake)

Filmed at the historic Thurber House in Columbus, where humorist James Thurber once lived, the period piece tells the story of Dickinson and her literary mentor, Col. Thomas Wentworth Higginson. The pair’s “historic meeting” is depicted, and Higginson’s dismissal of her groundbreaking work as not “real poetry” due to its unconventional rhymes is explored in the Telly award-winning picture.

The night will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Drexel Theater, 2254 E. Main St. Admission is $5.

Central Ohio Weather and Radar QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Today: Mostly cloudy, high 32
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, low 18
• Tuesday: Mixed clouds, high 35 (24)
• Wednesday: Wintry mix late, high 39 (23)
• Thursday: Light flurries, high 30 (20)
• Friday: More sunshine, high 32 (22)

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Conditions will slowly warm up over the next several days. Monday will stay below the freezing point all day under partly sunny skies. Wind chill temps will only mildly improve feeling like the mid 20s. A few snow flurries will be mostly contained to the first part of the afternoon hours.

Skies will clear up a little bit tonight, but the clearing skies will keep help things cool off even more. Lows tonight will be in the mid to upper teens. This is about 10-15 degrees below normal for this time of year. Winds will not be as breezy tonight, but many people will wake up to wind chills in the low teens.

Tuesday will finally bring temperatures above the freezing point. Very modest warming is expected ahead of the next weather maker. That is expected to arrive between Wednesday night into Thursday. This will bring a small chance for a wintry mix

Central Ohio will stay well below average the entire week. These temperatures over the next seven days and a bit beyond will be more comparable to January’s average temps. The good news is that things will become closer to normal by next week. The jet stream will begin to lift and more seasonable temps will eventually return to Central Ohio.

POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) -- Another Broken Egg, a brunch chain with a Southern-inspired menu, is opening another central Ohio café by the end of the year inside a former Panera Bread.

The Florida-based chain is launching the new location this month at 8823 Owenfield Drive near Lewis Center, taking over the building once home to a Panera that closed several years ago. The spot will mark the brand's second central Ohio location after the first opened at Easton Town Center in 2022, also inside a former Panera.

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Another Broken Egg boasts a series of brunch specialties, like cinnamon roll French toast, eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, omelets and buttermilk pancakes. A selection of sandwiches, salads, beverages like the salted caramel cold brew and a number of sides round out the menu.

The chain is expanding into Lewis Center as First Watch also opened a new restaurant in the area in July. The 4,600-square-foot location is the brand's first new central Ohio eatery since opening a Sawmill location along Dublin Center Drive in late 2022.

Other eateries opening in Lewis Center include a locally owned, fast-casual Mediterranean chain that began welcoming guests this fall. The opening expands the company to five central Ohio eateries, with the other locations in Gahanna, Sunbury, Westerville and Plain City, and a sixth coming to Grandview Heights.

A combo craft brewery and coffee shop opened in Lewis Center in May. The shop is home to a range of brews, a cocktail menu created in collaboration with Watershed Distillery, freshly roasted coffee from One Line Coffee and pastries from Der Dutchman.

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A national chain that unveils a lineup of new flavors every week and boasts an award-winning chocolate chip cookie, opened in Lewis Center earlier this summer. The shop marks the brand’s first Ohio location and is joining dozens of storefronts nationwide, including in Nevada, Texas, Indiana, Florida, New Jersey and more.

A shop boasted as the state’s “biggest coffeehouse,” home to beans sourced from Yemen and a brew recipe dating back 500 years, opened in Lewis Center in March. The new location marks the brand’s second central Ohio shop after the first opened last year in Hilliard at 3221 Hilliard Rome Road.

WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two 19-year-old men were charged in connection to a Sunday afternoon shooting of a man holding a baby outside a grocery store.

Police said that at 5:35 p.m., a man was walking while holding a 10-month-old in a Kroger parking lot when he was approached by two men. One suspect allegedly fired multiple shots at the victim while the other was allegedly recording it on a phone.

The man was shot in the nose and taken to a hospital for treatment. The 10-month-old was uninjured, police said. Whitehall authorities apprehended the suspects, Shyler Swank and Christopher Dumont, shortly after the shooting.

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Court records said Swank faces three felonious assault charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in Franklin County Municipal Court. Dumont faces three charges of complicity.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Major League Baseball season wrapped up recently with the award announcements, and although central Ohio baseball and softball seasons are on hiatus until the spring, it doesn’t mean the offseason is without opportunities.

Hoagy’s All Americans, a new indoor baseball that opened in Clintonville this summer, will keep the sport alive all year round, be it through youth indoor leagues, winter conditioning, clinics or one-on-one training.

The baseball and softball facility, located at 3005 Silver Drive, north of East Weber Road, was part of a vision by Krista and Todd Holcomb after the couple used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to reinvent their careers and follow their family’s passion for baseball.

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Todd was a two-time All-State player with Bishop Watterson and played collegiately in Jacksonville, Florida. He returned to Columbus to coach with area travel teams and the Eagles before the idea was born.

After approximately two years of planning and construction, their dream facility, complete with several hitting and pitching bays, a weight room, and more, is up and running.

“This location is perfect. Most of these facilities are in the suburbs, but this is 10-15 minutes from anywhere and that was a big draw,” Todd said.

Hoagy’s provides classes, private lessons, and winter hitting leagues for baseball and softball players ages 10 through 18. The 17,000-square-foot facility can also accommodate lacrosse, cricket, agility training and yoga.

“I went to Watterson and knew the area, and nothing is here baseball-wise,” Todd said. “I always liked Clintonville, it’s a nice community, and we can draw players, people who don’t have that (nearby).”

Additionally, Hoagy’s staff features renowned high school, college and professional athletes and coaches, both local and national, and professional athletes from all over the country who conduct clinics.

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Scott Manahan, who spent much of his career at Watterson and was enshrined in the National High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, joined the staff, as did Teddy Cox, a certified strength and conditioning coach, and former Buckeye Kegan Lanter, Worthington Kilbourne’s coach.

Area standouts include Ohio State softball gold-glove shortstop Carley Gaskill and 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference pitcher of the year Sydney Long, who graduated from Ohio Dominican and won the Division IV state championship with Hillsdale in 2018.

Players from Hilliard Darby, Olentangy Orange, Watterson and Whetstone high schools are also on the staff, among others.

Last week Liberty Union graduate and Miami Marlins pitcher Jacob Miller hosted a pitching clinic, and earlier in November Oregon All-American, Pac-12 batting champions and Hall of Famer Alex Peterson hosted a three-day hitting clinic. In February, Hoagy’s will host a Cincinnati Reds two-day winter camp.

"I got an email from the Reds who are looking to do winter camps further up north than they normally do. Would you be interested? Yeah!" said Krista, Hoagy's manager and co-owner. "(Peterson) reached out to me. She and her husband moved here ... and she loves to do camps. Is that something you need? Absolutely. It's kind of like kismet, or serendipity."

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In between camps and clinics, live softball and baseball hitting leagues are offered throughout the offseason. And if you’re looking to pick up weights instead of a bat, Hoagy’s can meet those needs. The building boasts a 1,200-square-foot fitness and agility training area.

“We wanted to open a facility where athletes could be comfortable from any skill level, but also wanted it to be an all-around training facility, with conditioning and strength training, not just throwing a ball or hitting a ball,” said Krista.

Hoagy’s hosts area high schools on a regular basis, as well as over 20 travel softball and baseball teams that hold indoor practices. Krista and Todd hope to attract more schools in Columbus and surrounding areas, which could also include middle schools and recreation league teams.

For more information on Hoagy’s visit www.hoagysallamericans.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – One week after the federal government approved funding through the CHIPS Act to advance Intel plans for a plant in central Ohio and others throughout the country, the company’s CEO has retired.

Intel Corporation announced Monday that Pat Gelsinger, who helped bring Intel to the New Albany amid company turmoil, retired and stepped down from the board of directors, effective Dec. 1.

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“Leading Intel has been the honor of my lifetime – this group of people is among the best and the brightest in the business, and I’m honored to call each and every one a colleague. Today is, of course, bittersweet as this company has been my life for the bulk of my working career,” Gelsinger said in a statement.

Gelsinger began his career with Intel in 1979 and eventually became the company’s first chief technology officer. He “helped launch and revitalize process manufacturing by investing in state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing, while working tirelessly to drive innovation throughout the company,” independent chair of the board of Intel Frank Yeary said.

From left, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Pat Gelsinger, Gov. Mike DeWine and others celebrated at the site of Intel's future Ohio manufacturing complex during a ceremonial groundbreaking on Friday, Sept. 9. (Jeffry Konczal/CBF)

Among Gelsinger’s accomplishments was seeing through government funding of up to $7.8 billion to support the company’s plan to invest more than $100 billion in the United States. That investment includes construction of a new fabrication plant in New Albany and expand its existing computer chip factories in Arizona and Oregon.

The reduction in funding, which was originally proposed at $8.5 billion, is largely considered a byproduct of the $3 billion that Intel is also receiving to provide computer chips to the military. It is not related to the company’s financial records or the recent announcement that the company would cut about 15,000 jobs.

As Intel grappled with those layoffs, restructuring and a dropping stock price thanks to back-to-back losses in its last two quarterly earnings reports, Gelsinger had been weighing options to help return the company’s good fortune.

Just two years prior, his company was the poster child alongside President Joe Biden for a push for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. President Biden hailed Intel as a job creator and praised the company for plans to “build a workforce of the future,” with the project expected to generate 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 full-time jobs.

Rendering of Intel's Ohio One facility being built in New Albany. (Courtesy Photo/Intel Corporation)

The initiative saw the CHIPS and Science Act materialize, in hopes of weaning the U.S. off dependence on Taiwan, the international hub for computer chip manufacturing that faces an ever-present threat of Chinese invasion.

Fast-forward to 2024, Intel had not yet received the promised $8.5 billion in funds. Gelsinger, speaking with Yahoo Finance, made it known he was getting impatient.

Columbus gas prices shot up by 20 cents over the holiday weekend

Gelsinger will be replaced on an interim basis by David Zinser and Michell Johnston Holthaus as co-chief executive officers while the board of directors conducts a search for a permanent replacement. Zinsner is executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Holthaus has been appointed to the newly created position of CEO of Intel Products, a group that encompasses the company’s Client Computing Group, Data Center and AI Group and Network and Edge Group.

Yeary will also serve as interim executive chair of the board during the period of transition, the company said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - With the new year approaching, it also means it's time to renew your dog's license or buy one if you recently adopted a furry friend.

Ohio requires that all dogs over three months of age must have a valid license and registration tag. It's also important to renew their tags with any updates including an address and phone number in case your dog is lost. Licenses also ensure that dogs have been vaccinated against rabies as well.

Owners can now purchase their 2025 license without penalty through Jan. 31. To renew, several county auditor offices will offer in-person and online renewal options.

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Typically, owners will receive their license by mail within two to three weeks of the application submission, according to the Franklin County Auditor's Office. For Franklin County, a one-year license is $18, a three-year is $54 and a permanent license is $180 for pets who are spayed or neutered. Prices are higher for dogs who are not fixed or increase if applications are submitted after the deadline.

Information needed for licensing services includes owner name, address, phone number, valid email address, along with your credit or debit card. To renew or purchase a new license in Franklin County, follow this link. Contact your county auditor for more information on renewing.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A national travel magazine recently named Columbus as one of the top 10 friendliest cities in the United States.

Condé Nast Traveler – a magazine owned by the company that also publishes Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair – recently compiled a list of the friendliest cities in America. The magazine releases an annual readers’ choice awards compilation where over half a million people vote online for which cities have the nicest residents. 

Columbus made the list, coming in at No. 7. The magazine pointed to Columbus’ food scene as a potential key factor to its welcoming atmosphere.

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“Could it be that Columbus is friendly because it’s so well-fed?” the magazine said. “Whether you make a beeline for the overloaded burgers at The Thurman Cafe or decide to try some of the city’s Himalayan food, you’re sure to be welcomed with a nice Midwest greeting and enthusiastic suggestions for where to eat next.”

Taking the No. 1 spot as the friendliest city in America was Chattanooga, Tennessee.

"One of the city’s greatest assets is its friendly population," Condé Nast Traveler wrote. "As you pass happy residents kayaking in Coolidge Park, hiking up Lookout Mountain, or shopping their way through Bluff View Art District, you’ll be tempted to make a permanent relocation to this charming city in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains."

The completed top 10 list can be viewed below:

1. Chattanooga, Tennessee
2. Lexington, Kentucky
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Mobile, Alabama 
6. Savannah, Georgia
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Charleston, South Carolina
9. Alexandria, Virginia
10. Chicago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The planting of the Michigan team flag Saturday at Ohio Stadium ended with Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer ripping it from its pole and throwing it to the turf and cornerback Davison Igbinosun in a brief tug-of-war with a man in Michigan gear over control of it.

It turns out that man was similar to those Igbinosun might cover one day in the pros: He's a former NFL wide receiver.

See where Ohio State is ranked after Michigan loss COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 30: Davison Igbinosun #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes grabs a Michigan flag following his team's defeat against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Media reports over the weekend identified the man as Jason Avant, the sideline reporter for the Michigan radio network. He was on the field for the Wolverines' 13-10 win over Ohio State and remained there after the game as Michigan players celebrated the upset by planting the team flag at midfield. Those players were met almost immediately by Buckeyes who didn't like what they were seeing.

A large melee broke out, with police intervening and using pepper spray to calm both sides down. That's when Avant saw Sawyer and Igbinosun with the flag.

“The craziest thing is, I wasn’t looking to do it,” Avant, himself a former Michigan player, told the Detroit News. “I saw a dude with a Buckeye jersey with the flag, and I was like, 'Hey, what is going on?' I didn’t see the flag plant. I didn’t see the confrontation or scuffle or anything. I just saw the guy with the flag, and I was like, ‘Ah, let me get that back.’"

Watch: Ohio State-Michigan melee Avant and Igbinosun compete for flag starting at 48-second mark

Avant wrested the flag away from Igbinosun and got shoved in the back by Buckeyes defensive lineman Dominic Kirks before Igbinosun made one last grab at it before walking away.

Once off the field, Avant took the flag to the Michigan locker room. The incident led to one arrest, one police officer being injured and the Big Ten fining both universities $100,000 each. The conference stopped short, however, of issuing player suspensions that could affect either team in the postseason. For No. 7 Ohio State (10-2), that's expected to be in the College Football Playoff, and for unranked Michigan (7-5), in a nonplayoff bowl game.

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That gives Avant, in his third year on the air, one more game to report on this season. He played 11 seasons in the NFL starting in 2006, a career that included time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs. Although he never had more than three touchdown catches in any season, he was on playoff teams over six years with the Eagles and Chiefs.

His record as a Wolverine against the Buckeyes wasn't as strong. He went 1-3 from 2002 to '05. Still, the players he shared those games with began reaching out to him this weekend.

“The ‘Flag Man’ is what my teammates are calling me now,” he said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Supply and demand reared its ugly head last week when gas prices jumped by nearly 20 cents just as the Thanksgiving travel weekend kicked off.

According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in the Columbus area, the average price at the pump rose by 19.6 cents per gallon last week to leap over the $3 threshold at $3.07. The current price is 1.4 cents per gallon lower than last month but 10.4 cents per gallon higher than this time one year ago.

Columbus Gas Prices Tracker

The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.77 a gallon, while the most expensive was $3.22, a difference of 45 cents per gallon. In Ohio, the average price of gas also rose significantly by 17.2 cents from $2.83 per gallon to $3.00 per gallon.

Nationally, gas prices actually dropped slightly, 0.6 cents per gallon, to reach $3 even, while the price of diesel ticked up just a skosh, settling at $3.51 per gallon.

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According to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan, most of the country remains steady and those areas that experienced hikes should see prices at the pump taper off again soon.

"Millions took to the road for Thanksgiving, and while some regions, like the Great Lakes, saw gas prices rise just in time for travel, most of the nation saw prices hold mostly stable or decline slightly as the national average remains near the lowest level we've seen since 2021," said De Haan, "The weeks ahead should feature slight drops in gas prices in most areas (and) should stick around through the holiday shopping season.”

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A new religious release program for public school students is entering Marysville schools, and this one emphasizes Satanic studies.

The Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) program will begin in Marysville's Edgewood Elementary School in December as a part of the district's permitted release time for religious instruction. The program is put on by the Satanic Temple, the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and Federal Court System. 

June Everett, the campaign director for the After School Satan Club and an ordained minister for the Satanic Temple, said a parent reached out to the Satanic Temple asking for a program at Edgewood. Everett said the Satanic Temple's programs for students are only implemented when parents seek them out, and only in districts where other release programs are already in place.

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Marysville has been involved with LifeWise, a Christian-based program offering biblical education during the school day off school property, since September 2023. According to Marysville LifeWise, the program is offered to students during lunch and recess once a week.

Everett said the parent who sought out HAIL was searching for an alternative to LifeWise, as students who do not attend sometimes feel left out or ostracized. LifeWise welcomes any students, but she said some parents don't want to send their children to the program for various reasons. She said that's where HAIL comes in.

"We aren't trying to shut the LifeWise Academy down, but I do think a lot of school districts don't realize when they open the door for one religion, they open it for all of them," Everett said.

Everett said HAIL is a monthly program because the Satanic Temple has fewer resources and a smaller budget than LifeWise, which often partners with local churches. Marysville's program is the Satanic Temple's first release program in Ohio, but its sister program, the After School Satan Club, has operated in Dayton, Wilmington and Lebanon, she said.

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Everett said many people misunderstand HAIL and the Satanic Temple. The church, and its associated school program, are built on the Seven Fundamental Tenets of The Satanic Temple, summarized below:

• Acting with compassion and empathy
• The pursuit of justice
• Personal bodily autonomy, including a religious right to abortion
• Respecting others' freedoms

• Aligning beliefs with scientific facts
• Remedying mistakes
• The tenets are guiding principles but followers should defer to compassion, wisdom and justice

“We aren’t worshipping the devil and sacrificing babies and using blood. It’s actually the opposite,” Everett said.

Everett said although HAIL is not trying to shut down LifeWise, it is often a response to the program. LifeWise CEO and founder Joel Penton said HAIL is a good example of why LifeWise supports Ohio House Bill 445, which would require school districts to implement a release instruction policy. Penton said HB 445 would grant clarity on how to implement those programs.

"LifeWise isn’t fearful of other organizations offering RTRI," Penton said. "We believe all families should have the opportunity to choose religious study during school hours and we trust parents to make the best choice for their children."

Both LifeWise and HAIL have open enrollment for Marysville parents available online.

Central Ohio Weather and Radar QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Today: Mainly cloudy, high 32
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, low 18
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy, high 35
• Wednesday: PM wintry mix, breezy, high 40
• Thursday: Clearing, breezy, high 30
• Friday: More sunshine, high 32

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Happy Monday!

Our chilly temperatures are here to stay for Central Ohio, with some flurries on-and-off, too. Today, expect highs close to freezing, but feeling a bit colder, even with just a light wind. We'll see mainly cloudy to partly sunny skies today, with a few flurries at times.

For tomorrow, we'll see a bit more sunshine during the afternoon, with just partly cloudy skies. Highs top out in the middle 30s.

By Wednesday, our breeze really kicks in. Expect gusty winds into the afternoon, sending highs back close to 40, but of course feeling colder. We'll then be tracking a system during the late-afternoon/evening, which will bring some light and scattered rain and snow showers.

That starts clearing Thursday morning, then we'll be left with a few flurries, breezy conditions, and highs falling back to the lower 30s.

We end the workweek with a bit more sunshine, and highs close to freezing.

-McKenna