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HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) – A Jewish organization is demanding the president of Hilliard City Council step down after the council passed a resolution calling for a “mutual end to hostilities in Gaza” on the first day of Passover. 

The Jewish Community Relations Council is calling for the resignation of Cynthia Vermillion and an apology from the council after it said the religious observance was disregarded and the city sent the message that Jewish voices are “unwelcome in city government.”

On Monday night, Hilliard City Council passed a resolution 4-2, with one abstention, calling for "an immediate, sustained and mutual end to hostilities in Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, and the urgent expansion of humanitarian assistance."

About three dozen pro-Palestine protesters arrested at Ohio State

During council discussion, Vermillion apologized for the group taking so long to pass a resolution, coming after weeks of community comment.

"I know we're not going to affect Washington, D.C., policy, but at least they can note that many communities throughout the country are calling for an end to these hostilities, these horrific hostilities," she said.

The resolution read that council "reaffirms its commitment to combat anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli bigotry." But before the meeting, the Jewish Community Relations Council said Vermillion was warned by the city attorney and manager to not vote on it that night, which marked the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover.

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“Despite objections from Council Members Peggy Hale and Les Carrier, as well as City Manager Michelle Crandall and her staff, who clearly articulated that such action on the first night of Passover was wholly inappropriate, the decision was championed by City Council President Cynthia Vermillion,” a statement from the Jewish council read. 

The group said Vermillion was told she would be "intentionally excluding" Jewish voices who would be unavailable to speak that night.

“The deliberate timing of this resolution on such a sacred night as the first night of Passover constitutes a blatant act of antisemitism,” the organization said in a statement. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio State University police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested three dozen people Thursday night for staging a pro-Palestine encampment on campus – carrying out what is likely the highest number of protest-related arrests there since the Vietnam War. 

After hours of peaceful protest on the South Oval behind the Ohio Union, dozens of officers clad in riot gear descended on the crowd, handcuffing protesters and carrying them to Franklin County sheriff’s buses parked nearby. Several protesters were arrested earlier in the day for pitching tents on campus, but police watched for hours – occasionally issuing threats of arrest – when hundreds of protesters returned in the evening.

The protesters, led by student activist groups, staged the encampment as both a solidarity measure with other pro-Palestinian campus encampments across the country and as a call on the university to disclose – and divest – its investments in Israeli companies amid Israel’s war in Gaza. Ohio State has repeatedly said state law prevents it from divesting in Israeli assets and has declined to disclose its level of investments. 

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Both Ohio State police and President Ted Carter requested the state patrol’s assistance Thursday night, university spokesperson Ben Johnson said. University police had been coordinating with state police before Carter requested the reinforcements.

Since Tuesday, about 40 people, including students and faculty, have been arrested on Ohio State’s campus while participating in pro-Palestine protests. Ohio State has cited rules prohibiting camping, overnight events, and disruption to university business as reasons for the arrests. The university released a statement shortly after midnight saying that protesters “exercised their First Amendment rights for several hours” before being told to leave. 

“Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass,” the statement read. “Arrests are not an action that we take lightly, and we appreciate the support of all of our law enforcement partners to disperse the encampment for the safety of our university community. We have always, and always will, take the action that is in the best interest of our community.”

Thirty-six people -- including 16 students -- were charged related to the Thursday night protest, Johnson confirmed Friday afternoon. Franklin County Municipal Court personnel said they will be released without needing to post bail and arraigned in the coming days.

Between chants to “Free Palestine” and demands that Ohio State divest from Israeli assets, many protesters took to the middle of the group to pray. Videos from reporters and protest attendees showed officers close in on the crowd, struggling to break through layers of protesters to get to rip apart the tents in the middle.

Saphia Abdelsalam is an Ohio State student whose family is in Gaza. She told NBC4 that the protest was peaceful and did not warrant the level of law enforcement response.

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“We just wanted to be peaceful and stand our ground, and then they made it not peaceful,” Abdelsalam said. “They started attacking and started arresting.”

As Johnson acknowledged on behalf of the university on Wednesday, protests happen regularly at Ohio State. He said protests happening amid finals and close to academic spaces are treated differently than other protests on campus.

But Jill Galvan, an associate professor of English at Ohio State, said it was shocking all the same to see protesters arrested on university grounds.

“I've been here for a very long time,” Galvan said. “This is more horrifying than anything I've ever seen here."

A handful of protesters have been arrested on Ohio State’s campus in recent decades, according to an archival review of The Lantern, Ohio State’s student newspaper, and other university publications. But the last time protesters were arrested en masse appears to have happened more than 50 years ago.

In 1968, about two dozen anti-Vietnam War protesters were arrested at two on-campus Navy recruitment events days apart. Nearly all were charged with criminal trespass. 

After the arrests, then-President Novice Fawcett released a statement that said the police action was appropriate and in line with university policy.

“Numerous times during the past year the University has announced that whereas peaceful and orderly demonstrating on the campus would be permitted, under no circumstances would interference with the operation of the University be tolerated,” Fawcett’s statement read, according to a March 1968 edition of Ohio State University Monthly magazine.

Bern Anderson was a graduate student in philosophy when he and 10 others were arrested for protesting military recruiters in Hitchcock Hall. In May 1968, he told The Lantern the arrests were “A clear-cut case of the University acting in bad faith.”

“An Administration which claims to be sensitive to the needs and desires of the students and then cries student irresponsibility after students protest is not setting a good example and does not speak well for future student-administration relations,” Anderson said.

GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) - A food hall and market for community gatherings and offering a selection of meals and drinks from local vendors is opening this summer in Grandview.

The Little Grand Market will being welcoming patrons at its food hall in August at the Grandview Crossing development, which is located at the northeast corner of Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue. According to a news release, the market, spanning over 22,500 square feet, will have local vendors offering a variety of food. Along with the vendor stalls, patrons will also find a full-service restaurant.

The food hall will also serve alcoholic beverages from a sole vendor at its "The Little Grand Bar" along with drinks from coffee shop Bada Bean. The bar will also be overlooking a "serene 3-acre park" as well, according to the release.

• (Courtesy: Meyers & Associates)
• (Courtesy: Meyers & Associates)
• (Courtesy: Meyers & Associates)

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According to the announcement from Thrive Companies, the market will create a space where the community can try delicious eats from local spots, while enjoying the sites of the nearby park and more. The Little Grand Market will allow visitors to enjoy their food and beverages indoors and outdoors, since the market will be adjacent to the park.

Thrive Companies noted the market will announce its family of chef partners through the next several weeks. It's website posted dates with vendor announcements for April 29, May 6 and May 13.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Thousands of participants and spectators will flood downtown Columbus on Saturday for the 21st annual Capital City Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon and Columbus Promise 5K.

Due to the massive influx of people, Central Ohio Transit Authority is notifying its riders to expect several reroutes. In a news release, the agency said the changes will begin on Friday, April 26 at 5 p.m. as race preparations start. Lines 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 52, 61, 102 and CMAX will all be impacted with modifications to stops near South High Street around Columbus Commons.

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Alterations on race day, Saturday, April 27, will begin at 8 a.m. and involve Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 31, 102 and CMAX. COTA noted that there will be no bus stops on High Street from Ohio State University to German Village. The changes will extend to other streets including Neil Avenue, West Lane Avenue, North and South Fourth Street, South Third Street, West Long Street, East Spring Street, and Thurman Avenue. The event's website shows a map of the race route.

The reroutes are expected to last until the early afternoon on Saturday. COTA's website homepage will have more information and riders can call COTA Customer Care at (614) 228- 1776. Additionally, the organization said it will update customers via its social media channels before and during the race.

COTA also stated that reroutes are fluid and can change without notice because of traffic conditions and "decisions made by event and transportation officials." COTA is asking customers to be patient during the delays and reroutes caused by the event.

cota-reroutes-cap-city-half-marathon-240426Download

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) –  One person was arrested and hospitalized after a high-speed chase ended in a crash on a Columbus interstate early Friday morning.

Columbus police said that at 1:08 a.m. officers attempted a traffic stop after spotting a “possible suspect car” at the intersection of Sullivant Avenue and Whitehorn Avenue in the Hilltop. The driver fled the scene and led police onto Interstate 70, where the vehicle crashed into a barrier at I-70 East and Livingston Avenue in Downtown, Columbus.

Dozens of protesters demanding OSU divest from Israel detained

The suspect ran away from the crashed vehicle but was eventually apprehended. He was taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition.

Police did not elaborate on “possible suspect car”. No other injuries were reported.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Cameron Mitchell's list of dining destinations in central Ohio will grow this summer, with a steakhouse set to open Downtown.

Butcher & Rose, a steakhouse moving into the ground floor of 155 E. Broad St. at Preston Centre, will open in July, according to a news release from Cameron Mitchell restaurants. The restaurant is looking for employees after opening a hiring office at Suite 302 at the same address.

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The Cameron Mitchell project will feature a menu that includes unexpected, modern presentations of traditional steakhouse favorites and a variety of different cuts, broiled to perfection at 1,200 degrees. Seafood, handmade pasta, salads, and more can also be found on the menu.

With more than 2,000 bottles of wine in-house, Butcher & Rose carries a wide variety fit for even discerning palates. According to the release, the restaurant's beverage experience is designed to take guests on a "sensory journey."

The restaurant's outdoor pavilion will offer a "unique experience" right on Broad Street.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The eighth of nearly two dozen super loads is on their way to the Intel facility under construction in New Albany and could cause traffic delays Sunday on central Ohio roads.

The super load -- carrying an air processor -- is traveling from a dock on the Ohio River near Manchester in Adams County to Intel's Ohio One site in Licking County. The first three shipments had gone to the Freepoint Eco-Systems recycling facility near Hebron.

This load weighs 378,400 pounds and measures in at over 19 feet tall, 20 feet wide and 128 feet long.

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On Sunday, the load will travel along the following route:

• Departure at approximately 7 a.m.
• Travel north on Rickenbacker Parkway North to Alum Creek Drive
• Travel north on Alum Creek Drive to Rohr Road
• Travel east on Rohr Road to Commerce Center Drive
• Travel north on Commerce Center Drive to Green Pointe Drive South 
• Travel east on Green Point Drive South to Saltzgaber Road
• Travel south on Saltzgaber Road to State Route 317
• Travel north in the southbound lanes on State Route 317 past Groveport to Bixby Road east
• Travel east on Bixby Road to U.S. 33 
• Travel east in the westbound lanes of U.S. 33 to the Gender Road southbound to U.S. 33 westbound ramp in Canal Winchester
• Travel the wrong way on the Gender Road southbound to U.S. 33 westbound ramp 
• Take State Route 674/Gender Road north to Brice Road
• Take Brice Road north to the intersection with Tussing Road/State Route 204 in Columbus
• Travel east on Tussing Road/State Route 204 east to State Route 310
• Travel north on State Route 310 to U.S. 40 in Etna
• Travel west on U.S. 40 to Etna Parkway
• Travel north on Etna Parkway to State Route 16
• Travel east on State Route 16 to State Route 310
• Travel north on State Route 310 to State Route 161
• Travel west on State Route 161 to Etna Parkway
• Travel north on Etna Parkway to Clover Valley Road NW

The load will be delivered to its destination Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Legislators are advancing a bill to change the way a home is sold in Ohio, after the leading national real estate trade group settled a series of lawsuits and agreed to alter how agents are paid commissions.

House Bill 466 would require an agent who is representing a buyer or seller to have a written agreement with their client outlining their compensation. The legislation would require these agreements to be completed before showing a property for a seller or making an offer to purchase property for a buyer, said Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), one of the bill's primary sponsors.

"It is vital that Ohio establishes standards for these agreements so that both the real estate professional and the buyer have a transparent understanding of the services being provided, compensation and the responsibilities of both parties," said Schmidt in testimony submitted for the legislation's first hearing on April 9.

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Schmidt's proposal comes after the National Association of Realtors reached a settlement in March with home sellers who argued the current way commission prices are negotiated forced them to pay excessive fees. Now, the association is paying $418 million in damages and implementing a new rule banning a seller's agent from offering to compensate a buyer's agent through the Multiple Listing Service, a database of homes for sale.

Ohio Realtors, the state's largest trade association with about 36,000 members, said the organization will follow the new rule set by NAR's settlement, which ends the current practice of a home seller paying the commissions for both their agent and the buyer's agent. Typically, if each agent receives a commission of 3% of the sales price, a seller would pay $12,000 -- $6,000 to each agent -- for their home that sold for $200,000.

Now, an agent who is representing a buyer will be required to have a written agreement with their client outlining their compensation, instead of relying on sellers to cover the cost. Ali Whitley, president of Ohio Realtors, said this practice has long been encouraged, as it helps consumers understand the services and value realtors provide.

"While the settlement does require written agreements for realtors representing buyers, it does not apply to all licensed real estate professionals," said Whitley. "H.B. 466 is an effort to provide some clarity to the changing industry practices. By establishing a statewide standard for all licensed real estate professionals, we ensure everyone is operating under the same rules and guidelines."

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Columbus Realtors also announced that the organization will follow the new rules set by NAR's settlement. Scott Hrabcak, president of Columbus Realtors, said the rules will be enacted in mid-July for the organization's more than 9,000 central Ohio agents.

Beth Wanless, Zillow's Midwest government relations and public affairs manager, said in submitted testimony that the company strongly supports the timing requirement in the bill for entering into a written agreement. Wanless argued empowering consumers by clearly disclosing the compensation to be paid to an agent provides the opportunity for consumers to freely negotiate.

"Prior to entering such an agreement, a customer should have ample time to meet with various real estate agents, ask questions, tour properties, and most importantly have the privacy and time to review the contracts and understand exactly what they are signing." said Wanless.

Additional hearings at the Statehouse will be held for H.B. 466 before the Ohio House votes on the measure.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The companies behind an Italian Village brewery and kitchen are in an “irreconcilable deadlock” over the future of their business partnership.

Marengo-based Hoof Hearted Brewing and A&R Creative Group, which owns multiple bars across Columbus, joined forces to open Hoof Hearted Brewery and Kitchen on North Fourth Street in 2016. And while both parties agree the relationship has soured, they can’t agree on who is responsible.

Hoof Hearted Brewing and 2023 E – a company affiliated with A&R – have filed competing lawsuits against each other and both claim the other has violated their partnership agreement. Hoof Hearted Brewing has asked the Franklin County court to dissolve the partnership, which was formalized under the company name Hoof Hearted Brewpub.

The way A&R sees it, according to the 2023 E's Oct. 5 complaint against the brewery, the companies agreed to reimburse each other for costs and “split equally” the profits. But A&R claims it invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the brewery and kitchen operation that Hoof Hearted Brewing never paid back, including the cost of a rental truck to deliver beer, warehouse and canning space, and the brewery outfit in Italian Village. 

Meanwhile, A&R claims, Hoof Hearted Brewing expanded its operations without giving A&R the opportunity to invest, in alleged violation of their agreement. A&R asserts their agreement clearly required an update to the cost- and profit-sharing formula should Hoof Hearted expand its Marengo operations.

“This tag-along option to invest in future growth was material to [A&R’s] willingness to invest in the partnership,” 2023 E's complaint read.

Hoof Hearted’s complaint against A&R, filed six days later, describes the situation quite differently. To the brewery, A&R’s lawsuit was preemptive and “riddled with false allegations and misinterpretations” about Hoof Hearted’s conduct and the companies’ operations agreement.

The companies met in September 2023 to work through disagreements and modify the partnership, but Hoof Hearted claims A&R sued instead of mediating in good faith. 

“What remains clear is that [Hoof Hearted] and 2023 E are now at an irreconcilable deadlock, rendering it impracticable to carry on the Company’s activities in conformity with the Operating Agreement.”

Hoof Hearted claims its relationship with A&R began to fall apart in late 2021, when the restaurant group began “utterly failing to fulfill its financial commitments.” The brewery claims A&R did not reimburse alcohol production costs and poorly managed the Italian Village location. Meanwhile, Hoof Hearted asserts, A&R began to invest in a competing brewery concept – Yellow Springs Brewery Taproom and Kitchen.  

Both parties have denied the other’s allegations. Hoof Hearted said it never expanded operations beyond the limit outlined in the agreement, but that even if it did, the agreement did not require A&R be automatically looped in; rather, the expansion clauses in their agreement only applied to the joint venture.

View a previous report in the video player above on OH Pizza and Brew's announcement of plans to relocate from the KeyBank Building.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As multiple tenants abandon ship at a Downtown Columbus skyscraper due to "nightmare" conditions, the property's owner has been hit with a foreclosure.

In a lawsuit filed April 19, AFF IV 88 E Broad identified itself as the lender that put down $11.8 million toward buying the 88 E. Broad St. skyscraper. That company is now coming after borrower and building owner Baruch Broad Street. AFF IV wants $9,320,807 in judgment, saying Baruch "breached its obligations under the loan documents by failing to make payments."

AFF IV attached its original loan agreement with Baruch from Jan. 21, 2022, that stipulated that Baruch would have to fully repay the loan exactly two years later. The lender argued in court documents that Baruch failed to do so, and also learned on April 8 that the skyscraper's main tenant, KeyBank, stopped paying rent because Baruch had failed to cover utility bills for the building.

Because Baruch Broad Street is a shell company, the lender sent a summons by certified mail to Zamir Equities CEO Asher Roshanzamir. Roshanzamir is listed as the agent for Baruch with the Ohio Secretary of State's office.

No business records existed in the Ohio Secretary of State's or the Delaware County Recorder's offices for AFF IV 88 E Broad. But Michelle Fowler, managing director at The Ardent Companies, revealed in court documents that her business owns and controls AFF IV.

Within the same day of filing the lawsuit, Ardent also filed an ex parte motion to put the building into receivership, which would strip Baruch of control of the building and give it to a third party to manage. An ex parte decision would allow the judge in the case to grant the action without requiring all of the parties named in the lawsuit to be present. Ardent's attorney Jonathan Hawkins argued this was necessary, alluding to utility and security issues highlighted by departing tenants like OH Pizza and Brew and the Ohio Auditor's Office.

"The poor and unsafe management of lender's collateral by its borrower … will, absent this court's intervention, place lender's interests at imminent risk for which no legal remedy would be adequate," Hawkins wrote.

• The OH Pizza and Brew storefront in the Key Bank Building. (Courtesy Photo/Luke Edwards)
• A 2021 image of 88 E. Broad St. in Downtown Columbus, Ohio (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)
• The OH Pizza and Brew storefront in the Key Bank Building. (Courtesy Photo/Luke Edwards)

The judge had not issued a decision on the ex parte motion as of Friday morning. If granted, Prodigy Properties would take over the 88 E. Broad St. tower as the receiver.

AFF and Ardent, by proxy, are the latest in a line of companies wanting money from Baruch and Zamir Equities. Harvard Maintenance sued Baruch for $170,750.41, citing a failure to pay for bathroom supplies and janitorial services it provided at the KeyBank tower. Harvard received summary judgment in the case, because despite being served a summons, Baruch did not appear in court or give a response in the case.

Speer Mechanical sued Baruch on April 19, also citing a lack of payment for work performed on the tower since August 2022. The contractor put a lien of $486,897.87 on the skyscraper in March, but in the lawsuit asked for foreclosure on his lien as well as interest accrued leading up to any decision from the court.

AFF and Ardent were well aware of the other lawsuits, as they named Harvard and Speer as defendants that "may claim an interest in the property" in their foreclosure case. PSP Operations was also listed as a defendant, but did not have a lawsuit filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court as of Friday.

While acknowledging the other companies, AFF and Ardent also argued in court documents that as the mortgage lender, they should get "first priority" on any possible payout with their foreclosure.

As of Friday, Baruch and the other defendants had no attorney on file for the foreclosure proceedings. View the initial complaint in the case, which includes the companies' original loan agreement, below.

AFF-v-Baruch-Complaint-and-Loan-AgreementDownload

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Today: Increasing clouds, high 74
• Tonight: Sct'd rain, breezy, low 59
• Saturday: Sct'd AM rain, gusty, high 77
• Sunday: Iso. shower, breezy, high 83
• Monday: PM rain/storms, high 83
• Tuesday: Sct'd showers, high 75

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Happy Friday!

We start the day off with a little bit of sunshine, but clouds will gradually build in throughout the day. Despite the cloud coverage, we will be much warmer, with highs into the middle 70s and a slight breeze. We'll then see scattered showers arriving after sunset and going into the overnight.

Expect that scattered rain to gradually taper by about mid-morning Saturday. We'll then see just an isolated shower chance into the afternoon. We will, however, be fairly breezy, even a little gusty at times. Highs warm into the upper 70s.

Then by Sunday, expect highs to warm into the lower 80s. We'll still be breezy, but not as gusty as Saturday. We'll be mainly dry with some sunshine Sunday, just looking at a very isolated shower chance during the afternoon.

For Monday, we stick in the lower 80s, and we start the day on a dry note. Showers and thunderstorms then arrive along a cold front late in the day and overnight into Tuesday.

-McKenna

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)-- Thousands of runners will take to the streets of Columbus Saturday morning for the Capital City Half & Quarter Marathon.

Road closures for race setup begin Friday evening downtown. The following closures will be in place from 5 p.m. Friday to around 2 p.. Saturday:

• High St – Broad St to Main St
• Rich St – 3rd St to Wall St
• Town St – Front St to 3rd St

The race start/finish line is at High and Town Streets where rolling road closures will begin Saturday morning along the course route (pictured below).

CLICK HERE for more race information.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After protesters calling for Ohio State University to divest from Israel took over the South Oval on campus, police interfered and detained multiple people. 

Students and protesters at OSU rallied Thursday evening for the third time this week. Two students were arrested Tuesday on campus and three more were detained Thursday morning during an encampment demonstration. 

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On Thursday night, protesters took over the South Oval, and were surrounded by police officers as of 11 p.m. They were told to leave several times, but around 10 p.m. police moved in and began detaining protesters. Police continued to ask people to leave or they are under arrest for criminal trespassing. 

The protesters were in a circle locking arms, trying to keep police from penetrating their formation. Dozens of protesters have been dragged out one by one and placed on buses waiting. 

Hundreds of students and other protesters were at the demonstration wearing both Palestinian and Israeli flags. A major point of concern from both sides is safety. NBC4 spoke to a Jewish student who showed up to say he is not afraid and that he and other Jewish students aren't going anywhere. 

"Obviously, with everything going around, lots of students, a lot of Jewish students have been harassed, especially at Columbia,” said Adam Kling. “It's a little disappointing to see the reaction some of the administrations have had."

NBC4 also spoke to a Palestinian American alum of Ohio State who said this uprising of support for Palestine is not a threat to safety, and they feel the university is trying to silence them. 

"I don't believe there's been any threat towards anyone,” said Mazen Resoul. “The organizers of those protests in Ohio State and across the country, include a lot of Jewish forces for peace, and non-Zionist jews who are against what's happening in Palestine."

A university spopkesperson sent the following statement:

“Well established university rules prohibit camping and overnight events. Demonstrators exercised their first amendment rights for several hours and were then instructed to disperse. Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass.”

Police continued to clear tents from the lawn as of 11 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After a video went viral showing 40 dogs chained up in the backyard of a house in Delaware County, community members were outraged over their living conditions. 

NBC4 has been following this story since the dogs were rescued. Last week, NBC4 met two of the dogs for the first time, after a judge deemed them “abandoned” and the dog warden gained custody. 

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The road to recovery will not be easy or quick, but tonight, there’s a glimmer of hope. Some dogs are now with trainers and foster families. 

“The end result we want is to get her (Delilah) to a point where she can be adopted out to a home that is going to continue to love her and reward her and work with her to be, you know, a success,” said Kathy Sturman. 

This is the Sturman family's first time fostering a dog. They met Delilah for the first time on Saturday and ended up bringing her home that very same day. Their goal is to give her a second chance at life. 

In the five days she’s been with them, Delilah has gotten enough pets and belly rubs to last her a lifetime. 

“At the end of the day, it's an opportunity to give her a chance at life, and that's really what she deserves, that's what all of those dogs deserve. They deserve to be dogs,” she said.

This may be their first time fostering, but they aren’t new to training dogs. Her husband, David, is a retired Delaware County K-9 police officer. When Delilah came running into David’s arms that Saturday at the shelter, they knew she was going to be a great fit.

“When we first brought her home, of course, she was very timid,” said Kathy, “She responds very well to high happies and just yesterday we started to really see the benefit of that. She started to make eye contact with my husband when there was a correction, you know, there was no cowering.”

RICO Pet Recovery, a local non-profit, has been working to find proper homes for the dogs rescued on Kilbourne Road earlier this month. 

“We're trying to move them into an environment with dogs that are, you know, household pets where they can see what it's like to live in a house, see what it's like to, you know, go up and down stairs and run in a yard and to have their belly rubbed and all that stuff that a normal dog would would see,” said Marci Dop, founder of RICO Pet Recovery. 

She said, thanks to the Sturman family, she’s started to see Delilah become a completely different dog. 

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“She could lay down and relax and rest and they got to a point where they can let her loose in the yard now and she runs and has a good time,” said Dop. 

This past week, Dop has been working to place dogs with trainers and foster families, but the work isn’t over yet. 

“We need fosters who are willing to make that sacrifice those first few days to help them, you know, become acclimated in a home environment and to continue to work with them and take them for walks and help them overcome some of their fears,” said Dop. 

Sturman said that if someone is thinking about becoming a foster, they'll need to have a lot of patience and grace. 

“It's like having a puppy all over again in your house. She's never lived in a house. She's never been off of a chain. You know, when we brought her into our back yard last night for the first time off leash. It was so fun to watch her,” she said. 

Because of what these dogs have been through, Dop is being selective in who she chooses to become a foster parent. She’s asking that potential fosters have no young children at home and either passive household pets or no pets at all. 

She wants to be clear that each dog will grow at their own pace but she wants to make sure she’s doing this right. RICO Pet Recovery is prepared to help out whoever does want to foster one of these dogs because she wants to see them grow to their fullest potential, like she’s seen with Delilah so far. 

NBC4 reached out to the Humane Society of Delaware County to ask about the progress the dogs in their care have made. None of the dogs have been placed with fosters yet, as they’re still working with trainers and behavioral specialists. A spokesperson told us that some are still receiving medical care, but each dog is moving at their own pace. 

To learn more about RICO Pet Recovery and find out how to become a foster family, visit their website.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Retail theft has been hitting stores nationwide and the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants (OCRM) estimates it's costing Ohio retailers between $2 and $3 billion a year.

“It is the top issue for our industry. We have seen, unfortunately, since the pandemic an increase in the rates of organized retail crime," said Alex Boehkne, Vice President of OCRM. “We’re not talking about petty shoplifting, we’re talking about large scale sophisticated attacks on retailers  for large dollar amounts.”

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The council represents more than seven thousand retailers statewide. Boehnke said much of what is being stolen is happening through organized retail crime. 

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) recently shared details about a theft ring in central Ohio. Local convenience stores were using people looking for quick cash to steal from larger stores.

“Obviously we would like to be able to stop these crimes as they happen. But being able to compile evidence, have the law enforcement professionals handle these cases and then have the statutes on the books so they can successfully be prosecuted, I think is the most impactful way to address what we’re seeing," Boenhke said.

From stores locking up certain products to having to raise prices because of what's going on, Boehnke said consumers are affected too.

"It's multifaceted and it impacts the retailer, their customers and the community as a whole," he said.

Small businesses are also being hit, according to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

“It is top of mind for many of them and it has led some of them to rethink their entire business model," said Don DePerro, President and CEO of the chamber.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – According to a new report released by economists at Nationwide, job creation in Ohio has had a significant boom so far in 2024. It said more than thousands of jobs have been added in the first quarter driving the state's economy.

Ben Ayers, a senior economist at Nationwide, said this is surpassing expectations.

Columbus Radio Group changes take Stacy McKay, Dino Tripodis off-air at Sunny 95

“It mirrors what we are seeing at a national level. While early in the year we were worried that maybe we would see a recession this year, those fears are fading away,” Ayers said.

Ayers said much of the growth is happening in the service industry and construction industry. However, he said there are some that are struggling.

“Most of the growth has been on the services side. There's some pockets of growth to construction is doing pretty well. Manufacturing is one that has not done as well in Ohio over the past year and half people have shifted away from buying goods and or buying more services," Ayers said.

This news comes days after a central Ohio based company, Express, announced it may lay off 600 employees and close their corporate office.

The company filed for bankruptcy Monday. A spokesperson for the company sent a statement which reads in part: “We are required to provide notification under certain state and federal laws of possible job losses, even as we work to complete a sale of the company through a court-supervised process.”

NBC4 asked Ayers for his thoughts on the situation.

“Many businesses that are having trouble adapting to the new environment might be struggling. I think the good news is there's lots of job openings out there,” Ayers said.

Ayers said right now there are more job openings than unemployed workers. He said this is putting more money in workers pockets because employers are having to pay competitive wages.

“You know, yet again, that's that tight environment that we have right now, that if you want to find a worker, you're going to have to pay more for it. And by and large, we're seeing wage gains that are stronger than normal in most industries, and that will likely continue over this year and maybe even in the next year,” Ayers said.

Ayers said the only concerning thing he sees is some debt building in the low and middle class due to inflation. He said at this point it’s not reaching a truly negative level.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – William Husel, the former physician who was acquitted of murder charges in connection to patients’ overdoses, has filed another lawsuit in federal court against Mount Carmel’s parent company, about one month after a similar lawsuit was dismissed.

Husel on Tuesday sued Trinity Health, the parent company of Mount Carmel, seeking $20 million in damages. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accuses the healthcare giant of malicious prosecution, alleging Husel was a scapegoat for the hospital and they actively sought his criminal prosecution.

The lawsuit claims that since Husel’s acquittal, he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, and has not been able to obtain employment. It also says Husel has developed physical symptoms not related to any other medical condition including a limp and loss of fine motor skills.

William Husel sits during his trial Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. (Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, Pool) Stacy McKay, Dino Tripodis share response after being taken off-air at Sunny 95

Husel previously filed a similar lawsuit in April 2023, which also sought $20 million in damages and alleged malicious prosecution. The lawsuit was dismissed in March after the court found that Husel failed to argue against the presumption that probable cause existed for his prosecution. 

The new lawsuit addresses the dismissal, which indicated the original lawsuit never explicitly stated which Trinity staff member presented false or misleading testimony. The new lawsuit accuses Dr. Daniel Roth, the health system’s chief clinical officer, of presenting knowingly false information to the Franklin County grand jury that indicted Husel.

From 2015 to 2018, critically ill patients in Columbus ICU physician Husel’s care died from a potentially excessive amount of painkillers. In 2019, Husel faced 14 murder charges in relation to his patient’s deaths. A jury ultimately found him not guilty in 2022. Husel surrendered his medical license in the aftermath of his trial.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers want to hold hospitals more accountable when it comes to pricing.

The bill passed the Ohio House in June with only five votes against it, and is now being considered by senators.

“It protects consumers from overcharges,” Founder of patientrightsadvocate.org Cynthia Fisher said.

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Federal laws that mandate greater price transparency have been in place for more than a decade, but Representatives Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) and Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie) said they brought House Bill 49 forward because the enforcement has fallen short.

“Right now, the federal government doesn’t actually levy the penalties on the hospitals they are guilty of, the Ohio government will actually penalize you,” Ferguson said.

“Price transparency is truly transformative,” Fisher said. “It’s commonsense. It’s time to stop fighting commonsense.”

The bill, as originally written, required hospitals to maintain a public list of all standard charges for all hospital items or service. The bill required the state director of health to penalize hospitals that fail to do so.

Eight provisions have been added to the legislation, but 39 have since been removed. That includes modifying a provision to make it so the director of health is only permitted, not required, to hold hospitals accountable for non-compliance posting their price list.

“The current sub bill proposed by the Senate is something that will do nothing to help patients and certainly was created with hospitals in mind, not patients,” Ferguson said.

“It would be egregious to have it rolled back,” Fisher said.

A spokesperson for Senate Republicans offered a statement: "bills are amended all the time between the chambers as part of the normal legislative process. Pressuring one chamber to pass something ‘as is,’ bypasses the reason hearings are held in the first place.”

He compared hospital pricing to going to a mechanic. He said in both scenarios, you can get estimates, but things may change as the work is done, and additional costs may incur.

But Ferguson said price estimates at hospitals vary from patient to patient for the same procedure and said sometimes an estimate can under predict what the bill ends up being.

“That’s an apple to oranges comparison. That’s absolutely ridiculous. A mechanic can tell you the price of any service they do,” Ferguson said. “A mechanic can give you a fully itemized list every single price point and it would be the same for Natalie Fahmy as it is for Ron Ferguson.”

The Ohio Hospital and Ohio Children’s Hospital Association are the only group to submit public testimony against the bill. The organizations said they support price transparency, but said federal enforcement is already effective in motivating compliance.

But Fisher said less than ten percent of hospitals in Ohio are fully compliant with federal price transparency laws.

“A non-accountable estimate harms patients,” she said. “Price transparency enables all of us to be able to benefit from competition and ship up front to lower our costs of healthcare.”

In a statement, OSU Wexner Medical Center said they are committed to providing accessible, affordable care.

“We support price transparency and comply with existing federal requirements,” a spokesperson wrote. “We strive to achieve this without creating duplicative, complex, and costly regulatory structures.”

The Cleveland Clinic did not take a stance on the legislation, but said they are “in line with CMS Requirements."

Ohio Health also did not take a position on the legislation, but wrote a statement that said: “OhioHealth is committed to providing transparent data about potential charges and complies with all applicable laws. We have a robust online price estimator of shoppable services where patients can find individual, negotiated prices for a variety of services and medications and we are adding to this list on an ongoing basis.”

“Nowhere else in the economy do we function on estimate with no accountability,” Fisher said. Prices matter, prices protect, prices save, prices save lives, prices save money.”

Ferguson said as it is written today, he would “absolutely not,” support his own bill.

“And I would encourage everyone to vote no on it,” he said.

Ferguson said he has offered several substitute bills with concessions and compromises that he would be comfortable with.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Sunny 95's longtime morning radio hosts are leaving the airwaves after a series of personnel changes at Columbus Radio Group.

Stacy McKay and Dino Tripodis will no longer host the morning radio show at Sunny 95. The duo were each on their second stint with the station after originally starting in the 90s. On Thursday morning, the pair's morning show had been removed from Sunny 95's website. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, McKay confirmed her departure but did not share future plans.

"ALL good things must come to an end," McKay said in a post. "It's been the most amazing ride a girl could ask for! Thanks for allowing me to join you on your ride to work/school every morning!"

Tripodis, on the other hand, told NBC4 that he is going straight into producing "Down to the Felt," a movie that he co-wrote and called "the largest indie film ever made in Columbus." Details can be found on a website made for the movie. Tripodis also expressed gratitude for his radio audience members over the years.

"Thank you Columbus for allowing me in your daily lives for 30 years," Tripodis said. "I look forward to the opportunity to continue being in your lives with any future opportunities that may come my way. I may be gone from one place but far from done."

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The duo's departure comes amidst multiple personnel changes at Columbus Radio Group. Longtime cluster News Director Clark Donley and producer Greg Hansberry are also leaving the morning show, according to radioinsight.com.

"Andre Styles" Friedrich, morning host at Mix 107.9 and cluster Events Director, is also leaving the airwaves. On Thursday morning, Friedrich's show had been taken down from Mix 107.9's website. He personally announced in an Instagram post he would be leaving after 14 years with Saga Communications -- the broadcasting company behind Columbus Radio Group.

"To say I’m shocked is an understatement," Friedrich said in a post. "The amount of years, days, hours I put in. A lot of hours not at home. Going in when sick, late at night, early in the morning, during Covid and more. Some said the face, voice and heartbeat of Mix. It sucks! But I met so many great people, artists, bands. The memories are forever."

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In late March, "Miss Lisa" Bryant left afternoons at Sunny 95 and mornings at Rewind 103.5/104.3.

Columbus Radio Group includes four stations: Sunny 95, Mix 107.9, Rewind 103.5/104.3, and 96.3 WLVQ Qfm96. This is the second central Ohio radio group to undergo public changes in 2024, as CD 92.9 previously lost its FM frequency to broadcast with and was replaced with 93X.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A former Ohio State football player is facing a first-degree felony charge after being accused of robbing a Columbus bank. 

Marcus Wiliamson, 25, faces a count of aggravated robbery after court records claim he robbed a bank in the Sharon Heights neighborhood on Wednesday. At about 10:42 a.m., Williamson entered First Merchant’s Bank, located at 5090 North High St., and presented a note to the bank teller demanding money. The note threatened that he was armed with a gun, court records say.

The clerk gave Williamson the cash, then he fled from the bank on foot before getting in a blue Jeep and fleeing the area. Police witnessed Williamson committing the offense and fleeing, according to court records. He was taken into custody without incident and police recovered the stolen cash. 

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Williamson was previously arrested on robbery and kidnapping charges in Memphis, Tennessee in 2022. A woman claimed a suspect, whom she later identified as Williamson, implied he had a weapon and forced her to drive to an ATM and withdraw $500. Court records sharing the outcome of that case were unavailable online as of Thursday.

Williamson, a Westerville native, played for the Buckeyes from 2017 to 2021, making 68 tackles over 47 games as a cornerback. In high school, he played at Westerville South before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his senior season. He graduated from Ohio State in 2020 with a degree in history.