News Channel 4

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) -- With the first day of school approaching, Olentangy Local School District bus drivers are preparing for situations they hope never happen. About 200 drivers and transportation employees took part in emergency preparedness training on Tuesday. The exercises included evacuating a bus, securing wheelchairs, properly fitting safety restraints and responding to [...]

PATASKALA, Ohio (WCMH) -- The fate of data centers in two local communities is now in the hands of residents. Pataskala and Sunbury city councils approved ordinances to put a hyperscale data center ban on November ballots. “They just don’t belong near residents,” Pataskala resident Leatrice Guttentag said. Residents in both communities had to collect [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio health officials provided updates on the outbreak of the parasite that can cause explosive diarrhea as cyclosporiasis cases have climbed to more than 4,000 in the state. The update comes after Michigan health officials announced two people died after contracting the illness. Both people had underlying health conditions. “We have [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Communities across central Ohio gathered to celebrate the relationship between residents and first responders during National Night Out on Tuesday. The nationwide campaign allows families to gather in a safe space to have fun and engage with law enforcement. Columbus leaders said they are taking that mission one step further. “I [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that could limit the attorney general’s ability to pursue retailers that sell illegal vapes and e-cigarettes. The case comes out of Delaware County, where, in 2024, investigators for the attorney general’s office discovered Central Tobacco & Stuff was selling flavored [...]

LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) — A Fairfield County long-term care facility is at the center of an investigation into an outbreak of Legionnaires disease. The outbreak currently includes eight cases. Joe Ebel, Fairfield County health commissioner, said all of the cases are linked to the Country Lane Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. “It basically can develop [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus leads the nation in multifamily home permitting, according to a recent report from realtor.com. Metro Development President and CEO Tre Giller said this surge in multifamily permitting is due to a variety of factors, with a major focus on boosting housing supply in Columbus. “I've always contended that we [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Columbus man who surrendered to police for the alleged murder of a woman was given a $1 million bond Tuesday. On July 28, Darnell Cunningham, 23, forcibly entered a home on the 2700 block of Brandy Drive, according to court documents. Once inside, he got into an altercation with a [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A good Samaritan was carjacked Sunday near Plain City after stopping for a driver who appeared to be in need of help. A car was stopped along State Route 161 east of Plain City when the good Samaritan stopped. The driver of the stopped car, identified as Chester Lorenzo Torrence, 39, [...]

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) – A Reynoldsburg police officer recently resigned amid an internal investigation that found she may have misused the Flock license plate reader system to conduct non-work-related searches more than 50 times over six months. The woman was one of two officers who resigned from the Reynoldsburg Police Department within the past two [...]

HEATH, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Heath City Council unanimously voted 'no' to ordinances related to the controversial Heath Hills housing development Monday.  This comes days after developer M/I homes withdrew its zoning application. Both Granville and Heath residents expressed their gratitude at Monday's council meeting. Many attribute council pushing back and asking questions as the [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A new food truck serving smashburgers, chicken wings and loaded grilled cheese sandwiches recently launched in central Ohio. Husband-and-wife team Wes and Kylee Murphy, who live in Westerville, debuted The Neon Raccoon food truck in June. Wes is a self-taught chef who has worked in restaurant kitchens, including Northstar Café, and [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- College football is right around the corner and Ohio State fans will be pleased to see the position of their Buckeyes in the first preseason poll. The USA Today coaches preseason rankings were released Tuesday afternoon and Ohio State begins 2026 ranked No. 1 in the country. This is the first [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The fourth of four adults charged with child endangerment after 16 children were rescued from a Vinton County home has requested a competency evaluation. According to court records, an attorney for Elizabeth Siders, the mother of all 16 children found in a dilapidated home on June 30, filed a motion in [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Cava is planning a campus-area expansion, marking yet another central Ohio location. According to building plans filed with the city of Columbus, Cava intends to move into 1870 N. High St. near Ohio State's campus. The location would be the fast Mediterranean chain's sixth planned central Ohio location. City permits show [...]

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Westerville closed in July after less than a year of business and was quickly replaced by another eatery.  Miamar Grill – a standalone restaurant that served a mix of Mediterranean, Greek and American comfort dishes at 732 N. State St. – permanently closed on July 17. The [...]

HEATH, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Licking County school district has activated artificial intelligence software that scans selected security cameras around the clock for visible weapons, adding a human-reviewed alert system meant to mobilize police and administrators faster if an armed threat appears on campus.  Heath City Schools has deployed ZeroEyes technology across its four school [...]

BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Bexley voters will decide this fall whether to approve a $115 million facilities package centered on a new middle school, alongside districtwide repairs, stadium work and upgrades to elementary school play areas.  The Bexley Board of Education voted 4-0 in June to place the levy on the Nov. 3 ballot after [...]

A new study by SmartAsset ranked four of Ohio's largest cities—Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Cleveland—among the safest big cities in the U.S., with Columbus leading the group at No. 17.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Calls for Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) to resign from Congress are heating up amid renewed attention on abuse allegations from Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of one of Ohio's U.S. Senators. Thousands of pages of court filings and investigative documents paint a convoluted image as to what happened between Miller [...]