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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A mother's New Orleans-themed restaurant and her daughter's beignet and coffee shop are reopening under the same roof in Columbus.

The duo's previously separate establishments, Way Down Yonder New Orleans Finest and Way Down Yonder Beignets & Coffee, are relaunching at the same central Ohio location, Yonder Gordon and her daughter Yonder Miller announced on social media.

"Two brands. One location. One mission, to keep building, no matter the barriers," the social media post said. "We don’t wait for permission, and we don't stop at token support. We invite real partnership, lasting investment, and community power. Gate open or not, we're moving forward."

The announcement comes after Miller closed her beignet and coffee shop at 386 E. Main St. in June. The closure was "a bittersweet moment" for Miller, who said at the time in a letter posted on the shop's website that "though our time at this location has come to an end, this is not goodbye." Watch a previous NBC4 report on Way Down Yonder in the video player above.

• Way Down Yonder was open at 3847 S. High St. for nearly six years. (Franklin County Auditor's Office)
• Way Down Yonder Beignets & Coffee was known for king cakes at Mardi Gras has closed. (Courtesy Photo/Way Down Yonder Beignets & Coffee)

Miller's café stood as the sister storefront to Gordon's restaurant, which operated for nearly six years at 3847 S. High St. before closing in fall 2024. The property has since been purchased to make way for a Panda Express location.

The café offered authentic beignets, specialty coffees and hot breakfast options, including beignet sandwiches, shrimp and grits, and breakfast bowls. Miller also served up ring-shaped pastries known as king cakes each February for Mardi Gras, which were so popular that customers had to place their orders in advance.

The restaurant was home to New Orleans favorites like red beans and rice, seafood gumbo and boil, and crawfish etouffee. The menu also featured a seafood platter, Cajun chicken tenders, New Orleans jambalaya, baked mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, and "Po'boy" sandwiches, like the Bayou Heat Shrimp & Hot Sausage Po'boy Sandwich.

The mother-daughter duo has yet to announce when and where the new location will open.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - A weekend full of sky-high entertainment, activities and more is back in Columbus for another year.

The 2025 Columbus Air Show returns to Rickenbacker International Airport this Friday through Sunday, with a full schedule of action up in the sky and on the ground. Gates for the air show will open to the public starting at 9 a.m.

This year's headliner for the show is the United States Navy Blue Angels. The Blue Angels will be flying six F/A 18 Super Hornets, which can fly up to 700 miles per hour. Herb Gillen, director of the Columbus Air Show, said the Blue Angels are just the start of what visitors can expect to see. Watch the full interview with Gillen in the video player above.

"We've got the F-16 Viper Demo from the United States Air Force; we also have an F-35 from the Air Force that's going to be there," Gillen said. "We've got several dozen aircraft that will be on ground display... just a ton of exciting stuff."

Guests can also check out several other attractions, live entertainment and music, and even meet and greets with legendary characters Maverick and Iceman from the 1986 action film Top Gun.

Tickets are still on sale along with a variety of different price points. Parking passes are also needed as well, with limited spots available. To get tickets and parking passes, go to the Columbus Air Show website.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State University is bringing back a familiar face and bow tie, appointing former OSU President Gordon Gee to a new role.

Gee will be a resource for university leaders throughout the next year, although Ohio State did not clarify exactly what his title will be. Gee, 81, will hold academic residencies over the next year in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, the Moritz College of Law and the new Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society.

Ohio State said Gee will meet with faculty and students to offer support and advice throughout the next year. He will report directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda and help advance OSU's "strategic priorities."

“We have an exciting vision for Ohio State to define the future of higher education, and we can only benefit from having experienced leadership voices around the table,” OSU President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. said. “Gordon knows Ohio State well and will bring valuable insights to our conversations. I am pleased to welcome him to campus."

Gee was president of OSU from 1990 to 1997, and again from 2007 to 2013, and is currently President Emeritus of the law college. Gee was the president of West Virginia University until last month, and previously worked leading Vanderbilt University, Brown University and the University of Colorado.

During his tenure as OSU president, Gee came under fire several times for comments made about other universities, especially Catholic schools, and unflattering comments about Polish people. In 2013, Gee, a Mormon, received a letter from the OSU Trustees condemning a controversial joke he made about Notre Dame in which he said "you just can't trust those damn Catholics."

Just months after his comments and the concerns from trustees, Gee announced he would retire from OSU. He retired as one of the highest-paid university leaders in the nation, a further controversy. He came under fire after records obtained by the Dayton Daily News showed he spent millions of university dollars on travel and other expenses, including $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and O-H and bow tie pins.

A university spokesperson said Gee's consulting agreement will not exceed $150,000.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After closing for nearly two years due to a kitchen fire, a Chinese restaurant in north Columbus will soon begin welcoming customers.

Hunan Lion told NBC4 that it will hold a soft opening on Tuesday from 4 to 8:30 p.m. 

“It’s been a long time coming -- we know! The road has had its bumps, but we pushed through and we’re here at last!” The eatery wrote in a Facebook post announcing the reopening. “Thank you so so much for your patience, support, and encouragement along the way! We truly appreciate it.”

In the post, the restaurant asked customers to bear with its staff as they “navigate new systems, introduce new team members and work towards getting everything back on track.”

Hunan Lion, located at 2038 Crown Plaza Drive, caught on fire in October 2023 before the diner was set to open for the day. No one was hurt in the blaze and the Columbus fire department said it did not suspect foul play as a cause. View NBC4’s previous coverage in the video player above. 

However, the restaurant did have to temporarily shut down to repair damage in its kitchen. On the day of the fire, a member of the owners’ family told NBC4 they were likely looking at several months before reopening. But over the course of nearly two years, the restaurant experienced numerous “delays due to city approvals, permitting and contractor scheduling,” according to its website. 

Now, after 685 days, customers can once again enjoy Hunan Lion’s spring rolls, fried rice, Lo Mein, General Tso’s Chicken, Szechuan Beef and other Chinese cuisine.

Starting on Wednesday, Hunan Lion will open during its regular hours. The restaurant’s hours include Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8:30 p.m.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A Lancaster man will spend over four decades in prison after being convicted on a dozen charges, including 11 counts of rape.

According to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office, a jury returned a guilty verdict on 12 of 13 charges, 11 for rape and one for gross sexual imposition, for 32-year-old Cody Friend of Lancaster.

The prosecutor’s office said that Friend raped three victims, all under the age of 13, including one who was under the age of 10. Friend, who was also a juvenile at the time of the committed crimes, was not eligible for a life sentence, and therefore received a mandatory 44-year prison term.

All three victims testified during the trial and read statements to the judge at the sentencing hearing. The prosecution asked for a maximum sentence of 111 years, arguing that the sexual assaults left the victims with lifelong trauma.

The assaults took place between 2003 and 2011 and occurred at multiple Muskingum County residences.

Friend, who was indicted in 2024, will be eligible for parole in 2068 and will be required to register as a tier three sex offender.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – One person has been hospitalized and traffic on Interstate 70 is at a standstill after two semi-trucks collided on the eastbound lanes in west Columbus near Hilliard.

Current traffic conditions in central Ohio

According to Columbus Fire Chief Jeffrey Geitter, two tractor trailers collided on I-70 East, near Hilliard Rome Road. Traffic is currently backed up several miles, beyond State Route 142 near West Jefferson, while cleanup crews address the crash site.

• Interstate 70 East closed after two trucks collided, Aug. 19, 2025. (Courtesy/Ohio Department of Transportation)
• Interstate 70 East closed after two trucks collided, Aug. 19, 2025. (Courtesy/Ohio Department of Transportation)

Geitter said one of the trucks was carrying batteries, and fluid from the crash as well as diesel fuel that has leaked onto the highway.

Traffic on the interstate is at gridlock status with cars backed up for over six miles. Additionally, a crash just west of SR-142 is causing additional eastbound delays.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio is one of the worst states in America for women’s equality, a recent study claims. 

To determine where women receive the most equitable treatment, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 17 key metrics, including income and unemployment disparities between women and men. The personal finance company also considered the number of women lawmakers, women in executive positions and women with advanced degrees, such as Master's and Doctorate degrees. 

The study sourced data from a variety of government agencies, research nonprofits and educational institutions.

Ohio ranked at No. 41, making it the tenth-worst state for women’s equality. While placing as the best state for gender equality in advanced education, Ohio ranked low in a variety of categories, including female representation in executive positions (No. 40). Women in the Buckeye State also face a greater poverty risk compared to men, according to Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.

"On the political front, the picture is even more troubling: Ohio ranks 42nd in equality among state-elected executives, as women are underrepresented across the U.S. House, Senate and state legislature," Lupo said. "These gaps in leadership mean women have less influence over policymaking."

Hawaii ranked as the best state for women, boasting an equal share of men and women in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The Aloha State also shows no gender gap among minimum wage workers.

Nevada ranked in second place and was followed by Maryland, Maine, Oregon, New Mexico, California, Iowa, Alaska and Vermont. 

The worst state for women’s equality was Utah, the study found. The state ranked last for gender equality in higher education and had the second-highest income gap between women and men, only behind Louisiana, along with the fourth-highest disparity in executive positions.

The study named Texas as the second-worst state, which was followed by Idaho, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, New Jersey and Virginia.

Regarding America's performance as a whole, WalletHub noted in World Economic Forum’s 2025 ranking of 148 countries based on gender equality, the United States placed at No. 42. 

WalletHub’s full report can be found here. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A nonprofit group found two dozen federal judges did not recuse themselves from cases involving universities where they teach, including four who teach at Ohio State.

Fix the Court, a nonprofit that advocates for court reform, released a report in July identifying 24 federal judges with part-time university teaching jobs who did not recuse themselves in court cases related to their academic employer. Among them were four judges from the Southern District of Ohio with over 60 cases involving Ohio State among them.

Judges Chelsey Vascura, Michael Watson, Algenon Marbley and Edmund Sargus are adjunct professors at OSU's Moritz College of Law who have not recused themselves from cases involving Ohio State. A spokesperson for the district court said there is a thorough process to determine if judges need to recuse themselves.

"Each case is different. Our Judges consider the unique circumstances in each case and make any decision to recuse as appropriate," a spokesperson for the court said in a statement. "As for cases involving Ohio State, the Judges who teach there disclose that they do so and any party can ask for the Judge to recuse."

The spokesperson said the judges use the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, federal law, case law and precedent to decide if they need to recuse themselves. The spokesperson said judges also hear arguments from parties involved in the case to help their decision.

Fix the Court argues that even though the cases relate to the larger university, rather than the Moritz College alone, there is still a perceived bias. The group highlighted comments Vascura made when a court order asked her to recuse herself from a case where she said the law school was a "small and virtually autonomous part" of Ohio State.

"That, of course, belies the fact that the law school sits on OSU’s main campus and its students and alumni, like thousands of undergrads, spell out “O-H-I-O” with their arms and wear the scarlet and gray on fall Saturdays," Fix the Court wrote.

The court spokesperson pointed to Garrett v. Ohio State University, where a different federal court ruled Watson was not required to recuse himself. The second court ruled Watson's connection to OSU through the law school did not require him to step away from the case and added that "needless recusals exact a significant toll."

Fix the Court said the other court's ruling was a case of "judges covering for other judges." The nonprofit said judges need not excuse themselves from cases involving university hospitals, but the university itself gives the courts a bad look.

The university, which does not have a say in recusals, did not have a comment on the matter.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After Ohio lawmakers approved a plan to designate $600 million to a new Cleveland Browns stadium, a recently introduced bill would bar them from accepting free tickets to professional sporting events. 

Under House Bill 409, introduced on Aug. 7 by Reps. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) and Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Township), lawmakers could only accept free or discounted tickets to professional sports games if the tickets are part of a promotion that is also available to the public.

Brownlee said lawmakers receiving free tickets could raise ethical concerns after legislators passed a controversial provision in the state budget that allocated millions from the state’s pool of unclaimed funds – money that many residents may be unaware they possess from sources such as inactive bank accounts and uncashed checks – to help the Cleveland Browns pay for a new stadium. See NBC4’s previous coverage in the video player above. 

“When it comes to the way our system is funded, and by that I mean our political system and how it intersects with the way that elected officials decide to fund certain special interests and organizations, there really should not be any overlap whatsoever,” Brownlee said. “It's just not fair to our voters.”

Ohio lawmakers must report gifts valued at more than $75 to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, an oversight board of bipartisan state lawmakers. They also must disclose free access to events if the cost of admission exceeds $25.

According to public filings, several lawmakers have accepted complimentary tickets to professional sports events in recent years. Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) each accepted a free ticket, valued at $100 apiece, to watch FC Cincinnati take on New England in March, records show.

Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) received a free ticket for a suite at the Cleveland Guardians’ April home opener, valued at $556. Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) also received Guardians suite tickets in 2023 and 2024, both valued at more than $500.

Public filings do not indicate lawmakers have received any free Cleveland Browns tickets since at least 2020. However, the Haslam family, which owns the Browns, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to state lawmakers -- primarily Republicans -- in recent years, according to records from the Secretary of State’s office. The plan to fund the stadium included in the budget drew most of its support from statehouse Republicans. 

“There's a real concern, especially with our current budget, about how much or how little a role ethics is playing in the decision making of legislators," Brownlee said. "After seeing what passed this year, I am extremely concerned with the over-involvement of special interests in our decision making, and voters should be, too."

The legislation does not apply to college sports. The bill defines professional sporting events as those involving teams from the NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and NBA. This means lawmakers could not accept free tickets to games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cincinnati Reds or Cleveland Browns, as well as other professional teams.

Brownlee said she believes including a ban on accepting tickets to college games in the bill could “muddy the waters,” since there is already an expectation that the state is funding educational institutions. 

“Historically and constitutionally, the state is required to provide funding to public institutions of education,” she said. “We are not required to provide funding to professional athletics.”

If the bill were to pass, the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee could fine lawmakers who break the rule up to $1,000.

HB 409 currently has three Democrat cosponsors, including Reps. Juanita Brent (Cleveland), Chris Glassburn (North Olmsted) and Lauren McNally (Youngstown). The bill awaits a committee assignment and its first hearing. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Former Ohio congressman Tim Ryan is eyeing a 2026 campaign for governor, now that fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown has opted out of the race to run for U.S. Senate.

Brown, who lost his U.S. Senate seat last fall and who sources said was mulling a gubernatorial bid, has entered the 2026 race against Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Ryan's spokesperson said in a statement, "Brown's decision to run for the U.S. Senate has renewed and heightened Tim Ryan's interest in running for governor to further serve the people of Ohio." Watch a previous NBC4 report on Ryan's possible gubernatorial run in the video player above.

Should Ryan enter the race, he will be vying for the Democratic nomination against former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, who announced her run in January and has since raised about $1.4 million. Acton boasts endorsements from state Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, political action committee 314 Action, and Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney.

In a previous interview with NBC4, state Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said Brown or Ryan "are the only two people that can win for governor next year." DeMora claimed the Democratic party's candidates for other statewide offices, like attorney general and secretary of state, "will come out of the woodwork" once Ryan declares his candidacy.

"We need to get a good candidate, and again, I've always said Sherrod Brown or Tim Ryan," DeMora said. "[Democrats have] great candidates who right now are a little skittish about running because they don't think that the person at top of the ticket can win statewide right now. So, I'm hoping that one of those two decides to run."

A 2026 run for governor would act as a comeback for Ryan, who served in the U.S. Congress for Ohio's 13th and 17th districts from 2003 to 2023 until unsuccessfully running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 against now Vice President J.D. Vance. That Democratic primary saw Ryan beat former Obama consumer protection official Morgan Harper and Columbus activist Traci Johnson.

Ryan teased a possible run for the governor's mansion in a May NBC4 interview, where he said Ohio Democrats need to rebrand. He argued a majority of the state's voters agree with the party's ideas, pointing to Democrat-led constitutional amendments that passed in 2023 legalizing recreational marijuana and protecting access to abortion.

"On many of the issues, the people of Ohio are aligned with Democrats," Ryan said. "But, then you put the 'D' by the name and say, 'Oh, this person is going to go work with Chuck Schumer,' then the whole dialogue changes at that point, so I think we need a complete rebrand."

The Democratic primary's winner will likely face Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the billionaire and 2024 presidential candidate who began his run in February and has raised $9.7 million, setting a record for the largest first-quarter fundraising total in Ohio history. He touts endorsements from Ohio's Republican Party, political action committee Ohio Corn & Wheat, and President Donald Trump.

Republican Heather Hill, an entrepreneur from Appalachia, tossed her name in the race but has struggled to gain traction. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced his bid in January, then dropped out in May and has since supported Ramaswamy. Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, who replaced Husted as the state's second in command, is also said to be considering a run.

GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) - Grove City voted to allow up to two marijuana dispensaries within city limits about three years ago, but the city still does not have a marijuana dispensary, more than a year after recreational marijuana became legal.

Grove City's city council voted during their meeting on August 4 to readjust their zoning restrictions for a dispensary. Grove City restricted dispensaries based on a property line to property line measurement. That meant the property line couldn't be within 500 feet from a school, church, or residence.

Ward 2 Council member Randy Holt explained the change.

"The last change was to just align the measurement methods with the same way the state does it, so Grove City measured from property to property; the state does building to the property,” Holt said. “And there were a lot of inquiries from dispensaries thinking they met the requirements. But then, when they got to the Grove City measurement process, they didn't make it. So, we just need to clear up that confusion. So, we just aligned with the state. Many of our other restrictions are also in line with the state, next to a church or school. You know, places where you wouldn't want a dispensary, just like you don't want a bar there. So it's basically just alignment."

Grove City has passed two developments earlier this year, but those were both vetoed by Mayor Richard "Ike" Stage. Stage cited a petition signed by more than 600 residents as the reason to veto the projects. The council does hold the power to override a mayoral veto, but it would need five votes – previous attempts only received four votes.

Holt has voted for the passing of the projects.

"Alcohol is legal and you have bars and etc., etc., and I've been to many dispensaries in multiple states, and they are as clean as any other building, probably cleaner,” he said. “I mean, they basically operate like a pharmacy. There's no people hanging out outside, no neighborhood impact.”

One of those developments would have turned the property which is now China Bell into a dispensary right off of Stringtown Road. The owner of China Bell said she would like to sell the property, and that was a good opportunity for her family. A new application for a dispensary was submitted by ACT Investments out of Baltimore, Ohio, on Monday for the property at 3989 Jackpot Road in Grove City.

Stage said after Monday night's council meeting that he believes a vote could come in November for the new application, but he anticipates another resident petition against the dispensary, followed by another veto.

Holt views the subject as an inevitability.

"I think someday, there will be, it's a matter of finding the right place, with the right traffic and the right requirements for all the restrictions," he said.

The state reported more than $702 million in recreational marijuana sales in the first year of legalized sales. That money generated an estimated $122 million in tax revenue for the state. Holt said the potential local tax revenue isn't a driving factor for his decision; it's simply what the people want.

"Very seldom do I have voter proof that the citizens want one thing or another, so I'm just operating on the fact that people voted for legalizing marijuana in Ohio," Holt said, referencing the nearly 60% of Ohioans and 60% of Grove City voters who voted to legalize marijuana in 2023.

But that money could help, he admits.

"Calculations could be somewhere between $1 million and $2 million in revenue for Grove City, and while that sounds like a lot of money, it's 1% of our budget,” Holt said. “So that's not a motivator. If we do ultimately get a dispensary, I'm going to earmark that income for social improvement. Things in the city, such as reading and elementary school, work efforts, work adult education. We have a really nice Southwest Career Center that can always use money and have more courses, and find more jobs for people that are underemployed or are unemployed.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Many central Ohio kids have already started school or are just days away from heading back to the classroom, and back to school usually means an uptick in illnesses.

Dr. Mike Patrick, an emergency medicine physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said we see a rise in viral sicknesses – like hand, foot and mouth disease and colds – right around September and October.

And it’s not the change in weather; it’s school.

“You get all those kids together in a classroom and they start, you know, sharing their microbes,” Patrick said. “And then they take them home and share them with their parents. And then the parents take them to work and share them with their coworkers.”

Patrick said kids are going to get sick pretty soon into the school year, and this is normal.

“Kids especially, and the younger they are, the more that this is true, tend to get sick a lot because the way our immune system works is that you have to be exposed to a virus, get sick with it, your body makes immunity,” he said.

Patrick said parents don’t need to be worried about back-to-back-to-back illnesses, but they should keep their child home if they have a fever, are vomiting or coughing so much that it’s distracting.

“If you kept your kid out of school every time that they had a runny nose or just a cold virus, they would probably not be in school very often during the wintertime because these viruses really do hit back-to-back-to-back,” Patrick said.

The best way to stop these illnesses from spreading to the rest of the family is good hygiene, like washing your hands often and covering coughs with your elbow.

Southwestern City Schools nurse Paige Emmelhainz said she tries to instill this in all of her students. She said leading by example goes a long way.

“If we teach kids at a young age how to prevent that spread of germs by washing your hands, not putting your hands in your mouth, or before you go to eat, you're washing your hands, it’s definitely going to help keep everybody healthier,” Emmelhainz said.

Both Emmelhainz and Patrick also recommend flu shots. They said it may not prevent you or your kids from getting sick, but it will make it less severe.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A multinational investment firm announced Monday it will invest $2 billion into Intel, just as the Trump administration floated the idea of the United States investing in the tech giant.

SoftBank Group, an investment management and holding company, announced Monday it has signed a definitive securities purchase agreement, investing in Intel by purchasing approximately 2% of the company. According to the agreement, SoftBank will pay $23 per share of Intel stock; the stock finished at $23.66 in trading on Monday.

“We are very pleased to deepen our relationship with SoftBank, a company that’s at the forefront of so many areas of emerging technology and innovation and shares our commitment to advancing U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership," Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said in a press release. "(SoftBank CEO) Masa and I have worked closely together for decades, and I appreciate the confidence he has placed in Intel with this investment.”

The agreement comes just days after the Trump administration was reported to be considering the federal government taking a stake in Intel, specifically to help the Ohio One plant under construction in New Albany.

Once the face of domestic semiconductor manufacturing, Intel's $28 billion Ohio One plant is far from its original opening goal of 2025, now aiming for 2032. In late July, Intel announced it was further slowing construction on Ohio's facility as its manufacturing division continues to be unprofitable. The company confirmed that slowed efforts do not mean construction will stop entirely.

SoftBank's announcement stated the investment would help build on SoftBank's "long-term vision of enabling the AI revolution by accelerating access to advanced technologies that support digital transformation, cloud computing, and next-generation infrastructure."

According to the announcement, SoftBank invests in technology that improves "the quality of life for people around the world."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One person is dead after a shooting in north Columbus Monday night.

According to a Columbus police dispatcher, the shooting happened on the 6300 block of Ambleside Drive near Devonshire Park at approximately 8:18 p.m.

The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:28 p.m.

There is no information on a suspect or what led to the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Columbus police at 614-645-4545.

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A woman is dead after a two-vehicle crash in Ross County on Monday afternoon.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash happened at the intersection of U.S. Route 23 and DeBord Road at approximately 3:35 p.m.

A 2013 Ford F-150, driven by a 30-year-old Chesapeake, Ohio, woman, was driving southwest on US-23. A 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Carol Cunningham, 70, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was crossing over the southbound lane, trying to drive north on US-23. The highway patrol said Cunningham's Equinox drove into the F-150's path, causing the crash.

Cunningham was taken to Adena Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver of the pickup truck and two passengers, a 57-year-old woman and a 10-year-old child, were also taken to Adena Regional for treatment of minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by Veterans Affairs Fire/Rescue, Scioto Township Fire and EMS, Huntington Township EMS, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Sidewalk chalk has become a point of contention between students and administration at Ohio State University.

The university amended its signage standards to ban chalking. The university’s announcement said if officials see chalk, it will be removed by facilities operations and development. The university could then charge the students for the cost of the removal. The policy also states that students found to be responsible would be subject to a potential conduct referral.

Some students said they use chalk to spread the word about events or campaigns in high traffic areas like the Oval and find the ban unnecessary.

“Most of it was like advertising for different student groups, so, I, yeah, and a lot of it was just like all like, have a good week or like, yeah, it was, it was harmless in my opinion,” Ohio State graduate student Kimmara Yarbrough said.

In a statement, the university said, “In light of continued complaints regarding chalking on campus and the significant amount of administrative time spent evaluating chalking, we have revised the university signage standards.”

The university has not responded to a request for how many chalking complaints it received that prompted the change.

Students like senior Daizhon Cox and sophomore Christopher Cade want to know why they weren't involved in the conversations. 

“We pay to go here, we are students, and we should have a say,” Cox said. “I don't understand how you can reach a decision like that before even talking to the students.”

Cade said he remembers his first year at Ohio State, seeing organizations trying to gain members by using chalk messages across campus; he said it’s disappointing he will not see it this year.

“I represent the social and behavioral sciences and student government, and a lot of our student organizations have already reached out to me and asked, ‘What's next? What can we do?’ And to see that students not even on campus yet are already feeling the effects of this, it's disheartening,” Cade said.

They say on a campus as big as Ohio State, chalk art is the best way to reach all students.

Students feel the ban limits their expression

“To me, it does feel a little unnecessary and I wish there was more of an explanation to why they're banning it,” Yarbrough said.

They also feel it has to do with the current political climate.

“Coming into my senior year, another semester of, you know, just at university, telling us exactly what it is that we can do and what it is that we can't do,” Cox said.

The students say even with the rule, they plan to find ways to make sure their messages are seen and heard.

“I've been talking to a bunch of student organizations and they say they're still going to try it,” Cade said. “They're just going to do it in a different way this year.”

The university said the signage standards are used to create a consistent experience for information on campus.

The university's chalking announcement can be read by clicking here. The school's signage policy is below.

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) – One local business is doing its part to send students back to school feeling their best by looking their best.

Danny’s Barbershop in Reynoldsburg gave free back-to-school haircuts to dozens of students on Monday.

The owner said he and his wife have been looking for ways to give back to the community for years.

Owner Danny Eustaquio said a fresh haircut is just one part of building up a student’s confidence. He said Monday’s event wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support.