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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio State Buckeyes are a few hours away from taking on the Grambling State Tigers at Ohio Stadium.

The No. 1 Buckeyes are facing the unranked Tigers with almost its entire squad healthy and ready to go. Ohio State is missing nine players out on injury for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, all of which were also absent last week for the season opener where the Texas Longhorns fell to the Buckeyes.

• SAF Brenten Jones
• TE Max LeBlanc
• DL Jason Moore
• QB Mason Maggs
• RB Anthony Rogers
• DL Max Roy
• SAF Deshawn Stewart
• DL Ahmed Tounkara
• WR Preston Wolfe

No players were listed as questionable.

Saturday's game marks the first time since facing Florida A&M in 2013 that the Buckeyes are matched up against a historically Black college.

Next Saturday, the Buckeyes will again be in Columbus to take on the Ohio University Bobcats.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Five people were indicted in connection with a human trafficking and drug investigation in Columbus's West Side.

A Franklin County grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against the five, who allegedly were part of a criminal organization that committed violent crimes and dealt narcotics in furtherance of a human trafficking enterprise, according to Attorney General Dave Yost.

Yost said Columbus police began investigating in January after receiving tips about the alleged activity, which reportedly began in November 2024.

The alleged criminal organization was operating on the West Side and planned to expand human trafficking activities through violence and narcotics, Yost said.

The following people were charged:

Justin Davis, 40, indicted on 25 felony charges:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Three counts of trafficking in persons
• Three counts of promoting prostitution
• Three counts of compelling prostitution
• Five counts of trafficking in drugs
• Five counts of possession of drugs
• Two counts of tampering with evidence
• One count of money laundering
• One count of receiving proceeds subject to forfeiture
• One count of possession weapons under disability

Cieara Tesso, 28, indicted on 15 felony charges:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Three counts of promoting prostitution
• Three counts of trafficking in drugs
• Four counts of possession of drugs
• One count of receiving proceeds subject to forfeiture
• One count of tampering with evidence
• One count of money laundering
• One count of possessing weapons under disability

Jeffery Willis, 69, indicted on eight felony charges:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Two counts of promoting prostitution
• One count of trafficking in drugs
• One count of possession of drugs
• One count of receiving proceeds subject for forfeiture
• One count of permitting drug abuse
• One count of money laundering

Renika Crowley, 42, indicted on nine felony charges:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Two counts of trafficking in drugs
• Three counts of possession of drugs
• One count of tampering with evidence
• One count of money laundering
• One count of receiving proceeds subject to forfeiture

Roselind Fout, 40, indicted on seven felony charges:

• One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Three counts of trafficking in drugs
• Two counts of possession of drugs
• One count of money laundering

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two more Hot Chicken Takeover locations shuttered this week, brining the chain's total central Ohio closures this year to five.

Craveworthy Brands, Hot Chicken Takeover's parent company, confirmed to NBC4 that the chain's Gahanna restaurant at 109 N. Hamilton Road and the Grandview Heights restaurant at 1417 W. Fifth Ave. have permanently shut down.

"Closing our Grandview and Gahanna locations was an incredibly difficult decision, but one made with care and purpose," said Craveworthy CEO Gregg Majewski in a statement. "We are honoring the spirit in which Hot Chicken Takeover was created, protecting the heart of the brand and ensuring its legacy lives on with the same warmth and hospitality that first captured Columbus' love."

The Grandview location opened in late 2022, while the Gahanna restaurant began welcoming customers in 2023.

The closures come after Craveworthy shuttered three other Hot Chicken Takeover eateries this year, including in Clintonville in July, in Easton Town Center in March and in Lewis Center in January. The North Market and Westerville locations stand as the brand's last remaining central Ohio storefronts.

Untamed Brands, Hot Chicken Takeover's former parent company, was purchased in May 2024 by Craveworthy, which also owns BD's Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill and more.

After the acquisition, Craveworthy announced plans to merge Chicago-based chicken concept Budlong and Hot Chicken Takeover together, creating a refreshed brand called "HCT: Southern Chicken." However, throughout the Columbus area, the brand chose to keep the original Hot Chicken Takeover name.

Known for its chicken sandwiches, the chain also serves chicken tenders, plant-based nuggets, and sides like mac and cheese, fries and coleslaw.

Last fall, Hot Chicken Takeover rolled out a new menu, featuring hand-breaded chicken made similar to how its chicken was made when the brand first launched in 2014. Among the new menu items were chicken-fried steak, homemade hushpuppies, cornbread and sweet hand pies.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A felon from Hilliard has been brought up on charges this week related to trafficking in fentanyl that caused an overdose death.

According to federal prosecutors, Raymond McGhee, 37, was indicted on eight total charges – distributing fentanyl resulting in a death, five other drug charges and two firearms crimes.

The charges stemmed from an April 10 incident in which a Columbus police cruiser pulled over an Infinity sedan on South Odgen Avenue, after multiple reported traffic violations near Fremont Street in the Hilltop. An open-air sniff search was conducted by a K9 unit and narcotics were sensed inside the vehicle, at the rear door of the driver's side.

A search of the Infinity uncovered a loaded pistol in the floorboard of the passenger side.

Additionally, under the vehicle’s carpet, there was a digital scale and a white sock rolled into a ball. Inside the sock were multiple plastic bags containing a white rock substance, and officers also found a large sum of cash and two phones in McGhee’s pocket.

The gun recovered was traced to a December 2024 report of a stolen weapon not manufactured in Ohio, and forensic analysis of the alleged drugs found in the sock were identified as cocaine and fentanyl.

McGhee, also known as “Red” and “Draco,” had previously served three years in prison from a 2014 robbery conviction with a firearm specification. He is facing the following federal charges:

• Distribution of fentanyl (two counts)
• Distribution of fentanyl resulting in death
• Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
• Possession with intent to distribute cocaine (two counts)
• Carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crime
• Felony in possession of a firearm

Court documents noted that in a superseding indictment filed Thursday, “knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of (fentanyl), and death resulted to a victim from the use of the fentanyl distributed by McGhee.” Additional details on the victim’s death were not available in the criminal docket.

THOMPSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WCMH) -- Three people died and another was seriously injured in a Delaware County crash on Friday night.

Nineteen-year-old Olivia Kroft was driving a Honda Civic, while a 70-year-old man was driving a Dodge Dart when the two crashed in the middle of Hoskins Road at 10:10 p.m., according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The Honda Civic had two passengers, 23-year-old Breyden Floyd and 19-year-old Michael Pinkerton.

Kroft, Floyd and Pinkerton sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the site of the crash, authorities said. The driver of the Dodge Dart was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.

None of the occupants in the Honda Civic were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, OSHP said. The 70-year-old man was wearing his seatbelt. The crash remains under investigation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One person is in critical condition after an early morning shooting on Saturday near Ohio State University.

Officers responded to the intersection of North High Street and East 14th Avenue at 2:39 a.m., according to the Columbus Division of Police. Authorities said shots were fired after a fight broke out. One person has been detained.

It's unclear how the fight started and how many were involved. Police have to yet to release further details about the suspect or the victim.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two of six defendants facing over 120 felony charges in connection with a human trafficking ring received their sentences this week.

According to a spokesperson with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Sarah Dotson and Shahee Siler, charged with 29 and 10 charges respectively, each received six- to nine-year prison sentences for their involvement in a sex and drug trafficking case that included six adults, 127 total charges, and a murder.

Dotson, facing 29 charges, pleaded guilty to engaging in corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, having weapons under disability and compelling prostitution. Two dozen charges were dropped in the plea agreement, including possession of drugs, promoting prostitution and trafficking in persons.

Siler, who was facing 10 charges, including two counts of murder, pleaded guilty to three counts of promoting prostitution and a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Dotson was ordered to register as a Tier II sex offender upon her release and Siler as a Tier I sex offender upon his. Both sex-offender registrations are to last 25 years, with evaluations every 180 days.

Dotson and Siler, along with James Antwan Dukes-Johnson, Michael Anthony Davis, Alexias Carr-Johnson and Tyler Payne, were arrested as part of a Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force investigation, which resulted in a large indictment in December 2023.

Dukes-Johnson and Davis were charged in the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Adrian Smith on May 31. Dukes-Johnson was arrested on July 2023 in connection to the homicide while Davis was arrested on Aug. 2023.

They were each sentenced in June, with Dukes-Johnson ordered to serve at least 96 years in prison and Davis 81 years.

Alexias Monay Lashel Carr-Johnson of Marysville pleaded guilty to permitting drug abuse and receiving money involved in a crime and is scheduled for sentencing in November. Payne was sentenced to two years of community control for permitting drug abuse and receiving money involved in a crime.

The group was accused of shooting Smith on the 1900 block of Lockbourne Road on May 31, 2023. Police said Smith was standing in a parking lot when several people in a passing vehicle shot him and another victim, a 31-year-old who survived after being transported to an area hospital.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus State Community College and the YMCA of Central Ohio are partnering on a proposal to build a 50,000-square-foot YMCA on the college's Downtown campus.

The $38 million facility would offer fitness amenities, wellness programs, and drop-in child care for student parents. Located at the corner of Long Street and Cleveland Avenue, the YMCA would be built on a surface parking lot. To fund the project, a student vote will be held this fall to approve a proposed fee.

If the majority of students support it, the plan will move forward for approval by the Columbus State Board of Trustees and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

The Columbus State YMCA would include a gymnasium, cardio and strength training areas, an indoor track, pickleball courts and a lap pool. It would also provide wellness programming and intramural sports opportunities. Columbus State, which currently lacks a dedicated fitness facility, sees the YMCA as a crucial addition for student well-being.

"This transformative partnership with the YMCA will help enhance student success by addressing some of the non-academic barriers that can derail students' plans," said David Harrison, president of Columbus State. "By offering health, well-being and drop-in child care, the Columbus State YMCA will provide new resources for our students, particularly those who work, are parents, or both."

A key feature of the proposed YMCA is its drop-in child care, offering up to five hours per day for student parents at no additional cost. This service would help the approximately one-quarter of Columbus State students who are also working parents.

Currently, the college provides full-time daycare through its Center for Early Learning, but the YMCA's child care would give students more flexibility, as the center offers full-time daycare slots on weekdays, not drop-in availability. Licensed YMCA Youth Development staff would care for children with age-appropriate activities that support learning and social skills.

"This proposal has the potential to be a catalyst for the continued growth of the Discovery District," said Tony Collins, CEO of the YMCA of Central Ohio. "In partnership with Columbus State, we envision a state-of-the-art facility that advances student success, especially for parents balancing academics and family, while strengthening the health and vitality of the Creative Campus."

If the student vote is successful, the YMCA facility could open in the fall of 2028, with access to regional and national YMCA locations for eligible Columbus State students starting in 2026.

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week sent a letter to Google’s CEO demanding to know why Gmail was blocking messages from Republican senders while allegedly failing to block similar missives supporting Democrats. The letter followed media reports accusing Gmail of disproportionately flagging messages from the GOP fundraising platform WinRed and sending them to the spam folder. But according to experts who track daily spam volumes worldwide, WinRed’s messages are getting blocked more because its methods of blasting email are increasingly way more spammy than that of ActBlue, the fundraising platform for Democrats.

Image: nypost.com

On Aug. 13, The New York Post ran an “exclusive” story titled, “Google caught flagging GOP fundraiser emails as ‘suspicious’ — sending them directly to spam.” The story cited a memo from Targeted Victory – whose clients include the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Rep. Steve Scalise and Sen. Marsha Blackburn – which said it observed that the “serious and troubling” trend was still going on as recently as June and July of this year.

“If Gmail is allowed to quietly suppress WinRed links while giving ActBlue a free pass, it will continue to tilt the playing field in ways that voters never see, but campaigns will feel every single day,” the memo reportedly said.

In an August 28 letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson cited the New York Post story and warned that Gmail’s parent Alphabet may be engaging in unfair or deceptive practices.

“Alphabet’s alleged partisan treatment of comparable messages or messengers in Gmail to achieve political objectives may violate both of these prohibitions under the FTC Act,” Ferguson wrote. “And the partisan treatment may cause harm to consumers.”

However, the situation looks very different when you ask spam experts what’s going on with WinRed’s recent messaging campaigns. Atro Tossavainen and Pekka Jalonen are co-founders at Koli-Lõks OÜ, an email intelligence company in Estonia. Koli-Lõks taps into real-time intelligence about daily spam volumes by monitoring large numbers of “spamtraps” — email addresses that are intentionally set up to catch unsolicited emails.

Spamtraps are generally not used for communication or account creation, but instead are created to identify senders exhibiting spammy behavior, such as scraping the Internet for email addresses or buying unmanaged distribution lists. As an email sender, blasting these spamtraps over and over with unsolicited email is the fastest way to ruin your domain’s reputation online. Such activity also virtually ensures that more of your messages are going to start getting listed on spam blocklists that are broadly shared within the global anti-abuse community.

Tossavainen told KrebsOnSecurity that WinRed’s emails hit its spamtraps in the .com, .net, and .org space far more frequently than do fundraising emails sent by ActBlue. Koli-Lõks published a graph of the stark disparity in spamtrap activity for WinRed versus ActBlue, showing a nearly fourfold increase in spamtrap hits from WinRed emails in the final week of July 2025.

Image: Koliloks.eu

“Many of our spamtraps are in repurposed legacy-TLD domains (.com, .org, .net) and therefore could be understood to have been involved with a U.S. entity in their pre-zombie life,” Tossavainen explained in the LinkedIn post.

Raymond Dijkxhoorn is the CEO and a founding member of SURBL, a widely-used blocklist that flags domains and IP addresses known to be used in unsolicited messages, phishing and malware distribution. Dijkxhoorn said their spamtrap data mirrors that of Koli-Lõks, and shows that WinRed has consistently been far more aggressive in sending email than ActBlue.

Dijkxhoorn said the fact that WinRed’s emails so often end up dinging the organization’s sender reputation is not a content issue but rather a technical one.

“On our end we don’t really care if the content is political or trying to sell viagra or penis enlargements,” Dijkhoorn said. “It’s the mechanics, they should not end up in spamtraps. And that’s the reason the domain reputation is tempered. Not ‘because domain reputation firms have a political agenda.’ We really don’t care about the political situation anywhere. The same as we don’t mind people buying penis enlargements. But when either of those land in spamtraps it will impact sending experience.”

The FTC letter to Google’s CEO also referenced a debunked 2022 study (PDF) by political consultants who found Google caught more Republican emails in spam filters. Techdirt editor Mike Masnick notes that while the 2022 study also found that other email providers caught more Democratic emails as spam, “Republicans laser-focused on Gmail because it fit their victimization narrative better.”

Masnick said GOP lawmakers then filed both lawsuits and complaints with the Federal Election Commission (both of which failed easily), claiming this was somehow an “in-kind contribution” to Democrats.

“This is political posturing designed to keep the White House happy by appearing to ‘do something’ about conservative claims of ‘censorship,'” Masnick wrote of the FTC letter. “The FTC has never policed ‘political bias’ in private companies’ editorial decisions, and for good reason—the First Amendment prohibits exactly this kind of government interference.”

WinRed did not respond to a request for comment.

The WinRed website says it is an online fundraising platform supported by a united front of the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), the NRSC, and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

WinRed has recently come under fire for aggressive fundraising via text message as well. In June, 404 Media reported on a lawsuit filed by a family in Utah against the RNC for allegedly bombarding their mobile phones with text messages seeking donations after they’d tried to unsubscribe from the missives dozens of times.

One of the family members said they received 27 such messages from 25 numbers, even after sending 20 stop requests. The plaintiffs in that case allege the texts from WinRed and the RNC “knowingly disregard stop requests and purposefully use different phone numbers to make it impossible to block new messages.”

Dijkhoorn said WinRed did inquire recently about why some of its assets had been marked as a risk by SURBL, but he said they appeared to have zero interest in investigating the likely causes he offered in reply.

“They only replied with, ‘You are interfering with U.S. elections,'” Dijkhoorn said, noting that many of SURBL’s spamtrap domains are only publicly listed in the registration records for random domain names.

“They’re at best harvested by themselves but more likely [they] just went and bought lists,” he said. “It’s not like ‘Oh Google is filtering this and not the other,’ the reason isn’t the provider. The reason is the fundraising spammers and the lists they send to.”

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- The City of Dublin recently launched the Dublin Wellness Alliance, a public health initiative aimed at strengthening residents’ well-being.

Several public, private, and nonprofit organizations partnered with Dublin for the initiative. Overall, the city said its residents are healthier than the state and national average.

However, a community-wide assessment, completed by Dublin adults, showed there was room for improvement. The Dublin Wellness Alliance’s four priorities from the survey are healthcare navigation, transportation, youth behavioral health, and community connections.

“We knew that we could find a lot of county data and state data, but we wanted to dive a little bit deeper and try to assess what the true needs of our community truly were,” said Mollie Steiner, Recreation Administrator for the City of Dublin.

The immediate goals are to better connect residents to health resources, to educate parents on youth behavioral health, and to build strong relationships between community members.

“We had a large percentage of people in the community that reported that they didn't feel connected to the community, they didn't feel like they belonged,” said Steiner.

Dublin created Good Neighbor Week to help with this, where people are encouraged to reach out to their neighbors and give back through acts of kindness.

“We’re really just trying to encourage those connections and for people to, you know, have opportunities and ways to not feel so socially isolated,” said Steiner.

The city said the Wellness Alliance wouldn’t exist without its community partners like the Franklin County Public Health Department.

“We are fully committed to implementation of the strategies and the priorities that the community has identified,” said Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola.

Other partners include COTA, Dublin City Schools, the library, and all of central Ohio’s major healthcare systems.

Mazzola said what Dublin is doing is brand new.

“We’ve seen some really strong commitment there from the city of Dublin,” said Mazzola. “They have really put some staffing behind it and put some additional resources behind it.”

Steiner said the goal is for the Dublin Wellness Alliance to be a sustainable initiative that continues to reassess community needs.

Visit the newly launched website here for more information.

GALENA, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation hosted its annual Golf Classic charity event as a part of the organization's celebration of its 25th NHL season.

On Friday, fans were able to golf with a Blue Jackets Player at the Double Eagle Club for the annual Golf Classic. The Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) say this charity event is one of their largest fundraisers for the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation.

Proceeds from today's event are invested into local charities in Central Ohio, primarily focusing on areas of pediatric cancer, education, health and safety, and growth and development of youth hockey.

Those participating in the golf outing also received an exclusive CBJ gift package, a luncheon where each group of four drafted their celebrity golfer, and an evening cocktail reception where the winning group will be announced.

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) -- Habitat for Humanity-Mid Ohio celebrated the grand opening of its new ReStore facility in Hilliard Friday morning.

A grand opening celebration was held Friday morning in Hilliard for the new ReStore facility created by Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio. ReStore is a non-profit improvement store where anyone can donate new and reusable items from home remodeling projects or overstock inventory.

The new location, located on 5419 Roberts Rd, will sell a range of products. The inventory will include appliances, furniture, home accessories, paint, lumber, and much more. According to Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio, the items will be sold at a fraction of the regular retail price.

"Habitat aims to be a leader in helping solve the region’s affordable housing crisis through affordable home ownership and critical home repairs. Habitat ReStores provide opportunities for people of all income ranges to buy necessary items to upkeep their homes while serving as a vital economic engine for our work in building and financing affordable housing," says Habitat MidOhio's CEO Brandi Al-Issa.

Habitat for Humanity Mid-Ohio has two other Restore locations in central Ohio, one in Westerville and another in Newark. Anyone interested in donating items or shopping online can visit their website here.

We had a nice late summer day, with temperatures reaching the low 80s. Clouds increased ahead of a cold front swinging southeast across the state that brought gusty southwesterly winds.

A disturbance will trigger scattered showers early Saturday, as a wave moves along the front, with improving conditions for the game Saturday by kickoff at 3:30 p.m., although clouds will linger. Temperatures will be slow to rise, eventually nearing 70 degrees later in the day. 

Skies will be mostly sunny on Sunday, with temperatures in the low 70s, after a crisp morning in the upper 40s. The weather will be pleasant early next week, with high pressure building across the region, providing a northwesterly flow of cool, dry air, followed by a midweek warming trend.

Forecast

• Tonight: Partly cloudy, breezy, scattered showers late. Low 58
• Saturday:  Morning showers, cooler. High 71
• Sunday: Sunshine, crisp. High 71 (51)
• Monday: Mostly sunny. High 74 (47)
• Tuesday: Sunny. High 77 (49)
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High 81 (54)
• Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 82 (58)
• Friday: Showers. High 76 (60)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Central Ohio Home & Design Show began on Friday.

More than 150 exhibitors are showcasing their designs and services. People can get inspiration from interior design firms highlighting the latest style trends and they can hire services on the spot, including window work, landscaping and remodels.

Guests can also get advice from gardening experts and the Better Business Bureau.

"The biggest thing we like about these shows that we produce is you can come down and dream," said Stephen Buzza, director of the Central Ohio Home & Design Show. "There's nothing wrong with dreaming. It doesn't mean you have to do it. But you have an idea or even if you want to generate ideas you can come down and reimagine what your place might look like."

Admission is free all weekend.

Organizers also partnered with the Franklin County Dog Shelter, so people can adopt a pup on-site and the show covered all fees.

The Home & Design Show is open through the weekend in the Bricker Building at the Ohio Expo Center.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Saturday's Ohio State vs. Grambling State matchup is bringing HBCU culture and tradition to central Ohio.

Ahead of the historic game, one Columbus native is feeling the excitement in a special way.

Evan Clark, better known as 'DJ IQ', is a former member of the Grambling State marching band. This weekend his two worlds are colliding in his hometown making it a homecoming like no other for him. 

"I can't believe OSU and Grambling are playing each other in the first place," Clark said. "When I first saw the schedule, I called all my friends from down south like, yo, y'all gotta come, ya'll gotta come. And they're all here. So, it's exciting. It's a lot of their first times in Ohio and so I'm showing them around."

Clark's college roommate at Grambling State even made the trek to central Ohio for Saturday's game. Clark graduated from Independence High School in Columbus before making the big move down south. He went to Grambling on a band scholarship and played Quints on the drumline.

"That was 2004 and it was an awesome experience," Clark said. "It was like a culture shock to me because it was so different. It was so hot too. The heat was crazy."

With Grambling's band coming to Ohio Stadium, Clark said it's a full-circle moment for him.

"These two bands together, it's one big powerhouse," Clark said. 

Even Ohio State football players are excited Grambling's band is making the trip.

"We just found out that one of our old coaches there is a legend, and they got a, you know, big league background there," Ohio State football player Will Kacmarek said. "And their band coming in. I mean, we're really excited and we're preparing hard for this game."

According to Clark, Grambling's band has a history of breaking barriers and seeing them on the same stage as Ohio State's renowned marching band will be something special. 

"Grambling was the first band to ever perform in Africa," Clark said. "The first band to perform for President Clinton. We did a lot. We performed in Seattle. We performed for the Dallas Cowboys, for the Seattle Seahawks."

For Clark, having his alma matter bring its sound, style and culture to his hometown is personal and he said he's proud to share that with central Ohio. 

"I'm hoping they get that experience, that excitement, especially we bring to the football games and the halftime show," Clark said. "You don't want to miss that."

Clark said this weekend feels like a piece of home coming home. He will be busy all weekend with different HBCU parties and events. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It's a big weekend in Columbus as the city hosts HBCU alumni weekend.

From career opportunities to cultural celebrations, organizers said it's about showcasing the pride and impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The three-day event kicked off Friday with a job and career fair, connecting recent graduates and professionals with opportunities ranging from education to government and business.

According to organizers, it goes beyond job opportunities, it's about education, legacy, and celebrating the culture of HBCUs.

"Without them, many of us wouldn't be here," organizer Lawrence Lemon said. "When you look at the impact that HBCU alum have made, not only in our city but across the nation, it is one that is undeniable."

HBCU alumni weekend runs through Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Local experts are concerned about the rise in COVID-19 numbers amid national vaccine recommendation changes.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department rolled back recommendations on the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as the CDC is now reporting Ohio is one of 24 states with a rise in cases of covid 

Dr. Ben Bring with OhioHealth notes this increase probably stems from newer variants that may be more infectious yet don't cause as much severe illness.  

“One thing we are noticing, though, is a definite uptick in positive cases within the state of Ohio,” Bring said. “I just recently visited the CDC website; It showed that Ohio was one of the higher states of increased COVID-19 infections. So, we do know that our positivity rate is increasing.” 

Since August 28th, Ohio has seen over 200 hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Those being affected are mostly older adults with chronic medical conditions. But with immunizations at a five-year low for the state, some health officials are stressing the importance of being vaccinated.     

“I think the misinformation is rampant right now, and so I think what I would do is look to the experts,” Bring said.  

When it comes to various infectious diseases like COVID, the Flu, and RSV, Bring urges people to get their vaccines. He also hopes older adults get the COVID-19 booster shot if they haven’t already.

“Before I went to medical school, I was a scientist first and so, you know, it's really important to take data for what it actually is and to make sure we're actually interpreting data correctly, and that the overwhelming data on these vaccines is that they are safe, they are effective, they're going to reduce hospitalizations,” Bring said. “They're going to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality in patients.” 

This spike in cases comes as we head into colder months, and Bring warns that if vaccine rates stay low and we see more cases of COVID or other viral illnesses, that could lead to our hospitals being strained.   

“A lot of E.R.s are in the red range, meaning they're already at capacity. Some E.R.s get so busy, they get they go on diversion, meaning we have to start sending patients to other hospitals,” Bring said. “What happens during respiratory season, though, is as these E.R.s get overwhelmed, we run out of hospital beds, we run out of resources, we run out of doctors in space, too, to be able to care for people.” 

Dr. Bring shared it's also important to remember simple safety tips like washing your hands, wearing a mask, and staying home if you feel sick to prevent the spread. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The American Red Cross and the Columbus Blue Jackets celebrated 25 years of partnership, hosing their annual blood drive.

Everybody who went on Friday received a complimentary shirt and a buy one, get one free ticket offer for upcoming Blue Jackets games. But it doesn't stop on Friday. Blood donors in the region through the end of the month will receive that same deal.

Red Cross officials said the donations from Friday are going to save someone's life next week, and the commitment from the team to help in that effort means the world.

"The Blue Jackets deeply care about the community, and from day one of those organizations starting up here in Ohio, they've cared about the community and know the Red Cross is built on helping in alleviating suffering and just seeing that connection come through for years and years and years now," American Red Cross Regional Communications Manager Don Hawkins said. "I see the same folks coming out to donate at this drive. Every year I get to see the same Blue Jackets staff members coming to donate."

Those who couldn't make it to the blood drive on Friday can visit redcrossblood.org and enter their ZIP code to find the nearing blood drive and snag that Blue Jacket ticket offer.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Tough times are ahead for people struggling to pay their rent, according to one nonprofit leader, as pandemic emergency rental assistance money runs out.

NBC4 Investigates is looking into what federal dollars running out means for the community and what resources are still available in Franklin County.

"Filings are at an all-time high," Franklin County Municipal Court Magistrate Tony Paat said. "The people who come here, they're way ahead of the game. You'd be surprised how many people just don't respond to the eviction filings."

In the span of a few months, there are fewer resources at eviction court as organizations have to pull back as funding runs out. There's still the same demand, but fewer organizations are able to meet it.

"The tough times that we’ve talked about that were going to come, they’re here," IMPACT Community Action CEO Robert 'Bo' Chilton said. 

With federal resources, IMPACT Community Action and its partners helped almost 40,000 households across Franklin County with more than $132 million. Now there’s less than $1 million to help those who have already applied.

"We were virtually able to help almost everyone who came our way, and that was very rewarding. But now we have to turn a lot of people away and that is very discouraging," Chilton said. 

Those federal dollars are not coming back, so now community organizations are looking to local leaders.

"What we know now is that housing prices are on the rise. We're seeing an uptick in evictions. Our shelters are starting to fill up and the resources are coming to an end," Chilton said. 

IMPACT still has the programs that do not rely on pandemic federal dollars, such as helping households with heat and energy costs and connecting families with housing opportunities and support services.

"We do still have a very robust utility assistance program. We serve over 35,000 customers a year, but the robust rental assistance that people have become accustomed to will no longer be there," Chilton said. 

The city of Columbus has announced the 'Resilient Housing Initiative' to support around 600 households. The county has not yet announced any additional support.

"Tough times are ahead, but we live in a community that really cares. They talk about the Columbus way. It's something I believe in. Our community rallies to support everyone, and that is our vision," Chilton said. 

Franklin County Municipal Court has resources through its self-help center. More information about that can be found here. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Buckeyes football returns to Ohio Stadium on Saturday as they take on Grambling State.

There are many advantages to a home game, especially when you have The Best Damn Band in the Land on your side. The marching band is already made up of more than 200 members, and it's going to grow by more than 600 for the alumni game.

“You get to see all of your old friends. You get to experience the crowd. I mean the crowd is bonkers,” said Mark Weaver, alumni i-dotter.

It’s one of the most beloved traditions at Ohio State, Script Ohio. Getting to dot the i is the greatest honor for a veteran band member, particularly a sousaphone player.

“I remember the first time I was looking around and you can see the whole crowd and you can pick people out. It’s something that you just don’t forget,” said Randy Hann, alumni i-dotter.

Script Ohio will quadruple in size for the alumni game and be performed at all four sides of the stadium. Hann and Weaver will dot the i’s on the west and north Script Ohios.

“It’s so unique to be up there," Hann said. "Every time I watch an i-dotter do it, it’s a special experience for me just to watch them knowing that I did it before."

They have both dotted the i before. Weaver even did so at a Cleveland Browns game. After countless walks down memory lane, he’s looking forward to re-living that glory.

“It does not become less nerve-wracking. It does not become less special. It’s very exciting. There’s a lot of hype around these now,” he said.

This performance is a family affair for Hann. He met his wife in the marching band and now the couple will march alongside their daughter who is a sophomore at OSU.

“The crazy part is the last time I dotted the i, I proposed to my wife at Skull Session. So it’s really coming full circle now that our daughter is going to be on the field with us,” Hann said.