Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — One person was rescued from a northeast Columbus fire that destroyed a home early Monday morning.

According to the Columbus Division of Fire, a single-family home caught fire at around 1 a.m. Monday in the 4200 block of Grayfriars Lane in the Hyde Park neighborhood. One person was rescued from the home and taken to an area hospital with their condition unknown.

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Also unknown was how many people were in the home at the time of the fire, which caused heavy flames to be seen upon arrival of firefighters.

The Red Cross was called to assist those affected by the fire, which remains under investigation as to what the cause was.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Trademark lawyers are representing a Michigan bar free of charge after Ohio State University challenged the name of its draft "Buckeye Tears."

The Brown Jug, an Ann Arbor-based bar near the University of Michigan campus, offers Buckeye Tears for $7. The Brown Jug applied and begun the approval process to trademark the term for beer and liquor, but Ohio State filed a formal opposition to halt the trademark.

Ohio State keeps its No. 1 ranking going into final bye week

"Consumers, particularly within the Midwest, inherently associate the term 'Buckeye' with Ohio
State and the Ohio State Services, including its athletic programs," OSU said in a filing.

OSU argues "Buckeye Tears" infringes on the university's copyrighted material and could be damaging to the university's reputation. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben told NBC4 that Ohio State will need to prove consumers will assume the university is affiliated with the brew.

Firm partners Todd Gregorian and Eric Ball are confident in their defense and took the case on pro bono. Gregorian was a patron of the Brown Jug as a law student at the University of Michigan, and the pair seized the opportunity to give back.

"We're here to give the Brown Jug the strongest D-line that we can," Ball said.

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Gregorian said it's unlikely anyone would be confused about the product. He said although the name might poke fun or hurt feelings, it does not tarnish OSU's brand.

"Ohio State just stands between a rock and a hard place," Gregorian said. "The university is claiming rights on a term that's generic and really used by the public in Ohio for a bunch of other purposes, and at the same time, they are claiming that their singular use of the Buckeye mark is so famous that everyone in the country knows it refers to them."

Ohio State is one of the largest universities in the U.S. and the Buckeyes are the reigning college football national champions. The Brown Jug said that makes them recognizable in many circles, but not unilaterally.

Ball said although Ohio State's branding is well-known among trademark lawyers -- referring to OSU's attempts and successes in trademarking the word "THE" -- the general public is less aware of their hallmarks. Watch previous coverage of the "THE" ruling in the video player above.

End-of-October deals launch Big Lots comeback: See all 28 Ohio stores reopened

In its court filing, the Brown Jug offered examples of other liquor and beer brands with buckeye branding, part of more than 5,700 registered Ohio businesses with "buckeye" in the name. The Brown Jug included nine photos of "buckeye" alcohols as evidence that they are not inherently synonymous with Ohio State.

Some Ohio-based alcoholic brands with "buckeye" in their name refer to the tree or state symbol. However, other brands cited in the legal filing do lean into Ohio State sports on social media. One of the examples, Buckeye Vodka, is even officially licensed with Ohio State and an athletic sponsor.

"The success of Ohio State in its educational missions, including its arts and athletic
programs, have cemented the presence of the BUCKEYES Mark and BUCKEYE Formative
Marks on a national stage," OSU wrote in its court filing.

Niko Porikos, son of the Brown Jug's owner, said the Buckeye Tears brew has become incredibly popular. He attributed most of the beer's success to OSU's legal challenge.

What we learned from Ohio State’s shutout victory over Wisconsin

"Due to the pettiness of THE school down south, a beast has been unlocked," Porikos said via email. "We are struggling to keep up with the insane demand over the last few weeks and are pursuing additional product lines."

Porikos clarified any additional products will be in maize and blue to avoid similar confusion.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, some people may start to notice a shift in their mood. According to experts, that could be a sign of seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that tends to hit during the fall and winter months. 

"It's just sad and depressing," Starla Bible said. "I don't want to do anything except for curl up and binge-watch TV."

It’s less than two weeks until the end of daylight saving time, when clocks will turn back one hour. While this means an extra hour of sleep, it also means less daylight. For some people like Starla Bible, that seasonal shift can take a real toll on mood and energy levels. 

Runners from around the world push through rain and wind at Columbus Marathon

"Typically around Halloween, I start feeling different in my mood and doing less because it gets cold and there's less activities to do outside," Bible said. 

Like millions of other Americans, Bible has been struggling for years with seasonal affective disorder.

"It makes it really hard to do anything," she said. "I feel like I don't want to be active and go out and do anything. I don't even want to go to work sometimes."

Wexner Medical Center psychologist Dr. Nicole Hollingshead said early warning signs include feeling unusually tired, eating more sweets and carbs, and losing interest in things you normally enjoy. 

"Things like sitting next to a window during breakfast or taking a walk outside can really help regulate your circadian rhythm and help with your mood," Hollingshead said. 

Crew-FC Cincinnati dates, kickoff times announced for ‘Hell is Real’ playoff series

Hollingshead recommends planning activities now that get you moving, connected and out of the house, especially during the winter months. 

"One year, I joined a walking club, and that was pretty good, except for I felt like it got too cold and I eventually stopped going," Bible said. "But I joined a church that I really like and that gets me out at least on Sunday and then one day during the week."

Hollingshead even suggests trying a light therapy box, which is a tool that mimics sunlight. 

"There is some research to support that if you purchase a light box that's around 10,000 lumens and you use that for 20, 30 minutes during the morning, that can help ensure that you're getting that early morning light exposure and help avoid worsening mood and depression," Hollingshead said. 

It's also about mindset and trying to embrace winter instead of dreading it.

Ohio State keeps its No. 1 ranking going into final bye week

"I really encourage you to take some time now and talk with your support people," Hollingshead said. "What kind of plans can you put in place? What kind of trips can we plan? Or maybe getting creative with different gatherings? Maybe you can get together for board nights or make sure you're going to indoor facilities."

According to experts, if you're struggling, don't wait to reach out for help; talk to a mental health professional to discuss potential treatments.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Athletes from all across the world were in central Ohio Sunday to participate in the half and full Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon. The money raised will go toward supporting the work and research at the hospital.

The runners, spectators and volunteers did not let the rain put a damper on their day. They called this the most meaningful marathon and people we spoke with said it lived up to the name.

“There's no one in central Ohio and across America that hasn't been affected by the work we're doing at Nationwide Children's Hospitals,” said Charissa Fee, the assistant race director.

The marathon has raised $15 million for the hospital over the years. At each mile marker they have a children’s champion who shared their story to inspire and have faced some uphill battles throughout their lives. 

End-of-October deals launch Big Lots comeback: See all 28 Ohio stores reopened

We spoke to Chase, who has a heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. “It means a lot and it's really cool. I never thought I would actually be here,” he said.

As well as Pragalya, who was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss when she was about 14 months old. 

“They (Nationwide Children's Hospital) played a really big role in my hearing loss journey,” she said “I know the weather has been crazy out here today so seeing the amount of people who still showed up I feel really happy and empowered.”

The runners trained for months and they really felt the weight of that accomplishment as they crossed the finish line.

The winners from the 2025 Columbus Marathon were: 

• Men's Marathon: Simon Heys, from Wilmington, OH with a time of 2:21:16
• Women's Marathon: Shannon Smith, from Fayetteville, AR with a time of 2:42:56.
• Men's Half Marathon: Curt Eckstein, from Indianapolis, IN with a time of 1:05.
• Women's Half Marathon: Tyler Hudacek from Boulder, CO with a time of 1:16:19
• Wheelchair Marathon: John Moore from Dayton, OH with a time of 2:43:56.

We had the chance to catch up with the Eckstein, who said it was special to see the children's champions at each mile. “It feels good for sure. It feels great to get the win,” Eckstein said. “It's really cool and I think it is a really fun event. Probably the best half marathon I've done so far.”

Race organizers said this is the most runners they’ve had since the COVID-19 pandemic with 15,000 people signing up. They also had more than 1,700 volunteers to make the day possible with approximately 100,000 spectators.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew will face archrivals FC Cincinnati in the first round of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs and fans now have the dates and kickoff times for the anticipated series.

Major League Soccer released the schedule and kickoff times for all eight first-round matchups in this year's playoffs. This is the third season MLS is using a best-of-three format for the first round as the higher seed team hosts game one, lower seed hosts game two, and higher seed game three if necessary. If a match ends in a tie after regulation, it goes straight to a penalty shootout.

The Crew will play their in-state "Hell is Real" rivals first at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati for game one on Oct. 27. Kickoff time is set for 6:45 p.m. Columbus will hosts FCC for game two at Lower.com Field at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. If a third game in the Queen City is necessary, it would be played on Nov. 8 at a time to be announced.

'Hell is Real' Crew-Cincinnati playoff schedule

• Game 1 (TQL Stadium): Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m.
• Game 2 (Lower.com Field): Sunday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m.
• Game 3 (TQL Stadium): Saturday, Nov. 8, time TBD (if necessary)

This will be the first time in 2023 that the Hell is Real derby is played in the playoffs. The only other time was when the Crew came from behind to beat Cincinnati on the road 3-2 in extra time in the 2023 Eastern Conference final. Columbus would go on to win MLS Cup over Los Angeles FC that season.

The Black & Gold went unbeaten in their two regular-season matches against FCC, with a 1-1 draw at home on May 17 followed by a 4-2 road win on July 12. Cincinnati has only beaten the Crew four times in 18 matches.

The winner of the Crew-Cincinnati series will meet the winner of the first round series between Inter Miami, led by MLS golden boot winner Lionel Messi, and U.S. Open Cup champions Nashville SC.

2025 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket

This year's MLS Cup final will be played on Dec. 6. If the Crew manage to get that far, it is highly unlikely it would host the final. The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday with each conference's wild card game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week on the Sunday Briefing:

• A journalist exiled from Russia, just labeled an enemy of the state by Vladimir Putin.

“Putin understands only sheer power, only force,” journalist Evgeny Kiselev said.

Hear what Kiselev said it would take to end the war in Ukraine as it nears its fourth year.

• An anonymous poll with unique insight into Ohio statehouse politics. 

“It gives us a window into what are these folks, how do they actually feel?” Dan Williamson with the Werth public relations said.

Hear what the Gongwer-Werth legislative poll shows about safety and partisanship.

• There’s a new effort in the Ohio Senate to overhaul the state’s juvenile justice system.

“Can you imagine a 10-year-old being sentenced to a correctional facility?” Ohio Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) said.

Hear about the changes some lawmakers said will help young offenders break the cycle.

• Is there a chance the United States could arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles? Republican strategist Matt Dole and Democratic strategist Lou Gentile join the roundtable to discuss the issue.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — To the surprise of no one, Ohio State is still the No. 1 ranked team in college football thanks to a dominant 34-0 win over Wisconsin on Saturday.

The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0) enter its second and final bye week of the regular season with the top spot in both the Associated Press poll and USA Today coaches poll. Ohio State has the top spot in the coaches poll by unanimous decision. Cincinnati, which is undefeated in Big 12 play, moved up the rankings to No. 21.

Saturday's shutout win in Madison further solidified OSU's incredible talent offensively, its historically good defense that has allowed less than six points per game, and put Julian Sayin's name among the Heisman Trophy favorites.

What we learned from Ohio State’s shutout victory over Wisconsin

The Scarlet & Gray now stand with five other teams (No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 7 Georgia Tech, No. 11 BYU, and Navy) with undefeated records. A handful of teams with unbeaten marks lost in Week 8, including Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech, which all sat in the top-ten entering Saturday's games.

The upsets once again shuffled the latest rankings quite a bit.

2025 Associated Press rankings (Oct. 19, 2025) 1Ohio State (60)2Indiana (6)3Texas A&M4Alabama5Georgia6Oregon7Georgia Tech8Ole Miss9Miami10Vanderbilt11BYU12Notre Dame13Oklahoma14Texas Tech15Missouri16Virginia17Tennessee18South Florida19Louisville20LSU21Cincinnati22Texas23Illinois24Arizona State25Michigan

The Buckeyes' new projected opponent for the College Football Playoff using this week's rankings is the winner of a first round game between No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 9 Miami in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State will return to the field and to Ohio Stadium on Nov. 1 when it hosts struggling Penn State. The Nittany Lions will enter the contest unranked and on a four-game losing streak with interim head coach Terry Smith at the helm. Penn State has not beaten Ohio State since 2016.

With less than half of the season to go, the Buckeyes and Hoosiers are the only undefeated teams left in the Big Ten and are two of three teams with less than two losses.

Conference championship games if season ended today

• American: Navy (6-0, 4-0) vs South Florida (6-1, 3-0)
• ACC: Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0) vs Virginia (6-1, 3-0)
• Big 12: BYU (7-0, 4-0) vs Cincinnati (6-1, 4-0)
• Big Ten: Indiana (7-0, 4-0) vs Ohio State (7-0, 4-0)
• C-USA: Jacksonville State (4-3, 3-0) vs Kennesaw State (4-2, 2-0)
• MAC: Buffalo (4-3, 3-0) vs Miami (4-3, 3-0)
• Mountain West: Boise State (5-2, 3-0) vs San Diego State (5-1, 2-0)
• SEC: Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0) vs Alabama (6-1, 4-0)
• Sun Belt: James Madison (6-1, 4-0) vs Southern Miss (5-2, 3-0)

Assuming all goes to plan, Ohio State and Indiana would meet in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6 in Indianapolis.

NEW CONCORD, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Florida man who was charged in connection with a 2023 shooting at Muskingum University pleaded guilty on Friday.

Court records show Franklin Grayson, 29, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder, improper discharging a firearm at or into a habitation of school safety zone, inducing panic, carrying a concealed weapon, tampering with evidence, and two counts of felonious assault.

Grayson, a 2021 graduate of the the University of Olivet, shot an Olivet baseball player after a March 17, 2023, game against Muskingum University. The Olivet player returned to the dugout after the game to retrieve a personal item when he was shot by Grayson. Watch previous coverage in the player above.

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The player who was shot was treated at a hospital and released.

Grayson also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of assault on a corrections officer.

A sentencing date for Grayson was not listed in online court records.

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man with a history of convictions and parole violations who was found with drugs inserted into his body while in jail has been sentenced to additional prison time.

According to the Athens County prosecutor, Matthew Holdren will spend the next three years behind bars after his conviction for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony.

Holdren was sentenced after a two-day trial, which began with an arrest Nov. 12, when he was suspected of being in possession of contraband at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.

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After undergoing a body scan, Holdren, serving time on one of several parole violations, was placed on dry cell status. Two days later, a search was conducted, and it was discovered that a bag was inside his rectum, and a toilet paper roll fell out of one of his pants legs.

The bag and toilet paper roll each contained a crystal-like substance inside, which were later identified as over three grams of methamphetamine.

Prosecuting attorneys stated in a sentencing memorandum that it took seven employees, four from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and three from the regional jail, to remove the drugs. The memorandum requested consecutive sentences with his violations, totaling four years and 267 days.

“(Holdren’s) conduct on jail calls and in the courtroom has shown that this is not that big of a concern of his and that he doesn’t view bulk amount as methamphetamine in the jail a big deal,” the memorandum stated.

A common pleas jury found Holdren guilty and ordered a prison sentence of three years.

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Holdren was previously convicted of drug trafficking in 2009 out of Hocking County and incurred multiple probation violations, leading to another prison sentence in 2013. In 2020, Holdren was convicted of possession of heroin and possession of drug instruments out of Fairfield County.

The following two years, Holdren had several probation violations and was convicted of failure to comply. Additional Fairfield County violations in 2023 led to a 12-month prison sentence.

Holdren was booked in jail multiple times since, again in 2024 on a probation violation, and in April on Adult Parole Authority due to a warrant in this case.

MADISON, Wisconsin (WCMH) -- For the third time in the span of four weeks, No. 1 Ohio State put on a convincing performance on the road in Big Ten play. And not only did the Buckeyes prevent a Big Ten opponent from finding the endzone for the third time in a month, they shut Wisconsin out completely with a 34-0 victory.

Thanks to career-high numbers from quarterback Julian Sayin and a defense that continues to show that its the best in the country, OSU remains unbeaten this season, heading into their second bye week with an 11-game win streak that dates back to last year's College Football Playoff title run.

"One of my favorite parts of the game was the way that we ended," coach Ryan Day said. "When guys are on the sideline and they want to hold on to the shutout. And some of the depth guys are in there and everyone screaming and yelling because it isn't about the score. It's not about the results, about the process. And that's it. Guys are playing for each other and that's another good sign."

Here are three things we learned from Saturday.

Carnell Tate's highlight worthy grab

The play that almost everyone will be talking about from Saturday's win was the grab in the endzone by Carnell Tate. The star wide receiver leapt into the air with two defenders surrounding him to catch Sayin's 33-yard pass for the first touchdown of the contest. Tate would end up leading the receiving efforts with 111 yards on six catches for two touchdowns.

But Tate gives much of the credit to his quarterback, who had a career-high 393 yards, completing 36 of his 42 throws to tie his career-best of four touchdowns.

"He's the Heisman winner. There's no question," Tate said. "Each and every week, he goes out there to prove to us why he's the Heisman winner."

Sayin's 86 percent completion rate on Saturday is nearly unheard of in college football. And his performance shows how much he's stepped up since his debut as a starter against Texas in Week 1.

"Trying to do my best to execute the offense and and keep improving," Sayin said. "You know, I think our offense is all about just keep improving week by week. We're not where we want to be yet. We want to be playing our best football in December."

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There were plenty of young players that contributed to Ohio State's offensive efforts. Among the ten different receivers that earned a place on the box score were underclassmen Quincy Porter, a freshman, and Mylan Graham, a sophomore. Together, they had three catches for 40 yards.

Those two stepped up as Ohio State's run game was limited to just 98 yards. But even as the ground game had a smaller output, Day was still able to build depth and find another option in the backfield in the form of Isaiah West. The freshman out of Philadelphia led the Buckeyes with 55 rushing yards on nine carries.

"Good sign for a young back. We'll kind of see what it looks like and see where we're going from here. Those are good runs," Day said. "We're going to look at everything and do everything we can to make sure we're efficient and we're balanced."

Balancing the offense remains Day's priority over making sure his star players get the touches they deserve.

"We have to stay disciplined and that's what goes back to being unselfish," Day said. "Guys have to understand, the number one goal is to win the game but we're going to do everything we can to make sure guys get touches the best we possibly can, staying within the system and not putting our offense at risk of sputtering on a drive and not scoring a touchdown."

Shutting out the Badgers

The score line was significant for a multitude of reasons. The 34-0 win marked the eighth time that the Buckeyes have shut out an opponent under the direction of Ryan Day, but its first on the road since a 56-0 win at Rutgers in 2017.

Meanwhile for the Badgers, they were shut out by an opponent for the second straight week, which hasn't happened to the program since 1977 when they fell to Ohio State 42-0 and to Purdue 22-0 in consecutive weeks. It was also the first time since 1968 that Wisconsin was blanked two weeks in a row at home.

Day said don't take these shutouts for granted.

"I hope nobody's getting used to that, because that doesn't just happen. There's a lot of hard work that gets put in," Day said. "Give the defense a ton of credit. Give the staff a bunch of credit. Obviously our guys on defense played their tails off."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A woman is dead and another is in critical condition after a hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning in Clinton Township, Franklin County.

The sheriff's office said that two women were walking on Westerville Road just south of Innis Road on the northeast side just before 5 a.m. A dark sedan was driving south on Westerville Road at the same time and hit both women before allegedly fleeing the scene.

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Both victims were taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital for treatment. Authorities said one woman was pronounced dead in the hospital at 5:48 a.m. while the other woman remains in critical condition.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is looking for any information available on the crash, including identifying the driver that allegedly fled the scene. Anyone with details can call 614-525-6113.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has secured seven indictments throughout the state against insurance agents, including several from central Ohio, who are accused of fraud.

According to a news release, seven people and one business are alleged to have submitted false claims with respect to made-up services. The cases include two people who billed for in-home services when clients were in jail, a home-health aide who engaged in a kickback scheme and a provider who admitted to submitting a claim in her husband’s name.

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Among those indicted are four from the central Ohio area.

• Asia Drakeford, 30, of Columbus, is accused of submitting timesheets for home-healthcare services while the recipient was on vacation, resulting in a $1,593 loss for Medicaid. The victim told investigators that Drakeford confronted her after her trip and demanded she sign fraudulent timesheets.
• Michael Makeba, 53, of Westerville, and his now defunct business, Healthy Connections, were each indicted in a case involving $17,727 loss to Medicaid. It is alleged that Healthy Connections paused its adult day care services in 2022 due to a planned relocation but reportedly continued to bill Medicaid for services, despite not having resumed operations at its new location.
• Andrea Turpin, 43, of Blacklick, billed for in-home-services while a client was in jail, the Attorney General’s Office said. Medicaid reported a loss of $2,403.
• Daylene Curtis, 41, of Zanesville, reportedly billed for services while she was traveling or working another job, and while a recipient did not live at the address listed on the claims report. Curtis also allegedly submitted fraudulent timesheets using her husband’s name, resulting in a total loss of $27,465 to the Ohio Medicaid program.

Additionally, three other suspects, Carri Francis, 46, of Dayton, Cynthia Lange, 55, of Middletown, and Laquandra Williams, 37, of Cleveland, were indicted on fraud charges totaling over $51,000 in losses.

The Medicaid Fraud Unit investigated all cases and secured the indictments through the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Charges for all suspects include Medicaid fraud, and/or theft.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Multiple people were hospitalized early Sunday morning after a crash in east Columbus involving a Central Ohio Transit Authority bus.

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A police dispatcher said that a COTA bus and another vehicle crashed at the intersection of Parsons Avenue and East Town Street at 12:19 a.m. At least five people were taken to a local hospital with injuries from the crash.

Of the five victims, three were taken to Grant Medical Center with one in critical condition, another in serious condition, and the last in stable condition. The other two victims went to Nationwide Children's Hospital in stable condition.

Columbus police will investigate the crash.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Big Lots is closing out October with storewide savings and a grand reopening celebration at dozens of locations across Ohio.

The retailer's comeback, led by North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers, follows the acquisition of more than 200 Big Lots stores and the brand's intellectual property in early 2025. Throughout the past several months, Variety has reopened locations nationwide in four waves, including 28 in Ohio.

"We're proud to bring Big Lots back -- better than ever," said Lisa Seigies, CEO of Variety Wholesalers. "Our team has worked hard to restore the value, selection and experience customers love."

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The celebration officially begins at 9 a.m. on Oct. 31 at all reopened locations, with storewide discounts, an expanded furniture department, seasonal holiday decor and new apparel offerings.

"We listened to their feedback, expanded our furniture department, and brought back an exciting assortment of seasonal goods at unbeatable prices," Seigies said. "We can't wait to celebrate our grand opening with fun events, surprises, and a Christmas 2025 collection customers are going to love."

28 Big Lot locations reopened in Ohio

Ohio was among the most active markets in the Big Lots revival. The final wave of openings, completed in June, added 13 more locations across cities including Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati and Youngstown. Here's the full list of reopened stores in Ohio:

• 426 East Waterloo Road in Akron
• 1890 W. Market St. in Akron
• 1965 W. State St. in Alliance
• 241 W. Wooster Road in Barberton
• 56104 National Road in Bridgeport
• 1336 Whipple Ave. NW in Canton
• 3640 Werk Road in Cincinnati
• 12588 Rockside Road in Cleveland
• 2837 Winchester Pike in Columbus
• 4260 W. Broad St. in Columbus
• 405 Howe Ave. in Cuyahoga Falls
• 825 Cleveland St. in Elyria
• 1800 E. State St. in Fremont
• 400 Silver Bridge Plaza in Gallipolis
• 3961 Hoover Road in Grove City
• 10560 Harrison Ave. in Harrison
• 2050 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering
• 1700 E Main St. in Lancaster
• 110 S. 7th St. in Marietta
• 8489 Market St. in Mentor
• 408 Bluebell Drive NW in New Philadelphia
• 6300 E. Livingston Ave. in Reynoldsburg
• 367 County Road 406 in South Point
• 3946 W. Alexis Road in Toledo
• 4331 Mahoning Ave. NW in Warren
• 498 Cadiz Road in Wintersville
• 9025 Ohio River Road in Wheelersburg
• 7100 South Ave. in Youngstown

In addition to expanded furniture offerings, the redesigned Big Lots stores now feature a broader mix of home goods, apparel, and non-perishable grocery staples. Seigies said the relaunch was driven by direct customer feedback.

"Our store teams have been working incredibly hard to get shelves stocked and the doors open," she said. "We're proud to celebrate and kick off the holiday season with something special."

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Big Lots filed for bankruptcy in September 2024 before being acquired by Gordon Brothers. In the months that followed, many former Big Lots locations were sold to other retailers. Ollie's Bargain Outlet acquired several dozen stores, including four in Ohio, while Aldi, Burlington, Tractor Supply Co., and HomeBuys also took over various properties.

The company's headquarters in Columbus was sold to OhioHealth for $36 million earlier this year amid staffing reductions.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew are playoff bound for a third successive MLS season but will have a long road towards winning a fourth MLS Cup title.

The Black & Gold concluded the season with a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls at Lower.com Field, finishing the season with 54 points. This means the Crew finished the season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, sending them to the first round.

Columbus will play FC Cincinnati to open the MLS Cup Playoffs. Kickoff time has yet to be announced. After winning the title in 2023 as a three-seed, the Crew were knocked out in the first round by the Red Bulls in 2024.

The wild card round is one elimination game to determine which teams plays each conference's top-seed in the first round. The first round is the lone round of the MLS Cup Playoffs that is more than one game with a best-of-three series. Matches that end in a draw after regulation go straight to penalty kicks to determine a winner.

2025 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Philadelphia Union vs Winner of No. 8 Chicago Fire FC and No. 9 Orlando City

No. 4 Charlotte FC vs No. 5 New York City Football Club

No. 3 Inter Miami CF vs No. 6 Nashville SC

No. 2 FC Cincinnati vs No. 7 Columbus Crew

Western Conference

No. 1 TBD vs Winner of No. 8 TBD and No. 9 TBD

No. 4 TBD vs No. 5 Seattle Sounders

No. 3 TBD vs No. 6 Austin FC

No. 2 TBD vs No. 7 TBD

The 2025 MLS Cup final will be played on Dec. 6. The oddsmakers currently have Inter Miami, the Whitecaps, and the Union are the top-three favorites to hoist the Philip F. Anschutz trophy.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two people have died after a west Columbus motorcycle crash on Saturday.

Authorities responded to the intersection of Roberts and Hilliard Rome roads shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday after report of a crash involving a motorcycle, according to the Columbus Division of Police.

Two people were transported to local hospitals in critical condition and have since been pronounced dead, the first at 7:17 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m.

Additional details have yet to be released. The crash remains under investigation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A huge crowd gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on Saturday for another "No Kings" protest.

Demonstrators voiced their concerns over the Trump administration's policies, attending with chants and signs adorned with phrases like "Hate won't make America great" and "No one is above the law."

The protest was hosted by Common Cause Ohio, Indivisible Central Ohio and 50501. The demonstration included several speakers, like a member of Ohio State's chapter of the Ohio Student Association, a pastor and a board member of the ACLU of Ohio.

• (NBC4 Photo/Gracie Collins)
• (NBC4 Photo/Gracie Collins)
• (NBC4 Photo/Gracie Collins)

"I never want to be the one to say the sky is falling but all the things that we were afraid might happen have actually started to happen," said Mia Lewis, with Common Cause Ohio and Indivisible Central Ohio.

The speakers said they're calling out recent federal actions, like the government shutdown, the "ICE crackdown," and cuts to healthcare and education services.

"I think we all need to be united to get some action done," said protestor Vickey Ater.

In addition to a "No Kings" protest at the Ohio Statehouse, there were also demonstrations in communities around the state. A protest in Hilliard late Saturday morning included more than 1,500, organizers said. Attendees chanted and marched, voicing their displeasure with President Trump and his administration.

"It's so nice to have this support that you don't feel you're alone," protestor Penny Van Kirk said. "When you watch so much of TV and hear the administration, they make you feel like you don't belong, they make you feel, like this isn't your country, and to know all these people are our here, I feel like it's my country."

Many members of the Republican Party branded the protests as "Hate America rallies." This was the second round of "No Kings" protests. The first was in June.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State will be without nine players on Saturday against Wisconsin.

The Buckeyes are coming off of a 34-16 win on the road against No. 17 Illinois last week.

Ohio State comes into the game with a 6-0 record. Wisconsin is 2-4 and looking for its first Big Ten win of the season.

Ohio State injury report (Week 8 at Wisconsin)

• Logan George (DL)
• Max LeBlanc (TE)
• Mason Maggs (QB)
• Bryson Rodgers (WR)
• Anthony Rogers (RB)
• Max Roy (DL)
• Deshawn Stewart (S)
• Ahmed Tounkara (DL)
• Preston Wolfe (WR)

Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- What would the Circleville Pumpkin Show be without the giant pumpkins? 

Some of the pumpkin growers, including this year's grand champion, said with a tough growing season they faced some challenges, but held out hope to make it to this year's weigh-in. 

Many of the growers have decades of experience, and there's one name that comes top of mind when thinking of the unimaginably large pumpkins sometimes weighing upwards of 2,000 pounds. 

Records show Anduril chose one of three site plans in Pickaway County

He's known as Dr. Bob Liggett. 

"So, it's a disease," Liggett. "Once you've been involved in the pumpkin show and the fun of it and talking to the people that come to the show, you talk about how to grow pumpkins, it's just fun. Look forward to it every year." 

Liggett comes with an impressive track topping the leader board of the largest pumpkin many times over the past three decades. He even set a state record in 2023 with a 2,388.5-pound pumpkin (The current Ohio state record was set this year by Jared Persinger at 2,505 pounds). 

This year's pumpkin however, not a winner.

"I'm just happy that we made it here because sometimes when they quit growing it's an indication that something's not right," he said.

This year, Liggett's 1,663-pound pumpkin was beaten out by Mike Helberg's at 1,972 pounds. This was Helberg's first win and the largest pumpkin he's personally ever grown. 

While impressive in size, it was tough to get the plants to make it through the summer.

"We didn't do very well," Helberg said. "We lost about three-quarters of the plant in June from the floods and the humidity. So, this pumpkin actually only grew on about six side vines from the main vines."

"It took us a long time to really figure out why we would pollinate a pumpkin, but it wouldn't set," Liggett said. "It would just shrivel up after a few days and it was because of the humidity.

From what was left of the plant, they said managing the dry and rainless days of early fall was much easier.

"I'm fortunate I actually have access to water, so no problems there and we did have a shade cloth over most of the patch," Liggett said. 

Both Liggett and Helberg said for them, the pumpkin show isn't about winning, it's about the comradery among growers, the joy it brings to their families and visitors and maybe even inspiring the next person to have their shot at growing one of their own, too.

"In 2004, I came to the pumpkin show and saw the big pumpkins and talked to the growers and they gave me some seeds and so I just started, got the itch to grow them," Helberg said. 

"If you look here, there's so many pumpkins that just look so beautiful and I think that's what we all try to do," Liggett said. "We try to have beautiful pumpkins for the visitors that come to our pumpkin show to see."

To qualify for the pumpkin weigh in, the pumpkins must be grown within a 25-mile radius of downtown Circleville. 

XENIA, Ohio (WCMH) — A man facing nearly 40 charges related to the use of child pornography was sentenced in Greene County.

According to court records, Donald Sparklin was investigated by the Beavercreek Police Department and brought up on charges, 38 in total, of illegal use of a minor person in nudity-oriented material and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, both second-degree felonies.

Sparklin, 68, was alleged to have “create, direct, produce or transfer” sexual material involving a minor or “advertise, sell, distribute, transport, disseminate, exhibit or display”, the material, the indictment said. The charges stem from incidents between 2017 and 2019.

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Beavercreek police were notified of a 2019 federal investigation in 2023, when it was reported that the Department of Homeland Security was tracking the distribution and receiving of child pornography from Sparklin’s residence.

In January 2024, Sparklin was interviewed and his phone was confiscated. Court records stated that the phone investigated in 2024 matched the number he gave authorities in 2019.

A Greene County Common Pleas judge sentenced Sparklin, who pleaded no contest in August, to five years of probation house arrest and ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device.

Sparklin, who will be monitored by the Green County Adult Probation Department and Ohio AMS, will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender.