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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. 

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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.

NEW LEXINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- Former Northern Local Schools treasurer Elizabeth McCarthy is facing an indictment of three felony charges after she allegedly used a district credit card for personal purchases.

A Perry County grand jury returned an indictment for two counts of felony theft in office and one count of felony telecommunications fraud, per an indictment filed Wednesday in Perry County Common Pleas Court.

McCarthy allegedly made purchases "in stores and online for clothing, event tickets, household goods, and other items that were not for district use," according to a news release from the Ohio Auditor of State.

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The Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit opened its investigation in October 2024. An SIU attorney will serve as a special prosecutor for the case, as appointed by Perry County Prosecutor Terry Rugg.

McCarthy is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 5.

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — Opened in 2007, Waggoner Road Junior High School in Reynoldsburg is where meteorologist Bryan Still started the seventh grade the same year. Little did he know that many years later he would return back to that very building not as a student, but as a principal.

Reynoldsburg city schools held their “principal for a day” event where members all over the community were invited to join various school administrators and help carry out the day to day tasks that any normal principal would do. This is the second school year that the district organized this event.

After a busy morning of greeting kids at the door, classes were monitored as teachers demonstrated the different lessons that were on the day's schedule. 

Education has changed drastically over the last 18 years. Gone are the whiteboards and textbooks. Those tools have been replaced with touchscreen monitors and laptops. Some traditional tools like pencil and paper are timeless and still present.

Over the last few years, Waggoner Road has made strides in listening to the community and how its members wanted to see the school grow. School principal Jason Phillips says part of this feedback involved seeing an increase in classes involving the arts. The school responded. dropping in on choir class, there are many kids learning music theory and choreography. With music so catchy it was easy to join in on the learning.

With hard work and dedication, in no time, the kids felt more confident in their skills and seemed eager to showcase them when the time comes.

Once lunch time came, a group of hungry sixth graders made their way to grab food, catch up on some work, and meet up with their friends. Joining them at their tables shed light on another big change. Children moved from cliques to clicks.

Keyboards and laptop screens sat next to the food as they shared notes and discussed lessons. Even then they were still eager to share in conversation with their guest principal about what their favorite subjects were and what they were learning about.

There was one task that ended up being more daunting than anticipated. Getting the attention of a rambunctious cafeteria of sixth graders required a great big breath and a strong set of vocal cords. 

Ready to learn again, the kids made their way to the next class to finish another day of learning

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recent study ranked three Ohio municipalities among the top 10 U.S. cities where residents are the most burdened by grocery costs.

The personal finance website WalletHub looked at 100 of the largest cities to discover where residents spend the highest percentage of their household income on common grocery items. Researchers collected data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the nonprofit Council for Community and Economic Research.

Multiple Ohio cities placed high on the list, including Cleveland, where the average cost of groceries accounts for about 3.77% of the median household income. While Cleveland experiences "reasonable" grocery prices, the city has the lowest household income of those included in the study, leading to food costs making up a larger portion of residents' paychecks, according to WalletHub.

Source: WalletHub

The other Ohio cities in the top 10 are Toledo at No. 5, where residents allocate around 3.09% of their income to groceries each month, and Cincinnati (2.90%). Columbus ranked the lowest of all Ohio cities included, but still placed relatively high on the list, at No. 26. On average, residents of Ohio's capital spend 2.28% of their monthly income on groceries, the study says. 

The analysis found that Detroit residents spend the highest percentage of their incomes on groceries, with a median cost of 3.78%. While grocery prices are somewhat average, the median household income is the second lowest, WalletHub said.

The full top 10 can be found below:

1. Detroit, Michigan 
2. Cleveland, Ohio 
3. Birmingham, Alabama 
4. Newark, New Jersey
5. Toledo, Ohio
6. Hialeah, Florida
7. Buffalo, New York
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
10. Memphis, Tennessee

In contrast, California cities San Francisco (1.22%), San Jose (1.16%) and Fremont (0.96%) spend the smallest percentage of income, on average, at the grocery store.

WalletHub’s full study can be found here. 

The Nexstar Media Wire contributed to this report. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- State records show Anduril considered three site plans for its Pickaway County weapons manufacturing facility before selecting its five-warehouse plan.

According to state records, Anduril considered three alternative project plans to minimize the effects on local wildlife, as is required by the EPA. Anduril ultimately went with the option requiring the largest effect on local ecosystems, determining it was the only site that would meet the "anticipated production demands" of the Department of Defense.

Anduril, a defense systems manufacturing company, announced plans to build aerial autonomous weapons in Pickaway County in January. Anduril selected Ohio for its Arsenal-1 project because the state offers economic support for major developments and is home to many universities. See previous coverage of Arsenal-1 in the video player above.

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Permit requests show five warehouses was the only way to meet the production and job creation demands required by JobsOhio. JobsOhio awarded Anduril a $310 million state grant to support drone and aerial weapons manufacturing near Rickenbacker Airport. Under the funding agreement, Anduril must create 4,008 jobs by 2035, and permits said ulterior site plans would not have accommodated enough workers.

Filings show Anduril's team chose the five warehouse option over off-site or four-building alternatives with smaller environmental impacts. The selected site will require 76 acres of trees to be cleared, and will affect 5.6 acres of wetlands.

Courtesy photo of selected site option / Ohio EPA

Under the approved plan, two streams will be permanently rerouted, with one feeding into the other and culverting under roadways. Both streams are unnamed tributaries to Walnut Creek. 

The project will also affect 11 wetlands. To supplement the effects on wetlands and wildlife, Anduril’s planning team proposed buying stream and wetland credits from mitigation banks. Mitigation banks allow developers to financially support wetlands or streams that have been restored or enhanced elsewhere to offset their own environmental impacts.

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The selection was the most expensive option, costing Anduril $1.4 billion to construct. However, state records show the two other options would have led to potential production delays, which could have resulted in the project "likely" moving out of state. 

Filings indicate Anduril has not begun construction in areas with identified environmental impacts. However, Anduril confirmed to NBC4 in late September that construction is quietly underway elsewhere on the site. Anduril previously said it hopes to begin weapons manufacturing in Pickaway County by July 2026.

As is required by Ohio law, Anduril will have to offer a chance for public feedback on the project. According to a letter from the Ohio EPA, Anduril must notify the public by Nov. 4.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Marathon Mile Champion from Gahanna adds her own sparkle to mile seven at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon.

Thousands of people will take part in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday. Twenty-four of the 26.2 miles will be dedicated to children treated at the hospital, known as ‘marathon mile champions.’ When runners reach mile seven, it’s all about Hannah Daubenmire from Gahanna.

“I was super excited because, you know, I got diagnosed as a runner. So to see other people run for Nationwide Children's Hospital, it just means a lot to me,” she said.

In 2024, she was at run club when she felt knee pain. Hannah was taken to Nationwide Children’s, thinking it was a sprain, but imaging of her knee revealed something far worse than expected. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.

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“Honestly, the first couple of weeks, I kept thinking somebody was going to call me and tell me it was all a big mistake,” said Hannah’s mother, Julie Daubenmire.

She said they spent almost sixty nights in the hospital, and there were numerous rounds of chemotherapy, but through it all, her daughter stood strong.

“You helped keep everybody's spirits high because you said I'm still going to be a kid and I'm still going to have fun and we're still going to laugh and do all the things that we still like to do,” Julie said to Hannah.

Hannah’s motto through treatment? Never lose your sparkle. That’s sticking with her and serving as the theme for her marathon mile.

“I’m just going to have a bunch of disco balls and pink and yellow stuff,” she said.

Hannah has since rung the bell, signifying that she’s done with treatment. She’s now in physical therapy. Her goal is to get back into running, but in the meantime, she’s picked up new hobbies like sled hockey.

“The hardest part is, I guess, just adapting to what I can’t do and can,” Hannah said.

She’s looking forward to sharing some of her strength with the thousands of marathon runners.

“I just like to stand there and see all the runners just run by and, like, cheer for a lot,” she said.

Funds from the race go towards the work done at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“We want to do all that we can to help give back and help other kids who are, you know, fighting cancer now and in the future,” Julie said.

MARION, Ohio (WCMH) -- The mother of a 6-month-old baby mauled to death by a dog received the maximum sentence Friday.

Alyssa Smith was sentenced to three years in prison by the Marion County Court of Common Pleas for child endangering. In April 2024, Smith's child was fatally mauled by her boyfriend's Pitbull.

According to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, Smith allegedly left the infant alone and unsupervised with another young child and the dog. Prosecutors said this allowed the aggressive dog to fatally attack the infant.

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"This sentence holds a mother accountable for failing her infant in the most tragic way," Marion County Prosecutor Raymond Grogan said in a statement. "Smith's actions in ignoring the dog's history showed a pattern of irresponsibility that cost baby Royal his life."

Smith's boyfriend, Blake Bates, recently pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in the incident and is currently awaiting sentencing.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio is facing a veterinary care shortage, according to The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine, but now the state is two weeks into a new law that is hoping to address the issue through virtual vet care.

Nearly one-third of Ohio’s counties are designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as rural veterinary shortage areas. One vet NBC4 spoke with sees this firsthand, and she’s excited for the opportunities expanded virtual vet care will provide to close the gaps in service. 

“This is very, very valuable,” Veterinarian Dr. Jodi Smith said. 

Smith is a veterinarian in Perry County, where she sees a high demand for pet care. 

“On any given day, we have to turn people away sometimes because we just can't facilitate all of the people that need to be seen,” Smith said. 

Now, she’s able to expand her services online. This new law in Ohio allows vets to prescribe up to 14 days of medicine through a virtual visit, as well as establish a patient-doctor relationship online. 

“Sometimes it's all about people not being able to physically get to the veterinarian, you know, but they still have these animals that are their emotional support animals and their pets that need care and they just can't get to the vet,” Smith said. 

Mark Bordo is a co-founder of a platform that helps connect pet parents with licensed vets online. 

“If your dog jumps off a couch and breaks their leg, that's not something we can treat on telemedicine. But anything to do with ear infections and gastro issues and obviously diet and nutrition and eye infections and ear infections really like thousands of different symptoms and conditions can be treated through telemedicine,” Vetster CEO Mark Bordo said. 

“I'll have the client either walk them around, like say their lame, I'll make sure that I can see where we're limping, how bad the limp is. We get up close in the dog's face or cat's face. And I also do exotics too. So sometimes will be a bird or an iguana or, you know, a gecko,” Smith said.  

While, of course, not everything can be treated online, this new law is making it easier for families to get routine care for their pets. 

“It is never a replacement for your primary veterinarian's care and expertise and knowledge, but it is a good backup and ancillary modality to use if you cannot get in to your primary care veterinarian,” Smith said. 

In a statement, Columbus Humane said:

“Columbus Humane is actively exploring options to bring virtual veterinary care to our community. We’re excited about the potential to expand access to essential services and are evaluating grants and other resources to support this addition. To accommodate telemedicine, we will be transitioning to new software capable of providing this service. We plan to introduce virtual veterinary care at the Essential Care Center in 2026–2027, further enhancing our ability to serve pets and families in need.”