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GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) – The city of Gahanna is cracking down on distracted driving. A city ordinance went into effect on April 3.

It’s similar to state law, however, Gahanna’s recently amended code goes further to penalize those that text while driving. 

Leaders said it’s all about keeping their residents safe. Looking at your phone while behind the wheel can cause serious harm to you and another person. 

“In 2000, my husband died because somebody was talking on the phone,” said Sharon Montgomery. 

Sharon and her husband, John, spent the day with their son who was in college at the time. They were celebrating John's birthday. What was supposed to be a fun day, turned into a nightmare on the way home. 

“My husband never made it out of ICU. I had life threatening complications from my injuries,” she said. 

Since that day Sharon took her grief and turned it into action. 

“My first advocacy effort was to stop calling it an accident because it was a crash. Almost all crashes are not accidents. They're preventable. They're a result of somebody's bad decision,” she said. 

The city of Gahanna’s amended ordinance went into effect April 3 of this year. It’s similar to state law but it goes further to penalize repeat offenders with an escalating misdemeanor. 

Under state law, first and repeated offenses can result in only a fine, however in Gahanna, those found guilty can be punished with community service and jail time, in addition to a fine. 

A first offense for texting while driving is now a minor misdemeanor in Gahanna, it’ll carry a maximum penalty of a $150 fine and 30 hours of community service. A second offense in Gahanna, within two years, is now a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and carries a maximum penalty of $250 fine, 30 days in jail and 200 hours of community service. A third offense, within two years, is now a third-degree misdemeanor, it carries a maximum penalty of $500 fine, 60 days in jail and 200 hours of community service. 

Also, those who are found to be driving distracted while causing injury to another individual will be charged with a third-degree misdemeanor. Drivers who cause the death of another while texting and driving, will be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. 

“I'm cautiously optimistic that we're starting to maybe turn the corner and see less distracted driving behavior,” said Lt. Ethan Moffitt with Gahanna Police, “This is something that still needs to have a lot of attention. And, you know, we intend to, you know, take a very careful look at here and keep promoting this message so that we make our local roadway safe.”

Lt. Moffitt says that driving distracted is similar to driving impaired. 

“We've all become, you know, over time, very aware of the dangers of driving while impaired. There's been a lot of effort put into that. And I think you're seeing an analogy now with distracted driving,” he said.

Sharon tells NBC4 that texting while driving is just not worth it. That’s why it’s so important for her to share her story.

“When I can talk to people one on one and through this kind of opportunity, people hear the, you know, the emotional impact of what really happens. Then people start to think about it more often.” she said.

To help strengthen their message, city leaders recognized April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The city has been promoting its “Drive Safe Gahanna” message. That includes handing out decals for drivers to place on their car. The decals are available at Gahanna City Hall.

Circleville, Ohio (WCMH) – A 73-year-old man died of an apparent drowning in a Pickaway County pond on Friday afternoon. 

Around 3:18 p.m., the Pickaway County Communications Center received a 911 call from an Amazon driver who reported human remains in a pond on the 23000 block of Smith-Hulse Road in Circleville. 

Law enforcement officials arrived at the home and discovered Louis Menduni Jr. in the pond. He was removed from the body of water and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office. 

Detectives state it appears Menduni Jr. was mowing the grass around the pond when he slid backwards into the water. The case remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – What began as a TikTok trend led to an influx of Hyundai and Kia thefts across the nation. Kia America is providing drivers with free anti-theft software updates at a time when Columbus police say vehicle thefts remain a problem. 

Technicians are now installing new software that causes an alarm to go off and kills the ignition when a Kia is broken into.

“Between those two things obviously the car can’t be stolen but most importantly is that we want the thieves to know that we’re onto them,” said James Bell with Kia America.

Columbus police said there have been 1,868 motor vehicle thefts this year and 759 of those were a Hyundai or Kia. Les Pence is a Columbus Kia owner and he said he didn’t want to be added to that list. That’s why he came to the free event.

“Until I hear something about the new thing not working, hopefully I’ll feel a little bit safer,” Pence said.

The model of his car wasn’t eligible for the software update, so he had an ignition protector installed. The cylinder is a shield to protect the ignition for vehicles that don’t have an alarm system. Bell said this is just as safe as the software update.

“But we are very clear with owners that once they have the upgrade done they must lock the car,” said Bell.

Last year, the Columbus City Attorney filed a lawsuit against Kia or Hyundai. Zach Klein is asking the motor companies to take responsibility for the damages and costs that come from these thefts. The case is still moving through the court system and Kia is trying to dismiss the lawsuit.

The clinic will also be open during the weekend at Historic Crew Stadium on One Black and Gold Boulevard during these times:

• Saturday, April 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, April 21 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To find out if your vehicle is eligible for the upgrade you can find more information here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A research team which includes multiple Columbus doctors is hoping to improve patient outcomes of children in some of the most challenging medical situations.

When a child in critical condition is being rushed to the hospital, every moment matters.

“Airway management is one of the most important procedures paramedics perform," said Dr. Henry Wang, the principal investigator on the research team.

Paramedics have three main techniques to help patients breathe, according to doctors and first responders. Members with the Columbus Division of Fire used a mannequin to show how they work. The first involves a mask which goes over the mouth. The second and newest method of the three uses a special device which goes into the mouth and sits over the opening of the trachea. The third and most involved method is intubation.

“The techniques used for airway management by paramedics are very difficult and it's important we discover the best approaches when caring for critically ill children," Wang said.

Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Columbus Division of Fire are part of what's called the Pediatric Prehospital Airway Resuscitation Trial. The goal is to figure out which method is best for patients.

“Prehospital providers are often the first individuals to provide healthcare to children in an emergency and every minute counts particularly when we are talking about children that are having trouble breathing," said Dr. Julie Leonard, a site investigator for the study.

The study will look at 65 emergency medical service (EMS) agencies from 10 cities, including Columbus. It's being funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“There’s a lot of information a paramedic has to learn and then apply on the job when they’re caring for children. So we’re trying to simplify things and make it much easier so they know exactly what the best method is to care for a child under these circumstances," Leonard said.

Data collection will start this summer and will go on for five years.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Governor Mike DeWine wants lawmakers to enact a new seat belt law that could mean more traffic stops for Ohioans.

“Ohio is tenth from the bottom, tenth from the bottom of all states in seat belt use,” DeWine said.

“One of the ways we can save lives in Ohio by having people wear their seatbelts,” Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson said. “We know the statistics play that out and we know anecdotally that is the truth.”

Right now, not wearing a seatbelt is a secondary offense, meaning if you get pulled over for something like speeding, you can also be ticketed for not being buckled up.

“Troopers are very well trained to detect whether or not somebody is wearing their seatbelt,” Wilson said. “There is 100% effectiveness, when they see that somebody isn’t wearing their seatbelt and they ask that person, the person admits they weren’t wearing their seatbelt.”

Wilson said last year there were 1,200 fatal crashes in the state and 61% of the people killed in those crashes did not have their seatbelt on.

“We know that there would be people who would be walking the earth today who were killed last year had they just taken the time to put that seatbelt on,” Wilson said.

So, DeWine is suggesting a primary seatbelt law to make it so officers can pull you over on the offense of not wearing your seatbelt alone. Enacting the law would be up to lawmakers passing legislation, but leaders at the Ohio Statehouse are already skeptical of the proposed policy.

“I have some trepidation about it,” Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. “When the bill was passed that said you could be ticketed as a secondary, the promise was ‘well this will never become a primary offense.’”

This proposal is like the state’s new distracted driving law. Cell phone use while driving used to be a secondary offense, but now you can get pulled over for that alone.

“Some of you probably remember my lack of enthusiasm for the distracted driving bill, its passed because my lack of enthusiasm doesn’t stop legislation,” Huffman said.

Since the law was enacted, Wilson said there has been more than an 8% reduction in distracted driving. That is how they know a law like the seatbelt one would be effective.

“People are still going to not wear their seatbelt, people aren’t going to follow every law, we know that,” Wilson said. “But we know that some people will, and we know that the people who do, or the percentage of people who do, will result in lives saved.”

Wilson said a primary seatbelt law added onto the list of primary offenses would not be “unmanageable” for law enforcement. But Republican leaders said this proposed policy may take it a step too far.

“I was glad to hear about the distracted driving, I support the distracted driving bill,” Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said. “The issue becomes what is how much personal responsibility is required by individuals. So that will probably be how those would be received.”

“Some of it is personal freedom,” Huffman said.

Wilson said they “don’t want to impinge on anybody’s rights,” but just want to make the roads safer.

“I think [saying it is a personal freedom] is based on the false assumption that when somebody dies as a result of not wearing their seatbelt, they’re the only one hurt,” Wilson said. “Even though it’s an individual choice, that choice has ramifications that can impact generations and impact others.”

Huffman said aside from “personal freedom,” he worries about other aspects of the proposed law.

“The folks that tend to get those tickets, those folks that are stopped the most are people who are least able to pay the bill,” Huffman said.

Others said they worry it will be disproportionately enforced, but Wilson said there are ways to ensure that does not happen.  

“There’s safeguards you can put into law, so you could have us track statistics, obviously those would be public record, you could see where it is being enforced,” Wilson said.

House Democrats said last week was the first time they had heard the proposal brought up. They said they have to talk about it more as a caucus.

No bill has been introduced at the Ohio Statehouse to create this law yet.

Google has released the first beta of the Android 15 mobile OS for developers and early adopters. This version of the Android operating system emphasizes productivity, user privacy and security, and making apps more widely visible and accessible.

The beta was released on April 11 and a final release is expected sometime in August. Apps targeting Android 15 are displayed edge-to-edge by default, so they no longer need to explicitly call Window.setDecorFitsSystemWindows (false) or enableEdgetoEdge to show content behind system bars. Android builders recommend still calling enableEdgetoEdge() to get the edge-to-edge experience on earlier Android operating systems.

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Early morning rain gave way to mostly cloudy skies in the wake of low pressure tracking across the eastern Great Lakes, with a trailing cold front that crossed the state. Clouds will slow the rise in temperature, with afternoon readings slowly rising

High pressure will edge southeastward from the northern Plains across the Ohio Valley, resulting in a northwesterly flow of cooler, drier air for the weekend.

The weekend looks to be bright and sunny. Morning readings will dip into the low 40s tonight and mid-30s early Sunday, with patchy frost possible.

Dry weather will continue on Monday. The next chance for showers arrives on Tuesday and could linger into early Wednesday, with a reinforcing push of cool air.

• Friday: Mostly cloudy, breezy. High 61
• Tonight: Clearing. Low 44
• Saturday: Partly cloudy, cooler. High 55
• Sunday: Few clouds. High 57 (37)
• Monday: Mostly sunny. High 63 (36)
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, showers p.m. High 65 (44)
• Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 57 (46)
• Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 59 (35)

View a previous report on lawmakers wanting Ohio to host a U.S. Space Force test mission in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday asked the president to withdraw a proposal that would pull members of the Ohio National Guard into the U.S. Space Force.

Legislative Proposal 480 was sent to Congress by the U.S. Air Force in March, and would include moving some Air National Guard units into the country's newest military branch. It would also give the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force the sole power to move soldiers or eliminate their units.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, DeWine called for the withdrawal of the proposal. He called it "unprecedented," arguing it would severely undermine the intent of the Militia Act of 1903 and circumvent the authority of governors.

"As Commander in Chief of the Ohio National Guard, I retain the responsibility for these military organizations and their missions," DeWine said in his letter to the president. "Usurping this power would be unprecedented, and I respectfully ask that you not do so."

Instead of letting the U.S. Air Force secretary conscript state guardsmen, DeWine's letter argued for the creation of a "Space National Guard" to be overseen by governors and state adjutants general as a substitute. Alternatively, he said that existing Air National Guard support to both forces fully meets their needs.

"I urge you to adopt either approach and direct the Department of the Air Force to immediately implement such a solution," DeWine wrote.

In March, a bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers tried to get the state picked to host a U.S. Space Force testing mission to evaluate its capabilities. They previously wanted Ohio selected as the new headquarters for the branch, but Biden opted to keep it in Colorado.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A local, family-owned Indian restaurant has opened its second location, right across from Ohio State University.

Rollz Rice Indian Kitchen opened its shop at East 16th Avenue and North High Street on April 12. The fast-casual restaurant, serving Indian staples like biryani, samosas and curry alongside less traditional offerings, first opened near Polaris in 2019.

Owners Seema and Kailash Chughwani opened Rollz Rice after regularly bringing homemade meals to their coworkers. By offering build-your-own wraps, salads and bowls, they sought to strike a balance between offering traditional Indian meals while accommodating the needs of people eating on the go.

From tikka masala-flavored chicken wings to hot dogs topped with tandoori ranch and chicken seekh kebab, Rollz Rice offers unconventional takes on classic Indian flavors. It's the latest addition to the segment of North High Street across from Ohio State called University Square.

Rollz Rice Indian Kitchen is at 16 E. High St. and is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - From pop and country, to alternative, rock and hip hop, music is something that can boost or uplift our mood, even music about breakups and loss.

Arianna Galligher, who's the director of the Gabbe Well-Being Office and the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center, said there's a lot of excitement around sad music, noting that there's benefits to listening to tracks that are not uplifting or fun.

"It sort of connects us as human beings in this shared experience," Galligher said. "Everyone knows what it's like to feel sad, even if it's not related to a breakup. That theme of loss is really universal."

Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" has 16 songs and was rumored to be about a breakup. With its release, many people are excited about the sadness, and there's a reason why.

Galligher said music can connect listeners through situations they have gone through including a breakup or loss and have made it out. Galligher said these experiences can end up bringing hope and giving access to our own emotions.

"We all have songs that we'll listen to again and again and again because it really speaks to us," Galligher said. "I think that's just a universal connection for humanity and think it makes all the sense in the world to be a little intentional about listening to those songs."

Though it can bring benefits, Galligher noted that over listening to sad tracks could cause concerns if it starts affecting your mental health.

"If your emotional state is starting to get in the way of your ability to function, then it might be time to employ what we call "opposite emotion action" where we start to create an environment where that emotion is less likely to flourish," Galligher said. "So it might be worth while to change the track to a more uplifting or a pop song if we start to notice that you are steeping in the sadness for a really long time."

HEATH, Ohio (WCMH) -- Construction has begun on a decades-long effort to build a downtown district for the city of Heath, a $218 million project that will develop 300 acres with residential buildings, a community pool, restaurants, parks and more.

Plans call for the sweeping development to be named "Central Park," with phase one built on 48 acres near Indian Mound Mall and including four mixed-use buildings, a community center and eight multi-family residential buildings totaling 424 units.

Amenities in this phase will include a clubhouse with a community pool, volleyball courts, green space and recreational trail access. In addition, the mixed-use buildings would be home to 42,000 square feet of commercial retail space expected to be occupied by shops, offices, restaurants and breweries.

The district's second phase would sprawl 24 buildings, including 21 multi-family residential buildings, two restaurants and a senior living facility. Townhomes and single-family homes are also planned, bringing the total number of housing units planned for Central Park to 1,836.

Heath is one of several central Ohio communities aiming to develop a new downtown district, like Plain City's new public square development that will feature a historic railroad depot. The depot will be dismantled and shipped to the village from Upper Arlington in June before opening to the public in early 2025 as the first phase of the larger public square project.

In Powell, COhatch has been recruited to be one of the main developers tasked with transforming a section of the city's downtown district at North Liberty and East Olentangy streets. Plans call for the redevelopment to begin this spring with the demolition of a former office building at 50 E. Olentangy St., a 0.63-acre site where COhatch will then construct a 13,900-square-foot location.

COhatch is also redeveloping several historic homes and constructing a 15,000-square-foot building along the Scioto River in Dublin to launch a “one-of-a-kind co-working and entrepreneurship community." Once completed, the company said the renovated buildings will be home to private offices, meeting spaces, individual company retreat homes, bars and restaurants, indoor and outdoor event spaces, and more for year-round use and entertainment.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A federal grand jury has indicted a Columbus police officer who is accused of crimes related to turning off his body camera during encounters with women while on duty.

According to a release by the office of U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker, Nicholas Duty, 35, of Commercial Point was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of destroying or altering records related to a criminal investigation.

The indictment states that on two occasions Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body-worn camera, with the alleged intention to impede, obstruct or influence a federal investigation.

Duty reportedly deactivated or removed his body-worn camera on Oct. 31 and March 22 during interactions with two women, including once during a sexual encounter. During these alleged incidents, Duty, while on duty, was wearing a police uniform and in a marked police vehicle with an assigned body-worn camera, which is required to comply with Columbus police policies for wearing division-issued cameras.

The U.S. Attorney's office said that knowingly altering records to obstruct a federal investigation is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Duty was hired by the Columbus Division of Police on Jan. 4, 2019, and his employee status remains active, according to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy portal.

Solar activity increased dramatically this reporting week (April
11-17), and thirteen new sunspot groups emerged. One appeared on
April 11, two more on April 13, three more on April 14, another two
on April 15, one more on April 16 and another two on April 17. On
April 18 an additional two sunspot groups emerged, and the daily
sunspot number increased to 247.

The daily sunspot number was 199 on April...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Neighbors near the northwest side of I-270 are outraged after hearing the loud traffic noise of speeding vehicles emanating from the highway.

Community members took to social media to express their concerns about illegal street racing late Saturday that they say has been happening for years. In response to a post made on the Nextdoor app titled "HI NEIGHBORS!!! DRAG RACING:::" nearly 100 comments have been made. Many people discussed safety concerns.

"We watched them enter at the Tuttle Crossing exit going west after 10 pm last night," said one poster. "The danger of them wrecking and hurting themselves and others worries me more than the noise but it’s a constant all spring/summer long."

"Oh it’s 270. We live about 40 feet away," confirmed another neighbor about where the activity was happening. "Even with sound machines our granddaughters can still hear them when trying to sleep. When we are out on the patio they duck and run because it is so loud and scares them. If everyone could call, it would be much appreciated. Someone innocent is going to be killed."

Most individuals vented about not knowing what authorities were responsible for patrolling the area, or who they should call to report the activity.

The initial poster offered advice to call Columbus police since they discovered the area is out of the jurisdiction of Dublin police. They also noted the number to call and report "614-645-4545 extension 9," and relayed the tip, "The phone worker said you can only call WHEN it’s happening and they’ll send a car down."

In an email to NBC4, Sgt. Joe Albert of Columbus police confirmed that calling the police phone number "is the proper course to take if the racing is actively taking place." He also suggested calling 311 to make a complaint "with as much information as possible (hours it is occurring, days of the week, etc.)," which would "alert the officers who work in the area to look out for it."

Beyond getting police involved, one resident proposed taking the issue up with Hilliard City Council to see if Hilliard police could use "Hi def cameras /Drones with decibel readers - whatever it takes" to stop the problem. Others agreed that this issue needs to be addressed as a community and can hopefully be solved with a coordinated effort.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A person has died after being struck by two cars on the Far East Side in what police say is a multiple hit-skip incident.

According to a Columbus police report, an unidentified person was attempting to cross East Broad Street at Richmond Woods Drive, outside of a marked crosswalk, when an unknown vehicle struck the pedestrian in the westbound lane of East Broad Street.

The impact knocked the victim down and they ended up in the center turn lane. The vehicle, of which there is no description, fled the scene.

A witness told police that the victim began to crawl southbound and into the eastbound lane of East Broad Street when they were struck again, this time by a Toyota Rav4 with its driver’s side front. That vehicle, estimated to be a 2016-2018 model, also fled the scene.

The victim was pronounced dead by Columbus Fire medics at 1:06 a.m.

The Accident Investigation Unit responded to the incident and is currently investigating. Any person with knowledge of the involved vehicles that fled the scene is asked to contact the AIU at (614) 645-4767. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-8477.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation recently underwent a rebranding that it hopes will better reflect its mission of making Columbus a better place to live, work, and play.

Downtown Columbus Inc. was unveiled in March, along with a new website. The nonprofit organization was created in 2002 to implement the Downtown Strategic Plan and has since focused on "city changing collaborations" to make the Downtown area better connected and livable.

Madison Cole of Downtown Columbus explained the reasoning behind the switch. She said the new identity reflects the place it has always sought to promote and elevate.

"The old name was a bit of a mouthful and didn't align with the work we were doing," Cole said. "When we were rethinking our name, we wanted the place to be front and center."

Along with the name change, Downtown Columbus changed its logo. The new logo is characterized by shades of blue and green meant to symbolize Downtown's green gathering places like Columbus Commons and evoke the area's "blue-sky" potential.

The group's mission is not changing, Cole said, but moving forward.

"I would say it's growing and evolving just like our downtown," Cole said.

In February, a study released by the Bank of America Institute showed Columbus is the fastest growing city in the country. Cole said Downtown Columbus is ready to embrace the growth and that the increasing population could help the group in its efforts.

"We always say you can't be a strong city or a strong region without a strong Downtown," Cole said. "But it also means Columbus' growth is essential to fuel the continued rise of Downtown."

Cole pointed out multiple projects under way, including the Capital Line, two miles of pedestrian- and bike-friendly paths. Others include a proposed outdoor alcoholic beverage zone, the return of the Scioto Mile Fountain and free events at Columbus Commons.

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp parent Meta has released a new generation of its open source Llama large language model (LLM) in order to garner a bigger pie of the generative AI market by taking on all model providers, including OpenAI, Mistral, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI.

“This next generation of Llama demonstrates state-of-the-art performance on a wide range of industry benchmarks and offers new capabilities, including improved reasoning. We believe these are the best open source models of their class, period,” the company wrote in a blog post, adding that it had set out to build an open source model(s) that is at par with the best performing proprietary models available in the market.

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• Today: AM rain, slow clearing, breezy, high 64
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, low 46
• Saturday: Partly cloudy, breezy, high 57
• Sunday: Partly cloudy, high 57
• Monday: Mostly sunny, high 63
• Tuesday: Sct'd showers, high 65

Happy Friday!

Our morning showers will be short-lived, completely exiting the area by mid-morning, with just isolated pockets lingering a bit longer for our southeastern counties. We'll then see clouds gradually break up the rest of the day, and daytime highs drop back to the middle 60s, with breezy conditions.

This weekend will be dry, just much cooler. Expect partly cloudy skies Saturday, with breezy conditions. Highs top out in the upper 50s.

Frost is a possibility Sunday morning, as lows dip into the 30s. Then Sunday afternoon, expect highs back in the upper 50s with a mix of sun and clouds.

Monday morning will be another one to monitor the potential for frost, then we warm back into the low to middle 60s during the afternoon, with more sunshine.

Rain returns Tuesday as our next system makes its way into the Ohio Valley.

-McKenna