Ohio News

• Today: Isolated showers, high 78
• Tonight: Scattered showers, low 61
• Wednesday: Showers & t-storms, high 75 (55)
• Thursday: Partly sunny, high 70 (52)
• Friday: Chance rain showers, high 66 (45)
• Saturday: Clearing and cooler, high 61 (41)

As the afternoon progresses, clouds will begin to build across the area. Temperatures will stay well above normal for this time of year. Highs will reach the upper 70s across central Ohio. By the evening hours a few isolated showers and a couple rumbles of thunder will move over. Portions of the area will be under a marginal risk for severe weather, which is on the lowest end of the threat scale.

Overnight there will be a few more chances for scattered rain chances. On and off rain starts some time after midnight and will linger into the morning commute on Wednesday. Lows overnight will fall into the lower 60s. Wind gusts will begin to pick up a little bit. Once the morning rain chances taper off there will be a few breaks in the clouds allowing for peaks of sunshine.

Wednesday afternoon will bring better chances for strong to severe thunderstorms. Most of these storms will push though around the mid to late afternoon hours. The primary severe weather threat will be for large hail. There is also the chance for some damaging winds. Flooding and tornado chances will be very low. Highs tomorrow will be in the mid 70s.

The rest of the work week will start a cooling trend in out temperatures. Thursday will be dry, but Friday will bring a few more rain chances. Expect drier conditions by this weekend with temps topping off right around 60 degrees. Lows by the weekend will be in the lower 40s.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) – An Indian restaurant will open its doors in Pickerington this spring.

Indian Spice, at 1111 Hill Road North, will have a “huge menu” filled with authentic Indian dishes, according to co-owner Bhim Dulal.

Among the restaurant's offerings are chicken marsala, butter chicken, lamb chops, chicken biryani and vegetarian meals. The eatery will also serve Indian beers and cocktails. Dulal said he chose to open his restaurant in Pickerington because of the growth the city is seeing and the lack of Indian food in the area.

“I am a real estate salesperson, so I see the demand that Indian food is needed in this area,” Dulal said. 

Indian Spice’s opening date will likely fall in the second or third week of May, Dulal said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - A store featuring smoothie bowls, juices and more is open for business.

Playa Bowls is welcoming customers at 2193 Quarry Trails Drive after holding its opening March 30, according to its social media post.

The Quarry Trails spot joins other central Ohio locations including its Ohio State University eatery on North High Street, Perimeter Loop Road in Dublin, and its New Albany location on North Hamilton Road.

The smoothie place first started in Belmar, New Jersey, eventually expanding with over 200 stores nationwide, according to its website. Along with its four central Ohio stores, there are other locations in Ohio including Dayton and Loveland.

The company's menu features a variety of options for customers to choose from including bowls that contain yogurt with granola, honey, fruits and can even have peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella and more. Certain flavor bowls are also blended with protein as well.

The shop also has smoothies and juices ranging in flavors with many ingredients from pineapple, mango and apple to beet, spinach and kale.

Playa Bowls at Quarry Trails is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A new opportunity for Columbus solar panel owners to take money off of their bills has come from a city council vote on Monday.

A new code change approved by the council established a net metering service, which enables Columbus Division of Power customers to sell their unused energy back to the city's public utilities department. Councilmember Chris Wyche said residents with solar panels on their homes will now have the chance to earn discounts from them.

"It is essentially a billing tool that allows residents who do have solar panels on their homes to sell excess energy back to the grid," Wyche said. "So, Columbus Division of Power customers now have that option."

Wyche said residents won't have to do anything to get the money. All it takes for residents to benefit is to have solar panels on their homes. The money comes in the form of a credit on a resident's utility bills.

"That is something that the Division of Power will do to monitor how their usage is interacting with the grid, how much they're pulling down, and how much they're submitting back to the grid," Wyche said. "It is pretty much hands-off from their perspective."

Columbus is working toward its hope of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 with the solar panel code change, as well as another ordinance. Alongside allowing residents to sell their unused energy, a program will connect low-to-moderate-income households with solar systems.

The council also approved the awarding of a 2023 EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Grant in the amount of $167,302.25 from American Municipal Power, Inc. to go toward a contract with Solar United Neighbors (SUN) and IMPACT Community Action. This funding goes to a co-op that helps install solar energy systems in households of residents with low-to-moderate incomes.

Both pieces of legislation passing on the same night couldn't have been more convenient, according to Wyche.

"The timing is perfect, right? Because having this code change in place means that more folks are incentivized to actually get solar panels on their homes," Wyche said. "They can truly reap the benefits of having those solar panels."

The LMI co-op is a partnership program between the City of Columbus, SUN, and IMPACT Community Action. Initially, the program will serve a total of 17 households -- Wyche said the new grant funds 11 to 16 -- with the goal of expanding in the future. The co-op is free to join, and does not lock customers in to purchasing a system. Once the group is large enough, an installer is selected after submitting bids reviewed by the co-op members. Individual members can then decide if going with solar is right for them.

"The intention is to provide a tangible pathway to residential solar for residents that may not be able to afford the upfront installation costs," IMPACT Director of Climate Justice Initiatives Katie Devlin said. "As a member of the cohort, eligible households will be able to receive a residential rooftop array and battery system, free of charge to the resident."

SUN Ohio Program Associate Mryia Williams said the two pieces of legislation go hand in hand. As the city encourages solar energy, the limited number of residents using it needs to grow somehow, and the newly passed ordinances will get solar panels in more Columbus homes while encouraging it for others.

"In Columbus, our Department of Energy only has a handful of customers who currently have solar," Williams said. "That's because those were the only ones that could see the economic viability of adding solar to their home."

Wyche explained why the two pieces of legislation were crucial to a much larger goal: combatting climate change.

"Every month seems to be the hottest month ever on record," Wyche said. "So, it's very evident that climate change is real. The more that we can do to kind of make it easy for people to transition to renewable energy, the better we are in the long run. My office has set the goal of Columbus being the greenest city in the country. And it starts with doing simple things."

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- Penzone Salon and Spa has finished the transformation of its former flagship location into a new multipurpose building, equipped for corporate gatherings and home to a training salon, co-working spaces for rent, a yoga studio and a café.

The beauty company has repurposed its original building constructed in 1991 at 6671 Village Pkway. in Dublin into a new 18,000 square-foot space called "Penzone Base One." The 33-year-old building sits on the company's 3.52-acre Dublin campus, the same property that's home to Penzone's salon and spa built in 2018 and a new "live-work" building under construction that will feature an art gallery and residence for the company's founder.

"Base One is intended to spark energy, boost individuals and connect people," said Debbie Penzone, the company's president. "We see this as a space for our team, our local salon and spa colleagues, and salon industry professionals from all across the United States -- all to propel the beauty industry forward."

The company's sixth salon and spa will operate out of Base One, serving as a training site providing bookable services for guests to be models as Penzone artists sharpen their skills. The salon and spa may also be rented by manufacturers and industry artists for classes.

Each month, Base One will curate ticketed events for "training, education and community cultivation." Studios, including three outdoor spaces, are available for rent for training events, team buildings, wellness retreats, special happy hours and more. Each space is customizable, with programming amenities like art classes and catering by Cameron Mitchell Premier Events.

Several other spaces will also be available for rent in Base One, including office suites, spa suites, an on-air studio, idea room and co-working office rentals. Office renters will be able to furnish their office to their liking and will have key fob access. Spa suites will give any spa or wellness practitioner, tiny tattoo artist and others a private room with flexible rental term options.

• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)

The idea room is equipped to handle whiteboard sessions and multimedia presentations for groups of 10 or less. The on-air studio is acoustically optimized for creators and influencers to produce podcasts and audio recordings, while photographers and videographers can utilize the
creative studio.

In addition, L I T Life + Yoga will operate out of Base One's "movement studio." More than 17 weekly classes and a series of labs and special events will allow students of all levels to explore the benefits of yoga, movement and meditation. This is Penzone's second L I T Life + Yoga space after its flagship studio opened in Italian Village in 2017.

Base One will also be home to a café and bar with complimentary Crimson Cup drip coffee, water and small bits from Krema Nut Co. Made-to-order café drinks and cocktails will
be available during curated events.

• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)
• Inside Penzone's 18,000 square-foot Base One building in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Penzone Salon and Spa)

"Whether here for a training, event, yoga class, team building retreat, or to run a business, our goal is that everyone will leave a little bit changed -- feeling enlightened, inspired, connected and fulfilled," Penzone said.

The transformation continues a series of renovations across the company's portfolio. Penzone constructed its new Dublin salon in 2018, followed by a new Short North location the same year. The Polaris and German Village locations have also undergone remodeling. In April of 2022, Penzone opened a New Albany salon, replacing the area's former location on Cherry Way.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A pizza shop Downtown wants out of its current location, citing a "nightmare" at the property ever since a new owner bought it.

Luke Edwards, the owner of OH Pizza and Brew, announced Wednesday on the shop's social media that he plans to relocate his shop after six years at 88 E. Broad St. The straw that broke the camel's back came in the form of a letter from AEP Ohio. The utility provider's notice stated that due to a lack of payment, it would be disconnecting electricity at the building, known for its Key Bank branding.

"It has become obvious that the owners of 88 E Broad St. no longer care or are completely inept," Edwards wrote. "Since SPG sold it over a year ago, it has been nothing but a nightmare. Water, electrical, heating and cooling issues have plagued our operation to the point of complete shutdowns on top of the terrible electric shorting out our refrigeration equipment. This is not okay and I can’t continue to operate a business like this."

A New York-based company, Baruch Broad Street LLC, acquired the tower housing OH Pizza and Brew for $12,025,000 in January 2022, according to the Franklin County Auditor's Office. Business records from the Ohio Secretary of State's Office tie the LLC to Asher Roshanzamir, the CEO of Zamir Equities, also based in New York.

Zamir Equities did not respond to a request for comment on the issues Edwards referenced. But the pizza shop owner did speak with NBC4, sharing an array of issues that have hurt his business since the takeover.

After Roshanzamir's shell company took over, Edwards said it hired Colliers International to manage the property. The group honored OH Pizza and Brew's existing lease with the prior owner, but other financial problems appeared.

The pizza shop owner described multiple instances where maintenance work on the skyscraper would force him to close his store, sometimes for multiple days in a row, because he could not operate with shut-off utilities during the work. With the past owner, this resulted in a discounted rate on his monthly rent. But within the first month and with a five-day shutdown, Edwards said the property manager hit his business with a late notice, claiming he only paid a partial amount.

Colliers has cycled through three lead managers since taking over management at the Key Bank Building, Edwards noted. And he blamed the property management for a nearly $10,000 burglary, which resulted in Edwards having to replace all of his point-of-sale systems.

Because the building's storefronts use magnetic locks, his team had no control over the OH Pizza and Brew's security or when the doors would shut.

"Over Christmas, they didn't lock the doors. We got burglarized," Edwards said. "He came in, thought we were open and wanted to use the restroom. We got him on camera. He looked around, he sat there for 30 minutes, walked around in my kitchen, grabbed pretzels and just started eating them. … Lo and behold, he took our registers."

Edwards owner said that he has avoided involving attorneys or officially going through Franklin County courts to put his rent in escrow, and instead has directly negotiated his rent factoring in shutdowns with the owner. More recently, the owners initiated court proceedings to put OH Pizza and Brew in rent default, according to Edwards.

The management company, Colliers, suffered from payment issues with the owners as well, Edwards said. It left and then returned after the owners paid them for an additional month, but as of Monday, Edwards said the property owners had not paid Colliers beyond that.

AEP Ohio's communications team told NBC4 that it couldn't discuss individual customer accounts like the one for the Key Bank Building. However, they did share that the utility provider had withdrawn disconnection orders for the skyscraper and had no plans to do so as of Tuesday.

One of Edwards' biggest concerns through the issues at the Key Bank Building has been his employees' wellbeing and was part of his decision to get them to a new location.

"It sucks because … when my staff looks at me, I want to be able to tell them 'Hey, I've got your back. We're doing this together,'" Edwards said. "When the riots were going on Downtown, I was standing right there with them."

For the future, OH Pizza and Brew is looking for another location Downtown, rather than a long-distance relocation, Edwards said. He asked customers on social media to "please be kind as the next couple days, weeks or months will be bad."

"We've had a lot of suitors try to get us elsewhere, and my biggest thing is, for the staff, I want to be there for them," Edwards said. "So I want to keep it as close as possible. … We're going to stay open until we find a better place."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio State Fair concert schedule is complete with a world famous rapper returning to Columbus.

Rap icon Ice Cube, who performed at the 2022 Ohio State Fair, is returning as he headlines the final announcement of concerts. The 2024 Ohio State Fair will take place from July 24 to Aug. 4 with Ice Cube scheduled to perform on July 30 at 7 p.m.

Three more concerts were announced Tuesday as well. The All-Ohio State Fair Band and Youth Choir is set for an afternoon performance on July 28. Eagles tribute band Hotel California will perform on July 30 in the afternoon before Ice Cube. The final concert of this year's fair will be country singer Jamey Johnson with special guest Southhall on Aug. 3.

The fair's final show will once again be the champions livestock auction, which will take place on Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets for the remaining concerts will go on sale on Friday with prices varying for each show. Each concert ticket includes admission to the fair. Follow this link for ticket information. All concerts will take place at the Celeste Center.

• KIDZ BOP 2024
• Alabama
• MONTREAL, QUEBEC - AUGUST 18: Jade Eagleson performs at the Lasso Montreal festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 18, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Mark Horton/Getty Images)
• SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 09: Eric Kretz and Jeff Gutt pose alongside other members of Stone Temple Pilots at The Hard Rock Cafe in Darling Harbour during a media call for Under The Southern Stars 2022 on March 09, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
• TOLUCA, MEXICO - DECEMBER 02: Soul Asylum performing as part of day 1 of the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2022 at Foro Pegaso on December 2, 2022 in Toluca, Mexico. (Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images)
• NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO - FEBRUARY 21: (L-R) Wanyá Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Nathan Morris of Boyz II Men perform on the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino Resort on February 21, 2024 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. (Photo by Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)
• LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 03: America's Got Talent Season 12 finalist and comedian Preacher Lawson performs during the America's Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE preview event at the Luxor Hotel and Casino on November 03, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
• All-Ohio State Fair band
• La Zenda Norteña
• 
• Hotel California
• GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 05: Ice Cube performs on stage at The OVO Hydro on December 05, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns)
• In this image released on December 31, 2023, Gabriel Iglesias arrives at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
• Stephen Sanchez
• Ohio Players
• Midnight Star
• Jamey Johnson

• July 24, 6:30 p.m.: KIDZ BOP
• July 25, 7 p.m.: Alabama with Jade Eagleson
• July 26, 7:30 p.m.: Stone Temple Pilots with Soul Asylum
• July 27, 7 p.m.: Boyz II Men with Preacher Lawson
• July 28, 1 p.m.: All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir
• July 28, 7:30 p.m.: La Zenda Norteña
• July 29, 7 p.m.: Lauren Daigle
• July 30, 1 p.m.: Hotel California (Eagles Tribute)
• July 30, 7 p.m.: Ice Cube
• July 31, 7 p.m.: Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias
• Aug. 1, 7 p.m.: Stephen Sanchez
• Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.: Ohio Players and Midnight Star
• Aug. 3, 7 p.m.: Jamey Johnson with Southhall
• Aug. 4, 2 p.m.: Sale of Champions Livestock Auction

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A Columbus police officer was hospitalized after a two-car crash south of Downtown early Tuesday morning.

According to a sergeant on scene, an officer was responding to a call when they were struck by another vehicle and pinned to the side of a building near the intersection of South 3rd Street and Columbus Street in German Village. The crash occurred at around 12:45 a.m.

The officer was taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition. No injury information was provided for the other driver or what led up to the crash.

Watch a previous NBC4 report on the lawsuit against Hilliard schools in the video player above.

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) -- Several central Ohio parents suing Hilliard City Schools allege a student suffering from "severe emotional trauma" was pressured by teachers to adopt "a new name and identity as the opposite sex."

Nine Hilliard parents say school officials "treated the child as the opposite sex" without parental consent after "diagnosing" the student with gender dysphoria, according to the filing in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio. The complaint claims the district deceived the student's parents, while the child's "condition spiraled out of control" and led to a suicide attempt.

"The district's acts were reckless because district officials are not qualified -- and are specifically denied entitlement to -- make diagnoses and treatment decisions for somebody else's child," the parents' second amended complaint filed on April 1 argues. "Such acts will inevitably lead to harm."

While referring to the student as "an opposite-sex name" in school, teachers referred to the child in the presence of their parents with pronouns consistent with their "biological sex," meaning the sex listed on the student's birth certificate. The parents only learned the district "treated [the student] for gender dysphoria" when a school secretary sent the child a postcard, the complaint claims.

Hilliard City Schools did not respond to NBC4's request for comment, but said a previous version of the parents' suit consisted "of thread-bare assertions, innuendo, rumor, and spurious legal conclusions." Hilliard Superintendent David Stewart previously said the filing was "filled with misstatements of fact and mischaracterizations."

Still, the parents are now seeking damages and are asking the court to deem the district's "policies" unconstitutional. The group says, through "professional therapy and counseling," that the student and their parents now understand the child's "problems were not gender dysphoria."

This student's alleged experience is one of several reasons the parents said they are concerned the district is "hiding their child's gender dysphoria from them," the complaint states. The group asks in the filing whether the district could "affirmatively deceive parents" if said parent is not a "safe person" because they don't support the LGBTQ+ community.

"'Support' for '[LGBTQ+] youth or issues' is a matter of personal opinion," the parents state. "Thus, a district official's opinion of whether a parent is a 'safe person' could arise from judgments related to a parent’s constitutionally-protected practices, such as practicing certain religions, expressing certain political views."

The suit also renews calls on the court to stop district teachers from wearing LGBTQ-supportive badges that read "I'm Here" with a Pride flag design on the front, a request made in the parents' first complaint against the district filed in January of 2023.

Teachers were given permission to continue wearing the badges in 2022 after some parents expressed concern over a code on the back that could lead to websites inappropriate for children. School officials said in January of last year they discussed the possibility of students accessing inappropriate material, and agreed that the codes should be covered so that they would not be visible. The district said at the time it was not aware of any student accessing the QR code or materials.

"Any teacher who chose to wear one of the badges clearly understood that the resources at the link were intended for adults, not students," Stewart said in a statement in 2022. "The resources are provided for teachers’ personal growth and professional development."

The April filing also raises the issue of surveys allegedly given to students, asking which pronouns they prefer at school and which pronouns students prefer the teacher use when speaking to parents, a second renewed claim that was made in the original 2023 filing. However, school officials said the survey was not a practice of the district. Stewart said he made clear to administrators that the district does not support surveying students on this topic or in this context.

Another claim made in the first filing said school officials were allowing "activist teachers" to facilitate conversations on sexual orientation and gender identity with children as young as 6 years old without parental consent. The complaint had said teachers were taking specific actions to hide these conversations, calling the situation "a recipe for indoctrination and child abuse."

However, this language was removed from the parents' most recent filing. At the time, the district said "making broad-brush accusations such as those in this lawsuit detract from the district's mission and the educational efforts of our dedicated staff and teachers."

• Today: Spotty PM showers, high 76
• Tonight: Rain arriving, low 62
• Wednesday: On/off t-showers, breezy, high 75
• Thursday: Partly cloudy, high 70
• Friday: Early AM showers, clearing, high 64
• Saturday: Partly cloudy, high 59

Happy Tuesday!

We start the day off on a dry note, with gradually increasing cloud coverage. We'll see highs warm into the middle 70s, with a light breeze. A warm front then lifts north through the state this afternoon, and we'll see a few spotty showers as a result, between about 2-5 PM for Central Ohio, and lingering just a bit longer for our eastern counties. This is not a day where everyone will see showers, but some of us will.

As a result, we've got an isolated severe threat, mainly for strong winds and hail.

More rain then arrives overnight and into Wednesday. Expect showers and rumbles during the morning, then some dry time through the middle of the day, before more rain and thunderstorms arrive along a cold front during the afternoon and evening. We will see a slightly higher, 2-out-of-5 risk for a strong to severe storm during that timeframe.

Main threats will be strong winds and large hail, with an isolated tornado chance.

Thursday will be dry, and we start to clear up. We'll see some sunshine, with highs dropping back near 70.

We then start Friday off with a few spotty showers during the morning, then clearing into the afternoon. Highs fall back to the middle 60s for Friday.

-McKenna

KILEVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) - A railroad crossing in Madison County is beginning to crumble only a month after repairs.

The crossing on OH-161 between Dublin and Plain City sees thousands of vehicles per day. According to the Ohio Railway Commission, almost 10,000 vehicles cross that stretch of tracks daily. However, the last count at that location took place in 2004.

Roger Spring began making calls to CSX Railroads in 2023 as the crossing condition began to deteriorate. He saw chunks of concrete the size of bowling balls lying in the road at times.

NBC4 spoke to Spring and several other people who travel that route on OH-161 every day in late February. Two weeks later, on March 7, the crossing was closed. Repairs were made that day, but Spring and several others quickly noticed it wasn't holding up.

"It's really bad,” he said. “You still have to slow down. Not quite as bad as it was before, but you still need to slow down a good bit. Well, it probably only took about three weeks. Concrete reinforced with rebar between the rails and on each side of the rails, on the road, sides of the rail and about three weeks after the repairs were made. That's roughly speaking, the one of the concrete sections started to break out.”

The crossing presents several dangers. One person said their tire that was popped after driving over the crossing with loose concrete and steel. Other stories of rear-end accidents and near collisions have been told as well. One major issue is the difference in the speed at which drivers approach the crossing. Some drivers slow down to approach. Others maintain a speed around the speed limit of 55 miles per hour.

"They're going to slow down, but the problem is, when they slow down, the guy behind them may not necessarily," Spring said.

This can cause a situation where one car slows down significantly to cross the track, and then begins to accelerate on the other side. Their brake lights are no longer engaged while they accelerate but are still traveling much slower than the 55-mph speed limit. Another driver who travels over the crossing at full speed can find themselves far closer to the car in front of them than anticipated as they cross the track.

Spring was skeptical when he saw how much time the crew spent on the repairs that day, which was about six hours.

"When I saw that they didn't make any repair to the rails in terms of reinforcing the underside of that, I did not think this would hold up well, of which has proven to be the case,” he said. “The concrete that broke out had already broken down to the rebar. So they put asphalt on top of that.”

Fixing the approach and crossing for a railroad is the responsibility of the railroad company, according to Ohio law. During the March 21, 2024, meeting of the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Executive Director Matt Dietrich addressed the public concern with the deterioration and condition of railroad crossings in the state. He said:

"The surface conditions of rail grade crossings continue to be an issue for communities. Standalone grade crossing surface projects are difficult to address in Ohio. By Ohio law, which dates to the early 1950s, grade crossing surfaces are the responsibility of the railroad. However, deteriorating conditions can result in safety concerns for vehicular traffic. Federal safety funds can only be used when there is an identified safety concern. As a result, the Rail Commission must wait for PUCO inspectors to identify the crossing as a concern before we can engage the railroad about doing a project. Additionally, by policy we do not want the public to pay 100% of the costs for a project that is, by state law, the railroad’s responsibility. Therefore, we negotiate with the railroad to balance the railroad responsibility under state law with the safety concerns of the traveling public. It is a less than ideal situation because PUCO has no enforcement authority even if they find issues at the crossing. Because concerns about surfaces is an issue that is getting more attention from the public, I wanted to provide background of the situation and the Commission’s role in addressing those issues."

Now, a month after temporary repairs, many in the Plain City area are talking about plans for a permanent fix this summer. In a community Facebook group, one person posted that they were told CSX was going to shut down the road at the crossing in Kileville for seven to ten days for reconstruction during the summer. Just the thought of a permanent fix has other residents like Spring hopeful.

"It's nice that we will have finally, hopefully a permanent fix," he said.

NBC4 reached out to CSX Railroads, Ohio Rail Development Commission, and Plain City officials to try to confirm whether or not construction was planned for the reconstruction of the railroad crossing. That information has not yet been confirmed as of Monday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus woman is in Israel and was in the heart of Tel Aviv’s Democracy Square Saturday night when the warning went out – that Iranian missiles were on the way.

Marcy Fleisher, the owner of a Columbus PR firm, was part of a rally in support of the hostages in a crowd of about 10,000 people.

She traveled to Tel Aviv to take part in a week-long volunteer mission. The Saturday rally was also a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who many Israelis believe is a roadblock to peace.

“It was a remarkably powerful event,” Fleisher said. “It was peaceful, it was united. At one point, someone shouted the names of each of the 130-plus hostages and the crowd together chanted, ‘Bring bring them home now.’  It was really it was something.

“But at about 10:30 or so, the mood quickly shifted and I was standing next to a man who was translating most of the Hebrew and he said to me that the Ministry of Defense has gone on the air in Tel Aviv and they are telling everyone to go home immediately, that they believe the threat from Iran is imminent and we need to take shelter,” Fleisher added. “That was probably the first time I was afraid.”

Fleisher says she made her way back to her 11th-floor hotel room, then helped a young family seek shelter in the concrete stairwell.

“In our hotel are a number of Israeli families from the north and next door to me is a family with two little kids,” she said. “When I went into the hallway going to the stairwell, they were there too, so I helped them go down 11 floors with a baby and a stroller and a suitcase filled with formula, and I think that’s when I was most nervous. (I) realized this is how the people of Israel live, and frankly that’s how the people in Gaza live. It’s how the people in Ukraine live. This is the most heartbreaking reality I have ever experienced.”

Fleisher was in Israel as part of a mission with the Jewish National Fund to do things like pick fruit and prepare kosher meals for Israeli soldiers. The official mission was canceled, but she said half of the 150 participants stayed on, determined to help out this week in any way they can.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Faith leaders and law enforcement in Bexley are putting meaning to the phrase “better together.”

They have formed a group to discuss safety at places of worship. This group includes faith leaders of all denominations.

The group formation comes as tensions are rising in the middle east once again after Iran launched a major drone attack on Israel Saturday. 

Bexley Police Chief Gary Lewis said the goal of these meetings is to make sure each place of worship has a plan in place for any kind of emergency.

“It really was just a matter of bringing all faith based clergy, their leadership together and talking about best practices, what systems they may or may not have in place,” Lewis said.

Chief Lewis said their first meeting was a few weeks ago. He said we live in a world where this safety at places of worship is a serious concern. He said they are using FEMA's guidelines to create the plans. They are talking about active threats and even natural disasters. He said he didn't realize how vulnerable we really are until having these open conversations.

Chief Lewis said since Bexley has a very dominant Jewish population, much of this idea stemmed from anti- semitic incidents in the area following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.

”We have three synagogues and nearly a two-and-a-half square mile with two adjacent to us. So that is a very high priority to us as well as the other places of worship here and making sure we partner and work together,” Lewis said.

Julie Tilson Stanley is the President and CEO of JewishColumbus. They are one of the organizations involved in the meetings.

“Unfortunately, when there is a tragedy in a community or around the world, it gives you a moment to pause and reflect and understand what are the opportunities to learn more,” Tilson Stanley said.

She said they are thankful for their relationship with local law enforcement.

“We walked out with a sense of possibility on what partnership can look like and how stronger communication and working together makes everyone safer,” Tilson Stanley said.

Tilson Stanley said they spend more than a million dollars on security each year. She said with the Jewish community celebrating Passover next week they are on high alert, but there are no known threats at this time.

“We feel very strongly that it is important, especially as the Passover holiday is coming, that you also are able to experience that joy,” Tilson Stanley said.

Chief Lewis said it’s about creating a safe space for all the leaders to openly speak. He said they are in the discussion phases now but hope to implement real world exercises in the future.

He said these meetings are also helping his department have a better understanding of where they are needed.

“I think when you can partner, no matter the faith denomination of the place of worship, when you're looking at that and have those leaders in one room and speaking the same love language, to me that is a critical key and why we've been so successful,” Lewis said.

Chief Lewis said he hopes to have quarterly meetings with the faith leaders. The Bexley Police Department has designated a liaison to make communicating easier.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The friends of a hit-and-run victim are preparing to say goodbye for the last time.

On March 2, John Decker was struck by a car while riding his bicycle just after 11 p.m. on Sinclair Road near Morse Road. His friends said that on Monday, he’s being taken off life support.

"He was always on his bike or the bus, he loves to ride bikes. That was his thing. He didn't like cars," Angela Granata, Decker's friend, said. 

Columbus police, which declined an interview about Decker's case, have no updates and said the video footage they have is too blurry to get a description of the car. That's not uncommon, according to hit-skip incident data NBC4 obtained through a public records request.

In fact, most hit-and-runs that happened in Columbus in the first six months of 2023 went unsolved. In incidents where someone was killed, no cases were solved. Cases in which someone suffered a serious injury were twice as likely to not be solved. and when someone suffered a serious injury, those cases were twice as likely not to be solved.

But the low solve rate is not stopping Decker’s friend from searching for answers.

"We're all in shock because again, this is not what we thought John, what anyone, would die from and our point to the community is, you gotta help us find who did this," Granata said. "It’s sad to see someone so full of life just lay there."

Granata said she has known Decker for more than 20 years.

"He was such a sweetheart. Highly intelligent, and he knew the value of life and the value of friendship," she said. 

Now, Granata said Decker is being taken off life support. As his friends gather to say goodbye, they are pleading for answers and justice.

"When you see someone on a bicycle or a motorcycle, slow down, let them have the right of way," Granata said. "It may slow you down a couple seconds, but a life is not worth taking because you're in a hurry."

Decker’s friends are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who hit their friend. Columbus police ask anyone with information
to call 614-645-4767 or submit an anonymous tip to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers by calling 614-461-8477. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gender transition surgery for minors will now be illegal in Ohio indefinitely unless further action is taken.

At the start of the year, Gov. Mike DeWine signed an emergency executive order to ban those surgeries for Ohioans under 18; that order would have expired at the start of May had no action been taken.

On Monday, the state's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) adopted two rules into the administrative code to ban those surgeries for minors.

The rules do have exceptions for certain cases, like for someone who was born with a “medically verifiable disorder of sex development” or someone who “needs treatment for any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that has been caused or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition services, whether or not the services were performed in accordance with state or federal law.”

A spokesperson for DeWine said there was a “pretty clear consensus” that allowing minors to have gender-transition surgery should not be permissible in the state. He points to testimony and statements from the state’s children’s hospitals that said these surgeries are never performed either way.

State Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), who is on JCARR, issued a statement after the vote that said, “These rules have no legal basis, are not helpful, and just further show the depths that Ohio Republicans will go to make Ohio as inhospitable as possible to the most persecuted groups.”

The rules fall under the Ohio Department of Health's purview and will be up to it to enforce.

It will take at least 10 days before the rules take effect.

House Bill 68 is set to go into effect in less than a week; it’s the state’s new law to ban these surgeries and other forms of gender-affirming care for minors. It is being challenged in court, but even if it ultimately tied up in a legal battle, the new rules will still stand.

NEW YORK (WCMH) -- Former Buckeyes Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor are among the players waiting to hear their names called in tonight's WNBA draft. And while their futures have yet to be determined, Caitlin Clark's is all but certain.

The Iowa guard who elevated the game of women's college basketball is expected to be the first off the board, with the Indiana Fever set to have the first pick when the festivities get underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Sheldon, a Dublin native, completed her five-year career at Ohio State as one of the best in program history. Her 2,024 career points ranks sixth in Buckeyes history and is one of three Ohio State players to have more than 1,900 points, 400 rebounds, 350 assists, 200 steals and 150 made three-pointers.

"It's the hardest professional roster to make with just a couple of roster spots and a couple of teams. But I think for me, just staying confident and going in and being ready to learn and listen," Sheldon said. "I'm a rookie going in with a bunch of veterans and they know that, too. So I think just taking in what they have to say, but, you know, taking my game with me, I think for me."

Taylor played only one season with the Buckeyes after stints with Duke and Texas, but she made a big impact in her lone year at Ohio State. The Long Island, New York, native was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year after leading the league in steals during the regular season.

"Honestly, it's going to be to come in and learn. You know, they always say, you know, the easy part is getting drafted," Taylor said. "The hardest part is staying. I think I bring a whole different outlook and experience. I mean, obviously, they know through all the programs and the coaching styles that I've been a part of. But, you know, just, you know, very, very adaptive."

The Buckeyes duo helped Ohio State win a Big Ten regular season title, its first since 2010. Both are among the 15 invited to tonight's event in Brooklyn and look to follow Taylor Mikesell, who was the first Buckeye chosen in the WNBA draft in five years last season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Several Republican lawmakers have proposed changes to Ohio’s primary election laws, introducing at least four separate bills.

“Our belief is this will help deter those who intend to manipulate the results of our primaries,” Rep. Beth Lear (R-Galena).

Lear, along with Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell), is sponsoring the latest effort to close Ohio’s primaries with House Bill 437.

Currently, no matter what party you are registered to vote in, you can show up to the polls on primary election day and vote on whichever party’s ballot you want. HB 437 would change that by requiring you to declare a party affiliation 90 days before primary election day.

“They just would need to make that clear 90 days before the primary, not wait until the last minute and decide maybe I like or dislike person A, B, or C,” Lear said.

 “I am concerned about disenfranchising the truly independent voter because they are the largest number of people in the voting electorate these days,” Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) said.

Of the state’s 8 million voters, about 5.5 million are unaffiliated, meaning if the primaries close, those voters would have to establish which political party they want to vote in ahead of time, in some cases before it is clear who will be on which ballot and which races will be competitive.

“I’m opposed to any effort that would at all restrict voter access to the ballot,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. “I look at closed primaries as just one more effort to restrict voters.”

House Bill 210 would require registration by the end of the year before the primary.

House Bill 208 and Senate Bill 147 would allow party registration up to 30 days before the election.

“The shorter the time period, the more shenanigans can happen,” Lear said.

House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said while he will have to see how the hearings play out, in his county the Republican voter roll has “swelled” and he thinks election laws are partly to thank.

“It has made a big difference,” he said. “I think a lot of the reason for that is because it is really easy to decide which party you want to vote in the primary.”

As for as the top election official in the state goes, in a statement, Ben Kindel, spokesperson for Secretary of State Frank LaRose, said “The Secretary has long supported the idea of allowing voters to more accurately declare their party affiliation. He appreciates the legislature’s willingness to advance this conversation and looks forward to offering his perspective as the state’s chief of election officer.”

“Maybe one or two somebodies that have made gamesmanship,” Stephens said. “But I think at the end of the day, people will identify with whatever party or whatever party, or they may just identify they don’t want to vote in either one of the primaries.”

Each of the bills has had at least one hearing. Three of them have not had a hearing since last year.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – As part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, departments of transportation are reminding drivers to pay attention to crews working out on the roads.

It's a reminder the Ohio Department of Transport shares all year round, but it's sending it out again as the weather gets nicer. With warmer weather comes more road projects.

“These are preventable crashes, there’s no reason for them to happen," said Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary, about work zone-related crashes.

Nearly 1,000 projects will be happening around the state this construction season, according to ODOT. Each of those projects involves a crew.

“Slow down in those work zones, pay attention to what’s going on around you, pay attention to those workers, because we have way too many crashes in work zones -- and with deadly consequences," Bruning said.

There were more than 4,000 work zone-related crashes in 2023, per state statistics. More than 1.400 people were hurt and nine were killed, including one contractor. Bruning said in the vast majority of incidents, it's the driver or their passenger who end up worse off.

“The message about being safe in work zones is as much for our people and our contractors that are out there working as it is for you as a driver," Bruning said.

While many crashes include snow plows, the number of crews hit this year is on pace to exceed last year's total. There were 56 crashes in 2023; Bruning said there's been 43 in 2024.

"It's ridiculous that we’re already at 43, and we haven’t even gotten into the summer," Bruning said.

For an earlier report on this story, view the video player above.

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) – A Delaware County woman facing 17 felony charges related to the abuse of children faced a judge Monday morning.

According to the Delaware Court of Common Pleas, Rhonda Coomes, of Randor, was indicted on 14 counts of endangering children, a third-degree felony, and three counts of kidnapping, a first-degree felony.

Coomes is accused of torturing, abusing, restraining and physically harming children in her care between January 2021 and September 2023, when she owned and operated her own daycare center in Delaware County.

Coomes was originally issued a $500,000 bond for one kidnaping charge in February and on Monday a Delaware County Court of Common Pleas judge ordered the bond to remain the same on all charges.

A pretrial date was set for May 28, with a trial date scheduled for June 14. An attorney representing Coomes said it's likely they will request a continuance.

According to court documents, in September, Coomes allegedly injured a 10-month-old girl by hitting her multiple times in the face with the palm of her hand and six times with a “hard plastic diaper wipe container.” The child suffered a black eye, court records state.

That same day, Coomes allegedly abused a 3-year-old for not eating fast enough. She is now accused of abusing six additional children.

She was arrested Jan. 26 and initially charged with one count of kidnaping. At the time, the sheriff’s office said the charge was a “placeholder” and that Coomes, who owned and operated her own in-home daycare, would likely “be charged with felonies related to her physical abuse of more than a half-dozen different kids.”

If you believe child abuse and neglect is happening, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has launched 855-OH-Child (855-642-4453), an automated telephone directory that will link callers to a child welfare of law enforcement office in their county.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Blendon Township police have been ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court to reveal the names of two officers involved in the shooting death of Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn child – but only to the justices themselves.

In a partial win for Young’s family, the high court on April 10 ordered the department to identify, under court seal, the officers who responded to the Blendon Township Kroger in August 2023, including the officer who fatally shot 21-year-old Young as she slowly drove her car toward him. Except for the justices, no one will be able to see the records – but a public records law expert and the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center both see the order as a sign the justices are seriously considering whether recently enacted victims’ rights legislation applies to officers who use deadly force.

One of two responding officers shot Young through the front windshield of a car, after Kroger employees told them Young and several others had stolen alcohol. Young, who was pregnant, died several hours later.

The police department has declined to identify the two officers who approached Young’s car that evening, citing victims’ rights legislation called Marsy’s Law that allows victims of violent crime to request anonymity in documents otherwise considered public record. The department considered both officers victims because Young hit the shooting officer with her car and the other had his hand in her window when she began driving.

A spokesperson for Blendon Township police did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Montgomery County prosecutor, who was assigned to determine whether to bring criminal charges against the officer who shot Young.

In December, the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center filed a complaint on behalf of Young’s family, asking the Ohio Supreme Court to compel the department to reveal the officers’ identities and release unredacted body camera footage. The center argued that Young was the victim, not the officers, because the state constitution excludes from the definition of “victim” any person who the court would find didn’t act in the best interest of the deceased.

The officers violated Blendon Township’s policy regarding suspects in moving vehicles, the center’s complaint argued, considering they should not have used deadly force to stop Young’s vehicle unless she directed another means of deadly force toward them or others.

In 2017, voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing certain rights of crime victims, known as Marsy’s Law. Last April, lawmakers passed a law codifying the constitutional rights and automatically opting victims of violent crime into certain rights until they speak to a prosecutor. Those rights include notifications of court dates but also the ability to redact their name, address and other identifying information from public records related to the case.

Law enforcement agencies across the state have since cited Marsy’s Law as a reason to withhold the names of officers who use deadly force. But Elizabeth Well, legal director of the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, said that interpretation flies in the face of what voters intended.

“People were not imagining that it would be used in the way that Blendon Township is using it,” Well said. “In fact, we’re confident that when voters passed that constitutional amendment, they would have thought of someone like Ta’Kiya Young the victim, and the officers who were involved in her death as the accused or potential defendants.”

Well said she expected the court’s ruling, which now means both parties will submit full briefs and present oral arguments to the court. But it’s encouraging to her that the court didn’t throw out the case entirely.

Susan Gilles, professor emeritus at Capital University Law School and expert in media law and public records law, said while it’s too early to tell how the Ohio Supreme Court may rule, their order to view the records – accompanied with a rather fast briefing schedule – suggests they’re at least “uncomfortable” with the idea of withholding the officers’ names from Young’s family.

Gilles also harkened to the original intent of Marsy’s Law, which has been passed in multiple states. The law is named for Marsy Nicholas, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Her family ran into the ex-boyfriend at the grocery store, having not been notified by prosecutors that he was released on bail.

The law gives crime victims the right to notification about case updates, input into plea agreements and otherwise gives them agency in their criminal cases. It was meant to give citizens rights to enforce against the government, Gilles said.

“The statute was meant to protect private individuals’ access to what the government was doing in prosecuting the case,” Gilles said. “There’s just not a need there for the police officers – they’re in the government.”