Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- State lawmakers are evaluating what next steps there are for gambling in Ohio.

Expansions are projected to bring in billions of dollars for the state, but small business advocates said they hope it leads to a level playing field.

Ohio commission reviewing state’s gaming outlets

“Ohio’s hospitality establishments have been left behind when it comes to gaming,” Executive VP of the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio David Corey said. “The discrepancies are quite large."

Corey said “hospitality establishments" include small business bowling centers, family-owned bars and restaurants, and other similar places. He said when they were authorized to have sports-gaming kiosks in their business, it was exciting at first.

“However, that really didn’t work out because of some of the regulations on kiosks and what we could and could not do,” Corey said. “Even though some of our bowling centers and bars have these sports betting kiosks they are not utilized at the rate we thought they would be.”

For example, he said sports betting applications on phones and tablets can incentivize users with things like free bets, but that cannot be done at the in-person sports gaming kiosks.

“It takes people out of bricks and mortar establishments,” Corey said. “Ohio’s small, family-owned, bars and bowling centers have not been able to compete.”

Corey said on top of the four casinos and seven racinos in the state, there are 800 fraternal clubs that are permitted to have up to ten low stakes gambling machines in their establishments. He said that means business is sometimes literally leaving and walking across the street. So, he is advocating for an expansion of the businesses that are permitted to have low stakes gambling machines.

Ohio school board may raise teacher license fees as budget shortfall looms

“It can generate a tremendous amount of revenue for the state of Ohio and give a shot in the arm to Ohio’s hospitality industry that is still recovering from COVID," Corey said.

“The question was asked: does someone come to the bowling alley to play the lottery or to bowl,” Representative Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) said. "And I thought the same question could be asked, does someone go to the restaurant to eat or watch the game or drink a beer? It’s part of the overall environment. I’m not saying it’s a done deal and I’m supporting it, or the committee is supporting it, but I think it is absolutely part of the conversation.”

Edwards is co-chairing the gaming study commission at the Statehouse and said everything is being taken into consideration with the big picture in mind.

Corey said 8,000 liquor-permit establishments across the state would potentially be eligible for the low-stakes gaming receptacles. But some said there is the concern that an expansion like that would create too many “mini casinos” across the state.

“That is absolutely a concern and something that we don’t want to hedge out,” Edwards said.

Corey said the expansion would not only mean thousands of new jobs, but also hundreds-of-millions of dollars for the state. He said it could mean a billion dollars each year.

“Our proposal would basically dwarf the proposal of the iGaming folks when it comes to the money generated for the state of Ohio,” Corey said.

Money from gaming goes toward the state, local governments, education, and problem gambling services, among other things. Edwards said when they think of iGaming, it’s a new revenue stream, which the state does not get very often.

“iGaming looks like a gigantic new revenue stream,” Edwards said. “There’s an opportunity there to put more money into education or find some new source, some new thing that the state cares about and start funding these things.”

Columbus invests $500,000 to provide free car repairs for low-income residents

Edwards said even when they look to iGaming, that does not mean the brick and mortars will be left out of the equation.

“I think there is a way of all of this coming together,” he said. “I would rather see a wholesale approach of a bill that encompasses all changes to gaming so everyone wins a little bit, everyone loses a little bit, and we can try to get something done.”

Edwards said by the end of June they plan to have a report, which he said he hopes will act as a roadmap to legislators as they move forward with new bills related to gaming. The commission meets for the last time in April.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Police have closed all lanes of a south Columbus highway on Wednesday afternoon after getting reports of shots fired.

The incident at State Route 104 West and State Route 33 is causing traffic delays as all lanes remained closed, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Columbus police dispatchers said officers responded to the scene at 4:48 p.m.

While police said no one was shot, one car had a window shot out. Investigators were working on identifying a potential suspect or cause of the shooting as of 5:30 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WCMH) -- A woman from the Franklin County area is dead after she was allegedly part of a bail bond theft attempt in Clark County.

According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the woman, who has not been identified, was shot Monday by a resident on the 7000 block of South Charleston-Clifton Road after she showed up at the man's home while he was on the telephone with someone attempting to extort money from him.

Man involved in Columbus drug, sex trafficking ring pleads guilty in fatal beating

The man, 86, answered a telephone call from someone he did not know, telling the man that a relative was in the Clark County Jail and that the man had to pay cash for the relative's bail. The sheriff's office said this information was a lie and an attempt to swindle the man out of money.

At some point while the man was on the telephone, the woman arrived on his property and contacted the resident. During that contact, the man pulled a handgun and shot her several times, the sheriff's office said. The man then went back into his home, secured the gun, and called 911.

Madison Township and Cedarville Fire EMS tended to the woman, who was flown to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment, but later died in surgery, the sheriff's office said.

The resident, who sustained cuts to his head and ear, was treated at the hospital and released. Police did not say how he sustained the injuries.

Former basketball coach charged with having sex with minors

The woman's identity is being withheld pending the notification of next of kin. The sheriff's office only said she was from the Franklin County area.

The sheriff's office said in a statement that no law enforcement agency or court will contact the public in this manner to solicit money for bail or other law enforcement function.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Canal Winchester man was sentenced to five years in prison nearly three years after he made multiple threatening calls toward central Ohio schools.

Yousif Mubarak, 27, was given the prison sentence Wednesday after he was found guilty of seven counts of making interstate threats. The guilty verdict stemmed from at least 87 calls he made in September 2021 to law enforcement agencies, a Franklin County judge, and local businesses and schools.

Man involved in Columbus drug, sex trafficking ring pleads guilty in fatal beating

Mubarak called from Seattle and began making threatening calls towards a Franklin County Municipal Court judge, saying he would kill her and that she should watch her cars. Then, he began to call businesses and schools on Sept. 12, 2021, in Canal Winchester and Pickerington, which included Brew Dog, a Best Western, and a Home Depot.

Multiple law enforcement officials went to his last known Canal Winchester address that same day, where Mubarak taunted officers through his Ring doorbell camera. He called a Fairfield County emergency worker within 20 minutes of that interaction, threatening her. Mubarak then called the Franklin County Sheriff's Office more than 100 times in a 12-hour span.

The next morning, he called bomb threats into Canal Winchester Middle School and Pickerington High School North within 20 minutes of each other. At the time, Canal Winchester closed, and Pickerington North was evacuated.

Authorities arrested Mubarak on Sept. 22, 2021, in Portland, Oregon. He was indicted in Nov. 2021 and had his indictment superseded in June 2022.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The 18th defendant who was indicted for their involvement in a large-scale drug and sex trafficking ring that operated near a Columbus elementary school has pleaded guilty.

A release from the U.S. Court in the Southern District of Ohio said that 34-year-old Dustin Speakman pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances near an elementary school. He joined the organization in 2022 after being released from jail.

Pike County ex-deputy sentenced in inmate beating, pepper-spraying case

While pleading guilty, Speakman also admitted to his involvement in the death of a man while he was operating a drug distribution house. In May 2022, Speakman said that he severely beaten one of his drug runners and gave him free cocaine and fentanyl as compensation. Soon after the beating, the victim seized and foamed at the mouth, per the U.S. District Court.

The victim was driven to an alley near Grant Medical Center where Columbus Fire personnel found him unconscious with severe trauma. He was pronounced dead with blunt force trauma being ruled the cause of death.

Ohio school board may raise teacher license fees as budget shortfall looms

Speakman faces 20-23 years in prison and is one of nearly two dozen individuals who has been indicted for their involvement in the drug ring.

NBC4 previously reported that federal officers arrested eight men and three women who were all charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base in a narcotics ring that made dealings over two years. Agents seized $1.5 million in cash, 44 firearms, seven vehicles and a motorcycle.

The ring operated for 14 years out of multiple west Columbus houses, including a house that was across the street from Burroughs Elementary School in the Hilltop neighborhood on the southwest side.

The original indictment included the following defendants:

NameAgeCity of ResidenceCordell A. Washington, aka Corey, Dub, Bro35ColumbusPatrick M. Saultz, aka White Boy Pat44ColumbusDavid E. Price, aka DP53ColumbusAllison E. Smith, aka Alli27ColumbusTavaryyuan Johnson, aka Gucci22ColumbusTyler N. Bourdo28ColumbusAlexis C. Lewis30ColumbusMichael Fowler45CantonCarmela Brooks48CantonDustin A. Speakman, aka Dawg32ColumbusDanny G. Mullins53Columbus

Defendants added in the superseding indictment unsealed in October of 2022 include:

NameAgeCity of ResidenceRobert E. Tinsley, III, aka Cam22ColumbusPriscilla L. Washington58ColumbusLauren E. Brezney29Shallotte, N.C./ColumbusBrittany A. Williams36ColumbusGabriel R. Smith, aka Gabe34Canal WinchesterRobert L. Pyles, aka Pork45ColumbusMitchell A. Powers33ColumbusVincent T. Griffin50ReynoldsburgCaitlin R. Duff27ColumbusMichael D. Burton39ColumbusBrian K. Long, II32ColumbusAnthony B. Frierson, aka Royal31Columbus

For previous reports on this story view the video player above.

WAVERLY, Ohio (WCMH) – The second of two former Pike County Sheriff deputies was sentenced to serve over eight years in prison after being found guilty for excessive force while employed.

In August a federal jury found Jeremy Mooney guilty on two counts of deprivation of civil rights under the color of law, a charge that carries up to a 10-year prison sentence. On Wednesday a United States District Court Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division judge sentenced Mooney to serve 100 months - eight years and four months - in prison.

The judge also sentenced Mooney to three years of probation for each count, plus a $200 special assessment fine. Attorneys representing both parties will reconvene to work on restitution due to new medical bills brought forth by the victim's families.

Mooney is scheduled to report to the U.S. Marshals Office on Thursday.

Ohio school board may raise teacher license fees as budget shortfall looms

A grand jury originally indicted Mooney and his former supervisor, William Stansberry Jr., on Oct. 19, 2022. While they worked a shift overnight from Nov. 17 into Nov. 18, 2019, Mooney took an inmate from the Pike County Jail to the sheriff’s office headquarters. The then-deputy placed the inmate in a “violent prisoner restraint chair” with his hands behind his back, U.S. District Attorney Kenneth Parker said.

Mooney, 48 then spent over an hour violently antagonizing the inmate. Parker detailed that the deputy dragged the inmate, still restrained, outside and pepper sprayed him directly in the face. The inmate moved around from the pain and his chair fell backward. While on the ground, Mooney pepper-sprayed him again.

After bringing the victim back inside, Mooney then punched him in the head 11 times, using enough force to break his own hand, according to Parker. Every instance of unlawful use of force happened while the inmate posed no threat to himself or others.

While Stansberry Jr. did not participate in the beating, he violated the inmate’s constitutional rights by intentionally doing nothing to stop the deputy he supervised.

Stansberry Jr. pleaded guilty to a single charge of the same crime in July 2023, according to the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. On March 12 Stansberry Jr. was sentenced to six months in prison with an additional three years of supervised released

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The next in a series of super loads traveling across Ohio roadways was scheduled to depart southern Ohio on Wednesday morning.

Two super loads have been delivered to Freepoint Eco-Systems near Hebron, with this being the third of its kind making the trip to the recycling facility. The shipments travel from a dock in Manchester, in Adams County along the Ohio River. Future shipments will go to Intel's Ohio One plant under construction in New Albany.

Report confirms delayed timeline for Intel facility in New Albany

This load was expected to depart Wednesday morning, travelling along the following route:

• 8:15 a.m.: approximate departure onto eastbound U.S. 52
• Cross over and travel the wrong way in the U.S. 52 westbound lanes just before the junction of State Route 239 and U.S. 52.
• Travel north on the State Route 239 southbound ramp toward State Route 73/State Route 852

On future days, the load will proceed north on U.S. 23 from the Portsmouth area to Chillicothe and then use State Route 104 and local roads to reach the Columbus area near Rickenbacker International Airport.

By the weekend, central Ohio motorists could expect to see traffic delays. On Saturday, the super load is scheduled to travel through Canal Winchester. A notice on the city's website said when the load reaches U.S. 33 at Bixby Road, the highway will be briefly closed in both directions. The eastbound part of the highway will be quickly reopened, with the westbound portion remaining closed as the load moves.

Ohio State Highway Patrol and Columbus police will provide traffic control and support services for the transportation project. Other local law enforcement is aware of the travel schedule and will monitor and assist as needed.

The super load is scheduled to arrive at its destination Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - A family-owned and operated company known for its Buckeye chocolates and other sweet treats is expanding.

Anthony-Thomas Candy Company is adding on to its factory located at 1777 Arlingate Lane that is also set to create more jobs. According to a social media post, the company expansion includes adding 20,000 square feet while bringing several jobs to its headquarters, which is located off Interstate 270.

Anthony-Thomas Candy Company announces 20,000 square foot expansion to factory on Arlingate Lane. (Courtesy: Anthony-Thomas Candy Company) Target to anchor new shopping center in Powell

The expansion comes as the company thanked the community for its growth and increasing demand on social media. The candy company last expanded back in 1995 when it moved to the current 152,000-square-foot factory on Arlingate Lane, according to the company website.

Along with its factory, Anthony-Thomas Candy has 13 retail spots where its treats are sold, including Gahanna, Dublin, Grove City, Westerville, North High and more.

View a previous report from Twenty One Pilots' 2021 performances in Columbus in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Grammy award-winning band is coming back to Columbus for hometown performances.

Twenty One Pilots plan to visit Nationwide Arena for two separate shows as part of its "The Clancy World Tour." The tour is in support of duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun's upcoming album "Clancy," set to release May 17.

The band's return home during the tour is scheduled for Friday, Oct 4, and they'll stick around for a second concert on Saturday, Oct. 5. Columbus is one of only four cities on the tour that received two tour dates, with the others being Chicago, Los Angeles and London in the United Kingdom.

Twenty One Pilots' "The Clancy World Tour" promotional photo. (Courtesy Photo/Fueled By Ramen)

For Ohioans who want to see the local musical powerhouse sooner, Twenty One Pilots will also hold a concert on Sept. 28 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. An official artist presale for tickets will launch April 2 in the U.S., and all remaining tickets will go for general sale at 10 a.m. on April 5 on the band's website.

Twenty One Pilots, which originally formed in Columbus, has amassed over 33 billion streams and sold over 3 million tickets for performances, according to the Fueled By Ramen promotion team. The group's last performances in Columbus were in 2021.

The concert stops are part of what will make for a busy weekend in Columbus. The Ohio State Buckeyes' football season will be in full swing, with a game set against Iowa on Oct. 5. The Columbus Crew will also play against the Philadelphia Union on the same day.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A new bridal concept by the owner of Columbus’ Luxe Redux Bridal and La Jeune Mariee will sell wedding dresses at a deep discount, with everything in the store costing less than $1,000. 

The Ohio Bridal Outlet will open at the Destination Outlets, located at 8000 Factory Shops Blvd. between Columbus and Cincinnati. An overabundance of inventory at Founder and CEO of Luxe Brands Lindsay Fork’s other shops inspired her to start the outlet, she said. 

Buy a sub, fight Alzheimer’s at Jersey Mike’s

“We were sending perfectly good inventory out to donation or even potential landfills and I hated to see that,” Fork said. 

The concept boasts itself as having the "deepest [discounts] on designer bridal gowns in the Midwest” on its website. All gowns offered at the Ohio Bridal Outlet will cost $999 or less. The dresses are not used but have been tried on by other brides at Fork’s other stores. 

“None of our gowns have actually been worn or even really altered,” Fork said. “They’ve just been tried on as samples in a store.”

The outlet store will potentially carry any brands sold at Luxe Redux Bridal. 

“We could have anything from Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Watters and Watters, Made With Love, really it could be anything that’s retiring from Luxe Redux that’s moving to the outlet,” Fork said. 

Target to anchor new shopping center in Powell

Along with wedding dresses, the store will carry accessories, veils, bridesmaid dresses and mother-of-the-bride dresses. The outlet will not take appointments and dresses will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. New inventory will drop every Friday, according to Fork.

“What you see is what you get, it could be here today, gone tomorrow,” Fork said. 

Fork said she is aiming to open the store in mid to late April.