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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)--Local doctors are sending a new warning to COVID-19 test-takers, due to data showing the effectiveness of throat swabs.

"I would not recommend putting a home test swab in your mouth," simply said Dr. Mark Herbert, an infectious disease expert at Mount Carmel Hospital. "The FDA has been very clear about following the instructions on the home tests precisely."

Health experts agreed on how at-home antigen tests should be performed, and they explained there are new studies to suggest throat swabs may be useful going forward.

"I can tell you I've had cases in patients where their nose PCR is negative, and then the suspicion is so high, they get another [throat] PCR done and it's positive at that time," said OhioHealth's Dr. Joseph Gastaldo.

With Omicron symptoms more likely to appear in the throat versus nasal cavity, doctors emphasized throat swabs may be particularly effective in detecting the latest variant.

"It requires knowledge of the anatomy, it requires training, and it requires a certain degree of fortitude to properly swab someone's throat," Dr. Herbert said.

Currently, only PCR throat swabs are approved by the FDA. That means they can only be performed in a healthcare setting.

"When you look at what the FDA evaluates on how the tests perform, it's based on the environment of the nose and not the environment of the mouth or throat," said Dr. Gastaldo.

Doctors warn even with the latest revelation, more variants could still come.

"This is applicable to Omicron. Hypothetically, there may be another variant we see later on this year or next that performs differently," said Dr. Gastaldo.

Both doctors said that as we learn more, throat swab testing may become more common, and it would take a change to the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization to make that happen.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus police are seeking the public's help identifying three people they say used a tow truck to steal a car from the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Police say that about 6 a.m. on Dec. 9, two men and one woman drove onto the lot, in the 4000 block of Timberwood Drive North on the Southwest Side, in an older, red Chevrolet tow truck and a silver Ford SUV. They hooked up a 2017 Toyota Prius to the tow truck and drove away.

Photo of gun pointed at Marysville police officer posted on social media

Police released one photo related to the incident:

Photo from police of a red, older Chevrolet tow truck and three suspects on Dec. 9, 2021, released by Columbus police

Anyone with information may contact Det. Harold Conley at 614-645-2084 or hconley@columbuspolice.org, or contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 616-461-8477.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST)--Marker Development will add another phase to its Crossline project in Weinland Park.

The new phase is replacing the former home of the Godman Guild Association, which Marker bought last spring.

Prosecutor asks judge to drop 11 murder charges against Husel

The first phase of Crossline is located at East 5th Avenue, in front of the Godman Guild site on Sixth Avenue. That phase is slated to finish construction this summer. The seven-story mixed-use development includes 180 residential units and 5,150 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

The new phase, to be built at 303 E. 6th Ave., would add another 275 units with secured parking, amenities, and ground-floor commercial space to the neighborhood.

The second phase should finish construction in the summer of 2024, with pre-leasing to start in the first part of that year.

“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with the Godman Guild Association and continue building on our relationships with Weinland Park Community Civic Association, neighbors, and friends who have welcomed us into their community. We love the vibrancy and community of Weinland Park and are thrilled to be a part of its fabric,” Grant Dolven, vice president of acquisition and development at Marker, said in a news release.

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The Crossline name comes from the origins of Weinland Park as a “streetcar suburb," since transit lines used to cross through the neighborhood.

At least 20% of the units will be available to those making 80% and 100% of the area median income, the release said.

“We greatly appreciate the community’s engagement and productive dialogue throughout the design process, resulting in thoughtful building programming of additional housing near multiple transit alternatives. Lease rates have not been established at this time," said Chris Gump, vice president of finance and development for Marker.

For more business headlines, go to ColumbusBusinessFirst.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST)--A local businessman’s MyPillow plans have gone flat.

Roy Hanna and a group of investors opened a retail store selling the controversial bedding products brand at 4308 N. High St. in Clintonville last fall.

It closed a few weeks ago.

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“I still think the location is good, but I thought the controversy would help drive sales,” Hanna said. “It had the reverse effect.”

By controversy, he means MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who is an outspoken supporter and ally of former President Donald Trump. Lindell's ongoing touting of assorted election conspiracy theories got his brand booted from retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s last year and has gotten him sued by multiple makers of voting machines.

Though Hanna and his partners initially hoped to open other stores around Central Ohio, those plans also are dead.

His primary business is AAA Roofing in Worthington.

Prosecutor asks judge to drop 11 murder charges against Husel

“That’s my field,” he said. “I’m going to stick to that.”

Hanna declined to share sales for the short-lived store and said it was not up to their projections.

Hanna said he experienced backlash and threats via social media and the phone and the store was graffitied, but there were no incidents inside the store or with staff.

“Everyone who walked in was supportive,” he said.

The shop wasn’t just rejected by the community, it wasn’t ever fully embraced by Minnesota-based MyPillow either. The store wasn’t a franchisee; the company doesn’t franchise. The local group was buying products from MyPillow and reselling them at the brick-and-mortar shop.

But it was never able to stock the full MyPillow assortment as Hanna had advertised and hoped.

“They weren’t cooperative,” he said of MyPillow. “We weren’t able to get robes, slippers, some of the premium products. About 30% of the walk-ins asked for items that we didn’t have.”

For more business headlines, go to ColumbusBusinessFirst.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Prosecutors say they want to drop nearly a dozen murder charges against a former Mt. Carmel Health doctor.  

During a hearing Thursday, prosecutors stated 11 of the 25 charges should be dropped against William Husel, and asked the remaining counts to be re-numbered 1-14.

Photo of gun pointed at officer posted on social media; Marysville police investigate

Judge Michael Holbrook will now listen to testimony from some of the victims' families during a separate hearing before ruling on whether to dismiss the charges. 

During a pre-trial hearing in December, Husel’s attorneys argued the grand jury was misled by not being presented evidence that showed some of the doses of painkillers and other drugs prescribed by Husel were not lethal.

Husel’s trial is scheduled to start on February 14.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

Numbers as of Thursday, Jan. 20 follow:

TotalChangeNew cases2,460,869+21,664Hospitalizations103,914+508ICU admissions12,425+29Deaths*31,245N/A*–Deaths are updated twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays

 The 21-day case average is above 22,000.

Photo of gun pointed at Marysville police officer posted on social media

The department reported 7,690 people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to 7,125,436 which is 60.96% of the state’s population. And 17,393 received booster shots.

The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:

Hospitalized patients
with COVID-19
No.Percent of
total bedsPercent of total
beds availableTotal5,73023.2%17.5%In ICU1,17026.3%17.5%On ventilator76915.5%59.9%

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, state health director, gave an update where he expressed hope that the omicron variant might soon decline but remained concerned over hospitalization levels. And the Ohio Hospital Association said different regions of the state are seeing different trends related to the pandemic.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio State University men’s basketball game against Nebraska has been postponed.  

Huskers.com reports the Saturday game at Ohio State has been postponed due to health and safety protocols within the Nebraska program.  

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“With players currently in health and safety protocol, Nebraska fell below the Big Ten Conference roster minimum, with fewer than seven scholarship players available,” the website announced.  

No date has been set for a rescheduled game.  

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An announcement on a massive computer chip facility in New Albany and Jersey Township could come Friday.

The office of Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that he and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will joined by JobsOhio "for a historic economic development announcement for the state of Ohio." The appearance will take place at the Midland Theatre in Newark at 2 p.m.

Photo of gun pointed at Marysville police officer posted on social media

The 3,200-acre development site falls in Licking County, which has Newark as its county seat, although the land is being annexed into New Albany, which is partly in Franklin County.

Ben Pieper, a Jersey Township trustee, told NBC4 last week about a 10-year development coming to that part of the township. And on Tuesday, New Albany city council agreed to millions of dollars of improvements on the land.

The company behind the project is believed to be Intel, which has been looking to bring semiconductor chip manufacturing to the United States. The scope of the Intel project has been described as a "little city."

NBC4 will livestream the announcement.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- There was a 10% increase of traffic deaths in Ohio for 2021 and that's with fewer vehicles on the road.  

Traffic signs around the state have a new message for drivers: In 2021 there were 1,361 traffic deaths on Ohio roadways.  

That number represents a 10% increase from 2020 despite there being fewer vehicles on the roads the past couple of years.  

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According to a spokesperson with the Ohio Department of Transportation, 2020 was the deadliest year for the state’s roads in a decade, but 2021 was even worse.  

In a new report, the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety have ranked Ohio among the worst states for highway safety in the country.

The signs are a reminder to drivers across the state to be safer when on Ohio roadways, according to the spokesperson.  

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- Marysville police are investigating after a photo showing a handgun being pointed at an officer from a distance was posted on social media.

Police say they served a search warrant Wednesday in the 600 block of East 6th Street on a case related to aggravated menacing and improper handing of a firearm.

The day before, police say suspects pointed a handgun at an officer, without the officer's knowledge, and they also say suspects were seen handling firearms they are prohibited from possessing. Three photos were included in a release from Marysville police:

• Photo released by Marysville, Ohio, police on Jan. 20, 2022of a person pointing a handgun at an officer
• Photo released by Marysville, Ohio, police on Jan. 20, 2022 of a suspect
• Photo released by Marysville, Ohio, police on Jan. 20, 2022 of a suspect

Charges have yet to be filed in the case.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) -- No deputies were injured after nearly being exposed to fentanyl when a baggy exploded during a search of a suspect’s vehicle.  

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, at about 2 a.m., Sunday, a vehicle was stopped in the area of U.S. 23 and I-270 for the driver who had an outstanding warrant. 

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Deputies say while they were searching the vehicle, a plastic baggy was pulled apart, exploded and sprayed fentanyl in the backseat of the vehicle.  

• 
• 

(Photos courtesy Franklin County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff’s office says none of the five deputies on scene were exposed and are OK.  

Medics took the suspect to the hospital to be checked out before he was arrested.  

Also during the search, deputies found $3,000 in cash and a “pricing menu” for customers, according to deputies.  

“The list of scary “what ifs” is long and the FCSO is thankful the deputies are safe and the poison is off the street. Great job to everyone involved,” the FCSO stated in a Facebook post.  

The FCSO continues to investigate the incident.  

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- Circleville police say they are investigating a stabbing that left two people hospitalized.  

Police say they were called to the 300 block of South Court Street, Thursday, on the report of a double stabbing.  

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When they arrived on scene, they found two victims and the suspect, Henry J. Laux, 27, in the kitchen area of the residence.  

Medics arrived on scene and later transferred both victims to a Columbus area hospital where they were listed as stable.

Laux has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, burglary and robbery.  

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- ODH to provide update on COVID-19 in Ohio 

The Ohio Department of Health will be providing an update on COVID-19 in the state during a news conference, Thursday.  

What Ohio’s record-high COVID-19 case numbers mean in mid-January

ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff will be joined by Major General John C. Harris, Jr., with the Ohio National Guard, Dr. Alice Kim, Medical Director for Medical Operations at the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Roberto Colon, Chief Medical Officer with Miami Valley Hospital during the 10 a.m. conference.  

You can watch it here on NBC4i.com. 

Jan. 10, 2022, marked the highest number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 during this latest surge of the pandemic, according to the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA).

Since then, those numbers have gone down every day.

The latest number of cases in the state are scheduled to be released at 2 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- High school students who have trouble paying attention in class are more likely to admit to cheating, a new study shows.

Researchers found that inattention led to hyperactivity in the students, and both together contributed to higher levels of cheating, the team said in a press release.

The issue is important because many students with attention problems don’t get an official diagnosis, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, said Eric Anderman, lead author of the study and professor of educational psychology at The Ohio State University.

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"Students diagnosed with ADHD get a lot of support and help in school, but many other kids with attention problems fall through the cracks," Anderman said in the release. "They don’t get the help they need that could help them do better in school and avoid cheating."

The researchers studied 855 adolescents from three midwestern public schools, two suburban and one rural. Data was collected twice from the students, about one year apart.

Prosecutors could drop 11 murder charges against Husel

"Inattention is the driver here, the issue that leads to problems in the classroom," Anderman said.

"The student is not paying attention, so he gets out of his seat and goofs around, and when you put both together, that is a perfect setup for more cheating."

The study took into account a wide variety of other factors that have been linked to cheating, including depression, learning disabilities, gender, ethnicity, grade point average and whether students qualified for special education services – and inattention still was related to cheating, the news release said.

Anderman conducted the study with Richard Gilman of Terrace Metrics and Xingfeiyue Liu, a doctoral student, and Seung Yon Ha, a postdoctoral scholar, both in education at Ohio State. Their results were published recently in the journal Psychology in the Schools.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A study of legal marijuana growers shows that banks are still wary of accepting their deposits or loaning them money.

A team of researchers from Ohio State University and University of California, Davis, looked at the way banks and marijuana growers are still not interacting.

"It’s clear we need policies making cannabis banking and finance more equitable," Keith Taylor of UC Davis and one of the study's authors said. "It’s also clear that ‘Ma and Pa’ enterprises need to associate together in formal organizations so they can achieve economies of scale and harness their political power to endure the transition to legal."

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Marijuana is worth more than almonds and dairy combined to the California economy, making it the most valuable crop. Outsiders who can get their operations funded are out-competing California growers who have lived there for generations, the study's authors observed.

"Licensed cannabis businesses need to bank their cash and take out loans to build their businesses, but many banks worry that by doing business with the cannabis industry, they’ll be flouting federal laws," said Taylor, who is a University of California Cooperative Extension community development specialist.

"Banks that won’t accept legal cannabis cash deposits and don’t provide loans aren’t monetizing their deposits. Marginalized cannabis communities are missing out on capital." 

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Of the banks and credit unions contacted by the researchers, most were not knowingly involved in the cannabis industry. Bankers reported being hamstrung by ambiguous federal guidelines that pose a real risk to financing cannabis, largely because banks are required to report suspicious transactions to the federal government, the researchers said in a news release.

Marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Even in states that have legalized recreational and medicinal use of cannabis, it is still a federal crime to possess, buy or sell marijuana. California legalized recreational cannabis for adults in 2016, and the industry is overseen by the Department of Cannabis Control.

Financial institutions might be seen as players in a criminal enterprise even by providing banking services to employees who work for licensed members of the cannabis industry, or they could lose big on lending if cannabis-related assets backing a loan were seized by federal agents, the release said.

The research is published online in the journal Agricultural Finance Review.

An arctic cold front brought a coating of snow to southeastern portion of the state, creating slippery travel conditions. Skies will partially clear this afternoon, but temperatures will be confined to the low to mid-20s, after a brief period of moderation Wednesday in the upper 40s.

Cold high pressure will settle in with a relatively dry northwesterly flow steering storm systems well south of Ohio and off the Mid-Atlantic Coast the next few days

A cold front will arrive late Saturday, but lacking moisture only a few flurries are likely with reinforcing shot of cold air Sunday. Temperatures will edge back into the low 30s Saturday, the turn slightly colder Sunday. A disturbance could bring a little light snow Sunday night.

The weather will remain cold next week. Another Alberta Clipper could bring a a wintry mix Tuesday, followed by another blast of cold air.

Forecast

• Thursday: Periods of clouds and sun, colder. High 23
• Tonight: Mainly clear, quite cold. Low 9
• Friday: Partly cloudy. High 21
• Saturday: Mix clouds and sun. High 28 (8)
• Sunday: Clouds return, snow showers p.m. High 28 (22)
• Monday: Mostly cloudy. High 30 (16)
• Tuesday: Cloudy, few snow showers. High 29 (22)
• Wednesday: Partly cloudy, colder. High 24 (13)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A man was arrested this week in connection with a shooting that took place in Linden on Dec. 11, 2021.

According to Columbus police, the 24-year-old has been charged with six counts of felonious assault in connection with the shooting.

The suspect was arrested Monday by Columbus SWAT at the 200 block of Park Road.

Officers responded to the area of East Hudson Street and McGuffey Road at approximately 6:01 p.m. to investigate reports of a person with a gun, shots fired, and a vehicle with three people in it being hit by gunfire.

A 23-year-old woman called police at around the same time to report her vehicle, also with three people in it, had been shot at.

The woman was treated for injuries at the scene.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Homeless shelters across central Ohio are experiencing their highest populations in years.

The Community Shelter Board, which runs seven shelters throughout central Ohio, took in more than 1,200 men, women, and children Tuesday

Most of those people stayed at the Van Buren Center, which is now overcapacity with approximately 700 people.

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"Right now we are in the midst of what we call winter overflow season," said YMCA Shelter Services Director of Operations Clarence Dade. "So traditionally, every year from November to March, shelter services, as a whole, not just the YMCA shelter but across the system as a whole, kind of expands, to try and meet the needs of the community, get everybody off the streets and into a warm place."

The board said it is in desperate need of supplies such as coats, blankets, hygiene kits, and volunteers.

"It's really, really hard to keep this kind of increased effort up over such a long period of time," said Community Shelter Board Executive Director Michelle Heritage. "More than two years now, we've been functioning under these conditions, and it's been very difficult."

The Van Buren Center is also asking for more donations of coats and blankets.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus police are looking for a suspect they said stole items -- including 20 fake cellphones -- from a southeast Columbus store.

In a Twitter post, police shared surveillance video of the suspect breaking the front glass door of a Boost Mobile store on the 900 block of Alum Creek Drive

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"He stole a safe, cash & Airpods," the tweet stated. "He also stole 20 phones... that were fakes."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Columbus police at 614-645-2071 or email jvozar@columbuspolice.org.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Jan. 10, 2022, marked the highest number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 during this latest surge of the pandemic, according to the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA).

Since then, those numbers have gone down every day.

OHA said it is cautiously optimistic about Ohio peaking for this surge, but adds each region in the state is experiencing different things when it comes to COVID-19.

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“It is encouraging to see that the numbers in northeast Ohio are coming down,” said Dr. Madhee Sobhanie, an infectious disease physician with the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

He adds the state hasn’t seen what the northeast is just yet.

“We certainly haven’t felt a decrease in cases in the medical center and I think, as a community, we still need to be vigilant,” Sobhanie said.

Each region in Ohio is experiencing a different part of the surge right now, according to OHA’s John Palmer.

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“Particularly with this surge, we’re really just optimistic because so much really depends on a regional level,” Palmer said.

The central region is beginning to stabilize when it comes to cases and northeastern Ohio is seeing a decline.

“But what we’re seeing in Cincinnati, southwest, western area, Dayton, really have seen an increase in hospitalizations,” Palmer said about the data that has been compiled.

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Sobhanie said when it comes to this surge and hospital resources, it's key that people continue to follow mitigation measures. He says mask up, practice social distancing and consider vaccination.

“The omicron variant has displaced the delta variant as the predominant variant in the United States and that’s because it’s more of a fit virus,” Sobhanie said. “The more people that are vaccinated, the less chance the virus has to replicate into that fit virus because it hits a barrier.”

Palmer said one of the signs he's looking for when it comes to Ohio coming back from this surge is when the Ohio National Guard will be relieved of its duties in hospitals and testing sites.