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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Monday’s total solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and with that comes the potential for a business boom.

Some central Ohio businesses in the path of totality said they are not sure what to expect just yet.

Central Ohio forecast for the total solar eclipse: Five days away

“All we really can do is kind of just be prepared,” said Jeffrey Krall, the Assistant Vice President of Operations for the Old Bag of Nails Pub.

Hilliard is one of the cities in the path of totality. The city is hosting an eclipse day watch party in the Old Hilliard area. Many businesses say they will be serving eclipse day specials.

A coffee shop NBC4 spoke with will have decorated drinks and bakeries are making eclipse-themed cookies.

Krall said the Old Bag of Nails Pub will have eclipse-themed cocktails and they are even bringing in a local beer from Land-Grant Brewery called “Totality IPA.”

Krall said they’re ready but the question remains: how busy will they be?

“We're not really sure what to expect either," Krall said. "There could be a huge influx. We're not sure if people are going to sit in restaurants all day and hang out."

Mark McGhiey, Senior AVP of Loss Control Services for Nationwide, said business owners should look out for three key things: supply chain and operational needs, employee safety and then property action.

"Do you have enough raw materials, food, inventory for you to do what you need to do?" McGiehy said. "Do you have enough power? Have you talked with the power companies to understand what's going to happen? Have you made a plan if you're a you know, you're a restaurant and you're going to be serving lunch during when this happens, are your customers going to go outside your employees, things like that."

He said it's important to think about employees and what precautions they will need to take. He said to also make a plan if you're allowing them to watch it. 

McGhiey said it’s also important to protect your property and keep it clean to make sure people coming in and out do not get hurt.

Krall said they've done their preparations and are now ready for the fun part.

Watch: Maserati SUV gets trapped in flooded road on South Side

“We might just be swamped all day long and business, you know, falling out the doors or, you know, we're just not really sure what to expect," Krall said. "So, a lot of excitement and kind of just general nervousness."

Experts say it is also a good idea for businesses to connect with law enforcement beforehand to have a plan in place for emergencies. 

The event in Hilliard kicks off at 1 p.m. Monday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Central Ohio Transit Authority is receiving nearly $42 million for a rapid transit corridor project.

This investment into the LinkUS West Broad Rapid Transit Corridor will help the city address the growth, affordability and opportunity in central Ohio.

Dashcam captures dangerous trend resulting in crash at Columbus intersection

The Deputy Secretary of USDOT joined Rep. Joyce Beatty in Columbus Wednesday to announce the $41.9 million grant funding that will support the bus rapid transit corridor project.

According to leaders, the rapid transit is designed to decrease commute times, attract new businesses, while also increasing opportunities for more affordable housing.

“This is a game changer,” said Tracy Cloud, CEO of Lower Lights Health, “This LinkUs is a game changer.”

Lower Lights Health is one of the many businesses along West Broad Street. Cloud said one of their patients biggest barriers is transportation. She said this rapid transit corridor is going to provide them with better access. 

“We ask our patients to get healthier and one of the ways they can get healthier is to access the green spots and the green communities that are going to be created from this," said Angela Hittle, a behavioral health manager with Lower Lights Health. "So, it's going to impact not just their physical health but their mental and spiritual health."

The LinkUs plan would boost COTA’s service hours by 45% by 2050, serving an anticipated increased population. According to Mayor Andrew Ginther, the city's population on track to increase by nearly one million people over the next 25 years to over three million by 2050. 

“Put simply, we cannot build infrastructure fast enough to support 1 million more cars on our roads, nor do we want to,” Ginther said.

He said LinkUs is the solution to this challenge. The West Broad Corridor is one of five new rapid transit corridors in central Ohio. This investment will help build 17 new stations, a new park and ride center and add 9.3 miles of the bus rapid transit (BRT) route on West Broad Street. 

“When we say this will save lives, it will keep our families safe on our streets and provide options for moving in a healthy way.,” COTA President and CEO Joanna Pinkerton said.

These corridors will improve access to over 380,000 jobs and other economic opportunities. According to leaders, Broad Street has divided communities. They said this is a chance to do something transformative to improve mobility, safety and equity.

“It'll mean wider sidewalks for children going to school, making their trips safer and increasing their learning potential," said Polly Trottenberg, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation. "It'll mean faster commutes to work, extending access to new opportunities for jobs and economic mobility. It'll mean better access to health care for residents who need it to live longer and healthier lives. It'll mean cleaner air for the residents."

Watch: Maserati SUV gets trapped in flooded road on South Side

The West Broad corridor is set to begin construction and utility work in 2025. Station and roadway construction will begin in 2026. 

“Together, we're paving the way for a brighter future, not just for COTA, but for the people," Pinkerton said. "The why? It's not about getting from point A to point B, it's about what life is like in between."

LICKING COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) – Long after Tuesday's storms moved out of central Ohio, they still caused problems for the region.

The area around Interstate 70 and State Route 79 looked like a lake or several ponds. Flood waters forced the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to close the eastbound off ramp from I-70 and the westbound on ramp onto the interstate. As of Wednesday evening, they were still closed.

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ODOT also watched the eastbound lanes in the area extremely closely. There was concern flood waters would spill onto the roadway. If that had happened, ODOT would have closed one or both eastbound lanes.

"Shutting down a major interstate or restricting that would certainly be a big impact," said Matt Bruning, ODOT Press Secretary.

Local roads in Licking County also dealt with flooding. Mike Fry, co-owner of The Dirty Oar, said water was knee deep Tuesday night outside the bar on Buckeye Lake. Water also got inside.

“There was about three inches of water on the floor, so I was slopping through water just to lift stuff up on the tables," Fry said. “It’s been a little rough."

The flooding problems were not isolated to Licking County. At one point Wednesday, more than 130 roads were closed because of flooding or debris or both, according to ODOT.

"I can't remember too many times where we’ve had this widespread, this high amount of issues from a storm,” Bruning said. “Certainly you see that in some concentrated areas but to see it as widespread as it is certainly is something you don’t see very often thankfully.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered U.S. and Ohio flags to be flown at half-staff.

Flags have been lowered on Ohio's public buildings and grounds throughout Hamilton County, the Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center and the Rhodes Tower on Thursday in honor of former Hamilton County Auditor and State Representative Brigid Kelly, who died on March 26 after a two-year battle with cancer.

"Brigid dedicated much of her career to public service, first as a Norwood City Councilwoman, then as a State Representative, and then as Hamilton County Auditor," said DeWine. "Like many who worked with her, I knew Brigid to be cordial, collaborative, and willing to work with both parties to help advance the interests of Ohioans."

Flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset for Kelly's funeral. DeWine said all other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.

Kelly served in the state legislature from 2017 until 2022. She left the statehouse in 2022 to directly serve her community by running for and becoming the Hamilton County auditor. She stepped down from that position just the week before her death.

During her time at the statehouse, she sponsored several bills ranging from legislation to increase the state minimum wage and make feminine hygiene products exempt from sales tax to a bi-partisan bill to legalize and regulate sports gaming, and some lighter legislation like a bill to designate the sugar cookie as the state cookie. 

In a statement, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said Kelly was "one of the best lawmakers I have had the honor to serve with."

"Brigid’s leadership on issues, from paid family leave to better wages and stronger communities, improved the lives of working Ohio families and charted a course for the next generation of Democratic leadership in our state," Russo said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The man responsible for bringing “Hang On Sloopy” and many other compositions to the Ohio State Marching Band has died.

Arranger, composer, and musician John J. Tatgenhorst was 85 years old.

After graduating from Ohio State with a degree in music, Tatgenhorst arranged music for the Best Damn Band In The Land for more than 40 years, including arranging “Hang On Sloopy” while he was a student (Tatgenhorst was never a member of the band). The performance remains popular at OSU events and the song became Ohio’s official rock song in 1985

In the fall of 1965, Tatgenhorst's professor, Charles Spohn, who was also the band's director, asked his student to arrange the song for a halftime show; Tatgenhorst did so in four hours and the band performed his arrangement for the first time on Oct. 9, 1965, during halftime of a game against Illinois.

Tatgenhorst moved to Chicago in 1982, writing music for various advertising agencies, companies and orchestras. In addition to Ohio State’s band, he wrote for the Penn State Blue Band, Purdue’s All-American Marching Band, and the University of Washington Husky Band.

Traveling to Los Angeles often, Tatgenhorst worked with Academy Award-winning composer John Williams and wrote musical cues for the animated The Adventures of Batman and Robin. He also worked with musicians Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, CeCe Winans, Steven Tyler and film director John Hughes.

Tatgenhorst suffered from ill health later in life, eventually settling in his wife Lisa’s hometown of Berlin, Wisconsin, to live out his final years listening to music, watching movies, and taking it easy.

Tatgenhorst was born on Aug. 22, 1938, in East Liverpool, Ohio. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lisa (Spoehr) Tatgenhorst, children Laura Tatgenhorst, Margo Tatgehnorst Drakos, and Michell Weaver Kuecks; sister Judy Theis; and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

A scholarship fund for music students will be set up in his honor.

The family is holding private services on Thursday. To share online condolences, click here, send email, or write to Lisa Tatgenhorst, P.O. Box 24, Berlin, WI 54923.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - An annual contest for all pets is returning in part of the 2024 Columbus Taco Fest.

The festival is bringing back its "highly anticipated" Puppy Dress-Up Contest on Sunday, May 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Genoa Park. While enjoying the festival's tacos, patrons have an opportunity to show off their pet and its best costume during the contest.

According to the release, the contest will be split into three categories: Chihuahuas, small dogs and big dogs. This is so all furry friends have a fair chance in the "ruff" competition. Along with the contest, there will also be several activities available including live entertainment, food vendors and more.

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All of the proceeds from the dress-up contest will go towards the CHA Animal Shelter, which is a local nonprofit that provides shelter, adoption services and care to homeless pets in the area. Those who are interested in signing their pets up can click here. Those with the Columbus Taco Fest encourage signing up early in advance and start planning the costumes.

The Columbus Taco Fest is set for May 18 and 19 at Genoa Park.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- On April 3-4, 1974, a super outbreak of tornadoes caused extensive damage and loss of life across 13 states and Ontario in Canada. At least 148 tornadoes touched down in 16 hours, killing 330 people and injuring 5,484.

The 1974 Super Outbreak produced 30 F4/F5 tornadoes (winds in excess of 207 mph) that resulted in more than $3 billion in damages (2020 dollars, adjusted for inflation).

April 1974 Super Outbreak map of the path and intensity of 148 tornadoes mapped by Dr. T. Theodore Fujita of the University of Chicago.

More than a dozen tornadoes were confirmed in Ohio on April 3, 1974. The most powerful storm plowed through Xenia in Greene County, where an estimated 1,400 buildings, including seven schools, were damaged or destroyed.

The National Weather Service in Dayton issued the first of multiple tornado warnings at 4:10 p.m., based on hook echoes (strong circulations, with rotation) that were evident on the radar in Covington, Kentucky. The warning was promptly relayed to the Dayton office and local media for public dissemination. The Greene County community of 25,000 did not have tornado sirens at the time.

At 4:33 p.m. on April 3, 1974, a pair of funnels came together at Bellbrook in Greene County, about 70 miles southwest of Columbus, before lifting in southwestern Clark County north of South Charleston.

View of the massive F5 tornado from Greene Memorial Hospital on Apr. 3, 1974, taken by Fred Stewart. (National Weather Service, Wilmington, Oh., collection)

The multiple-vortex tornado struck the center of Xenia with deadly precision, with at least four subvortices merging into one, captured on 8 mm film by 16-year-old Xenia resident Bruce Boyd. His rare footage was included in a 1978 NOAA documentary.

A motorist died on U.S. 42, as the storm continued northeast at 50 mph, striking Wilberforce, where three people died. Most of the buildings at Central State University were hit, and 20 students were injured, though none died, according to Thomas Schmidlin, author of Thunder in the Heartland. Several structures were damaged at Wilberforce University.

The F5 tornado killed 32 persons and injured more than 1,300 in Greene County. Most of the fatalities and injuries occurred in Xenia, where half of the city was devastated by winds approaching 300 mph.

Ned DeCamp, director of the Madison County Historical Society Museum, lived in Centerville at the time. He watched the formative tornado pass overhead, with baseball-sized hail falling in the storm.

The supercell thunderstorm continued northeast across Madison and Franklin counties, spinning off two F2 tornadoes between 5 and 6 p.m.

A tornado traveled 15.7 miles from southeastern Clark County through the middle of Madison County. The funnel made intermittent contact with the ground and stripped the clock tower on top of the Madison County Courthouse, a structure dating to around 1900.

The damage in downtown London was sporadic because the funnel apparently stayed slightly aloft, with a path width of 180 yards. There were no injuries.

Another touchdown followed in New Albany, northeast of Columbus, a short time later, and damaged several homes at a time when the population was significantly smaller compared with today.

Vince Shuler, former president of the Madison County Historical Society, described what happened to a small sign (about 18 by 24 inches) torn off a grain elevator that ended up on the first farm north of Lake Erie in Ontario, traveling about 150 miles.

Shuler recalled, “The owner of the farm contacted Shaw Elevator, and sent it to them. The Shaw family donated the sign to the (Madison County) historical society.”

Violent tornadoes also struck the Cincinnati area. A storm that formed in southeastern Indiana around 5:30 p.m. crossed the Ohio River twice, before striking Sayler Park. The F5 tornado traveled through a number of city neighborhoods, including Mack and Dent. Two people were killed in the storm.

Around the same time, a violent F4 tornado formed in the northern Cincinnati suburb of Elmwood Place and traveled into Warren County, killing one person. A fatality in Hyde Park was attributed to a microburst. One hundred homes were damaged in Mason. One person died in a tornado that crossed Adams County around 8 p.m.

A photograph of a tornado (F5) moving through the Bridgetown area in Hamilton County, east of Mack, after striking Sayler Park, taken by Frank Altenau. (NWS Wilmington collection)

Ohio National Guard soldiers and airmen were joined by the Red Cross to assist in the aid and recovery efforts in the weeks following the storm, along with volunteers from across the nation. Tragically, two Ohio Air National Guardsmen died in a fire that tore through their temporary quarters in a local furniture store in Xenia on the night of April 7, 1974.

A total of 38 direct deaths occurred in Ohio in the 1974 Super Outbreak. Most of the activity was centered in the southwestern part of Ohio, although three tornadoes crossed Paulding County in the northwest.

Storms caused 47 deaths in Indiana, where 21 tornadoes were recorded. A long-tracked cell traveled 121 miles from near Lafayette to north of Fort Wayne, taking 16 lives.

The modern National Weather Service spotter outdoor siren network, and severe weather awareness programs, were an outgrowth of the devastation inflicted by the fierce tornadoes that struck the region on April 3, 1974.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has announced the loss of his stillborn son.

In a social media post made Wednesday by the team, Jenner and his wife, Maggie, said that their son, Dawson, was stillborn on Sunday.

"We are at a loss for words. A pain like no other," the post read. "While this pain is like nothing we've experienced before, it's shown us the immense love we have to give.

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"As heartbroken as we are, we are incredibly grateful to be his parents and look forward to holding him again one day in heaven. We are thankful and feel blessed for the outpouring of love and support from our family and friends. We appreciate everyone respecting our privacy as we navigate this extremely difficult time."

Jenner, 30, has been with the Blue Jackets for the entirety of his professional career. The 37th overall pick of the 2011 draft, the center joined the Jackets during the 2013-14 season and became their captain in 2021. During the summer break in 2023, he and Maggie were married.

It was not immediately known whether Jenner would rejoin the team this season. Although not officially eliminated from a Stanley Cup playoffs spot, the Blue Jackets are in last place in the Eastern Conference and have seven games remaining before the regular season ends on April 16.

The loss of a child during pregnancy or at birth is something many families experience but often do not talk about. If you or someone you care about has endured this experience, and you’d like to learn more about where to find support, you can do so at these links:

• Miles' Mission
• Cornerstone of Hope
• Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
• Mental Health for Moms
• Alive in My Heart
• Back In His Arms Again

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One person has been hospitalized with critical injuries after a fire Wednesday afternoon in the Hilltop neighborhood in southwest Columbus.

Columbus Division of Fire chief Jeffrey Geitter said that crews were called to 2419 West Broad Street at 12:12 p.m. for a working fire. The blaze was in a two-story building and was classified as a three-alarm fire, the highest on the fire department's scale of severity.

• NBC4 Photo/Mike Klug
• NBC4 Photo/Mike Klug

Dashcam captures dangerous trend resulting in crash at Columbus intersection

The building has businesses on the first floor and apartments on the second floor. As crews battled the fire, a woman was rescued from the second floor. She was taken to OSU Wexner Medical Center in critical condition, per Columbus fire.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The forecast for Ohio is still currently holding steady. Overall we will begin to warm up our temperatures to the mid 60s for the daytime high.

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Cloud cover within the path of totality will be partly cloudy. A few areas further north closer to Lake Erie have better chances to see more clouds. West of Columbus towards Dayton is more likely to see sunnier skies.

Precipitation chances during the 3 o'clock hour are present, but they are still on the lower end. Any rain that would fall would be light and move quickly. The challenge after any rain would be to clear the clouds fast enough to see totality.

Storm Team 4 will continue to update the most accurate forecast for April 8th.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The fourth of nearly two dozen super loads began its journey Wednesday morning from Adams County, and this will be the first one headed toward Intel's Ohio One plant in New Albany.

The super load is making its way from a dock on the Ohio River near Manchester. Earlier ones had gone to the Freepoints Eco-Systems recycling facility near Hebron.

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"These loads are the building blocks of our economy and represent thousands of good paying jobs that will improve the lives of Ohioans for generations," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release from the Ohio Department of Transportation. "With this super load, we are making even more progress in building the Silicon Heartland."

This load carries an air processor, weighs 378,400 pounds, and is over 19 feet tall, 20 feet wide and 128 feet long.

On Wednesday, the load will travel along the following route:

• The load will pull out of the dock onto U.S. 52 about 8:15 a.m.
• The load is expected to cross over and travel the wrong way in the U.S. 52 westbound lanes just before the junction of State Route239.
• The load will travel north on the State Route 239 southbound ramp toward state routes 73 and 852.

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On its way to New Albany, the load will pass through Franklin County but not until later this week.

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- National coffeehouse Caribou Coffee is opening a new central Ohio shop this spring as part of the company's plan to launch 60 locations across Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.

Caribou will begin welcoming coffee enthusiasts to the new shop in May at 1752 Columbus Pike in Delaware, according to the company's site. The new coffeehouse will be the third operated by franchisee Mike Mariola Restaurants, who announced an agreement with Caribou in 2021 to open 60 shops in Ohio.

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Mariola opened the first location in his hometown of Wooster at 1840 Cleveland Road in 2022, and then launched a location at 7010 E. Main St. in Reynoldsburg last year.

"We couldn't be more excited to work with Mike and his team who have built such a strong reputation in the hospitality industry throughout Ohio," said Matthew Walls, Caribou's chief franchise officer, when the Wooster shop opened. "They are incredible operators and are dedicated to delivering Caribou’s purpose of creating day-making experiences for our guests."

Mariola's restaurant group also operates The City Square Steakhouse and Mariola Italian in Wooster, along with several locations of burger joint The Rail in Akron, Strongsville, Dublin and Grandview Heights.

Caribou's partnership with Mariola marked the coffeehouse's first domestic multi-unit franchisee, and the Wooster shop was the first new Caribou location to open in Ohio after nine years. Before that, the coffee company had opened a Findlay shop at 2021 Broad Ave. and a New Springfield store at 3600 Glacier Road.

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Founded in 1992, Caribous has expanded to more than 750 coffeehouses worldwide, including more than 330 company-owned stores, 140 non-traditional shops and 291 traditional franchise locations in 11 countries.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - When it comes to staying healthy, there are many ways to help improve your health physically and mentally. One of those ways to do so is simply walking.

National Walking Day falls on the first Wednesday in April, and organizations like the American Heart Association are raising awareness about the importance of moving your body.

According to the organization, 1 in 4 U.S. adults are sedentary for more than eight hours a day. Not moving regularly can have some negative effects on your body and your mental health.

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This year for National Walking Day, the American Heart Association is encouraging anyone to take a walk and move more on April 3. Not only is walking a simple way to be active, but it also helps with reducing stress, improve your mood and sleep and lower any risk of diseases including cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association recommends walking at least 150 minutes each week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity.

Other ways you can participate in National Walking Day is inviting friends or family on a walk with you. If you work remotely, the American Heart Association recommends taking your conference call on the go while going on your walk. You can also get your pet moving with you as well by going on an extra walk as well.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Signs to avoid a flooded section of U.S. 23 going under Interstate 270 on the South Side didn't stop a Maserati driver from trying to get through on Wednesday morning -- and getting stuck.

Ohio Department of Transportation cameras caught the black Maserati SUV trapped in floodwaters created by strong storms on Tuesday. The driver was able to get out of the car and sit on the roof until help arrived, which came about 8:30 a.m.

Dashcam captures dangerous trend resulting in crash at Columbus intersection

• U.S. 23 at Interstate 270 on the South Side of Columbus, Ohio, on April 3, 2024. (ODOT)
• U.S. 23 at Interstate 270 on the South Side of Columbus, Ohio, on April 3, 2024. (ODOT)

A GMC pickup backed into the water, and a chain was connected to the Maserati and helped pull the SUV to a dry section of U.S. 23. A Franklin County sheriff's cruiser responded to the scene before the ODOT camera pivoted away. A later shot showed the SUV on the side of the road by itself.

Watch: Maserati SUV pulled out of flooded road

The road, also known as South High Street through that stretch, was closed at least by 3 p.m. Tuesday, an ODOT image showed.

U.S. 23 at Interstate 270 in on the South Side of Columbus, Ohio, on April 2, 2024 (Courtesy Photo/Ohio Department of Transportation)

Columbus received a record 2.05 inches of rain on Tuesday, creating ponding and flooded roads in several areas. The road remained closed as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, with detours posted.

As always, you can stay weather aware with the NBC4 weather app and find live traffic conditions on NBC4i.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- With a number of players returning to the court at Ohio State next season, fans are looking forward to Jake Diebler's first full season as coach of the men's basketball program. But the future also includes a high school senior who is already looking forward to becoming a Buckeye.

For any high school basketball player, there's no bigger stage than the state tournament. And Ottawa-Glandorf's Collin White is just the second player in Ohio history to play in the state tournament all four years of high school. The first was Lebron James.

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"It means everything. I've been, fortunately, been here four straight years and I wouldn't want to be any other place this weekend in March," White said.

But White is preparing for the next level, getting ready to play for Ohio State and compete in the Big Ten.

"I've proven that over the years that I can play any style and play any place but I can really hammer down and be physical and get to the rim and just using my frame, you know," White said. "My frame is only going to grow and get bigger."

White committed to the Buckeyes last summer and was named this year's Ohio Mr. Basketball as he eclipsed 2,000 points in the final game of his high school career, which happened to be a state semifinal against Harvest Prep.

"Colin is tough. He's smart. He's versatile. I think Colin has got a bright future here in this program and what I love about him most is he loves this place and I just think his high school career has been impressive," Diebler said.

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White's commitment to Ohio State remained the same through the program's leadership change. If anything, the promotion of Diebler has only reinforced White's commitment.

"I think [Diebler] has a lot of energy. You look at him on the sidelines and he's ready to go all the time and just love how his communication fits so well with the players you know," White said. "All the players love him, all the players trust him and that's a great feeling as a player coming in and being recruited by him."

Watch a previous NBC4 report on H.B. 68 in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Ohio law set to take effect this month banning gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes' participation in women's sports could be put on hold if a legal challenge against the measure is successful.

House Bill 68 is scheduled to be enacted in Ohio on April 23, prohibiting children's hospitals from providing treatment like gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy to trans minors. The bill also bars trans students from taking part in female athletics and revokes the Ohio High School Athletic Association's trans athlete policy, a measure that is allowing seven trans girls to participate in high school sports this school year.

However, the ACLU announced on March 26 it filed a lawsuit against the bill's gender-affirming care provision and is requesting a preliminary injunction to strike down the ban, according to the complaint filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. The ACLU filed the suit on behalf of two families whose children are at risk of losing access to their healthcare.

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"Families are now confronted with the extremely difficult decision of fleeing the state they call home to protect their children or allowing them to go without the care they and their doctors know is right for them," said Chase Strangio, deputy director for Transgender Justice at the ACLU.

The ACLU's suit argues the legislation violates the Ohio Constitution's single-subject rule, requiring bills to only be about one topic, given the measure addresses trans healthcare and participation in sports. The two provisions had been separate bills before Ohio House legislators combined them in June last year.

H.B. 68 also goes against a constitutional amendment that says no law or rule "shall prohibit the purchase or sale of Health Care or health insurance," the ACLU said. The amendment led by Ohio Republicans passed in 2011 and aimed to limit the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

The legal challenge came after the Statehouse voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of the legislation. DeWine decided to reject the bill after visiting several children's hospitals, arguing "parents should make these decisions and not the government."

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Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), the primary sponsor of H.B. 68, said the complaint is "not surprising" and "par for the course," and argued H.B. 68 was written "to be bulletproof when it came to lawsuits." Click said he has the "utmost confidence in our attorney general who is capable of defending such commonsense legislation."

"It is going to be a frivolous lawsuit because there is not constitutional right to sterilize children or to harm or to mutilate them," Click said. "I believe that science and the law is on our side and we will prevail."

Gender-affirming care is backed by every major medical association in the nation, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association. To override medical consensus is "government overreach," the ACLU said and promised it will "reinstate Ohio families' right to make personal medical decisions with healthcare providers -- not politicians."

Ohio's children’s hospitals have served about 3,300 individuals throughout the past 10 years whose first appointment at a gender clinic took place when they were under the age of 18, according to the Ohio Children's Hospital Association president. Of those 3,300 individuals, 7% were prescribed a puberty blocker and 35% were prescribed hormones.

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DeWine faced a wave of criticism from notable Republicans who called for the Statehouse to override his veto, including from former President Donald Trump, who wrote in a Truth Social post that DeWine "has fallen to the Radical Left."

The governor attempted to assuage the backlash by signing an executive order in January to ban Ohio’s medical professionals from performing gender transition surgery on trans youth. DeWine previously said he enacted that order, in part, in anticipation of a lawsuit against H.B. 68.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Both a local astronomer and national cellphone companies shared perspectives on what could happen with cellular coverage during the coming eclipse.

A wide band running from the northeast portion of Ohio to the western region will be in the path of totality, or where the sun will be 100% blocked by the moon on Monday. It will reveal phenomena like the solar corona and stars and planets visible in the daytime. Everyone outside this coverage area, which includes much of central Ohio, will have a different view of the obstruction. Columbus' neighboring towns like Dublin and Hilliard, however, are within the projected path of totality.

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Major interest in the eclipse could see large groups of people converging on places in the path of totality. This is commonly a precursor to cellphone problems, according to the Federal Communications Commission. And with this in mind, Don Stevens, director of the Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University, said that it's not the eclipse that would have any impact on connectivity.

"There's no mysterious eclipse rays or beams or anything like that that's going to occur that comes from this," Stevens said. "The only thing that's going to disrupt cellphone tower service is the amount of traffic, of people trying to livestream, upload videos and pictures and selfies and access all kinds of things online."

Stevens speculated that because of the potential for congestion, major network providers may deploy mobile cellphone towers like the ones used during natural disasters where coverage has been impacted. But Verizon in particular told NBC4 that its network has become so advanced that it won't need to do anything like that.

"In areas where people may gather to experience this event, we feel confident the additional capacity we have layered into the network over the past few years will accommodate any increases in data usage, however as requests for supplemental capacity come to us, we are assessing the needs," a Verizon communications manager wrote.

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Another major carrier, AT&T, told NBC4 it doesn't expect serious issues thanks to the widespread adoption of 5G cellular technology.

"Our network has drastically changed since the last solar eclipse in 2017," AT&T's Phil Hayes said. "Our higher-speed mid-band 5G+ spectrum alone covers more than 210 million people. Our bandwidth has increased significantly in the last few years, providing for an improved experience on our network as a result."

AT&T also operates a public safety network called FirstNet specifically intended for emergency responders, which allows them to communicate on separate channels from civilian customers at no extra charge.

Stevens added that the Perkins Observatory now has a team at Ohio Wesleyan's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center giving away eclipse glasses. They're limited to one pair free per visitor, and $1 for additional pairs. No appointment is required to obtain the glasses from the campus.

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A man is dead after driving a car into the back of a bus Tuesday night in east Columbus.

According to Columbus police, a man driving a red Toyota Corolla was traveling eastbound on East Livingston Avenue, near the Wellesley Road, Eastmoor Boulevard intersection, at around 11:15 p.m. As the driver approached the area, he rear-ended a COTA bus that was stopped just west of the intersection.

Dashcam captures dangerous trend resulting in crash at Columbus intersection

The driver, 24-year-old Kevin Jones, was extracted from the car and taken to Grant Medical Center in life-threatening condition. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The driver of the COTA bus and one adult passenger were taken to Grant Medical Center and listed in stable condition.

The Accident Investigation Unit responded to the scene and continues to investigate the incident.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus resident’s dash camera captured the moment a car without a license plate took over an intersection and crashed into another vehicle – a growing trend law enforcement said started early this year.

On March 23, police were called to Williams Road and Alum Creek Drive in the South Alum Creek neighborhood when a car began stunt driving in the middle of the intersection. The takeover ended when the 21-year-old driver crashed into another car and a man was transported to a local hospital, according to Columbus Police Lieutenant Christopher Wayner. The man who was hit was transported to the hospital in stable condition and was not critically injured.

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“These burnouts and street takeover events and everything else started up early this year so we’re just trying to get ahead of it,” Wayner said. “The last couple of years were interesting, had a lot of large meet-ups.”

The driver who took over the intersection fled the scene but was later identified and cited for the accident, thanks to video footage taken by residents. Both cars sustained severe damage and were impounded, Wayner said. The case will be forwarded to the city attorney’s office who will determine if any criminal charges will be filed. 

The street takeover near Obetz was not the only one police responded to on March 23 – Wayner said police had already cleared up “several” meetups earlier that night. Along with street takeovers in intersections, people will often perform stunt driving in large parking lots of closed businesses, according to Wayner. 

“They’re putting a lot of themselves and their spectators at risk, so something we’re trying to deal with,” Wayner said. “[Last] April there was a large number of these and we had officers actually get shot at who were trying to break up an event. We’ve already had shots fired at events this year when we were clearing them out.”

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Ohio lawmakers are attempting to combat the issue with a bill that would increase penalties for stunt driving, which sponsor Rep. Andrea White said the state is seeing an increased frequency of.

“When you have situations where communities have several hundred people gathering at intersections, and multiple cars doing very dangerous stunt driving in the center of major intersections, and then all of the sudden multiple parties fleeing police, people are getting hurt, lives are being lost, property damaged,” White said in a March interview. 

Under the legislation, activities such as donuts, burnouts, drifting, wheelies and tire-squealing, as well as allowing a passenger to ride partially or fully outside of a vehicle, would be classified as “stunt driving.”  Any car involved in the act would be subject to seizure and forfeiture. The bill also states anyone rendering assistance to street racing, stunt driving or street takeover would be equally charged as participants.

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Tornado watches and warnings have subsided, but a heavy wave of rain Tuesday has increased the concern for flooding and power outages in central Ohio.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

Nearly three inches of rain fell in the Columbus area over the past three days and in some areas as much as four inches has fallen. Last night’s patch of storms added significant rainfall on already saturated ground, causing flood concerns, power outages and some damage throughout the region.

Scattered, light rain showers Wednesday afternoon and evening, as well as a possible wintry mix Thursday morning could keep flood threats activated longer.

Flood alerts remain in effect Wednesday morning throughout central Ohio. (NBC4) FLOOD ALERTS

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for lowland areas along Big Darby Creek in Franklin, Pickaway and Madison Counties. At 4 a.m. the flood stage was measured at 11.9 feet. At 12 feet, lowland flooding occurs, and the river is expected to crest at 12.1 feet Wednesday morning.

The NWS has issued flood watches or warnings for over a dozen counties in central Ohio. Alerts remain in the following areas:

• Franklin County (until 9:12 p.m.)
• Coshocton County (12:15 p.m.)
• Crawford County (9 a.m.)
• Fayette County (9:30 a.m.)
• Guernsey County (10:45 a.m.)
• Hocking County (4 p.m.)
• Licking County (9:30 a.m.)
• Madison County (9:30 a.m.)
• Morgan County (Thursday, 5 a.m.)
• Muskingum County (10:45 a.m.)
• Noble County (10:45 a.m.)
• Pickaway County (9:30 a.m.)
• Pike County (9:30 a.m.)

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Locally, high water remains in areas of south Columbus, particularly the Greenlawn Avenue exit along Interstate 71 South and at U.S. Route 23 and Interstate 270, which are still closed, as well as parts of State Route 104.

Additionally, floodwalls installed along Greenlawn and Harmon avenues in Franklinton, west of Downtown, will not be moved until at least Wednesday afternoon, according to the City of Columbus. It’s the first time the walls have been activated since May 2020.

A car stops before entering a flood zone at U.S. Route 23 and Interstate 270 in south Columbus. (NBC4) POWER OUTAGES

As of 4:30 a.m. American Electric Power is reporting over 15,000 power outages in central and southern Ohio, with the majority of the outages coming from southeastern counties.

Over 11,400 are being reported in Lawrence County with an additional 2,100 coming from Adams County. Scioto County (329), Gallia County (163) and Licking County (122) are also reporting several outages.

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Officials advise residents to pack a back with anything you will need in an emergency, including bottled water, non-perishable food, medications, batteries, flashlights, and other necessities. They say to have your phone charged ahead of time and have a portable charger available if possible.

AEP Ohio typically updates its outage map every 15 minutes. Check the outage map below.

THE DOUBLE RAINBOW

Those seeking reprieve from the effects of Tuesday’s storms and prior inclement weather in central Ohio were granted a site only seen in perfect conditions.

A double rainbow was captured throughout the Columbus area, including at Lower.com Field, where the Crew game against UANL Tigres in a Champions Cup game was temporarily placed on hold due to lightning.

A lightning bolt is seen intersecting with a double rainbow in Columbus (NBC4 Photo/Adam Conn)

NBC4 journalists across Columbus reported seeing the rainbow and sent in photos.

Dave Mazza, chief meteorologist of Storm Team 4, said the timing was perfect for a double rainbow, which is more common than a single rainbow when the conditions are right just before sunset.

WEATHER UPDATES

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