Columbus news

• 'Shield' actor gets 40 years to life in wife's killing

  10-06-2016 23:34
  
  Michael Jace, 53, was sentenced by a judge in Los Angeles after a jury convicted him last week of second-degree murder in the death of April Jace two years ago.
  
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• Scott's political picks: Where is Trump's presidential campaign presence in Ohio?

  10-06-2016 22:39
  
  I’m starting off the week with fairly alarming news if you’re a Donald Trump supporter and you believe he can win Ohio.
  
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• Probation official called Brock Turner crime "less serious"

  10-06-2016 22:09
  
  Judge Aaron Persky wasn't the only California official who thought Brock Turner should be spared time in prison.
  
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• Reynoldsburg babysitter faces reduced charges in child's overdose death

  10-06-2016 21:58
  
  Lori Conley, a Reynoldsburg babysitter originally arrested on a murder charge after being accused of killing a toddler with an adult dose of Benadryl, avoided a potential life sentence Friday when she was indicted on lesser charges. A Franklin County grand jury instead indicted Conley, 43, on charges of involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and tampering with evidence, charges that carry a maximum prison sentence of 17 years.
  
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• Reynoldsburg babysitter faces reducted charges in child's overdose death

  10-06-2016 21:26
  
  Lori Conley, a Reynoldsburg babysitter originally arrested on a murder charge after being accused of killing a toddler with an adult dose of Benadryl, avoided a potential life sentence Friday when she was indicted on lesser charges. A Franklin County grand jury instead indicted Conley, 43, on charges of involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and tampering with evidence, charges that carry a maximum prison sentence of 17 years.
  
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• Accused killer knew he was shooting at officers, prosecutor says

  10-06-2016 20:55
  
  A man accused of killing a Columbus Police SWAT officer pleaded not guilty this morning in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Lincoln Rutledge, 44, faces the death penalty in the death of Officer Steven Smith.
  
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• Babysitter indicted in child’s lethal Benadryl overdose

  10-06-2016 20:40
  
  A grand jury returned an indictment Friday against Lori Conley, 43 in the death of Haddix Mulkey at her Reynoldsburg home last month.
  
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• Gawker Media files for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

  10-06-2016 20:15
  
  Gawker Media has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, about three months after pro wrestler Hulk Hogan won a $140 million lawsuit against the online gossip and news publisher.
  
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• Gawker files for bankruptcy, to sell itself to Ziff Davis

  10-06-2016 20:15
  
  Gawker Media has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, about three months after pro wrestler Hulk Hogan won a $140 million lawsuit against the online gossip and news publisher.
  
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• Bank executive named to fill Gahanna school board seat

  10-06-2016 20:11
  
  A local bank executive was appointed to the Gahanna-Jefferson Board of Education on Thursday night, beating out 19 other applicants, including two former board members. Joe Gottron, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Heartland Bank, will finish out the term started by board Vice President Jill Schuler. Schuler resigned on May 24, citing increased work and family obligations.
  
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• Officials: Ohio rapper drunk in wrong-way crash that killed 3

  10-06-2016 20:01
  
  30-year-old Kory Wilson who goes by the stage name "Kalyko" had a blood alcohol content of .209 when he crashed an SUV into a Fairfield couple's car last April
  
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• Franklinton Mixed-Use Development Proposal Receives Updates

  10-06-2016 19:23
  
  Changes have been been made to the large mixed-use development planned for the former Riverside-Bradley public housing site in East Franklinton. The first phase of the project will now include 230 apartments, over 36,000 square feet of office and retail space, and a 290-space parking garage. The layout of the development has also been altered, […]
  
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• Ohio school district sues Obama admin over student’s access to bathrooms of opposite sex

  10-06-2016 19:14
  
  The Highland Local School District is suing the Education and Justice departments because it has threatened funding amid the so-called transgender bathroom debate.
  
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• Children’s Hospital Plans Seven More Buildings for Main Campus Expansion

  10-06-2016 18:25
  
  Representatives from Nationwide Children’s Hospital today unveiled Phase II of their Master Facilities Plan, which features the addition of seven more buildings to their rapidly expanding main campus located just southeast of Downtown Columbus. “We have met the promises we made ten years ago to the community to build upon the tremendous success Nationwide Children’s […]
  
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• Ex-chess teacher testifies in sex abuse trial

  10-06-2016 18:04
  
  DELAWARE — The case should terrify those who work with young children and fear being accused of inappropriate contact with them, defense attorneys say. Prosecutors counter that parents, rightfully, should fear authority figures who may prey upon their children. F. Leon Wilson, a long-time chess teacher, was accused of fondling two girls, 4 and 7, in early 2015 at Prep School Academy in the Polaris area and Maryland Avenue Elementary School in Bexley. He was the last to testify Friday in hi
  
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• The List: Top 20 Fastest Growing Columbus Suburbs

  10-06-2016 17:59
  
  We regularly hear reports about how rapidly both the city of Columbus and the Central Ohio region are growing, but rarely do we see a deeper dive into what that means for our suburbs and other regional cities. Local information analysis site AllColumbusData.com recently published a report on the mid-decade 2015 US Census Estimates, which revealed […]
  
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• Nationwide Children’s Hospital undergoes $730M expansion

  10-06-2016 17:57
  
  The approximate $730 million investment will accommodate growth of Nationwide Children’s;America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare network.
  
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• Strawberries!

  10-06-2016 17:56
  
  Did you get out to pick some strawberries? There’s still time! These delicious berries came from Hann Farms. The Columbus Foundation is working to capture The Spirit of Columbus through images that showcase the determination, dedication, and commitment of people in our smart + open community. Be sure to check out columbusfoundation.org and follow along on Facebook as we continue to […]
  
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• Two sobriety checkpoints planned tonight in Franklin Co.

  10-06-2016 17:30
  
  The Franklin County DUI Task Force and Columbus police will hold separate checkpoints tonight around Columbus.
  
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• Sobriety checkpoint planned tonight in Franklin Co.

  10-06-2016 17:30
  
  The Franklin County DUI Task Force says members will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint Friday night.
  
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• Jury finds F. Leon Wilson guilty on two of three counts in sex abuse trial

  10-06-2016 17:25
  
  The judge granted the defense's request of continuing bond for Wilson until sentencing.
  
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• Jury deliberating in F. Leon Wilson's sex abuse trial

  10-06-2016 17:25
  
  In closing, defense attorney Brad Koffel reminded the jury the seriousness of the charges against Wilson, which are three counts of gross sexual imposition.
  
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• Defense rests in F. Leon Wilson's sex abuse trial

  10-06-2016 17:25
  
  Wilson himself took the stand in his own defense Friday morning. He proclaimed his innocence and gave a detailed description of how he interacts with his students while teaching chess
  
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• Lancaster mayor indicted on tax charges

  10-06-2016 17:23
  
  LANCASTER — Lancaster Mayor Brian S. Kuhn has been indicted on two counts of failure to file state income tax returns, according to those who have seen the indictment. The charges are fifth-degree felonies punishable by a maximum of one year in prison per count.
  
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• SW Ohio woman admits to trafficking daughter, 11, for heroin

  10-06-2016 17:11
  
  Prosecutors say she also gave the girl heroin numerous times as a reward and the drug always made her vomit.
  
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• What you should know before heading to urgent care centers

  10-06-2016 17:02
  
  Urgent Care Centers are all about access: providing the public with walk-in health care, especially when you cannot see your regular doctor.
  
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• Nationwide Children's announces major expansion, behavioral health center

  10-06-2016 16:30
  
  Nationwide Children's Hospital officials announced a massive expansion today that will cost $730 million and transform the patch of campus west of Parsons Avenue. The plans detailed today include some previously announced projects that already are under construction. But perhaps the most lauded — and most surprising — piece of the plan is the Behavioral Health Pavilion, a comprehensive center devoted to mental-health care for children and adolescents. Few cities have centers that com
  
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• Evening forecast: Lingering clouds; low 67

  10-06-2016 16:29
  
  Looks like a hot one tomorrow ahead of a cold front that will move across the state Saturday night into Sunday.
  
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• Afternoon Forecast: Chance for scattered storms; high 84

  10-06-2016 16:29
  
  Heating up today as a warm front moves north of the region, bringing a chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms
  
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• Man accused of killing police officer pleads not guilty

  10-06-2016 16:26
  
  A man accused of killing a Columbus Police SWAT officer pleaded not guilty this morning in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Lincoln Rutledge, 44, faces the death penalty in the death of Officer Steven Smith.
  
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• Ohio’s Own: Formula O2

  10-06-2016 16:25
  
  The capitol city’s very own Formula O2 made its debut a couple of years ago in 2014 at the Arnold Sports Festival. Being a long-time detractor of hyped restorative or energy drinks like Gatorade and Rockstar, it was easy to ignore the new beverage. But eventually, curiosity sets in. It turns out that Formula O2 […]
  
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• Mayor of Lancaster indicted for failure to file taxes

  10-06-2016 16:16
  
  Mayor Brian Kuhn was charged with two felony counts of failure to file state income taxes in 2014 and 2015.
  
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• Lancaster mayor indicted 4 days after wife convicted on money laundering charges

  10-06-2016 16:16
  
  Mayor Brian Kuhn was charged with two felony counts of failure to file state income taxes in 2014 and 2015.
  
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• 42 Choreographers Perform Chain of Dances in Exquisite Corps

  10-06-2016 16:00
  
  “Exquisite Corpse” is the practice (or game) that finds one artist or writer (or player) picking up where the previous one left off. I write and pass it to you and you have only my last words as a jumping off point, or you draw and fold the paper over and pass it to me […]
  
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• Hockey legend Gordie Howe dies at 88

  10-06-2016 15:42
  
  Hockey Hall of Famer Gordie Howe died Friday morning in Ohio.
  
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• Sequels and CGI This Week in Theaters

  10-06-2016 15:30
  
  Sequels and video game movies…sigh. Oh, June. You used to offer so much more! There are some interesting indies opening in town this weekend, and hey, you can still check out The Lobster! The Conjuring 2 The thing that made James Wan’s 2013 ghost story The Conjuring so effective – more than the solid cast, […]
  
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• Harmony’s #MartinMoment

  10-06-2016 15:26
  
  Harmony Project continues to inspire crowds and unite our community for the benefit of all! Their tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “You Are The Voice,” challenged our community to increase volunteer service by asking everyone to create a#MartinMoment of our own by volunteering for local organizations. When you serve, share your story on social […]
  
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• Suspect caught in southwest Ohio apartment complex shooting; 2 injured

  10-06-2016 14:41
  
  DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A suspect is in custody in a shooting at an Ohio apartment complex that left a sheriff's deputy and another person wounded, officials said early Friday.
  
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• Best Bites BBQ Preview: Smokehouse Brewing

  10-06-2016 14:30
  
  Not only will you be able to taste beers from Smoke Brewing Company and Commonhouse Ales at Best Bites: Barbecue on June 23rd… you’ll be able to sample the restaurant’s BBQ offerings as well! Executive Chef Mark Schram has whipped up a smoked pork shoulder dish that sits atop a corncake and is garnished with a jicama-radish slaw and an […]
  
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• No arrests yet in 5th Avenue shooting

  10-06-2016 13:30
  
  Columbus police have made no arrests in Wednesday's shooting at an East 5th Avenue carryout that killed one man and wounded two others. Police identified the man who died as Tommie E. Brown, 21, of North Linden.
  
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• Conservative takes former Speaker Boehner's House seat

  10-06-2016 13:13
  
  WASHINGTON — Republican Warren Davidson was sworn into the House on Thursday to take former House Speaker John Boehner’s long-held seat, elected with the backing of the same conservatives who helped drive Boehner from Congress. Davidson, 46, a former Army Ranger and businessman, became a cause celebre for conservative groups who craved the symbolic triumph of capturing Boehner’s old district in southwestern Ohio.
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: It's not 'a very good choice' between Trump, Clinton, Kasich says

  10-06-2016 13:03
  
  During an interview on Fox News Thursday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who dropped out of the presidential race last month, said he’s not sure he will ever support presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, Dispatch Washington reporter Jessica Wehrman writes.
  
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• Columbus Arts Festival gets underway in downtown Columbus

  10-06-2016 12:56
  
  Annual festival held this weekend along the downtown riverfront. Find out more.
  
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• Ohio first to allow savings accounts for the disabled offering tax breaks

  10-06-2016 12:22
  
  Families of disabled people have a new tax-advantaged tool to help them save money for care without risking eligibility in programs such as Medicaid and Social Security.
  
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• Athens County woman undergoes surgery to stop hearing her heartbeat in her head

  10-06-2016 12:09
  
  The last sound Effie Douglass heard before drifting into a deep, anesthetic sleep Tuesday in an operating room at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center was the rhythm of her heartbeat in her head — the same thump, thump, thump she's endured for more than two years. It's the last thing she wanted to hear. Ever again.
  
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• Sobriety checkpoint planned for tonight in Upper Arlington

  10-06-2016 12:08
  
  The Franklin County DUI Task Force announced that it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint tonight in Upper Arlington.
  
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• State checking toxic algae levels in Buckeye Lake

  10-06-2016 12:07
  
  BUCKEYE LAKE — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is testing the water quality at boat ramps and docks at Buckeye Lake after other state tests showed high levels of algae toxins there. ODNR hadn’t performed recreational water quality testing at the lake since early last year, when the beaches were closed amid construction of a new dam. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has been testing the water, but that hasn’t been for recreational purposes, spokeswoman Heidi Gri
  
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• New Franklin County morgue to replace Frank Road school

  10-06-2016 12:03
  
  Franklin County’s new morgue and forensic science center will be built on the site of a former elementary school in the southwestern part of the county. A county consultant recommended that commissioners build the $31 million center at 2090 Frank Road, a 10-acre property Franklin County acquired in a land swap with South-Western schools in 2014. The district used that school as a “swing space” this year while it built another elementary school.
  
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• Q&A | Worthington mathematics Ph.D discusses being a Muslim woman in central Ohio

  10-06-2016 11:59
  
  Nimet Alpay, a native of Ankara, Turkey, moved to the United States about 20 years ago, on a scholarship to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in mathematics at Michigan State University. The 43-year-old Worthington resident who says she "always was raised to be a strong, independent woman," is now a U.S. citizen and lead faculty member of mathematics and statistics at Franklin University. Here are her answers to some questions from The Dispatch.
  
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• Eminent domain can be used by school districts, but that's rare

  10-06-2016 11:56
  
  Dublin City Schools gave notice last week that they intend to use eminent domain to take a vacant office building on Dublin's Emerald Parkway. It would be used for a nontraditional high school such as a career tech or STEM program. It might come as a surprise that school districts have that kind of power. The words eminent domain bring to mind states and cities taking private land to build a road or install a sewer.
  
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