Columbus news

• Eye in the Sky: NASA to launch new weather satellite

  16-11-2016 23:56
  
  In just a few days the latest tool in weather forecasting is set to hit the skies.It’s called the GOES-R satellite. GOES stands for Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite which is a bit of a mouthful.
  In layman’s terms, a geostationary satellite (there are hundreds of them orbiting the Earth) is one that stays over a fixed position at the surface and remains stationary with respect to the ground.
  Geostationary weather satellites capture images of clouds over the Earth (among
  
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• School districts concerned over new graduation requirements

  16-11-2016 23:41
  A large number of Ohio high school students are in jeopardy of not graduating next school year, according to school leaders.New graduation tests are raising concern among central Ohio educators.In the past, students had to pass the Ohio graduation tests, also known as the OGT.The state is now replacing those with seven end of course exams that begin with the class of 2018.Some teachers said they feel they only teach to tests.“In all honesty, yes, we don’t have time for anything else,
  
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• Man who died after police chase into Delaware County shot himself

  16-11-2016 23:20
  
  A motorist who died Monday night following a high-speed chase that ended in Delaware County shot himself in the head, according to preliminary autopsy results released today. The Delaware County coroner’s office identified the man as Omar Alshammary, 26, of Dublin.
  
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• Package delivery drivers going extra mile to protect holiday gifts from thieves

  16-11-2016 23:08
  InsuranceQuotes.com reports 23 million Americans had packages stolen from their homes last year. In Columbus, UPS delivery driver William Hall always keeps his eyes on the road and his head on a swivel."You do it so much and you're so aware of things it becomes a part of what you do," said Hall.The National Retail Federation estimates in 2016, more than 56 percent of holiday shoppers plan to make their purchases online.UPS said by mid-December the company will be delivering more than 60-thousand
  
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• My Very Own Blanket opens gift shop to help kids in need

  16-11-2016 23:08
  An organization that gives blankets to foster care children, opened a gift shop Wednesday.“We want to give love back to them through this blanket,” Jessica Hollins said.Jessica Hollins started “My Very Own Blanket” in 1999 in Westerville, Ohio.“They have to go through such a tough, tough journey when they are placed into the foster care system,” Hollins said.The goal of her organization is to give children in foster care a sense of security through a personali
  
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• East side Neighborhood House expected to close at year's end

  16-11-2016 22:18
  After more than three decades serving the near east Columbus neighborhood, the Neighborhood House of Atcheson Avenue will close at the end of 2016.
  The house provides free services such as food, medical care, child care, and transportation.
  For 80-year-old Geneva Anthony, Neighborhood House is her sole source of produce.
  "Well it's very important because they have a lot of produce that we can come over and get," she said.
  She lives across the street from the neighborhood house in a low-income ap
  
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• McConnell to lead Senate GOP, Schumer new Democratic leader

  16-11-2016 22:13
  
  Senate Republicans re-elected Mitch McConnell on Wednesday to be majority leader next year while Democrats picked Chuck Schumer to lead them, setting the chief actors as the chamber prepares to push an agenda that will be dominated by Donald Trump and the GOP.McConnell, 74, is a discreet but deadly master of the Senate's legislative chess game. His role will be to steer GOP bills to the desk of a president whose name he barely spoke during a tumultuous campaign in which many Republicans viewed T
  
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• American Airlines passengers sue over plane catching fire in Chicago

  16-11-2016 22:06
  
  A group of American Airlines passengers sued the company after their plane caught fire right before it took off from Chicago to Miami, CBS Miami station WFOR-TV reports.“People were terrified. People were climbing over seats. People were just trying to get out because they were afraid that this thing could blow before they could make it out of there,” said attorney Alexandra Wisner, who is representing 18 passengers.The group isn’t only suing American Airlines but has also incl
  
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• New Sports Stadium to be Constructed in Obetz

  16-11-2016 21:58
  
  Representatives from The Village of Obetz and two local sports teams will be making an official announcement tomorrow morning about the development and construction of “Fortress Field,” a new multi-sport stadium. The new facility will be located at 1851 Williams Road, the former site of the Columbus Motor Speedway, which closed at the end of […]
  
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• GOP accuses Democrats of 'fighting to steal' Ohio Supreme Court election

  16-11-2016 21:39
  
  Ohio Republicans are accusing Democrats of "fighting to steal" a close election for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. Following the Election Day vote count, Republican Pat Fischer held a narrow 24,276-vote or 0.6 percent lead over Democrat John P. O'Donnell. The counting of about 261,000 provisional ballots and late-arriving absentee ballots beginning Friday will determine the final vote count. An automatic recount will be triggered if the result is within 0.25 of a percent, or roughly 10,600 vo
  
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• Coroner: High-speed chase suspect died from self-inflicted gunshot wound

  16-11-2016 21:14
  
  The preliminary cause of death of the man who led police on a multi-county chase has been released.According to Delaware County Coroner Mark A. Hickman, 26-year-old Omar Alshammary died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.Authorities say an Ohio State Highway Patrol officer attempted to pull over Alshammary in Marion County for a traffic stop Monday night.Instead, Alshammary took off in a high-speed chase that ended in Delaware County.Shots were fired during the chase before it ended a
  
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• Delaware County woman who killed DeSales teacher in hit-skip granted early release

  16-11-2016 20:38
  
  A Delaware County woman convicted in the hit-and-run death of a St. Francis DeSales High School teacher in 2013 was granted early release from prison this week, after serving just more than half of her sentence.
  
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• Columbus council considers restrictions on extended-stay hotels

  16-11-2016 20:16
  
  Extended-stay hotels would be prohibited in manufacturing districts if the Columbus City Council approves legislation that will be discussed at a 4:30 p.m. hearing Thursday at City Hall. City officials pursued the legislation after developers began proposing the hotels in manufacturing districts, including those east of Indianola Avenue in Clintonville. Neighbors there have opposed these projects, because developers avoid rezoning – and public meetings and questions about them – and
  
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• Could the Electoral College elect Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump?

  16-11-2016 20:01
  Could the Electoral College elect Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump? Short answer: It's possible, but highly unlikely. Check out this story on AlamogordoNews.com: http://usat.ly/2fwWexJ The electoral college is a part of the Constitution.
  
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• Serial Groper inspired Ohio Senate bill

  16-11-2016 19:51
  
  Ohio State Senator Jim Hughes says 10TV coverage of a serial groper assaulting Columbus women inspired him to write a bill increasing punishment.
  Senate Bill 316 would increase jail sentences if they are repeat offenders. A third conviction for sexual imposition would be elevated to a misdemeanor of the first degree. That would make the repeat offender eligible for a one year jail sentence.
  Ohio State University Police arrested 59-year-old Lonnie Sturdivant for criminal trespass, sexual impositi
  
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• YMCA offers diabetes prevention program

  16-11-2016 19:38
  A year ago, Marisa Sbrana wasn't feeling well and went to the doctor. The word from the doc was diabetes, with outrageous levels."They were shocked, a lot of people, that I wasn't hospitalized, I was that far along,"said Sbrana.Even though plenty of warning signs were there. Sbrana says she has a family history of diabetes, is overweight and over the age of 45 with high blood pressure.So Sbrana made a lifestyle change and joined a free diabetes prevention program at the North YMCA location.It wa
  
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• Gahanna gives tutorials before debut of new Hamilton Road roundabouts

  16-11-2016 19:23
  
  GAHANNA, Ohio -- Before the debut of two new roundabouts on Hamilton Road, the City of Gahanna wants to make sure people are confident navigating the changes.The roundabouts are in the works at Clark State Road and Northeast School. According to the city's website, they're expected to be open by the end of November.The city has provided an interactive tutorial, so people know what to expect once the roundabouts are finished:Starting on Hamilton Road headed north, and ending on Clark State Road h
  
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• Ohio's infant mortality rate rises after dropping in 2014

  16-11-2016 19:14
  
  After hitting a 75-year low in 2014, the infant mortality rate in Ohio ticked up last year. Across the state in 2015, 1,005 babies died before their first birthday, a rate of 7.2 deaths per 1,000 births, according to data released today by the Ohio Department of Health. The department’s goal is a rate of 6.0.
  
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• Ohio troopers return from North Dakota pipeline protest

  16-11-2016 18:41
  
  Thirty-seven Ohio state troopers have returned home after assisting North Dakota officials in handling a pipeline protest near an Native American reservation. The dispatching of the troopers to the protest near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on Oct. 29 prompted unsuccessful requests to Gov. John Kasich to recall the troopers.
  
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• OKC airport victim is father of Kansas City Chiefs player

  16-11-2016 18:20
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY -- A gunman lay in wait outside Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport on Tuesday before shooting and killing a Southwest Airlines employee in a premeditated attack that occurred while hundreds of people waited for flights nearby, police said.Michael Winchester, 52, was shot while walking between a crowded terminal and the airport employee parking area. The unidentified suspect was later found dead in a pickup truck in public parking garage overlooking the scene. Police sa
  
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• Woman, 70, rescued after being trapped for hours after crash

  16-11-2016 18:11
  
  EPPING, N.H. -- A 70-year-old woman was rescued after spending more than eight hours trapped in her car following a rollover crash in New Hampshire.The crash happened around 10 p.m. Monday on state Route 27 in Epping. Fire officials say a passer-by found the vehicle around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The woman, identified as Janis Cathcart, of Somersworth, was conscious and alert when rescuers reached her.She was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital. A spokeswoman said she was in fair condition on Wedne
  
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• Cleveland submits use-of-force policy to judge for approval

  16-11-2016 18:06
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cleveland has submitted a revised use-of-force policy to the federal judge overseeing an agreement on reforming the city's police department.Changing how Cleveland officers use lethal and non-lethal force is a key element in the agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice. The policy was submitted Wednesday to U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. for his approval.The city and DOJ agreed to a court-monitored consent decree in May 2015, after a DOJ investigati
  
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• No-show Nobel: Bob Dylan not coming to Stockholm to get prize

  16-11-2016 18:00
  
  COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Bob Dylan won't be coming to Stockholm to pick up his 2016 Nobel Prize for literature at the Dec. 10 prize ceremony.The Swedish Academy said Wednesday that Dylan told them "he wishes he could receive the prize personally, but other commitments make it unfortunately impossible."The 75-year-old American singer-songwriter was awarded the prize on Oct. 13 "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."The literature prize and five oth
  
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• Minnesota officer charged with manslaughter in Philando Castile death

  16-11-2016 17:53
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota police officer has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the killing of a man in a St. Paul suburb, prosecutors announced Wednesday.St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot Philando Castile, 32, during a July 6 traffic stop in Falcon Heights. The shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, who was with him in the car along with her young daughter. The woman said Castile was shot several times whi
  
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• 'Super Size Me' filmmaker brings restaurant idea to Columbus

  16-11-2016 17:49
  In this Jan. 23, 2016, file photo, filmmakers Morgan Spurlock poses for a portrait to promote the series, "Eagle Huntress", at the Toyota Mirai Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Spurlock, the maker of the documentary film "Super Size Me," is preparing to test out a new fast-food restaurant concept in Columbus.
  
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• Weather Geek: First snow of the season expected this weekend

  16-11-2016 17:21
  
  Get ready for some wild weather across Ohio with unseasonably warm temperatures to end the week followed by our first preview of winter.
  A strong cold front brings rain Saturday and then snow Sunday.
  Snow showers and flurries may fall as far south as the Ohio River.
  Light accumulations of snow are possible in the grassy areas (mainly in northern Ohio) by the time you wake up Sunday morning.
  Weather Resources: Interactive Radar | Hour-by-Hour Forecast | Live Radar
  
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• City Set to Unveil Transportation Recommendations

  16-11-2016 17:19
  
  After a year and a half of public meetings, provocative ideas, and at least one significant delay, the City of Columbus is set to unveil the final recommendations of their Connect Columbus initiative. The draft proposals — which will cover the full range of transportation policies, including new standards for street width, ideas for bike […]
  
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• Carrie Fisher reveals “Star Wars” affair with Harrison Ford

  16-11-2016 16:29
  
  Carrie Fisher has revealed that Princess Leia's romance with Han Solo in "Star Wars" extended off-screen, as well.Fisher tells People magazine that she enjoyed an "intense" affair with co-star Harrison Ford during the filming of the 1977 blockbuster.Fisher was 19 and Ford was 33 and married at the time of what she says was a three-month affair. The actress tells People, "It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend." She says the romance ended when shooting on
  
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• Cuyahoga County GOP candidate who lost Ohio House race says she’s a Democrat

  16-11-2016 16:22
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A member of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party Central Committee who badly lost a race for an Ohio House seat has acknowledged she's actually a Democrat and resigned from the committee to return to the Democratic Party.
  
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• Share Your Thoughts on The Future of The North Market

  16-11-2016 15:42
  
  Two weeks ago, the City of Columbus and the North Market held a public meeting to gather input from the community about the future of the North Market and its surface parking lot, the latter of which is being considered for redevelopment. If you weren’t able to make that meeting, but still want to voice your […]
  
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• Anti-Trump protestor wants charges against his assailant dropped

  16-11-2016 15:42
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• Nationwide protests against Dakota oil pipeline as builder seeks key OK

  16-11-2016 15:39
  CANNON BALL, N.D. -- The company building the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline has asked a federal judge’s permission to circumvent the Obama administration and move ahead with a disputed section of the project in North Dakota. This, as opponents held protests across the country against the pipeline.Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners and a subsidiary asked the court Tuesday to let them lay pipe under a Missouri River reservoir, a plan the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says threatens
  
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• MORPC Searching for New Downtown Offices

  16-11-2016 14:45
  
  The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) announced yesterday evening that the organization is once again looking for a new space to call home. Currently located at 111 Liberty Street in the Brewery District, the organization last explored a relocation to Downtown in 2011, but cancelled those plans in 2012. With a current lease set to expire […]
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: Sherrod Brown says Trump adviser Steve Bannon promoted ‘anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic’ views

  16-11-2016 14:33
  
  Ohio Congressional Democrats have joined the outcry over President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart News executive chairman.
  
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• Robert Mason Launches New Subscription Service

  16-11-2016 14:30
  
  After nearly a year of operations in their new Short North home, Robert Mason is ready to branch out to something new. The local retailer is launching a new subscription box service known as “Robert Loves” this month, aimed at delivering an exciting supply of curated goods to fans of the brick-and-mortar shop. “The Robert […]
  
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• Ohio congressman Tim Ryan, considering challenge to Pelosi, says Democrats must focus on jobs

  16-11-2016 14:15
  
  WASHINGTON — Ohio congressman Tim Ryan says Democrats should get back to economic basics of manufacturing, not veer to its liberal wing in the wake of Republican Donald Trump’s election victory.
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: Sherrod Brown says Steve Bannon promoted 'anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic' views

  16-11-2016 13:24
  
  Ohio Congressional Democrats have joined the outcry over President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart News executive chairman.
  
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• New Franklin County sheriff to focus on communities, end crime patterns early

  16-11-2016 12:58
  
  All Dallas Baldwin wanted was a chance to lead a small police department to showcase his leadership skills after 28 years as a Columbus police officer. Much of his career was in the patrol unit where, as a lieutenant, he supervised 80 officers and nine sergeants. Instead of that small-town chief’s job, though, circumstances, politics and grudges resulted in Baldwin becoming Franklin County sheriff, head of one of the largest law-enforcement operations in Ohio.
  
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• Many outdoor activities banned as fires burn across South

  16-11-2016 12:17
  
  Starting campfires, lighting fireworks and smoking cigarettes are among the outdoor activities being banned across the South as fires burn in forests stressed by drought.Even parking a car off-road is prohibited for fear that a hot tailpipe could ignite dry leaves below.U.S. Forest Service spokesman Adam Rondeau has said the agency is tracking wildfires that have burned a total of 80,000 acres across the South. That includes a north Georgia fire that's burned an area the size of Manhattan.The Te
  
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• Fixing deformed limbs is focus of Nationwide Children’s surgical unit

  16-11-2016 11:56
  
  Kylie Orr winced a few times as she strained to bend her left knee, but mostly she kept a brave face. The 12-year-old Newark girl, recovering from a limb-lengthening surgery to even out her femurs (thigh bones), met with her physical therapist last week at a Nationwide Children’s Hospital Close to Home Center on the East Side.
  
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• Education Insider: Ohio State faculty urged to put mental-health help info on course syllabus

  16-11-2016 11:44
  
  Ohio State University professors who want to make sure that students know how to get help for mental-health problems now have an easy way to do that. On Thursday, the University Senate approved a resolution encouraging all instructors to include a statement about mental-health services on their course syllabus.
  
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• New Franklin County sheriff to focus on communities

  16-11-2016 11:26
  
  All Dallas Baldwin wanted was a chance to lead a small police department to showcase his leadership skills after 28 years as a Columbus police officer. Much of his career was in the patrol unit where, as a lieutenant, he supervised 80 officers and nine sergeants. Instead of that small-town chief’s job, though, circumstances, politics and grudges resulted in Baldwin becoming Franklin County sheriff, head of one of the largest law-enforcement operations in Ohio.
  
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• Obama's alumni-to-be contemplate life after the White House

  16-11-2016 11:21
  
  The Obama administration comes crashing to a halt on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day. And that means an end of employment for about nearly 500 White House staffers who work for President Barack Obama.Hoping to ensure his staffers find decent jobs, Obama and his team have brought in representatives from Facebook, Instagram and other companies to offer insights into the job market. Officials from LinkedIn are helping White House staffers identify ways to market their skills.And Georgetown University, no
  
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• Alliance Data makes it faster to get credit cards

  16-11-2016 11:10
  
  No more slowing down the checkout line while signing up for a store-branded credit card. That’s the aim of Alliance Data Systems’ new, proprietary credit-card-application tools for retailers. Alliance Data, a Columbus-based credit-card services business, recently launched two tools — the I.D. Self-Scan and the first-of-its-kind Frictionless Mobile Credit tool — aimed at saving time and effort for consumers and gaining more credit-card sign-ups for retailers.
  
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• Ohio Senate bill would trim green energy goals

  16-11-2016 11:00
  
  State standards for energy efficiency would get knocked down a few notches in a new version of a controversial measure. The proposal, made public Tuesday, faces the daunting challenges of passing the General Assembly in the few weeks before the session ends, and then overcoming the apparent opposition of Gov. John Kasich.
  
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• Top toys for 2016 holiday season

  16-11-2016 10:10
  As far as holiday jobs go, Marco Gomez might have the best.“That connection, when they grab that toy off the shelf and you can just see the smile and the joy in their eyes, it’s amazing,” Gomez said. “It’s the best part about the job.”His official job title is store manager of the Toys R’ Us on Sawmill Road. His unofficial job title: Santa’s helper.“What really makes my job fun is bringing the experience to the children,” he said.Every
  
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• Ohio State student employee charged with sexual imposition

  16-11-2016 06:16
  
  An Ohio State University student employee has been charged with sexual imposition.According to court documents, Jonathan Leidheiser-Stoddard grabbed the victim by the genitals while on the Oval on the university's campus.Leidheiser-Stoddard is listed as a Ph.D. candidate and graduate student on the university's website.The victim reported the incident to Ohio State University police.Police were able to identify Leidheiser-Stoddard based on the victim's description.An officer spoke with Leidheise
  
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• The 2016 BIG 10TV Toy Drive

  16-11-2016 05:38
  
  WBNS-10TV is teaming up with the Salvation Army, Safe Harbor Retirement Group, City Barbeque and the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Big 10TV Toy Drive, a campaign designed to collect thousands of toys for Columbus-area children and families in need.The Big 10TV Toy Drive supports the Salvation Army’s Christmas Cheer program, a true holiday experience for families that may need a little help this time of year.One week before Christmas, the Salvation Army converts one of the buildings at the
  
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• Washington at Columbus: Quick Takes

  16-11-2016 05:37
  Seriously. He is so good. Someone sign him to a lifetime deal for infinity dollars.
  
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• Ohio State protestor shoved down stairs wants to drop charges

  16-11-2016 05:13
  The man who was pushed down stairs during an anti-Trump protest has asked the prosecutor's office to drop charges against the man who did it.
  Tim Adams says he has seen the video after experiencing being tackled down stairs.
  “I’ve watched it a couple times. I mean it’s hard for me not to watch it because I see it so often on my Facebook newsfeed,” he said.
  Adams is seen on cell phone video speaking to fellow anti-Trump demonstrators in the Ohio State University student un
  
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