Columbus news

• Mayor Ginther Responds to Indictment of Andrew Mitchell

  04-04-2019 23:37 via youtube.com
  
  
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• Former Columbus vice officer indicted in the shooting death of Donna Castleberry

  04-04-2019 23:37
  COLUMBUS— A Franklin County grand jury has indicted former Columbus Division of Police Vice Officer Andrew Mitchell.Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien speaks on the indictment:The grand jury met over the past two days to consider evidence regarding the fatal officer-involved shooting of Donna Castleberry during an alleged prostitution sting.Mitchell has been charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter.At the time of the shooting, Columbus Police said that Castleberry pulled a knif
  
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• Rhoden family murder suspect Jake Wagner faces judge wearing stun vest

  04-04-2019 23:12
  One of four family members accused of murdering eight people in Pike County in April of 2016 faced a judge Thursday afternoon.Jake Wagner appeared in court wearing street clothes rather than a jail jumpsuit. The defendant was also free of handcuffs and leg restraints. However, the Pike County Sheriff's Office said Wagner is wearing a vest concealed beneath his clothing that is capable of delivering a powerful jolt.The court granted a request for Wagner to appear in non-visible restraints, so as
  
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• I-71 open again near Greenlawn Avenue due to crash involving CPD cruiser

  04-04-2019 23:10
  
  UPDATE: Interstate 71 south is open again in the area of Greenlawn Avenue Thursday evening due to a crash involving a Columbus police cruiser, according to dispatchers.The southbound lanes of the highway from I-70 to S.R. 104 were closed Thursday.Police said the officer was taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition.
  
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• Authorities reject teen's claim that he is Timmothy Pitzen, Illinois boy missing since 2011

  04-04-2019 22:59
  
  CINCINNATI (AP) — A young man's claim to be an Illinois boy who disappeared under tragic circumstances eight years ago was disproved by DNA tests and pronounced a hoax Thursday, dashing hopes that the baffling case had finally been solved.For a day and a half, a breakthrough seemed to be at hand when a young man found wandering the streets of Newport, Kentucky, on Wednesday identified himself as 14-year-old Timmothy Pitzen and told police he had just escaped from two men who had held him c
  
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• Man suspected of shooting Nipsey Hussle charged with murder

  04-04-2019 22:39
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man suspected of killing Nipsey Hussle was charged Thursday with murder and two counts of attempted murder over an attack outside the rapper's South Los Angeles clothing store on Sunday.Los Angeles County prosecutors filed the charges against Eric Holder, 29. Authorities say Holder and Hussle, who knew each other, had several conversations Sunday outside the rapper's South LA clothing store. They say Holder eventually returned with a handgun and shot Hussle, who was
  
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• Interactive Land Use Map Instructions

  04-04-2019 22:02 via youtube.com
  
  
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• Ohio schools now required to contact parents within 2 hours of child's absence

  04-04-2019 21:53
  
  Starting Friday, schools in Ohio will be required to contact parents within two hours of the start of the school day if their child has been marked absent.Senate Bill 82, also known as Alianna’s Alert, comes after the death of 14-year-old Alianna DeFreeze of Cleveland. In 2017, she was kidnapped while on her way to school, raped and murdered by Christopher Whitaker. He was sentenced to death in March of 2018. Alianna's mother didn’t know she never made it to school until the end of t
  
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• Columbus city shuts down 2 suspected drug houses

  04-04-2019 21:25
  
  COLUMBUS — The City of Columbus has shut down two suspected drug houses in the city’s west and east side, according to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.The city shut down one residence at 674 South Oakley Ave. in the city’s west side and at 644 Fairwood Ave. in the South of Main neighborhood Thursday morning. Columbus police removed occupants upon arrival.Court documents say Columbus police responded to the South Oakley Avenue residence since early 2017 on reports of drug deal
  
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• More than 750,000 could lose food stamps under Trump proposal

  04-04-2019 21:09
  
  Thousands of families could have a tough time filling their food pantries under a White House proposal.The Trump administration wants to limit the ability of states to waive current employment requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.That’s the program that gives low-income families financial assistance to buy food.According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 750,000 people could lose their benefits under the administration’s plan.A researcher told a Ho
  
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• Kroger begins to eliminate single-use plastic bags

  04-04-2019 20:43
  
  Kroger announced it will phase out single-use plastic bags and transition to reusable bags by 2025.It's part of their Zero Hunger, Zero Waste program."With Earth Day approaching, we realized this was the perfect opportunity to accelerate the removal of single-use plastic in our stores and take the next bold step in our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste journey," said Suzy Monford, president of QFC. "We listen closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns about use
  
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• Hard Hat Tour: 800 North High

  04-04-2019 20:40
  800 North High, the 10-story building rising in the Short North spot where the Haiku restaurant once stood, is on track for a late September opening. A team from Crawford Hoying, the developer of the project, recently gave Columbus Underground a hard hat tour of the project. The Moody Nolan-designed building will feature office space […]
  
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• More Restrictions Added to Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill

  04-04-2019 20:29
  Ohio’s proposed “heartbeat bill” (SB 23) just got a bit stricter. As passed by an Ohio House committee this Tuesday, the new version of the six-week abortion ban would impose steep fines on abortion providers and promote the use of an invasive transvaginal ultrasound procedure. The House Health Committee has amended SB 23 to allow […]
  
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• Mega Weekend – Baseball, Art Fair, Fool’s Parade, & More

  04-04-2019 20:00
  Here’s to the weekend! Here’s a rundown of things to help you answer that ‘what should I do this weekend’ question. Get entered to win tickets to: MGMT, Chase Rice, Foals, Hunter Hayes, and Ohio Sports. More state fair concerts go on sale Friday. Take a look at some top picks for the weekend and find links […]
  
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• 21 dogs involved in suspected dogfighting ring rescued from Columbus home

  04-04-2019 19:56
  
  Twenty-one dogs were removed from a home in west Columbus Thursday morning as part of an arrest in a suspected dogfighting ring.According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, 13 pit bulls, seven puppies and one Yorkshire Terrier were taken from the home in the 700 block of Dexter Avenue.Authorities also found one dead dog and narcotics.The sheriff’s office said they were originally investigating German Sanchez for drugs when they discovered he was involved in dogfighting.The dogs
  
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• Crimson Cup to Release First Canned Cold Brew Next Week

  04-04-2019 19:49
  Locally-based and award-winning Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is diving into cold brew. Their new Canned Cold Brew coffee, made with direct trade beans, debuts Tuesday, April 9. Crimson Cup’s cold brew release features their Finca El Cadejo coffee, sourced through their Friend2Farmer direct trade program. The beans, grown on a small farm in the […]
  
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• Crimson Cup Dives into Cold Brew

  04-04-2019 19:49
  Locally-based and award-winning Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is diving into cold brew. Their new Canned Cold Brew coffee, made with direct trade beans, debuts Tuesday, April 9. Crimson Cup’s cold brew release features their Finca El Cadejo coffee, sourced through their Friend2Farmer direct trade program. The beans, grown on a small farm in the […]
  
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• 7 Ohio men plead guilty to charges related to sexually abusing children, creating child pornography

  04-04-2019 19:28
  
  Seven men in Ohio have pleaded guilty to crimes related to the sexual abuse of two 10-year-old girls and making child pornography.William G. Weekley, Timothy F. Sullivan, Franklin Eugene Perry and Brian Perkins were indicted in August 2018 for producing child pornography and abusing one girl.According to the Department of Justice, three additional defendants were discovered during the investigation of Weekley.Grant Michalski, Eric Zeverly and Jordan I. Makowski were each charged in separate case
  
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• Weapon found at Hilltonia Middle School

  04-04-2019 18:25
  
  A Columbus school was on a brief lockdown after students reported they saw someone with a weapon.Columbus police were called to Hilltonia Middle School Thursday morning and found the weapon.Columbus City Schools said there will be disciplinary action for the student.Police will determine if any charges will be filed.
  
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• Police: Handguns found at 2 Columbus schools, juveniles charged

  04-04-2019 18:25
  
  Handguns have been recovered at two Columbus schools and students in each case have been charged, according to police.An 11-year-old student at Hilltonia Middle School was taken into custody charged after police found an unloaded gun was found in a locker at the school Thursday.Staff at the school told Columbus police they had received information from a student concerning a gun inside the building.Delinquent charges were forwarded to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office against the stu
  
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• Police: Handgun found in Hilltonia Middle School student's locker

  04-04-2019 18:25
  
  An 11-year-old student at Hilltonia Middle School has been charged after police found a gun at the school Thursday.Staff at the school told Columbus police they had received information from a student concerning a gun inside the building.An unloaded handgun was found in a student’s locker. The student was taken into custody.Delinquent charges were forwarded to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office against the student.The firearm was not reported as stolen at the time of recovery.
  
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• House Democrats ask IRS to provide Trump's tax returns

  04-04-2019 18:11
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee chairman formally asked the IRS to provide six years of President Donald Trump's personal tax returns and the returns for some of his businesses as Democrats try to shed light on his complex financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest.The request by Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, who heads the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, is the first such demand for a sitting president's tax information in 45 years. The unprecedented move is
  
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• Tim Ryan, Ohio Democrat and congressman, launches presidential bid

  04-04-2019 17:33
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio congressman Tim Ryan says he's running for president.The 45-year-old announced his 2020 Democratic primary bid Thursday on ABC's "The View." He plans an official kickoff rally in downtown Youngstown Saturday, where a big turnout by organized labor is expected.Ryan, a political moderate from Niles, made an unsuccessful bid to replace Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader in 2016.Ryan represents the district formerly held by the late Democratic Rep. Jim Traficant
  
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• Nationwide CEO to retire after 10 years

  04-04-2019 17:09
  COLUMBUS -- Nationwide Chief Executive Officer Steve Rasmussen announced Thursday that he plans to retire effective October 1, 2019.Nationwide says its board of directors is conducting a search for a successor with the support of an independent CEO succession advisor. Rasmussen will continue to be available through the end of this year to ensure a smooth transition."Rasmussen has had a 45-year career at the Nationwide family of companies," according to a news release. "Prior to being named CEO o
  
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• Shop Talk: Leander Boutique Offers Women’s Fashion in Canal Winchester

  04-04-2019 17:00
  Leander Boutique, located at 9 S. High St., is in the heart of the Canal Winchester Shopping District. Owned by Amanda Lea Kitchen, the shop carries women’s fashion for all ages. Kitchen graduated from Kent State with a degree in fashion. She worked in retail for eight years and she said she loved helping women […]
  
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• Ohio state representative accused of OVI pleads guilty to lesser charge

  04-04-2019 16:47
  An Ohio lawmaker has pleaded guilty to having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence.State Representative Sedrick Denson was arrested in Columbus on March 29 around 2:45 a.m. after being pulled over by an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper.OSHP said the trooper smelled alcohol on Denson and asked him to step out of his car.Despite Denson saying he doesn't take medication, the criminal complaint says the trooper found one Adderall pill in a plastic bag.The trooper put Denson throu
  
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• Ohio lawmaker accused of drunk driving pleads guilty to reduced charge

  04-04-2019 16:47
  An Ohio lawmaker has pleaded guilty to having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence.State Representative Sedrick Denson was arrested in Columbus on March 29 around 2:45 a.m. after being pulled over by an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper.Their conversation was also captured on cruiser camera:Trooper: "Where you heading in a hurry?"
  Denson: "Not in a hurry. I'm a state representative here."
  Trooper: "Okay. You did pass me like I was sitting still."
  Denson: "Okay."
  Trooper: "Are
  
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• Treat to Try: Legacy Smokehouse Bread Pudding

  04-04-2019 16:00
  Bread Pudding has always come across like a Cinderella story in the dessert scene. First, it’s not chocolate, so that makes it an automatic underdog. Moreover, traditional recipes for bread pudding call for ingredients that may include leftover or stale bread as its foundation. While odd-sounding, older bread tends to be dryer, so it’s better […]
  
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• Target raises its minimum wage to $13 from $12

  04-04-2019 15:07
  
  NEW YORK — Target is raising the minimum hourly wage for its workers for the third time in less than two years.The discounter said Thursday it plans to raise the hourly starting wage to $13 from $12 in June.The Minneapolis-based retailer announced in 2017 a plan to raise its starting hourly wages for workers to $15 by the end of 2020 and raised its starting hourly wage to $11. In March 2018, it boosted hourly wages to $12 after seeing a bigger and better pool of candidates.With unemploymen
  
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• Police: Man arrested after carjacking woman at Walmart in Newark

  04-04-2019 14:51
  
  NEWARK - Newark police have arrested a man after he carjacked a woman in a Walmart parking lot in Newark.It happened around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday when officers were dispatched to a report of a robbery on North 21st Street.The woman told police she was getting out of her car when she was approached by a man wearing a bandana over his face to conceal his identity.The woman said he demanded her car keys and kept his hands tucked under his sweatshirt implying that he had a weapon.She then gave him he
  
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• 2 flown to local hospitals after being stabbed in Newark

  04-04-2019 14:23
  
  NEWARK - The Newark Division of Police is investigating after two people were stabbed Tuesday night.It happened just before 10:10 p.m. when police were advised that a 26-year-old man was stabbed. A short time later they were advised that a 50-year-old man was also stabbed in the area of West Main Street and North 28th Street.After further investigation, police were able to link both victims and determine they did not stab each other.The 26-year-old was flown to The Ohio State University Wexner M
  
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• 4 Tips to Turn Your Passion into Profit

  04-04-2019 14:00
  As the saying goes, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.” If you don’t think you can pursue your dreams and get paid for it, think again. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And if you want to turn your passion into a paycheck, now is the time […]
  
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• Chicago to sue Jussie Smollett after he refuses to pay $130K

  04-04-2019 12:39
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — Jussie Smollett has refused to pay more than $130,000 to reimburse Chicago investigative costs and the city said Thursday it will sue the "Empire" actor for the money as reimbursement for investigating what officials say was phony racist, anti-gay attack that Smollett staged.Mayor Rahm Emanuel's law chief sent Smollett a March 28 letter demanding he pay $130,106 — plus 15 cents — within seven days.The City Law Department said in a Thursday statement that Smollett
  
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• Jury finds family of 8 died by murder-suicide in cliff crash

  04-04-2019 12:32
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A special coroner's jury in California ruled the deaths of two women and their six adopted children was a murder-suicide after hearing testimony that one of the women had searched death by drowning online and the other deliberately stepped on the gas, sending their SUV plunging off a cliff.Jurors deliberated for about an hour Thursday before returning the unanimous verdicts that Jennifer and Sarah Hart killed themselves on March 26, 2018, in Mendocino County. The jury
  
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• Preliminary report says Ethiopia crew followed Boeing rules

  04-04-2019 10:41
  
  ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - The preliminary report of the data from the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed last month states that the flight crew performed all procedures from Boeing but could not control the jet.Ethiopia's Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges made the announcement at a press conference Thursday citing data from the doomed plane's recorders.The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet crashed on March 10 shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. It was the second crash of
  
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• Maryland approves raising age to 21 to buy tobacco

  04-04-2019 04:38
  
  ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland General Assembly has approved a bill to raise the age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.The House of Delegates voted 101-35 on Wednesday to send the measure to Gov. Larry Hogan. The Maryland House agreed to a change made by the Senate to allow an exception for active-duty members of the military. Under the bill, people who are 18 and can show military identification would still be able to buy tobacco in Maryland.The measure includes electronic smoking devices.
  
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• Man raising money to pay off unpaid school lunches

  04-04-2019 04:26
  Tyler McCarty is passionate about his bike.“My bike is an older Harley, an old iron head,” said McCarty.He's even more passionate about making sure students can eat school lunch.“No one should feel like that, no one should fear the lunch bill,” McCarty said.For McCarty, it’s personal.“I remember what it was like to hit negative $13 and go to the lunchroom with no money. Once you go there with no money they give you a cheese sandwich and a cup of applesauce.It'
  
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• Police: Male body pulled from Scioto River in south Columbus

  04-04-2019 04:15
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio - A male body was pulled from the Scioto River Wednesday.According to Columbus Police, dispatchers received a call at 5:44 p.m. to respond toScioto Boulevard and Greenlawn Avenue in south Columbus.Dispatchers say the male body was removed from the river and first responders pronounced him dead on the scene at 5:53 p.m.It is unclear how long he was in the water or how he got into the water.Detectives are working to figure out who the male is and how he died.Police have not released
  
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• State trooper killed by wheel that came off logging truck

  04-04-2019 04:01
  
  HAMPDEN, Maine (AP) — A Maine police detective was fatally injured on Interstate 95 Wednesday when a wheel came loose from a logging truck and struck him as he was attending to a disabled vehicle, state officials said.Detective Benjamin Campbell, 31, was out of his vehicle Wednesday morning when two wheels separated from the truck, which was driving past, Maine State Police said. Campbell, who had been a member of the Maine State Police for about seven years, was in the breakdown lane when
  
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• Biden: I'll be more mindful of respecting personal space

  04-04-2019 03:43
  
  Former Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged Wednesday that his tendency toward physical displays of affection and encouragement has made some women uncomfortable, and he promised to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space."Social norms have begun to change. They've shifted," the 76-year-old Biden said in a cellphone video posted to Twitter . "And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it. I hear what they are saying. I understand."Wearing a
  
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• Boy in Ohio says he is Illinois boy who was kidnapped 7 years ago

  04-04-2019 03:35
  
  14-year-old boy who said he escaped from two kidnappers in Ohio told authorities he is from Illinois, where he went missing nearly eight years ago when his mother apparently took her own life.Police in suburban Cincinnati's Sharonville wrote in a short incident report that the teen said Wednesday morning that he had "just escaped from two kidnappers" he described as white men with body builder-type physiques. They were in a Ford SUV with Wisconsin license plates and had been staying at a Red Roo
  
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• Licking Heights Superintendent speaks after three vaping incidents in three months

  04-04-2019 02:08
  LICKING COUNTY, Ohio - Licking Heights Local Schools has had a trying few months.In February, two high school students were hospitalized. In late March, two staff members at the middle school were taken to the hospital. Earlier this week, students reported being sick on a school bus. Each of these incidents has one common denominator: vaping.Superintendent Dr. Philip Wagner says the first incident involved some level of THC, a derivative of marijuana. The second contained high levels of nicotine
  
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• Police investigating after woman found dead in vehicle

  04-04-2019 01:54
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Authorities are investigating after a woman was found dead in a vehicle.According to Columbus Police, the body of 61-year-old woman was discovered inside a car at the Columbus Police Impound Lot Monday.Authorities say while investigating a missing person report for Falyce Yuill, detectives learned her car had been impounded.While checking Yuill's car at the Impound Lot they located her body inside.According to police, the body shows no visible signs of trauma or foul play. It i
  
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• Police investigating after woman found dead in trunk of car

  04-04-2019 01:54
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Authorities are investigating after a woman was found dead in the trunk of a car.According to Columbus Police, the body of 61-year-old woman was discovered inside a car at the Columbus Police Impound Lot Monday.Authorities say while investigating a missing person report for Falyce Yuill, detectives learned her car had been impounded.While checking Yuill's car at the Impound Lot they located her body inside.According to police, the body shows no visible signs of trauma or foul p
  
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• Columbus City Council Finance Committee Hearing 4/3/2019

  04-04-2019 01:29 via youtube.com
  
  
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• Grand jury expected to weigh shooting involving former vice officer Andrew Mitchell

  04-04-2019 00:58
  COLUMBUS – A Franklin County grand jury was expected to meet Wednesday and Thursday to weigh evidence related to an officer-involved shooting involving former vice officer Andrew Mitchell.Traditionally, grand jury proceedings are kept secret.But given the prominence of the story and scandal surrounding Mitchell, both the Franklin County prosecutor’s office and Mitchell’s attorney, Mark Collins, acknowledged that the grand jury was meeting this week to discuss the case.Mitchell
  
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• Gov. DeWine OKs gas, diesel tax increase to repair roads

  04-04-2019 00:55
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a transportation budget that increases Ohio's tax on gas by 10.5 cents a gallon and the tax on diesel fuel by 19 cents to maintain deteriorating roads and bridges.DeWine signed the bill Wednesday, a day after lawmakers finished negotiations and passed it.The new tax rates start July 1. The increases mean Ohioans will pay a state tax rate of 38.5 cents per gallon on gas and 47 cents a gallon on diesel fuel.DeWine declined to veto
  
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• Celine Dion announces new tour, playing Columbus in October

  04-04-2019 00:47
  
  Celine Dion has announced a 50-city tour beginning this fall.The “Courage World Tour” is her first tour in over 10 years.The tour includes a concert at the Schottenstein Center on Sunday, October 20.Tickets go on sale Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. at the Schottenstein Center box office and ticketmaster.com.All online ticket orders come with one CD copy of Celine's new album, scheduled for release this fall.
  
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• Hilliard area massage parlor shuttered after allegations of prostitution, human trafficking

  04-04-2019 00:21
  
  The Columbus City Attorney and Franklin County Sheriff announced their offices worked together to shut down a massage parlor that investigators say was a front for illegal sex acts.A months-long investigation revealed a pattern of prostitution at Sunflower Asian Spa in a Hilliard area strip mall.In a raid around 3 p.m. Wednesday, city and county agents evacuated the premises and boarding it up.Representatives from Asian American Community Services were onsite to assist any of the workers who wer
  
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• Report: Westland High School assistant principal cleared of physical force claim

  04-04-2019 00:07
  
  The investigation into Westland High School Assistant Principal found no wrongdoing in allegations of abuse of force.Last month, video on social media shows Assistant Principal Jason Weese removing a student by force in the cafeteria. The accusation was Weese used psychical harm against the student.South-Western City School District completed their investigation Wednesday. The investigator determined based upon the evidence that Weese's action can be substantiated. He applied a reasonable amount
  
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