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Axios Columbus
Columbus State to expand its health care programs
Columbus State Community College announced a plan yesterday to expand its health care programs, bolstered by a $25 million endowment from OhioHealth. Why it matters: The investment aims to stave off worker shortages for local health care providers and offer area residents more opportunities to pursue high-paying careers. The college...
Franklin County recruiting poll workers for August special election
Franklin County is a few thousand poll workers short of the number needed to run the Aug. 8 special election, but a summer recruitment effort is underway.Why it matters: The whiplash from Statehouse maneuvering — lawmakers eliminated August special elections, then weeks later revived them — has elections officials scrambling.State of play: The Franklin County Board of Elections hopes to hire 5,000 poll workers and, as of last week, had secured just over 50% of that amount, spokesperson Aaron Sellers tells Axios.The county increased its poll worker stipend to attract more sign-ups.Catch up quick: The statewide election will feature a single — but consequential — ballot issue.Voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to raise the passage threshold for future constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%.This change is meant to ward off a proposed amendment for November ballots to protect abortion rights.Details: The voter registration deadline is July 10. Early voting begins the next day.Of note: Franklin County will offer slightly fewer polling locations than usual on Election Day because of summertime conflicts.Check your registration status and polling placeGet more local stories in your inbox with Axios Columbus.
Franklin County recruiting poll workers for August
Franklin County is a few thousand poll workers short of the number needed to run the Aug. 8 special election, but a summer recruitment effort is underway. Why it matters: The whiplash from Statehouse maneuvering — lawmakers eliminated August special elections, then weeks later revived them — has elections officials scrambling.
Amazon Web Services investing $7.8 billion in new data centers
Amazon is the latest tech giant to announce a major expansion in central Ohio.What's happening: Its subsidiary Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $7.8 billion toward expanding its data center operations here over the next handful of years.AWS provides cloud computing and storage to businesses and lately started hosting generative AI systems.Why it matters: This marks the second-biggest private-sector investment in state history, behind only Intel's $20 billion chip plants.The big picture: The Amazon announcement is further proof our region has become a key Midwest tech hub, particularly for data centers.Google and Meta are already building more data centers...
Wexner Medical Center to build "pandemic floor" in new Inpatient Hospital tower
The OSU Wexner Medical Center is building a "pandemic floor" inside its new inpatient hospital tower to better handle a potential wave of patients suffering from infectious diseases.Why it matters: The project shows how medical experts are preparing for future public health emergencies beyond COVID-19.Driving the news: Franklin County commissioners will vote Tuesday on a resolution to invest $3.2 million in federal pandemic relief funds toward the project.Details: The funding would pay for installation of a dedicated exhaust system on one floor of the 1.9-million-square-foot facility set to open in 2026.The hospital could convert the floor into a 60-bed negative pressure unit in case of a future pandemic or other public health need, Wexner Medical Center spokesperson Marti Leitch tells Axios.Flashback: Ohio turned non-medical facilities into emergency surge hospitals early in the pandemic but those were never used and hospitals were overrun with COVID patients more than 18 months later. Andrew Thomas, the chief clinical officer at Wexner Medical Center, helped lead the state's pandemic response and repeatedly expressed concern with hospital overcrowding.
Columbus is barely a footnote in "Arnold" documentary
As you know, Columbus loves Arnold Schwarzenegger so much that a giant statue of him is displayed outside our convention center. Yes but: If you plan to watch Netflix's new "Arnold" documentary to learn more about "The Governator's" love of our city's sports scene and its cream puffs, you'll be disappointed.
Columbus' pickleball pros gear up for next season
You're used to cheering on the Blue Jackets, Clippers and Crew, but there's another pro team in town to root for.Paddling the news: The Columbus Pickleball Club just wrapped up another Major League Pickleball (MLP) season and is ready to start a new one this fall.We finished toward the bottom of the standings, but hope springs eternal.Why it matters: With two pickleball centers and 118 public courts, Columbus is a Midwest powerhouse for America's fastest growing sport.State of play: David Kass of the Pickle & Chill and Doug Ulman, CEO of Pelotonia, formed Columbus' team last year.MLP has 24 coed...
Columbus' pickleball pros gear up for next season
You're used to cheering on the Blue Jackets, Clippers and Crew, but there's another pro team in town to root for. Paddling the news: The Columbus Pickleball Club just wrapped up another Major League Pickleball (MLP) season and is ready to start a new one this fall. We finished toward...
Food Truck Tour: Breakfast at the Commons
👋 Alissa here. I'm definitely not known for being a morning person.But paradoxically, a warm, bacon-filled breakfast — prepared by somebody else, of course — is one of my favorite treats.Driving the news: Our latest Food Truck Tour stop is the Columbus Commons, which hosts a trio of breakfast food trucks every Wednesday morning.That's worth sacrificing an extra hour of sleep, right?What I ate: A burrito from Broke Johnny full of scrambled eggs, bacon, arugula and cheese ($11).The flavor was bacon-heavy (no complaints here!) and it was so filling I could only finish half. They also offer waffles, sandwiches and...
Christopher Columbus statue will be reinstalled in new form
A controversial Christopher Columbus statue is expected to eventually return to public display, while other longstanding city symbols are also being reconsidered.Driving the news: A new "Reimagining Columbus" project will determine how and where the city could tastefully showcase the 1955 statue and promote local diversity through other forms of public art.Why it matters: The effort is meant to fully reckon with the colonialist, violent past of our city's namesake and highlight underrepresented communities from the city's 211-year history.State of play: Many U.S. cities have reevaluated local landmarks honoring Confederates and conquistadors in recent years, a process accelerated by the...
Ohio abortion rate remains below national figures
Note: Includes abortions provided by clinics, private medical offices, hospitals and virtual-only clinics. Data: #WeCount/Society of Family Planning; Chart: Kavya Beheraj and Jacque Schrag/AxiosOhio's abortion rate has remained steadily below the national rate since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, per the latest Society of Family Planning's #WeCount report.Why it matters: Saturday marks one year since the U.S. Supreme Court ended Americans' constitutional right to an abortion, setting off a contentious legal and political fight in Ohio.State of play: Abortion is legal here before 22 weeks of pregnancy. A stricter "Heartbeat Bill" that bans abortions when fetal cardiac activity is...
Got Taylor FOMO? Shake it off at these Taylor Swift events
Your social media feed will soon be flooded again by friends living out their wildest dreams at a Taylor Swift concert.What's happening: The Eras Tour is taking over cities across the Midwest this month, and it's Cincinnati's turn next weekend.The intrigue: Swift mania has made its way to the Statehouse.Two Cincinnati-area lawmakers recently penned a lyrics-laden resolution proposing July 1 as Taylor Swift Day, WEWS-TV reports.Reality check: Seats start at about $1,300 on StubHub for the June 30 and July 1 shows — so if you don't have tickets already, you're probably not going. They're the only Ohio dates scheduled.Yes, but: Shake it off. We've got suggestions to fight the FOMO:🍰 Enjoy Cheesecake Girl's Taylor-inspired desserts. Order by Monday. $45.🍷 Sip wine at an Eras tasting.7-10pm Saturday, Savor Pint, 4440 Indianola Ave. $20.🧘 Find your zen during Swiftie yoga. 11am Sunday, Casey's Yoga Garden, 186 Rockwell Road. $25 in person, $20 on Zoom.
Co-living, often called "dorms for adults," comes to Columbus
The latest phase of Franklinton's Gravity development offers Columbus renters their first opportunity to try the growing trend of co-living.Why it matters: As rents keep rising, many are looking for ways to save money without cutting back on luxury amenities.How it works: For $685-895 monthly, you can rent a room in a four- or five-bedroom apartment. Tenants share a kitchen, living room and some bathrooms, with the higher end of the range including an en suite bathroom.Rent includes utilities, bi-weekly cleaning of shared areas and access to all of Gravity's amenities, including a pool, fitness center, yoga studio, lounges and...
Throwback Thursday: Pinball put Ohio cities on tilt
In the years post-World War II, few forms of entertainment were viewed as dangerous to society as the classic pinball machine.The big picture: Pinball was long seen as a game of chance, not skill. Police chiefs and moralists reviled the game. Cities like Columbus banned it.Some operators were especially controversial for offering "free games" as prizes for high scores.Flashback: In 1956, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled these prizes made them illegal gambling machines.A year later, the court affirmed Columbus' pinball ban as constitutional.Machine owners hoped to bring the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, but justices declined to take up...
City leaders complain of preemption laws
The Ohio Constitution gives cities like Columbus the power to govern themselves, but local officials still face large hurdles outside of City Hall when trying to solve issues like gun violence and pollution. Driving the news: There's a simmering dispute between municipal and state governments over "preemption laws" designed to...
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Axios Columbus, anchored by Tyler Buchanan and Alissa Widman Neese, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.
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