Columbus
Axios Columbus
Puttshack mini golf and bar is coming to Polaris
Polaris is poised to become a golf entertainment destination, with Puttshack announcing plans yesterday to bring its high-tech mini golf to Ohio in late 2024.Driving the news: The business will open right next to Topgolf at the Galaxy at Polaris, a new mixed-use development that started construction this month.Currently, the closest Puttshack is in Pittsburgh.The intrigue: Unlike traditional golf, the goal is to score the most points — which are linked to your ball using "Trackaball" technology.Some of the most popular holes include giant beer pong, air hockey, roulette, connect four and a true/false game, a company statement says.By the numbers: The venue will cover more than 25,000 square feet across two floors and an outdoor patio area.It will feature four neon-colored nine-hole mini golf courses, plus two full-service bars with food and a private event space with a capacity of up to 100 people.Of note: If traditional golf is more your style, Little Bear Golf Course opened last year near Polaris, offering an 11-hole par-3 course and an 18-hole putting course.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Columbus.
Puttshack mini golf and bar is coming to Polaris
Polaris is poised to become a golf entertainment destination, with Puttshack announcing plans yesterday to bring its high-tech mini golf to Ohio in late 2024. Driving the news: The business will open right next to Topgolf at the Galaxy at Polaris, a new mixed-use development that started construction this month.
The social costs to Ohio's economic growth
Ohio's gross domestic product — the total value of goods and services produced across its economy — has bounced back after taking a sizable hit in 2020, but that doesn't mean the state has completely recovered from the effects of the pandemic.Driving the news: In a new report, local public policy firm Scioto Analysis urges state leaders to consider ongoing social challenges, not just an apparently rosy economy, when making important decisions like passing a state budget.Why it matters: Scioto Analysis principal Rob Moore fears if policymakers take a narrow focus on GDP, they could overlook the struggles of average...
The social costs of Ohio's economic growth
Ohio's gross domestic product — the total value of goods and services produced across its economy — has bounced back after taking a sizable hit in 2020, but that doesn't mean the state has completely recovered from the effects of the pandemic. Driving the news: In a new...
Ask Axios: Is the CPD impound lot really full?
Jennifer G. asks: I saw that 350 cars were towed for street sweeping in April and I was VERY surprised because on the South Side, we have numerous vehicles that we need towed from our streets.City officials say that the cars can't be towed because the impound lot is full. Is that true?By the numbers: The Columbus Division of Police's impound lot can hold about 3,500 to 3,600 vehicles, a spokesperson tells us.About 200 spaces are reserved for "city projects," such as cars that aren't moved prior to street sweeping.Another 270 are reserved for "critical impounds," such as homicides and...
Ask Axios: Is the CPD impound lot really full?
Jennifer G. asks: I saw that 350 cars were towed for street sweeping in April and I was VERY surprised because on the South Side, we have numerous vehicles that we need towed from our streets. City officials say that the cars can't be towed because the impound lot is...
The Columbus Air Show is back this weekend
For the first time in 16 years, aircraft stunts will streak the skies at a Columbus air show.Why it matters: Organizers are treating this year's three-day event at Rickenbacker International Airport as a test run before they decide whether to bring it back next year or eventually turn it into an annual event.The return of the spectacle seems long overdue, with tickets already sold out for Saturday and Sunday and few remaining for today.Details: The iconic blue-and-yellow U.S. Navy Blue Angels are headlining in their first local performance since 1995.Other attractions include the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, STOL...
Here is Columbus' new plan for safer streets, bike lanes
Columbus has reaffirmed its Vision Zero plan of reducing local crash deaths and plans to invest in safer bike lanes and roadways over the coming years.Why it matters: Our streets are getting deadlier. Columbus averaged 62 traffic fatalities annually between 2018-2022, but the total exceeded 70 each of the past two years.Catch up fast: Since the original plan's 2021 launch, the city has installed new crosswalks, redesigned various intersections and lowered the downtown speed limit to 25 mph.Driving the news: City Council approved an updated plan this week with new goals for 2023-2028:🚲 Build 25 miles of protected bike lanes....
What to do this weekend in Columbus: Sept. 22-24
💃 Learn to salsa at the Bexley Public Library's Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Festival, with food and kid-friendly activities.6-8pm Friday. Free!🎵 Talk about Bruno — and the whole Madrigal family — at an "Encanto" sing-along movie night at the Palace Theatre.7pm Friday. $29-144.⚾ Cheer on the Clippers during their final three games of the year.7:05pm Friday, 1:05pm Saturday and Sunday. $8-21.🏳️🌈 Celebrate local LGBTQ+ elders at this year's Columbus Community Pride Festival.Noon-7pm Saturday, Mayme Moore Park. Free!☕ Have a fab-brew-lous time sampling unlimited sips at the Columbus Coffee Festival at Ohio Village.3-6pm Saturday and Sunday (other time slots sold out). $20-30.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
What to do this weekend in Columbus: Sept. 22-24
💃 Learn to salsa at the Bexley Public Library's Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Festival, with food and kid-friendly activities.6-8pm Friday. Free!🎵 Talk about Bruno — and the whole Madrigal family — at an "Encanto" sing-along movie night at the Palace Theatre.7pm Friday. $29-144.⚾ Cheer on the Clippers during their final three games of the year.7:05pm Friday, 1:05pm Saturday and Sunday. $8-21.🏳️🌈 Celebrate local LGBTQ+ elders at this year's Columbus Community Pride Festival.Noon-7pm Saturday, Mayme Moore Park. Free!☕ Have a fab-brew-lous time sampling unlimited sips at the Columbus Coffee Festival at Ohio Village.3-6pm Saturday and Sunday (other time slots sold out). $20-30.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
We tried the Columbus Commons' new art vending machine
👋 Alissa here, reporting back from an egg-citing new installation at the Columbus Commons.What's happening: To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Columbus Metropolitan Library has added an 8-foot-tall vending machine called Egg Prize to the park's South High Street entrance.How it works: Put in two quarters and it dispenses a plastic egg containing a tiny library-themed prize: magnets (green), buttons (orange), stickers (red) or miniature artworks (yellow).Local artists designed the pieces.Proceeds support the library's anniversary festivities.Quick take: I stopped by with $2 this week and received a button and three magnets, all intricate and unique.It's addicting, and I want to visit again soon — but first I need to find more quarters!If you go: Town and South High streets, open through Sept. 2. The thrill of the unknown is half the fun. A Bookmobile magnet, the first prize I popped open during a visit on Wednesday. The four prizes I received: a Bookmobile magnet, a "War of the Worlds" magnet, an "Alice in Wonderland" magnet and a floral button depicting Ohio author Toni Morrison and celebrating "150 years of reading."
Columbus police more cautious with themed cruisers
The Columbus Division of Police is taking a more careful approach to its themed police cruisers in the wake of a controversial Black History Month design earlier this year, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The concept of decorating a decommissioned police car for various causes like Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Veterans Day is meant to boost the department's community relations effort, but for Black History Month it became a self-inflicted PR headache.Flashback: The February cruiser was immediately criticized as tone deaf and Vice News showed showed that a quote attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. on its window was...
Ohio's best stargazing spots
Data: International Dark-Sky Association, GoAstronomy; Note: Map only includes places with a known classification of 1 or 2 on the Bortle scale, indicating low levels of light pollution; Distance calculated as a direct path; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosOhio stargazers must travel up to 214 miles — farther than residents of most other states — to the nearest spot with a sky devoid of light pollution, Axios' Kavya Beheraj reports.Why it matters: Dark skies are vital for local ecosystems and our understanding of the universe. If light pollution keeps growing, truly dark skies could become harder to find.Zoom in: A satellite view...
Columbus spending $2 million on new public bathrooms
Metaphors abound in Columbus' lengthy and increasingly expensive effort to build new downtown public bathrooms.State of play: City Council first invested $875,000 in federal pandemic relief money "to develop downtown public restroom facilities" in 2021, $404,000 more last year and an additional $790,000 last week.That brings the total cost to over $2 million — $1.54 million toward construction and $525,000 to the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District to administer the project.What they're saying: Capital Crossroads program coordinator Mark Klingler told WOSU inflation and unexpected design costs are to blame.The three stainless steel restrooms will be placed, respectively, at the intersections of Long and High, West Lynn and High and Broad and Third streets."I expect once they're in place, their value will be very quickly recognized, and there will be a demand for other restrooms downtown and in other places in the city," Klingler said.The bottom line: We expect these to be a welcome addition to downtown, but wonder if so much money needed to be flushed down the drain for it.
How Ohio's child care costs compare nationwide
Data: Annie E. Casey Foundation; Map: Tory Lysik/Axios VisualsOhio child care costs are among the nation's most expensive when compared to incomes, with the average single mother allocating about a third or more of her pay, per the latest report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.Why it matters: It's easier for parents to work full-time when they have access to affordable, high-quality child care.A lack of options is keeping workers — especially women, who typically earn less than men — out of an already tight labor market.Plus, early childhood programs support development for young kids.Context: The pandemic has exacerbated the...
It's hot jobs summer for teens
Data: Gusto; Note: From payroll data of about 300,000 small and midsize businesses using Gusto's platform. ; Chart: Axios VisualsTeenagers are earning better money at their summer jobs than you'd think, Axios' Emily Peck writes.The big picture: Hourly workers are in high demand at teen-heavy workplaces like retail stores, restaurants and city pools.Columbus is still advertising lifeguard positions at $15-20 per hour with a potential $500 end-of-season incentive.State of play: A proposed law change could help fill that demand by loosening the state's youth employment standards.Ohio law prohibits 14- and 15-year-olds from working after 7pm during the school year, but Senate Bill 30 seeks to extend that to 9pm.The Senate passed the bill along party lines (with Republicans in favor) and it awaits a House vote.💭 Alissa's thought bubble: I'm dating myself, but when I was 14, I worked at an ice cream shop for $5.15 an hour to save up money for a newfangled $119 "camera phone."📬 What was your summer job experience? Email columbus@axios.com and let us know.
Where to celebrate Juneteenth in Central Ohio
Ohio will recognize Juneteenth on Monday, our newest paid holiday for Columbus and state government employees.The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day the last enslaved people in the U.S., in Galveston, Texas, were officially informed of their freedom.Local celebrations this weekend (free unless noted):Bach to Biggie: A Juneteenth Concert: 6-7:15pm Friday, WOSU, 1800 N. Pearl St. $10-20, kids under 10 free!Juneteenth on the Ave: Noon-6pm Saturday, Mount Vernon Avenue, between North 17th Street and St. Clair Avenue.JuneteenthOhio Festival: Noon-11pm Saturday and Sunday, Genoa Park. Free till 3pm! Then $5-20.Inaugural Parade: 10:30am Monday, stepping off at Hudson Avenue and heading south on Cleveland Avenue.Reynoldsburg Juneteenth Celebration: 9am-4pm Saturday, Huber Park.Juneteenth & Summer Celebration: 3-7:30pm Saturday, Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Registration required.Jubilee Day Festival: Noon-4pm Sunday, Ohio Village.Junteenth: A Celebration for the Soul: 6pm Sunday, Kelton House Museum & Garden.Bexley Juneteenth Potluck: 6-8pm Monday, Jeffrey Mansion Shelter House. Bring your favorite side dish! Hot dogs, hamburgers and vegetarian options provided.Celebrating Freedom with WeRise for Greater Westerville: Noon-4pm June 24, Alum Creek Park North.
Summer feeding programs tackle youth hunger
Local parks and community centers are offering more to families than summer fun right now — they're also keeping thousands of local kids fed while school is not in session.Why it matters: One in five children in Ohio live in "food insecure" households, which means they don't know where their next meal will come from, according to the Children's Hunger Alliance.Yes, but: Connecting families to these resources is itself a challenge.The nonprofit estimates 90% of students that receive free or reduced lunch at school do not participate in summer food programs, largely due to lack of transportation.State of play: The...
Where to take dad during Father's Day weekend
Father's Day is almost here! If you're looking for a place to spend quality time with dad this weekend, we've got you covered.🎁 Plus: Need gift inspiration? Experience Columbus has a list of ideas from local businesses.Bonus idea: OSU football single-game tickets go on sale 10am Friday.Our event suggestions:🎣 Reel in a big one during the state's annual free fishing weekend on Saturday and Sunday.Local anglers recommend spots including the Scioto River, the Olentangy River, Hoover Reservoir and Alum Creek State Park.🏌️♂️ Have an un-fore-gettable time at Topgolf, with reservations for two available most of Saturday and Sunday evening.2000 Ikea...
Hard Mountain Dew has arrived in Columbus
👋 Alissa here, with more "Why did they add alcohol to that?" musings.Drinking the news: Hard Mountain Dew has arrived in Central Ohio. Depending on your boozy beverage preferences, that may be cause for celebration or for alarm.Quick take: I tried a four-flavor variety pack ($18). All contain 5% alcohol and zero sugar.Just like the pop, Baja Blast is the superior flavor — and it tastes closest to the real thing.The original citrus and watermelon options are mid-tier. Inoffensive but unremarkable by comparison.Of note: As Axios Des Moines' Linh Ta warned us, black cherry is the weakest link, unless you enjoy drinking cough syrup. How did the creators of Code Red mess this up?The bottom line: Mountain Dew is polarizing. For years, friends have ridiculed me for drinking "battery acid." Adding alcohol doesn't change that.If you abhor the syrupy sweetness of malt beverages, like my colleagues in Richmond, steer clear.If, like me, you regularly Do the Dew, give it a try. It's not that bad.The latest: New tropical flavors — peach, mango and pineapple — have hit shelves for summer. Find a case near you.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Columbus.
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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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