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Axios Columbus
Move over, Bojangles โ try Gluten-Free Biscuits by Daddy-O
If like Tyler, you were also let down by the latest biscuit hype, I've got some good news.Driving the news: Gluten-Free Biscuits by Daddy-O recently opened a store in King-Lincoln Bronzeville, serving up thick, fluffy biscuits so tasty you'd never guess they're celiac-friendly.They've sold their popular biscuit mixes online since 2021, per 614 Magazine.The intrigue: While in North Carolina for the Axios Local retreat, I met a couple who recently visited Columbus for the first time. Small world!One member of the couple, who has celiac disease, praised our local gluten-free food options โ and gave me the scoop on Daddy-O's.What I ate: A hearty bacon, egg and cheddar cheese sandwich ($6.35), and a blueberry biscuit ($5.50) covered in sweet, sticky icing for dessert.Don't expect an Instagram-worthy presentation. Just ask for extra napkins and dig in.If you go: 7am-2pm Tuesday-Sunday. 821 E. Long St.Pro tip: It's a small storefront with no indoor seating but there are benches across the street. A bacon, egg and cheddar cheese sandwich and a blueberry biscuit. Messy and delicious.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
Why Columbus millennials can't afford to buy homes
It's getting harder to buy your first house in Columbus.Why it matters: While more than half of Columbus' millennials are already homeowners, those who haven't bought yet face higher mortgage rates and gravity-defying home prices.The big picture: Among U.S. millennials who don't own a home, 44% say income is the top barrier to buying, per a Bankrate study. And 43% say they can't afford the down payment and closing costs.Threat level: Franklin County home values are poised to rise after being reappraised this year, which could further squeeze buyers' budgets.Zoom in: First-time buyers are increasingly unwilling to pay over asking...
Ask Axios: Are church political donations legal?
The Catholic dioceses in Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland have donated a combined $900,000 to Protect Women Ohio, an organization campaigning against November's abortion rights constitutional amendment, known as Issue 1.This led reader Jason T. to ask: A bedrock principle of this country's founding was the separation of church and state. To me, this type of donation crosses that line. Shouldn't this donation be taxed, or disqualify the Archdiocese from its tax exemption?State of play: It's true that campaign finance rules limit the political activities of churches and other nonprofit organizations.Churches are barred from activity "on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office," per the IRS.Yes, but: Issue campaigns are separate and permissible.The IRS also states, "churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in a limited amount of lobbying (including ballot measures) and advocate for or against issues that are in the political arena."The bottom line: This allows the Catholic Diocese of Columbus to donate money and issue public statements against the proposed amendment.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
How to fake it: A guide to the 2023-24 Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice against Philadelphia for Thursday's season opener.Why it matters: It looks to be another rebuilding year, but Columbus has the pieces to potentially make a surprise run this season.If you find yourself watching games with local hockey geeks, here's what to know about the 2023-24 squad:๐งข Your team: The only NHL franchise named for a Civil War uniform.The Blue Jackets went 25-48-9 last season, the worst record in the 16-team Eastern Conference.๐ฌ Your coach: Yeah โฆ about that. It was supposed to be Mike Babcock, a championship winner with a checkered reputation who approached...
The Savannah Bananas are coming to Columbus
Attention sports fans and "potassium enthusiasts:" The wackiest baseball team in America is headed to Huntington Park for three exhibitions next spring.Why it matters: The Savannah Bananas' unique blend of humor, dance and athleticism has made the team a touring sensation โ you'll need to act quickly for a chance at tickets.How it works: The Georgia-based team is baseball's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters, with the yellow-clad Bananas typically facing their rival Savannah Party Animals in pink.They play under Banana Ball rules, which dictate a two-hour time limit, outlaw bunting and cause a batter to be out if a fan catches a foul ball on the fly.The intrigue: You never know what you'll see at a Bananas game.There might be ping pong in the outfield, a backflip catch, a batter on stilts or a twerking umpire.Details: Fans must join the ticket lottery list by Dec. 1 for an opportunity to buy tickets.Three games are scheduled for May 24-26, 2024. Banana Ball is full of hijinks, like a catcher sitting in a beanbag chair.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
Ohio ballot features recreational marijuana issue
Ohio voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults on the 2023 general election ballot. Why it matters: Approval would make Ohio the 24th state to have legalized recreational use, superseding a medical marijuana program that has been in place and expanding since 2016.State of play: The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol organized the proposal, which would legalize cannabis for those 21 years and up. Read the initiative text.Ohioans could possess up to 2.5 ounces in most forms and grow up to six plants at home per person, or a household max of 12 plants.Sales would...
Columbus flight destinations are at a record high
Data: Columbus Regional Airport Authority; Map: Deena Zaidi/Axios VisualsColumbus' two airports are offering more nonstop destinations than ever before, with about 50 routes served on 11 airlines.Why it matters: As our region has grown in recent decades, so have options for air travelers โ but the pandemic put some expansions on hold and led to some existing routes being canceled.Yes, but: Things are looking up this year, thanks to recent flight additions at John Glenn International Airport (CMH) and an anticipated record number of travelers.Flying the news: Much of the recent boost is attributable to Breeze Airways, a low-cost airline...
Ohio hosts events to celebrate its first UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ohioans are invited to help commemorate the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks' new designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Why it matters: This is only the 25th World Heritage Site in the U.S. and the first in Ohio.The big picture: The Earthworks are a network of mounds built near Newark and across Southern Ohio.They were built between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell Culture.The National Park Service and Ohio History Connection now maintain the sites.What they're saying: "Their scale and complexity are evidenced in precise geometric figures as well as hilltops sculpted to enclose vast, level plazas," reads a description on the UNESCO website."There are alignments with the cycles of the sun and the far more complex cycles of the moon."What's happening: Free events are planned at four sites.Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, Oregonia: Programs and tours 9am-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Commemoration begins at 11am Saturday.Tremont Library, Upper Arlington: Ohio History Connection presentation 6:30pm Wednesday. Registration required.Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Chillicothe: Tours 9am-noon Saturday, Oct. 14. Commemoration begins at 1pm.Great Circle Earthworks in Heath and Octagon Earthworks, Newark: Tours and programs 9am-4:30pm Oct. 15. Commemoration begins at 1pm at Great Circle.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
Ohio to start citing for distracted driving
If you haven't been following Ohio's new distracted driving laws, now's the time to start.Driving the news: The law's temporary grace period is now over and police will start issuing citations.Fines start at $150 and get higher for each successive citation.State of play: Drivers are banned from texting, scrolling and manually inputting GPS directions while moving.Yes, but: You can still hold a phone to your ear during calls.Texting is allowed while parked or stopped at a red light.Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.
A unique, old home for sale in German Village
It was an old-time movie theater, a cabinet shop and a popular local artist's home studio.Now, 828 City Park Ave. in German Village is up for sale for the first time in seven decades.Why it matters: The three-story building โ rare for the neighborhood โ stands as a relic from an era when commercial and residential spaces were closely intertwined.The sellers hope it can stay that way.Flashback: The building dates back to at least the 1910s, when a nickelodeon theater known as the Bijou operated on the first floor.An apocryphal story describes moviegoers paying with a potato in lieu of...
Where to watch the "The Eras Tour" movie locally
Hoping to see "The Eras Tour'' film on opening night? We've found some blank spaces at Central Ohio theaters โ but you should act swiftly.Driving the news: The movie's forthcoming Oct. 13 debut shattered AMC's record for single-day advance ticket sales, raking in $26 million on Aug. 31, the day it was announced, Axios' Shauneen Miranda reports.If you go: Tickets cost $19.89 for adults and $13.13 for children and seniors, plus extra for premium showings on large format screens.The film is 2 hours and 45 minutes long.Where to view it locally:๐ฟ AMC, Cinemark and Marcus movie theaters across Central Ohio.AMC...
Threat of child care closures looms in Ohio
A pandemic-era program that provided federal funding to the child care industry expired over the weekend โ and local providers and families are now bracing for impact as the U.S. falls off a "child care cliff."Why it matters: The funding amounted to a $24 billion Band-Aid patched over a long-struggling industry, Axios' Emily Peck reports.Now that the bandage has been ripped off, the state of child care in the U.S. is likely to become even worse than it was before 2020.By the numbers: As many as 70,000 centers nationwide, looking after 3.2 million children, may close as the funding runs...
Fewer new moms are working in Columbus
Data: U.S. Census; Note: Includes women ages 16 to 50; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosOur region's share of new moms participating in the workforce, which already dropped sharply last year, is at risk due to the child care affordability crisis.Why it matters: Motherhood often knocks women out of the labor force, at least temporarily โ slowing their career and earnings growth and contributing to the gender pay gap, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj write.By the numbers: 67% of Central Ohio moms who gave birth in the previous 12 months were participating in the labor force as of 2022, down from 72%...
Ohio redistricting: A closer look at Columbus' new legislative maps
Ohio's political mapmakers finally reached consensus last week on new state legislative districts, but our redistricting saga is not over yet.Why it matters: The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved the new maps, which are expected to be in place for the rest of the decade, barring any successful legal challenges or redistricting reform ballot proposals.State of play: Republicans currently hold roughly 70% of legislative seats despite earning around 56% of the statewide vote in recent election cycles and could retain their supermajorities under the new maps.Groups including Common Cause Ohio and the ACLU of Ohio are considering filing lawsuits because...
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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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