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Ohio State president departs Sunday as search continues
President Kristina M. Johnson will bid Ohio State University farewell alongside graduates at this weekend's commencement.Driving the news: Johnson's last day, Sunday, ushers in a time of transitional uncertainty as a search continues to find her replacement, βwith no interim president appointed yet.Why it matters: OSU's president, overseeing a campus with over 60,000 students, wields influence not just at the school but also in the community at large.Johnson's tenure is the second shortest in university history, further adding pressure for the search to be successful this go-around.Catch up quick: It's still unclear exactly why Johnson abruptly announced her resignation in...
State politics impact students' college choices
Many students are choosing where to attend college based on abortion policies and political leanings, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes.Why it matters: As Republican officials continue to push for stricter abortion laws and crack down on perceived political biases on college campuses, it could attract more conservative students to Ohio while driving more liberal students away.The big picture: A quarter of prospective college students would shun a school in a state with opposing politics or policies, regardless of whether the student is liberal, moderate or conservative, per the higher-ed consultancy Art & Science Group.And 72% of college students say the reproductive health laws in their school's state affect their decision to stay enrolled, per a recent survey by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation.State of play: A majority of Ohio's high school graduates stay in-state for college, but we're still feeling the effects of brain drain.Ohio loses more high school graduates to out-of-state schools than it receives from other states.Of note: Gov. Mike DeWine proposed creating a $5,000 annual scholarship for top high school students who attend an Ohio college or university β it awaits its fate in ongoing budget negotiations.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Richmond.
State politics impact students' college choices
Data: Lumina Foundation, Gallup; Chart: Axios VisualsMany students are choosing where to attend college based on abortion policies and political leanings, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes.Why it matters: As Republican officials continue to push for stricter abortion laws and crack down on perceived political biases on college campuses, it could attract more conservative students to Ohio while driving more liberal students away.The big picture: A quarter of prospective college students would shun a school in a state with opposing politics or policies, regardless of whether the student is liberal, moderate or conservative, per the higher-ed consultancy Art & Science Group.And 72% of college students say the reproductive health laws in their school's state affect their decision to stay enrolled, per a recent survey by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation.State of play: A majority of Ohio's high school graduates stay in-state for college, but we're still feeling the effects of brain drain.Ohio loses more high school graduates to out-of-state schools than it receives from other states.Of note: Gov. Mike DeWine proposed creating a $5,000 annual scholarship for top high school students who attend an Ohio college or university β it awaits its fate in ongoing budget negotiations.
What to do this weekend in Columbus
βΎ Enjoy extra innings at Huntington Park, with a Clippers doubleheader scheduled for Saturday and promotions all weekend long.7:05pm tonight, 5:05pm Saturday and 1:05pm Sunday. $8-21.π Witness tidal waves, earthquakes and killer bees in "Disaster!," a musical comedy that pays homage to 1970s disaster films.7:30pm tonight and 2pm and 7:30pm tomorrow at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave. $20-23.π΅ Get in tune with classical music at the Columbus Symphony's Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky performance.7:30pm tonight, Saturday and 2pm Sunday. $30.50-$78.50. Kids free!π€ Yeehaw! Giddy up to the Fancy: Queens of Country Party at the Bluestone.9pm tonight, 583 E. Broad...
Try Easton's "Cheers! Challenge" on Cinco de Mayo
Here's a way to add a twist to your Cinco de Mayo dinner plans β and to keep the celebration going all month long.What's happening: Easton is hosting a Cheers! Challenge throughout May, another local passport-style adventure with prizes at stake.Buy an alcoholic beverage at six restaurants before May 31 and receive an Easton pint glass and an entry into a drawing for a $250 Easton gift card.Of note: Four participating restaurants serve Mexican food: Adobe Gila's, Condado, Chuy's and Dos Hermanos.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Richmond.
Try Easton's "Cheers! Challenge" on Cinco de Mayo
Here's a way to add a twist to your Cinco de Mayo dinner plans β and to keep the celebration going all month long.What's happening: Easton is hosting a Cheers! Challenge throughout May, another local passport-style adventure with prizes at stake.Buy an alcoholic beverage at six restaurants before May 31 and receive an Easton pint glass and an entry into a drawing for a $250 Easton gift card.Of note: Four participating restaurants serve Mexican food: Adobe Gila's, Condado, Chuy's and Dos Hermanos.
Google to build new data centers in Central Ohio
Google is scaling its Central Ohio footprint with two more data centers in Columbus and Lancaster that will power development of AI and other user tools.Why it matters: A tech giant choosing to expand here β bringing its investment in Ohio to more than $2 billion β reflects confidence in our region's emergence as a major tech hub.This choice is evidence the state has achieved a "critical mass of tech growth," Gov. Mike DeWine says, viewing each major announcement as paving the way for the next.State of play: Fellow tech heavyweights Facebook and Amazon have also announced local data projects...
Google to build new data centers in Central Ohio
Google is scaling its Central Ohio footprint with two more data centers in Columbus and Lancaster that will power development of AI and other user tools.Why it matters: A tech giant choosing to expand here β bringing its investment in Ohio to more than $2 billion β reflects confidence in our region's emergence as a major tech hub.This choice is evidence the state has achieved a "critical mass of tech growth," Gov. Mike DeWine says, viewing each major announcement as paving the way for the next.State of play: Fellow tech heavyweights Facebook and Amazon have also announced local data projects...
Primary election results: Rezoning and school funding rejected
If you voted Tuesday, wear that sticker proudly. Less than 5% of nearly 37,000 eligible Franklin County voters went to the polls during our largely uneventful primary election, per unofficial results.Be smart: Barring a major local ballot initiative, turnout is often lower in odd-year primaries than in even years with statewide races and in November general elections.Turnout nearly reached 28% in May 2021, driven by a community center proposal in Upper Arlington. In 2019 and 2017, turnout was around 7%.Of note: This was the first election under Ohio's new photo ID law.Central Ohio highlights:π» Every vote counts: Just four Columbus...
Primary election results: Rezoning and school funding rejected
If you voted Tuesday, wear that sticker proudly. Less than 5% of nearly 37,000 eligible Franklin County voters went to the polls during our largely uneventful primary election, per unofficial results.Be smart: Barring a major local ballot initiative, turnout is often lower in odd-year primaries than in even years with statewide races and in November general elections.Turnout nearly reached 28% in May 2021, driven by a community center proposal in Upper Arlington. In 2019 and 2017, turnout was around 7%.Of note: This was the first election under Ohio's new photo ID law.Central Ohio highlights:π» Every vote counts: Just four Columbus...
Your favorite outdoor dining spots in Central Ohio
This weekend's weather forecast is looking beautiful.Be smart: If you're searching for dinner ideas and want to get outside, try one of our readers' patio recommendations.Edie D.: "Cafe Istanbul on the Scioto River is the best patio ever. Always has been. Always will be. Food is fantastic too."Divyangna S.: "Lupo on Arlington has amazing tapas and oysters in a beautiful setting."Jeff Q.: "The undisputed champ of outdoor dining in Columbus for the past four decades has to be Lindey's in German Village."Joe R.: "Outdoor dining plans for my wife and I involve more picnicking at the tables with umbrellas along the Scioto Mile Promenade or on a blanket on the east bank of the river."Mark H.: "BrewDog New Albany β¦ biggest and best. With a creative food menu (and lots of vegan choices) and the great BrewDog beers (my favorite is Lightspeed)."Robert C.: JT's Pizza & Pub in Linworth.Darrel I.: Cuco's Taqueria on West Henderson Road.Jason H.: "Any of the spots on Buckeye Lake, like Papa Boo's or Horvath's Harbor, are the perfect spots for patio dining."π¬ Is your favorite missing from this list? Email columbus@axios.com and let us know.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Richmond.
Your favorite outdoor dining spots in Central Ohio
This weekend's weather forecast is looking beautiful.Be smart: If you're searching for dinner ideas and want to get outside, try one of our readers' patio recommendations.Edie D.: "Cafe Istanbul on the Scioto River is the best patio ever. Always has been. Always will be. Food is fantastic too."Divyangna S.: "Lupo on Arlington has amazing tapas and oysters in a beautiful setting."Jeff Q.: "The undisputed champ of outdoor dining in Columbus for the past four decades has to be Lindey's in German Village."Joe R.: "Outdoor dining plans for my wife and I involve more picnicking at the tables with umbrellas along...
Columbus backs access to abortion pill Mifepristone in legal filing
Columbus joined dozens of local governments in filing an appellate court brief Monday calling for access to Mifepristone, a medication used in terminating early-stage pregnancies.Driving the news: The brief outlined the heightened health and financial costs low-income and medically underserved residents would face if the drug is banned, Sam Allard writes for Axios Cleveland."Pregnant people will undergo invasive procedural abortion, will delay abortion care, terminate their pregnancies using alternative means that present additional risks β¦ or may be forced to carry pregnancies to term against their will," reads the brief signed by Columbus city attorney Zach Klein.Catch up quick: On...
Beer science and more on tap at COSI Science Festival
Who says science experiments are just for kids?What's happening: The COSI Science Festival starts today, so grab your goggles and get ready for activities for all ages across Central Ohio.Of note: The four-day festival culminates with a Big Science Celebration outside COSI featuring over 100 exhibitors, live music, food trucks and more.11am-5pm Saturday on the Scioto Peninsula. Free!Events with spots remaining:π± Explore a Metro Park and learn to record observations in the iNaturalist app. Free!6-7:30pm tonight, Blendon Woods and Blacklick Woods.6-8pm tomorrow, Sharon Woods.6-7pm Friday, Glacier Ridge.π Travel to a galaxy far, far away for the COSI After Dark "May the Fourth" celebration.7-10pm tomorrow. $20 in advance, $30 at the door.πΊ Study beer science during a behind-the-scenes tour of Land-Grant Brewing Co.7-8pm tomorrow and Friday. 424 W. Town St. Free!π§ Test your knowledge with Excesss Trivia and win tickets to the Tutankhamun exhibit.Nightly at various locations. Free!Go deeper: List of all events.π§ͺ Plus: ICYMI, check out COSI CEO Frederic Bertley's Best Day Ever
Maybe our air isn't so bad, after all
Data: EPA; Note: A concentration below 12 micrograms per cubic meter is considered healthy; Chart: Axios VisualsOur region's air quality, as measured by fine particle pollution, has improved significantly since 2000, according to EPA data.Why it matters: The data, analyzed by Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj, offers a different take from a March report using 2022 data by Swiss technology company IQAir that dubbed Columbus the country's "most polluted major U.S. city."The split illustrates how different types of air-monitoring devices can yield different results.Threat level: Fine particle pollution (PM2.5), generated from fossil fuel-burning and other sources, can enter our...
Columbus adds pay protections for freelance workers
Columbus City Council yesterday approved new protections for independent workers meant to guarantee correct and timely pay.Why it matters: A growing number of Americans are turning to freelance work in search of flexible schedules and professional independence, but they often lack the basic workplace standards of traditional jobs.How it works: Under the new ordinance, set to go into effect next month, Columbus-based employers are required to adhere to written contracts that specify pay rate and services rendered for work worth $250 or more over a four-month period.Employers have 30 days from the completion of work to pay what's owed.Freelancers can...
State plans to add more lanes on I-71 through Columbus
More than 100,000 vehicles travel on I-71 through Columbus each day, leading to congestion at major points, but the state believes it has a solution.State of play: The plan is to add a "SmartLane" in each direction of a 7.5-mile stretch north of downtown between Fifth Avenue and SR 161.SmartLanes are built on the highway's shoulder and are only open during rush hour traffic β I-670 has one headed eastbound toward the airport.The projected cost is $48.5 million, with construction to start two years from now.Of note: Two public meetings (in person and virtual) on the project are scheduled for May 25.The big picture: This is one of numerous ongoing state projects meant to reduce congestion in the city center.The massive, $1.4 billion reconstruction of I-70/71 downtown is still going after more than a decade, while other efforts to widen the highways on the outskirts of Franklin County are in the works.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Richmond.
Get outside: A spring to-do list for Central Ohio
Pulling yourself out of hibernation mode is easier said than done, especially when our unpredictable Midwest weather swings 30Β° from one day to the next.Why it matters: It's May, and we're all ready to put the cold and rain behind us, right?Thankfully, encouraging signs of spring are popping up around Central Ohio, just like the colorful tulips and daffodils springing up from the ground.Here are some of the best local springtime traditions to get you out and about:π§βπΎ Browse a Farmers MarketWe've got one every day of the week! Markets in Clintonville, Dublin, German Village and Worthington are already open...
State plans to add more lanes on I-71 through Columbus
More than 100,000 vehicles travel on I-71 through Columbus each day, leading to congestion at major points, but the state believes it has a solution.State of play: The plan is to add a "SmartLane" in each direction of a 7.5-mile stretch north of downtown between Fifth Avenue and SR 161.SmartLanes are built on the highway's shoulder and are only open during rush hour traffic β I-670 has one headed eastbound toward the airport.The projected cost is $48.5 million, with construction to start two years from now.Of note: Two public meetings (in person and virtual) on the project are scheduled for May 25.The big picture: This is one of numerous ongoing state projects meant to reduce congestion in the city center.The massive, $1.4 billion reconstruction of I-70/71 downtown is still going after more than a decade, while other efforts to widen the highways on the outskirts of Franklin County are in the works.
Get outside: A spring to-do list for Central Ohio
Pulling yourself out of hibernation mode is easier said than done, especially when our unpredictable Midwest weather swings 30Β° from one day to the next.Why it matters: It's May, and we're all ready to put the cold and rain behind us, right?Thankfully, encouraging signs of spring are popping up around Central Ohio, just like the colorful tulips and daffodils springing up from the ground.Here are some of the best local springtime traditions to get you out and about:π§βπΎ Browse a Farmers MarketWe've got one every day of the week! Markets in Clintonville, Dublin, German Village and Worthington are already open...
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