Surveillance and police reports say a Columbus man siphoned fuel, accidentally sparked a blaze and later showed up to a police interview with singed eyebrows. He now faces felony arson charges.

Renovations at 234 King Ave are turning the former Junior’s into a larger Bier Stube with a patio and salvaged fixtures. Owner Craig Kempton is working to preserve the bar’s character in the new space.

Ohio’s 15th round of violent-crime grants totals $3.4M, sent to 44 agencies across 28 counties to fund officers, tech and domestic-violence units.

A Cardington man was sentenced to 171 months for two armed Huntington Bank robberies near Polaris. Prosecutors say the pair of hold‑ups netted about $41,000 in cash.

A developer pitched plans to convert the long‑vacant Broadwin on East Broad into apartments, hotel suites, dining and wellness space. The idea revives a long‑stalled reuse effort for the Near East Side landmark.

A 13‑story mass‑timber student housing tower near OSU is reshaping the University District and signaling a local shift to engineered‑wood construction.

A Franklin County judge has granted a temporary restraining order that lets two smoke shops sell existing intoxicating‑hemp stock while a legal challenge proceeds. The pause comes after Senate Bill 56 took effect March 20, 2026.

A viral X video shows GOP hopeful Casey Putsch aiming a rifle and taunting Vivek Ramaswamy. Critics called the clip a threat and a Columbus venue scrubbed a planned fundraiser.

At Denison University's Babcock Lecture in Granville, Mike Pence defended his Jan. 6 actions, praised U.S. military action in Iran and said "President Trump listened."

The Ohio Supreme Court reinstated convictions against a Grove City woman tied to a 2019 overdose, restoring a four‑year term and clarifying causation law in mixed‑drug deaths.

Star House broke ground at the former St. Ladislas church on Columbus’s South Side to build a second, 24/7 drop‑in center for youth; organizers expect an early 2027 opening.

Columbus is moving public safety offices from a Franklinton-area site to a larger downtown facility, freeing up land near The Peninsula and COSI for potential development.

House Bill 820 would require radon testing in every Ohio school and back the program with $14 million and homeowner tax credits. The measure also sets a four‑year testing schedule.