A yearlong Dispatch investigation maps what’s legal outside but barred inside Ohio prisons and highlights a deadly contraband trend: drug‑soaked paper. Officials are digitizing mail and beefing up security amid lawsuits.

A two-alarm fire tore through a vacant West Broad Street building Saturday; crews reported heavy second-floor and roof damage but no injuries.

A stolen-vehicle stop on Columbus’s west side ended with two arrests, including a 17-year-old, after officers used spike strips and an adult suspect was found in a dumpster.

A 53-year-old woman, identified as Florence Vitka, died after being struck while crossing East Dublin-Granville Road Friday night. Columbus police are investigating and asking witnesses to call Crime Stoppers.

Ohio State put the Pi Kappa Phi chapter on interim suspension after an event hospitalized a student. The school notified police and opened a review.

DNA from a sexual‑assault exam tied 39‑year‑old Marquese Hobson to the alleged rape of a juvenile in east Columbus. He is being held on $750,000 bond with a preliminary hearing set for April 3.

Two people were shot Thursday evening on Columbus's southeast side, police say both are expected to survive and investigators are asking for tips.

A Ross County jury convicted former Hocking County Chief Deputy Caleb Moritz on multiple corruption felonies. Sentencing is scheduled for May 1.

A Children’s Defense Fund‑Ohio report finds firearms are now the leading cause of death for Ohio children and teens, exposing racial gaps and urging prevention policies.

Troopers chased a vehicle from Proctorville into Huntington after social‑media threats; a Springfield man was arrested and officers recovered a rifle and ammunition.

City attorneys asked a judge to close the Baymont Inn on Morse Road, saying years of shootings, overdoses and code violations make the motel a public nuisance.

A single-vehicle crash on SR 161 near Little Turtle Way left one person dead and closed I‑270 ramps on Columbus’ northeast side.

Federal prosecutors say a Dayton man fired about a dozen rounds at officers during a standoff and later arranged a peaceful surrender. The Southern District of Ohio complaint lists multiple federal weapons and assault counts.