Local search for Columbus

3+ hour, 46+ min ago (562+ words) COLUMBUS, Ohio " Ohio brewers fear the state's new "intoxicating' hemp ban will kill the buzz of the booming THC'infused drink industry. While the drinks poured, brewery Urban Artifact's Scotty Hunter watched the clock tick. "It's really impacted our business quite a bit more than I would have expected," Hunter said. The Cincinnati business sells THC-infused beverages, drinks that have driven profits. "We have improved our revenue by 30% two years in a row," he said. "We've added jobs." But recent decisions by Ohio politicians are leaving him high and dry. Well, just dry " not high. "We saw about a 50% drop in our sales in the state of Ohio because of that executive order," he said. In October, Gov. Mike DeWine signed a temporary ban on hemp that gets users high. The THC products can look like candy, and they're sold at…...

7+ hour, 5+ min ago (245+ words) COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -Loved ones, friends and TikTok fans said their final goodbyes to Columbus native and social media star Marquay Collins during a funeral service held Sunday at the Columbus Civic Center. Collins, 24, passed away on Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving. To more than 7 million followers on TikTok, he was known as "Marquaythegoat," a social media influencer who built a following on food ratings and lifestyle content. But to those closest to him, he was simply Marquay. "Gentle, giving, smart, he was just a young man that loved the world and he made no enemies wherever we went and he loved his family immensely, he loved his church family and he loved his pastor," said Delta Outley, Marquay's pastor for over 20 years, who also performed the eulogy at Sunday's funeral service. Born and raised in Columbus, Marquay graduated from…...

8+ hour, 41+ min ago (38+ words) Outrage has been pouring in after last weekend's GalaxyCon Columbus, with attendees voicing concerns about overcrowding and inaccessibility. Outrage has been pouring in after last weekend's GalaxyCon Columbus, with attendees voicing concerns about overcrowding and inaccessibility....

12+ hour, 13+ min ago (152+ words) DELAWARE, OHIO " Police believed they had found the remains of a missing Ohio man who had gone missing earlier this year. Trenton Rollins was reported missing in March after he reportedly left his home, according to a Delaware Police spokesperson. He was believed to be driving a blue BMW with an Ohio license plate, KOR 6295. Officers believed at the time that Rollins left on his own accord, and foul play was not suspected, the spokesperson said. An independent search and rescue organization, Chaos Diving, found a submerged vehicle in the Hoover Reservoir. It matched the description of Rollins" vehicle. The BMW was removed the next day. During the recovery, human remains were found. Police believe they belong to Rollins, the spokesperson stated. The remains have been taken to the Montgomery County Coroner"s Office. They will conduct an autopsy, formal…...

13+ hour, 28+ min ago (303+ words) Ohio public sector unions spent nearly $9 million during the 2024 election cycle, with more than half of it going to proposed constitutional amendments. The state's union election spending of $8.8 million is one of the highest totals in the nation, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Foundation, which also said some of that money comes from union dues. Results for union causes during the 2023-24 cycle, however, fared much better than the same report showed during the 2021-22 cycle. Four years ago, most of the money went to losing Democratic candidates. The recent report, however, showed more of a split in wins and losses. Unions spent $3.9 million in PAC money on a proposed amendment election that would have created an independent redistricting commission. That measurer failed. They also spent $1.2 million in PAC money on an amendment that would have made it harder…...

13+ hour, 33+ min ago (1051+ words) COLUMBUS, Ohio " Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy ran through the competition on the way to the Division III state semifinals. As a result, CVCA senior linebacker and Rutgers recruit Joey Kopec is the All-Ohio Defensive Player of the Year in Division III, as announced Wednesday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The teams were selected by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association. Kopec shared the award with Toledo Central Catholic's Victor Singleton, a Texas A&M recruit. Drew Bellisari of state champion Columbus Bishop Watterson is the co-Offensive Player of the Year with Oxford Talawanda's Lance Cantrell. The Division II All-Ohio teams also were announced Wednesday, following Division VI and Division VII on Monday. Division III and Division IV were announced on Tuesday. Division I will be announced on Thursday. Here is Division III: Offensive Players of the Year: Drew Bellisari,…...

13+ hour, 39+ min ago (694+ words) Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission's staff unveiled a deal Wednesday that would allow the utility to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, an unprecedented expansion that's mostly to serve data centers. The agreement, known as a stipulation, is not final. It still must be approved by the five members of the PSC. But in other cases where a stipulation was reached, the commission has stuck closely to the agreement, so the deal is a preview of what the PSC is likely to approve. The deal calls for all 9,885 megawatts of new power plants and other generation resources Georgia Power was seeking to be "certified," a key step that would allow the company to start construction and paves the way to charge customers down the road. The overall expansion is more than double the combined…...

13+ hour, 48+ min ago (306+ words) Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game. In that game, the wide receiver caught eight passes for 144 yards. Despite the loss, the Buckeyes still earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, giving them a first-round bye. They'll play the winner between the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies and the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. Ohio State is looking to capture its second straight national championship and 10th in program history. The Georgia Bulldogs (2021 and 2022) are the only team in the College Football Playoff era to have won it all in back-to-back years. Smith is widely regarded as one of college football's best players. He continues to earn more recognition, with Ohio State announcing on Wednesday that Smith is one of five…...

13+ hour, 50+ min ago (466+ words) The State Election Board on Wednesday voted down a proposal to eliminate Georgia's touchscreen voting system and switch to hand-marked paper ballots ahead of the 2026 midterms. The proposed rule failed in a 2-2 vote....

15+ hour, 14+ min ago (503+ words) Ohio University head football coach Brian Smith was abruptly placed on administrative leave earlier this month " and he still has no idea why." Smith, 45, was informed of the university's decision on December 1, the same day the athletic department announced he was placed on leave "for an undetermined period of time." No reason was given for the school's decision. Smith's attorney told WOUB on December 2 that Smith was asked to leave in the middle of the workday." The attorney claimed Smith was not given any information about why he was placed on leave, and insisted that no allegations or changes have been brought against the coach." Despite that, WOUB reported that Smith will "deny all wrongdoing and will fight any allegations brought against him." Smith was also going through a divorce at the time of the school's decision, but documents obtained…...