Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law Friday afternoon that changes state rules on mail-in voting and voter registration. Senate Bill 293 eliminates a grace period for absentee ballots and requires the Secretary of State to verify registered voters' citizenship on a monthly basis. Under S.B. 293, the state [...]

JACKSON, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Jackson County man was arrested Friday on charges related to multiple alleged sexual assaults. Michael Richardson, 21, of Wellston, faces three counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Special Victims Unit found that the man allegedly assaulted four female victims between 2021 [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - The Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center is holding its annual holiday sleepover, where residents can take a dog home for a couple of nights. The program is an opportunity for dogs to relax in a new place, while giving them a break from the shelter. The sleepover event also [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A woman facing nearly 30 charges in a series of murders involving men she met for sex in north Columbus has pleaded guilty in court. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Rebecca Auborn has pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in connection to [...]

WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- As housing costs climb in Worthington and throughout central Ohio, city leaders have greenlit a new approach intended to encourage the development of workforce housing. Worthington City Council approved on Dec. 8 a resolution establishing a workforce housing property tax abatement program aimed at encouraging income-restricted housing as part of new [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Department of Transportation announced that the new flyover ramp on Interstate 71 near downtown Columbus will open to traffic on Saturday. The nearly-mile-long flyover ramp carries I-71 southbound traffic above the Scioto River and over Interstate 70, eliminating the left-lane exit and the need to merge across three lanes [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Kim Kardashian’s shapewear and clothing line Skims recently launched its first standalone retail store in Ohio at Easton Town Center. In early December, Skims began welcoming customers at 4160 The Strand. The address most recently belonged to Louis Vuitton, which relocated within Easton last year. The new store marks Skims’ first [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man charged in connection with a fatal shooting near a north Columbus Kroger supermarket will spend at least two decades in prison. According to court records, DeShawn Caldwell, who was accused in the murder of 51-year-old Paul Allgood, was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison after receiving [...]

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- A proposal for a large senior living complex on Dublin's east side received an initial review this month from the city's planning commission, drawing mixed reactions from officials and neighborhood representatives. The project would be built on an 18-acre vacant site at the southwest corner of Emerald Parkway and Bright Road. [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A new Ohio bill would allow school districts to accept mental health days as excused absences. Dubbed the Student Wellness Act, Senate Bill 330 was introduced in late November to codify mental health days for students. State Sen. Willis E. Blackshear, Jr. (D-Dayton) introduced the bill, which would allow -- but [...]

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Department of Transportation’s snow plows are a familiar sight during the winter, but what many residents may not realize is that each vehicle is built by incarcerated workers at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution. Ohio Penal Industries, a division of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections that provides job [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Immigration advocates are warning Columbus' Afghan community that migrants who arrived through a legal pathway are now being summoned and arrested by ICE. Last week "J," an Afghan immigrant who entered the country in 2024 through the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One program, was arrested after being summoned for an [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- During a deadly carbon monoxide incident in Bloom Township Thursday, the home firefighters responded to did not have a carbon monoxide detector, resulting in one person dying and 10 others being hospitalized. Now, experts say it's critical to invest in a carbon monoxide detector or make sure yours is working properly, especially [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WMCH) -- If you have a veteran in your family, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum has an assignment for you over the holidays.   Col. Bill Butler, president of NVMM, said the museum wants help capturing veterans' stories before generations of heroes are no longer here to share the tales themselves. It’s something he said he wishes he had [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio legislators from both sides of the aisle are pushing back against the Trump administration in regards to artificial intelligence and states' rights to regulate it. Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting the ability of states to pass their own regulations on artificial intelligence. According to Trump’s [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus city leaders are taking the lead in improving emergency responses to mental health crises around the city. Columbus City Council and other city leaders are seeing the results of a report from a consulting firm that looks at ways the city can improve its alternative crisis response. The report said [...]

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) — According to university records, former Ohio University football coach Brian Smith was fired for, in part, having an affair with an undergraduate student. A Notice of Intent to Terminate Employment letter sent to NBC4 confirmed that Smith, hired one year ago Thursday, was notified of his termination for cause on Dec. [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus' mayor and police chief released a video statement Thursday regarding reports that federal immigration agents are deployed in the city. "We understand that many of our neighbors may feel concerned for their safety," Mayor Andrew Ginther said. "Please know that we stand with you and everyone who calls Columbus home." [...]

LITHOPOLIS, Ohio (WCMH) — One person is dead, nine others, including seven firefighters, have been hospitalized after being exposed to carbon monoxide Thursday, southeast of Columbus in Bloom Township. According to a sheriff's deputy in Fairfield County, multiple people have been taken to area hospitals after a report of carbon monoxide poisoning at a home [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards. According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising. The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers [...]