News Channel 4

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Perry County LifeWise volunteer was immediately removed from the program after he was arrested in connection with the rape of a minor, one of three former Ohio LifeWise affiliates charged with sex crimes against a minor in the last six weeks. Northern Local LifeWise chapter volunteer William VanSickle was arrested [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio motorists are one step closer to getting a new license plate option.  The Ohio Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed Senate Bill 358, which would make blackout license plates -- or those featuring a black background and white letters -- available to drivers through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  The [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Iowa woman has died after falling off a cliff at a Hocking Hills hiking trail on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Hocking County Coroner’s Office, a full autopsy may take up to two months, but a preliminary investigation reveals that 63-year-old Nancy Baker, of Davenport, Iowa, was traversing a trail at [...]

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- Dublin City Schools is one step closer to redrawing attendance boundaries for the district’s three high schools after the board of education approved a list of redistricting criteria Thursday night. With the rules in place, the superintendent will begin working with mapping firm Woolpert to draft new boundaries amid rapid growth [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Congratulations to the graduating class of Columbus Alternative High School. Ahead of the 2026 graduation, seniors were recognized on Thursday as part of a school-wide “signing day,” an annual tradition that recognizes the students as they commit to college, careers, and military service Students shared their experience as they get ready [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Many Bruno Mars fans said hours-long traffic backups on the way to his Wednesday concert at Ohio Stadium nearly ruined the night. The fans are blaming poor traffic planning. Heather Mitilien said what is usually about a two-hour drive to Columbus from her home in northern Kentucky turned into a nearly [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The city of Columbus and the Columbus Division of Police continue to look at ways to improve traffic and pedestrian safety on Cleveland Avenue. Neighbors have discussed the issues they've seen on the busy street a couple of times this year. Sgt. James Fuqua said it is one of the most [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – More than 100 people were arrested following a weeklong sting into human trafficking across Ohio, including several warrants executed at central Ohio massage parlors. The arrests, announced by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost during a press conference on Thursday, were made as part of Operation Spring Cleaning. “The task force's hard [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Amid allegations of Medicaid fraud, the Ohio House is adding five more members to its Medicaid Committee. The House Medicaid Committee appointed three new Republicans and two new Democrats as an effort to impose reform on the state's Medicaid programs. The appointments come amid a statewide crackdown on Medicaid fraud, with [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Wexner Center for the Arts is marking Pride Month with a film series highlighting LGBTQ+ stories, filmmakers and restored classics. "Pride: A Celebration of Queer Movies" runs May 27 through June 26 at the arts center located at 1871 N. High St. on Ohio State University's campus. The lineup includes [...]

The Ohio Department of Transportation released its travel forecast for the 2026 Memorial Day weekend, letting drivers know when the best and worst times are expected to be.

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) – A smokehouse that has been serving customers in Hilliard for more than seven years will soon close its doors. Legacy Smokehouse at 3987 Main St. will shutter on May 31, according to a news release from the restaurant and The Westwood Collective, a Hilliard-based real estate development firm that owns the [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that resulted in “catastrophic” injuries in northwest Columbus. The victim was reported shot at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 6400 block of Cranston Way in the Riverside neighborhood, near Dublin. Officers arrived at a Riverside Green Apartment residence and discovered a male [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - Meet Flower! She is up for adoption at the Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center. Flower is a one-year-old mixed breed who is described as a sweet, shy girl. When she came into the shelter as a stray, she was timid. The shelter's team has been working with her to [...]

Memorial Day weekend in central Ohio is packed with events, from sports and live music to festivals and family-friendly activities, including the Columbus Clippers, Fleetwood Gold, Lynd Fruit Farm, Jeni's Strawberry Jam Festival, FountainFest, Ohio Black Expo, Columbus Maennerchor Maifest, and the Columbus Crew.

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WCMH) -- An 18-year-old special education student claims she was denied the remaining months of her senior year after her school rejected her doctor's note and refused to let her carry a backpack. Iliana Holbrook graduated from Minford High School five months early after the district banned backpacks, preventing Holbrook from attending. Holbrook [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – About 15,300 children were reported missing in Ohio last year, continuing a downward trend in cases, according to a recently released report.  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Monday issued the state's annual Missing Children Clearinghouse Report, which covers data and statistics from 2025. The report found that a total of [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  – The city of Columbus is adopting a new policy advocates said will make roads more accessible and safer. For one cyclist, the change is personal. Lifelong cyclist Kimber Perfect said she was following the rules while riding her bike on the road when she was hit by a car. “I actually [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Leaders at Columbus City Schools said student attendance will remain a priority even after the district voted to eliminate nearly 300 jobs as part of millions of dollars in budget cuts. The Columbus Board of Education voted Tuesday night to eliminate 299 staff positions, totaling $25.9 million in cuts. District leaders [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohioans are already required by state law to present photo identification whenever they vote, but now, Republican legislators want to amend the state constitution, making the requirement permanent. Republican House and Senate leaders introduced joint resolutions on Wednesday to put a referendum on the November ballot, asking voters to add a [...]