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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Tough times are ahead for people struggling to pay their rent, according to one nonprofit leader, as pandemic emergency rental assistance money runs out.

NBC4 Investigates is looking into what federal dollars running out means for the community and what resources are still available in Franklin County.

"Filings are at an all-time high," Franklin County Municipal Court Magistrate Tony Paat said. "The people who come here, they're way ahead of the game. You'd be surprised how many people just don't respond to the eviction filings."

Bipartisan bill in Ohio Statehouse seeks to enhance hate crime penalties

In the span of a few months, there are fewer resources at eviction court as organizations have to pull back as funding runs out. There's still the same demand, but fewer organizations are able to meet it.

"The tough times that we’ve talked about that were going to come, they’re here," IMPACT Community Action CEO Robert 'Bo' Chilton said. 

With federal resources, IMPACT Community Action and its partners helped almost 40,000 households across Franklin County with more than $132 million. Now there’s less than $1 million to help those who have already applied.

"We were virtually able to help almost everyone who came our way, and that was very rewarding. But now we have to turn a lot of people away and that is very discouraging," Chilton said. 

Those federal dollars are not coming back, so now community organizations are looking to local leaders.

"What we know now is that housing prices are on the rise. We're seeing an uptick in evictions. Our shelters are starting to fill up and the resources are coming to an end," Chilton said. 

IMPACT still has the programs that do not rely on pandemic federal dollars, such as helping households with heat and energy costs and connecting families with housing opportunities and support services.

"We do still have a very robust utility assistance program. We serve over 35,000 customers a year, but the robust rental assistance that people have become accustomed to will no longer be there," Chilton said. 

Ohio one of the worst states for foreclosures

The city of Columbus has announced the 'Resilient Housing Initiative' to support around 600 households. The county has not yet announced any additional support.

"Tough times are ahead, but we live in a community that really cares. They talk about the Columbus way. It's something I believe in. Our community rallies to support everyone, and that is our vision," Chilton said. 

Franklin County Municipal Court has resources through its self-help center. More information about that can be found here. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Buckeyes football returns to Ohio Stadium on Saturday as they take on Grambling State.

There are many advantages to a home game, especially when you have The Best Damn Band in the Land on your side. The marching band is already made up of more than 200 members, and it's going to grow by more than 600 for the alumni game.

“You get to see all of your old friends. You get to experience the crowd. I mean the crowd is bonkers,” said Mark Weaver, alumni i-dotter.

I-dotter daughter: Ohio State band “I” dotter a Script Ohio legacy

It’s one of the most beloved traditions at Ohio State, Script Ohio. Getting to dot the i is the greatest honor for a veteran band member, particularly a sousaphone player.

“I remember the first time I was looking around and you can see the whole crowd and you can pick people out. It’s something that you just don’t forget,” said Randy Hann, alumni i-dotter.

Script Ohio will quadruple in size for the alumni game and be performed at all four sides of the stadium. Hann and Weaver will dot the i’s on the west and north Script Ohios.

“It’s so unique to be up there," Hann said. "Every time I watch an i-dotter do it, it’s a special experience for me just to watch them knowing that I did it before."

They have both dotted the i before. Weaver even did so at a Cleveland Browns game. After countless walks down memory lane, he’s looking forward to re-living that glory.

“It does not become less nerve-wracking. It does not become less special. It’s very exciting. There’s a lot of hype around these now,” he said.

This performance is a family affair for Hann. He met his wife in the marching band and now the couple will march alongside their daughter who is a sophomore at OSU.

“The crazy part is the last time I dotted the i, I proposed to my wife at Skull Session. So it’s really coming full circle now that our daughter is going to be on the field with us,” Hann said.

LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) -- Lancaster police are responding to a barricade situation Friday evening.

Police said a man who is possibly armed with a gun is barricaded inside of a home in the 900 block of Fairfield Avenue.

Map shows approximate location

The public is asked to avoid the area.

No other details were immediately available.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Nationwide Children's Hospital confirmed on Friday it will soon no longer provide any forms of treatment known as gender-affirming care for transgender patients, including those age 18 and older.

The hospital said in a statement it's ending all such trans medical care, like puberty blockers and hormone therapy, effective Sept. 26. The change will also impact those patients that were "grandfathered in" when the Ohio Statehouse passed House Bill 68, a contested 2023 law banning youth from receiving gender-affirming care. Watch a previous NBC4 report on H.B. 68 in the video player above.

"Although we are currently in compliance with state and federal regulations, in order to proactively plan and support our providers and patients in a rapidly changing regulatory environment, Nationwide Children's providers will discontinue prescribing gender-affirming medications," the statement said.

"The hospital will be working with affected patients to end their prescriptions, always with patient safety as a top priority," the hospital continued. "Nationwide Children's will continue to support these patients and families through the provision of behavioral health services, and any other needed healthcare."

Nationwide Children's announcement comes after the Ohio Supreme Court said in July it will decide whether H.B. 68 is constitutional. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked the justices to consider the case after an appeals court ruled in March that the law is unconstitutional, arguing it "infringes on parents' fundamental right to direct the medical care of their children."

Ohio's top court, which voted 6-1 along party lines to take up Yost's appeal, said in late April that the state can continue enforcing the law while litigation continues.

Boding well for H.B. 68, a Tennessee law that also prohibits trans minors from receiving such treatment was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June. Still, the ACLU of Ohio, which filed the lawsuit against H.B. 68 on behalf of two families with trans children, previously said it remains confident in challenging Ohio's version of the law.

H.B. 68, which also bans trans female athletes' participation in women's sports, faced a contentious road while advancing through Ohio's legislature. The measure was condemned by top Ohio doctors, including Nick Lashutka, president of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, who argued at the Statehouse in 2023 that "it is a dangerous precedent for government to dictate when medication is appropriate in pediatrics."

While the Statehouse approved H.B. 68 in December 2023, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the legislation the following month. The governor said he made his decision after visiting patients at five children's hospitals, arguing that "these are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents and should be informed by teams of doctors." Still, both chambers of the Statehouse moved to override DeWine's veto.

The ACLU filed its lawsuit against H.B. 68 later that spring, putting the law temporarily on hold and setting up a five-day Franklin County trial in July 2024. Ultimately, Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook ruled that the legislation could go into effect given it didn't violate Ohio's constitution. The ACLU then appealed Holbrook's decision to the appeals court.

"This has been a long hard fight to protect minors in the state of Ohio," said Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), H.B. 68's primary sponsor, in a statement after Holbrook's ruling. "A strong cross-section of Ohioans ... recognize that decisions like these are too consequential to be made for and by minors who are incapable of providing informed consent."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As the calendar turns to September, it's time to separate the contenders from the pretenders in Week 3 of the high school football season.

A number of schools look to improve to 3-0 this week, including Upper Arlington, Watterson, Olentangy, Olentangy Orange and Pickerington Central. But the Braves and Pioneers face each other on Friday, ensuring that one of these undefeated teams will suffer its first loss of. And it's one of a handful of rivalry games that headline this week's action.

Below is a list of games that will be featured on Football Friday Nite at 11:15 p.m. A complete list of games in the state is at the bottom. Check back all evening for updated scores and highlights.

Week 3 Schedule

• Teays Valley (2-0) at Watkins Memorial (1-1)
• Pickerington Central (2-0) at Pickerington North (1-1) (Game of the Week)
• Bloom-Carroll (1-1) at Jonathan Alder (2-0)
• Dublin Coffman (1-1) at Dublin Jerome (2-0)
• Olentangy (2-0) at Orange (2-0)
• Canal Winchester (2-0) at Kilbourne (2-0)
• Granville (2-0) at Johnstown (2-0)
• DeSales (2-0) at Africentric (2-0)
• Hamilton Township (2-0) at Independence (2-0)
• Bradley (1-1) at Grove City (2-0)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus Zoo's baby elephant now has a name after it made its debut last month.

The baby Asian elephant is named Rita Jean, after Rita Jean Wolfe, a member of Wolfe family with deep ties to the zoo's history.

The Wolf family encouraged the city to develop a zoo in 1926. The family contributed funds to the zoo's first habitat and brought the first animals in 1927.

Summit Station, Ohio’s first lesbian bar, to be honored in documentary

"Rita Jean Wolfe embodied the same qualities we see in our elephants -- strength, resilience and boundless compassion," the zoo wrote in a social media post.

The zoo thanked the community for sharing its excitement about the elephant and for sharing name suggestions. Watch previous coverage in the player above.

• Courtesy Photo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Courtesy Photo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Courtesy Photo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Courtesy Photo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Courtesy Photo / Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

"We are so grateful for the joy and excitement our community has shared since the calf's arrival," the zoo said. "While Rita Jean's name was chosen to honor a remarkable woman, every idea reflected the love you feel for our elephant family, and we can’t wait to share each new milestone with you as she grows."

Her birth marked an important milestone for the zoo given Asian elephants are classified as endangered with less than 50,000 worldwide, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Spaceweather.com for September 5 reports that a total lunar eclipse
occurs on September 7th.  However, it will not be visible in the
Americas.

Solar activity will likely continue at moderate levels with isolated
M-class flares through September 6 due to the combined flare
potential of Regions AR4197 and AR4207. Probabilities decrease to
just a chance for M-class flares on September 7 as AR4197 moves
b...

September is National Preparedness Month, and ARRL is working to arm members with knowledge and resources to be resilient in the face of disaster. Amateur radio serves as a powerful tool and national resource before and When All Else Fails®, but being prepared goes beyond radio. “Being ready to serve your community through ham radio begins with being ready yourself,” says ARRL Director of Emerg...

US Space Command headquarters is being moved to Huntsville, Alabama, known as “Rocket City USA.” The move was announced in a press conference on September 2, 2025. Huntsville will host the 2026 ARRL National Convention as part of the Huntsville Hamfest, but there’s a bigger connection between US Space Command and amateur radio. 

Space Command utilizes forces such as the US Space Force to accompl...

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology is getting a boost, courtesy of the ham radio community on YouTube. A group of the content creators gathered for a cookout at this year’s Huntsville Hamfest and raised $6425 for the program. “We have a tremendous amount of support from the YouTubers,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. “They’re on track to raise and...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An upcoming documentary is shedding light on Summit Station, Ohio's first and longest-running lesbian bar that was recognized in 2023 with a historical marker for serving as a crucial haven for the Columbus LGBTQ+ community.

Titled "Free Beer Tomorrow," the film captures the enduring legacy of the bar that stood as a vital gathering place at 2210 Summit Street, now occupied by Summit Music Hall. The project is helmed by Julia Applegate, a former Summit patron and senior lecturer at Ohio State University, who helped secure the historical marker and is now a co-director for the documentary.

"This was a safe space in a time over decades where it just wasn't safe to be LGBTQ+ outside of those doors," Applegate said in an interview with NBC4. "As things got better through the '80s, '90s and 2000s, that space was still important because things weren't better enough."

Out in Ohio: Columbus launches LGBTQ+ commission, Human Rights Campaign kicks off national tour "Free Beer Tomorrow" honors the decades-long legacy of Ohio's first lesbian bar, Summit Station. (Courtesy Photo/Julia Applegate)

Applegate and a team of filmmakers set out to showcase the range of longtime customers and trailblazing figures that shaped and relied on Summit, from Petie Brown, the bar's longest-serving owner, to pioneering Columbus attorney and professor Rhonda Rivera. Over the course of several years, the group interviewed more than 50 people across 13 states, capturing firsthand accounts of the bar's impact.

"We followed every single tip we got, we interviewed as many people as we could," Applegate said. "It's been an incredible journey, I feel like it's one of the best gifts I've ever had in my life. It's been a real honor."

Opened in 1971 and originally named Jack's A Go-Go, Summit was one of the first lesbian pubs in the nation and welcomed patrons for nearly four decades before closing in 2008. Named after a "Free Beer Tomorrow" neon sign that hung inside the bar, the documentary also aims to demonstrate the power of finding community in a physical space, Applegate said.

"The resounding message of the film is really about community, love and what happens when we come together in a physical space," she said. "Virtual spaces are fantastic and they can provide so much for people, but there's something special about sharing physical space... there's something about the energy in our bodies that is transferred in physical spaces that we just don't get virtually."

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The documentary's production comes amid setbacks for LGBTQ+ historical preservation in Ohio. Earlier this year, Ohio History Connection lost federal funding at the hands of DOGE for a project that was meant to install 10 other LGBTQ+ historical markers, given Summit's marker stands as only the third in the state to honor the LGBTQ+ community. Applegate also served as a consultant for the additional markers.

• A historical marker honoring Summit Station, Ohio’s first and longest running lesbian bar, was installed in June 2023. (Courtesy Photo/Ohio History Connection)
• Petie Brown, owner of Summit Station, sitting atop the bar in the 1980s. (Courtesy Photo/Priscilla Ridall)
• Summit Station was one of the first lesbian pubs in the nation. (Courtesy Photo/Julia Applegate)

"It's really devastating to see the funding for that program go away. ... We spent countless hours unpaid, doing research, going before city council, going before our neighborhood association, raising money to get [Summit's] marker installed," she said. "With the DOGE cuts, all of the resources to put those markers in all corners of Ohio are gone."

Although "Free Beer Tomorrow" is still in production, rough-cut screenings are ongoing. A showing is scheduled for late September to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Ohio State Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department. Additional screenings for Dayton and Cincinnati are set for later this year, with a formal premiere possible in spring 2026.

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Applegate emphasized that the film isn't just about preserving history, but also inspiring future generations.

"Love does win, it wins in lots of different ways," she said. "It will triumph over time and so I hope the film will inspire people, and that it's not just the lesbians that it inspires or the gay men that it inspires, or the trans folks, but it is our straight allies who we need now more than ever."

Learn more about the upcoming documentary at WatchFreeBeerTomorrow.com.

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A woman was killed Friday morning in a Delaware County fire, authorities said.

The fire was called in by a passerby, officials said, and occurred just before 6 a.m. in the Shroyer's Mobile Homes community off of U.S. 23, just outside of Delaware city limits.

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A woman in her 70s died in the fire, Tri-Township fire officials said. She was the only one in the home.

The cause of the fire, which reportedly originated in the bedroom, remains under investigation.

WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) -- Almost one in four Whitehall residents ages 16 to 64 are unemployed, according to the U.S. Census. City government is trying to change that.

"Helping to ensure families have access to sustainable wages is a key priority," Mayor Michael Bivens said. "Our residents deserve workforce opportunities that can enhance their lives."

Bivens is taking the challenge personally. During his tenure as mayor, Whitehall has incorporated job fair events into city gatherings, such as the annual Food Truck Festival and the State of the City address. Bivens even goes to Mayor's Court every Tuesday to provide job opportunities to residents.

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Bivens said Whitehall has the highest poverty rate in central Ohio, with 17.3% of residents living below the poverty level in the 2020 census. He said workforce development and access has an "all-encompassing affect" on Whitehall residents, leading to these projects.

Each Tuesday, Bivens offers lists of employers to residents who are in Mayor's Court. The court handles misdemeanors and traffic violations, and the Health Police Institute of Ohio found a direct link between reduced financial stressors for residents and reduced crime in the state. Bivens offers opportunities weekly, including distributing a list of employers to anyone at court who wants assistance.

The city also uses community events to expand the workforce. In April, Whitehall held an opportunity fair before the State of the City address. Attendees were able to network, get feedback on resumes and even take part in on-site interviews. The event included job opportunities at the airport, Walmart, PCG Consulting Group, Whitehall City Schools and at least a dozen more employers.

Whitehall similarly transformed its annual Food Truck Fest into a job opportunity site. The event attracts thousands of attendees each year, and more than 300 of them connected with employers and wellness partners at the 2025 event. Whitehall representatives said 60% were screened for employment, and 30% received job offers or continued in the hiring process, largely in tech and trade jobs.

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The 2025 event was shut down early due to potentially dangerous weather, so the 2024 event had even more opportunities for attendees. The 2024 event was the first to feature workforce opportunities, connecting more than 600 attendees with employers. Of those hundreds, 42% moved forward with employment screenings, 40% of whom received job offers in healthcare, tech and trade positions.

"The residents, their families and relationships with employers are vital in solidifying Whitehall as the City of Opportunity," Bivens said.

Even if residents did not get a job, attendees benefited from other resources geared toward addressing poverty disparities. Whitehall said more than 500 residents in 2025 and more than 3,000 residents in 2024 received critical health screenings at the Food Truck Fest. At the festival, a handful of attendees both years also took steps toward receiving their high school diplomas.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- After making a big statement with a 14-7 victory over then-No. 1 Texas in the season opener, Ohio State looks to get even better as it plays Grambling State on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium.

"[Texas] was the focus, and now we've got to grow. We got a lot of work to do, a ton," coach Ryan Day said. "After you come down from the emotion of the game, you get back on film and you get to work, you just realize there's so many things you have to improve on."

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The game presents an opportunity for growth from the Buckeyes, now ranked No. 1, as they take on the Tigers for the first time. Both teams are 1-0 after Grambling State defeated Langton 55-7 in its opener.

Here are three things to know.

A more 'explosive' offense

The Texas game produced only one big play: a 40-yard touchdown throw from Julian Sayin to Carnell Tate. While that ended up being the difference-maker for Ohio State, Day would like to see more from the offense this week. And that starts with Sayin.

"We feel like he took care of the ball, and that's what the focus is going to be, regardless of the opponent," Day said. "We're holding ourself to a high standard. I think coming out of the game, we were able to build some confidence."

Sayin completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. In the process, he became the first quarterback to defeat an AP No. 1 team in his first career start in 41 years.

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But upon further review, Day saw an offense that got backed up often and didn't have many possessions, especially in the first half. Moving forward, Day wants him and the offense to be more aggressive, including throwing deeper passes.

"The more air you put on the ball, the more of a margin of error you allow the receiver to come back and make a play or get a pass interference," Day said. "I think we want to be more explosive and create more explosive plays."

Establishing the run game

The ground game gave Ohio State its first touchdown of the season when C.J. Donaldson ran a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Longhorns, part of a 63-yard performance in the opener.

Day says he expects running back duties to be split between Donaldson and James Peoples, similar to how Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson shared the touches last season.

"You could probably see James get more carries this week and then maybe C.J. more the next week. That's just kind of how it goes," Day said. "We got a long way to go and we're going to need all these guys."

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Tight end Will Macmarek said during camp that he's willing to do the dirty work in his position on offense. He stuck to his word against the Longhorns, doing the little things that allowed plays to happen.

Ohio State band “I” dotter a Script Ohio legacy

"Will has established himself as a really strong in-line, on-the-ball tight end. You see him making some plays, catching the ball," Day said.

Day said he's part of a strong tight end room that could prove to be an X-factor this year.

"You could see we play with multiple tight ends in this game," Day said. "We feel like we have some guys that we can build some different groupings out of. That gives us a little bit of a change-up there."

BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Bexley City Schools are officially "No Place for Hate."

The district said the No Place for Hate title came from the hard work of students and Stephen Lewis, Bexley Schools' leader of school community engagement. Bexley's high school, middle school and each of its three elementary schools all established student groups to work toward the designation. This school year, the Anti-Defamation League awarded all district schools the official No Place for Hate designation.

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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)'s mission is to "stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all." Although the ADL has drawn criticism from Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, which disagree with the ADL's current pro-Israel activism, the No Place for Hate program has a broad focus and covers challenges to bias and bullying, according to its website.

Bexley representatives said No Place for Hate is about belonging, empathy and inclusion. They explained the high school's Culture Climate Council felt No Place for Hate was an achievable goal for students to rally behind.

Once things took off in the high school, the district established student groups and staff advisors across all buildings. These groups lead student activities centered around combating hate and bullying, which inspired the ADL award.

The change comes at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion events are facing federal and state pushback. Ohio banned DEI programming at public universities, and bills have been introduced at the Ohio Statehouse to ban DEI for K-12 public schools. School leaders explained the No Place for Hate title does not infringe on these concerns.

"No Place for Hate is about the way we treat each other as human beings," district spokesperson Carol Taylor said. "Kindness is not a controversial topic. It is a characteristic everyone can demonstrate and embrace."

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As part of the program, each elementary school held programming to combat hate and bullying. At Maryland Elementary, for instance, P.E. teacher Josh Price led student volunteers through a skit and asked why school counselor Megan Reeve was sad. Reeve told the students no one had asked her to play, and Price helped them include her in a simple game. The student volunteers also shared why they feel it's important to be kind.

All three elementary schools have their own No Place for Hate pledges. Montrose Elementary's pledge promises to be "respectful, responsible, safe and kind" and ensure everyone is included. Maryland's pledge is slightly longer and promises to use kind words, stand up for other people, and understand that people make mistakes. Cassingham Elementary students pledge to be mindful of other students' boundaries and to be supportive.

• Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools
• Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools
• Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools

On the first day of school and at student assemblies, faculty and staff donned black and yellow T-shirts that say "No Place for Hate." Students asked Montrose Principal Nyesha Clayton why they were all dressed alike, and she told them the school was celebrating its new designation.

"The hope is that No Place for Hate becomes a natural reflection of the entire Bexley school community," Taylor said. "Where students and staff have a positive sense of belonging, where they feel valued, and welcomed, where students can flourish and be their authentic selves and achieve success on their journey to adulthood."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A bipartisan bill in the Ohio Statehouse seeks to enhance the penalties for hate crimes and expand protections under the law to include more identity markers such as political affiliation and sex. 

Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) introduced House Bill 306, dubbed the Hate Crime Act, in May. The bill would “modernize” Ohio’s approach to hate crimes, Jarrells said. 

“Hate should have no place in the state,” Jarrells said. “Our current statutes against what other states have passed are fairly weak.”

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Ohio lacks a comprehensive hate crime law. The state has a statute against “ethnic intimidation,” which prohibits crimes targeted based on race, color, religion and national origin. An ethnic intimidation charge is tacked onto an underlying offense to enhance the penalty by raising it to the next degree.

The bill would expand the protections in the state’s current law to also include crimes motivated by a person’s sex, ancestry, age, familial status, military status, disability, position in a labor dispute and political affiliation or position. The legislation would officially define these acts as hate crimes, with offenders found guilty facing a charge one degree higher than their original offense, as is currently done with ethnic intimidation. 

The bill would establish civil remedies for victims of hate crimes by allowing them to sue offenders for an unspecified amount that would be determined by a court. Offenders could also face civil fines of up to $25,000. 

Williams said he was inspired to sponsor the bill after seeing a recent surge of hate-motivated incidents in Ohio, including assaults and vandalism directed at students on college campuses based on their religion. 

He also cited instances of violence and harassment motivated by political affiliation. Multiple Ohio elected officials, including Attorney General Dave Yost and Republican lawmakers, have fallen victim to swatting in recent years, which involves falsely reporting a serious crime to prompt an armed law enforcement response at an unsuspecting person’s address.

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“I think we've reached a point in our country's political climate where we need to make it perfectly clear that you can't use violence to push your political agenda and you can't use violence against your political rivals, regardless of what party you affiliate with,” Williams said. 

The bill states that knowingly making a false report that someone committed a crime requiring law enforcement intervention, alluding to swatting, can amount to a hate crime. The distribution of materials on private property with the intent to terrorize a resident can also constitute a hate crime under the act.

The legislation specifies that speech alone cannot be defined as a hate crime unless four conditions are met: the speech threatens violence against a specific person or group, the target reasonably fears that violence will be committed against them, the offender is acting in “reckless disregard” for the threatening nature of their speech and the offender has the “apparent ability” to carry out the threat. 

The Hate Crime Act was assigned to the House’s Judiciary Committee, where it awaits its first hearing. The bill has drawn 26 cosponsors, consisting of both Democrats and Republicans.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A trial in the murder of a woman who tried to stop a carjacking while her son was in the backseat will proceed to adult court.

As previously reported, steps to advance the case against a defendant in the murder of Alexa Stakely will advance through Franklin County Court of Common Pleas after a hearing Wednesday. Then, it was determined that Ray-Yon Hawkins would be tried as an adult.

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Hawkins, along with another teenager and 20-year-old Gerald Dowling Jr., were charged in the death of Stakely, who was found at 1:30 a.m. on July 11, 2024, lying near the intersection of Blue Knoll Drive and Annual Drive, just north of Canal Winchester. Stakely was attempting to stop a carjacking in the southeast Columbus neighborhood of White Ash, where three suspects had entered her vehicle, which was parked at the White Oak Park Condominiums.

Alexa Stakely

Dowling, along with two 16-year-old boys, jumped in Stakely’s car and drove off, police said. Stakely ran after the car, screaming for her child, before being struck and thrown to the ground. The result was a fatal head wound, and she was pronounced dead at 8:43 a.m.

Dowling, now 20, and the two teenagers surrendered two weeks later. The teens were charged with murder and were slated to be tried as adults. The boys were originally charged with murder alongside Dowling, who was assigned a $10 million bond in July 2024.

However, in February, one of the teenagers was sentenced to the Department of Youth Services for an undetermined amount of time and his case was closed.

On Wednesday, Hawkins was issued a $500,000 bond in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. His next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.

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Last month Dowling Jr. was sentenced to serve a minimum of seven years in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Charges of theft and receiving stolen property were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Stakely was a speech pathologist for preschool students in Canal Winchester schools and, as a single mother, also worked a second job as a restaurant server and had just finished her shift before the carjacking.