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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The future of Hot Chicken Takeover's last location in the North Market is uncertain after the brand recently shuttered three other central Ohio restaurants.

North Market executive director Rick Harrison Wolfe confirmed to NBC4 that the location's fate "doesn't look good," given he hasn't heard from Hot Chicken Takeover's owner, Craveworthy Brands, in months after repeatedly reaching out, as first reported by Columbus Business First.

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Craveworthy said Sept. 9 it shuttered Hot Chicken Takeover's Westerville restaurant, less than a week after closing the Gahanna and Grandview Heights eateries. CEO Gregg Majewski said that "the statement we previously shared still stands and reflects the care and purpose behind these decisions as we honor the spirit and legacy of the brand as it was." Watch a previous NBC4 report on Hot Chicken Takeover's closures in the video player above.

Majewski had said, "closing our Grandview and Gahanna locations was an incredibly difficult decision, but one made with care and purpose," and that Craveworthy is "honoring the spirit in which Hot Chicken Takeover was created, protecting the heart of the brand and ensuring its legacy lives on."

The North Market location stands as Hot Chicken Takeover's original eatery that opened in 2014. The Westerville restaurant launched in 2021, while the Grandview location opened in 2022 followed by the Gahanna restaurant in 2023. Craveworthy also shuttered eateries in Clintonville in July, in Easton Town Center in March, and in Lewis Center in January.

Untamed Brands, Hot Chicken Takeover's former parent company, was purchased in May 2024 by Craveworthy, which is also a managing partner in Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken chain.

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After the acquisition, Craveworthy announced plans to merge the Chicago-based chicken concept Budlong and Hot Chicken Takeover, creating a refreshed brand called "HCT: Southern Chicken." However, throughout the Columbus area, the brand chose to keep the original Hot Chicken Takeover name.

Known for its chicken sandwiches, the chain also serves chicken tenders, plant-based nuggets, and sides like mac and cheese, fries and coleslaw.

Last fall, Hot Chicken Takeover rolled out a new menu, featuring hand-breaded chicken made similar to how its chicken was made when the brand first launched in 2014. Among the new menu items were chicken-fried steak, homemade hushpuppies, cornbread and sweet hand pies.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio's two historically Black universities will lose millions in funding after the Department of Education canceled "discriminatory" grants last week.

On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced it will end Title III grant programs to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). This represents a loss of $350 million across about 800 MSIs nationwide. Ohio's two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) could lose more than $8 million combined from the change.

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Ohio has two HBCUs, both located in Wilberforce, near Xenia. Central State is Ohio’s only public HBCU, and Wilberforce University is the nation’s oldest private HBCU. According to Department of Education records, Central State received just under $6.4 million in now-canceled grants, and Wilberforce received over $1.8 million in 2024. 

McMahon said the department will cease funding the grants because MSIs have "racial quotas," which she said are discriminatory. The department will reprogram funding for seven discretionary grant programs:

• Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (Title III Part A)
• Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions (Title III Part A)
• Strengthening Asian American- and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (Title III Part A)
• Strengthening Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (Title III Part A)
• Minority Science and Engineering Improvement (Title III Part E)
• Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (Title V Part A)
• Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (Title V Part B)

Universities only qualified for the grants if they had a large enough percentage of minority students. For instance, universities only qualify for the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement program if at least 50% of the student body are minorities. The Department of Education also said these quotas were discriminatory.

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Title III is one of nine titles in the Higher Education Act. Passed in 1965, the act sought to ensure every American had access to higher education. Title III of the bill provides programs and support for institutions that serve low-income and minority students. Title V, also canceled, provides funding to developing and Hispanic-serving institutions.

Central State did not respond to NBC4's inquiry. However, spending records show that in the 2023-2024 school year, the university used Title III funding to expand student services, fund the library and support the honors college.

It's especially difficult timing for Central State, which was placed on fiscal watch by the Ohio Department of Higher Education in October 2024 after school leaders alerted the state to fiscal concerns. The designation requires Central State to work with the Ohio auditor to balance its budget, with a goal of stabilizing the budget in three years. The university has an estimated budget of $60 million-$65 million this year, so Title III funding would have covered about 10%.

Wilberforce did not provide comment before publication. However, private universities are typically less reliant on federal and state funding sources than their public peers.

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The Department of Education also said it is looking at ways to combat Title III Part F funds, which are Congressionally-appropriated mandatory funding for MSIs. Because the funding is mandatory, the department said it cannot reprogram those funds this year, although it is looking at the "underlying legal issues" associated with them.

In all, those mandatory funds provide approximately $132 million to MSIs nationwide. Wilberforce and Central State received a combined $1.6 million in Title III Part F grants last year, according to federal records.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Central Ohio gas prices continue to trend in the right direction, dropping over 50 cents in the past three weeks.

According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in and around Columbus, Ohio, gas prices dropped 15.7 cents in the last week to average out at $2.91 per gallon. The current price has now dropped 51 cents over the last three weeks and is 27.8 cents lower than four weeks ago as well as 5.6 cents lower than this time one year ago.

Columbus Gas Prices Tracker

The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.55 a gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.39, a difference of 84 cents per gallon. In Ohio, the average price of gas also fell by 15.5 cents from $3.01 per gallon to $2.85 per gallon.

Nationally, gas prices fell slightly by 3.6 cents per gallon to average out at $3.12. The price of diesel followed suit with a decline of 2.6 cents, settling in at $3.66 per gallon.

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Barring any major setbacks due to weather or refinery issues in the Midwest, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan says that prices throughout the county, including in Ohio, should remain on the downswing heading into the fall and winter seasons.

“The good news is that the transition to cheaper winter gasoline begins tomorrow across most of the nation,” De Haan said. “I expect that average gas prices will continue to decline in the weeks ahead in most states— assuming hurricane season remains quiet.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has agreed to relax its restrictions on what can go on personalized license plates after facing a federal lawsuit for rejecting the terms “GAY” and “MUSLIM.”

On Sept. 9, two state residents filed a lawsuit against the Ohio BMV in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Ohio, alleging the government organization violated their rights to free speech and equal protection under the law by rejecting their personalized license plate requests. 

Columbus shop’s business booms after viral online pizza review The message that was displayed when Saki's request was denied, according to the lawsuit.

William Saki, of Lakewood, attempted to apply for a plate online containing the word “GAY,” while Cyrus Mahdavi, of Strongsville, sought to include the word “MUSLIM.” Both requests were blocked, with the BMV’s website displaying a message calling them "inappropriate." Meanwhile, the lawsuit states the Ohio BMV has issued license plates including terms such as “STR8,” “STR8 PWR,” “ATHEIST,” and “HINDU.” 

Just days after the filing, on Sept. 11, the Ohio BMV agreed to make changes, including approving Saki’s and Mahdavi’s requests. The agency said it had “erred in rejecting” the plates and would review its database to unlock any words that are not “offensive, disparaging or socially insensitive.” It also agreed to provide online instructions for applicants who believe their plate request was improperly rejected. After the two parties came to this agreement, a judge dismissed the lawsuit. 

Ohio began allowing personalized license plates in 1973 but did not adopt clear rules for evaluating the appropriateness of messages. However, after a 2003 lawsuit, the BMV adopted criteria clarifying that it bans word and letter combinations that are profane, sexually explicit, advocate lawlessness or could provoke a violent response. 

Anthony Zucco filed the 2003 lawsuit after the agency approved but later revoked his application for a plate reading “RDRAGE.” The BMV settled that suit by agreeing to issue the plate and adopting narrower guidelines for evaluating future applications. 

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These guidelines lead the agency to reject hundreds of applications each year, including 939 in 2024, 777 in 2023, 758 in 2022 and 827 in 2021. 

The agency also faced another lawsuit over a custom license plate application last year, when Jeffrey Wonser, of Heath, sued the agency for its rejection of  “F46 LGB,” similarly alleging a free speech violation. The complaint noted the terms lack an objective meaning but can be commonly perceived as referring to f--- the 46th president, Joe Biden, and Let’s Go Brandon, a term used to insult Biden.

A judge dismissed Wonser’s lawsuit in June, due to the statute of limitations, since his complaint was filed too long after his plate was rejected in 2022. Wonser has filed an appeal. 

The Ohio BMV declined to comment on either of the lawsuits. 

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) – Hundreds gathered Sunday night in Dublin to remember conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was shot and killed while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The massive crowd packed into the Coffman Park Pavilion, spilling out into the parking lots and streets surrounding it to listen to several speakers, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio).

People stood outside of the treeline, listening to singing and prayers for Kirk’s family and the United States. Parents held their children, and American flags waved throughout the vigil. Some shone the light on their phones to bring light to the darkness.

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The speakers addressed the crowd about Kirk’s Christian faith, his commitment to the First Amendment, and his voice for young people, especially.

“I know young people are hurting and they want to understand why could something like this happen, and I've tried to explain to them that there are some people who have hate in their hearts, but hate destroys the vessel that carries it, that, that they can disagree and be passionate about it, but do it respectfully, do it with love,” Husted said.

When asked about President Donald Trump’s comments that he “couldn’t care less” about unifying the American people, Husted said he had not seen those remarks and would not comment on them without context. However, he did call on all Americans "to try to, to do better."

Kirk founded Turning Point in to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success. But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.

Turning Point backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

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Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested and charged with Kirk's shooting. He is being held at Utah County Jail.

Nexstar reporters contributed to this story.

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A woman is dead after a head-on crash in Athens County Sunday morning.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash happened at approximately 9:18 a.m. on State Route 682 near Wildwood Lanes in Athens Township.

Monica Leigh Perani, 27, of Corning, Ohio, was driving a 2024 Nissan Sentra northwest on SR-682 when it was hit head-on by a 2016 Ram 1500 pick-up truck that drove left of the center line, police said.

Perani was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pick-up, a 69-year-old Athens man, was taken to an Athens hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation into the crash is continuing. Police said both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, and that alcohol does not appear to have played a role in the crash. There is no word on what caused the pick-up driver to allegedly cross the center line.

OSHP was assisted at the scene by the Athens County Sheriff's Office, the Athens Police Department, Athens County Fire Department, the Plains Fire Department, Athens County EMS, Athens County Coroner's Office, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Several Columbus businesses are seeing their business boom after getting featured in reviews in the popular “One Bite” pizza series.

Five local pizzerias have been highlighted with more than 1 million views on YouTube over the last two weeks.

The owner of one of those pizzerias, Artisan Pizza Café on East Fifth Avenue, said they’ve sold out every single day. Social media marketing can make or break a small business, and Artisan is proof that just one video can change the course of the future.

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Artisan Pizza, which opened this summer, has become a viral sensation in just a few months after receiving a score of 8.1 from Dave Portnoy, the creator of One Bite Pizza Reviews.

Owner Jasmin Ahmed has a long story leading up to opening this restaurant.  She grew up in Italy, watching her mother and grandmother in the kitchen making pizzas from scratch. At Artisan, she takes those lessons and blends them into her own pizzas.

"What if I create something from both the world where I'm from, three worlds that I'm from -- Africa, Italia, America put together, especially Africa, Italia, that would come to good flavor,” she said. “This is what I love to do. Pizza is my world, especially my customers."

On Sunday, dozens of people were seen walking into the café, hoping to get some of Ahmed’s pizza, but she had already sold out for the day, and to make matters worse, one of the restaurant’s pizza ovens was broken.

Ahmed said it has been an exhausting week and is looking forward to a few days off; the shop will reopen on Wednesday. For now, due to demand, the restaurant is only accepting walk-in orders.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A central Ohio nine-year-old boy is trying to use his talents on the soccer field to earn a nice chunk of change for his college fund and for recognition as the Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year.

Noah Francis, from Powell, is already a quarterfinalist for the Youth Athlete of the Year, winning a regional competition and vote. To win, Noah needs more votes than his competitors, with the goal of raising money for charity.

Noah loves playing soccer, it's his favorite sport. He showed us his skills at Liberty Park in Powell, and he's got a pretty powerful left foot. He also loves basketball. The reason he wears number 30 is for his favorite basketball player, Stephen Curry.

When asked what he loves most about soccer, Noah answered, “The friends I make and the amount of fun… just kicking the ball and scoring those goals.”

"He is just so athletic,” Noah’s mother, Jennifer, said. “He loves sports, he loves the competition, and he loves the friends that he's made. I hope that he learns teamwork. I hope he learns honesty, perseverance. And I just hope he's happy."

Noah is currently in fifth place in the voting and can earn double votes for those who vote for him before 9 p.m. Sunday at athleteoftheyear.org. The competition raises money for the V Foundation, fighting cancer, and the Why Not Foundation, which fights poverty.

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- Upper Arlington residents joined in on the many central Ohio events memorializing the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks 24 years ago.

The city's fire division hosted its first-ever 9/11 stair climb to honor the courage and sacrifices first responders made on that day in 2001. Participants climbed 2,200 steps to match those first responders that climbed the World Trade Center towers to save lives.

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The Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 resulted in 2,977 people losing their lives.

"It means a lot. You know, it's it's tough for us to to do this and for them to come walk with us and see how hard it is and what those firefighters had to go through on 9/11 is it's hard to put into words," said UA firefighter CJ Maisenbacher.

While participation was free, donations were collected to give to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the families of fallen firefighters.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Two people are hospitalized Sunday after a shooting in northeast Columbus.

According to a Columbus police dispatcher, the shooting happened on the 1800 block of East Hudson Street.

Both victims are hospitalized in critical condition.

There is no information on a suspect or what led to the shooting.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week on the Sunday Briefing:

• The assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves throughout the country this week.

“We’re devastated,” Delaware County Republican Party Executive Chairperson Britney Walker said. “I don’t even know how to put it.”

What we know about the latest incident in a string of violence against political figures.

• Hear what one expert said everyday citizens can do to help put an end to the country’s increasing polarization.

“Maybe this is a turning point that leads people on both sides of the aisle to think,” Capital University Political Science and Economics professor Kevin Lucas said.

• A former Republican leader is taking on the State Teachers Retirement System.

“All I am looking for is a little light transparency,” former Ohio Treasurer and Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said.

Hear why he said retirees deserve better than what they’re getting and how the pension fund is responding.

• Is there a way to heal the country’s fractured political environment? Republican strategist Mark Weaver and Democratic strategist Spencer Dirrig join the all-star roundtable to discuss the issue.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 3-0 record in nonconference play that was capped with a 37-9 victory over the Ohio Bobcats has kept the Ohio State Buckeyes as the top-ranked team in the land.

Ohio State (3-0) was once again voted by the coaches of college football as the best team in the nation, ahead of Big Ten rivals Penn State, who remain ranked second. The Buckeyes won its nonconference games against Texas, Grambling State, and Ohio by a combined score of 121-16.

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The third week of the season was highlighted by two incredible all-ranked shootouts as No. 3 Georgia beat No. 15 Tennessee 44-41 in overtime and now No. 10 Texas A&M dropped Notre Dame 13 places in the coaches rankings with a 41-40 win in South Bend on NBC4.

Four teams joined the top-25 heading into Week 4. Those teams are No. 19 Georgia Tech, No. 22 Missouri, No. 23 Vanderbilt, and No. 25 Auburn. All four are 3-0.

2025 USA Today coaches rankings (Sept. 14, 2025) 1Ohio State (62)2Penn State (3)3Georgia (1)4LSU (1)5Oregon6Miami7Texas8Illinois9Florida State10Texas A&M11Ole Miss12Oklahoma13Iowa State14Alabama15Tennessee16Texas Tech17Indiana18Utah19Georgia Tech20Michigan21Notre Dame22Missouri23Vanderbilt24South Carolina25Auburn

The Fighting Irish's 0-2 start has taken them out of the projected playoff picture completely. It has also once again swapped Ohio State's potential first round opponent. Using the current coaches rankings, the No. 1 Buckeyes would be projected to play either No. 8 Illinois or No. 9 Florida State in a quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

Projected playoff bracket using coaches poll

Ohio State will be off Saturday before kicking off Big Ten play on Sept. 27. The Buckeyes' first conference game is also its longest road trip of the regular season as they face Washington, who joined the Big Ten in 2024.

A kickoff time and broadcast assignment is expected to be announced Monday afternoon. Due to the west coast time zone, it is unlikely the game would kick-off at 12 p.m. Eastern and instead looks poised to kick-off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern or later.

GRANDVIEW HIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man found passed out in a parked car in Grandview Heights has formally been arrested months after his detainment.

According to police, Grandview Heights officers were called to the intersection of Gladden and Timberman roads, near Northwest Boulevard, on reports of a vehicle with front end damage and a person passed out in the driver's seat. The vehicle was still running, police said, and an officer opened the door to shut off the engine.

The driver, 25-year-old Asjath Jabeer, woke up and reportedly attempted to drive away, despite police identifying themselves, the report stated.

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Jabeer allegedly began resisting police and attempted to disarm one officer while trying to pull himself away. Officers deployed a taser, and Jabeer was arrested.

In Jabeer's vehicle, police reportedly found 9.2 grams of marijuana, numerous empty clear plastic baggies, preparation tables, scales, a money counter and about $400 in cash. The vehicle was impounded, and initial warrants were filed for resisting arrest, improper handling of a firearm and drug trafficking.

While Jabeer was in custody, police said he stated that he was having a medical emergency. Medics responded and transported him to a hospital, and he was temporarily released from custody.

Criminal charges were filed that day, police said, and Jabeer was arrested on Wednesday. A Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Jabeer a $10,000 fine and set a preliminary hearing for Sept. 19.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus police are still investigating a June homicide after a suspect was arrested before the charge was dropped.

While investigating the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Jayvon Gore, a Columbus Police SWAT unit arrested a man in connection to it as well as an alleged carjacking that occurred about a mile away.

On June 18 at 1:04 a.m., Gore was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near the E.Z. Oakland Park Plaza in the 1400 block of Oakland Park Avenue in North Linden. Multiple tips after the incident pointed to a person of interest, and three weeks later, police arrested 33-year-old Toreal Crawford.

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Crawford, who also had a warrant issued for his arrest in late May, is facing aggravated robbery charges, stemming from an incident in which a rideshare driver was accosted at a gas station in the 2700 block of Cleveland Avenue. While Crawford’s carjacking case remains ongoing in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, the initial murder charge against him was dropped.

Reports of several individuals exchanging gunfire were received during the June shooting, with the outside of a Columbus Division of Fire station across the street being struck. Police said upon arrival multiple witnesses fled and no one has come forward with information since the phone tips. See an earlier report in the video player above.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477 or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It may not have been pretty at first, but a win is a win. No. 1 Ohio State got the job done against in-state foe Ohio, improving to 7-0 all-time against the Bobcats and extending its unbeaten streak against Ohio programs to 54 straight games.

But the Buckeyes also showed that there's plenty of lessons to be learned heading into a pivotal bye week ahead of Big Ten play.

"I felt like we were moving the ball well, we just have to finish those drives off," coach Ryan Day said. "Which is frustrating. But these are the things we have to learn."

Here are three things we learned from Saturday night's OSU victory.

Redzone offense needs to improve

It must've been frustrating for any Ohio State fan to see the offensive production that the Buckeyes had in the first half, but only 13 points to show for it.

OSU had 278 total yards compared to OU's 28, with most of that production coming through the air (199 passing yards vs. 23). But the Buckeyes also failed to convert half of their third down opportunities and were plagued by five penalties that set them back 45 yards.

"When we got down to the redzone, we weren't able to execute. And those runs were not efficient," Day said. "If we're not going to score touchdowns in the redzone, we put ourselves at risk."

Quarterback Julian Sayin eventually made key throws, including two deep ball passes to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, that helped the Buckeyes gain a comfortable lead. But the sophomore, who also threw two interceptions against his three touchdown passes, knows it's not going to get any easier from here.

"All the guys on offense knew that we were moving the ball consistently. We just had to execute and it starts with me," Sayin said. "Those first three drives, we didn't get a touchdown in the redzone so we gotta do better there. It's all about execution and improving."

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Despite the Buckeyes' struggles to find the endzone in the first half, the OSU defense has remained a bedrock in the team's identity. While the Bobcats' nine points are the most the OSU defense has allowed this season, Matt Patricia's unit didn't allow OU to gain any momentum, even when QB Parker Navarro got the Bobcats within four at the start of the second half.

Ohio State had seven tackles for a loss against the Bobcats, including four sacks.

Senior linebacker Sonny Styles said that despite the close contest in the first half, he knew the defense was in control of the game.

"We all believe in each other, we trust in each other. We knew that we were going to be alright," Styles said. "The way we responded was well. We gave up the X play quick. That's a big play right out of the half. I thought we responded pretty fast. So being able to respond to some of those negative plays and plays we're not happy about, I thought we did pretty well."

Give the Bobcats credit

Bobcats head coach Brian Smith knew that the pressure was on the top team in the nation to perform at its best. And his team did its best to keep the pressure on into the second half and forcing the Buckeyes to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.

"I thought our defense played extremely well," Smith said after the game. "I think all these experiences are good experiences, and I think a lot of our guys are disappointed in the outcome of the game, but I think that they do see our true potential as a team. I think it's great for our confidence moving forward, just them understanding how well they're playing against good teams and how close they are to wins."

OU should still be a team that will contend for a repeat MAC championship by the end of the year after these early season tests against Power Four schools, including last week's win against West Virginia.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are thankful that they came out of this unexpected challenge with the victory.

"I think within the next two weeks it's about improving everywhere, including recognizing coverage, commanding the offense, moving us down the field and improving in our red zone execution," Sayin said. "I think we can improve in all areas."

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Three Ohioans ranked among Forbes’ 2025 list of the richest people in the United States, including Les Wexner, who climbed several spots compared with last year’s report.  

The American business magazine Forbes released its annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans on Sept. 9, and those included in the ranking are worth a combined record of $6.6 trillion, which is more than $1 trillion greater than last year’s list. 

The same three Ohioans who made the 2025 list were also the only ones from the state included in last year’s ranking – and their wealth has continued to grow.

Les Wexner, 88, of New Albany, and his family, placed at No. 137 on the list, with a net worth of $9.3 billion. Wexner jumped nine spots from last year's report, in which the family ranked at No. 146 with a net worth of $7.9 billion.

Wexner founded L Brands — a global retail empire that formerly owned Victoria’s Secret — and served as CEO for more than five decades. Wexner announced in 2020 that he would step down and sell a majority stake in Victoria’s Secret for $525 million to a private equity firm. He purchased Victoria’s Secret for $1 million in 1982.

Wexner has come under fire in recent years for his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his former financial manager. The pair had a financial and personal relationship from the mid-1980s until Wexner reportedly severed ties in 2007, after discovering Epstein had misappropriated money from Wexner’s family. Wexner has not been legally implicated in Epstein’s crimes, but some victims have suggested he had involvement. 

The second-richest person in Ohio is Denise York, 74, of Youngstown, who placed at No. 163. Forbes found York and her family, who own over 90% of the San Francisco 49ers, are worth $8.4 billion. The York family’s wealth also grew, as they ranked at No. 184 in 2024, with a net worth of $6.7 billion.

The final Ohioan to make the list is Mike Brown, 90, of Cincinnati, who placed at No. 301, with a net worth of $5 billion. In 2024, Brown marked the only newcomer from the state on the list. He sat at No. 338, while boasting a net worth of $3.9 billion.

For the fourth year in a row, the richest person in America is Elon Musk, 54, with a net worth of $428 billion. Musk has co-founded seven companies, including rocket producer SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI. He was also an early investor in electric car maker Tesla. 

Musk was followed on the list by 81-year-old Larry Ellison ($276 billion), the co-founder of the software company Oracle Corporation, and 41-year-old Mark Zuckerberg ($253 billion), the co-founder of Facebook. 

GRANVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A central Ohio brewery that had hoped to pass the taproom to new ownership has set a closing date after 14 years of business.

Licking County's Granville Brewing Company at 5371 Columbus Road will be shutting its doors on Sept. 27, founders Jay Parsons and Ross Kirk announced on social media. The announcement comes after Parsons and Kirk said in July they were offering the brewery up for sale, having decided "it is time for our tenure as owners of GBC to come to an end."

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"Though we do not yet know what is written for us, we are beyond fortunate to have such a supportive, loyal, and kind community with us as we take our next steps," the brewery's September post said. "The words 'Thank You' don't feel big enough, so be sure to come have a beer or two so we can express our deepest love for all y'all."

Granville Brewing Company at 5371 Columbus Road. (Courtesy Photo/Granville Brewing Company)

Granville Brewing was founded 14 years ago and offers Belgian-style beers and ales. The brand's brewery sits among farmland and is located near the intersection of Columbus Road and Outville Road in a renovated horse barn, inviting customers to the property's taproom, barnyard patio, or for carryout.

"Granville Brewing Company, which started as a conversation over beers in 2011, has been an amazing journey filled with good friends, laughs, tears, and a lot of great beer," the brewery's July social media post said. "The brewery brought you all to the same place and you built an amazing community of people from all walks of life through conversation and beers."

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The brewery, which is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, is offering all beers at $5 a glass until the Sept. 27 closing date.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus Public Safety Week is back, hoping to improve security in central Ohio.

Columbus Public Safety Week will run from Sept. 14-19. It was started in 2023 with Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy spearheading the effort.

“This week's all about providing resources," Remy said. "It's about getting the residents up close and personal with the fire and police personnel that are here in the city of Columbus and just working together to collectively improve public safety."

The week of community events is in partnership with Columbus Division of Police, Columbus Division of Fire, religious organizations and several other community groups. Each year, the events are focused on a different area. This time the spotlight is on the Mideast.

“I think in every neighborhood that we've been able to do, the Milo Grogan community, the Linden community, and now the Mideast area, we've found that people have really embraced this and they've had the opportunity to get excited, to get to know their public safety, their first responders better,” Remy said.

Safety Week will be kicked off with a worship service at City of Grace on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. After the service is the Cadet Canvas. Residents will receive smoke alarms, gun locks and first aid kits.

On Monday at 4:30 p.m., Columbus City Council will recognize public safety partners and Tuesday is the Community Conversation & Dinner at City of Grace from 5-7 p.m.

“It is going to be exciting to have the opportunity to sit down with Shayla Favor, our prosecutor, with the first Assistant Chief Potts, have a conversation about our youth in the community and what we're doing to help provide de-escalation techniques, to provide alternatives to getting involved in crime and just really engaging with our youth,” Remy said.

He said he wants this year to be focused on young people.

“We've been investing every year in the city of Columbus, over $20 million a year in youth programming. We need to continue to build relationships with our youth to make sure that they understand there are other alternatives to getting involved with things on the street and in crime,” said Remy.

He also said it’s important to incorporate some fun and entertainment. On Thursday at Barnett Recreation Center is Safety Fun Fest from 4-7 p.m. The family-friendly festival will be filled with music, games, food and safety resources.

“We want to make sure that we're engaging the community as a whole and so providing some opportunities to do something fun is part of the process really brings more people out and engages more with the community,” Remy said.

Columbus Public Safety Week will be capped off with a Mideast Litter League Competition. From 12-2 p.m., teams from Columbus Division of Police, Fire Cadets, youth and local leaders will compete in a clean up at Walnut Ridge High School.

RSVP to the community events here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The first meeting between Ohio State and Ohio in 15 years also meant a reunion of sorts for the school's mascots after the infamous "Rufus Bobcat vs. Brutus Buckeye" brawl in 2010.

There was no animosity between the mascots when the two programs took the field prior to kickoff. But game organizers did set up a revenge match of sorts during a break in the second quarter.

A video played on the scoreboard, revisiting the scuffle that took Brutus and the crowd by surprise. A makeshift scoreboard on the field showed Rufus leading 1-0 when Brutus came down to the tunnel in an entrance reminiscent of WWE to get revenge on the Bobcats' mascot.

The two characters engaged in a "tug of war" which Brutus won to even the score. Later in the game, Brutus and Rufus took part in a 100-yard dash down the field, which coincidentally Brutus also emerged victorious.

The Buckeyes ended up beating the Bobcats, 37-9, to improve to 3-0 this season.

• COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Rufus the Ohio Bobcats mascot, performs during the game against the Ohio Bobcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
• COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Brutus Buckeyes preforms during the game against the Ohio Bobcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
• COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Rufus the Ohio Bobcats mascot, performs during the game against the Ohio Bobcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 13, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
• 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- No. 1 Ohio State finishes out its non-conference slate with a meeting against in-state foe Ohio, marking the first meeting between the two schools in 15 years.

The Buckeyes have never lost to the Bobcats in its previous six meetings. In addition, OSU hasn't lost to an Ohio school since 1921, when it fell to Oberlin 7-6.

Ohio State football on Peacock: How to watch Buckeyes play Ohio Bobcats

Ohio is facing a Power Four program for the third straight week after opening the season with a loss to Rutgers before beating West Virginia in front of a record crowd at home last week.

Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is approaching a milestone, needing just 23 yards to become the fastest Ohio State wideout to reach 1,500 receiving yards. Michael Jenkins holds the record for reaching 1,500 yards in 20 games from 2000 to 2001.

The game is airing on Peacock, which is owned by NBC and not NBC4's parent company, Nexstar.

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