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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The national coffee chain Dutch Bros is planning to launch its first central Ohio location in northeast Columbus. 

Dutch Bros is working toward opening at 5470 N. Hamilton Road, according to a preliminary site plan filed with the City of Columbus in August. The address is in the Preserve North neighborhood, which sits just west of New Albany and north of Gahanna.

Hummingbirds leaving Ohio as they begin their migration south for winter

The proposal for the 1.9-acre property calls for a 986-square-foot building with a drive-thru, as well as a handful of parking spaces. While the preliminary plan does not specify if there will be indoor seating, a majority of the brand’s locations only offer a drive-thru and walk-up window. 

Dutch Bros' preliminary site plan. (Photo courtesy/City of Columbus)

Dutch Bros recently expanded into Ohio and has been quickly opening locations. The brand's first Ohio shop debuted near Cincinnati on Sept. 2, according to a Springfield Township news release. On Sept. 10, the brand opened another location in the Dayton area, WDTN reported. An additional coffee shop is “coming soon” to the Cincinnati suburb of Milford, according to Dutch Bros’ website. 

The first Dutch Bros to open in Ohio, located at the corner of Winton Road and Reynard Avenue in Springfield Township. (Photo courtesy/Springfield Township)

The brand was founded by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma in Oregon in 1992. While the coffee chain was originally concentrated in the western U.S., it has since expanded as far east as South Carolina. As of June, the company reported having 1,043 locations across 19 states. 

The chain’s menu boasts a variety of hot, iced and frozen coffee creations. Other menu items include matcha, energy drinks, iced tea, lemonade, smoothies, milkshakes and hot cocoa, all featuring multiple flavors. 

Dutch Bros also serves snacks, such as muffin tops in the flavors chocolate chip, lemon poppyseed and orange cranberry, as well as granola bars.

NBC4 reached out to Dutch Bros to find out when the location may open and to obtain further information, to which a spokesperson said, in part: “We're in the very early stages, so we don't have anything to share at this time.” 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio's school districts received their grades from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, which released state report cards on Monday.

This is the fourth year Ohio is releasing scores on a scale of one to five stars, rather than letter grades. A three-star rating meets state standards, a five significantly exceeds them and a one "needs significant support."

In 2021, the state passed legislature overhauling the report card system after skipping the grades for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the state removed overall ratings, but brought them back in 2023. See previous coverage of school report cards and Columbus City Schools in the video player above.

This is the first year Ohio will rate districts' College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness. The Department said the change showcases "Ohio's prioritization of postsecondary readiness."

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Use the search bar below to check ratings by school district:

The components include achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, early literacy and postsecondary readiness. The overall grades weigh some components more heavily, based 25% on achievement, which considers testing performance, and 25% on progress, which addresses how an institution has grown academically from past years. Graduation, early literacy, postsecondary readiness and gap closing are each weighted at 12.5%.

Columbus City Schools received a two-star rating overall, the same score as last year. Also like last year, Columbus received a one-star rating for graduation and early literacy. Columbus' best score came from the new category, College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness, where the district got three stars.

Also like last year, Bexley, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, Olentangy and New Albany-Plain all received five stars. Dublin, Hilliard, Pickerington, South Western, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington all saw their scores decrease by half of a star.

Use the search bar below to check ratings by public school:

Use the search bar below to check ratings by community school:

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — A Reynoldsburg family is safe, but at least one cat is dead after a house fire early Monday morning.

According to Truro Township fire department, three adults were able to escape a house fire in the 6500 block of Furth Drive in Reynoldsburg. Columbus Fire and Whitehall Fire departments were on scene to investigate the blaze, which showed visible damage to the roof of the cape-cod style home.

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No injuries were reported, though Truro Township FD said one cat was found dead, while another has not yet been found. The cause of the fire, which was reported at around 1:30 a.m., remains under investigation.

GROVEPORT, Ohio (WCMH) -- Groveport City Council unanimously approved rezoning 295 acres of farmland into a high-density residential area.

The approval paves the way for Cleveland-based real estate company Addison Properties to build its proposed Addison Groveport development at the southeast corner of Ebright and Sims roads. The development could bring 2,000 additional residents to Groveport, a city of around 6,000. See previous coverage of the development in the video player above.

Hummingbirds leaving Ohio as they begin their migration south for winter

The development will be built on land annexed by Groveport from Madison Township in August. The area is near Anduril's new manufacturing plant, which promises to bring 4,000 new jobs, Ohio's single-largest job creation project to date. However, at the council meeting, multiple concerned residents spoke out against the Addison Groveport development, citing overcrowding concerns in local schools and the loss of local farmland.

Groveport Madison Schools serves Groveport, Madison Township and portions of Columbus, Obetz, Canal Winchester and Reynoldsburg. With around 6,200 students, the district's population is similar to all of Groveport. The district projects to increase enrollment by about 10% over the next 10 years, but levy requests to fund a larger student body have failed.

Groveport Director of Development Michael Loges presented to Groveport Madison's Board of Education the day after the city approved the development. Board members Libby Gray and Kathleen Walsh said they were "disappointed" that the city did not reach out to them before giving the approval. Gray asked if the city would contribute to additional classroom space or transportation but were told the city cannot allocate funds for that.

"If we knew this was coming down the pipeline, we could've decided to go ahead and put the bond on for new buildings anticipating this, and now that has put us in a really bad situation of being able to do that," Gray said. "Now we've lost that opportunity."

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Loges said the city does not consult with the district in its typical development approval process, although they did connect with Superintendent James Grube. Grube was then asked why he did not share details with the board and answered "no reason." Board member John Kershner said it may also be on the board to reach out to the city.

Gray said it is "more than likely" that they will need to build a new school with this development. Loges also said this development is likely the first of several.

According to the Addison Groveport development statement, the land will be used for single-family homes, townhomes, apartments and a "small commercial component." Loges said the development is "mixed-use" so the city can attract investments like data centers.

Loges said the development will happen in stages due to costs and environmental concerns. It will still need to have utility work approved, but Loges said he expects construction to begin in mid-2027. He said the full build out will likely take around 10 years.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Residents in the Columbus area and central Ohio could see or hear fighter jets flying over their homes Monday morning.

According to the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, it will conduct tests this week in and around the Columbus area. Those in central Ohio areas of Franklin County may see the fighter jets in close proximity to a Civil Air Patrol aircraft, which will be taking on the role of a Track of Interest (TOI), or an aircraft that has been identified as a threat.

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The tests will be conducted on Monday morning, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The exercise flights are always subject to change if inclement weather becomes a factor.

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.

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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.