COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio is getting ready for a statewide cinematic celebration next year as part of the U.S.'s 250th anniversary, with hundreds of free movie screenings planned across all 88 counties. The initiative, Ohio Goes to the Movies, kicks off Feb. 11 and runs through October, highlighting films connected to Ohio through actors, [...]

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) -- Johnson's Real Ice Cream plans to open its 10th central Ohio shop next spring, extending the family-owned company's rapid regional expansion. The new store, slated for a spring 2026 debut, will be located in Lewis Center at 5915 Evans Farm Drive in the Evans Farm community. The shop will offer [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Two Columbus-area LA Fitness clubs are preparing to shut their doors next week. The company will permanently close its Hilliard gym at 1800 Tanglewood Park Blvd. and its Polaris Fashion Place-area location at 2100 Polaris Pkwy. on Dec. 18. Signs posted on each facility announce that both clubs will close at [...]

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) -- A national smoothie bowl chain is bringing its health-focused menu to Lewis Center as it prepares to open its latest shop. Rush Bowls will debut its second Ohio location in the Evans Farm development at 5833 Evans Farm Drive, with a ribbon-cutting planned for Friday and a grand opening on [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers are weighing new penalties for possessing electronic devices that can be used to unlock and start cars without a key, as vehicle thefts increasingly involve digital tools instead of broken windows or hot-wiring. House Bill 519, introduced in October by Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering), passed the House on Nov. [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A philanthropic initiative led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, has awarded $5 million to the YMCA of Central Ohio, the largest gift in the organization's history. The award is part of the latest giving cycle for the couple's "Day 1 Families Fund," which has distributed $102.5 [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers are renewing an effort to restrict which flags may be displayed on state-owned buildings, months after Gov. Mike DeWine partially vetoed a similar measure in the state budget. House Bill 602, introduced in November by Reps. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Rodney Creech (R-Alexandria), would limit state agencies to flying [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Pivot Boutique, a women's fashion retailer in the Short North, will close at the end of the year. The boutique, located at 718 N. High St. shared the news in a social media post, in which owner Nicci Hicks said the decision followed "a great deal of reflection." She wrote that Pivot [...]

AKRON, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Akron LGBTQ+ nonprofit known for its long-running HIV advocacy and housing support programs has been awarded $25,000 from The Courage Project, a national initiative honoring individuals and organizations demonstrating compassion and community leadership. The Akron AIDS Collaborative/Bayard Rustin LGBTQ+ Resource Center was selected as one of 12 honorees nationwide recognized [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A nearly $250,000 federal grant funding an Ohio project to install LGBTQ+ historical markers has been reinstated after a court order restoring grants previously canceled by DOGE. The grant, awarded in 2022 to Ohio History Connection for the Marking Diverse Ohio project, had been canceled in April, halting plans to place [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Jaggers, the fast-casual burger, chicken and salad chain created by the founder of Texas Roadhouse, is preparing to enter the Ohio market with a location near Polaris Fashion Place. A building permit filed with the city of Columbus in November outlines the company's intent to take over part of the parking [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority is advancing a funding plan for the $400 million renovation of Nationwide Arena, outlining a mix of state, local and private dollars to modernize the 25-year-old venue. The proposal, detailed in a Dec. 3 announcement, calls for the FCCFA to seek up to $100 million [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would create a statewide grant program to help schools offer kosher and halal food options for students with religious dietary restrictions. House Bill 562, introduced in October by Reps. Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus) and Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna), would appropriate $300,000 in fiscal year 2027 [...]

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 7 Brew coffee stand is one step closer to opening on the east side of Delaware after the city's planning commission on Wednesday recommended approval of the project. The Arkansas-based coffee chain is proposing a 510-square-foot, drive-thru only shop at 1424 Sunbury Road, a vacant one-acre parcel near the Glennwood [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers are weighing new limits on public access to elected officials' home addresses as part of a broader response to a recent surge in political violence. Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) introduced Senate Bill 327 last month. The measure, known as the Protect Elected Officials Against Coercion and Extremism (PEACE) Act, [...]

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus-based Wood Companies has revised its plan for a walkable shopping area in Dublin, adding office space and making changes to improve walkability while keeping the project's village-style character. The development, to be located at West Bridge Street and Monterey Drive near Dublin Cemetery, was originally pitched in June as a [...]

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A historic Bellefontaine church that served the city's Black community for more than a century has been transformed into a new wedding and event venue, marking one of the latest milestones in an ongoing effort to revitalize the Logan County district. Built in 1890, the former Grace A.M.E. Church is reopening [...]

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- A long-vacant site between office buildings on Dublin's Emerald Parkway could move closer to redevelopment this month, as a proposed mixed-use projects returns to the city's planning officials with a revised design. Columbus-based VanTrust Real Estate, which has owned the 16-acre property since 2016, submitted an updated plan for the land [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Ohio lawmaker is pushing to formally recognize the entirety of November as Veterans Month, a move he said would give communities more time to honor the state's 700,000 veterans. House Bill 576, introduced by Rep. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky), would amend state law to designate November as Veterans Month "to [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- DankHouse Brewing Co., a Newark-based craft brewery known for its hazy IPAs and barrel-aged offerings, plans to open a second location in Columbus. The brewery announced Nov. 15 that it will move into the space at 901 Oak St. in Olde Towne East in 2026. The announcement, made on social media, [...]