COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As part of the state budget passed over the summer, school districts across Ohio must ban the use of cellphones and smart devices in schools statewide on Jan. 1. Students have a few days of school left before they go on winter break, and when they come back in 2026, the [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- NBC4’s annual Firefighters 4 Kids Toy Drive is happening Saturday and this year, it’ll benefit the Salvation Army in Central Ohio for the first time. The goal is to make sure as many local children as possible have gifts under the tree this year and the Salvation Army is helping with [...]

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Norwich Township Fire Department pairs up with the Hilliard Food Pantry every year to collect and donate toys to local children for the holidays. This year, hundreds, if not thousands, of toys are dropped off and stored at Norwich Township Fire Station 83. However, a sewage leak a few weeks [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- AEP Ohio has proposed increasing its rate by a little more than 2%. If approved, the average customer will pay around $4 more per month, but the monthly bill would be significantly higher for schools. Columbus City Schools is the largest district in Ohio, and district board members spoke at the [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus City Schools is closing down four school buildings due to budget cuts and students and programs will move to other buildings. The Board of Education voted on closures last week as part of cutting $50 million from the district’s budget. One school building, Fairwood Alternative Elementary, will be shut down [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Thousands of central Ohio families will be left without care after Columbus Speech and Hearing shuttered its speech department with just two weeks' notice. “Your decisions have real life consequences for families like mine," Columbus Speech and Hearing mom Haylee McFarland said. "Every child deserves a voice. And you're taking away [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- After months of special board meetings, listening sessions and tense discussions, the Columbus Board of Education was able to vote Tuesday on approximately $50.4 million in budget cuts for the district. Community members said that after those decisions were made, they felt worried, disappointed and frustrated. More than $25 million in [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Columbus Board of Education voted Tuesday to cut more than $50 million from its operating budget. The vote happened during a contentious meeting held after months of discussion. The decisions did not come easily and emotions ran high as board members debated where to make the necessary cuts. The board [...]