Ohio State News

Ohio State Women’s Basketball Coach Kevin McGuff Charged With OVI

Tue, 13 May 2025 01:55:48 +0000

Head coach Kevin McGuff looks on from the sideline during the 2024 NCAA tournament. McGuff was charged with OVI May 6. Credit: Caleb Blake | Lantern File Photo

Ohio State women’s basketball head coach Kevin McGuff was arrested May 6 and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, according to Dublin Mayor’s Court records.

McGuff was driving near his home when he struck several curbs and drove onto a lawn, according to media reporters, which cited a Dublin Police report.

McGuff, who has been at Ohio State since 2013, pleaded not guilty to the charge during a court appearance Tuesday.

The Ohio State Department of Athletics released a statement Monday acknowledging the arrest.

“The department is in communication with Coach McGuff and monitoring the situation closely,” according to the statement. “This is an ongoing, personal legal matter, and the department will share additional information at the appropriate time.”

McGuff has has guided the program to a record of 224-109 and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

This story was updated May 14 to include that McGuff pleaded not guilty.

Former Ohio State wrestling star Kyle Snyder arrested in prostitution sting

Mon, 12 May 2025 16:51:13 +0000

Former Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder trains then-Ohio State wrestlers at the Steelwood Training Facility on April 2, 2019. Snyder was arrested in a prostitution sting May 9. Credit: Amal Saeed | Lantern File Photo

Olympic gold medalist and former Ohio State wrestling national champion Kyle Snyder was arrested May 9 in connection with a prostitution sting, according to WBNS-10TV.

Snyder, a three-time world champion, was taken into custody by the Columbus Division of Police’s Police and Community Together (PACT) unit during a sting operation on the city’s North Side. Authorities said he allegedly responded to an online advertisement and arranged to meet undercover officers at a hotel.

Police said Snyder exchanged money and solicited sexual acts from an undercover officer before being arrested on a charge of engaging in prostitution.

The arrest comes just days after Snyder signed a contract with Real American Freestyle Wrestling.

Ohio Attorney General accepts petition aimed at eliminating real property taxes

Mon, 12 May 2025 15:38:39 +0000

The Ohio Attorney General's Office has taken a significant step toward addressing historically high property tax bills, according to a press release from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office.

On Friday, the office announced that it had accepted the title and summary of a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at adding a new Section 14 to Article XII of the state constitution. This proposed amendment seeks to abolish taxes on real property and prohibit any future taxes on real property.

The Attorney General's Office received the petition on May 1, and their role in the process is to determine whether the submitted language "fairly and truthfully" summarizes the constitutional amendment or proposed statute.

Having carefully examined this submission, I conclude that the title and summary are fair and truthful statements of the proposed constitutional amendment, stated a response letter sent to the petitioners.

Homeowners in Butler County and Hamilton County have been vocal about the need to abolish taxes on real property.

In March, Butler County residents urged Ohio legislators to amend state tax rules to provide relief from skyrocketing property taxes. Data released by the Hamilton County Auditors Office in 2024 revealed that the average property tax bill increased by 10%, while property values surged by 34%.

The next step in the process is for the Ohio Ballot Board to certify the proposal. Following this, petitioners will need to gather signatures from registered voters equal to at least 10% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. Signatures must come from voters in at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, with each of those counties requiring at least 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election.

If the Ohio Secretary of State's Office verifies the signatures at least 65 days before the election, the proposed amendment will be placed on the ballot for the next regular or general election that occurs 125 days after the petition was filed.

How to “act your wage”: Financial health tips for life after graduation

Wed, 07 May 2025 17:43:10 +0000

While spending is inevitable and splurging can be tempting, aligning your expenses with your income can help foster financial responsibility, stability, and peace of mind. Here are some practical tips to help you balance spending, while enhancing your financial health:

Understand Your Financial Landscape
Take a close look at your income, expenses, and any outstanding debts. Create a simple budget that outlines what comes in each month, as well as what goes out. This will help you identify areas that could use adjusting and allocate more towards savings or debt repayment. The goal is to ensure your spending aligns with your income, preventing unnecessary financial stress.
Prioritize Needs Over Wants
It’s important to distinguish between needs and wants. Needs are essential expenses like housing, utilities, and groceries, while wants are non-essential items like dining out or luxury purchases. By prioritizing needs, you can allocate your resources more effectively and help avoid overspending.
Embrace Mindful Spending
Be intentional with your purchases. Before making a purchase, ask yourself if it aligns with your financial goals and if it’s truly necessary. This practice can help you avoid impulse buys and keep your spending in check.
Utilize Financial Tools and Resources
There are numerous tools and resources available to help you manage your finances effectively. Budgeting apps, financial planning software, and online calculators can provide valuable insights into your spending habits and help you stay on track. Look for budgeting tools and educational materials to help you create a budgeting plan.
Plan for the Unexpected
Life is full of surprises, and having a financial cushion can make all the difference. It’s recommended to save three to six months’ worth of living expenses in a separate account. This fund will help provide a safety net in case of unexpected events, such as medical emergencies or job loss, reducing stress and allowing you to focus on long-term financial goals. Consider setting up automatic transfers to your savings account to ensure you’re consistently setting aside money for future needs.

By identifying a budget that works for your lifestyle, you can create a solid foundation for financial health and work towards achieving your future financial goals.

For more financial health tips, visit chase.com/financialgoals.

Men’s Lacrosse: Ohio State Earns No. 4 Seed in NCAA Tournament, Set to Face Notre Dame in First Round

Mon, 05 May 2025 04:00:12 +0000

The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team waits to hear who they will face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State has made its way to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament.

After missing the tournament in five of the past six seasons, the Buckeyes secured an automatic bid by defeating Maryland 14-10 in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on Saturday.

The Big Ten regular-season and tournament champions, Ohio State earned the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as announced during Sunday night’s selection show.

Standing in the Buckeyes’ path to their first quarterfinal appearance since 2017 is a formidable obstacle: Notre Dame, a program aiming for its third consecutive national title.

Ohio State is led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Nick Myers and All-Big Ten First Team selections: attackman Alex Marinier, defenseman Bobby Van Buren, and goaltender Caleb Fyock.

Marinier has powered the Buckeyes’ offense this season, leading the Big Ten with 46 goals. On defense, Van Buren collected 22 ground balls and forced 14 turnovers, while Fyock, named both Big Ten Specialist of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, led the conference in saves and goals allowed.

Notre Dame has won 16 of the 22 all-time meetings between the two programs. However, Ohio State claimed the most recent matchup.

On March 8 in South Bend, Indiana, the Buckeyes edged the Irish 10-9, with midfielder Shane O’Leary scoring the game-winning goal with just seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to stun the Irish.

Notre Dame averages more than 13 goals per game, ranking 10th nationally, five spots ahead of Ohio State. However, the Irish struggle in man-down defense, ranking 59th out of 74 schools with a penalty kill percentage of .576.

Notre Dame is led by star attackman Chris Kavanagh, the 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and 2024 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, who tallied 56 points this season.

Kavanagh wasn’t the only Irish player to earn accolades.

Defenseman Shawn Lyght was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Matty Jeffery earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

In their most recent game, the Irish fell 14-12 to No. 6 Syracuse in the ACC Semifinals, their second loss to the Orange this season. Despite the setback, Notre Dame is aiming to become the first program since Princeton (1996–1998) to win three consecutive NCAA men’s lacrosse titles.

However, Notre Dame has already recorded four losses this season which is more than its previous two title-winning campaigns combined. Meanwhile, Ohio State, coming off of one of its best seasons in program history, will look to end Notre Dame’s recent postseason dominance.

The Buckeyes (14-2, 4-1 Big Ten) and the Irish (8-4, 3-1 ACC) will face off in Columbus on Sunday at noon. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The winner will advance to face the winner of No. 5 Penn State vs. Colgate.

Photo Gallery: Waving goodbye to Ohio State’s Class of ’25

Mon, 05 May 2025 01:37:07 +0000

Graduates file into the Ohio Stadium for Saturday's spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
The scoreboard shows graduates filing into the Ohio Stadium for Saturday's spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Graduates wait in line to take their seats at the spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
A graduate makes a phone call as she approaches the stands. Credit: Daniel Bush | Assistant Photo Editor
Graduates call and wave to loved ones as they file into their seats. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
Professor Russel C. Mikkelson celebrates after conducting the "The Star-Spangled Banner", a performance led by soprano Samantha Sayer, a candidate for a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
Charles Bolden Jr. speaks at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Graduates don rain covers and umbrellas during Sunday's Commencement ceremony. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
A graduate waits in line to take his seat at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
Spectators use umbrellas and don ponchos to avoid the rain during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
The flag holder for the Fisher College of Business smiles as she talks with colleagues at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
A graduate is hooded at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
A graduate walks up the steps in a poncho over their academic costume during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
An advisor embraces their student during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
University president Ted Carter Jr. hands a graduate their diploma onstage at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
The rain clears up during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
An ASL translator translates the commencement speakers for a graduating student during the ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts &Life Photo Editor
A graduate is moved to tears during the singing of the alma mater, "Carmen Ohio," during the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
Graduating students sing Carmen Ohio before receiving their diploma at the 2025 commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Photo Editor
- A graduate wears their cap with a design inspired by Minecraft at the 2025 spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences decorated their cap with an inspiring message for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Medicine decorated their cap with an inspiring message for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate decorated their cap with a plushie for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate decorated their cap with an inspiring message for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate decorated their cap with the penguins from the movie "Madagascar" for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Engineering decorated their cap with flowers and binary code for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Engineering decorated their cap for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Engineering decorated their cap with flowers for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Engineering decorated their cap with a QR code for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate from the College of Engineering decorated their cap with an inspirational quote for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- Graduates from the College of Engineering decorated their caps for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
- A graduate decorated their cap with flowers for the 2025 spring commencement ceremony Sunday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor

This year, nearly 10,000 Ohio State graduates donned their cap and gown for their commencement ceremony, providing the unique opportunity for these caps to be decorated.

Graduates displayed their personalities through these designs, with caps ranging from inspirational quotes, jokes or political statements.

While some rain resulted in many of these caps being removed from sight, here are a few displayed during commencement.

Charles Bolden Jr. and university speakers address the spring 2025 graduating class

Sun, 04 May 2025 23:26:09 +0000

Graduates don rain covers and umbrellas during Sunday’s Commencement ceremony. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Despite the rain, almost 10,000 Buckeyes attended the 439th commencement ceremony at Ohio State.

As graduates and spectators covered themselves with ponchos and umbrellas, university speakers focused on community and appreciation on Sunday at the Ohio Stadium.

Of the 12,357 degrees and certificates awarded, 9,355 of those were in attendance at the Ohio Stadium on Sunday, Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for student life, said in her opening remarks. Included among the awarded degrees, 9,318 were bachelor’s and associate’s, 1,700 were master’s degrees, 975 were graduate professional degrees and 294 graduates received doctorates, Shivers said in her speech.

Shivers first addressed the graduating class and audience with a speech focused on loved ones, sacrifice and motivation for the incoming graduates.

“These amazing humans have successfully navigated the challenges and opportunities that are a natural part of obtaining a degree, and they have done it with great resilience, patience and perseverance,” Shivers said. “Nothing could deter them from their ultimate goal of becoming Buckeyes for life, starting today.”

Shivers then spoke to the audience, saying that “disruption will not be permitted.” This comes after multiple pro-Palestine protests and oppositions to Senate Bill 1 on campus.

After the National Anthem and prayer, Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. introduced commencement speaker Charles Bolden Jr. — A U.S. Marine Maj. Gen., former NASA administrator and founder and CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group—Carter spoke on Bolden’s service, awards and experience. This resulted in him being awarded an honorary doctorate in 2017.

“He is a true honorary Buckeye, a living example of the power that each of us has to make a difference,” Carter said.

In his commencement speech, Bolden advised the graduates to stay passionate and driven and to maintain their democratic engagement, focusing on common themes of the U.S. Constitution and for graduates expect the unexpected.

“You are the ones who will build and strengthen bridges of understanding and cooperation here in America and around the world. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but it’s worth the effort,” Bolden said. “You never know where your friends and allies are going to come from, but you must always allow yourself to be surprised and receptive to others not like you.”

Next, Carter awarded Atul Gawande with an honorary degree in Doctor of Science. He is a physical, public health expert and author, according to an Ohio State press release.

Carter also gave three Distinguished Service Awards to Dr. William B. Farrar, Elizabeth B. Germain and Richard B. Germain. Farrar is a surgical oncologist, cancer researcher and medical administrator, while Elizabeth and Richard Germain donated funds to the James Cancer Hospital, Carter said.

Carter introduced the 2025 graduates by acknowledging their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic and praised them for persevering.

“You’ve had to change direction on a moment’s notice, and I know that beyond the challenges that made it into the headlines, unless you’ve had to deal with your own private challenges, but you have responded as Buckeyes do,” Carter said. “You’ve worked hard, you’ve stayed the course, you’ve treated others with grace and compassion and deserve. And you’ve made it here to this day, your graduation.”

Commencement Speaker Charles Bolden Jr. gives speech on making history, looking towards the future

Sun, 04 May 2025 23:23:24 +0000

Charles Bolden Jr. speaks at the spring commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium Sunday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Editor for Photo

While history is crucial, the community that is being built for the future of democracy is just as essential, according to Charles Bolden Jr.’s commencement address.

Bolden — U.S. Marine Maj. Gen., former NASA administrator and founder and CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group — delivered a speech giving advice to an audience of almost 10,000 graduates, many of which began to huddle under umbrellas or ponchos to hide from the rain. Announced as the spring commencement speaker on Mar. 17, Bolden received an honorary degree from Ohio State in 2017 due to his impacts on global sustainability and his involvement in NASA, per prior Lantern reporting.

He opened by thanking university president, Ted Carter, and his wife, Linda Carter, who have been “dear friends” since their days back at the Naval Academy. Bolden made a joke about their nicknames — Ted “Slapshot” Carter and Linda “Wonder Woman” Carter — and his appreciation for having met them during his time in the Naval program.

Speaking in front of the Ohio Stadium was “daunting,” Bolden said, since he was in awe of the crowd, and he also apologized if he stumbled over his words during his speech because of it. Bolden honored many of this year’s athletic achievements, with a priority on the football and women’s hockey teams.

After acknowledging the students receiving degrees, Bolden focused on the 62 graduates who were commissioned yesterday as second lieutenants in the U.S. military.

“Your service to our country is appreciated now more than ever,” Bolden said. “I encourage you to remember and regularly look in the mirror, hear me, look in the mirror each day, raise your right hand and repeat the oath you took yesterday.”

Bolden clarified that no person or position is mentioned in the oath the military must take, saying that our nation is stationed through the words of our Constitution.

“You have the power to make the youth of this country seen, heard and appreciated,” Bolden said. “To create a future that’s divisive, but with drive, purpose and compassion.”

Bolden reflected on the conversations throughout his speech that have shaped his life and the choices that he would end up making in the future. He said that when he was 22, he was watching a black and white tv to see the moon landing, but “we were all marines and sailors in broils of war far away, and had a lot of other things on our mind.” Bolden said that becoming an astronaut was the last thing on his mind, but that changed.

“Like me coming out of the Naval academy, you may not be certain at this moment where you will finally land professionally, but it is critical for each of you to stay involved in the civic life of our country,” Bolden said. “No matter what community you live in, what your political views are, there is something you can do to make this nation better, right where you live and work.”

Bolden pushed forward, saying that political leaders come and go, and they can cause challenges along the way, across the world. However, he said when he travels to other countries, they still look to America as “the shining city on the hill,” and said other countries watch the United States with hope that “we will not put our democracy in jeopardy.”

Compared to last year’s spring commencement speech, where the speaker, Christopher Pan, asked students to give feedback on his rough draft of the speech through Instagram responses, per prior Lantern reporting, Bolden followed a more traditional approach. He reflected on his life, the challenges he has faced and how to build a community that is reflective of the nation’s goals.

Pan — a social entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and an Ohio State graduate — focused on giving financial advice to the spring 2024 graduating class. After starting his speech with a rendition of “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, he encouraged students to invest in Bitcoin, open their minds to different perspectives than their own and finished his speech with his own rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”

With Bolden’s approach, the crowd erupted in applause several times, especially when he was describing his vulnerability in moments. Bolden shared a story where he had commanded the first joint U.S.-Russian space shuttle mission, directly after the Cold War.

“Our nations were still recovering from the Cold War, but space was an area where we cooperated very well,” Bolden said. “That cosmonaut, Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev, and I, still keep in touch, and our families remain friends. We were just doing our jobs, but I still believe in that promise of citizens everywhere, partnering to rise above our differences.”

Moving on, Bolden then discussed his own personal optimism, as well as individually addressing the women and minorities in the crowd.

“Especially for the women and minorities in this class, don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself or your identity to everyone,” Bolden said. “Don’t feel like you have to justify why you are where you are. This applies to the workplace or any other place. Don’t be afraid of failure. Even the very best of us get lost or falter sometime.”

Bolden ended his speech by describing how he believes that the arc of history “continues to bend towards justice,” though we do not know the outcome.

“We need to work together to accomplish the biggest things humanity has ever done,” Bolden said. “People have suffered and some have died to get us where we are. But in the future, we will succeed together as the human race. I appeal to you, keep following the beacon of knowledge and hope that has ignited during your studies here. We need you to share yourselves, your ideas and your decency with the world.”

Men’s Lacrosse: Buckeyes Capture First Big Ten Title, Punch Ticket to NCAA Tournament

Sun, 04 May 2025 21:01:03 +0000

Celebration ensues following the Buckeyes’ 14-10 win over Maryland on Saturday. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team is bringing some hardware back to Columbus.

After claiming the regular-season crown, the No. 5 Buckeyes secured their first Big Ten Tournament title with a 14-10 win over No. 3 Maryland on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The top-seeded Buckeyes were led offensively by attackman Garrett Haas, who recorded a hat trick and added an assist. He was followed by attackmen Alex Marinier and Jack McKenna, along with midfielders Liam White and Griffin Turner.

Goaltender Caleb Fyock tied his career high with 19 saves and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Fyock was also recently named Big Ten Specialist of the Year.

Ohio State never trailed in the contest, opening with five goals in the first five minutes to grab a commanding 5-0 lead.

The Terrapins responded with four goals in the second quarter to narrow the Buckeyes’ lead.

Maryland’s push was met with three Ohio State goals to maintain control. At halftime, the Buckeyes led 9-5.

Defensively, Ohio State held firm, with no caused turnovers in the second quarter compared to Maryland’s three.

The Buckeyes continued to control possession in the third quarter and outscored Maryland 4-3 to extend their lead to 13-8 heading into the final 15 minutes.

The Terrapins added two more goals and the Buckeyes netted one in the fourth quarter to seal the 14-10 final score.

Looking ahead, the Buckeyes await the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal, set for 9 p.m. tonight. Winners of each first-round game will advance to the quarterfinals.

Columbus Crew outshoot Charlotte FC in the rain, secure a 4-2 victory

Sun, 04 May 2025 20:43:28 +0000

While the rain may have soaked the pitch, it couldn’t dampen Columbus’ offensive firepower.

Diego Rossi boots the ball in Crew’s 4-2 win over Charlotte FC at Lower.com Field. Credit: Courtesy of Columbus Crew

The Crew rolled to a 4-2 win over Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Lower.com Field, with four players finding the back of the net.

Both teams came out aggressive, but Charlotte had the first big chance less than a minute in when Patrick Agyemang broke free on a fast break, only to sail his shot over the crossbar. Columbus slowly took control and piled up shot attempts.

Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves in eight minutes — even stopping one with his face — before Columbus broke through in the 25th minute. A deflected shot from Diego Rossi fell to Dylan Chambost, who buried the rebound for his first goal of the season.

It was a payoff that echoed the message from a recent conversation with head coach Wilfried Nancy.

“I spoke with coach during the week, and he asked me to go more towards the box,” Chambost said. “Maybe I heard the voice [from this week] during the game.”

Columbus maintained pressure, earning two corners — the second drawing a penalty in the box. Rossi converted from the spot to double the lead.

With seven minutes of stoppage time added, Charlotte found a spark before the break. A penalty by Crew wing back Yevhen Cheberko allowed left wing Wilfried Zaha to convert and cut the lead to 2-1.

Columbus led the stat sheet at halftime, with 12 total shots and nine on goal, compared to Charlotte’s five and one.

The Crew wasted little time regaining control. Six minutes into the second half, right midfielder Aziel Jackson ripped a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner to make it 3-1.

Nancy was impressed with how the team responded following their late first-half slip.

“They raised the intensity mentally, and they were able to stay on task and score,” Nancy said. “I really liked the reaction of the players.”

But Columbus let Charlotte hang around. In the 64th, a mishandle from goalkeeper Patrick Schulte led to an easy finish for Liel Abada, cutting it to 3-2.

The dagger came in the 81st, when left midfielder Max Arfsten sent in a cross that striker Jacen Russell-Rowe headed home, solidifying the Crew’s 4-2 victory.

Despite the finish, Russell-Rowe acknowledged his teammates for making it possible.

“It’s another great team goal,” Russell-Rowe said. “When it all comes together, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Columbus (7-3-1) will travel to face the Philadelphia Union (7-1-3) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Subaru Park.

Football: Ryan Day sits down with The Lantern, discusses life after National Championship, philosophy on recruiting

Sat, 03 May 2025 14:38:44 +0000

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day visited The Lantern’s newsroom Tuesday and sat down with Sports Editor Noah Weiskopf for an interview.

During the conversation, Day discussed his feelings on the 2025 NFL Draft, the significance of not losing any scholarship players to the spring transfer portal, his philosophy on recruiting in the modern landscape of college football and much more.

I learned how to punt a football with an Ohio State punter; it ended in pain and humility

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:31:54 +0000

Sophomore punter Nick McLarty shows sports editor Noah Weiskopf where to drop the ball when punting. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Who knew punting a football could cause so much pain?

My foot.

My hamstring.

My ego.

And my self-esteem.

Punting is something many people see but few think about. Punters are difference-makers in games and can be the reason a game is won or lost. Some people even think it’s easy.

I wanted to see what it takes to punt a football in a game-like situation, so I spent an afternoon learning what all goes into punting with Ohio State’s Nick McLarty.

My key takeaway: It’s harder than I ever imagined.

McLarty and I met up to start my training at Lincoln Tower Fields, right outside Ohio Stadium.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, McLarty was recruited to Ohio State after a video of him kicking a football over a soccer stadium went viral with more than five million views on social media. At 6-foot-7, he towers over most, and his deep, Australian accent makes heads turn.

We dropped our bags off at the end of the turf field next to a chain-link fence. He pulled out a pair of white cleats and told me we’d start by warming up. The difference between punters and other types of players already started to come into focus.

Punters have to be extremely flexible — much more so than the average person — because of the range of motion needed from the kicking leg. I should have taken that as a warning sign, but I brushed it off as we kept talking.

We took a two-minute jog from one end of the field to the other and then started stretching with a hip mobility exercise, for which we stood on one leg while lifting the other, moving the leg off the ground in an outward and inward direction. Then, we performed a standing hamstring stretch by balancing on one leg and placing the heel of the other foot on the ground with toes pointed upward at a 45-degree angle, then bending forward at the hips to stretch the muscle..

McLarty said he spends an hour stretching before kicks, sometimes twice a day. I got five minutes in before realizing my body might not be meant to do this.

My hamstring felt tight, like a rubber band losing its elasticity.

After about 10 minutes of stretching, we walked to the fence and McLarty unzipped his black North Face duffel bag, pulling out four footballs, each with the Ohio State logo painted on one side.

First step in punting: holding the ball.

“Shake my hand,” McLarty said.

Sophomore punter Nick McLarty shows sports editor Noah Weiskopf proper hand placement on the ball. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

I shook his hand, and as soon as I did, he let go, leaving my right hand frozen in mid air. This was how to hold the football, he said, and slipped it into my hand. The white laces were just above the webbing between my thumb and index finger. McLarty then angled the ball to the side.

My second job was to focus on the technique of dropping the ball.

“It should either bounce straight up, or it should bounce a little bit out,” McLarty said. “The one we don’t want is when it goes forward. When it goes forward, it means it hit the back of the ball and that’s when we get that tumbly [punt] over the front.”

I dropped the ball on the ground. Upon impact, it rolled slightly forward, exactly what it wasn’t supposed to do.

“When we’re dropping it, the cue that we have in our heads is parachute,” McLarty said. “When we drop it, we’re just trying to let the ball flutter down.”

After two tries, I got the hang of it — I dropped it down and it bounced backwards.

“There you go,” McLarty said encouragingly.

Next, we walked over to a 15-foot fence with netting to warm our legs up. We practiced dropping the ball onto our foot in the exact same spot and kicking it into the net set up on the field to keep soccer balls from escaping. It was called the one step.

McLarty went first. He took one step, dropped the ball and booted it into the top of the net.

My turn.

The football hit my toe one inch from the middle, where it’s supposed to hit, but my first kick was a line drive three feet off the ground.

Placement on the foot, McLarty said, is the difference between an awful punt and a great one.

“You see someone shank the ball, that’s all because the ball wasn’t here,” McLarty said, pointing at the top of his foot, just behind the toes. “This wind is coming off my left shoulder, so I’ve also got to be careful not to have the ball out too far or the wind is gonna catch it.”

He kicked another one, perfect again. To see McLarty’s kicks at their highest point, I had to bend my head all the way back to look straight up in the sky. My next punt line drove 18 yards.

Next, we stood about 15 yards apart and practiced directional kicking. McLarty dropped the ball and punted it into my chest.

I dropped the ball to my foot, made contact and it went right to McLarty. He was impressed.

“There it is!” McLarty said excitedly.

We then went to midfield and found a red line on the turf, 50 yards away, to simulate a pooch situation — a time when, due to where the ball is snapped, the punt is purposely kicked shorter to have a better chance at hitting a target. For McLarty, it was 40 yards.

He lined up with the white horizontal line painted on the turf, dropped the ball and kicked it, all within a second. The ball shot directly into the air, like a rocket blasting off. The ball kept getting higher and higher before it hit its apex and arched toward the ground. It thumped down on the turf after about four seconds in the air and landed on the white line.

He did the same thing again and again, the result the same each time.

When it was my turn, we picked up the football and walked 10 feet closer to the white line — as if that was going to be the difference.

I kicked the same, low-line drive. The good news: It was in the right direction. The bad news: It felt like I’d just kicked a rock, with the pain radiating through my foot like a bolt of lightning.

McLarty went again and kicked one that looked like it landed 10 yards to the left of the line.

“I’d consider that a miss-hit,” McLarty said.

A miss-hit? If I kicked that ball, I would be elated.

One thing that helped McLarty’s transition from Australia to the United States was his comfort with Australian rules football, which uses a roll-out punt. That means he gets the ball from the long snapper, takes a lateral step to his right, one step diagonally, a few more steps forward and then kicks the ball while on the run.

Ohio State is one of 50% of college football programs that also utilizes the roll-out punt.

As I stepped up to attempt my roll-out punt, McLarty gave me a subtle warning.

“It looks very easy,” McLarty said. “It’s not very easy.”

I took a step to the right, a diagonal step and then ran into three more steps forward. I was so hyper-focused on making sure my footwork was right that when I made contact with the ball — ouch — it felt like I just kicked another rock, leaving the top of my foot throbbing and causing me to limp. And the ball only went 20 yards.

I did it twice more and had a similar lack of success.

Trying to do all those technical things in the two seconds you have to kick the ball is next to impossible. My mind simply couldn’t focus on five things at once.

I was exhausted from the day. I was limping pretty noticeably, as my right foot throbbed in pain. The harder I tried to walk without a limp, the more my foot pulsated. I needed to go home.

So, after two hours, we put the footballs back in the bag, McLarty packed up his cleats and we headed off the field.

As McLarty walked off, and I limped off, I told him something I had been thinking about all day.

“So, my best punt is just a shank for you?” I said.

“Yeah,” McLarty admitted, laughing. “But I can’t do journalism.”

University graduation ceremony honoring students of color reshapes itself amid DEI rollbacks

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:04:47 +0000

The Black Alumni Society in 2022. Credit: Courtesy of Jevon Williams

Since the 1990s, Ohio State has annually hosted the Afrikan American Farewell Ceremony to honor graduates of color.

And if not for the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the university’s Sorority and Fraternity Life, this year’s ceremony would have been its last.

Following the Feb. 28 shutdown of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the celebration was at risk of losing funding from the university, according to an April 8 Black Alumni Society Instagram post. Despite these challenges, the National Pan-Hellenic Council — which worked alongside ODI, the Office of Student Life and the Student Life Multicultural Center to host the ceremony each year — partnered with Sorority and Fraternity Life and changed the name to “The Farewell Celebration” presented by NPHC, the post states.

University spokesperson Chris Booker said in a statement Ohio State “has been examining programming, initiatives and projects that have traditionally been considered diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.”

“The historic Afrikan American Farewell Celebration was a part of this review process, and the event is continuing with a few alterations, including that the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) student organization will take the lead on the event,” Booker said. “Because it was also necessary to be clear that the event is open to all students, we recommended revising the name, which will now be the Farewell Celebration, presented by NPHC.”

The Black Alumni Society has raised over $26,000 in community donations since March 21 in order to offset this year’s expenses and cover future commencement ceremonies, according to the post.

Jevon Collins, former interim director of the Black Alumni Society and an alum who graduated in 2004, said he worries about the university’s future students due to recent DEI programming cuts at Ohio State and across the country.

“These changes to the graduation ceremony take progress away — think back to Black alumni like Jesse Owens and Fred Patterson; they weren’t allowed to live on campus,” Collins said.

Collins said he was introduced to Ohio State in sixth grade through the Young Scholars Program, a scholarship designed for first-generation, inner-city, public pre-collegiate school students.

“The program kept me away from pitfalls like drugs and violence that a lot of my peers were getting into in my early teen years,” Collins said. “It enabled me to believe that I was going to go to college.”

By participating in programs offered by ODI, Collins said he was led to his current position as chief operating officer at The King Art Complex, which preserves African American history and culture through art, according to its website.

Collins said the university’s ODI programs and initiatives created opportunities for students from backgrounds like his to succeed, and Black graduates deserve recognition of the hurdles they’ve overcome in the form of a celebration like the Afrikan American Farewell Ceremony.

“I knew Ohio State was more than just the Black experience, but at the same time, I needed my foundation,” Collins said.

Collins said he did not attend the ODI commencement ceremony during his own senior year, but as a Black Alumni Society member, the opportunity to witness graduates walk across the stage with their families watching made Collins realize why the tradition is such a meaningful source of pride.

Mike Williams, who attended Ohio State prior to ODI’s creation and currently works with the Black Alumni Society, said the university’s recent DEI changes make him fear that students will face the same discrimination and lack of institutional support he experienced.

During his time at Ohio State, Williams said minority students had to create ways to support themselves instead of relying on Ohio State for support, which he feels mirrors what the university looks like now.

In light of the cutbacks, Williams said he will continue to support students through his advocacy with the Black Student Union Legacy Group, which consists of the founding members of the BSU from the 1960s and works with the Black Alumni Society to assist graduates of color.

“This university is supposed to represent opportunity, and yet, without ODI, it has no vehicle to ensure that opportunity is real for all students,” Williams said

Ultimately, Collins said it is the alumni network’s role to support current students as the university transitions away from its DEI programming.

“It’s up to the alumni and those who have benefited from ODI and its programs to figure out alternative ways to support minority students,” Collins said.

Study by Ohio State professor reveals rise in firearm suicide rates among women

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:04:34 +0000

An Ohio State study found that suicide by firearm rates have increased by over 25% among women over the past two decades, and 42% of women who died by firearm suicide had no prior mental or physical illness

Please note this story contains mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Help is available 24/7.

An Ohio State study found that suicide by firearm rates have increased by over 25% among women over the past two decades, and 42% of women who died by firearm suicide had no prior documentation of mental or physical illness.

Laura Prater, assistant professor in Ohio State’s College of Public Health, was the lead author on the study. She said she wanted to study firearm suicides among women in particular because she noticed an unprecedented increase within the demographic.

“Firearm death and firearm suicide in particular has been studied consistently among white and older men, as older white men are the demographic that are most likely to die from firearm suicide,” Prater said. “However, I noticed, and it’s been documented, that it’s been increasing among women.”

Prater said it’s important not to overlook women in firearm suicide research — even if they have been historically neglected — because the number of firearm suicides among women has been increasing.

Notably, Prater said suicide by firearms is now one of the most common methods of suicide among women.

“It has increased by over 25% over the last two decades among women specifically,” Prater said. “But we don’t have a lot of great studies characterizing this because research on firearms has only recently been prioritized, and men came first, but now it’s time to better understand what’s really happening with women.”

The study analyzed the medical records of over 8,000 women who had died by suicide by firearm, then placing them into four groups using latent class analysis — a statistical method used to identify subgroups within a population based on shared characteristics — Prater said.

The first group included those who had reported suicidal ideation, the second included those who had reported substance abuse disorders, the third included those who had reported physical health problems and the fourth — only 4% of those included — included those who had reported a mix of mental and physical health problems, Prater said.

Prater said she wasn’t expecting to find that almost half of the women surveyed did not fall into any of the four groups and had minimal to no history of mental or physical health issues. She said this finding is important because it points to how the health care system may not be the only area where targeted suicide prevention is beneficial.

“These women were very different from the ones that did fit into the classes, but this group is also important because our whole goal with this study was to see where these women might be receiving health care, if at all, and so that we could get a better idea of where to work on prevention, like meeting them in certain healthcare settings,” Prater said. “But we found that for 42% of these women, that wouldn’t have been a good way to reach them.”

Rosie Bauder, an assistant professor in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, said Prater’s findings are critical because they demonstrate the nuance of suicide as as a public health problem.

“Suicide is complex,” Bauder said. “It’s not just one thing that’s going to predict or elevate risk. I think, critically, this study identifies that it’s actually other features of health that we also need to keep in mind and not get distracted by just looking at substance use, disorders, depression or other features of mental health symptoms, especially when it comes to firearm suicide.”

Prater said following the results of the study, she feels it’s time to look beyond health services when creating intervention methods and focus more on firearm storage in homes.

“One thing that can work for everyone is having some basic public health messaging in clinical encounters and social services,” Prater said. “Something like a standardized lethal-means assessment question, like, ‘Is there a firearm in the home?’ It’s about finding ways to make sure folks know the risk of not having a firearm stored safely. Even if it’s not a risk to themselves, it could be a risk to their loved ones within the home.”

Similarly, Bauder said it may be better to educate firearm owners on safety practices rather than attempting to identify people at risk of suicide.

“Instead of focusing on trying to get precision in identifying people at risk, sometimes what you can do is almost operate preemptively with folks who have access to lethal means,” Bauder said. “In this scenario, broach the conversation saying, ‘How do you store your guns?’ which can be that opening and engaging question to facilitate lethal means safety counseling.”

Bauder said she feels a way to navigate a conversation around safe storage of firearms without entering an unwanted gun rights debate is to emphasize the shared value of general safety and caring for loved ones.

“The primary reason women report buying and owning guns is for personal protection and safety,” Bauder said. “So, if we can leverage that value of safety, we can also articulate, ‘Here are some other things you might consider to continue to honor that value.’ I think when we can prioritize safety, we’re just far more successful in working toward that same goal.”

Bauder also said it’s important to research and pinpoint ways to prevent a lethal suicide attempt, such as safe firearm storage, as 75% of people who attempt suicide will not attempt again.

“I like to remind folks that when we think about increasing the likelihood of surviving an attempt, we can make meaningful progress,” Bauder said. “There’s a myth that if we increase secure storage practices of firearms, that somebody’s just going to choose something else, but that’s actually not true. If somebody doesn’t have access to an identified method, it is incredibly uncommon that somebody chooses another lethal method, and if they do, it is significantly less lethal than firearms.”

Prater said working with individuals through firearm safety intervention programs has given her hope that if people become more educated on safe storage, then suicide rates can decrease.

“I worked in developing an intervention to help these conversations happen for older adults and their health care providers,” Prater said. “One of the participants, after seeing the intervention, decided to change their storage because they had no idea how risky it was to have an unsecured firearm in their home. They didn’t want their grandkids or spouse at risk, so they made this change. I know that if we can reach enough people and bring this information to them, that they can make a change.”

Campus’ newest one-stop shop: Ohio State leaders cut ribbon to open Monda Student Resource Center

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:03:52 +0000

University President Ted Carter Jr. cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of the Monda Student Resource Center Friday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Thanks to a new on-campus resource center, Ohio State students can now access both professional attire and groceries all in one place.

Over 200 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Younkin Success Center to celebrate the grand opening of the Monda Student Resource Center Friday, which aims to provide various resources and holistic support to meet students’ needs in a “one-stop shop,” said university spokesperson Dave Isaacs in an email.

The center will include the Reid Family Career Closet — which collects professional clothing donations — and the Buckeye Food Alliance pantry — which helps combat student food insecurity — as well as other resources and services to help support the wider campus community, Isaacs said.

“Supporting students’ essential needs has a direct impact on their academic and long-term success,” Isaacs said.

To thrive personally and academically, a student must have access to the basic needs of not just food, but also housing, clothing and more, said Vishva Bhavsar, vice president of Buckeye Food Alliance and a third-year in neuroscience.

“One of the barriers that students can face when accessing these resources is having to tell their story repeatedly,” Bhavsar said. “It can be demoralizing to describe over and over why you need a resource or service that you really do not want to need.”

Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for the Office of Student Life, said she took her first steps toward breaking down these barriers to student success April 4, 2020, only four months into her tenure at Ohio State.

In the initial throes of the pandemic, Shivers said she and the Office of Student Life were “literally working around the clock” to assist students who were unable to leave campus and quarantine in their homes by figuring out new ways to offer services and support them virtually.

“It was a very scary and uncertain time, but it also prompted us to begin thinking about students’ essential needs in a much different way,” Shivers said.

At the same time, Shivers said students were expressing a need for increased accessibility to a wide range of university and community resources.

“So, we started thinking, ‘This actually may not be something that is isolated to the pandemic,’” Shivers said. “‘What if we could create one space where any Buckeye can come to get help meeting all of their essential needs?’”

Shivers said she is aware of the everyday struggles some students face, from food insecurity to unstable housing to the lack of basic clothing, all of which can “quietly derail their academic journey.”

“The Monda Student Resource Center exists to interrupt that cycle,” Shivers said. “It says to our students, ‘We see you, we support you and we’re going to walk with you.’”

University President Ted Carter Jr. echoed those sentiments at Friday’s grand opening, emphasizing how important it is to increase access to necessities for students.

“The Monda Center is proof that we’re stronger when we work together,” Carter said. “This new resource will help level the playing field for every Buckeye.”

For students like Lindsey Long, a fourth-year in public health, leveling the playing field by addressing essential needs for her peers has been a key action item in her academic and personal journey.

From working at an agritourism nonprofit supporting less than 2% of Black farmers in her home state of Kentucky, leading Buckeye Public Health and working in local government, Long said she has been “deeply committed to health equity.”

Through her position in the Extension Public Health AmeriCorps program, Long was “dedicated to ensuring that every student has the access to the resources they need to thrive,” through more than 300 hours of service with Buckeye Food Alliance, following the progress of the Monda Student Resource Center along the way.

“Seeing the Monda Student Resource Center come to life today is truly incredible,” Long said. “This space represents real and lasting change. I am excited for the impact that this center will continue to leave on our campus, helping to contribute to the success of all at Ohio State.”

The ribbon cutting not only symbolizes the grand opening of the new resource, but also a new chapter for Bhavsar and Long’s undergraduate careers.

Bhavsar said she is working on adding more dietary inclusive and ethnic foods in the Buckeye Food Alliance’s pantry, and Long wants to bring graduation-specific attire to the Career Closet.

“Even though I’m about to graduate, I really want to try to implement a gown donation program or loaner program for students to access because graduation attire is very expensive,” Long said. “I don’t want that to deter anyone from being able to go to graduation or celebrate their accomplishments in that way.”

Movie review: ‘The Legend of Ochi’ takes audiences on a trip through a vibrant world

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:58:13 +0000

Helena Zengel in “The Legend of Ochi.” Credit: A24 via TNS

“Style over substance” is a cliche usually associated with a negative connotation, but when the style is so fresh and distinct that it effectively masks the substance’s flaws, it’s not necessarily a bad trait.

This is the case with A24’s “The Legend of Ochi,” a movie that feels like a walk through a greenhouse and a breath of fresh air, even if its plot leaves more to be desired.

“The Legend of Ochi” takes place on a remote island where humans are at odds with a species they believe to be demons called the “Ochi” — creatures that look like equal parts orangutan, pug and Baby Yoda. When the lead teenage heroine Yuri (Helena Zengal) discovers the Ochi may be more innocent than she was led to believe, she spends the brisk 95-minute runtime trying to rehabilitate an infant Ochi that was injured in a hunt led by her father Maxim (Willem Dafoe) and adopted brother Petro (Finn Wolfhard).

Similar to the creature design of the idiosyncratic Ochi themselves, “The Legend of Ochi” is a conglomeration of many different ideas and inspirations.

When it comes to the art design of the film and its cinematography, this jumble of imagination is a wild success, sprouting a beautiful and refreshing cinematic world. The fictional island of Carpathia features dense, luscious forests and broad mountain ranges, basked in a dewey haze that adds an otherworldly atmosphere over the whole setting.

The film’s color palette is bold, mostly focusing on Kubrick-style primary colors for the shots of the human world, from houses to grocery stores to articles of clothing. Notably, the primaries are offset not by a sterile Kubrick white, but instead by the deep greens of the natural world, visually signifying the stark difference between the lives of the humans and the Ochi.

Though the muddle of inspiration leads to a gorgeous final product in terms of the film’s appearance, the same cannot be said for the patchwork plot. “The Legend of Ochi” is a little bit “E.T,” some parts “Labyrinth” — especially due to its puppetry — and other times reminiscent of a live-action Studio Ghibli movie.

The “child rescuing a small mythical creature” trope is a bit played out at this point, and “The Legend of Ochi” doesn’t do much to elaborate upon it. It once again takes the found-family route, but doesn’t wrap it up in a fully satisfying way.

Dafoe is charismatic as the bumbling-but-dangerous fool who leads a troop of children to hunt the Ochi, but there isn’t enough balance between his incompetence and the genuine violence that occurs in some scenes for the audience to ever know when to take him seriously. The movie is also painfully loud in some of these hunting scenes, which is a sometimes unwelcome and sharp contrast from the more zen shots of the Ochi in their natural habitats.

Still, “The Legend of Ochi” is a welcome breath of earthy, dewey, air despite its shortcomings. One of its greatest strengths is its short runtime, meaning that no one will be sick of its atmosphere by the time the credits roll. It’s a memorable movie that will leave audiences with a newfound appreciation for all the green trees and small animals in their lives.

Rating: 3/5

Softball: Ohio State shuts out Purdue 2-0 Sunday, sweeps Boilermakers in weekend series

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:44:21 +0000

Ohio State sophomore outfielder Hadley Parisien (2) celebrates her homerun against Purdue Sunday. The Buckeyes defeated the Boilermakers 2-0. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

After 23 combined runs in Saturday’s doubleheader against Purdue, the Buckeyes only plated two Sunday.

But the pair of runs was all Ohio State needed, as the Buckeyes shut out the Boilermakers 2-0 at Buckeye Field to extend their win streak to nine.

“Sometimes there will be days [when] the hitting is on and we score 15 runs and they score five. Or, some days, they score zero and we score two,” head coach Kirin Kumar said. “We will win every game if they score zero… in the end, we just want to win.”

Buckeyes pitcher Lorin Boutte tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and six walks. In relief, Kennedy Kay pitched the final two frames, surrendering just one hit in the process. Ohio State’s pitching also stranded nine Purdue runners on base.

“I think we’re together as one unit and our pitchers pulled ahead for us today,” Ohio State right fielder Taylor Cruse said. “We didn’t hit the best, but we still made do with what we needed to. Just staying as a team and playing together is the most important thing.”

Defensively, the Buckeyes played an error-free game — something Kumar said is pivotal in low-scoring affairs.

“[Our pitchers] just gave us a chance on defense, and that’s what they did,” Kumar said. “We made some great defensive plays. Things that you can’t defend are walks and home runs, and they did a great job [today].”

Cruse pushed the Buckeyes ahead in the third with a solo blast to left field. She said her mindset stepping up to the plate is to stay calm and be on time.

“Don’t make the moment bigger than it is; hit line drives and doubles every time,” Cruse said.

In the fourth, the Buckeyes had an opportunity to extend their lead following a Purdue error, but with two runners on, Ohio State stranded both on base.

Looking to add to their lead, left fielder Hadley Parisien sent a solo homer over left center field in the fifth, putting the Buckeyes up 2-0. However, Ohio State didn’t sustain its momentum, leaving two more runners on base.

Kay slammed the door on Purdue in the final two frames, picking up the program’s 41st win of the year and marking the first time the team has won 40 or more games in a season since 2009.

For its final series of the regular season, Ohio State (41-10-1, 14-5 Big Ten) will head to Urbana-Champaign, Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini (21-15, 5-13 Big Ten) Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Baseball: Buckeyes drop two out of three to Rutgers in weekend series

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:41:35 +0000

Ohio State junior catcher Matthew Graveline makes a catch in the outfield during the game against Rutgers Sunday. The Buckeyes fell to the Scarlet Knights 13-5. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

It’s been a Big Ten season to forget for the Buckeyes. And they certainly want to forget this weekend

Ohio State dropped two out of three games to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Bill Davis Stadium, with its lone win coming Saturday in dominating fashion, 16-8.

The Buckeye defense, which already sat dead last in the Big Ten in runs allowed, gave up another 29 runs on the weekend.

Game One
Behind 17 runs and 13 hits, Rutgers cruised to a 17-4, eight-inning win Friday.

The Scarlet Knights jumped on the board early, loading the bases in the first before designated hitter Jack Sweeney drove in a run on a walk.

Rutgers brought three more runs home in the second, highlighted by a two-run double from center fielder Peyton Bonds.

Ohio State got on the board in the third, as a two-RBI single from second baseman Tyler Pettorini made the score 4-2.

But Bonds struck again, smashing a three-run homer in the fourth to extend the lead to five.

The Buckeyes got one back in the bottom half, as center fielder Reggie Bussey drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to four.

The Scarlet Knights put the game out of reach over the next two innings, plating five more runs to make it 12-3.

Ohio State first baseman Ryan Miller clobbered his fifth homer of the year in the sixth, but that’s all the Buckeyes could muster as Rutgers scored the next five runs, capping off a 17-4 win.

Game Two

The Buckeyes bounced back in Game 2 of the series, defeating Rutgers, 16-8.

Head coach Justin Haire said the team’s all-around ability to bounce back was the difference in Saturday’s game compared to Friday’s.

“The difference was our offense continued to play and continue to score runs and continue to respond,” Haire said. “Then the bullpen was able to come in and stop their momentum.”

The Scarlet Knights raced ahead in the first, taking a 2-0 lead on a wild pitch and a walk before Ohio State responded in the bottom half, scoring four runs, including a two-RBI infield single from designated hitter Sal Mineo.

Rutgers responded in the second, scoring two more runs to tie the game at four.

In the third, Miller hit his second homer of the weekend, scoring two to make it 6-4. The home run marked Miller’s fourth game in a row with a hit and second consecutive with a homer. He credited the hot stretch to the work he’s put in off the field.

“Just getting to work and practice every day, working with Coach Holcomb and Sampler,” Miller said. “Building off days, and putting in good reps, and just taking the positives and the success I’ve had in the past, and melding that with the things I need to work on.”

In the fourth, Rutgers tied the game on a rare two-RBI sacrifice fly after left fielder Matthew Graveline and Bussey collided trying to make the catch.

That’s as close as the Scarlet Knights got, as the Buckeyes scored 10 of the last 12 runs in the game, securing a 16-8 victory.

Game Three
Rutgers secured the series win Sunday, taking the rubber game 13-5.

The Scarlet Knights took advantage of every opportunity, collecting 13 hits while walking six times. Ohio State didn’t help its cause, committing four errors in the field.

Haire said the Buckeyes’ poor defense was a reason for the loss.

“It can be characterized by the fact that we played atrocious defense in the infield, and those errors don’t even account for all the other miscues that don’t get scooped up in the fielding percentage,” Haire said.

The Buckeyes scored the first runs of the game, as Pettorini plated two on a single in the first.

Rutgers came back the next inning and tied the game, as third baseman Pablo Santos lined a single to the outfield, bringing home two runs.

Ohio State regained the lead in the bottom of the second, as a two-run double from Graveline made it a 4-2 game.

That would be the Buckeyes’ last runs until the eighth inning.

The Scarlet Knights dominated the middle innings, holding Ohio State scoreless for five frames while scoring eight runs in that span.

The Buckeyes got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on Graveline’s third hit of the game, but the game was never in doubt for the Scarlet Knights, as Rutgers scored three more runs in the ninth to take the game 13-5.

Haire blamed himself for the team’s misfortunes during the weekend.

“It’s my fault because we clearly don’t have these guys as prepared as we thought we did,” Haire said. “We’ll continue to work on that over these last three plus weeks and do the absolute best we can down the stretch.”

Ohio State (11-30, 3-18 Big Ten) returns to action Tuesday against Central Michigan (17-27, 9-12 MAC) at 6 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium. The game will stream on Big Ten+.

Columbus Crew bounce back from first loss, defeat San Jose Earthquakes 2-1

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:40:45 +0000

Defender Malte Amundsen (18) embraces midfielder Sean Zawadzki (25) following Zawadzki’s goal during Columbus Crew’s 2-1 win over San Jose Saturday at Lower.com Field. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

After suffering its first regular-season loss last week, Columbus bounced back with a win Saturday night.

The Columbus Crew defeated the San Jose Earthquakes (3-6-1) 2-1 at Lower.com Field, propelled by left back Max Arfsten’s go-ahead score.

Following a stretch of battling back and forth for possession early on, Crew center forward Jacen Russell-Rowe found himself with a breakaway, but he soared a shot over the net.

One minute later, Columbus left back Max Arfsten missed on a shot attempt that skimmed the goalpost.

In the 28th minute, San Jose midfielder Amahl Pellegrino was called for a penalty, setting up a free kick opportunity for Columbus — another opportunity.

Orchestrated by left wing Daniel Gazdag, center midfielder Sean Zawadzki sent a right-footed shot to the lower left corner of the net for the game’s first goal. Crew right wing Diego Rossi assisted on the play.

Zawadzki attributed the score to the offseason work the team put in.

“We worked a lot on set pieces in training, trying to be creative,” Zawadzki said. “Diego puts in a really good ball and I’m lucky enough to be on the end of it.”

Answering back 11 minutes later, Earthquakes striker Josef Martinez floated the ball past the arms of Schulte, tying the game at one apiece. San Jose center midfielder Beau Leroux assisted.

Through 45 minutes of play, Columbus had a slight edge in possession with 57.3% and eight total shots to the six of San Jose.

Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy wanted to see the intensity turned up even more in the second half.

“We could have scored more goals in the first half,” Nancy said. “I wanted them to be more aggressive with the back three, because [San Jose] was having [its] back three wide.”

The high-paced play from both sides continued into the second half, as the two clubs combined for five shots in 15 minutes.

In the 62nd minute, Arfsten rewrote his mistake on an earlier shot attempt. After some fancy footwork in the box, he blasted a shot to the top left corner of the net, recapturing the lead for the Crew, 2-1.

Having formerly played for the San Jose developmental team, the goal for Arfsten was sweeter than others.

“It was a big motivation for me,” Arfsten said. “I’m super happy that happened.”

Holding a one-goal lead, Columbus was methodical in its play — it stayed aggressive, yet patient, as time ticked away.

With 10 minutes left, San Jose made multiple attempts at tying the game but Crew center back Malte Amundsen deflected two shots.

The rest of the time drained out and Columbus secured the 2-1 win.

The Crew (6-1-3) are back in action Saturday when they host Charlotte FC (6-3-1) at 7:30 p.m. at Lower.com Field.

Men’s Basketball: Head coach Jake Diebler sits down with The Lantern, discusses roster management, state of program and expectations for next season

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 23:52:02 +0000

Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Jake Diebler visited The Lantern’s newsroom Friday for a sit-down interview with Sports Editor Noah Weiskopf.

During the conversation, Diebler explained why he believes he’s the right person to lead the program, emphasizing not only the importance of adding talented players, but also those who fit the system.

He also touched on the three new transfer additions to the program — Gabe Cupps, Christoph Tilly and Brandon Noel — as well as changes coming to the game-day atmosphere at the Schottenstein Center and what the 2025-26 season could look like.

New additions

Though the Buckeyes lost five players to the transfer portal, Ohio State has also brought three new players to Columbus.

Two of those additions were Tilly — a senior 7-foot center — and Noel — a senior 6-foot-8 forward.

“We needed to add some size, but I think experience, guys who have played a lot of college basketball, guys who have produced for multiple years, and for us in the frontcourt, being more skilled was important to me,” Diebler said. “That experience should help us have a collective higher basketball IQ as a team, which allows you to be more creative and versatile both offensively and defensively,” Diebler said.

Diebler said the team is still going to add talent to the roster soon, noting how important it is to acquire players who “fit” Ohio State’s system.

“I think fit is really important. Certainly, talent is important too, but fit is equally important,” Diebler said. “Now that the portal has closed, you have an idea of all the options available. We’re starting to narrow our focus on some specific guys, and we’ll build out the rest of the roster that way.”

Current state of the program

After missing the NCAA Tournament one season ago and finishing with a 17-15 record, including 9-11 in Big Ten play, Diebler said he feels “really good” about where the program is right now.

“I think we can get to great once we finish out this roster,” Diebler said. “That’s not gonna happen overnight — things slow down a little bit this time of year — but we’re gonna be able to have everything put together. I feel confident we’ll have everything put together by the time we start working in June.”

With the group of players that will return to the Buckeyes next season — which includes guards Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr. and forward Devil Royal, among others — Diebler said he’s looking to make more than just a small step forward in his second season as the program’s leader.

“I wanna take a jump; I wanna take a leap, and I think we’re positioned to do that with the roster we’ve been able to put together so far,” Diebler said.

Diebler also said he believes the roster he has built, and the remaining players yet to be added, is one that “raises [Ohio State’s] level significantly,” allowing the Buckeyes to compete at the top of the Big Ten.

Being a premier Big Ten team is something Ohio State hasn’t consistently achieved in a long time. Notably, Diebler said he knows that’s the standard for Buckeyes men’s basketball.

“That’s where this program belongs,” Diebler said. “I’ve said this publicly: This program, when it is at its peak historically, is competing for Big Ten Championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.”

Game-day atmosphere in the Schottenstein Center

It’s no secret the Schottenstein Center’s atmosphere could be significantly better for men’s basketball games.

Diebler recalled watching his brother, Jon Diebler, play in his Ohio State senior night game against Wisconsin in 2011. More specifically, Diebler said he remembers seeing towels all throughout the lower bowl in front of a packed Schottenstein Center crowd.

“The energy in the building at that moment, that to me is the potential of that building,” Diebler said. “We gotta fight to get it back to that.”

It seems some of those changes are on the way.

Athletic Director Ross Bjork said he’s working to improve the game-day experience in an April 18 interview with The Lantern, and Diebler also said he’s been working closely with Bjork to raise the level of the atmosphere.

Having traveled across the country to different arenas, especially for Big Ten play, Diebler said he understands the crowd can be a difference maker.

“I’m a believer, and I think I’ve seen that throughout our league; when you look at some of the historic venues in our conference, the atmospheres are impactful,” Diebler said. “You feel that as an opposing team.”

But most importantly, Diebler knows the program must produce results in order for fans to show up to support his team.

“Make no mistake, we gotta do our part, certainly,” Diebler said. “I think the style we play was enjoyable, but I wanna play a little bit faster. Us raising our collective basketball IQ should create more energy in there.”

Ultimately, Diebler is hopeful the program and fans alike can take a step in the right direction starting this year.

“I think everybody needs to know, we’re doing our part to make it a great environment,” Diebler said. “But make no mistake, we need the help from our students here to help us take it to the next level.”

Pittsburgh Steelers select Buckeye QB star Will Howard at No. 185 overall pick at 2025 NFL Draft

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 20:49:40 +0000

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State Buckeye QB star Will Howard as their No. 185 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft.

Howard started his collegiate football career at Kansas State University, but transferred to Ohio State in his senior year.

The Downingtown, PA native led the Buckeyes to a 14-2 season with a national championship to end off.

Howard set a single-season completion percentage record of 71.4% during his senior year.

He threw the 3rd most passing yards in OSU history with 4,208 passing yards last year.

Steelers select DE Jack Sawyer with No. 123 pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 17:59:14 +0000

The 2025 NFL Draft just wrapped up its fourth round, and the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer with the No. 123 pick overall.

Sawyer, a Pickerington, Ohio native, played for the Buckeyes from 2021 to this past season making the 2022 Rose Bowl, 2022 Peach Bowl, 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic 2024 College Football Playoff First Round, 2025 Rose Bowl, 2025 Cotton Bowl Classic where he won Defensive MVP, and in January, the 2025 CFP National Championship.

While at The Ohio State University, he played in all 55 games over the past four seasons, recording 144 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss totaling 162 yards, 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback hurries, 11 pass breakups, and a fourth-quarter interception in the red zone against Michigan.

Buckeye RB TreVeyon Henderson heads to Patriots as No. 37 pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:55:55 +0000

The New England Patriots selected OSU superstar TreVeyon Henderson as the No. 37 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday.

The Hopewell, VA native was a starter for the Buckeyes with a total of 3,761 rushing yards in his college career the fifth-most in OSU history.

Henderson finished his senior season at Ohio State with 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.06 yards per rush, which was the second among power conference players.

He helped the Buckeyes win their ninth national title.

Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game

Kansas City Chiefs select Ohio State Buckeyes OT Josh Simmons at No. 32 overall pick

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:11:06 +0000

Ohio State Buckeye Offensive Tackle Josh Simmons gets to keep wearing red this time with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Josh Simmons as the No. 32 pick overall at the 2025 NFL Draft.

Simmons had a season-ending injury in his senior year during the sixth game of the 2024 season against Oregon.

Despite playing only six games, he was named an honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference.

The San Diego, California, native played 31 consecutive games, 19 starts at left tackle and 13 at right tackle, including the 2022 season at San Diego State.

Detroit Lions draft Ohio State Buckeyes DT Tyleik Williams at No. 28 overall pick

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:47:37 +0000

The Detroit Lions selected Ohio State Buckeyes Defensive Tackle Tyleik Williams as the No. 28 overall pick.

Williams, a four-time Varsity O letterman, played in 51 games for Ohio State and started 25 times.

He earned all-Big Ten Conference recognition all four years with the Buckeyes.

Over his career at OSU, Williams notched 136 tackles, 27 tackles-for-loss, 10 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Manassas, Virginia, native was also a part of the Buckeyes' national championship team in January.

Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka has been selected by Buccaneers with No. 19 overall pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:36:15 +0000

Ohio State Buckeyes Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka has been selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Egbuka was part of the champion team that won OSU its ninth national title in January.

Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game

The wide receiver had 1,011 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns and 81 receptions during his 2024 season.

The Steilacoom, Washington native spent four seasons as a Buckeye, playing 50 games and starting 38 of them.

He finished with 205 receptions the most in Ohio State history.

Vance fumbles national championship trophy during Ohio State football team's White House visit

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 21:17:34 +0000

During the ceremony to honor Ohio State's College Football National Championship, Vice President JD Vance fumbled the team's trophy.

WATCH:

Vance tried to lift the gold NCAA Championship Trophy, which looked like it was one piece. But as he lifted it, the base fell off, and both pieces of the trophy fell.

The trophy was caught by OSU running back TreVeyon Henderson, and Vance picked up the base, all while the Marine Corps Band continued to play, We Are the Champions."

Each year, the winning team is invited to the White House to celebrate the victory, but this team in particular hits close to home for the vice president, who is from Southwest Ohio.

President Donald Trump welcomed the winning team to the White House and remarked on the team's efforts in the championship game that took place in late January.

This team showed the world that the road to greatness is paved by hard work, sweat and often a great deal of adversity, Trump said.

Surrounded by dozens of big players, the president quipped that he would invite them into the Oval Office but, I dont know if the floor can withstand it.

On January 20, Ohio State beat Notre Dame for the school's sixth national championship title and first since 2014.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stunned by teachers' pension fund behavior with firm accused of corruption

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:50:49 +0000

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is deeply concerned following a recent WEWS report in which we revealed hundreds of text messages of the relationship between a public official and an investment firm seeking to get access to tens of billions of dollars from the state. In an exclusive one-on-one interview, the governor finally addressed the alleged corruption scheme plaguing the retired teachers pension fund.

You're still on this story, huh? the governor said to me as we were getting started with our 30-minute interview. While others have lost attention you stayed on it.

For the past year, we have dug into and exposed the controversy swirling inside the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), a roughly $100 billion pension fund for the more than 500,000 active and retired public educators in Ohio.

In summary, there has been constant fighting, two board resignations, and allegations of both a public corruption scheme and the mishandling of funds. There has been a senior staff dismissal and at least two senior staff resignations.

The scandal centers around former board member Wade Steen, board chair Rudy Fichtenbaum, and their relationship with investment firm QED Technologies, run by former Ohio Deputy Treasurer Seth Metcalf and Jonathan (JD) Tremmel.

This piece will be formatted as a Q&A, featuring moments from the half-hour interview. It has been lightly edited only for clarity and length, as well as to get to the crux of the comment.

Wade Steen and Seth Metcalf, the men with the relationship at the center of the conversation, also spoke with me in response to the governors comments in their own Q&A that can be found here.

How we got here

In May of 2024, the governor received a 14-page anonymous whistleblower memo alleging a massive public corruption scheme brewing and moving quickly within STRS. In 2020, Metcalf and Tremmel set their eyes on STRS, according to the document.

The documents claim that they despite having no clients and no track record tried to convince STRS members to partner with them.

They couldnt impress the board members, mainly because of their lack of experience and also because QED was not registered as a broker-dealer or investment adviser. The men also didn't own the technology to "facilitate the strategy," the documents say.

So what exactly are Steen and Fichtenbaum trying to change, and what would QED allegedly attempt to do? Revise the investment structure. The men are seen as the leaders of the "reform movement." This fight began from a debate on how STRS should invest money through the current system of actively managed funds versus an index fund. Active funds try to outperform the stock market, have more advisors, and typically cost more. Index funds perform with the stock market, are seen as more passive, and typically cost less.

In short, "reformers" want to switch to index funding, while "status quo" individuals want to keep actively managing the funds. Recent elections have allowed the "reform-minded" members to have a majority of the board.

The STRS memo claims QED and ORTA, the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association, had worked together, specifically when it comes to elections, to get a more sympathetic or willing board.

Steen and Fichtenbaum had allegedly been bidding continuously, pitching QED's direct documents to board members and proclaiming the company's talking points to other staff.

Soon after, Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit to remove Steen and Fichtenbaum from the board, stating they were participating in a contract steering "scheme" that could benefit them. Yost started the investigation after the memo, now known as being prepared by STRS employees, alleged that Steen and Fichtenbaum had been bidding on QED.

The AG states that the pair should be removed because they broke their fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and trust when "colluding" with QED.

In late August, Yost filed several subpoenas against QED and others allegedly involved in this scheme. The same month, QED spoke out to us for the first time, and so did the AG.

As we have continued the dozens of reports on the topic, our investigation in September revealed that STRS was, once again, moving to hire a firm that allegedly lacked experience and personal ties to the board leaders, according to senior staff.

After our report, the board chose not to move forward with the firm that has been the subject of my investigations.

Communications obtained via a records request of a court filing reveal that QED associates consistently told then-board member Steen what questions to ask, gave him documents to propose, and pushed him to follow its plan.

Texts between Steen, Metcalf and Tremmel show that the pair consistently worked together. There are hundreds of text messages.

Texts show a group chat between Steen, Metcalf and Tremmel. The pair constantly texted Steen during board meetings with advice, including numerous messages of "Vote!" and "Force the vote" when it came to policy and following QED.

"Thanks for the support today!" Steen said.

"Wade - you are a champion! We moved the ball down the field today and have time to recoup and refresh during the holiday!" Metcalf texted the group.

To read what the texts said, click here.

Our reporting stunned the governor, he said, so after more than a year of requesting an interview with him, he agreed to a date in April 2025.

The governor responds

Why are we here? For the teachers to have money when they retire, DeWine said.

Morgan Trau: "What is the importance of a healthy pension fund?"

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: "It's very important we have state systems, and this is the teachers' retirement fund, and we certainly want that to be a sound fund. That's always, always something that's a concern, and retired teachers have been concerned about not getting cost of living allowances in the past. The stability of a retirement fund, I think, is very important. It's not just the stability from an economic point, this is an area where stability and less drama is good."

Trau: "Clearly, if we look at the past two years, drama encapsulates what has been happening at STRS. What is going on from your perspective?"

DeWine: "Well, I think things have calmed down. I'm looking at it from afar, but it seems that the board is working, and working in a productive way. I think we've, at least for a while now, we've come over from that problem that we've had in the past."

The problems worsened in 2023. Initially appointed by former Gov. John Kasich, Steen has become somewhat of a martyr, many reformers told me. He was reappointed by DeWine when the governor started his administration, but the governor asked him to resign in 2023. Steen refused, so DeWine removed him. DeWine initially cited Steens alleged poor attendance at board meetings as reasoning.

However, a court ruled that DeWine did not have the legal authority to remove Steen based on Ohio law, and thus, Steen was put back on the board in the spring 2024.

I asked the governor during our interview why he had removed Steen, to which he reiterated that his attendance was satisfactory. Steen disagreed.

Trau: "When I talked with your team in May of 2024, they told me that there was also a concern about his close relationship with the investment firm QED and that led you to have doubt in his fiduciary duty."

DeWine: "Well, there certainly was some information going around in regard to that, of course. Then when we got the document, it was an anonymous document, but it seemed to be well informed and I felt I wanted to, frankly, get that document over to elected officials who might have an interest in investigating or might have an obligation to investigate it."

Trau: "When it comes to the pension fund and the allegations that are against former board members, the current board chair what kind of outcome could happen if these allegations are all true?

DeWine: "Well, I don't really know. I've not followed the attorney general's suit that closely, but when you look at what you have been able to uncover, the things that have been filed in court... I would just call it a concerning set of facts. Its very concerning that you have that close a relationship, going back and forth between a member of the board and the company that wants a job, basically. They want to be hired and clearly, you see [Seth] Metcalf, for example, going back and forth. It just seems to me that that's very, very disconcerting. It's very upsetting, and it raises a lot of questions. Now, we'll see where the lawsuit goes and we'll see what the final verdict is. I'm not going to prejudge that at all, but based upon what you are reporting yeah, it doesn't look very good."

Pulling out some of the text messages I obtained, I passed the documents to the governor to look through.

Hundreds of texts show Metcalf gave Steen questions to ask during board meetings, documents to propose, and pushed him to follow QED's plan.

"I think we can win this but I need to nuisance it," Steen texted in 2020, as he was pitching QED's proposal.

"I think you've got the votes! Make the motion! Announce that you have a solution," Metcalf responded.

Metcalf continually texted talking points, themes and direct quotes for Steen to follow while he was in the board meetings.

Steen followed his lead.

Trau: "What do you think about the fact that they were giving directions during board meetings and they were giving quotes to say and those quotes were then said out loud?"

DeWine: "It would be highly, highly, highly unusual for that to happen. A member of the board has a fiduciary obligation to all the people he or she represents. They have an obligation to the retired teachers. They have an obligation to people who are currently putting their money into that current teachers. So, for that person to have that close of relationship with a person who is basically coming to the board and saying Hire us, we know what we're doing, yeah, it's not a normal situation, let's put it that way. Again, I can't judge it. All I can tell you is what you have seen and what you've pulled from the court documents."

Evaluating the text message threads with numerous legal and pension industry experts, each indicated suspicion, with Case Western Reserve University law professor, joined by others, adding that this could be used to argue there was a level of coordination.

Trau: "You are an attorney, and when you look at this, does this look like coordination to you?"

DeWine: "Well, I'm not gonna draw any legal conclusions, but just knowing what each role these players are supposed to be playing they're not playing their normal roles. That's not what we would normally expect... The member of the board is supposed to be impartial and supposed to be making a judgment call based upon what is in the best interest of STRS, in this case, and ultimately in the retired teachers."

I referenced how familiar Metcalf and Steen spoke to each other.

Trau: "Should we be paying attention to the language that this investment firm is using when talking to a board member?

DeWine: "Well, it's unusual language let's just put it that way."

Trau: "Obviously, there are people who back Wade Steen extensively. There has been a legal fund with thousands of dollars given to him to fight the removal and to fight this current lawsuit against Attorney General Dave Yost. Some of these people, even with these text messages, say that this is political interference. How do you gain back the trust of these pensioners that believe that you and AG Dave Yost are wrong?

DeWine: "Well, the only concern I've always had is for the board to function well and to make good judgments, do the best that they could for the retired teachers. I see retired teachers all the time. They've worked very, very hard. Teachers are the people that educate our kids. Everybody can remember a teacher, more than one teacher, who literally changed their life. These are important people and we need to do the best we can for them.

I don't want to be a member of the board. I'm not looking over everybody's shoulder. We just have to have a functioning board, that makes decisions based upon what is in the best interest of these teachers. When they pick the investment advisors, you would think that they would be picking people who are experienced and people who have a good track record. You're not always going to be successful with every investment, but what you have to look at is the totality of the investments."

Trau: "Do you feel vindicated by the texts coming out?"

DeWine: "Well, I dont know if vindicated. Look, we're simply after what's best for the retired teachers."

I noted how DeWine removed Steen during a critical election when the reformers took control of the board and then released the 14-page memo during another pivotal election when the reformers took a supermajority of the board. With this dominance, they would be able to start shifting the investment structure, something that reformers claim DeWine wants to prevent.

Trau: "Some argue that that timing is suspicious. Could you see why they would say that?"

DeWine: "Well, it's not true. We were trying to get the information out, for example, in regard to the memo we got. We, very quickly, got it over to six different officials, public officials, who we thought and believe they do have investigative authority, or have the ability to act, upon that memo. I really did not have the ability to act upon that memo... When you see very serious allegations like that, we have to get that document over to the people who have an obligation to take action."

I referenced the reformers' goal of switching the investment structure.

Trau: "Do you think that that would yield better results than right now? And should they have had the opportunity, if the majority on the board wants to do that, should they be able to do that?"

DeWine: "Well, if the majority wants to do that they certainly can do that. For the average citizen, I think investing in the stock market, following investment in funds that allow you basically to get the return or lack of return that the whole stock market is getting, that makes some sense... Pension funds take a more conservative point of view. They have to be paying out so much money every single month, they have to be paying out every single year, and they don't want to have a great risk, so they will be much more diversified even than that... And what Metcalf was selling was something that would be very, very unusual for a pension fund."

I noted Metcalf's history, asking why the governor thinks someone may be entered in giving 70% of a pension fund to a startup without the technology to pull off the plan. DeWine emphasized how Metcalf was not qualified.

There are real, valid concerns from educators DeWine acknowledged but as we have reported, STRS is doing better than most of the other state pension funds.

"I do hear from teachers about how much the advisors were getting paid," the governor said. "I think you have some people who are just looking at this and saying, Look, these people are paid too much money, and look, those are legitimate discussions that people can have and they can believe they're getting too much or you can argue they're not getting too much. But those are, I think, some of the reasons that people were getting upset."

The investment staff get paid by salary and performance-based incentives (PBIs). Losing these bonuses could slash up to half of their salary, former STRS chief actuary Brian Grinnell told me in July.

The average yearly "salary" for STRS investment staff members was roughly $230,300, that number including PBIs, as they have typically been approved for $10 million in bonuses per year. The board voted to eliminate the PBIs to make the reformers happy, resulting in their major compensation advisor quitting and their fiduciary counsel telling them they were violating the law. They reinstated them soon after.

But it's been a tough few years financially, and it doesn't seem to be getting better. I noted this, the current look at the stock market, inflation, and the fiscal hits people faced from COVID. COLA could help retired teachers. The Retirement Study Council said they are on track to restore it in a decade fully.

Trau: "People are suffering with this and they are very upset. They are, many of them, blaming you for this oversight of the board. Is that fair?"

DeWine: "Well, I get one person on the board, so I only have one person on the board that I appoint. I guess you can blame the governor for anything, but my concern has been the same and my goal has been the same and that is to have board members who are going to focus every single day on the best interest of the retired teachers."

Referencing how DeWine had said the board had calmed down, I mentioned their attempt to hire a consultant firm without relevant experience with ties to the board members. Our investigation disqualified them due to their staff contacting the board members during a blackout period, when the interview process is underway and communicating isnt allowed.

Trau: "Are we not looking at it seriously by saying that it's calming down?"

DeWine: "Well, everything is relative. It certainly calmed down some. If I was a member of the board, I think I would remember my fiduciary obligation to the retired teachers and every decision I made doesn't mean every decision will be right, but what I would have in my mind every single day, every time I went to the committee meeting, every time I attended the meeting, every time I thought about this, What's in the best interest of the teachers and what should these investments be and who should be advising us."

Trau: "Some lawmakers have suggested that due to the controversy that is happening right now with the board, some of the voting power should be taken away from the educators making them members of the board but just not voting members or taking down how many people. The teachers say that that would be undemocratic. Where do you stand?"

DeWine: "Well, I'm not advocating any kind of change. The board members are not experts, their job is to hire experts... Their job is to pick the right people who have a track record of investment and continue to have that oversight that the board should

Ohio bill would block schools from using trans students’ preferred names, pronouns without parent consent

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 16:14:02 +0000

A new Ohio House bill would require parental permission before public schools could begin addressing students by any name or pronouns that dont correspond to their birth certificate or biological sex.

The proposed House Bill 190 is jointly-sponsored by Rep. Johnathan Newman, a Republican pastor from Troy who told our news partner Journal-News that hes hoping to crack down on schools socially transitioning students.

This bill seeks to say that employees at school cannot use a name other than the childs given name on their birth certificate that aligns with their sex at birth, said Newman, who now has several bills aimed at expanding parental rights. A name like that cant be used unless the parents agree and give permission, written permission, that theyre aware of it and they condone their child transitioning.

The bill goes further than just regulating teachers ability to use a childs preferred name. As proposed, it would also:

Prohibit addressing a student by any name other than their given name or a derivative thereof without parental consent; Prohibit addressing a student by a pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the students biological sex without parental consent; Block faculty or contractors from informing students about their own preferred pronouns or titles if they are inconsistent with the employees or contractors biological sex; Bar faculty or school contractors from asking students for their preferred pronouns or names; Bar faculty or school contractors from penalizing a student for failing to respond to a request for a preferred name or pronoun; Require faculty and school contractors to report any student request to be addressed by a preferred pronoun or name to the school administrator, who is then required to report that request to the students parents.

H.B. 190 would also set up a parental complaint system with the state if they believe school faculty have been using different pronouns or names for their child without their consent. Under the bill, that complaint would prompt an investigation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce into the alleged incident, which Newman said could involve parents, faculty or the students themselves.

When asked if he had reservations about a student potentially being swept into a state investigation, Newman said it was a great concern.

But the greater concern is that this would happen to a student (without parental consent), Newman said.

Under the bill, if the state determines a school or employee violated the law, the state would be required to withhold ten per cent of the schools state foundation aid ... each month until such time that the school is confirmed by the director to be in compliance with this section, H.B. 190 reads.

Were not trying to hurt the schools, were not trying to take funding from the schools, said Newman. But its enough, its a message, that this is a serious matter that parents take seriously.

The bill has not yet had a hearing in the Ohio House Education Committee, but leading public school lobbying organization, the Ohio Education Association, told this outlet that it flatly opposes the bill.

House Bill 190 does nothing to support Ohios public school students or to address any of the real issues facing our schools, OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement. The Ohio Education Association urges lawmakers to reject this latest attempt to distract and divide Ohioans, so they can focus on the important work of ensuring our students have the resources and funding they actually need to succeed.

Dara Adkison, who serves as the executive director of an advocacy group called TransOhio, called the bill bad legislation in an interview with the Journal-News.

(H.B.) 190 is going to ask teachers and staff to misgender trans students and if they themselves are transgender, ask them to misgender themselves all at the risk of losing a percentage of state funding, Adkison said.

Adkison denied the notion that schools are socially transitioning students. They argued that H.B. 190 would damage teacher-student relationships, which are based off of trust and acceptance to help garner and foster (a students) ability to receive an education.

Ultimately, Adkison framed H.B. 190 as another legislative attempt to remove transgender Ohioans from public spaces.

That is unabashedly the goal, Adkison said. We have seen our legislatures and public spaces talk about how they would like it if trans people did not exist at all.

When the Journal-News asked Newman if he thought K-12 students were capable of determining if they truly wanted to be called by a different name or different pronouns without their parents consent, he denied that anyone could be transgender and called it a case of confusion.

I dont think there is such a thing as transgender, Newman said. Thats not reality. A boy never, ever becomes a girl. A girl never, ever becomes a boy. Thats not reality. That cannot happen.

Newman told the Journal-News that H.B. 190 would actually help students if it became law.

We want to see children who have confusion like this, we want to see them get the help that they really need to address the confusion, Newman said. I think the message is affirming the confusion is the wrong direction. We want to see them get the help they need to address the confusion.

Newmans views are antithetical to those held by an array of leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association. In 2024, the American Psychological Association published a resolution that criticized states attempts to take away access to gender-affirming care.

Ohio House GOP budget proposal slashes public school funding

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:07:58 +0000

The Ohio House Republicans have announced their version of the state budget, dramatically slashing school funding after months of uncertainty.

After facing questions about school funding for months, House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Finance Chair Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) decided not to fully fund public schools in their proposed amendment to the H.B. 96 budget.

To be fully funded based on statistics from the Fair School Funding Plan from 2021, schools would need $666 million. The proposed budget only gives them about $226 million.

Based on 2025 numbers and inflation, the amount of money to fund K-12 would be closer to $800 million, new data from public school advocates like former lawmaker John Patterson explained.

In a press conference Tuesday, the Republican leaders gave an overview of their substitute bill. Reporters were not given the legislation beforehand, nor did we get it during the event, so questions were based on what the lawmakers said without specifics.

In seemingly a way to express enthusiasm for their cut of funding, Stewart explained that the $226 million is an increase from the amount that schools got in 2025. That is misleading, Democrats argue.

"What is being produced is likely one of the lowest state shares in our state's history... meaning that it's even less state money going into our schools than when this was deemed unconstitutional," Finance Ranking Member Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) said.

I have been going back-and-forth with GOP leaders for months about school funding and what their priorities are.

"Why the cut?" I ask Stewart.

"Well when you see the proposal, which was 'Well just increase the inputs to FY '24,' that was the ask it cost $1.8 billion to the taxpayer," Stewart responded. "We simply don't have it."

Some of the Democrats and Gov. Mike DeWine compromised on the cost of the FSFP, which allowed them to use stats from 2022, as mentioned before, so the $1.8 billion wasn't the number being pushed, lawmakers said.

Still, why couldn't they at least do DeWine's budget amount, Smialek had asked.

"I would ask them what exactly do they envision for the future of public education?" the superintendent told me. "Is there one?"

In January, Huffman had threatened to cut public education spending, saying the state doesnt have the budget for it and the amount for schools they were promised this year is "unsustainable." Instead, they cut $351 million.

For a further in-depth recap of education funding, click here.

This comes as DeWine fully funded public education based on 2022 data in his version of the budget.

Gov. Mike DeWine tries to protect school funding after GOP proposes cuts

The GOP legislators' proposal isn't final but it likely won't change dramatically before it passes out of the House and into the Senate next week.

Reaction

Parma City Schools is asking their community in May, yet again, to increase taxes to help support education. Superintendent Charles Smialek says this time, another levy failure could be a disaster.

"We're gonna have to ask for more money, and it's a tough sell for many of them," he said about the residents.

Schools around the state have struggled to pass levies as property taxes have risen. Parmas have failed four times.

Now, Smialek is grappling with the potential loss of millions of dollars for their schools.

"Public education is supposed to give every kid a shot at a middle-class to an upper-middle-class life, and that's what we see continuing to trickle away," the superintendent said.

If this were to go into law, Parma would have to cut jobs, require fees to participate in extracurriculars, cut down the amount of hours in class for high school students or increase class sizes to 30 kids, the superintendent said.

"When your back is against the wall, you have to limit options," Smialek continued.

Priorities

Republicans Tuesday told me that this budget was a compromise, because Huffman wanted to cut all of the FSFP increases, arguing that money for public schools is getting out of control.

Ohio GOP continues with plan to slash public school budget, denounces current funding as 'fantasy'

But what the state can afford is $600 million in bonds for the Cleveland Browns.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime project," Stewart said.

Ive continually asked both Huffman and Stewart about their support of this proposal versus funding public education.

"You said that you didn't have enough money to put in that $666 million up to $800 million," I said. "Yet we are trying to get a loan to help the Browns stadium. How do you reckon"

"They're apples and oranges," Stewart said, cutting me off. "Let's be clear. When we issue bonds, that has nothing to do with general revenue fund spending... That's not money we're taking away from anything else."

But technically, it is. The state would be borrowing the millions and would still need to pay that money back with interest. There is also the rhetoric that funding for public schools is "unsustainable" according to Huffman, but funding a private stadium is a better idea.

DeWine said that they are directly comparable, disagreeing with Stewart and Huffman's logic.

The governor is trying to block the provision. He wants them to use his proposal which would raise the sports betting tax for the sports books, creating a fund for all professional sports teams to get money from in the future.

"It's going to enable us to support professional teams, minor leagues, major leagues," DeWine told me Friday. "But at the same time, not take money away from education.

Stewart, and the Browns, say that the Brook Park dome will bring in more revenue than it will cost.

To help convince lawmakers they are serious, the Browns have offered $38 million upfront as collateral for the state.

"There's enough fiscal impacts or direct tax revenues to support the investment we're asking for," Browns attorney Ted Tywang said during his pitch to lawmakers in early March.

News 5 business growth and development reporter Michelle Jarboe and I have been doing team coverage of the Browns Stadium proposal. Click here to learn more about what the new stadium district would encompass.

Smialek argued it shows where leaderships priorities are and now they need to prepare.

"It could mean immediate cuts, it could mean cuts down the road," he said. "It could mean if we're not able to pass our May levy, maybe a higher number in terms of what a November levy might look like."

But there may be some hope for schools. I asked DeWine in late March if he would veto the provision if it made its way into the final budget.

"Well, I'm hoping that they're not gonna do that," the governor replied.

House representatives are set to debate the plan over the next week.

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Appeals court blocks Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for minors

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:00:13 +0000

Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for minors is unconstitutional and must be permanently blocked from being enforced, a three-judge panel of appellate judges ruled Tuesday. The law also banned trans women and girls from participating in female sports.

The state attorney general vowed an immediate appeal.

On Tuesday, the state 10th District Court of Appeals reversed a lower court judge's decision last summer to allow the law to go into effect, after finding it reasonably limits parents' rights. The law bans counseling, gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy for minors, unless they are already receiving such therapies and a doctor deems it risky to stop.

The litigation was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Ohio and the global law firm Goodwin, who argued the law not only denies health care to transgender children and teens, but specifically discriminates against them accessing it.

The appellate court agreed, in a 2-1 majority opinion written by Judge Carly Edelstein, and cited a number of flaws in the lower court's reasoning.

The judge cited a number of flaws in the lower courts reasoning. She said that the Ohio law does not outlaw identical drugs when they're used for other reasons, only when they're used for gender transitioning, which makes it discriminatory. She also said that a prescription ban is not a reasonable exercise of the state's police power when it is weighed against the rights of parents to care for their children.

Addressing proponents' arguments that minors are not in a position to understand the long-term impacts such procedures could have on their lives, the judge said that, while they may not be, their parents are.

Thus, in considering whether the H.B. 68 ban is reasonable, it is necessary to keep in mind that the law recognizes the maturity, experience, and capacity of parents to make difficult judgments and act in their childrens best interest, she wrote.

The ACLU called the ruling historic.

"This win restores the right of trans youth in Ohio to choose vitally important health care, with the support of their families and physicians," Freda Levenson, legal director of the ACLU of Ohio, said in a statement. We are gratified by the Courts decision, which soundly rejects this interference of politicians with Ohioans bodily autonomy.

Tuesday's ruling marked the second blow for the legislation.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the law in December 2023, after touring the state to visit childrens hospitals and talking to families of children with gender dysphoria. He cast his action as thoughtful, limited and pro-life citing the suicide risks associated with minors who don't get proper treatment for gender dysphoria.

DeWine simultaneously announced plans to move to administratively ban gender-affirming surgeries until a person is 18, and to position the state to better regulate and track gender-affirming treatments in both children and adults. He hoped the move would allay concerns of fellow Republicans at the Ohio Statehouse, but the administration swiftly backed off that plan after transgender adults raised serious concerns about how state regulations could impact their lives and health.

Ohio lawmakers stood their ground on the bill, easily overriding his veto making Ohio the 23rd state to ban gender-affirming health care for trans youth.

Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a candidate to succeed DeWine next year who serves as the Legislature's lawyer, quickly released a statement saying that he will appeal Tuesday's ruling.

This is a no-brainer we are appealing that decision and will seek an immediate stay," he said. There is no way Ill stop fighting to protect these unprotected children.

Levenson acknowledged that Tuesday's ruling was likely not the end of the legal dispute, but she said in a statement that her organization remained fervently committed to preventing the bill from ever taking effect again.

Social Security payment changes cause confusion; here's what you need to know

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:39:30 +0000

There are many changes happening with Social Security, and thats creating confusion about your payments. We are following through with important answers about recent overpayments, lump sum payments, and what you should do about questionable sums of money showing up in your bank accounts.

I didnt know what it was. I had no idea who sent me this, said Elizabeth Miller, 65, from Brooklyn. She said shes been told different things from different Social Security reps about why she has thousands more in her account these days. Thats made her skeptical. Theyre going to take it back right away. Its not mine. It was a mistake, she said.

Because (the rep is) telling you dont spend it? we asked.

Right, she replied.

More money and letters came, so she made another call to Social Security. She said she was told the new amount was overpayment that she was owed. I dont understand why you would put that much money in my account, said Miller.

SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS ACT

Her questions are coming at a time when we told you about Jeff Olds getting a huge lump sum in his account from Social Security. Turns out, that was for his wife, who never got Social Security checks before.

This is a big deal for your Social Security checks and overpayments

However, the recent Social Security Fairness Act now says her pension is not held against her and others who qualify. And she is rightly getting social security payments.

Its pretty scary for somebody that this isnt what they do every day, said April Roberts, who is the CEO of AARIA and a Social Security expert. She pointed out the lump sums are arriving just starting March 27, and going forward, Social Security will take any legitimate overpayments and then use 100% of peoples subsequent checks until the full amount is repaid.

Social Security told us lump sums are coming sometimes days before a letter that says what the amounts are for.

Does that make it more confusing for people? we asked Roberts.

Yes, it does because you might not know why youre receiving a lump sum payment. Maybe youre not expecting to get any money at all or maybe you had no idea, she replied.

HERE ARE THE STEPS TO TAKE

Roberts suggested that if you get a strange amount from Social Security, call your local office (find it here) first. They have access to more of the meat and potatoes on whats going on with the math in your particular situation, said Roberts.

If you dont feel the explanation or the amount is right, file an appeal. Then, if you still owe money, you can file a waiver form or set up a payment plan.

Miller is now waiting on some confirmation letters to explain what her lump sum payments are really for. I think the letters should come before the check explaining that youre going to be receiving somethingfor sure so you dont have to panic when that much money is placed into your bank account, said Miller.

We want to hear from you about your Social Security concerns. Email us at InvestigatorTips@WEWS.com, call our tip line at 216-431-4357 or post on our Social Insecurity Facebook page.

Ohio lawmakers reject increase in cigarette tax

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:13:24 +0000

Despite families of cancer victims pleading with Ohio lawmakers, the GOP isn't interested in raising the tax on cigarettes.

We were making plans for what life looked like once both kids were off doing their own thing, Vince Marchetta, from Akron, told me.

Marchetta was excited, envisioning his future as empty nesters with his wife, Betsy.

"Instead, I attended both my kids' college graduations without her," he said.

Betsy lost her 5-month battle against cervical cancer in 2019. The devastating loss was made even more difficult by the fact that she had just beaten cancer once before, with her full fight being just two years.

"They're gonna live their lives longer without their mother than they're gonna live with her," he said, noting that she died as their son was going into his senior year of high school. "It's just heartbreaking that they are going to have big life events that she will never be a part of."

The father, while grieving, changed his plans from traveling with his wife of 26 years to advocating to prevent more families from suffering the same tragedy.

"It put me in a position to be a voice for her and for all the other people that aren't able to speak up," he said, sharing that he is the Ohio lead ambassador for the American Cancer Society.

He spent a day at the Ohio Statehouse advocating for the lawmakers to approve Gov. Mike DeWines proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes by $1.50. It would also increase funding for tobacco use prevention. This money would then go towards a $1,000 child tax credit for parents with young children.

Teenagers like Marianna Packer also spoke out in favor of the tax hike.

"The tax increase would make it less likely for kids to buy it because it's so expensive and they don't have the means to buy it," she said.

But lawmakers like House Finance Chair Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) arent buying the proposal.

"Republicans don't like to raise taxes," Stewart said. "Cigarettes and tobacco products are already pretty darn expensive and pretty heavily taxed."

Cigarettes are already taxed at $1.60, which means it would increase to $3.10 per pack.

"At some point, I think you have to respect the freedoms of Ohioans to choose what they want to do for their own life," he added. "And to just continually raise taxes on people as a punitive measure I just don't think it appeals to a lot of people."

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) added that upping the tax may hurt the states budget in the long run.

"It's been a declining source of revenue for years, and I would suggest that if the cigarette tax were increased even more above what it is, it's probably going to be an even more rapidly declining source of revenue," he said.

Marchetta asked what is the price of saving a life.

"If what we do saves one person's life, we're advancing our cause," Marchetta said. "Obviously, we have so many more lives to save, but one by one, we want to make sure that we're saving people from cancer."

Lawmakers say they will continue to debate the proposal in the coming weeks.

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After bitter defeats last year, Ohio Democrats are biding time as GOP moves full swing into 2026

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:07:54 +0000

The first television ads dropped this week in the Ohio governor's race that's still more than a year off. The early onslaught by a super PAC allied with Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy drove home how quickly the former bellwether state 's ruling Republicans are seizing the spotlight and staking claims to five statewide executive offices that are opening in 2026.

All that urgency begs a question: Where are Ohio Democrats?

Fresh off a pair of difficult losses last year the bitter defeat of three-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, and the rejection by voters of the anti-gerrymandering amendment known as Issue 1 the party's efforts at building anything close to a winning 2026 ticket have so far been muted, and for some, moving too slowly.

Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who helped guide Ohio through the early days of the pandemic, is running for governor as a Democrat methodically building financial support and a statewide campaign. Though she gained recognition appearing on daily COVID-19 briefings that aired statewide in early 2020, Acton also is a newcomer to politics who lacks the political might of someone like Brown, who before last year had reliably won statewide victories going back decades.

Meanwhile, only two other Democrats southwest Ohio oncologist and first-time candidate Brian Hambley for secretary of state, and tainted former state Rep. Elliot Forhan for attorney general have launched campaigns.

The lack of activity accompanies Democrats broader struggles nationally to coalesce around a strategy for countering actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their Republican allies in Congress. The debate over how to respond has divided party leaders, with some advocating for lying low even as crowds of angry citizens throng congressional town halls, clog Capitol Hill phone lines and stage protests and marches in the streets. Others want to see the party combat Novembers bitter defeats at both the national and state levels more strenuously.

People are being quiet right now and sort of circling the wagons and kind of trying to figure out how to respond, said Dr. J. Cherie Strachan, director of the University of Akrons Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

As he exited the Senate in December, Brown vowed he'd be getting back to politics in some way. That prospect is among reasons that other aspiring Ohio Democrats are biding their time, according to several party insiders granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Others say it's Republicans who are starting too early, not Democrats who are late.

It's unclear if Brown will run, and, if he does, what office he might seek. It could be the governorship, setting up a contested primary with Acton. It could be the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Vice President JD Vance, which successor Jon Husted must defend next year. Brown recently offered a treatise of sorts in The New Republic magazine for restoring the national Democratic Party with a pro-worker message, prompting speculation he might even be aspiring to the presidency.

Once Brown's plans are known, plenty of other Democrats will be ready to go, predicted Greg Beswick, a former Ohio Democratic Party executive director. Though it's been 20 years since Democrats won a statewide executive office in Ohio, he said the party is watching for falling approval ratings for Trump and Musk to create opportunities in 2026.

I do think that theyre going to be able to recruit folks and be able to run when they start seeing these items, he said. I think its been easier for the Republicans, quite frankly. Its the shuffling of the deck of folks that want to make sure they keep a job.

That shuffle includes Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost running for governor, Auditor Keith Faber running for attorney general, Secretary of State Frank LaRose running for auditor and Treasurer Robert Sprague running for secretary of state.

Besides Brown, other high profile Democrats believed to be weighing runs in 2026 are: former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who lost a tighter than expected Senate race to Vance in 2022; Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, who won key Republican concessions for her party last session; and former U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach, a former Ohio attorney general candidate who led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under President Joe Biden.

Katie Seewer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party, said they anticipate at least one Democratic candidate will emerge for each of the statewide races. She said the party has been seeing lots of enthusiasm at organizing events across the state.

People are fired up and ready to go, she said.

Strachan said contested primaries would strongly benefit the party, by garnering media attention and energizing voters.

As Ohio lawmakers push for revisions to marijuana laws, some voters are questioning why

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 04:25:58 +0000

An overhaul of Ohio's recreational marijuana law is now in the works after Ohio Senate Republicans passed Senate Bill 56 on Wednesday.

Most notably among the proposed changes of SB 56 include limiting THC content in products sold from a maximum of 90% to a maximum of 70%. The bill would also cut in half the number of marijuana plants people can grow in their home from 12 to six.

Since Ohio's recreational marijuana law went into effect in August, business has been booming. According to the State Department of Commerce, as of this week, $346,923,461 worth of recreational marijuana has been sold since then.

Among the businesses in Ohio selling marijuana is a newcomer in Anderson Township: Consume.

"It's getting really exciting in here," said Caitlin Duffy, an employee at Consume.

Duffy said they recently got employees up to speed on the ins and outs of what they need to know. But if laws surrounding how the drug is sold change, then so will their training.

"We also need to be up and current on laws, because one person in here could do something incorrectly and it would cost everyone their job here, unfortunately," Duffy said.

Learn more about how some Ohio lawmakers are looking to revise existing marijuana laws:

As Ohio lawmakers push for revisions to marijuana laws, some voters are questioning why

Duffy said it's frustrating to deal with continuous changes to the law.

Lawmakers, including the bill's primary sponsor Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), say the revisions would further protect children from being exposed to the drug.

Some are concerned about marijuana advertisements appealing to kids.

"We do not want anything to do with marijuana being attractive to children," Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) said.

Other lawmakers said they're also concerned that voters didn't know exactly what they voted for in 2023.

"To say that the voters that voted to legalize cannabis, marijuana, in the state of Ohio agree with everything in that bill they voted on is absurd," Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) said.

However, voters like Julie Tolliver, who lives in Batavia Township, disagree.

"We voted for this, we knew what we were getting, we asked for this," Tolliver said.

Tolliver said she's frustrated with how state lawmakers are revising what voters wanted. She said she believes decisions like this should be made by residents.

"I think it's pushing things in the wrong direction," Tolliver said.

SB 56 wouldn't increase sales tax on the drug, however, Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed doubling marijuana sales tax from 10% to 20%.

The new bill would also make it illegal for people to buy marijuana in another state and bring it back to Ohio. Tolliver said if there's a significant tax hike in Ohio, some people may take their chances.

"People will probably, more so, go to Michigan rather than supporting our local businesses," Tolliver said.

For a new business like Consume, Duffy said she hopes lawmakers recognize the benefits the current laws are bringing to the state.

The more people that are getting in here and purchasing, the better for Ohio," Duffy said.

The new bill, as well as DeWine's tax increase proposal, will now be discussed by members of the Republican dominated Ohio House. If passed there, it would go to DeWine's desk for him to sign into law.

Trump's early backing of Ramaswamy for Ohio governor seen by some as meant to avoid a nasty primary

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:50:10 +0000

The sun hadn't set on Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's gubernatorial campaign launch in Ohio earlier this week before President Donald Trump posted his endorsement of the Cincinnati-born biotech entrepreneur and former Department of Government Efficiency co-chair.

Trump lauded the multimillionaire on his Truth Social site as something SPECIAL, calling him "Young, Strong, and Smart!

Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country," the president wrote. "He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!

The timing of Trump's announcement intrigued Ohio political observers, who have watched over the past several years as his decisions to weigh in on key statewide races have gone from days before the election, to months, to now more than a year.

Robert Clegg, a long-time Republican campaign adviser in the state, said it may be meant as a message for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, already seeking the Republican nomination, or perhaps even for newly named Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a popular former Ohio State Buckeyes football coach whose future political plans are unclear.

This is awfully early in the game, and I expected an endorsement maybe later this year as in, like the fall, or even wait until January, Clegg said. I wonder if the president doesn't want to have a knock-down, drag-out primary here in Ohio.

Trump tantalized Republican candidates in Ohios bruising 2022 U.S. Senate primary until just 19 days before the election, when he backed future Vice President JD Vance and pushed him over the finish line to secure the GOP nomination. Vance went on to win the general election that fall.

A year later, Trump issued his endorsement of Republican Bernie Moreno for Senate three months before the primary. Moreno went on to win both the primary and the general election.

This time around, Trump didn't wait.

His backing is expected to help Ramaswamys early campaign efforts as he works against skepticism over his lack of experience in statewide office in a state thats resoundingly voted for Trump three times. In the run-up to the announcement, Ramaswamy, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, had also lined up key political advisers who had helped Vance with his 2022 Senate bid, as well as the endorsements of two sitting statewide officials and well-known conservatives nationally, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee.

Still, the success rate of Trumps endorsement in governors races has been mixed. In 2018, his backing helped Texas Greg Abbott to victory, for example, but not Wisconsins Scott Walker. In 2022, Trumps endorsement helped Sarah Huckabee Sanders win the Arkansas governorship, but it didnt help Kari Lake win Arizonas.

Tom Zawistowski, a leader of Ohio's tea party movement, said he believes Trump's anticipated backing of Ramaswamy prompted then-Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, long viewed as the front-runner to be the state's next governor, to take an appointment to Vance's former Senate seat.

The fact is Jon Husted could not defend against a Trump endorsement and a very highly financed opponent in Vivek, he said. So this is what's happening and then, shazam, here comes Jim Tressel. Only in Ohio politics.

Zawistowski theorized that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine selected Tressel as Husted's replacement so he'll be in the wings to run as an establishment Republican should Yost's campaign fail to take hold by summer.

Yost, who is term-limited, came out of the gate painting Ramaswamy as unreliable.

I welcome Mr. Ramaswamy to the race for however long he sticks around," Yost said in a statement. "Well see if he actually stays in Mr. Ramaswamy quit on President Trump and DOGE on Day 1, he quit on Ohio and moved his company to Texas, and he quit his presidential campaign after a devastating fourth-place finish in Iowa.

Buckeye Freedom Fund, a super PAC supporting Yost, also has already sent out attack mailings against Ramaswamy, accusing him of standing with Trump's predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military. A spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign said when one campaign has the endorsements of Trump, Elon Musk and many other conservative leaders, lesser campaigns have no choice except to twist words.

Zawistowski called Tressel, who has worked both as a college football coach and a university president, an institutionalist and said it's likely he could raise large amounts of money from Ohio State alumni and football fans, a massive nationwide community known collectively as Buckeye Nation.

He said the state's MAGA base is thrilled with Trump, Musk and DOGE so far, but he could see opponents of the effort trying to drive both moderate Republicans and Democrats to vote for Tressel in next year's GOP primary, rather than Democratic contender Amy Acton in her party's primary.

Trying to avert such a scenario, he said, could explain why Trump jumped into the fray so quickly on Ramaswamy's behalf.

Ohio AG Dave Yost isn't worried about competition in governor's race. Here's why.

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:39:01 +0000

Attorney General Dave Yost isn't worried about his competition in the race to become Ohio's governor. We sat down for a one-on-one interview to learn why and how he plans to lead the state.

"My job is to make my case to the people of Ohio and that's what I intend to do," Yost told me Monday.

Its not the typical kind of court case the Republican from Central Ohio is used to working on. Its his bid to become Ohios next leader.

"I believe it's my duty to walk this path," Yost added.

I sat down with Yost to hear about his campaign, why voters should choose him, and his vision and goals for the Buckeye State.

"I intend to shift away from a problem-based approach to public policy to a goal-based approach... I intend to break that mold and to talk about where I think Ohio can and should go," he said.

"Where is that?" I asked.

"I think that I'd like to see a growing population that is, on average, younger... But economic dynamism and our workforce and family growth, all of that stuff, it happens with young people and the government has a series of choices that they can make that will help or hinder that," he said, noting that he also cares about older individuals in the state.

He touts his decades of experience as AG, state auditor, Delaware County auditor and county prosecutor.

"I'm a guy that's actually done the work," he said.

What would an Ohio look like under Yost?

We went through the major issues.

Unlike Gov. Mike DeWine, Yost isn't too unfamiliar with marijuana. He said he would follow the voters' will.

"I went to college at Ohio State at a time that it won't surprise anybody, probably that I did and I inhaled," he said, seemingly referencing former President Bill Clinton's famous line denying he got high because he "didn't inhale." "But I was not for the referendum. Once again, it's the law of the land and so we need to do the best possible job regulating and having a safe, fair marketplace that's as healthy as it can be."

When it comes to abortion and access to reproductive healthcare, he had a similar argument.

"The will of the voters is the will of the voters, and it's enshrined in the highest law of our state right now," Yost continued. "I think they made an error in that choice, but my oath of office requires me to honor that and so I will, I have."

"But you are fighting against the 6-week ban [repeal] in court right now," I responded.

"I predicted this would happen at the beginning of the campaign for Issue 1 and its constitutional amendment," he responded. There are things that are other than the heartbeat bill that are around the periphery of this. It's not clear how or if they're impacted, so that's working its way through the courts."

On the topic of reproductive rights, one of Yost's largest public controversies includes his denying the existence of a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio who needed to go out of state to get an abortion. This was promptly fact-checked by the Columbus Police Department, who arrested the alleged perpetrator.

I asked if he regretted the statements he made.

"Those comments were made very early in the investigation, and they were true as far as that goes," Yost said, defending himself. "The subsequent events showed that this did occur, and it was a terrible tragedy."

I also asked if he was worried about his opponents using that case against him, as it sparked anger across the aisle.

"I've been in politics [long enough] to know that if my opponents don't use what I actually did against me, they'll make things up," he said. "So that's just part of the political milieu, I'm afraid."

He aligns with the GOP leaders who want to cut public school funding and prioritize sending state dollars to private schools.

"I don't like the idea of funding schools," he said. "I like the idea of funding students."

He supports the voter's will on redistricting reform. However, when it comes to raising the sports betting tax to help fund professional sports teams' renovation projects, like the Browns, he would rather exclude regular taxpayers.

"If the state is going to offer public money for private enterprises, like sports franchises, it makes sense that the general public wouldn't be taxed for that that that would be some kind of a voluntary user tax."

He added that he has realistic goals for Ohio because he knows the state, unlike his opponent.

Primary

He faces off against Heather Hill, a former school board president in Morgan County who agreed to interview with me Thursday. Still, strategists consider his major opponent Ohio businessman and President Donald Trump-ally Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy officially announced his bid for Ohio governor Monday evening during a rally in Cincinnati. Vivek Ramaswamy announces bid for Ohio governor

Read more about Ramaswamy's views by clicking or tapping here.

"Now, to the extent that we have a primary this year, I embrace that I welcome it because competition breeds innovation," the 39-year-old said during the rally. "I'll be conservative without being combative in this race, though. I will fight to win when necessary."

Claws were out with Yost, though.

"The difference is I've been there, and I've done it," Yost said. "I have a proven track record he's got a couple of books and some speeches."

After our interview and Ramaswamy's announcement, Yost issued the following statement:

"I welcome Mr. Ramaswamy to the race for however long he sticks around," Yost said. "We'll see if he actually stays in Mr. Ramaswamy quit on President Trump and DOGE on day one, he quit on Ohio and moved his company to Texas, and he quit his presidential campaign after a devastating fourth-place finish in Iowa."

DeWine may also have appointed current lieutenant governor Jim Tressel, the former OSU football coach, as his successor.

I asked Yost if he was worried about Tressel since Ohioans know and love him. He said they have been friends for years and that competition improves candidates.

He was not worried at all about Democratic candidate Amy Acton.

When it comes to Ramaswamy, though, Yost does face a unique challenge. The businessman is a multi-millionaire and can fund his campaign himself.

"How do you compete with that?" I asked Yost.

"Well, it's not a matter of having the most money; it's a matter of having enough money," he responded, referencing how state Sen. Matt Dolan had significantly more money than his competitors for the U.S. Senate race in 2024 but got second.

The Trump endorsement is also essential at this point in Ohio politics. Yost said he has communicated with his team but that the only candidate in the race to get an endorsement from the president so far is himself.

Ramaswamy has already received two statewide official endorsements: Sec. of State Frank LaRose and Treasurer Robert Sprague.

"What does that say about your relationship with them?" I asked Yost.

"Well, you'll have to ask them," he said. "I represent them in court and win cases particularly for Frank LaRose, who gets sued all the time but at the end of the day, it probably says more about their part in the machine in Columbus than it does about me."

He considers himself an outsider, not getting along with sometimes combative former Gov. John Kasich and having differences with much more moderate DeWine.

"I'm an outsider to Columbus, and the insiders don't like it very much," he said. "But I care about what the people think, and that's why they gave me more votes than any attorney general has ever received in the 2022 election."

Still, Yost isn't deterred.

"When we talk about government efficiency, that's a promise kept," he said. "I found $260 million in efficiency savings. I was DOGE before DOGE was cool and we didn't have to have any lawsuits over it."

He also mentioned his goal of rooting out public corruption, which resulted in 170 criminal convictions. Integrity is important to him, he said.

"What are you looking for in a lieutenant governor?" I asked him.

"Well, I've heard your name floated, but I don't think we're politically aligned," he joked. I said I am a nonpartisan journalist and playfully asked him not to deflect the question.

"Somebody that could take over if something happened to me, somebody who cares about Ohio and the people of Ohio... I'm talking about the people who can't get a phone call returned that lack the resources to be able to navigate the system, who need the government to make sure that everybody plays by the same rules that's all the rule of law means: same rules for everybody."

Any final thoughts?

"I would say if you are in Ohio and you look at Ron DeSantis in Florida or Greg Abbott in Texas, and you wish that Ohio had bold leadership like that, Dave Yost is your candidate," he smiled.

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1-on-1 with Vivek Ramaswamy: Cincinnati native wants to 'bring the American Dream to Ohio' as governor

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 22:14:48 +0000

Cincinnati native Vivek Ramaswamy has officially kicked off his 2026 bid for Ohio governor.

The 39-year-old biotech businessman and St. Xavier High School graduate, who ran for president in 2024 and recently left President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), held a campaign announcement event Monday at CTL Aerospace Inc. in Cincinnati. He was scheduled to go to New Albany, which is near Columbus. He'll also hold more announcements in the Toledo and Cleveland areas, as well.

Ramaswamy sat down with WCPO 9 before his rally in Cincinnati. He told us he wants to grow Ohio into "that state of excellence" and the top state in the country.

"I want to lead the state in a way that lifts everybody up," he said.

Learn more about what Ramaswamy wants to achieve as Ohio's governor:

1-on-1 with Vivek Ramaswamy: Republican entrepreneur kicks off Ohio governor campaign

He told us he wanted to run for governor after realizing during his presidential campaign that many of the changes he hoped for in the country have to be driven by the states.

"President Trump is going to do his part at the national level, but I think we need a leader here at home who's going to revive our conviction in Ohio," he said.

Ramaswamy also said he welcomes all political parties, whether that be constitutional conservatives, independents, libertarians or others who want economic and educational excellence in Ohio.

As governor, Ramaswamy said he wants to improve Ohio's education system, but he said throwing money somewhere doesn't always fix the problem. He said he'd like to introduce a meritocracy, which he says America was built on, to the education system by implementing merit-based pay for every teacher, principal, superintendent and administrator in Ohio to create competition and recruit the "best of the best."

"Every parent has the right and deserves to send their kids to the best possible school for that kid, that's a very individual choice, ... but I also think we have to make sure our public schools are equipped to compete with the best of the alternatives," Ramaswamy said.

He said also small reforms like getting cell phones out of classrooms and bringing back physical education at a young age, such as the presidential fitness test, will improve the education system.

Ramaswamy also told WCPO he wants more financial transparency for Ohioans to openly show where their money is being spent, hopefully leading to reforms to put more money in Ohioan's pockets something that calls to Ramaswamy's time with DOGE.

"My vision for Ohio is to bring the American Dream to Ohio, and that is going to require taking a long hard look at the way our money is being spent at the state level all the way to the local and county level," he said. "And an easy and uncontroversial first step we're going to take is public transparency."

Ramaswamy also put an emphasis on making the Ohio River Valley an innovation and new business hotspot, whether that be for biotech, AI, aerospace, nuclear energy, bitcoin and more. He also told WCPO he wants to bring income tax down to zero to make Ohio a more appealing place for businesses.

Ramaswamy is vying for term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine's seat against other Republicans Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Heather Hill, as well as former Ohio Health Director and Democrat Dr. Amy Action. Ohio hasn't had a Democratic governor since Ted Strickland from 2007-2011.

"I want to work with everyone in this state, even the ones who run against me," Ramaswamy said.

So far, Ramaswamy has garnered endorsements from Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Treasurer Robert Sprague. President Donald Trump also posted about Ramaswamy on Truth Social, saying "he is something SPECIAL."

"He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT," Trump wrote.

Cincinnati native Vivek Ramaswamy announces run for Ohio governor

Ohio lawmakers propose making breakfast, lunch free at schools

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:37:16 +0000

A bipartisan bill introduced to the Ohio Senate would make all breakfast and lunch free at public and chartered nonpublic schools.

With two teenage sons, Natalie Hastings buys a lot of food.

"[My younger son] is waking up in the middle, like late at night, and going down and eating again because he's so hungry," Hastings said.

As food at grocery stores is getting more expensive for the mom, it's getting more expensive at school, too.

"Wow, school lunch is expensive now," she said. "There have been times when I've called the nurse and said, 'Can you call my kid down to your office and give them a granola bar because I think they're hungry.'"

And while her kids know she will pay for it, data from Feeding America reports that one in five Ohio children are unsure of where their next meal is coming from. State Sen. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Township) said this is unacceptable.

"You're looking at about $3,000 a year spent on breakfast and lunch," Blessing told me.

The Republican and state Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) have introduced bipartisan S.B. 109, which would provide free breakfast and lunch to public and chartered nonpublic school students.

"It's a public good the benefit will accrue to families across the state," Blessing added. "Just thinking about it philosophically, if children have issues with hunger, parents have trouble feeding them, they're going to want to go to school, if for no other reason for that meal."

I couldnt find anyone to speak out publicly against meals for kids, but Donovan O'Neil with conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity warns about the price tag.

"What the state spends goes up biennium over biennium by very significant amounts," O'Neil said. "So we do caution for fiscal stewardship, fiscal restraint, fiscal responsibility."

If the bill became law, it's estimated it would cost the state $300 million per fiscal year less than one percent of the proposed state budget. However, 15% of the budget is already being spent on public education.

Our extensive reporting on threats to public school funding led to massive backlash for lawmakers, and numerous GOP members spoke out privately.

Gov. Mike DeWine tries to protect school funding after GOP proposes cuts

ONeil said that, overall, he would rather state dollars for education go directly to the families instead of school districts.

"Get to a place where we are funding families, then through the policy decisions we're doing, we're maximizing flexibility and creating an environment that ultimately increases the supply of education opportunities," he added.

Hastings argued that spending a portion of the states dollars on children will only help the kids learn and help the economy in the long run.

"In order for us to be able to come to school, get those math scores where we want them to be, to continue to be an innovative population, then let's just start with something easy like feeding kids," Hastings said.

The bill will be heard in the coming weeks.

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Ryan Day agrees to 7-year contract extension with Ohio State after winning National Championship

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:43:56 +0000

After the Buckeyes lost their fourth straight rivalry matchup with Michigan in November, many called for the firing of Ohio State Football Head Coach Ryan Day. Day, however, overcame the criticism and helped lead his team to its first National Championship victory since 2014.

Now, he's here to stay.

Ohio State announced on Thursday that they had agreed with Day on a seven-year contract extension, with him set to be the head coach of the Buckeyes' football program through the 2031 season. The contract adds three years to his current agreement.

According to Ohio State, Day's contract extension is valued at $12.5 million annually with a base pay of $2 million.

The contract extension is a direct result of the National Championship victory. Day is one of three current collegiate coaches with a national championship on his resume.

Day was named the football program's head coach at the end of 2018. Day has notched a 70-10 record in his six seasons with the Buckeyes, won two Big Ten championships, two Rose Bowls, a Sugar Bowl, a Cotton Bowl and, most recently, the National Championship.

In a press release, Ross Bjork, Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletic Director, spoke about the contract extension.

Ohio State Football has long been defined by excellence and, under Ryan Days leadership, that tradition has not only continued, but thrived, Bjork said. As a leader, mentor and coach, Ryan has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the success and well-being of our players, both on and off the field. His leadership has maintained our position of national prominence each year and winning the 2024 national championship validated his programs culture of excellence, integrity, and perseverance.

Ryan has not only kept Buckeye football as the preeminent program, but he also guides young men into leaders, instilling values that extend far beyond the game. Stability at the head coaching position is crucial in todays evolving college football landscape, and this new contract guarantees continued momentum in recruiting, player development, and overall program success.bIt is a great pleasure to work side by side with Ryan and we know that his vision and leadership will continue to bring championship success and pride to our program for years to come.

Callers swamp Senate offices in Trump's first weeks, only to get busy signals and full voicemail

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:01:49 +0000

Callers are getting busy signals and voicemail inboxes are full at many U.S. Senate offices as people try to reach out and voice their opinions on President Donald Trumps Cabinet picks, executive orders and moves to dismantle various federal programs.

A memo distributed to Senate staff on Tuesday said there was a higher number of calls than usual and that some callers were having trouble getting through.

The Senate is experiencing an unusually high volume of inbound calls. External callers may receive a temporary busy signal when phoning a Senate office, according to the memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The influx of phone calls comes as Trump and ally Elon Musk are working to shrink the federal government during the president's first weeks in office. They are shuttering agencies, temporarily freezing funding and pushing workers to resign, all while staffers with Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency infiltrate departments in a stated effort to root out fraud and abuse.

One popular post making the rounds on social media urged opponents of those actions to call their lawmakers six times a day, every day two calls each to their two senators and two to their House member. You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing, it said. The post urged use of a smartphone app that would make the task of making multiple calls per day easier.

Caitlin Christman, an institutional support contractor in Wisconsin furloughed last week from the U.S. Agency for International Development, said it took her four attempts over five days to successfully leave a message for her senator, Republican Ron Johnson, after dealing with an overloaded voicemail box, grainy recorded greetings and a busy signal.

I wanted to express my concern with dismantling USAID without any sort of review, and to relay my experience with its work, which I believe has been in our countrys best interest, she said, noting that she expects to be fired later this week.

Meryl Neiman of Ohio Progressive Action Leaders and others within her network sought to draw attention to the fact that they were having trouble reaching both her state's senators Republicans Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted by phone or in person at their field offices before Wednesday's nationwide protests against Trump and Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society.

Both senators are close with Trump's vice president, JD Vance, and were with him as recently as Monday, during a tour of the 2023 derailment site in East Palestine.

Those frustrated by Trump's actions shared similar stories with the AP of being unable to reach their lawmakers. They seemed to be experiencing particular barriers to connecting with the Senate offices of Trump's fellow Republicans, who may be more inundated than Democrats because Republicans hold the chamber's majority and are more likely to have the president's ear.

Lawmakers were frustrated, too, as they seek to maintain operations amid the barrage. Senate voicemail boxes only hold about 1,000 messages before becoming full and needing to be catalogued and emptied.

Moreno's spokesperson, Reagan McCarthy, said helping Ohioans in need is his top priority.

While the Senate has been dealing with an exceptionally high volume of calls, our office is committed to responding to each and every Ohioan in need of assistance and working through all requests as quickly as possible, she said in a statement.

Ohio foster-to-college bill aims to bring kids out of the system, into higher ed, career tech

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:51:56 +0000

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Ohio General Assembly seeks to establish a pipeline from foster care to college or careers.

The sponsors of House Bill 25 are targeting a population of Ohioans who struggle to get through high school, and therefore may not have the guidance needed to lead them to a fruitful career in the state after leaving the foster care system.

They are experiencing some of the worst outcomes of our state and yet the state could and should do more, said bill co-sponsor state Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus.

The bill is a reintroduction of a similar bill that didnt get through the last General Assembly before it ended in December. House Bill 164, which Jarrells co-sponsored with former state Rep. Bill Seitz, passed 85-5 in the House in June 2024, before getting tied up in the Ohio Senate Finance Committee.

Also as before, state Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester, has introduced a companion bill, Senate Bill 13, for consideration in the Senate.

According to the National Foster Youth Institute, just 3-4% of former foster youth across the country obtain a four-year college degree, and between 2% and 6% receive a two-year degree. The NFYI also found that high school dropout rates are higher for foster youth than even other low-income children and more than 40% of foster children in school face educational difficulties.

Aspiring to attend college motivates students to stay in school and keep their grades up, the Childrens Defense Fund of Ohio said in support of the previous foster-to-college legislative effort. Reducing financial barriers increases the likelihood that a student will complete their degree.

H.B. 25 would create a scholarship program for Ohioans who are in foster care after their 13th birthday, funding tuition, fees or other education expenses outside of federal or state financial aid, according to Jarrells.

When word got out that Jarrells was reintroducing the bill, state Rep. Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth, said she quickly reached out to become a co-sponsor, hoping to help the state and the strong foster care system she has in her district.

She compared the scholarship program to the GI Bill that subsidizes educational opportunities for military personnel, saying that in the same way the GI Bill changed so many lives by giving them the financial support they needed, this new bill could create change for foster kids.

These kids, when theyre 18, they just age out of the system, and for these kids that have been working hard, we want to make sure they have the best chance at life, Ray said.

Under the bill, which would appropriate $7.5 million each over the next two years, foster care student navigators would be hired by the state to guide those coming out of foster care with applications, higher education admission processes and things like career tech or post-high school training.

When we invest in them, they invest back in Ohio, Jarrells said.

According to the Childrens Defense Fund of Ohio, 35 states, including Texas and Florida, had already voted in favor of legislation like Ohios bill at the time it was introduced in the last GA.

The House bill has been referred to the House Workforce & Higher Education Committee, and the Senate bill has been sent to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

Jarrells and Ray are hopeful the fact that the bill was introduced early in the GA gives it a better chance of passage, though they also see potential for budget negotiations to include the measures in their bill.

We want this just to be a win for the future, and hopefully something that gets continued investment so we can reach as many foster kids as we can, Jarrells said.

The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published under a content-sharing agreement.

Ohio State quality control coach placed on leave amid university investigation

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 15:57:19 +0000

Ohio State defensive quality control coach Joe Lyberger has been on paid administrative leave for the last month while the university investigates him.

Ohio State's human resources department sent Lyberger a letter on Dec. 27 that noted he would be placed on leave immediately. The investigation is being conducted by the university's Office of Institutional Equity.

The letter was obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press through a public records request. The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch first reported Lyberger's situation and noted that the Office of Institutional Equity deals with complaints of harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct, among other things.

The letter didn't specify the nature of the investigation.

Hes going through proverbial hell and back, said Sam Shamansky, an attorney representing Lyberger. The university sets up a system whereby the lawyers are effectively neutered and reduced to advisers with absolutely no ability to assist in the hearing in a meaningful way. Its an absolute travesty of justice.

Shamansky said the university hasn't given him any indication of how long the investigation could take.

The university chooses to keep people in the dark and maintain a system of well call it pseudo-justice that puts the accused individual under an incredible disadvantage," he said. "That is done by design because the university is regrettably interested only in itself as an institution, and not in protecting basic rights of the accused, whether they be a student, coach, employee, an athlete. They couldnt care less.

Lyberger has been part of Ohio States football staff for the last four seasons. He previously had worked two seasons as a defensive assistant at Bucknell, and he was a graduate assistant at Ohio Dominican before that.

He played at Slippery Rock before graduating in 2016.

Ohio lawmakers want to halt taxpayer funding of death penalty, abortion and assisted suicide

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:07:49 +0000

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers is introducing a bill meant to stop the "funding of death" in the state no more death penalty and no dollars for physician-assisted suicide or abortions.

This story contains details that may be disturbing and upsetting to some viewers and readers.

Time doesnt always heal all wounds.

I break down and cry," Rhonda Whitelock said. "It's been eight years and I still do this.

It has never gotten easier for Whitelock, who continues to fight for her lifelong best friend, Suzanne Taylor who was more like a sister.

"I have not forgotten my best friend; I have not forgotten her two daughters; I have not forgotten what happened," Whitelock said. "It's every day I relive it again."

She is waiting on the death penalty for George Brinkman, Jr.

He pleaded guilty to brutally murdering Taylor, 45, and her two daughters in North Royalton in 2017. The details of this case are important for the public to know, Whitelock said.

Brinkman took the family of three hostage and then slit the throat of Taylor in front of her children. He then smothered Taylor Pifer, 21, with a pillow and strangled Kylie Pifer, 18, with a phone cord. Man who murdered North Royalton mother and her 2 daughters sentenced to death

After Brinkman killed the family of three, he drove to Stark County and shot and killed elderly couple Rogell and Roberta John.

But as the years go by, the spree murderer continues to sit on death row.

"If he was gone, I would feel some kind of relief stop the nightmares," she told me.

We've spoken to Whitelock for years about her pleas to execute Brinkman. Best friend of murder victims urges Ohio Gov. DeWine to allow death penalty

There has been a pause on the death penalty in Ohio since Gov. Mike DeWine took office.

In 2020, DeWine declared lethal injection no longer an option, citing a federal judges ruling that the protocol could cause inmates severe pain and needless suffering.

Last year, he told reporters that no other capital punishment would happen while he is in charge.

"We will not as long as I am governor," DeWine said.

Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to make that pause permanent.

"The state should not be subsidizing death," state Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) said. "It should not be subsidizing ending human life, no matter the form, no matter the circumstance."

Mathews and state Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) are the House sponsors of a not-yet-introduced piece of legislation that would ban any state funds from going toward the death penalty.

Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), Senate Assistant Minority Leader Hearcel (D-Columbus) and Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) joined them in leading the charge for the other chamber.

"It is my opinion that there's one being that should decide if you live or die it's the Lord," Huffman said. "It should not be a judge or a prosecutor."

Antonio added that the punishment draws out the legal process for victims' families. She also fears that the wrong person may be convicted.

"It's been found to be expensive, impractical, unjust, inhumane and erroneous, as indicated by Ohio's 11 death row exonerates," the minority leader added.

It also disproportionately impacts people of color. Capital defendants charged with killing a white victim in Ohio are twice as likely to receive a death sentence as those charged with killing a Black person, Ohioans To Stop Executions found.

Plus, it is incredibly expensive for the state.

"As a Republican and a fiscal conservative if you want to save money, say $20 to $30 million a year, you would vote to abolish the death penalty," Huffman told me back in 2023.

But the bill does more than just abolish capital punishment.

It would also prevent any state funding from going toward physician-assisted suicide and abortion access. Not only is assisted suicide illegal in Ohio, but taxpayer dollars already cant go to either. Both Republican and Democratic sponsors say this wouldnt impact reproductive healthcare.

"This is a compromise, right?" Antonio said. "My preference would have been to introduce the same bill that we've introduced for all these years. However, we were not possible to get a majority of our colleagues in the legislature to sign on to commit to voting for it."

Schmidt, one of the most vocal anti-abortion lawmakers, agreed that nothing new to change abortion policy would be added to their bill.

"Our bill does not change anyone's ability to have an abortion, but state dollars should never be used in that process," Schmidt said.

So why even add the abortion provision?

"I see this as a restating of values," Antonio said.

Still, House Democrats are wary and so are abortion rights groups. The language of the bill is not out yet, so it is unclear what it will actually say.

"Obviously, we are going to oppose anything that undermines access to reproductive choice and freedom," House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said.

Other abortion rights advocates brought up the lack of trust they have in the sponsors since religion was a constant theme in the press conference. The Catholic Conference of Ohio spoke, and nearly all lawmakers brought up God and redemption in at least some way.

Whitelock, a Catholic, had a problem with this.

"We're supposed to keep Church and State separate and our religious beliefs separate," Whitelock said.

But if she were to insert her beliefs, there is specifically the "eye for an eye" proverb in the Book of Leviticus.

"There's a lot of killing in the Bible," she added. "If they want to get [beliefs of redemption] in there, then maybe they should go back and read their Bible."

Lawmakers are asking for people to have compassion but Whitelock said this doesn't feel compassionate to victims and their loved ones.

"I'm not sure when the law stopped protecting victims and started protecting murderers," she said.

Members of House leadership have already responded, saying that they will fight to keep the death penalty as an option.

"Abolishment, it's never going to happen," Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) said. "There has got to be a consequence to people's actions."

He plans to support a reintroduction of legislation to use nitrogen gas for the death penalty.

"There are crimes that are so heinous, that are so against basic humanity, that they deserve the ultimate punishment," Attorney General Dave Yost said in Jan. Ohio Attorney General promotes bill to start using nitrogen gas for executions

House Speaker Matt Huffman stands on the opposite side of the spectrum from his cousin Steve Huffman. Although he avoided reporters Tuesday, he has always supported capital punishment.

"That's a long question, I wasn't prepared to do this," Huffman said after being asked about the bill. "I got a bunch of other stuff I got to do."

The governor's team had no immediate comment since he hasn't seen the bill yet.

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Ohio lawmakers: Get ready to steer clear for any vehicle with hazard lights on

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers wants drivers to steer clear of all vehicles with hazard lights on enhancing the state's "Move Over Law."

On a spring night in 2024, a tow truck driver was responding to a crash.

He was trying to get [this car] onto the bed and the other car just came, no stopping, no slowing down bam! a witness can be heard telling Cleveland Police through their body camera footage.

Newly released video shows bystanders and EMS recalling the moment that a car hit the 53-year-old tow truck operator, flipping him over and severely injuring his leg.

Whoever hit him took off, ran into him," a first responder said.

This scene is all too familiar for driving instructor Drew Salyer.

"Our hands follow our eyes and where you look is where your vehicle is going to go," Salyer said. "We just see more and more people not paying attention behind the wheel."

When law enforcement arrived on the scene, the truck drivers lights were still flashing red, showing other drivers that they were on the side of the road.

The original car owner, who was getting his vehicle towed, also spoke to police, saying that he spoke to the suspect before he sped off.

"I said, 'Dude, are you OK? What's going on? Did you not see my car?'" the man said, referencing the lights. "He's like, 'I'm not OK,' and he took off."

It is unclear what happened to the man or if the suspect was ever caught. EMS did not provide any new details Monday. CPD did not respond.

Ohio has its Move Over Law, making it a crime in Ohio not to change lanes or slow down when specific vehicles like police or ambulances have their lights on. But state Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) wants to enhance that.

"It's to require folks to move over if there's a vehicle on the side of the road that's got its hazards on," Smith said.

Under bipartisan Senate Bill 16, drivers would have to move over for all vehicles that are in distress. This can be shown with hazards, red lights, flares or another form of emergency sign. It would raise penalties for driving too close or too fast, making it a misdemeanor with hundreds of dollars in fines.

Primary sponsor Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) introduced a version of this legislation last General Assembly and it passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

"There is a lot of data showing a rise in accidents and fatalities related to distressed vehicles," Wilson said last year. "I believe S.B. 178 will prevent more of these accidents and save lives. This legislation will keep drivers and our roadways in the Buckeye State safe."

An additional $100 fine is charged if the offender was distracted.

"All we're trying to do is raise awareness so that we can keep Ohioans who are already in a dangerous circumstance a little bit safer," Smith added.

Salyer likes the bill but said it could go further applying to any vehicle with or without hazards on.

"Anytime that someone is off the side of the road, it's probably for a good reason," he said.

The bill will be heard in the upcoming months.

Last year, lawmakers wanted to increase fines in construction zones because ODOT workers kept getting hit. Lawmakers want to increase fines in construction zones after 34 ODOT workers struck so far this year

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Penn State lures defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from Ohio State

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:34:40 +0000

Penn State has lured Tom Knowles away from Ohio State.

The Nittany Lions hired Knowles on Monday to serve as their defensive coordinator. Knowles held the same position with the national champion Buckeyes for three years.

Knowles replaces Tom Allen, who left to take the same job with Clemson after Penn State fell to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Ohio State had the top-ranked defense in the country in 2024. The Buckeyes held opponents to 254 yards while going 14-2 and earning the program's second national championship of the playoff era.

While Penn State will lose several starters off a defense that finished seventh in the FBS in yards allowed including Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Abdul Carter, who is heading to the NFL defensive linemen Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton, linebacker Tony Rojas and cornerback A.J. Harris will return.

Penn State head coach James Franklin called Knowles a strong strategist and excellent defensive mind.

The hiring is a homecoming of sorts for Knowles, who grew up in the Philadelphia area. He played collegiately at Cornell before going into coaching. Previous coaching stops include Duke, Oklahoma State and Mississippi.

Ohio State celebrates national championship run amid change and farewells

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 20:38:31 +0000

Ohio State, the first team to run the gauntlet of four playoff games on its way to the national title, celebrated with 30,000 Buckeyes fans on Sunday at Ohio Stadium.

Fans braved 30-degree temperatures to welcome home a team that beat five top-10 rivals on its way to the title, including Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Texas in the Cotton Bowl and Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game.

It took everybody to become national champions, and today we say thank you, coach Ryan Day told the crowd.

Ohio State was the first to win the inaugural four-team playoff a decade ago and became the first to win the 12-team version.

It did so in dominating fashion, trailing for just 6 minutes, 5 seconds across 240 minutes of playing time and beating every opponent by double figures.

The team also overcame criticism from a regular-season loss to rival Michigan, which generated calls for Days removal.

Among those who addressed the crowd Sunday was defensive end Jack Sawyer, whose scoop-and-score in the waning minutes of the Texas game is now part of Buckeyes lore.

What I love about this team is it really embodies what its like to be from Ohio, said Sawyer, who is from Pickerington, Ohio. You get punched in the mouth, you always get back up and keep fighting. Thats what everybody in Ohio does and will continue to do.

The celebration also marked a time of change. Just after athletic director Ross Bjork said he was working on a package to make Day the Buckeyes coach for years to come, reports emerged that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was headed to Penn State.

Thirteen of 22 playoff starters are out of eligibility, and those seeking an NFL roster spot include quarterback Will Howard, Sawyer and his fellow captains: wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and linebacker Cody Simon.

Players leaving the team early for the draft include running back Quinshon Judkins and cornerback Jordan Hancock.

The Buckeyes quiver, however, is far from empty.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin is expected to take the reins from Howard, and he will have prime targets with the anticipated return of star receiver Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Ohio State also picked up former West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson from the transfer portal and former Purdue tight end Max Klare.

All-American safety Caleb Downs is not draft-eligible, and defensive veterans Sonny Styles and Davison Igbinosun have announced they will return in 2025.

Glenville heavily represented in Ohio State-Notre Dame national championship game

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:11:02 +0000

The Glenville pipeline to Columbus is unmatched and has a legacy that few other schools can claim. That pipeline was under the national spotlight on Monday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The last time Ohio State won a national championship, they did so behind quarterback Cardale Jones, a Glenville grad, in 2014. Now, in 2025, a trio of Glenville gradssophomore linebacker Arvell Reese and freshmen Bryce West and Demarion Witten, who won state high school titles together at Glenvillewon a national championship side by side with the Buckeyes.

"It's a bunch of guys who came from Glenville, Ohio State, so it means a lot to me to be in the exact same suit that they've been in," said Reese.

The three Cleveland natives have always been close. Now, together on the Buckeyes, their bond is stronger than ever.

"We all grew up together, so we're all very close, but now we're all on the same team again. We won state championships together. Now we're in a position to win the national championship together," West said before the game.

After the win, all three Glenville grads were celebrating together on the field. West was full of excitement to represent Cleveland.

"A man from Cleveland. A natty. Got state rings, got track rings, now I got a natty ringall I'm missing is a Super Bowl ring now. Got to get to the league and win a Super Bowl ring," West said as confetti fluttered around him. "Inner city Cleveland man, we really did this."

The three Tarblooders turned Buckeyes not only got to celebrate the win on the field with each other, they went to do it with their former coach as Ted Ginn Sr. made the trip to the game Monday night.

Ginn was all smiles as he embraced his former players, full of pride for the three.

"It's huge for our community. It's huge for our city, and I'm just proud of them that they could be in a position like that," Ginn said after the game. "I think Ohio's got the best football and we have to continue to grow them up so that we can be on the stage like this."

That pride was shared by the players.

"It makes me feel real proud of myself just knowing that I did something for my city where I came from," Witten said.

As the Cleveland players celebrate with the rest of their teammates, many others representing parts of Northeast Ohio, they're already looking forward to the future.

"We're trying to run it back, we're trying to do it again," Reese said. "That's the goal."

Glenville heavily represented in Ohio State-Notre Dame national championship game

Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 04:23:12 +0000

Instead of crying over another collapse, Ohio State can celebrate another national title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid Monday night to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish.

Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else.

Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

The Irish stopped Ohio State on the first two plays of the next drive and used their timeouts. But on third down, Howard found Smith in single coverage on the right sideline and dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, closing out a seven-week climb from the depths of a loss to 20-point underdog Michigan to the top of college football. Ohio State will bring its sixth natty and first since the 2014 season back to the Horseshoe in Columbus.

Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.

The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals and then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play hes been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, then added a field goal on its fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio States judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.

It wasnt, and now Irish coach Marcus Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead, the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeters kick not clanged off the left upright.

Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. The proof: Ohio State punted a grand total of once.