COLUMBUS- The House Criminal Justice Committee today began hearings on House Bill 531, known as Braden’s Law, announced bill sponsors State Representatives Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Brian Lorenz (R-Powell). Braden’s Law would make sextortion a crime in Ohio. On October 17, 2021, Olentangy High School student, Braden Markus, was contacted by an individual on social media who sent him lewd …

Governor Mike DeWine today announced the 2024 expanded Sales Tax Holiday will take place from 12:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 30 until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, August 8. In conjunction with the Ohio General Assembly, Governor DeWine expanded the length of Ohio’s Sales Tax holiday to 10 days and will allow tax-free purchases made in-person or online on all eligible items of …

Columbus, OH – The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal’s (SFM’s) Forensic Laboratory has been awarded a $239,250 grant to purchase cutting-edge technology to enhance its investigation capabilities. The Forensic Lab investigates fires and explosions that occur across the state. This latest funding fulfills a three-year $771,000 grant, and is part of $3.4 million awarded to 11 crime …

GAMBIER, Ohio — College Sports Communicators (CSC) released today the 2024 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Baseball Team and five Kenyon College Owls were included as honorees. Seniors Malcolm Gaynor and Drew Robinson were joined by juniors Dustin Lee and Nate Rosen, as well as sophomore Theo Canning, on the Academic All-District Team, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for …

Congratulations to the Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS) for winning the 2024 Licking County Quick Click Challenge!  The first annual Licking County Quick Click Challenge was hosted by the Licking County Safe Communities Coalition at the Licking County Health Department on May 22, 2024.  The Quick Click Challenge is a competition based challenge that demonstrates the ease of putting …

The state tournament pairings are set for this week’s Ohio High School Athletic Association baseball and lacrosse state tournaments. The lacrosse state semifinals are Tuesday and Wednesday, with the winners advancing to the state finals on Friday and Saturday at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, while the baseball state tournament begins Friday morning at Canal Park in Akron. Tickets for …

COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reporting 14 crashes resulting in 17 deaths on Ohio’s roadways during the 2024 Memorial Day weekend, according to provisional statistics. This is a decrease from last year, when 26 individuals were killed. The four-day reporting period began Friday, May 24 and ran through Monday, May 27. During the reporting period, state troopers made …

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) officially broke ground today on a five-story Search and Rescue Training Tower located on the SFM Ohio Fire Academy campus in Reynoldsburg. Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of a significant advancement in the future of firefighter and EMS training in Ohio. The $16.7 million facility is designed …

Planned transportation improvements in the area will be completed in the coming years to accommodate the additional traffic expected from future development, including Intel. Projects will be constructed by both state and local governments, with varying impacts to traffic. Please note that all work is weather dependent. For additional information about transportation improvements in the New Albany area, please visit NewAlbanySiliconHeartland.com.  Find all area …

COLUMBUS – During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the Ohio State Highway Patrol will be highly visible on Ohio’s roadways promoting traffic safety. As motorists travel this weekend, troopers are reminding drivers to utilize their safety belts and to be responsible by designating a sober driver. The effort begins at midnight on Friday, May 24 and continues through 11:59 p.m. …