Latest news with #CentralOhio
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hissing owls heard in Ohio: Here's what it means
[WATCH: In the video player above, get a rare look at Great Horned Owl nest.] (WJW) — What's that sound? Wildlife experts in Ohio say an eerie hissing sound coming from the trees could be a young barred owl calling out to its parents for food. Tick-related emergency room visits have doubled: Cleveland Clinic physician In a recent post to the Ohio Division of Wildlife Facebook page, officials shared a picture of a young barred owl they said was recently spotted in a central Ohio backyard where several more owls were seen flying and at least one was hissing. According to the post, juveniles use this call to signal to their parents they are hungry. The Geauga Park District has previously addressed similar reports after a shrill-like call was heard in Novelty. Naturalist Tami Gingrich explained, 'It's an eerie sound but very distinct.' Smell that? Corpse flower blooms at Akron greenhouse According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, barred owls typically hatch from late March into mid-April. But they are not able to fly until seven to nine weeks of age. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio school funding: What to know about possible changes in 2025
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Between the Ohio biennial budget and a new property tax bill, central Ohio public school districts are nervous about the future of school funding. 'I wish I had better news on the funding front because it continues to be a real, real serious challenge and it's going to impact this community and the state more broadly,' Olentangy school board President Brandon Lester said. The state is considering several legislative changes that could have major effects on Ohio's public school funding. If both the state budget and a new property tax relief bill pass in their current forms, districts could lose hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. See previous coverage of funding concerns in the video player above. Ohio lawmakers seek to ban abortions in the state, treat the procedure as homicide In Ohio, public school districts receive funds from a combination of state, federal and local revenue. The majority of funds come from the state, which uses a complex formula that weighs each individual district's circumstances to distribute funds equitably. Wealthier districts receive less support from the state and may rely more heavily on local property taxes. Federal funding makes up the smallest portion of district financial support. The state's formula came from a bipartisan effort to make school funding more equitable, called the Fair School Funding Plan. The formula asks both the state and individual districts to input data so it can appropriately consider how to fund schools. Sweeping property tax reform may save Ohioans $850 Ohio releases a state budget every two years, and the General Assembly is working to finish the budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The most recent iteration came from the state Senate, which amended drafts from the House and Gov. Mike DeWine. Under the Senate's budget proposal, Ohio would implement an adjusted version of the Fair School Funding plan. The budget asks school districts to update their formula inputs with 2025 financial data, but the state will estimate costs under 2022 financial data. School districts said this unfairly affects the formula, providing less each year. The Senate budget also provides a bonus payment for public schools based on their state report card performance. The Senate and House budget drafts also each included a district carryover provision, which would limit how much money schools can keep from year to year. Under the Senate's version, the cap would be 50%. This means if a school district carries over more than 50% of it's budget from year to year, the money above would be returned to homeowners as property tax relief. The Legislative Budget Office estimates the Senate's foundation aid will total $8.22 billion in Fiscal Year 2026 and $8.31 billion in FY27, similar to the House's budget. Both are higher than DeWine's suggestion, which would see $8.09 billion in FY26 and $8.05 billion in FY27. Intel to lay off up to 20% of division behind Ohio plant The carryover clause is one of several property tax changes in the mix at the Statehouse, with House Bill 355 released this week. Under H.B. 355, Ohioans would save an average of $850 per year in property taxes. Ohio public schools — many of which are speaking out against the bill alongside local municipalities — said H.B. 355 would dramatically limit districts' funding, especially among wealthier districts that receive less funding from the state. According to the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, H.B. 335 would eliminate more than $1.5 billion in school funding. OASBO equated this cut to 20,000 teachers, one-fifth of teachers statewide. OASBO said H.B. 355 may temporarily lower property taxes, but it is also likely to lead to more frequent levy requests and cuts at local schools. 'There's a smarter way to deliver that relief. Senate Bill 22 is a property tax circuit breaker that would provide targeted help to families who are struggling now, while protecting the schools that sustain our property values and community strength,' the OASBO said. Ohio lawmakers OK end to police ticket quotas 'Proposed changes could reduce our annual tax revenue by $2.7 million, more than 10% of our annual operating budget, weakening our financial stability and jeopardizing resources we depend on for classrooms, teachers and programs our community expects,' Grandview Heights schools said in a statement. Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning policy research nonprofit, calculated losses for all districts that would receive less under the Senate budget than they would under a fully implemented formula. Executive Director Hannah Halbert said districts with negative numbers indicate a decrease in state funding from 2025. NBC4 compiled the data from all affected schools in Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Pickaway and Union counties. 'This is in addition to cuts that will happen under the property tax and levy changes,' Halbert said. Many school districts have been asking families and community members to advocate for budget adjustments since DeWine's budget debuted. This week, districts like Upper Arlington, Big Walnut and Hilliard issued statements asking the public to protest H.B. 355. As property tax revenue also benefits local governments, several districts released joint statements with governing municipalities. 'While we understand the concerns surrounding property tax levels in our state, our residents, students and staff depend on strong schools and stable city services,' Gahanna-Jefferson Superintendent Tracey Deagle and Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin said jointly. 'We cannot afford to let a proposal of this magnitude pass without the scrutiny and accountability it demands.' If H.B. 355 passes, Gahanna-Jefferson schools said it would lose $11 million annually, equal to more than 100 teaching positions. Upper Arlington said it would lose $16.7 million each year. Big Walnut said it would lose $8.1 million, equal to 14.1% of its total budget. Hilliard said H.B. 355 would eliminate $20.8 million, leading to an estimated 260 teaching positions cut. Dublin schools said 80% of its funding comes from property taxes, and implementing the bill could force the district to remove 250 of its roughly 1,200 teaching positions. Dublin and other schools that do not receive as much funding from the formula said H.B. 335 and the money cap would both be difficult funding sources to replace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Grange Insurance Honored with Corporate Citizenship Award
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Grange Insurance Company was honored with the Corporate Citizenship Award by Columbus Business First, recognizing a banner year of community impact in 2024 marked by record charitable giving, associate engagement and nonprofit leadership across the enterprise. The Corporate Citizenship Award program, launched in 2018 to replace the Corporate Caring Awards, highlights the generosity of Central Ohio companies and their employees. Grange was recognized in the large workplace category. 'At Grange, our core values guide everything we do, and Do the Right Thing is at the heart of our community efforts,' said Grange Insurance AVP, Inclusive Culture and Community Impact and Foundation President, Grange Enterprise Gives Carrie Maun-Smith. 'Our associates are the driving force behind our community impact, whether they're donating, volunteering or lending their expertise as a nonprofit board member. Their dedication to serving others is what makes this work meaningful, and this recognition truly belongs to them.' In 2024, Grange Insurance provided more than $2.3 million in financial support to over 500 nonprofit organizations. This total includes $500,000 from associate giving and contributions through its charitable arm, Grange Enterprise Gives. Thanks to new initiatives that made volunteering easier and more accessible, associate volunteer hours climbed to nearly 13,000 in 2024. Nearly 75% of company leaders served on nonprofit boards, and to further strengthen that impact, Grange offered board leadership training to help associates grow as effective community leaders. Grange joined other community leaders at the annual Corporate Citizenship Award reception on June 12. To read the full list of Corporate Citizenship honorees, click here. About Grange Insurance Grange Insurance Company, with $3.4 billion in assets and more than $1.59 billion in annual revenue, is an insurance provider based in Columbus, Ohio. Through its network of independent agents, Grange offers auto, home and business insurance protection. Established in 1935, the Grange Insurance Company and its affiliate Integrity Insurance Company serve policyholders in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Learn more about Grange Insurance.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scattered rain making for a soggy Sunday
Today: Scattered rain, high 77 Tonight: Broken clouds, low 64 Monday: Afternoon t-storms, high 74 (58) Tuesday: Partly cloudy, high 76 (59) Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high 82 (64) Thursday: Partly cloudy, high 86 (67) Most of today's rain showers are expected to fall during the first half of Sunday. Then by the afternoon a few more isolated showers and storms will pop up across central Ohio. A few areas also continue to deal with light wild fire smoke that will impact air quality index values throughout the day. Temperatures will warm up to the upper 70s and humidity will remain elevated as well. Tonight brings mainly dry conditions. Skies at times will even begin to break up a bit. A couple of spotty sprinkles cannot be ruled out either. The area continues its stretch of above average overnight lows as temperatures only drop to the mid 60s. Ather the center of low pressure moves off towards the east, attention turns to a cold front that will impact central Ohio by Monday afternoon. Along this front, showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop and some of those may lean on the stronger side. The Storm Prediction Center has areas along the I-71 corridor in a marginal risk for severe weather. This gets bumped up to a slight risk further east. Strong wind gusts appear to be the primary threat with this storm. There is still a small possibility of both large hail and an isolated tornado or two. The storms are expected to begin bubbling up sometime between 2pm-6pm. The later they do develop the stronger they will be. High temperatures on Monday will reach the mid 70s. Clearer and drier conditions return by the middle of the week. More sunshine and lower humidity will stick around as above warmer temperatures make their return. Rain also makes a comeback by the end of the week and into the upcoming weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Air quality alert issued for central Ohio as wind transports wildfire smoke
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Central Ohio is under an air quality alert Saturday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) issued the air quality alert early Saturday afternoon due to northeasterly winds that are expected to transport Canadian wildfire smoke into central Ohio. MORPC said this will combine with increased mixing to bring smoke closer to the surface, making AQI levels unhealthy for some groups. The national AQI scale monitors ozone and particle pollution levels to note air safety. The scale runs from 0-500, with higher values indicating higher risks. If the value is above 100, it is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Ohio Mega Millions winner claims $112 million prize MORPC said sensitive groups include active children, the elderly and people with asthma and COPD. To avoid possible health issues, these groups are encouraged to limit outdoor activity, particularly over longer periods of time. If anyone experiences breathing difficulties, MORCP encourages them to call their doctor. All central Ohioans are encouraged to take action to help improve air quality. MORCP recommends avoiding refueling your vehicle or getting gas, as both contribute to pollution, especially during the daytime heat. Residents are also encouraged to avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment and hold off mowing until another day. People are encouraged to carpool or seek alternate transportation when possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
