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Axios
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Columbus weighs tougher short-term rental rules
The city of Columbus is considering cracking down on short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo while state lawmakers are again proposing taking that authority away. Why it matters: Several local communities have restrictions aiming to improve public safety, preserve residential neighborhoods' character and ease the local housing crisis. But a mass shooting at a short-term rental party house over the July Fourth weekend has some questioning if Columbus' requirements are strict enough. Catch up quick: One teen died and five others were injured in the early-morning shooting. No suspects have been identified or arrested. The owner obtained a city-required permit for the Vrbo-listed property near East Livingston Avenue and the host had hired security for the event, according to news reports. Police had warned the 100-or-so partygoers to quiet down shortly before the shooting. The big picture: Columbus' number of short-term rental properties has ballooned in recent years, even after enacting permits in 2019, WBNS-TV reports. Other cities nationwide have also cracked down, and even Airbnb itself was touting its "anti-party technology" this year. Whitehall City Council discussed potential new restrictions at a meeting this month. Zoom in: Lawmakers are considering another bill to regulate short-term rentals at the state level and limit municipality authority to do so. Outright bans, such as those in Obetz, Upper Arlington and Worthington, would no longer be permitted under the proposed law. Neither would owner-occupancy requirements like in Bexley, Groveport and Grandview. Permit fees, which in Columbus range $75-150, would also be limited to $20. And cities could no longer use zoning to regulate properties, like in Hilliard, which limits short-term rentals to its Old Hilliard neighborhood. What they're saying: Representatives of several local cities, including Columbus, testified against the bill as preempting "home rule." What we're watching: Mayor Andrew Ginther's office hasn't yet cited any specific regulations being considered.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crews continue cleanup efforts after kerosene spill into area streams worsens with heavy rain
Cleanup crews continue working to contain kerosene that spilled into two area streams Tuesday night. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] About 2,500 gallons of kerosene leaked from a tanker railroad car into Whitehall waterways, as reported by our media partner WBNS-TV in Columbus. The tanker railroad car was in the process of being filled up when the leak happened. A spokesperson for the city of Whitehall said there was leakage in both the Turkey Run and Mason Run waterways in Whitehall, according to WBNS-TV. TRENDING STORIES: 18-year-old killed in shooting in Dayton neighborhood identified Kettering Health, hospital association provides update on cybersecurity attack Deputies looking for registered sex offender; can you help? Columbus Division of Fire Lieutenant Nick Davis said there was a report of an odor or gas around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Fire officials found an active leak on East Fifth Avenue. Hazmat was called in, and they deployed containment booms to absorb and slow the spread of kerosene, as reported on WBNS-TV. 'They stated their cleaning efforts as far as vacuuming out the soil, using hard and soft booms, which is basically absorbent on the top of the surface of the water, which collects all the petroleum-based product and lets the water filter through,' Davis said. Crews were able to stop the leak, but heavy rain on Wednesday pushed debris downstream and impacted the position of the booms. The kerosene ended up moving further south downstream, according to WBNS-TV. Crews responded once the rain stopped and were able to filter the fuel out to ensure it didn't move any further downstream. Davis said there's no risk to the public. 'It would become a risk if we got it into the treatment facility, and then it dispersed into residents' homes, right? It hasn't gotten to that point,' Davis said. The Environmental Protection Agency will continue to monitor the situation, as reported by WBNS-TV. 'They'll probably do additional follow-up with the board of health, just to do water testing samples, air quality samples, just to ensure that it's safe, and then ensure that there aren't any other contaminants in the area,' Davis said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police officer among 2 injured in crash involving cruiser in Ohio
A police officer was among two people hurt in a crash in Ohio on Monday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Columbus Police responded to a three-vehicle crash around 7:45 p.m., according to a news partner, WBNS-TV in Columbus. TRENDING STORIES: Officer shot at while responding to disturbance in Ohio, police say 75-year-old arrested after 69 pounds of suspected cocaine found in car seats Pickup truck crashes into tree in Washington Township A dispatcher told WBNS that a police cruiser was one of the vehicles involved in the wreck. Photos show the cruiser sustained damage on the right side of the vehicle. Medics transported the officer and another person to the hospital, both were listed in 'stable condition,' WBNS says. The crash remains under investigation. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Officer shot at while responding to disturbance in Ohio, police say
An officer was reportedly shot while responding to a disturbance in Columbus on Monday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. to the 4000 block of Hampton Woods Drive on reports of a disturbance, according to our news partner, WBNS-TV in Columbus. TRENDING STORIES: 75-year-old arrested after 69 pounds of suspected cocaine found in car seats Pickup truck crashes into tree in Washington Township Water rescue response called after car goes into pond A dispatcher told WBNS that an officer was shot at while responding to the disturbance in the woods behind an apartment complex. The dispatcher added that an individual reportedly took a woman hostage in the building. WBNS says more than two dozen police cruisers and a SWAT vehicle were at the scene. A Columbus Police sergeant told WBNS the incident is being investigated 'as a shooting involving police.' No injuries are currently reported. We will continue to update this developing story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Hit by a ton of bricks;' Charter bus driver says he did everything to avoid deadly crash with semi
The driver of the charter bus that was hit by a semitruck gave an emotional testimony Tuesday, recounting the crash that left six dead and several injured. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Jacob McDonald, the driver of a semitrailer that crashed into the bus is currently on trial facing 26 criminal counts for the November 2023 crash that killed six people. There were 54 students on the charter bus. Three of the six people killed were band students at Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools in eastern Ohio. Donald Wagler, the driver of the Pioneer Trails charter bus, gave his testimony of the crash on the second day of trial on Tuesday. 'It felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks. As soon as I was hit, I turned my wheel to the right to avoid interacting with the traffic in front of me,' Wagler said. TRENDING STORIES: 'Is there anything you could have done to avoid what happened here?' an attorney asked Wagler. 'I don't think so. If I wouldn't have done what I did, it would have been a whole lot more injuries. By turning hard right, I saved a lot more lives that would have been impacted. The bus would have been like an accordion. Would have totally hurt a lot more people,' Donald said. Wagler said he doesn't believe McDonald took any action to avoid the collision. The biggest question discussed in court Tuesday was whether McDonald was actively using his phone in the moments leading up to the crash, according to our news partners at WBNS-TV in Columbus. Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Trevor Jasper testified that McDonald drove about 800 feet without braking before hitting the bus. 'Right around the time of collision, this phone seems to be receiving data and not at the bytes level, but the megabytes level. AT&T shows customers how they are going to be using the data for their phone. That equates fairly well to the 38.61 megabytes in just over a minute,' Jasper said. McDonald's defense attorney argued that his phone was destroyed in the crash, making it impossible to know if he was using the phone at the time of the crash. Digital Forensic Expert Johnathan Buffington said he believes McDonald was using his phone and was distracted. 'It is my professional opinion that this cellular device was active. Because it was active, it created an opportunity to be distracted and caused the driver to move his eyes from the road,' Buffington said. The trial paused on Wednesday, but the defense is expected to begin presenting expert testimony on Thursday, according to WBNS-TV. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
