Out of nearly 18,000 schools evaluated nationwide, Bexley High School snagged the No. 2 spot in Ohio (No. 152 nationally), making it the only Columbus-area school to break into the state’s top 10. The top honors in Ohio went to Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, which ranked No. 91 in the U.S.

But Bexley wasn’t the only local standout.

Several other central Ohio schools landed in the state’s top 50, including:

• Olentangy Liberty High School (No. 12 in Ohio, No. 423 nationally)
• Dublin Jerome High School (No. 14 in Ohio, No. 497 nationally)
• Olentangy High School (No. 16 in Ohio, No. 523 nationally)
• Upper Arlington High School (No. 22 in Ohio, No. 609 nationally)
• Granville High School (No. 27 in Ohio, No. 741 nationally)
• New Albany High School (No. 30 in Ohio, No. 787 nationally)
• Columbus Alternative High School (No. 31 in Ohio, No. 826 nationally)
• Grandview Heights High School (No. 31 in Ohio, No. 887 nationally)
• Olentangy Berlin High School (No. 34 in Ohio, No. 970 nationally)
• Columbus Grove High School (No. 39 in Ohio, No. 1,097 nationally)
• Orange High School (No. 46 in Ohio, No. 1,176 nationally)

To determine rankings, U.S. News looked at test scores (including AP exams), graduation rates, and how schools serve students from underserved backgrounds.

Nationally, the top five schools were BASIS Tucson North (AZ), Signature School (IN), Central Magnet School (TN), Davidson Academy (NV), and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA).

The rankings highlight the strength of central Ohio’s schools—and the students, teachers, and communities behind them.

If you want to see the full rankings, click here.

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But the number that really jumps out? Nearly 70% of Ohio’s counties are “resource deserts.” That means at least one part of those 60 counties has no grocery store and no pharmacy.

The high cost of missing basics

The report, from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA), shows just how deep the access gaps run:

• 67 counties have at least one food desert.
• 67 counties have at least one pharmacy desert.
• 60 counties—68% of the state—have both.
• Ohio has lost 16% of its pharmacies in the last decade.

And it’s not just about inconvenience. Limited access to healthy food and prescriptions adds up—higher rates of obesity, stress, untreated health issues, and shorter lifespans. In Delaware County, the wealthiest in the state, the average life expectancy is 81.3 years. In Vinton County, one of the poorest, it’s just 69.9 years—a 12-year gap.

How we got here

Ohio’s growing service deserts aren’t evenly spread—they hit hardest in high-poverty communities, both urban and rural. “When families and whole communities have a difficult time accessing basic needs like food and medicine, that is normally a demonstration of lack of access to employment and other economic opportunities as well,” said Philip E. Cole, executive director of OACAA.

Over the past decade, smaller grocers and independent pharmacies have struggled to compete with large chains, contributing to the decline in local access to food and medications. That leaves many Ohioans facing tough choices about where to shop, how to fill prescriptions, or even how to get to the nearest essential services.

What it would take to change

Fixing these gaps isn’t simple, but the report argues it will take policy changes and major investment in independent grocers and pharmacies, education, transportation, and health care. Without that, the cycle repeats, and the gap between rich and poor counties keeps growing.

If you’d like to read the full study, please click here.

Featured image by Isaiah Villar on Unsplash.

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Now imagine shaving hours off the drive — and, at the same time, fixing some of the most frustrating traffic choke points in Ohio. That’s the promise (or at least the pitch) behind the proposed Interstate 73-74-75 corridor, a nearly 1,000-mile project that’s been in the works, on paper at least, for decades.

The highway would run from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula all the way to Myrtle Beach, following a path through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina before hitting the South Carolina coast.

Ohio’s piece would mostly follow U.S. 23, from Toledo, through Columbus, down to the southern tip of the state, but with some big upgrades. In Delaware County, that could mean finally bypassing the 20-mile stretch of U.S. 23 with nearly 40 stoplights. (If you’ve ever tried to make a straight shot from Columbus to Toledo, you know exactly how painful that is.)

Supporters say it’s not just about vacation traffic.

Rural communities in southern Ohio see it as a lifeline for economic development. Leaders in Pickaway and Scioto counties point to new manufacturing projects, defense companies, and an aging road network that makes attracting new jobs nearly impossible. For them, the interstate isn’t just convenient, it’s survival.

But this is not a shovel-in-the-ground situation yet. ODOT is spending $1.5 million on a feasibility study that won’t wrap until 2026. The whole project would require coordinated construction and funding from six states, plus federal buy-in.

South Carolina has its segment “shovel-ready” and even passed a local sales tax to help pay for it. Ohio? We’re still figuring out the details.

So for now, Myrtle Beach is still 10-ish hours away. But if the stars, the budgets, and the traffic engineers all align, one day your beach playlist might not have to last quite so long.

The post Columbus to Myrtle Beach With Fewer Stoplights? The I-73 Pitch appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

If you were out watching the Perseid meteor shower Tuesday night, you might’ve noticed something strange streaking across the Central Ohio sky—slower than a shooting star, brighter than a plane, and just odd enough to make you say, “Uh… what was that?”

Turns out, we weren’t imagining things.

Weird light in sky
byu/PammyBeasley inColumbus

In a rare bit of spaceflight timing, two different rockets launched within minutes of each other last night, and either could’ve been behind the mysterious glow.

First up was the Vulcan Centaur, United Launch Alliance’s most powerful rocket to date, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 8:56 p.m.

The mission? Delivering a cutting-edge military navigation satellite capable of resisting jamming in geosynchronous orbit. Thanks to the timing, altitude, and clear skies, the Vulcan’s exhaust plume likely lit up for hundreds of miles, including right here in Columbus.

But just before Vulcan took off, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket launched from French Guiana at 8:37 p.m., carrying the MetOp-SG A1 weather satellite.

Its path to a polar orbit may also have been visible from parts of the U.S., and skywatchers on Reddit noted the object they saw seemed to move north, which matches Ariane’s trajectory more than Vulcan’s.

So which rocket did we actually see?

The most likely culprit for the especially dramatic glow over Columbus is Vulcan, given its brightness and burn pattern.

But ither way, we got one heck of a free show. No tickets, no travel—just a reminder that sometimes, space history shows up in our own backyard.

Featured image via ULA (Facebook).

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One of the hardest-hit places was FIDO (Finishing Institute for Dog Owners), where flooding struck not once but twice in 24 hours. After evacuating the dogs Saturday night due to rising water, the facility was hit again Sunday when nearby streams overflowed with little warning. In minutes, water surged through the building, reportedly reaching waist height and trapping both staff and animals inside.

Emergency responders helped evacuate the facility, and all dogs were safely removed, though one, a dog named Scooby, is currently unaccounted for. The force of the water damaged fencing, scattered debris, and even moved large outdoor fixtures. Dog owners have been asked to pick up their pets from the Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter, which plans to reopen Monday morning.

Flooding also displaced dozens of families from an apartment complex on Sater Drive, where floodwaters swamped cars and poured into ground-level units. Residents described losing everything from furniture to sentimental items. Many spent Sunday night with friends or at temporary shelters.

Emergency teams, including local fire departments and the Fairfield County EMA, responded to widespread damage, from flooded medical centers and shuttered grocery stores to washed-out rural roads. In some areas, streets became rivers, and vehicles were left stranded or submerged.

To assist those affected, the American Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Lancaster YMCA, offering support and temporary housing to displaced residents.

Officials say flooding happened fast and with little time to prepare. With the ground already saturated, more rainfall could trigger additional flooding in the coming days. Authorities are urging people to stay alert, avoid driving through standing water, and have an emergency plan in place.

As cleanup begins, the Lancaster community is coming together. Checking on neighbors, caring for pets, and helping each other recover from this disaster.

The post Severe Flash Flooding Hits Lancaster, Forcing Evacuations And Animal Rescues appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Despite years of advocacy from residents, transit organizations, and even past legislative support, the Ohio Senate has removed two major provisions that would’ve helped the state reconnect to a broader rail network and strengthen its voice in shaping passenger rail development.

In the latest state budget proposals, lawmakers:

• Cut language that would have rejoined the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) — a multi-state alliance aimed at improving rail service across the region.
• Eliminated a long-standing seat representing passenger rail on the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) — a move critics say directly contradicts the ORDC’s mission to plan and promote both freight and passenger rail.

Instead, the Senate has added a new seat representing freight rail interests — with no requirement that it be filled by an Ohioan.

Why it matters

These quiet cuts could have major consequences. Without MIPRC membership and dedicated passenger rail leadership on ORDC, Ohio could weaken its eligibility for federal funding and fall further behind neighboring states that are investing in modern rail systems.

That’s especially concerning given that over 75% of Ohioans support expanding passenger rail, according to a 2024 ODOT study. For residents of Columbus — the largest U.S. city without intercity passenger rail — the news stings.

“This is a direct attack on accessibility and equity,” All Aboard Ohio said in a statement, calling the cuts a blow to older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone who relies on affordable, public transportation.

What happens next

Advocates are urging Ohioans to speak up — again — and pressure lawmakers to reinstate the rail provisions before the budget is finalized.

For now, the tracks toward a better-connected Ohio remain blocked — but supporters aren’t giving up the fight. If you’d like more info about advocating for passenger rail, head over to allaboardohio.org.

The post All Aboard? Not Anymore—Ohio Senate Removes Passenger Rail Provisions appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

Some of the major takeaways from the speech:

Housing is still top priority. Ginther announced a proposed $500 million affordable housing bond that would go on the November ballot, without raising taxes. Columbus is committing to building 100,000 new homes in the city over the next 10 years, with 200,000 planned across the Central Ohio region. We’re also getting a vacant property registry and more protections for renters, including emergency relocation assistance and a new Division of Housing Stability.

Crime is down, and investment in safety is up. Homicides dropped by 17% last year, and they’re down another 37% in the first quarter of 2025. The city’s new Clean and Safe Corridor Initiative just launched on Parsons Avenue and is headed to Sullivant, Livingston, and High Street in the Short North next.

Columbus wants to be the “Nation’s Capital for Women’s Sports.” Ginther announced a new partnership with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission to make that dream a reality. Between the Columbus Fury, the Women’s Final Four, and more national attention on women’s athletics, it’s already taking shape.

Infrastructure upgrades are on deck. Columbus is converting all 59,000 streetlights to LED and linking them to a smart network. That means better lighting, fewer outages, and some real energy savings.

Mental health care is getting a major boost. A new 24/7 crisis center is opening next month in Franklinton, offering an alternative to jails and ERs for people experiencing mental health or addiction crises.

A new regional housing coalition is forming, modeled after Columbus2020, but this time to tackle Central Ohio’s housing shortage head-on.

If you want to hear the full speech straight from Mayor Ginther, you can watch it here:

The post 100K New Homes, Safer Streets, And Smart Lights: Inside The 2025 State Of The City appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

A 60-ton crane, worth more than half a million dollars, was stolen from a construction site on Parsons Avenue near Scioto Downs, and authorities are (understandably) baffled.

We’re not talking about a compact sedan here.

This is a massive piece of machinery, the kind that requires serious skills to operate and even more creativity to hide. Detectives with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office believe the thief (or thieves) must have had extensive experience with heavy equipment because let’s be real—this isn’t a “hop in and go” kind of situation.

The 2019 Kenworth Long Boom National Crane was last seen on Monday morning, and now, officials are hoping the public can help track it down. Given its sheer size, it’s not exactly something you can stash in a garage or throw a tarp over in the backyard.

If you happen to see a crane cruising down I-70 looking suspiciously out of place, authorities would love to hear from you.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 614-525-3351. Anonymous tips are welcome—though if you are the person who stole a 60-ton crane, good luck explaining that one.

Photos courtesy of Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (Facebook).

The post Who Steals A 60-Ton Crane? Franklin County Detectives Want to Know appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

The Ohio Department of Health confirmed that the case was identified in an unvaccinated adult in Ashtabula County. According to Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, the individual recently came into contact with someone who had traveled internationally, underscoring how easily the disease can spread.

“The fact that we now have a measles case in Ohio adds emphasis to the importance of being fully vaccinated,” Vanderhoff said in a statement. “This disease can be very serious, but it is preventable. I strongly encourage you to protect yourselves and your children by getting vaccinated.”

Measles cases in Ohio have fluctuated in recent years, with the state reporting seven cases in 2024, one in 2023, and 90 in 2022. While these numbers may seem low compared to historical outbreaks, the resurgence of measles across the U.S. has raised alarms among public health officials.

A Growing National Crisis

Ohio’s latest case comes as the country battles a significant surge in measles infections. Nationwide, cases have already surpassed last year’s total, with infections particularly concentrated in Texas and New Mexico. As of Tuesday, the number of cases in these two states had climbed to 317, up from 294 just four days prior.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation is on track to reach approximately 1,200 measles cases in 2025—a nearly fivefold increase from the previous year. The last time the U.S. saw numbers this high was in 2019 when 1,274 cases were recorded, the most since 1992.

Texas has been at the center of the outbreak, with Gaines County reporting 191 cases and 36 patients hospitalized statewide. New Mexico has reported 38 cases, mostly in Lea County, which borders Gaines County. Oklahoma has also identified four probable cases linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

Tragically, measles has already claimed at least one life this year. In February, an unvaccinated child with no underlying health conditions died of the disease in Texas, marking the first measles-related fatality in the U.S. since 2015. Health officials in New Mexico are investigating the death of an unvaccinated adult that may also be linked to measles.

The Importance of Vaccination

It can remain airborne for up to two hours and has a 90% transmission rate among unvaccinated individuals exposed to the virus. Complications can be severe, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death.

Experts emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent the disease. The CDC recommends that children receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in two doses: the first at 12-15 months and the second at 4-6 years old. A vaccination rate of 95% or higher is necessary to maintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks.

With measles making a comeback, health officials urge Ohioans to check their vaccination status and take necessary precautions.

The post As Measles Surges Nationwide, Ohio Reports Its First Case of 2025 appeared first on Columbus Navigator.

The video, which included Ku Klux Klan imagery, racial slurs, antisemitic remarks, and explicit content, briefly took over the meeting room’s screens. County staff quickly shut down the Zoom feed as audience members reacted in shock.

Commission President Erica Crawley called the incident “cowardly” and condemned the message behind it.

“The intent is clear: to be disruptive, to make racist comments, and to create an environment where people don’t feel comfortable or safe here in Franklin County,” she said. “Franklin County is open to everyone.”

The attack follows a string of racist and antisemitic incidents across the Columbus area in recent days. A worker at a Far East Side Mexican restaurant found a receipt scrawled with “I hope Trump deports you” instead of a tip, and a local sushi restaurant received a threatening letter filled with hate speech. Additionally, antisemitic stickers were discovered near Ohio State University.

Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce pushed back against the disruptors, stating, “If you think your actions have any effect on what Franklin County is doing, I got news for you: you’re going to be sorely mistaken.”

The commissioners are working with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the prosecutor’s office to investigate and pursue charges against those responsible.

County spokesperson Robin Ross clarified that this was not a hacking incident but rather a “Zoombombing.” The county had not enabled security settings to prevent unmuted participants from taking control of the feed. In response, officials announced that future meetings would be in-person only, ending the option for virtual attendance via Zoom.

JewishColumbus, a local Jewish advocacy group, also condemned the incident.

“We appreciate the swift action of the board in disabling the video and making it clear that language and imagery that perpetuate hate and white supremacy have no place in our community,” the organization said in a statement.

As Franklin County leaders work to prevent future disruptions, Crawley made it clear that they will not be deterred by hate.

“We stand united against any hate and bigotry,” she said. “We won’t allow the voices of division to overshadow the essential work we are doing here.”

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