Today From The Ohio Newsroom

A visit to the country's only manufacturer of metal whistles

There's only one factory left in the country that manufactures metal whistles and it's based on the north side of Columbus.

The American Whistle Corporation in Worthington has been producing the game-stopping gadget since 1956.

Pirates invade Buckeye Lake for third annual festival

This weekend, central Ohioans will don tricorn hats and raise the skull and crossbones on pontoon boats, speedboats and jet skis for the third annual Buckeye Lake Pirate Festival.

Retirees Kelly and Neena Collins of Hebron helm the gathering that celebrates a romanticized version of the old-timey, sea-faring swashbucklers.

How Northwest Ohio came to be home to 'The Biggest Week in American Birding'

It's the Biggest Week in American Birding.

The annual festival celebrates the spring migration of millions of birds across Ohio, including dozens of species of warblers.

Endangered audio is coming home to a historically Black Ohio college's radio station

Last year, a group of archivists took CDs and reel-to-reel tapes out of a dusty closet at Central State University's radio station in Wilberforce.

Rural Ohio police signed up to help ICE. But staffing shortages limit their role

Small villages with tiny populations are entering into partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This Ohio business makes the referee stripes seen on courts across the country

Joe DeRosa is a stickler for precision.

At a small warehouse in Canton, he inspects freshly printed fabric for imperfections. A massive mechanical press has just transferred black and white stripes from a paper sheet onto cloth. He labels one "iffy", another "not bad."

"It's one at a time. Nothing changes. There's no shortcuts – everything has to be done that way," he said.

'No other options': Inside the decision to a close a school building

In April, Toledo Public Schools' Board of Education approved a plan to offset a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, in part, by closing seven elementary schools.

It's not a unique move.

Seeking community, more Ohio college students commit to Catholic faith

At a recent confirmation service at the University of Dayton chapel, the pews overflowed with parishioners and new visitors.

They gathered to witness five students receive their confirmation, led by Father Robert Jones, chaplain at the catholic school.

This year at the University of Dayton, 26 people have been confirmed — up from six people last year.

In Ohio's capital city, voters consider a crisis response alternative

It's primary election day. In addition to voting for statewide candidates in races for senator, governor and attorney general, Columbus voters are considering whether to change the city's emergency response.

A visit to the Ohio county where renewable energy is on the ballot

This election day, Ohio voters will darken bubbles next to names for gubernatorial and senate seats. They'll narrow the fields in races for county commissioners and the secretary of state.

And in Richland County – tucked between Columbus and Cleveland – they'll decide on the future of large-scale wind and solar developments.