This story contains graphic details of racial violence, including lynching.
On a small shelf in an old brick building in Belmont County sit 14 jars of soil. Each is labeled with an Ohio city alongside a man's name and contain dirt from sites across the state where the men were lynched.
At the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum, one of the newest exhibits is a white 2010 Ford Crown Victoria with the word police, in reflective blue and in all caps spanning all four doors.
Museum Director Bill Beuke says this particular cruiser, license plate 10312, belonged to the Cincinnati Police Department and was in service until recently.
It had been a long time since Lima residents Brian Behl and Bethany Lykins hopped on bikes. But, outside a church in the small northwest Ohio city, they cautiously steered a set of handlebars toward a bike path.
Helmets on, the couple tore down the trail without a wobble for a test drive. When they returned, Tammie Joseph was waiting for them with questions.
Jackhammers and bulldozers clatter at a downtown Cincinnati demolition site. Buildings and Inspections Supervisor Scott Ryan leads a group of young women and men through the noise and dust.
"Always make eye contact with a heavy equipment operator," he says. "If you decide to move around them, make sure they see you first. We have to make sure we give them a clear distance."
The truck parked outside Stony Point Hardware in rural Holmes County one sunny summer day wasn't loaded with tools or heavy equipment. It was stacked with books.
"These are easy reader books for new readers," said Jim Todaro, pointing at rows of colorful covers. "These are sports books for older kids."
More than 70 years ago, the Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education deemed separating children in public schools based on race unconstitutional.
But racial divides still exist in Ohio classrooms today, according to researchers from Stanford and UCLA who analyzed data from schools across the U.S.
Volunteers failed to gather 413,487 valid signatures in time to put an amendment to abolish property taxes in Ohio before voters this fall. But the "Ax the Tax" effort is far from dead — the group is hoping to get the effort on the ballot in next year's election.
It wasn't easy for Jacson Joseph to leave behind his life as a high school English teacher in Haiti. But he says the gang violence he witnessed left him with no choice but to flee in 2021.
Since then, he's worked hard to make Lima feel like home for his family of four.
Next to some of the oldest graves at Melscheimer Cemetery in Stark County sits a quaint, red one-room schoolhouse.
On a recent sunny morning, Pike Township Trustee Doug Baum visited the historic structure.
"If we would have torn the schoolhouse down, there would have been a small revolution in this area," Baum joked.
Brad Ryan has a wildlife adventuring distinction many Americans dream of – visiting every national park. And he has one that very few dream of, or accomplish: doing so with his grandmother. At 93 years old, Joy Ryan became the oldest person to hike all 63. Together, she and Brad pursued the challenge, hoping to rebuild their relationship along the way.
