Today From The Ohio Newsroom

Wage theft is prevalent. Ohio cities are cracking down

Nearly a quarter million Ohioans are paid less than the state or federal minimum wage, according to data analysis by Policy Matters Ohio.

Goodwill’s new daycare center shows how employer-supported child care could help solve the child c

At the Goodwill of South Central Ohio, employees who recently had babies sometimes struggle to return to work — not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t find child care.

One Ohio city has found a way to lower speed limits without state permission

Leaders in several Ohio cities have asked the state legislature to give local governments more control over speed limits, without much luck. But city officials in Cincinnati are trying a different approach. They argue a new interpretation of Ohio state law allows them to more easily lower some speed limits.

A pilot program hopes to create a college-to-police-department pipeline

In 2020, thousands of Ohioans gathered in protests across the state, calling for police reform. Since then, municipalities have initiated a number of changes to address police brutality, including partnerships with Black-led organizations and community workshops on citizen rights.

Nursing staff shortages mean less health care options for Ohio veterans

As you step into Joe Ferneau’s home in southeast Ohio, it’s immediately clear he’s proud of his military service.

On the wall, where you might expect family photos to hang, are portraits of men in uniform.

The country’s last remaining washboard factory brings business – and music – to Logan, Ohio

Stepping into the Columbus Washboard Company is like stepping back in time.

The walls are lined with antique washboards – their fading “Made-Rite” logos disappearing into sun-kissed wood. Beneath them sit vintage irons, metal wash tubs and an early model of a laundry agitator.

Ohio farmers are entering a new market: the carbon trade

Ohio farmers have been in the corn and soybean business for a long time.

But now, some are entering a new market: carbon farming.

That’s when farmers increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil — through practices like no-till planting — in exchange for credits, which they can then sell to corporations trying to reach net-zero emissions.

One Ohio rural community’s debate around drag queens

A small crowd cheers on a bejeweled drag queen, as she struts onto a stage at the Olive Tree in Bellefontaine.

Despite being a 45-minute commute from Ronald Woodland-Wright’s home in Westerville, Woodland-Wright performs here often as Beariana Grande. Tonight, her pink makeup glimmers in the light of the disco ball as she lip-synchs to Taylor Swift.

Suicide rates in the Black community are on the rise. An Ohio barbershop is stepping up.

The buzz of the cutters at Revive Station Barbershop in Warren often overlaps with a steady flow of conversation.

Barber Adrian Favors – known by his clients as Big A – is chatting with two young clients on a day in late February. He occasionally pauses his trimming to ask the boys about everything from sports, to school to their favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Rural women lag in cancer screenings. Remote outreach could be key.

Rural areas lag behind when it comes to cancer screenings.

The disparity has led researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) to analyze the best ways to reach the at-risk population.