Today From The Ohio Newsroom

Foreign farmland ownership is increasing in Ohio, across U.S.

Investors from other countries bought more than a million acres of farmland in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023.

This Ohio pizza chef is a world champion dough stretcher

Brittany Saxton got her start in the restaurant industry as a combination pizza maker and dishwasher at Michael Angelo’s, a local pizzeria in Kenton in northwest Ohio.

At 16 years old, she was looking to rake in some extra dough. But soon, the job became more than a source of income.

Pizza captured a slice of her heart.

A Toledo organization prepares immigrants for in-demand jobs. Now, workers worry for the future

In a small Toledo classroom, Tahani Mohamed reviews English vocabulary words: manager, photocopier, payroll.

She’s studying to be an office assistant with hopes of someday getting a job in a medical office.

In Sudan, Mohamed earned her Bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science and worked as a phlebotomist.

Why Ohio writers authored a book that’s begging to be banned

Calls to ban books have increased in Ohio, and across the country, in recent years. In 2023, the most recent year of data from the American Library Association, there were more than 40 attempts to ban more than 200 books.

American Lung Association gives Ohio an ‘F’ grade for tobacco cessation programming

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

‘Keep Ya Head Up’: Honest conversations about gun violence in Ohio

Gun violence is a leading cause of death for young people in Ohio.

The problem is especially severe in Cuyahoga County, where the gun homicide rate is more than twice the state average.

Repurposed wheelchairs and hospital beds are bridging Ohio’s rural health care gaps

Ed Newman enjoys his weekly drives, darting from hospitals in eastern Washington County to nursing homes on Ohio’s southern border. He sees it as a scavenger hunt: each stop is a chance to find a discarded piece of medical equipment.

“It’s too important not to salvage that,” Newman said.

How Dayton became the funk capital of the world

In the mid-1960s, James Brown was creating a new style of music — funk.

Instead of turning elaborate melodies, he turned his focus to syncopated rhythms with a strong emphasis on the down beat.

“Like James Brown says, funk is on the one,” said David Webb.

Scientists want to monitor microplastics in the Great Lakes. Here’s why it matters

Research suggests the concentration of microplastics in Lake Erie rivals the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The particles are present in all five Great Lakes, but there’s no coordinated, region-wide effort to monitor the pollutant.

Ohio's forgotten Black cemeteries hold rich history of the state's pioneers

For decades, students at Upper Arlington High School walked across their campus, unaware of the history buried beneath their very own feet. The land—now home to classrooms and athletic fields—once held the graves of Black Ohioans who built businesses and communities despite the denial of basic civil rights.