TopFeatured.com

A dark-money group wholly funded by House Bill 6 beneficiary and Columbus utility giant American Electric Power contributed $350,000 toward the campaigns now at the center of a racketeering and bribery case that ensnared House Speaker Larry Householder, an investigation by The Dispatch finds.Empowering Ohio’s Economy Inc., a nonprofit operated solely with AEP funds, gave…

ORLANDO, Fla. — If President Donald Trump succeeds in getting immigrants in the country illegally excluded from being counted in the redrawing of U.S. House districts, California, Florida and Texas would end up with one less congressional seat each than if every resident were counted, according to an analysis by a think tank.Without that population,…

Scientists have figured out how COVID-19 causes many people to lose their sense of smell. And they have good news — the loss appears to be temporary because the actual cells in the nose that detect smell aren’t harmed.Temporary loss of smell is called “anosmia” by doctors. It’s one of the earliest and most commonly reported indicators…

With pressure mounting for Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to resign, or for his House colleagues to expel him, legislators already are thinking about who could hold the gavel next.Householder is one of five people charged in a racketeering scheme to provide a $1 billion bailout for Akron-based FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants in exchange for payments…

Spotted lanternflies are near the Ohio/Pennsylvania border. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently revisited the place where the bugs were detected in late 2019. They found another infestation in May. The state is urging Ohioans to be on the lookout for the insects, which wreak havoc on crops and trees. Top Featured Tags: – Ohio…

Was that a mannequin head?The road crew working the morning litter patrol pulled their vehicle onto the berm of Interstate 77 near E. 30th Street in Cleveland.It had sure looked like a mannequin head. One of the workers got out to investigate. He picked up the object.It was a head, all right, but made of…

Two days after House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were arrested and charged in a $61 million racketeering and bribery scheme, fellow Republican representatives announced legislation to repeal the nuclear bailout at the heart of the pay-to-play scandal.State Rep Laura Lanese, of Grove City, was joined by several colleagues at a Statehouse press conference…

Coronavirus cases in rural counties across the state are spiking, especially in Athens and Scioto, both of which were recently designated Level 3 risks by the Ohio Public Health Advisory. Residents in Athens and Portsmouth have responded to the increase by adhering to their respective cities’ mask mandates, but the threat of the virus and…

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s legislative director was previously president of a dark money group accused of funneling money from FirstEnergy Corp. to Speaker Larry Householder’s efforts to gain control of the Ohio House, according to an Enquirer investigation.Dan McCarthy, who now leads DeWine’s legislative efforts, was previously a lobbyist for Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., which had…

A new program pairing children with “learning boxes’’ curated by the Center of Science and Industry was rolled out Wednesday. The boxes will go to children in underserved areas of Franklin County who might lack internet access at home. The program is being funded by Franklin County commissioners. Top Featured Tags: – Ohio News Press…

Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s alleged pay-to-play scheme to pass legislation for special interests extended beyond House Bill 6 and its $1 billion ratepayer bailout of a pair of ailing nuclear power plants.Householder and charged co-conspirator Neil Clark, a lobbyist, are portrayed in a federal affidavit as engaging in an active effort to solicit big,…

Gary Bourquin, 49, and Marcus Penwell, 43, both of whom were shot in the legs, are continuing to recover from their injuries, according to Maureen Kocot, a spokeswoman for the agency. Top Featured Tags: – Ohio News Press Release Distribution Service

A woman was shot to death late Tuesday on the Far North Side.Tonya M. Delafeld, 42, was found by Columbus police lying in the front yard of a home in the 1700 block of Plains Boulevard off Smoky Row Road shortly after 11:15 p.m., police said.Delafield was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:40 p.m.Officers…

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A powerful 7.8 earthquake has struck the Alaska Peninsula.According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude quake struck Tuesday at about 11:12 p.m. PST. It had a depth of 6 miles and was centered 60 miles south-southeast of Perryville, Alaska.On Kodiak Island, the local high school opened its doors for evacuees,…

Columbus police are looking for a 20-year-old man who has been charged with murder in a fatal shooting Sunday on the South Side.Lason Tyleek Booker, of the Hilltop, was charged in the death of Jerome Steward.Steward, 26, of the East Side, was found by officers who were called to the 400 block of Southwood Avenue…