News

This past weekend in the brisk sunshine, a volunteer representing Adrienne Hood for Columbus City Council knocked on the front door of a registered voter on Karl Road in the new District 4, which encompasses much of the northside. As traffic raced in both directions, someone finally opened the door.

The volunteer was seeking signatures to qualify Hood as a candidate for City Council’s primary vote this coming May – the first election ever for City Council’s new nine district system, that was approved by voters in 2018. The general election is November, and in 2024, a councilmember will represent each of the nine districts increasing the current number of Councilmembers by two.

Hood’s volunteer asks the voter, “Do you remember who Adrienne Hood’s son was? He was shot and killed by Columbus police.”

Protesters staging a protest outside the Lincoln Theatre on East Long Street in Columbus, Ohio before the City of Columbus's Martin Luther King Day Program, demanding change and action in the City, in regards to equality and preventing violence.

These protesters were carrying signs demanding justice for recent high-profile Black murders in the Columbus area, including Andre Hill (killed by a then-Columbus Police Officer in Northwest Columbus in December 2020), Donovan Lewis (a 20 year-old Black man who was killed by Columbus Police in the Hilltop), and 13 year-old Sinzae Reed. Reed, who was murdered in October 2022 outside the Wedgewood Apartments in West Columbus was murdered by a 36 year-old White man. On January 17, the Columbus Dispatch reported that the Franklin County Coroner's Office officially declared Reed's death a homicide.

What is described as the “crown jewel” and largest of local Metro Parks – the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park – is being coveted by RAPID 5, which  someday may build a brewery, the “Darby Inn” and a gondola within the park. Similar to the one at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, but several miles in length and built alongside the Big Darby Creek.

Far west, past Hilliard and just off Broad Street before the town of West Jefferson, sprawls the 7,000-plus acre Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. Both the Big and Little Darby Creeks cut through this Metro Park, and both creeks in 1994 were designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers, which affords them environmental protections.

What is described as the “crown jewel” and largest of local Metro Parks – the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park – is being coveted by RAPID 5, which  someday may build a brewery, the “Darby Inn” and a gondola within the park. Similar to the one at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, but several miles in length and built alongside the Big Darby Creek.

Far west, past Hilliard and just off Broad Street before the town of West Jefferson, sprawls the 7,000-plus acre Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. Both the Big and Little Darby Creeks cut through this Metro Park, and both creeks in 1994 were designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers, which affords them environmental protections.

What is described as the “crown jewel” and largest of local Metro Parks – the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park – is being coveted by RAPID 5, which  someday may build a brewery, the “Darby Inn” and a gondola within the park. Similar to the one at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, but several miles in length and built alongside the Big Darby Creek.

Far west, past Hilliard and just off Broad Street before the town of West Jefferson, sprawls the 7,000-plus acre Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. Both the Big and Little Darby Creeks cut through this Metro Park, and both creeks in 1994 were designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers, which affords them environmental protections.

Joe Motil, former Columbus City Council candidate and longtime community activist who is circulating petitions to run for mayor in the 2023 May primary election states: “I attended [Monday, January 9) night’s Columbus City Council meeting to testify against an ordinance. I also supported my fellow advocates who spoke at the meeting about the numerous issues and failures by our city and the justice system regarding the murder of Sinzae Reed. My younger fellow citizens were exposed unexpectedly and rudely exposed to one particular element of the undemocratic rules and conduct of Columbus City Council meetings.

“Because two speakers representing the organizations J.U.S.T. and The Downtownerz signed up to testify during the public comments portion of the City Council meeting, City Council procedures call for an adjournment of the scheduled meeting. This results automatically in turning off the cameras and audio that live stream the meeting on YouTube and for those who have basic cable television.

Columbus activists submitted the following letter to Tyack’s office on Thursday

Dear Mr. Tyack:

On October 12th of 2022, 36-year-old Krieg Butler Sr. mercilessly shot Sinzae Reed, 13, in the Wedgewood Apartment Complex multiple times. He then fled the scene of the incident, leaving the youth for dead. At the time of the murder, Mr. Butler was on probation for a domestic violence dispute which, according to all available interpretations of Ohio law, should have precluded Mr. Butler from owning a firearm in the first place.

As many citizens of undemocratic, unrepresentative, anti-public, and corrupt Columbus now know, the city faces a “Democratic” primary election on May 2, 2023 and a general election on November 7. As of this writing, two candidates have declared, the incumbent Democratic machine—but no democratic—candidate Andy Ginther, and a true democrat Joe Motil.

I write for the first day of 2023 to propose for discussion and perhaps debate, a new era of democracy for the city built on filth and lack of affordable food and housing, unsanitary conditions, broken streets and sidewalks, homelessness, campus neighborhood safety and stability, dominance of special interests, grift and corruption; and the expansion of democracy, public services, respect for residents and taxpayers, and a city rebuilt for the 21st century.

For discussion and debate, I propose:

Researching, criticizing, debating openly, reimagining, and then remaking Columbus

I. Bring Columbus into the 20th and 21st centuries

II. Promote democratic reforms beginning with a truly representative city council, elected by districts, not at-large, citywide

III. Reorganize city government

As 2023 arrives and the two-year anniversary of the infamous January 6th insurrection approaches, there is plenty to be grateful for as our imperfect nation ventures into the new year. Of course, there is also still much work to be done and more good fights to be fought. Here in Ohio, fascism continues to stand on our doorstep –– and is perhaps even knocking on the door –– especially as a new GOP supermajority is set to be seated in our Statehouse in January and Governor Mike DeWine starts his second term, both of which were decided by a majority of Ohio voters. Because of these recent midterm results, Ohio Republicans have been given a mandate –– and they will likely use it to their own advantage, just as they have since seizing power of every branch of our state government in 2010.