Latest news with #AlissaWidmanNeese
Axios
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
1 big thing: 🐮 The State Fair is a week away
So we meet again, Wednesday. 🌤️ Today's weather: Another hot summer day, with a high in the upper 80s and a chance of thunderstorms. FYI: We could probably copy and paste this forecast for the next week or so. 🎵 Sounds like: " Summer Nights" by Rascal Flatts. Alissa Widman Neese, Tyler Buchanan It's almost time for the Ohio State Fair — where you can pet a kangaroo, watch T-Pain perform and eat deep-fried candy bars all in one day. Why it matters: While revered for its unusual food and entertainment, the fair is much more than that. It draws about a million visitors to Columbus from all 88 counties to celebrate our agricultural roots and unite over summertime traditions. Driving the news: The gates are open next Wednesday morning through Aug. 3. What's new: You'll find those kangaroos and other animals at The Barnyard, a new shaded area featuring the popular petting zoo and pig race attractions. Other debuts include chainsaw carving demonstrations and a free circus, plus axe throwing ($10) and a 200-foot-high slingshot ride ($40). Plus: Two gift shops, eight water bottle filling stations and a north-side entry gate. 🎵 Who's performing: From Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Foreigner to a free Taylor Swift tribute, check out our ranking of this year's lineup. Tickets. Best bites: Several new foods are inspired by 2025's viral flavors, including Dubai chocolate funnel cakes, white cheddar dill pickle cheese curds and a "smashdilla," described as "where a quesadilla and a smash burger fall in love." Schmidt's yearly cream puff is caramel apple. Concession stands offer special $3 items on Thursdays, July 24 and 31. 🤨 Yes, but: We're utterly perplexed by the new buckeye lemonade, "infused with creamy peanut butter and chocolate." What's next: It wouldn't be the State Fair without a Butter Cow. It'll be unveiled Tuesday. Gate hours: 10am–9pm Monday–Friday and 9am–9pm Saturday–Sunday, except the last Sunday, when gates close at 6pm. Map. Daily schedule. $12 adults, $10 kids and seniors at the gate. Kids under 6 free! $10 parking. 🎟️ Ticket pro tips: Buy online before opening day and pay just $8. Discount days are July 28 (adults $10, kids free), July 29 (seniors free) and July 31 (college students $10). Military members, first responders and veterans are free every day with an ID. 2. 😋 Chart du jour: What you can eat on a stick Here's a fun statistic to share with fellow fairgoers: Concession stands will be serving 20 different foods on a stick this year. The intrigue: After crunching the numbers, we've learned that's somehow lower than average over the past four fairs. Zoom in: This year's delicacies include the obvious corn dogs, cotton candy and candy apples, plus oddities like a sausage s'more skewer, fried gator and moonshine chicken. 4. 🪧 "Good Trouble Lives On" protests are coming April Rubin, Alissa Widman Neese Tens of thousands of people are expected to protest the Trump administration again tomorrow, on the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former congressman John Lewis. Flashback: Lewis was one of the most vocal critics of President Trump during his first administration. He skipped Trump's 2017 inauguration — only the second Lewis missed during his three-decade tenure in Congress including former President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001. Zoom in: Local events are scheduled in Delaware, Hilliard, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, Sunbury and in downtown Columbus. 5. 🕵️♀️ Alissa's first geocaching trip Alissa Widman Neese 👋 Alissa here. Inspired by Tyler's adventures in geocaching, I decided to "quickly" investigate a couple caches by my house yesterday. Reality check: I really underestimated how well these things are hidden, and it took me quite a while to find two beginner-level caches. I rage-quit and headed back to my car at both sites, thoroughly convinced the caches must no longer be around. Yes, but: After cooling off, I got back out and persevered, with a little help from their comment logs on the Geocaching website. Disclaimer: I'm going to share two spoilers, if you plan on searching the west side. My first stop: The San Margherita sign near the Belmont House apartments, to find a teeny, tiny magnetic capsule stuck to a park bench's underside, containing a paper log. It's a common tactic, Tyler tells me. He already found that one two weeks ago. The second: The El Vaquero on Riverside Drive, where it was cleverly hidden near the parking lot. I unknowingly circled around forever before finding it. My advice: Do more research than I did about what to expect when searching. I now understand how learning common hiding tactics would definitely help.
Axios
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
1 big thing: 🏫 It's bargaining time
Happy Monday, Columbus. Start it right. 🌤️ Today's weather: Sunny and breezy, with a high in the mid-50s. 🎵 Sounds like: "Come Together" by the Beatles. 🏀 Situational awareness: The No. 4 seed Ohio State women's basketball team had its NCAA Tournament cut short yesterday, losing in the second round to No. 5 seed Tennessee in Columbus. Alissa Widman Neese Columbus teachers and school board members head back to the bargaining table today to begin hashing out a new employment contract. Why it matters: Union negotiations typically happen behind-the-scenes with little fanfare, but that won't be the case this year — these are the first since the 2022 teachers strike. They also come at a tense, uncertain time for educators locally and nationwide. Catch up quick: The current Columbus Education Association contract, which ended the three-day strike, expires in mid-August. Air conditioning in all schools was a key part of the 2022 deal, which also guaranteed reduced class sizes and 4% yearly base pay raises to the union's 4,500 members. This year's campaign launched March 6 with a promo video. The big picture: Also this year, Columbus voters will elect new school board members as district leaders work on a plan to eventually close schools. Educators across Ohio are meanwhile grappling with COVID learning loss, proposed state budget cuts, new state laws concerning conservative culture wars, and President Trump's attempted dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. What they're saying: "We're fighting everybody," CEA president John Coneglio tells Axios. "But I know that every day our members are fighting for kids and their education." Coneglio said it's too early to discuss specific goals. The intrigue: To improve transparency, a parent observer from the Columbus Education Justice Coalition advocacy group — formed during the 2022 strike — will be at the table for every negotiation session. A "rank-and-file member" not on the bargaining team will also be present, Coneglio says. The other side: Columbus City Schools is "committed to a collaborative and respectful process aimed at achieving a fair agreement for our students, educators and the Columbus community," per a statement from spokesperson Tyler Carter. "The district recognizes and values the hard work, dedication and expertise of its teachers, and we look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that our educators are supported in their important work." 2. 💬 Quote du jour: Priorities Alissa Widman Neese "By giving states more authority over education, we will have the flexibility to focus our efforts on tailoring an educational experience that is best for our children and that meets Ohio's needs, rather than trying to chase federal priorities." — Gov. Mike DeWine, on President Trump signing an executive order last week aimed at shutting down the U.S. Department of Education. Context: DeWine has made his own major changes to Ohio's public education system as governor. The budget bill he signed in 2023 stripped most powers away from the publicly elected state board of education — which went to a department overseen by the governor. It also significantly expanded private school voucher eligibility. 3. 🇪🇨 Columbites: Los Galápagos Alissa Widman Neese 👋 Alissa here. A trip to Los Galápagos, a tiny restaurant in Lincoln Village, gave me my first taste of authentic Ecuadorian cuisine. Dining the news: I had a great guide who helped me tour the menu — my sibling's partner, who hails from Ecuador. What I ate: We shared a variety of dishes to start, including an empanada, a chicken-filled pastry ($3); fried yuca, a starchy vegetable ($5); and hornado, a mountain meal heaping with rice, vegetables and tender roasted pork ($19). Best bites: Encebollado, often considered the country's national dish ($22). It's a tuna fish soup that's popular on the coast — brimming with tangy tomato, onion and lime flavor, plus cilantro and yuca. Pro tip: The name means "made with onion," so expect a lot of them. We topped it with crushed plantain chips ($5) and cancha, a fried corn. I even threw in some rice from the hornado and it tasted great soaked in the broth. The bottom line: My guide sighed mid-meal, smiled and said "this feels like home." A ringing endorsement, I'd say. The vibes: The cozy restaurant also offers a small grocery store. 📍 Stop by: 378 S. Grener Ave. 10am-5am Monday. Closed Tuesday. 10am-8pm Wednesday-Sunday. 4. 🍽️ Why food prices are still high Nathan Bomey, Kelly Tyko If eating at home is more your style, you know it's not the bargain it used to be. State of play: Sticker shock at the grocery store became a fact of life during the pandemic as food prices skyrocketed — and higher prices have been unavoidable ever since. Yes, but: Five years later, new tariffs and retaliatory action could cause food prices to rise again. Supply chain issues and the ongoing bird flu outbreak are also a factor. The big picture: Food prices increased by 23.6% from 2020 to 2024, outpacing overall inflation of 21.2% during that period, according to the U.S. Economic Research Service. Friction point: Consumer advocates accused grocers and food companies and raising prices to bolster the bottom line, but there's little "concrete evidence" of excessive prices, CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram tells Axios.
