Latest news with #Columbus-area
Axios
6 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
It's cheaper to rent than buy in Columbus — and it's not even close
It's much cheaper to rent than buy a home Columbus — and these days, the comparison isn't even close. Driving the news: Rents have tapered nationwide due to an influx of newly built apartments hitting the market. But home-buying costs continue to spike. Follow the money: Columbus-area buyers have to earn almost $38,000 more a year than renters to afford their monthly housing payments, according to a recent Redfin report. That gap has ballooned significantly post-pandemic — it was about $10,000 in 2020. The fine print: Redfin's analysis is based on median home prices and rents and assumes a homebuyer or renter spends no more than 30% of their income on monthly payments.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Vote for 2025 central Ohio high school boys tennis regular season player of the year
The Ohio high school boys tennis postseason continues this week with the district tournament. That means it is time to determine who has been the top Columbus-area player for the regular season by voting for your choice. Advertisement Read about the candidates and then vote in our poll. The deadline is 4 p.m. May 29. In addition, keep an eye out for the annual All-Metro teams for spring sports in the days following the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards show, which is June 18 at Upper Arlington High School. Freshman Austin Bruey has starred at first singles for Pickerington Central. Austin Bruey, Pickerington Central A freshman who has played No. 1 singles throughout the spring, Bruey went 16-2 in the regular season with all of those wins coming in straight sets. His only losses were to 2024 state placers Abhinav Dandu of New Albany and Shane Hand of Olentangy Liberty. Jackson Clements, New Albany The senior went 14-3 between first singles and first doubles. Clements qualified for his second Division I state tournament last year in singles and is playing doubles this postseason with classmate Abhinav Dandu, last year's state singles runner-up. Aidan Cooney and Cade Spring, London The Red Raiders' first doubles team was 13-0 entering the Division II district tournament, including wins over Division I Hilliard Bradley and a strong Springfield Northwestern team in Central Buckeye Conference play. Both players are seniors. Shane Hand, Olentangy Liberty The Patriots' top singles player and fourth-place finisher at state a year ago, Hand was 11-0 entering the Division I postseason. One of his wins was in straight sets over Columbus Academy's Nason Lo, one of the top Division II players in the area. Henry Lessard, Bexley The sophomore and last year's Division II state singles champion went 10-0 in the regular season between singles and doubles. Henry and older brother Sam, a senior, are playing doubles this postseason. Nason Lo is the top player for OTCA state tournament-bound Columbus Academy. Nason Lo, Columbus Academy The junior went 9-2 between first singles (8-2) and first doubles (1-0) and qualified for the Division II district tournament in singles. Academy (18-0) also has qualified for the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association state tournament. Pedro Prieto Moura, Thomas Worthington A senior foreign exchange student from Brazil and first-year tennis player, Prieto Moura went 6-6 in singles and 5-0 in doubles. Some of those wins were in three sets to give Thomas the overall win in matches. Senior Gianni Russo has starred at first singles for Marysville. Gianni Russo, Marysville The senior went 10-1 at first singles during the regular season, with his only loss coming to Clements. Russo has played only one three-set match all year, a win over Olentangy's Gavin Cheung. Nik Shough, Dublin Coffman The senior brought a 9-3 record into the Division I postseason for a Shamrocks team that plays in the competitive OCC-Central. A 2024 state tournament qualifier, Shough's only losses this regular season were to some of the state's top players in Dandu, Hand and Academy's Lucas Xue. Advertisement High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@ and at @dp_dispatch on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA tennis: Vote for central Ohio's top regular season player
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Giant Eagle is bringing back plastic bags at most of its Columbus locations
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – About one year after debuting reusable fabric grocery bags, Giant Eagle is switching back to plastic at most of its Columbus stores. In May 2024, the Pennsylvania-based grocery giant rolled out free fabric grocery bags in the Columbus area and some other U.S. markets, eliminating plastic bags. However, Giant Eagle claims customers did not use the fabric bags as intended. 'Unfortunately, we have not seen strong customer adoption of these reusable bags, with most not being reused and many likely being discarded after a single use,' a Giant Eagle spokesperson told NBC4. 'With this learning – and knowing that the fabric bags are not recyclable – we believe a change in approach is warranted.' Now, Columbus stores are switching back to plastic, but with a twist. The grocery chain has introduced a new plastic grocery bag made of 75% recycled plastic. The company estimates the new bags will result in a reduction of nearly 4 million pounds of plastic. 'This new single-use plastic bag is reminiscent of the traditional plastic grocery bag customers have become accustomed to over the years, but with a significantly better environmental impact,' the spokesperson said. Giant Eagle's fabric bags were launched in select markets across its five-state footprint, totaling nearly half of its approximately 200 supermarkets. Stores in the Erie, Pennsylvania, and Cuyahoga County, Ohio, markets are also switching back to plastic bags. Some areas Giant Eagle serves have city legislation prohibiting the use of single-use plastic, so the fabrics bags will remain in those areas. The new plastic bags will be implemented in all Columbus-area stores except for Giant Eagle's Bexley Market District Express, as the city has a plastic bag ban that took effect in 2022. The introduction of the new plastic bags at Columbus stores began this month, according to the company. Giant Eagle's fabric bags were part of a larger initiative to reduce plastic waste — a common effort among grocery stores. Whole Foods stopped offering plastic bags in 2008, becoming the first American grocer to do so, according to the company. Trader Joe's followed suit in 2019 and Aldi in 2023. Seven years ago, Kroger pledged to eliminate plastic bags in its stores by 2025, but that goal seemingly fell flat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starbucks workers are walking out over new dress code. How is the protest affecting Ohio?
A workers union says that more than 1,200 Starbucks employees have gone on strike to protest a new dress code policy that went into effect the week of May 12. Walk-outs have taken place at roughly 100 stores nationwide, according to Starbucks Workers United. The company's union group argues that the new policy is worsening an already prevalent understaffing crisis. The clash has created a standstill between the union and the company and paused bargaining efforts to finalize a contract that addresses staffing and pay concerns. How are Ohio Starbucks locations affected by the strike? How many stores does the Buckeye State have? Here's what we know. Starbucks has hundreds of stores across the Buckeye State. One data-scraping site put the total at 480. Another says there are 517. According to a map on the Starbucks Workers United website, 23 of those stores are unionized. Those include 12 in the Greater Columbus area, seven in the Cleveland-Akron area and two in Cincinnati. Columbus-area stores located on Tremont Road in Upper Arlington, North High Street in Short North and Bethel Road became the 27th, 28th and 29th Starbucks in Ohio to join the strike when employees voted on May 13, according to a news release from Starbucks Workers United. Under Starbucks' new dress code, baristas are required to wear a solid black top, whether it's a crewneck, collared or button-up shirt. Meanwhile, their bottoms must be a shade of black, khaki or blue denim. The new policy is meant to further enhance the coffee giant's signature green apron, a staple Starbucks look since its debut in 1987. "We're evolving our dress code in all stores to focus on simplified color options that allow our iconic green apron to shine and create a sense of familiarity for our customers, no matter which store they visit across North America," Starbucks said in an April 14 news release. Starbucks last month announced the dress code, which went into effect May 12. It requires baristas to wear solid black tops as part of an effort to maintain a "more defined color palette." The company promised to provide staff with two free black T-shirts, which the union is claiming many employees have not yet received. The company unilaterally enacted the policy without bargaining with Workers United, according to Jasmine Leli, a union bargaining delegate and Starbucks barista based in Buffalo, New York. She argues the dress code distracts the company from addressing key issues impacting staff by instead focusing on something trivial. "The distraction is Starbucks rolling out all of these new changes when all the customer is concerned about is getting their drinks and going about their merry way. They don't care what color shirt we have on," Leli told USA TODAY. "Starbucks hasn't bargained with us over this dress code change, and we just need them to get back to the table so that we can ratify this contract." Meanwhile, Starbucks argues that outrage over a simplified dress code is coming from staff at less than 1 percent of all stores and is the cause of delayed negotiations. Starbucks confirmed the overwhelming majority of its over 10,000 locations are operating business as usual despite the strikes. In a statement, the company emphasized that less than 1% of locations participated in Workers United's "attempts to cause disruption." "While the union is focused on a simplified dress code, we're focused on providing the best job in retail with a wage and benefits package that averages more than $30 per hour for hourly partners. It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table to finalize a reasonable contract," Starbucks said. In late April, Workers United filed an updated unfair labor practice charge against Starbucks with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board. United Workers cited the company's "failure to bargain over the policy change as baristas demand Starbucks finalize fair contracts for the 580 and growing union-represented stores." The union filed another such charge last December alleging bad faith bargaining. Since the dress code went into effect, supervisors have begun sending staff home for not wearing company-approved attire, according to Leli, who called the situation "complete chaos." She said that two free black T-shirts are not enough to accommodate employees working five shifts a week. Leli added that some staff members have not received their free shirts due to website errors, with some losing hours for not being able to follow dress code. "The floors are not properly staffed as it is, and so sending someone home because the manager's interpretation of the color of jeans that they're wearing doesn't fit the dress code, that's the distraction," she said. Paige Summers, a Starbucks supervisor from Hanover, Maryland, said that some staff are unable to afford a new wardrobe. She added that some employees also previously bought T-shirts from the company that they are no longer allowed to wear to work. "Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things," Summers said in a statement shared by Workers United. "Customers don't care what color our clothes are when they're waiting 30 minutes for a latte." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Some Starbucks workers strike over new dress code. How is Ohio affected?
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sheetz opening two new central Ohio gas stations on Tuesday
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Sheetz is adding to the company's list of Ohio convenience stores and gas stations with the opening of two new Columbus-area locations on Tuesday. The chain is welcoming patrons beginning at 9 a.m. for the locations opening at 1555 Polaris Parkway near Polaris Fashion Place and 5757 W. Broad St. in Galloway, marking Sheetz's first station there. Sheetz is hosting a grand opening event for the Polaris Parkway location on Tuesday, while the Galloway location is holding a celebration on Wednesday. The festivities are beginning outside their respective stores at 9 a.m. with prizes awarded to attendees, including a giveaway of free Sheetz for a year. Columbus Anheuser-Busch brewery receives $300 million investment Each store's official ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10:45 a.m. during the events. To celebrate, Sheetz is treating customers to a full day of free self-serve coffee and fountain drinks. This deal is only available on the day of each store's event. In honor of these openings, Sheetz is providing separate $2,500 donations to the NNEMAP Food Pantry and the Westland Ecumenical Community Food Pantry. Customers attending the openings can donate nonperishable food items, with those at Polaris Parkway supporting NNEMAP and those at the Galloway event supporting Westland Ecumenical Community. Those who donate are receiving a Sheetz-branded thermal bag, limit one per customer while supplies last from 9 to 11 a.m. Sheetz is also making a donation of $5,000 to the Special Olympics of Ohio. The new central Ohio Sheetz adds to the chain's more than 770 convenience stores and gas stations across Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz announced its expansion into central Ohio in 2019, opening the first location in Delaware in 2021. Why the opening of the Columbus Zoo's North America Trek is delayed Several Columbus-area restaurants have been bulldozed to make way for Sheetz stores. The chain took over a former Max and Erma's property at 7480 Sawmill Road in Dublin to build a new location that opened last December. Another Max and Erma's at 4279 Cemetery Road in Hilliard was demolished in 2021 after the restaurant had been closed for more than a year, with the site now home to a Sheetz. The gas station also purchased the site of Woody's Wing House at 161 E. Campus View Boulevard for $3,750,000, then opened a location in May 2024. Rezoned to house a gas station, the two-acre site was also home to a former Champps restaurant and began operating as a Woody's location in 2018. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
