Latest news with #LindenCommunity
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Linden neighborhood pushes anti-violence message
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Now that the warmer months are here, community groups are out in force working to put an end to gun violence. Historically, more violent crimes in central Ohio take place during the warmer months, with the community groups working to keep Columbus' homicides for the year under triple digits. From now until October, community advocates and groups will be walking around Linden, raising awareness and handing out various flyers filled with resources. Organizers said the goal of these walks is to educate children and adults and to see a decrease in gun violence. Teen on the mend after tree falls into house during storm 'Over the past five or six years, the murder rate has been very high, and we want to make sure that we want to do our part in decreasing gun violence,' Linden Community Stop the Violence founder Derrick Russell said. It's been a decade since Columbus has seen fewer than 100 homicides per year. According to newly released homicide numbers from the Columbus Division of Police, there have been fewer homicides so far this year than there have been in several years; however, May has been the deadliest month of the year so far. 'It's a more bigger problem than just young people carrying guns,' We Are Linden founder Ralph Carter said. 'A lot of it is misplaced anger and a lot of hidden trauma that these young people are dealing with and for them, the easiest outlet is retaliation or just result in negative acts.' With school coming to an end and the weather getting warmer, community leaders like Russell and Carter said now is the time to get outside, connect with youth, and offer resources. On Monday, a group got together for their annual End Gun Violence Community Walk. 'We want the gun violence to continue to decrease, and we want to see a better increase in education for our youth,' Russell said. 'We want them to come out. We want them to start to be more productive citizens.' Columbus approves $2.5 million for new fire engine For Jaylin Garel, being involved with these events is important. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his brother struggled mentally. He's now found purpose in helping others. 'It's to show them that they have a village behind them, like, a lot of youth have a missing father figure or just a missing figure in the household and it's to show them that the mom or whoever that guardian is in the house that your village can back you,' Garel said. The next walks are set to take place June 16 and 23 at North Columbus Preparatory Academy; July 14 and 21 at Dollar Plus on Cleveland Avenue; Aug. 18 and 25 is at Linden Recreation Center; on Sept. 15 and 22, groups will gather at True Love Ministries; and the last two events will be Oct. 20 and 27 at the Northern Lights Shopping Center. All walks will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Linden anti-violence efforts ready for summer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — As the weather in central Ohio is getting warmer, community organizations are getting ready to host events to help make Columbus safer. 'Oh, it should be jam-packed tomorrow,' said Derrick Russell, founder of Linden Community Stop The Violence. Gravity apartments in Franklinton rebranded after $78 million sale He spoke with NBC4 on the eve of an End Gun Violence Community Walk. The walks bring together community members and several organizations in Linden. They've become a sort of tradition in recent years, and Russell helps lead them. 'When we first started, the doors were closed; now they come out on the porch, walk with us, talk with us, but we need more, we need more,' Russell said. The first walk of the year was supposed to take place May 12, but it was cancelled because of rain. Russell said because of that, there's even more excitement for the walk on May 19. During the walks, the organizations move around neighborhoods in the area to connect residents with help or resources they might need. 'The most powerful success story I can think of is that I actually met three gang members,' Russell said. 'They were gang members, we invited them out to the walk, they end up coming to the walk, they saw the collaboration of different people and then they stopped being in the gang, and to this day, I have them working with me.' Cities in Ohio with the most UFO sightings Homicide numbers are down in Columbus compared to recent years. But Monday's walk will happen a bit after a recent spike in deadly violence. There have been more homicides in May than in any other month in 2025. 'That's a reminder we've got to continue to stay out here and we can't just sit back,' Russell said. 'That's just a reminder that we've got to get out here and hopefully, in June, that it'll go back down and we won't have that same number.' The groups that organize the walks are planning to have two a month through October. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Project aims to shape the future of Linden
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Organizers are giving an update on the work being done by the One Linden plan. The City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods and dozens of city leaders gathered Tuesday in partnership with the Linden Community to highlight the process. Project leaders have said over and over again that One Linden isn't just a plan, it's a long-term commitment to the community. 'I think tonight is a celebration,' Community of Caring Development Foundation CEO Adam Troy said. 'There are many of us who have been working on this for five-plus years now, from the inception.' Ohio lawmakers want to crack down on reckless driving in work zones The One Linden Plan was completed in 2018 and it focuses on 10 big ideas. Among those are to stabilize and expand housing options, support student success, reimagine Cleveland Avenue, connect the community, connect residents to employment and reduce crime. 'I think that Linden Community is one of the best-kept secrets in Franklin County,' Troy said. According to data, for the first time in decades, greater Linden grew at a rate of 7.3%. However, affordable housing continues to be an ongoing concern. 'Everyone needs a place to call home, whether it's a strong rental or it's a homeownership opportunity,' Hope Paxson of the Franklin County Land Bank said. Since joining the One Linden Plan, the Franklin County Land Bank has built and sold 28 homes in Linden for home ownership in partnership with Healthy Homes. Paxson also said the land bank is working on another project that'll add another 14 singular residential homes. Who's running for Columbus City Council's District 7 seat? 'People need to be able to go someplace and with their families and be able to feel safe,' she said. A survey done in 2023 showed that the top three community concerns were crime reduction, community connectivity, and housing stability. As for education, all Linden public school's attendance fell between 2016 and 2023. However, high school graduation rates are improving. 'Every child deserves a shot in life, but we definitely know if the child can't read, success is not going to be theirs,' North Linden Area Commission vice president Tracy Robinson said. Leaders said that while One Linden has made significant strides in housing, education, safety and economic development, the work is only just beginning. To view the whole progress report, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
