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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus to review minority, LGBTQ+ business programs amid DEI crackdown
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus programs benefiting businesses owned by minorities, women, and the LGBTQ+ community are under review after federal efforts rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The city's Office of Diversity and Inclusion has long offered free business certifications that open doors to a slew of opportunities, from increased participation in city procurement and contracting to training, networking, outreach, and engagement programs. Certification also adds businesses to the city's online vendor directory, enhancing their digital presence and allowing them to market to internal buyers, public partners in other municipalities, the private sector and residents. Along with minorities, women, and the LGBTQ+ community, the office certifies businesses owned by veterans along with small and emerging companies. But recent Trump administration executive orders calling for the end of DEI have prompted a review of these programs to ensure compliance with all federal laws, a spokesperson from the office of Mayor Andrew Ginther said. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the LGBTQ+ business certification in the video player above. 'While we strongly disagree with this federal directive, we are working closely with the city attorney's office to evaluate and, if necessary, revise our policies to ensure compliance with federal law,' the spokesperson said in a statement. World's largest rubber duck to waddle into Ohio this weekend Ginther's office said, under his leadership, the programs have yielded results. Minority business participation in city of Columbus contracts has grown from 8.4% in 2016 to 19.1% in 2024, representing more than $600 million in economic impact, the spokesperson said, noting that the mayor's office takes 'pride in the fact that city investments have not only supported essential public services but have also helped minority-owned businesses grow and thrive.' The review comes after Columbus and several other central Ohio cities reaffirmed to NBC4 in February their commitment to diversity programs. A spokesperson said city council's dedication to equity and inclusion remains 'unwavering' and touted the city's Office of Diversity of Inclusion as a means to shape Columbus into 'America's Equal Opportunity City.' 'While we are continuing to study all the federal policy changes, council's priority is a Columbus where every resident feels safe and has the opportunity to thrive,' a Columbus City Council spokesperson said. 'Equity will continue to be a commitment to our residents.' The city's LGBTQ+ business certification is one of the newer programs and was launched in 2022 in collaboration with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Ginther said in a statement then that 'by expanding equity in our programs and practices, we do the right thing by becoming a more inclusive city while driving competition, generating potential savings and improving the quality of services for our residents.' Damita Brown, Columbus' former chief diversity officer, told NBC4 in 2022 the partnership had been on the city's radar before the COVID-19 pandemic. For Columbus to grow as an attractive city for businesses to relocate and for individuals to want to raise their families, Brown said they needed these initiatives to reflect the diverse population. Brown cited a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce study that found LGBTQ-owned businesses have generated $1.7 trillion for the U.S. economy, created 33,000 jobs, and increased $2 million in annual revenue. '[Columbus] is not capturing a tremendous growth opportunity for our community,' Brown said at the time. 'So, we want to be able to say, 'We see you, we value you, and we want to partner with you to continue to make our city great.' That's why it's important.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
He Was Urinated On, Cut with a Saw and Forced to Smoke Crack: What Police Say Happened to Tourist Lured to N.Y.C. — and Why
A second cryptocurrency investor has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged weeks-long torture of an Italian tourist in an upscale Manhattan apartment, according to reports. William Duplessie was taken into custody on Tuesday in New York City and charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a weapon, according to The Associated Press, The New York Times, and NBC 4. The 32-year-old cryptocurrency investor surrendered to police after his alleged co-conspirator and fellow cryptocurrency investor John Woeltz was taken into custody last Friday —after their alleged victim, a 28-year-old Italian tourist, reportedly escaped from the Manhattan apartment and ran to the nearest police officer he could find outside. PEOPLE previously reported that Woeltz, 37, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one charge each of kidnapping, imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm. The New York Police Department said in a statement to PEOPLE that the two cryptocurrency investors are alleged to have been holding the Italian man captive in a Manhattan apartment while torturing him over the course of two weeks in an effort to get him to give up the password to his Bitcoin account. The AP and NBC 4 reported that the victim was known to the two suspects, and described their relationship as a business partnership gone sour. A spokesperson with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Woeltz's attorney, Wayne Gosnell, have not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Duplessie had an attorney representing him. Over the course of two weeks, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly tortured their victim in a number of ways, according to the AP and NBC 4, including bounding him by the wrists, shocking him with electrical wires, cutting his leg with a saw, urinating on him, and pistol-whipping him. On one occasion, the man reportedly told police his kidnappers dangled him by the feet from the eight-bedroom, six-story apartment's top flight of stairs. On another occasion, the victim reportedly told police he was forced to smoke out of a crack pipe. New York City Police said in a statement over the weekend that the victim alleged he had been 'routinely assaulted during his captivity' before finally agreeing to give up his password last Friday morning. When the two men went to get his laptop, the victim was allegedly able to escape and run out of the apartment. According to the AP, the victim, who has not been identified, ran up to a traffic guard outside of the apartment and told him what happened, leading to a police response. NBC 4 reported that a video taken by a bystander showed the victim was 'disheveled and shoeless' when he approached the traffic cop, begging for help. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "The motive was over money, they knew each other. But under no circumstance in this world you have the right to kidnap somebody," NYPD Chief of Department John Chell said, according to NBC 4. Investigators found a Polaroid the suspects allegedly took, which appear to show the victim being tortured, The AP also reported. Police also discovered cocaine, chicken wire, a saw, body armor, and ammunition inside the Manhattan townhome from where the victim allegedly escaped, which Woeltz was renting. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Where in Columbus you're most likely to get pulled over for speeding
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — If you've ever seen those flashing blue and red lights behind you, you know the feeling: busted for speeding. But have you ever wondered where this happens to most people in Columbus? NBC4 Investigates dug into the data, looking at thousands of traffic tickets filed by CPD in Municipal Court in 2024. Five locations top the list. The biggest offender is along the outer belt, I-270 Southbound — one of the busiest loops in the city. 'There is no speed in the city of Columbus where it is faster than 65 miles an hour,' Columbus Division of Police Officer Don Paden said. Decades-old Mexican restaurant at Easton Town Center quietly shuts down But try telling that to the more than 1,400 drivers caught speeding along I-270 South. More than half — 722 to be exact — of those tickets were written at I-270 South and East Main Street. 'Speeding and distracted driving,' Officer Paden said. 'It's happening more and more often.' NBC4 Investigates found that many of the locations where people were caught speeding are on the edges of the city, just as you drive in or out. That's the case along US 23. Speeding drivers coming into the city got hit with more than 1,100 tickets last year, right by Rathmell Road. 'People will come up behind us and we've already got them on the radar where they're speeding,' Paden said. Paden has heard almost every excuse in the book. From the obvious: 'One of the funniest things, and I think everybody can relate, is that you have someone that's speeding and you stop them and they're like, well, I'm trying to make it to the bathroom,' Paden said. To more outrageous: 'It was serious enough that you had to go over 100 miles an hour to get to your mom, who's a nurse. But it wasn't serious enough for you to stop at one of the four hospitals that you passed,' Paden said. Whatever the excuse, it did not work for the more than 8,600 drivers cited by CPD for speeding in the city last year. Another hot zone: I-70 Eastbound at James Road. More than 1,000 tickets were given there. However, it's not just freeways. East Livingston Avenue at Lonsdale Road and Cleveland Avenue at Ashbury Road are busy roads where hundreds of speeding drivers have received tickets. 'They see us and they do what we call drop anchor and they're immediately slowing down right then,' Paden said. Others, even with the latest technology to show where police are waiting still test the limits. 'We only got a short amount of time to be in an area to really target it hard before Waze tells on us, which that's a good thing. You know what I mean? The point is we're trying to get everybody to slow down,' Paden said. Sorting through the more than 8,000 pieces of data is how we can show you where along your drive people are getting caught for speeding. More of the spots where drivers get caught the most for speeding can be seen below: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Decades-old Mexican restaurant at Easton Town Center quietly shuts down
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Mexican restaurant that sat inside Easton Town Center since the mall first opened in 1999 has quietly shut down. Adobe Gilas 'recently' closed its doors, an Easton spokesperson told NBC4, adding the shopping center does not have 'any further updates at this time.' The eatery was located on the second floor of the mall above Levi's. As of Wednesday night, Adobe Gilas had not taken down information about the Easton restaurant from its website or posted there about its closure. However, the social media accounts for its Columbus location have been deleted. The Mexican restaurant had been operating at Easton since the shopping center was founded in June 1999. The Columbus restaurant marked Adobe Gilas' singular Ohio location. The brand's only other spot in the country resides in Rosemont, Illinois. Adobe Gilas is known for its live entertainment, cocktails and Mexican food. Its Easton menu consisted of items such as loaded nachos, fajitas, burritos, burgers and wings. The restaurant featured an eclectic ambiance, including dollar bills plastered on its walls and a variety of bright signage. NBC4 reached out to the business for comment on its Easton closure, but has not yet heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBC4's Jerod Smalley to join Marshall University's Journalism Hall of Fame
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WCMH) — An NBC4 anchor team member is joining another prestigious group. Jerod Smalley will soon be inducted into Marshall University's W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame. Smalley, who has worked at NBC4 for more than 20 years, will join four others in the honor, including Corley Dennison, Cathryn Gibbs Harris, Jeff Hopson and Patrick Wittich. The ceremony will be held this fall. 'Marshall University has a long and proud history of journalism and mass communications excellence, and this newest class of inductees into our Hall of Fame once again proves that,' Chris Dickerson, president of the SOJMC Alumni Advisory Board, which handles the nomination process, said in a statement. 'Every year, our board has an immensely talented pool of candidates nominated for induction. It's always a difficult process because of the rich talent.' Smalley, a SOJMC graduate, is being recognized for his work as a news anchor and as the former sports director at NBC4. The school noted his awards as the six-time recipient of Ohio's Best Anchor by The Associated Press and numerous regional Emmy Awards, including four for his work on 'The Autism Puzzle.' 'Like all of our previous inductees, these newest ones have done great things all over the world in a variety of fields,' Dickerson said. 'We are extremely proud of all of our graduates, and it is an honor to welcome four more very deserving members to our Hall of Fame.' According to the school, the Hall of Fame tradition began in 1985. The five people being honored in this class will bring the total number of inductees to 90. Inductees need to have a connection to the SOJMC, such as being a graduate or a faculty member. Smalley graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors from Marshall University in 2001. The dinner and ceremony for this year's event are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7, in the John Marshall Room of the Memorial Student Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
