Latest news with #NorthAmericaTrek
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.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why the opening of the Columbus Zoo's North America Trek is delayed
POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) — A small construction snafu and spring weather patterns have caused the debut of the Columbus Zoo's latest exhibit to be delayed. A spokesperson for the Columbus Zoo announced that the new North America Trek exhibit will not open until late June. A viewing window in the black bear exhibit was accidentally cracked by construction crews, prompting a review of the project's progress. Even though with the window crack, the exhibit still was animal safe. The Zoo in a statement also noted 'persistent rain' that factored into renovations and construction with 52 days of rain between December through April, with May also having a wet start. The construction has been ongoing since October 2023 and the organization said it represented an investment of $35 million. Ohio again ranks among worst states in country in list by U.S. News & World Report 'Animals follow nature's timeline—not ours—and we take our cues from them. Delaying the opening allows each species the time and space needed to fully acclimate to their new habitats—an essential step for their comfort, health, and long-term success,' wrote the Zoo in a statement. The first phase of changes for the new North America Trek exhibit includes: Mexican wolves Bald eagles Black bears North American river otters Songbirds Trumpeter swans Right now, on the new NBC4 Streaming Channel under 'Original Programing', we have an extended look at the new North America Trek. Step-by-step instructions on how to access the streaming channel can be found here A brief behind the scenes look can be seen in the video player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Program give Columbus police recruits exposure to community
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — It's been five years since the Columbus Division of Police started what the department calls the immersion training program, which engages new officers with the community to give them a better understanding of who lives there. Now, the benefits of the program are becoming evident, police leaders said, based on crime in the city and people's relationship with police. Columbus Anheuser-Busch brewery receives $300 million investment More than a dozen new recruit classes have been through the training. City leaders started the immersion program following civil unrest in Columbus and nationwide during 2020. It is one of many changes the division has made since then. 'What we identified was a lot of the recruits coming to Columbus now, they aren't from Columbus, so they're not aware of the city,' Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Keith Barker said. 'This allows them the opportunity in a low-stress environment to engage in a community, to learn about what the community's concerns are, to hear it, and real-world perspective.' The immersion program is several weeks long and consists of several parts. Officers start in a classroom environment by learning resources available in their assigned zone, followed by volunteer work. Last week, some of the officers volunteered at Jordan's Crossing, a non-profit organization in the North Hilltop section of the city. Amendment to eliminate Ohio property taxes moves one step closer to voters 'We are a resource center operation,' Jordan's Crossing Director Jennifer Rieser Braunm said. 'Six days a week, we do around 5,000 meals a week. We send people to treatment. We have showers for the people that don't have running water in their homes or living on the land. We have a free store, we have a clothing closet.' Rieser Braunm said Jordan's Crossing was one of the original partners with the program. She said it helps people who utilize their services to form a better relationship with police. 'They come in street clothes and they are extremely patient with our people,' she said of the officers. 'It's a different level of respect that's earned. I believe you have someone that maybe didn't, didn't want to be around a police officer, and here they are at the free store on a random Wednesday dealing with a police officer, and when they find that out, it's like, wow, that guy really is real.' The next part of the program is for the officers to identify a problem they see in the community and find a solution. After implementing that solution, the new officers must present it to the division. 'So, when they are responding to that call, instead of saying, 'Hey, you can go down to Jordan's Crossing, I heard about them,' they say, 'Hey, I've actually done some service work at Jordan's Crossing,'' Chairperson of Public Safety at Franklin University Dr. Chanelle Jones said. Why the opening of the Columbus Zoo's North America Trek is delayed Jones helped create the immersion program. She said the recruits have identified and found solutions to more than 160 problems in the city. Some of those are giving away steering wheel locks to prevent car theft, giving away gun locks to prevent accidental shootings and informing immigrant communities. She is also a part of the city's civilian police review board. Jones said from 2023-2024 officer complaints to the inspector general's office decreased by 11 percent. She credits the program for helping make that happen. 'We are very, very proud of the different projects that our officers have done,' Jones said. 'They're truly making an impact and really changing the landscape of how we look at police community relations here in Columbus.' She said in the last five years, the program has directly impacted about 35,000 people. She said the indirect impact is immeasurable. City Attorney Zach Klein, who also played a role in creating the program, credits the program as a big reason for improving the community's relationship with police in recent years. Ohio again ranks among worst states in country in list by U.S. News & World Report 'They grow, the community grows,' he said. 'It's a win-win for public safety, and it's a really special opportunity for the officers in the community to come together.' Program leaders said that in the coming years, they hope to expand the immersion program to include not just the new recruits, but more tenured officers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Columbus Zoo to open new $40 million North America Trek expansion this month
After years of anticipation, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has officially announced an opening date for the first phase of its renovated North America Trek region. On May 23, the zoo will host a special community dedication ceremony at 10 a.m., after which guests can enter and explore the trek themselves. The redesigned region — which has been in the works since 2021 and represents one of the largest long-term projects the zoo has seen in over a decade — will mimic the feeling of a national park, from the Great Smoky Mountains' forest-covered peaks to the American Southwest's rocky cliffs, according to a zoo news release Tuesday. Jen Fields, the zoo's director of communications, said in an email this first phase of the renovation of the zoo's oldest region cost roughly $40 million and covers eight acres of land. The second phase — which is currently in the planning stages and does not have a confirmed timeline — will cover an additional six acres, Fields said. The trek will also feature the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation, a new area that teaches about and features local endangered animals, such as Plains garter snakes and freshwater mussels. 'This transformation revitalizes the Zoo's oldest region, originally opened in 1985, into a conservation-focused destination filled with naturalistic design, winding trails, and unforgettable views—all created with animal well-being at the heart of every design,' the zoo reported in a Tuesday Facebook post. Prior to the North America Trek's debut, the zoo's most recent major addition was Adventure Cove, a $40-million project that opened in 2020, Fields said. She said this expansion is one of the zoo's largest capital projects since its Heart of Africa region opened in 2014. Though the trek's 'core experience' is ready, there are still final touches that will likely not be completed by the May 23 opening date, the post states. Specifically, certain animal species may not be visible to guests as they continue to settle into their new habitats. The region's newly featured species include Mexican wolves, bald eagles, river otters, black bears and more, according to the zoo's release. The second phase of the region's expansion will feature updated habitats for animals like wolverines, moose, reindeer and more. The trek, designed by PGAV Destinations and built by Pepper Construction, was developed with sustainability and the animals' well-being as the top priorities. 'Reclaimed soil, rescued trees, ADA-accessible pathways, green roofs, and naturalistic landscapes all contribute to a space that is both beautiful and ecologically responsible,' the zoo's release states. Emma Wozniak is a summer reporting intern at The Dispatch and can be reached at ewozniak@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Zoo to open North American Trek in major expansion
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Columbus Zoo postpones opening of $40 million North America Trek
Less than one week after announcing an official opening date, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has postponed the opening of its North America Trek. Director of communications Jen Fields said in an email Monday that a broader review of the trek's progress was prompted after a viewing window in the new area's black bear habitat was accidentally cracked by construction crews. Though black bear Stevie had not yet moved into the habitat and there were no animal safety concerns, this incident — coupled with the impact of this season's ongoing rain — led to the delay. Columbus Zoo's North America Trek: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium prepare for opening of North America Trek 'After thoughtful consideration, we have made the proactive decision to postpone the opening of North America Trek,' Fields said. 'A new date has not yet been confirmed, but we anticipate opening the region in late June.' The $40 million, eight-acre expansion was set to open May 23, marking one of the largest long-term projects the zoo has seen in over a decade. Fields said the decision to delay the trek's opening reflects the zoo's commitment to both its animals and its community. 'Delaying the opening allows each species the time and space needed to fully acclimate to their new habitats—an essential step for their comfort, health, and long-term success,' Fields said. 'It also ensures we deliver the immersive, thoughtfully designed experience our community expects and deserves.' In the meantime, Fields said the zoo remains open and will announce a new opening date for the North America Trek when it's been determined. Emma Wozniak is a summer reporting intern at The Dispatch and can be reached at ewozniak@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Zoo's new North America Trek postponed; no new date announced
