Across Franklin County, dozens of nonprofit organizations work diligently to ensure the city's neighborhoods are supplemented with the resources they need.
Whether supplying meals through local food banks, forming out-of-school programs for students or establishing centers for those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, these organizations serve as difference-makers in the capital city.
Read MoreMia Lewis said anxiety and confusion loom over this year's general election, but her organization and others are increasing efforts to assure voter protection in Franklin County and across Ohio through Election Day.
Lewis, associate director of Common Cause Ohio, helps lead a nonpartisan group that educates voters and ensures residents can cast their ballots safely. The statewide group is part of a national organization, which forms the Election Protection coalition.
Read MoreTo better meet the needs of local residents, Franklin County commissioners appointed Joy Bivens as a new deputy county administrator Monday to oversee and integrate county human services systems.
The board announced that Bivens, who currently serves as the director of the county Job and Family Services agency, will take on the administrative role for health and human services to better support traditionally underserved community members.
Read MoreWith a shortage of coins in circulation because of the coronavirus shutdowns, local businesses have sought new ways to create a flow of pocket change to keep operations afloat.
For nearly a month, Whitehall Turkey Hill store manager Dustin Anderson said the store was short-handed on coins, prompting employees to hang signs on doors and cash registers notifying customers.
Read MoreA collaboration among several Franklin County agencies received a $900,000 award for a new safety model to combat domestic violence and protect victims.
The 2020 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Violence Against Women, will establish the Blueprint for Safety model through September 2023, Franklin County and Columbus officials announced Tuesday morning.
Read MoreThe Franklin County Board of Elections and local Republican Party are pushing for more GOP poll workers needed for the November election.
The Board of Elections, requiring 5,600 poll workers, has filled 4,833 positions, with 1,044 Republicans occupying those roles as of Thursday. There are 2,297 and1,492 Democratic and unaffiliated poll workers, respectively.
Read MoreAfter two years of contention, the Franklin County commissioners signed off Tuesday on a plan to support early voter outreach efforts for the general election.
The $420,000 allocation was approved by two of the three members of the Board of Commissioners, John O’Grady and Marilyn Brown. Commissioner Kevin Boyce voted against the resolution, expressing concerns over outreach to minority publications and senior residents.
Read MoreThe Franklin County Auditor’s Office has partnered with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity to help eliminate inequalities in the housing appraisal process.
On Monday, Auditor Michael Stinziano and researchers from the Columbus-based Kirwan Institute held the Making of Metropolitan Inequality conference, the first of a two-part series aimed at discussing the policies that created redlined communities and suggestions on what’s next.
Read MoreFranklin County commissioners have approved a $5.4 million grant to help nonprofit organizations suffering from revenue losses and unanticipated expenses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Resiliency Grants, funded by federal CARES Act dollars, will serve as a lifeline for nonprofit groups throughout the county, said Jodi Andes, county board spokeswoman.
Read MoreNostalgic thoughts ran through Gerald Kinsey's mind as he spoke to several New Tech Institute students Wednesday for the school's Seventh annual Hoosier Veterans Consortium.
Kinsey, an Army and United States Air Force veteran, was nearly speechless when asked how it feels to share his life story. Stories like Kinsey's are what many of the students at the event have been studying in books in their U.S. History and freshman English classes.
Read MoreWes Lowery is an emerging professional in the world of journalism, and one that’s accolades exceed many his age (26). Upon graduating from Ohio University in 2012, Lowery has worked for renowned publications like the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and The Washington Post where he’s covered stories centered on social justice issues in the U.S. He’s gained national recognition for his reports on the police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland.
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