Alison Holm

After months of speculation, the Columbus Blue Jackets have traded captain Rick Nash to the New York Rangers.  Alison Holm has more.

Ohio higher education officials have voted unanimously to urge the state's
public campuses to ban use of all tobacco products, both indoors and
outdoors.

A bomb threat briefly closed the county courthouse in downtown Columbus this morning.

Residents living near the Ohio Turnpike aren't convinced about the benefits state officials say would come by privatizing the toll road. The first public meeting about the plan came last night in Elyria, where Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo expressed concerns about increased tolls and sloppy maintenance. 

Ohio's largest police union has thrown its support behind democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in the state's closely watched campaign for U.S. Senate. It marks the first time in 24 years the fraternal order of police has endorsed a democrat for senate. In a statement, president Jay McDonald cited Brown's opposition to the governor's collective bargaining overhaul as a key factor in its endorsement. The FOP chose brown over republican opponent and state treasurer Josh Mandel. The race continues to draw attention in and outside of The Buckeye State. And as Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports, it's already setting records.

State prisons director Gary Mohr has approved the first three inmates for a program meant to help ex-cons find work. The program provides information to employers about an inmate's employability. Mohr says it's designed to reduce Ohio's prison population in part by reducing recidivism. 

The director of Ohio State University's Sea Grant program predicts this year's toxic blue-green algae bloom in Lake Erie's Western Basin will be much smaller than last year. A team of researchers collaborated on a seasonal algae prediction, saying this year will be mild compared with worsening blooms over the past few years. The team says there's been less rain than usual, reducing the phosphorus from raw sewage and farm fertilizer runoff that feeds algae growth. The algae produce bacteria that can kill animals and sicken humans.

Ohio officials say only two of the 18 indicted suspects remain at large in a telemarketing scam that allegedly stole millions from people in 41 states over the past five years. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office said Monday that two more members of the ring, including its alleged leader, have been arrested in the past two days - one in Florida and one in Ohio. DeWine says the suspects targeted land owners and led them to believe their property was worth more than it really was.

The Columbus city school board voted last night to postpone a proposed tax levy and bond issue until sometime in 2013. Alison Holm has more.

Utility crews continue to work to restore power to the some 660-thousand customers affected by storms that ripped through the state Friday afternoon.  another 20-thousand lost power when a second storm system moved through Sunday night. 

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought over the Columbus city school
district's use of timeout rooms for children with severe emotional and
behavioral problems.   

A new water quality report shows Ohio's beaches are among the most polluted in the Great Lakes Region -- which is one of the worst in the nation.  Alison Holm has more

Veteran NHL coach Craig Hartsburg will join the Columbus Blue Jackets as associate coach.

Two Columbus police officers are under an internal investigation related to military surplus items given to the division through a long-term federal program.

The Columbus City school board voted last night to accept the largest land swap in its history, in a deal with the city that ends up in a win-win -- and new construction -- for both parties.  

A former state representative was sentenced to 3 years in a bribery sting.  Alison Holm has more.

A six-week-long tax amnesty program for Ohioans ended last Friday, but tax officials don’t yet know how much total money has come IN as a result.

A state appeals court has rejected a lawsuit aimed at halting the activities of Ohio Governor John Kasich's new private job-creation entity called JobsOhio.

Ohio was a presidential battleground today, with president Obama and presumptive presidential candidate Mitt Romney both making campaign appearances.

Summer school began this week for over 1,400 students at five CCS high schools.  Program head Joyce Hackett says costs are offset by the tuition paid by students from CCS and other districts.