Good morning, this is Columbus Local Pulse for Friday, July 18th, 2025.
We’re waking up to a cooler and muggy morning with clouds and scattered light showers across the city. The real story today is the lingering rain after overnight downpours. Buckeye Lake saw roads fully submerged after several inches of rain last night, and while flooding was worst east of us, we’re reminded to watch for high water on local roads—never try to drive through it. Today’s high will stay in the upper seventies, and we’ll have more clouds than sunshine, but we’re expecting humidity to stick around. This pattern will continue into the weekend, with a risk for some more storms both Saturday and Sunday. Keep your umbrella close.
Breaking overnight, a grand jury indicted three people in connection with the deadly shooting near Polaris last month. Columbus police say they’re continuing to increase patrols in that area as a precaution. In other news, a Columbus man was charged with laundering nearly one million dollars in proceeds from an online scam. Police urge residents to be wary of suspicious emails and always confirm before sending payments electronically.
Columbus city government is moving forward with the next phase of its “Zone In” zoning reform, aiming to address affordable housing and allow for more mixed-use developments. City Council also passed an ordinance this week to expand the neighborhood violence intervention program. Residents at the city hall meeting voiced determination to remain engaged in the upcoming capital budget process, wanting more community input in shaping local investments.
Affordable housing is top of mind after two new developments celebrated ribbon cuttings, one in the Easton area and another not far from downtown. On the commercial side, Hudson’s Fish and Chicken is preparing to open on East Hudson Street, and Mikey’s Late Night Slice has announced expansion to Galaxy at Polaris, expected by early next year. Meanwhile, a Clintonville favorite is launching a new food concept at a local brewery, and news is buzzing about a pair of new burger restaurants coming to Central Ohio. Over in real estate, home seller profits continue to defy national trends as the Columbus market remains strong, while a suburban shopping center just sold for nearly 20 million dollars.
We’re keeping an eye on the local job market. A Columbus-based manufacturer just announced plans to boost its workforce by ten percent, and there are new job postings across healthcare, retail, and manufacturing as summer hiring heats up.
Culturally, the city is gearing up for the Jazz and Rib Fest along the Scioto Mile this weekend, always a highlight for foodies and music lovers. Parker McCollum and Cody Johnson are headed to Columbus in the coming months, adding to a packed concert season. And for family fun, the tenth annual Columbus Coffee Festival is set for October, but tickets are already moving fast.
Our schools continue to shine—congratulations to the Columbus robotics team for making the finals at the state competition. In sports, there’s plenty of anticipation as Ohio State prepares for its home opener against Texas on August 30th. Tickets are in high demand.
We end with a feel-good story—a state trooper saved an injured owl found along Route 315 yesterday morning. The owl is recovering at a local wildlife rehab, much to the delight of local schoolkids who followed the rescue online.
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