1 big thing: Early voting soon underway 

The front entrance of the Franklin County Board of Elections with a side in front reading "Ballot Drop Off."

2. 🌳 Charted: National parks spending

3. Nutshells: Your local news roundup

Illustration of a smartphone in the shape of the flag of Ohio, with the flag onscreen.

4. Your favorite local burgers

Illustration of a cheeseburger with the Axios "A" as a grillmark on the burger patty. 

Fresh openings from the job board 

5. Black, Yellow and Boom

Fireworks are set off after a Columbus Crew game.

6. 🍕 1 record-setting pizza to go

A news headline from 1974 about the world's largest pizza. 

Happy Tuesday! We hope you had a great holiday weekend. Now, back to the news.

⛈️ Today's weather: Thunderstorms popping up all week long. High of 93.

Situational awareness: Columbus City Council is hosting two public hearings this week on the 2022 capital budget. 

4 tonight, 540 Industrial Mile Road; 5:30pm Thursday, 5147 Karl Road, both also streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.

Today's newsletter is 900 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🍕 Tyler wonders who holds the record for the world's smallest pizza. 

🎵 Alissa thinks these young fans crowd surfing on inflatable pizzas at Sunday's Aquabats concert set a record for being the coolest. kids. ever.

Columbus

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Columbus. Written by Tyler Buchanan and Alissa Widman Neese.

Axios Columbus

1 big thing: Air travel trouble

Illustration of a travel postcard with an airplane appearing in the text of a scream.

2. Ohioans may vote on vaccine mandate ban 

Anti-vaccine demonstrators hold signs outside the Ohio Statehouse. 

3. Nutshells: It's raining cashews and dogs 

4. Contagious subvariants dominating COVID rates

New jobs to check out

5. Quote du jour

Illustration of a woman carrying an oversized gavel on her back.

It's already Thursday! We will see sunshine today, but the grass really needed recent rain.

⛈️ Today's weather: Chance for more rain tonight. High of 87.

🎵 Sounds like: "Rain is a Good Thing" by Luke Bryan.

Today's newsletter is 894 words — a 3.5-minute read.

⚾️ Tyler is headed to tonight's Clippers game. Say hello if you'll be going!

🎥 Alissa is seeing "Minions: The Rise of Gru" — but will not be wearing a suit.

1 big thing: Where to launch fireworks

Bonus: Go beyond Boom

Illustration of the Axios "A" written in fireworks.

2. Shots for tots off to slow start

Illustration of a hand holding a toy syringe.  

3. Nutshells: The roast is history

Illustration of a pattern made up of several copies of the Ohio flag.

4. What to do this holiday weekend

A man dressed as Uncle Sam riding a flag-adorned bicycle in a parade. 

5. 🍔 Ohio's best burger (apparently) 

It's Friday! Friday! Gotta get down on Friday! (Sorry.)

😬 Today's weather: High of 92 with a chance of rain.

🎆 Programming note: We're off Monday to celebrate Independence Day but will be back Tuesday morning. Have a great holiday weekend!

Today's newsletter is 852 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🎇 Tyler is mostly unpacked and ready to enjoy some fireworks tonight!

🎵 Alissa is seeing Bowling For Soup and Less than Jake this weekend!

1 big thing: Akron police shooting spurs unrest

Protestors hold signs reading "Justice for Jayland" in Akron.

2. We're young, but getting older


3. Nutshells: The buck-eye stops here 


Illustration of a buckeye nut bouncing across the screen.

4.  🎶 Ohio State Fair's concert lineup


Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus at a concert. 

Look who’s hiring

Columbus Crew star forward Cucho Hernandez holds a Crew jersey.

Happy Wednesday, Columbus! Although, today has serious Tuesday energy.  

⛈ Today's weather: More thunderstorms expected this afternoon. High of 88. 

🗳 Situational awareness: Today's the first day of voting in the Aug. 2 special primary election. 

Today's newsletter is 840 words — a 3-minute read.

🌭 Tyler is amazed at this clip of Joey Chestnut taking out a protester at the hot dog eating contest.

👀 Alissa might snag a couple of those Gabriel Iglesias tickets.

1 big thing: OB-GYNs' post-Roe fears 

Illustration of a doctor's handcuffed hands wearing medical gloves

2. 🎆 How to fake it: Red, White & Boom

Bonus: Reader picks

Animated illustration of messages exploding like fireworks

3. Nutshells: You ain't nuttin' but a hound dog 

Illustration of three smiling emojis, each on an outline of Ohio.

4. Ohio's first settlers

A historical marker sign in the foreground with a burial mound in the background

Now hiring: New job openings

5. Photo quiz: Dublin's Davis log cabin

A log cabin with tree branches in the foreground

Happy Thursday! Stand on your tiptoes and you can almost see Friday.

☀️ Today's weather: Still sunny, still sizzling. High of 91.

🤝 Sharing is caring: Use this referral link to recommend Axios Columbus to your friends. Refer lots of new subscribers and you'll score some swag.

Today's newsletter is 906 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🍺 Alissa is on a quest to find her favorite sour beer, Rhinegeist's Peach Dodo, which just made a comeback.

Planning to fly this summer? Be sure to pack some patience.

Piloting the news: Facing staffing shortages, airlines' struggles to keep pace with a sudden upswing in demand is leading to delays and cancellations, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.

Why it matters: After being stuck at home for the past couple summers, people are eager to fly again.

A pandemic-era record number of Americans took to the skies over the Fourth of July weekend despite predictions of a hellish few days for air travel, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

By the numbers: In the first four months of 2022, just 73.5% of arrivals to John Glenn Columbus International Airport were on time, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data.

The only lower year-to-date figure over the past decade was in 2014, a year skewed by bad winter weather.

More than 4.4% of arrivals were canceled, more than double the average for a typical year.

Since Memorial Day, passenger traffic has been about 90% of what it was during the same time frame in 2019, airport spokesperson Sarah McQuaide tells Axios.

Meanwhile, a below-average 78.6% of departures were on time and a well-above-average 4.5% were canceled.

What we're watching: With the busiest travel months of the year upon us, the worst could be yet to come.

✈️ Travel tips: Book early flights, which allow for some scheduling wiggle room in case of delays.

Arrive at least 90 minutes before domestic flights and two hours for international.

Don't get slowed down at security by bringing  prohibited items.

Get a REAL ID to be federally compliant by May 3, 2023.

💭 Alissa's thought bubble: I had my worst-ever travel experience by far in December. Passengers weren't informed until after fully boarding that the plane didn't have a pilot and we had to get off. 

Two hours  and many vending machine snacks later, the flight was canceled.

Granted, it was a redeye on Spirit Airlines, so I guess you get what you pay for, huh?

📬 We want to know: What have your COVID-era travel experiences been like? Email columbus@axios.com.

Don't expect easy air travel this summer

Flight delays and cancellations are more common this year.

Air travel

Planning to fly this summer? Be sure to pack some patience.Piloting the news: Facing staffing shortages, airlines&#x27; struggles to keep pace with a sudden upswing in demand is leading to delays and cancellations, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Nathan Bomey reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/23/airline-delays-cancellations-united-american" data-vars-content-id="11e91b4a-ac5a-432f-a81d-2a30311c1cea" data-vars-headline="Don&#x27;t expect easy air travel this summer" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/23/airline-delays-cancellations-united-american" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Nathan Bomey reports</a>.

News

Business

Data: National Park Service; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Visitor spending at Ohio's national park sites has rebounded to slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

Driving the news: More than 2.8 million visitors spent $65.7 million in 2021, according to a new report from the National Park Service. 

The majority of visits were at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the large swath of picturesque land between Cleveland and Akron.

The largest spend share was on lodging (29.4%), then restaurants (25%), gas (14.9%) and recreational activities (12.4%). 

Details: While Cuyahoga is technically Ohio's only national park, the parks system manages several historical sites, including the Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay and President Taft's birth site in Cincinnati.

Of note: While our green spaces may not bring in as much green as other states — we're No. 37 nationally  — Cuyahoga's 2.5 million visitors in 2021 isn't too shabby.

The park is in good company, with about the same number of visitors as Mount Rushmore and Olympic National Park in Washington.

💭 Alissa's thought bubble:  Just two hours from Columbus, Cuyahoga Valley is a perfect weekend getaway. My husband and I rented this cozy Airbnb in 2017, just a short walk from Brandywine Falls.

While the falls get lots of attention, I recommend the Ledges Trail. The towering rock formations are breathtaking — and so are the views from the Overlook!

Alissa stands on the Ledges Trail's stone staircase with cliffs on either side

Alissa stands on the Ledges Trail's iconic stone staircase. Photo: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios

Ohio national parks rebound to pre-COVID popularity

Cuyahoga Valley National Park attracts the most visitors and spending.

National Park Service (NPS)

Visitor spending at Ohio&#x27;s national park sites has rebounded to slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. Driving the news: More than 2.8 million visitors spent $65.7 million in 2021, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm" target="_blank">a new report</a> from the National Park Service.

Things to Do

The Ohio State Fair's much-anticipated return is just three weeks away. Organizers added to the hype yesterday by adding a free show to the fair's concert lineup.

What's happening: Generation Radio — a supergroup of music legends that includes members of Chicago and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — is now performing on the second day of the 10-day fair, July 28 at 7pm in the Celeste Center.

Any fairgoers can attend after paying gate admission of $8-10. (Kids 5 and under free!)

Of note: Bassist Jay DeMarcus from Rascal Flatts is a Columbus native, so be sure to give him a big hometown welcome.

Grab tickets now for these other shows (ticket includes admission to the rest of the fair):

Foreigner - The Greatest Hits, 7:30pm July 29, $40.

Nelly with special guest Breland, 7pm July 30, $35.

Dru Hill & Raheem DeVaugh, 7:30pm July 31, $30.

Zach Williams with special guest We the Kingdom, 7pm Aug. 1, $30.

Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, 7pm Aug. 3, $45.

Willie Nelson with special guest Noah Guthrie, 7:30pm Aug. 5, $47

Lakeside & Con Funk Shun, 7pm Aug. 6, $30.

Here's who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair

Just added: a free Generation Radio concert on July 28.

Jay DeMarcus points his fingers at a crowd

Jay DeMarcus of the band Rascal Flatts performs in 2019. Photo: Scott Legato/Getty Images

Entertainment

The Ohio State Fair&#x27;s much-anticipated return is just three weeks away. Organizers added to the hype yesterday by adding a free show to the fair&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concert lineup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/concerts1" data-vars-content-id="74bf054b-364d-4b23-9c20-ba9d1556297b" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/concerts1" target="_blank">concert lineup</a>.What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Generation Radio" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theriseaboveband.com/" data-vars-content-id="74bf054b-364d-4b23-9c20-ba9d1556297b" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theriseaboveband.com/" target="_blank">Generation Radio</a> — a supergroup of music legends that includes members of Chicago and Tom Petty &amp; The Heartbreakers — is now performing on the second day of the 10-day fair, July 28 at 7pm in the Celeste Center.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Simran Parwani/Axios Visuals

Hey there Franklin County — you don't look a day over 34.7 years old.

By the numbers: That was our county's median age in 2021, per U.S. Census data, the third youngest of Ohio's 88 counties.

Counties like ours with major college campuses tend to have lower median ages. 

Only Athens (home of Ohio University) and Holmes (the heart of Amish Country) are younger.

Yes, but: Franklin's median age increased slightly between April 2020 and July 2021.

The county recorded a slight dip in population during that time period, we wrote earlier this year, with thousands of residents moving out during the pandemic.

What's ahead: The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) expects the area's population growth to return and reach an estimated 3 million residents by 2050.

What they're saying: It's possible families with children are taking advantage of being able to work from home and moving away from Columbus' urban center, MORPC data analyst Ethan Hug tells Axios. 

And in general, fewer Americans are having kids, which is skewing our population older.

The bottom line: Just like Violet Beauregarde, we're young, but getting bigger and older by the minute. 

Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals  

Franklin County is young, but getting older

U.S. Census data gives a snapshot of the county's population trends.

Census Bureau

Hey there Franklin County — you don&#x27;t look a day over 34.7 years old.By the numbers: That was our county&#x27;s median age in 2021, per U.S. Census data, the third youngest of Ohio&#x27;s 88 counties.

Data: CDC; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants now make up more than 70% of all COVID-19 cases in the CDC's Region 5 area, which includes Columbus.

The rate is calculated by running thousands of samples through genomic sequencing.

Why it matters: The subvariants appear to be able to reinfect vaccinated people and even those who've recovered from recent Omicron infections.

They've also driven infection surges in South Africa and are gaining prevalence in Europe.

The latest: Cases in Ohio have stayed mostly flat over the past three weeks, with a daily recorded average of about 2,360, according to the state's online dashboard.

Yes, but: Those figures don't include at-home tests.

What's next: An FDA committee is considering a vaccine strategy to protect against the subvariants, but the timetable is unclear, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim and Tina Reed report.

Contagious COVID-19 subvariants dominate rates in Ohio

BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be able to reinfect vaccinated people.

COVID-19

Highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants now make up more than 70% of all COVID-19 cases in the CDC&#x27;s Region 5 area, which includes Columbus.<ul><li>The rate is calculated by running thousands of samples through genomic sequencing.</li></ul>

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Alissa Widman Neese

Stories

Contagious COVID-19 subvariants dominate rates in Ohio

Don't expect easy air travel this summer

Here's who is playing the 2022 Ohio State Fair

Franklin County is young, but getting older

Ohio national parks rebound to pre-COVID popularity

Newsletter editions

✈️ Pack some patience

We're getting older

🍕 Former world record

🎇 Legal (ish) fireworks

OB-GYN fears