Threat of child care closures looms in Ohio

1 big thing: Ohio's child care cliff

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Fewer new moms are working in Columbus

2. 💼 Fewer new moms are working in Columbus

3. Nutshells: Your local news roundup

4. 📸 Photo quiz: Read all about it

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A new career is waiting for you

5. 🛣️ New highway signage to go 

☀️ Today's weather: Still unseasonably sunny. High near 86.

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🗳️ Situational awareness: An overhaul of Ohio's K-12 education system was enacted at midnight despite a court order to hold off amid a legal challenge, the Dispatch reports.

In place is a new, governor-controlled Department of Education and Workforce.

Today's newsletter is 899 words — a 3.5-minute read.

This newsletter was edited by Lindsey Erdody and copy edited by Kate Sommers-Dawes and Keely Bastow.

😬 Tyler is a tad worried about the Bengals.

🥹 Alissa is glad to see Squirrel the manatee's long road of recovery has led to a happy ending.

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

Axios Columbus

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Ohio still waiting for passenger rail expansion

1 big thing: The waiting game for passenger trains

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State lottery contract could be up for grabs

2. 🎰 State lottery contract could be up for grabs

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4. 💍 Charted: The state of matrimony

On the job hunt?

5. 🚂 Throwback Thursday: An old-fashioned ride

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Wow, it's Thursday already? No complaints here!

☔ Today's weather: Chance of showers, thunderstorms. Dense fog expected overnight. High near 71.

🌕 Situational awareness: The harvest moon rises in the sky tonight, and it'll be the last "supermoon" we see until this time next year.

Today's newsletter is 873 words — a 3.5-minute read.

This newsletter was edited by Lindsey Erdody and copy edited by Kate Sommers-Dawes and Carolyn DiPaolo

🎢 Tyler wishes there was still a $1.25 train to Cedar Point!

😋 Alissa can't keep up with all the exciting additions coming to her side of town — not just Toft's, but also Chicken Salad Chick and Biggby Coffee!

🤔 Got a burning question? Reply to this email and Ask Axios.

In a future newsletter, we'll answer your questions about Columbus, current events or whatever else is on your mind.

Unique home for sale in German Village

1 big thing: A unique old home for sale 

Photos of a 3-story brick residence and its 1st-floor showroom.

Where to watch "The Eras Tour" movie

2. 🎥 Where to watch "The Eras Tour" movie

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4. 📸 Photo quiz: The Gardens at Gantz

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5. ❤️ golf? Grab your clubs

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🌮 Good Wednesday morning! Where are you dining on this most delicious made-up holiday, National Taco Day? 

😎 Today's weather: Sunny. High near 86.

📱 Situational awareness: FEMA and the FCC will issue a nationwide emergency alert test today on all cellphones, wireless devices, radios and TVs at around 2:20pm local time.

Today's newsletter is 909 words — a 3.5-minute read.

⛳ Tyler is thinking about taking another trip to Topgolf.  

🌼 Alissa added a few mums to her outdoor decor in hopes of summoning some fall weather.

A closer look at Ohio's new political maps

1 big thing: A closer look at our new districts

2. 🌊 Map du jour: Flood risk across Ohio

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Columbites: Fox in the Snow

4. 🦊 Columbites: Fox in the Snow

5. 🏒 1 preseason donnybrook to go

Today's weather: Sunny with a high of 85. So much for fall weather.

🎵 Sounds like: "Texas Flood" by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

🍔 Situational awareness: It's Burger and Beer Week, with tasty deals at nearly 40 participating restaurants.

Today's newsletter is 859 words — a 3-minute read.

This newsletter was edited by Lindsey Erdody and copy edited by Judith Isacoff and Keely Bastow.

😮 Tyler can't believe it's already October!

🤣 Alissa can't get enough of these Kevin James memes.

Columbus' nightlife is bouncing back

1 big thing: 🕺 Our nightlife rebound

How a government shutdown would impact Ohio

2. How a gov't shutdown would impact Ohio

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What to do this weekend: Sept. 29-Oct. 1

4. What to do this weekend

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5. Hoping to buy a home?

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6. ⚾ 1 farewell to go

🌞 Happy Friday! Get ready to say goodbye to the gray and gloom, because we've got a gorgeous, sunny weekend ahead of us.

😶‍🌫️ Today's weather: A foggy morning, and then one more cloudy day. High near 76.

🎵 Sounds like: "Get the Party Started" by Pink.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios Columbus member Aaron Pickrell!

Today's newsletter is 857 words — a 3-minute read.

🙃 Tyler is going to shut down in solidarity with the federal government.

👀 Alissa is reading about Shrek's swamp listing on Airbnb.

The Ohio Lottery Commission will pursue competitive bids on a new gaming system contract in the near future, Axios Columbus has learned.

Why it matters: The highly coveted contract is currently valued at over $118 million.

State of play: Ohio has contracted with the Greece-based company Intralot since 2009 to provide lottery kiosks at over 10,000 retail locations, plus video lottery terminals inside racinos.

The contract is currently on a two-year renewal and there's an option for one more two-year renewal that would run through June 30, 2027, lottery commission spokesperson Danielle Frizzi-Babb tells Axios.

Between the lines: The hefty contract has drawn scrutiny in the past.

Ohio waived competitive bidding to renew its Intralot contract in 2019, despite objections from business competitors and state lawmakers, AP reported at the time.

The big picture: If Ohio chooses a different vendor, it would take between two to four years to make the full conversion.

There would likely be two concurrent contracts to keep lottery services going amid a transition to new equipment, Frizzi-Babb says.

Intralot has not responded to Axios' inquiry about if it plans to bid again to remain Ohio's lottery vendor.

Of note: Intralot holds a separate, five-year contract to run the Ohio Lottery's sports betting machines.

Companies will vie for a lucrative contract to provide lottery machines.

The Ohio Lottery might switch gaming companies in the coming years. Photo: Andrew Spear/Getty Images

Ohio

The Ohio Lottery Commission will pursue competitive bids on a new gaming system contract in the near future, Axios Columbus has learned.Why it matters: The highly coveted contract is currently valued at over $118 million.

News

Politics

A pandemic-era program that provided federal funding to the child care industry expired over the weekend — and local providers and families are now bracing for impact as the U.S. falls off a "child care cliff."

Why it matters: The funding amounted to a $24 billion Band-Aid patched over a long-struggling industry, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

Now that the bandage has been ripped off, the state of child care in the U.S. is likely to become even worse than it was before 2020.

By the numbers: As many as 70,000 centers nationwide, looking after 3.2 million children, may close as the funding runs out, according to a widely cited estimate from the Century Foundation.

In Ohio, over 2,100 programs are expected to close, affecting nearly 135,000 children, per the estimates.

Zoom in: From roughly 2020-22, 261 area child care programs closed while 243 opened, per a report by Action for Children, a child care referral agency for the seven-county Central Ohio region.

That's a net loss of 1.5% of total programs, but any loss causes serious disruptions for families who have to find new care and employees who have to find new jobs.

A new report with more recent data is expected in November, CEO Eric Karolak tells Axios.

Context: The local child care industry has been living on the edge for a while.

The pandemic exacerbated existing problems, such as low pay, turnover, staff shortages, high costs, waitlists and a lack of access for families.

Between the lines: Ohio lawmakers recently widened the eligibility for families to receive government-funded child care, but rejected a plan to use $150 million in pandemic relief funding to pay child care costs for "critical-care workers."

The big picture: The cliff is also approaching just as mothers are hitting their stride in the labor market, with nationwide workforce participation at new highs and the employment gap between men and women at record lows.

If the dire forecasts prove true, millions of families will be left with some hard choices.

If their child care provider shuts down or raises prices past a level they can afford, which is widely expected, many parents could exit the job market entirely.

What's next: The impact of the federal funding expiration will take time to develop.

The final round of American Rescue Plan Act funding for Ohio totals $500 million and must be spent by September 2024, an Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services spokesperson tells Axios.

As pandemic funding run out, over 2,100 programs could close.

Child care

A pandemic-era program that provided federal funding to the child care industry expired over the weekend — and local providers and families are now bracing for impact as the U.S. falls off a &quot;child care cliff.&quot;Why it matters: The funding amounted to a $24 billion Band-Aid patched over a long-struggling industry, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Emily Peck reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/20/child-care-cliff" data-vars-content-id="2e07d797-e897-4e01-8169-f4d00f3ec155" data-vars-headline="Threat of child care closures looms in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/20/child-care-cliff" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Emily Peck reports</a>.

🐎 Giddy up to the All American Quarter Horse Congress, touted as the world's largest single-breed horse show.

Trade show: 9:30am-7pm today and Saturday, 9:30am-6pm Sunday, Ohio Expo Center.

✍️ Celebrate art and animation at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, a festival with events across the city all weekend.

10am-7:30pm today, 10am-9:30pm Saturday and 10:30am-5pm Sunday. Free!

🚶 Stroll down High Street and enjoy live music, vendors, food trucks and kids activities during the Clintonville Jamboree.

🎨 Paint a masterpiece and sing your favorite tunes during Paint and Karaoke at Brush Crazy.

5-9pm tonight and Saturday, 5-8pm Sunday, 1299 Bethel Road.

🎃 Walk among thousands of intricately carved pumpkins during Jack O' Lantern World's opening weekend.

Times vary. Tonight-Sunday, Franklin County Fairgrounds, 4100 Columbia St., Hilliard.

⛏️ Dig into the past at Ohio History Connection's Archaeology Day.

10am-4pm Saturday. $10-16. Kids under 4 free!

🛍️ Shop for a worthy cause at the Festival for Good (this month's Grandview Hop), featuring vendors that benefit social causes.

5-9pm Saturday, along Grandview Avenue. Free!

⚽ Cheer on the Crew against Philadelphia during Superhero Night, the team's second-to-last home match of the season.

7:30pm Saturday. Sold out, but resale tickets start at $50.

On our list: Cartoon Crossroads,  Jack O' Lantern World and more.

Weekend

🐎 Giddy up to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="All American Quarter Horse Congress" data-vars-click-url="https://www.quarterhorsecongress.com/" data-vars-content-id="7c06cc70-ede8-47d1-aaf6-b023c694f007" data-vars-headline="What to do this weekend: Sept. 29-Oct. 1" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.quarterhorsecongress.com/" target="_blank">All American Quarter Horse Congress</a>, touted as the world&#x27;s largest single-breed horse show.<ul><li>Trade show: 9:30am-7pm today and Saturday, 9:30am-6pm Sunday, Ohio Expo Center.</li></ul>

Things to Do

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

Driving the news: About 27% of bar and restaurant transactions across the city using Square have occurred between 7pm-4am so far this year, per data from the point-of-sale company.

Why it matters: That figure surpasses pre-pandemic transactions, which is a good indicator that our nightlife has recovered from the shutdowns and curfews of 2020.

The intrigue: Among 30 Axios Local cities across the U.S., Columbus was one of just three with a 2023 figure that ranked highest since 2019, along with Detroit and Philadelphia.

Zoom in: Square's data aligns with indicators we've reported on — such as cellphone activity and restaurant reservations — showing that our area has rebounded nicely since the pandemic's early days.

Major concerts, sporting events, festivals and fundraisers like the biannual 614 Restaurant Week are drawing large crowds that clearly aren't worried about staying out past their bedtimes.

Between the lines: The Wall Street Journal ranking Ohio State as the country's No. 18 party school this week probably doesn't hurt, either.

The big picture: There are some signs that we're becoming a "nation of early birds," as the WSJ recently put it, in part because the pandemic shifted how we spend our time.

One contributing factor to going to bed earlier? Going out earlier, with "hybrid and remote workers itching to leave the house as soon as they close their laptops."

Yet, other indicators suggest the late-night scene is alive and well across America, which suggests that people are still burning off pent-up demand for social time.

Of note: Square can't capture all transactions across all venues in a given city — it only knows about those made using its platform and tech.

Still, its use is widespread enough for its data to point to broad trends.

Square transactions after 7pm now exceed pre-pandemic levels.

Entertainment

A bar graph showing Columbus' steady increase in night-life transactions since 2020.

Columbus, you like to party.Driving the news: About 27% of bar and restaurant transactions across the city using Square have occurred between 7pm-4am so far this year, per data from the point-of-sale company.

Business

Hoping to see "The Eras Tour'' film on opening night? We've found some blank spaces at Central Ohio theaters — but you should act swiftly.

Driving the news: The movie's forthcoming Oct. 13 debut shattered AMC's record for single-day advance ticket sales, raking in $26 million on Aug. 31, the day it was announced, Axios' Shauneen Miranda reports.

If you go: Tickets cost $19.89 for adults and $13.13 for children and seniors, plus extra for premium showings on large format screens.

🍿 AMC, Cinemark and Marcus movie theaters across Central Ohio.

AMC has the fewest tickets left, but there are still plenty of showtimes as early as 6pm and as late as 12:15am (although that is technically Oct. 14).

📽️ Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St., near Ohio State's campus.

🚗 South Drive-In, 3050 S. High St., Far South Side.

🎟️ Drexel Theatre, 2254 E. Main St., Bexley.

Sold out opening night, but tickets are available at 2:30pm and 7pm Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.

🍺 Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, 3055 Indianola Ave., Clintonville, and Grandview Theater & Drafthouse, 1247 Grandview Ave.

Pro tip: If you can wait a week, beer tasting events still have room on Oct. 21 and 22 and cost $50.

🤑 1 fun idea: Starting Oct. 19, rent a private theater for you and 39 of your closest friends at the Dublin, Easton or Grove City AMC locations for $800.

Hey, it's still cheaper than tickets for the actual tour!

Meanwhile, if you're more a Beyhive member than a Swiftie, Beyoncé has announced a "Renaissance World Tour" concert film debuting Dec. 1.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the Drexel Theatre.

Swifties can try beer tastings, a drive-in and private theater rentals.

Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour stop in Cincinnati. Photo: Taylor Hill/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift

Hoping to see &quot;The Eras Tour&#x27;&#x27; film on opening night? We&#x27;ve found some blank spaces at Central Ohio theaters — but you should act swiftly.Driving the news: The movie&#x27;s forthcoming Oct. 13 debut shattered AMC&#x27;s record for single-day advance ticket sales, raking in $26 million on Aug. 31, the day it was announced, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Shauneen Miranda reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-amc-presale-record" data-vars-content-id="d94739fe-1b48-4b7f-989e-c8add95bde97" data-vars-headline="Where to watch &quot;The Eras Tour&quot; movie" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-amc-presale-record" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Shauneen Miranda reports</a>.

Alissa Widman Neese

Stories

Where to watch "The Eras Tour" movie

Threat of child care closures looms in Ohio

Columbus' nightlife is bouncing back

What to do this weekend: Sept. 29-Oct. 1

State lottery contract could be up for grabs

Newsletter editions

🎵 Swifties unite!

👶 Child care crisis

🔍 Our new districts

🌃 Columbus after dark

🚊 Train waiting game