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For years, Hayden Dennis pepped up Westerville football players on the sidelines. But now the cheerleader competes on the field too — in flag football, which could soon become Ohio's newest sanctioned high school sport for girls.

Why it matters: The Ohio High School Athletic Association board is set to vote Friday, a big step in creating more opportunities for female athletes locally and at higher levels.

State of play: Dennis, a rising senior, joined Westerville Central's team when it debuted in 2025. At that time, it was one of just three competing locally in unofficial NFL-backed contests, along with Whitehall and Columbus School for Girls.

Now there are 18 teams in the Columbus area and over 160 statewide supported by the Browns and the Bengals.

OHSAA hosted a sanctioned state championship in May, and Friday's move would further streamline competition across the state.

"It would be fun to play more local schools," Dennis, the Warhawks' center, tells Axios.

In addition to skills like snapping footballs and running faster, the sport has taught her sportsmanship — and it's exciting to watch and play, she says.

Coach in a black jacket speaks to a group of girls flag football players in gray shirts on a field, with a yellow goalpost and a blue sky behind them.

Coach Peyton McBride encourages the Warhawks during a huddle while standing next to team center Hayden Dennis.

The big picture: The local flag football boom is part of a larger national and global push as women's sports get more time in the spotlight.

Nearly half of states now have sanctioned high school championships.

An NCAA committee recommended last year that Divisions I, II and III add flag football as an emerging women's sport.

The sport will also debut at the 2028 Olympics.

How it works: Flag football resembles traditional football, but instead of tackling the player with the ball, a defender must pull one of two flags on ball carrier's belt to "down" them.

It's played 5-on-5 on a shorter field, with teams getting four plays to reach midfield and four more to score.

"It's more contact than you'd think," Dennis notes.

What they're saying: Westerville Central coach Peyton McBride tells Axios the new sport is already opening doors for local students.

That includes Dennis, who was offered a spot on a college team as she pursues a career in physical therapy.

The bottom line: "If it happens at the high school levels, typically the NCAA isn't far behind," McBride says.

Girls flag football is booming across Ohio

OHSAA could make it a sanctioned high school sport today.

Sunlit football field with girls flag football players in maroon jerseys sprinting on green turf and players in gray jerseys defending; red bleachers and a press box rise behind.

Westerville North, left, and Westerville Central, right, face off in a girls flag football matchup this season. Photos: Courtesy of Westerville City Schools

For years, Hayden Dennis pepped up Westerville football players on the sidelines. But now the cheerleader competes on the field too — in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="flag football" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/23/girls-flag-football-ohio-boom" data-vars-content-id="0ec414bc-4355-40ed-ba51-18f8f43481e7" data-vars-headline="Girls flag football is booming across Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/23/girls-flag-football-ohio-boom" target="_self">flag football</a>, which could soon become Ohio&#x27;s newest sanctioned high school sport for girls.Why it matters: The Ohio High School Athletic Association board is set to vote Friday, a big step in creating more opportunities for female athletes locally and at higher levels.

News

Sports

Columbus continues to be one of the safer cities for pedestrians, though not as safe as its Ohio peers, according to a report from Smart Growth America.

Why it matters: Making our region more walkable has remained a top priority for local leaders, from improving sidewalks and traffic signals to reducing speed limits and redesigning roads.

How it works: The Dangerous by Design report examined pedestrian deaths from 2020 through 2024 and ranked the nation's 101 largest metro areas by annual fatality rates.

What they found: Drivers killed 172 pedestrians in the Columbus area over the last five years.

While still a tragic number, Columbus' fatality rate of 1.58 per 100,000 residents ranked No. 73 out of 101 metros.

The big picture: Ohio as a whole ranked 38th among all states for pedestrian fatality rates, with 754 deaths from 2020 to 2024.

Cleveland ranked lowest among Ohio cities, at No. 89.

It was joined by Cincinnati (No. 83) and Akron and Toledo (tied for No. 85) in having among the lower rates of cities studied.

Flashback: Columbus' numbers are nearly identical to 2024, the last time Smart Growth America issued a report.

The metro's fatality rate was 1.59 per 100,000 residents between 2018 and 2022, with 170 deaths during that period.

Between the lines: The researchers argue that road design shapes driver behavior in "invisible but powerful ways" and that the country's streets are often "built to prioritize the speed and convenience of cars" over safety.

Specifically, they point to roads with "too-wide lanes, infrequent pedestrian crossings, and poor visibility," which they say disproportionately endanger communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods.

American Indian and Alaska Native people are killed while walking at 3.7 times the national rate, while Black Americans die at 1.7 times the national rate, according to the report.

What's next: Vision Zero Columbus is in the early stages of using a federal grant to develop a Vulnerable Road User Safety Plan, including a new Safe Routes to School Travel Plan with Columbus City Schools.

The process will include a deep dive into data, including demographic subgroups like race, to "better understand these trends," Department of Public Service spokesperson Debbie Briner tells Axios.

Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians

Its fatality rate is nearly unchanged from a 2024 study.

Illustrated of road infrastructure around an orange safety cone.

Columbus <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="continues" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/03/12/street-safety-ohio-report-pedestrian" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/03/12/street-safety-ohio-report-pedestrian" target="_self">continues</a> to be one of the safer cities for pedestrians, though not as safe as its Ohio peers, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/06/12/pedestrian-safety-report-walkability-ohio" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/06/12/pedestrian-safety-report-walkability-ohio" target="_self">report</a> from Smart Growth America.Why it matters: Making our region more walkable has remained a top priority for local leaders, from improving <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sidewalks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/08/22/ohio-linkus-walkability-bikeability-proposal" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/08/22/ohio-linkus-walkability-bikeability-proposal" target="_self">sidewalks</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="traffic signals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/02/safer-left-turn-signals-pilot" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/02/safer-left-turn-signals-pilot" target="_self">traffic signals</a> to reducing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="speed limits" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/07/19/columbus-ohio-speed-limits-pedestrian-safety" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/07/19/columbus-ohio-speed-limits-pedestrian-safety" target="_self">speed limits</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="redesigning roads" data-vars-click-url="https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/livingston-avenue-safety-improvements-speeding-concerns/530-9edb9657-88ee-4076-9022-a78a4a9b0d73" data-vars-content-id="2a71ec91-abdc-48f5-9aa6-cf54edcf55e2" data-vars-headline="Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/livingston-avenue-safety-improvements-speeding-concerns/530-9edb9657-88ee-4076-9022-a78a4a9b0d73" target="_blank">redesigning roads</a>.

Transit

Ahead of his final Pride as Stonewall Columbus CEO, Densil Porteous is reflecting on how an uncertain chapter became one of his group's most transformative.

Why it matters: Porteous took over in 2020, when the world shut down and Pride was canceled. The arrests of four Black protesters in 2017 had also exposed a fragmented local LGBTQ+ community.

The nonprofit has since strengthened its local ties and efforts toward being more inclusive — in both how it "shows up" and how it looks.

What he's saying: "The quiet of the pandemic really gave me and the organization space to consider who we should have been and who we needed to be," Porteous tells Axios.

Catch up quick: Porteous departs July 1 for a national role with the Human Rights Campaign, shortly after Stonewall's biggest celebration of the year.

Other cities have canceled or scaled back Pride festivities amid a less supportive political climate that's increasingly hostile toward LGBTQ+ people.

But Columbus is still going strong despite some shifting corporate support, with hundreds of thousands of attendees expected.

Zoom in: Porteous credits a new emphasis on year-round partnerships, not one-time sponsorships.

They're "investing in Stonewall Columbus 365 days a year, not just Pride," he says.

"Probably the thing I'm most proud of is seeing how the community can and should come together in partnership to move things forward."

Expanding a renovated Short North center, a gathering space that now includes a cafe, bookstore and wellness center.

Securing a state historical marker last year.

Establishing two endowment funds for long-term financial stability.

Successfully advocating for a city LGBTQ+ Affairs Commission, seated in December.

Planning an LGBTQ+ workforce development initiative.

What's next: Though this is Porteous' last Pride as CEO, it won't be his last for good.

"Staying local was the first thing I ironed out," says Porteous, who first came to Ohio to attend Kenyon College in the late '90s.

🏳️‍🌈 Stop by: The Pride Festival and Resource Fair is 4-10pm Friday and 11am-8pm Saturday at Goodale Park, with two performance stages and over 200 vendors.

The march steps off at 10:30am Saturday on High Street. Here's the route.

Stonewall CEO celebrates progress, Pride before departing

Densil Porteous says inclusion and community partnerships have been key.

Group posing outside a brick building with a rainbow crosswalk and Stonewall banners, beside a large Ohio Historical Marker about Stonewall Union/Stonewall Columbus.

Stonewall Columbus CEO Densil Porteous, directly right of the group's new historical marker, departs July 1 for a job with the Human Rights Campaign. Photo: Courtesy of Stonewall Columbus

Ahead of his final Pride as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Stonewall Columbus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/27/stonewall-pride-march-sponsors-drop-out-dei" data-vars-content-id="4a8f9c70-0754-45bf-9379-4134b28354e1" data-vars-headline="Stonewall CEO celebrates progress, Pride before departing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/27/stonewall-pride-march-sponsors-drop-out-dei" target="_self">Stonewall Columbus</a> CEO, Densil Porteous is reflecting on how an uncertain chapter became one of his group&#x27;s most transformative.Why it matters: Porteous took over in 2020, when the world shut down and Pride was canceled. The arrests of four Black <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="protesters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/ohios-black-pride-4-were-arrested-at-the-stonewall-columbus-pride-festival-and-parade" data-vars-content-id="4a8f9c70-0754-45bf-9379-4134b28354e1" data-vars-headline="Stonewall CEO celebrates progress, Pride before departing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/ohios-black-pride-4-were-arrested-at-the-stonewall-columbus-pride-festival-and-parade" target="_blank">protesters</a> in 2017 had also exposed a fragmented local LGBTQ+ community.

Culture

As Columbus leaders consider expanding youth curfew rules later this month, they're also confronting a broader question communities face nationwide: Where do teenagers go?

Why it matters: The decline of malls, cheap hangout spots and welcoming public spaces has left teens with few safe places to gather without money or access to a car, urban designers and youth researchers say.

Meanwhile, policies that treat teens like a problem punish all young people for the actions of a few, teen advocates say.

Catch up quick: The latest local flashpoint came Friday night. Fights broke out among a crowd of hundreds of young people during an East Side church festival, prompting a significant police response with over 130 cruisers, WCMH-TV reports.

Nobody was injured, but police arrested two teens, and the festival shut down a day early.

City Council President Shannon Hardin says discussions about bumping up the city's curfew from midnight to 10pm were already happening, but the violence has added urgency to the situation.

Council is also considering new measures that would "hold parents accountable if their children repeatedly violate curfew," per WSYX-TV.

What they're saying: "We have to have a more nuanced, longer conversation about how we continue to make sure that there are places and safe places for our young people to go,"  Hardin told reporters Monday.

The big picture: Columbus isn't alone. With few options, teens have organized large gatherings in cities nationwide, which officials have dubbed "teen takeovers."

Other cities have also responded with curfews, though research shows they aren't effective.

Some businesses, including Easton and Kings Island locally, also enforce "no unaccompanied minors" policies.

All the while, kids face more loneliness in an increasingly digital world.

Teen employment is on pace for its worst summer since federal tracking began, as rising inflation and higher fuel prices squeeze the small businesses and restaurants that typically hire them, the Wall Street Journal reports.

What we're watching: How strictly Columbus' new curfew is enforced — historically, it hasn't been, the Dispatch reports.

What's next: Council goes on summer recess in July and intends to move the new legislation forward beforehand.

As curfews rise and hangouts disappear, where do teens go?

Youth advocates say teens need places to gather, not just restrictions.

Illustration of brownstone buildings under a night sky lit with a spotlight depicting a clock

As Columbus leaders consider expanding youth curfew rules later this month, they&#x27;re also confronting a broader question communities face nationwide: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Where do teenagers go?" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/05/teens-takeovers-curfew-public-spaces" data-vars-content-id="73f00adb-6e1c-49eb-94dd-0163286d58d5" data-vars-headline="As curfews rise and hangouts disappear, where do teens go?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/05/teens-takeovers-curfew-public-spaces" target="_self">Where do teenagers go?</a>Why it matters: The decline of malls, cheap hangout spots and welcoming public spaces has left teens with few safe places to gather without money or access to a car, urban designers and youth researchers say.

Public Safety

Data: Ohio's Employment Status Dashboard; Chart: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios

The number of Ohio teenagers with jobs has been trending upward in recent years and is higher than the national rate, census data shows.

Why it matters: While teens aren't working at the same rate as their parents or grandparents once did, the trend bucks a common perception that few work at all.

By the numbers: Over 243,000 Ohioans ages 16-19 had a job in 2024, or 39.8%, per the latest data on Ohio's Employment Status Dashboard.

That's up almost 6 percentage points from 2015.

Caveat: The data doesn't reflect workers ages 14-15, who have more employment restrictions.

The big picture: Teen priorities have shifted away from work for a variety of reasons, including more intense schooling, less demand for low-wage work and increasing competition from older workers, per a 2019 Brookings Institution study.

The other side: Besides earning money, teens with summer jobs can benefit from improved people skills, work habits and school attendance.

Last week, we asked our readers about their most memorable summer jobs and compiled some of our favorite responses.

🍨 Michelle B. worked at Velvet Ice Cream's Ye Olde Mill in Utica.

"I absolutely loved it. It was fun to work with my friends and see so many people enjoying their summer treat away from the heat."

🌱 Van Y. mowed grass along roadsides for the county road department.

🥪 Brian H. made sandwiches at W.G. Grinders.

"I learned so much there — my love of cooking, how to really clean, and possibly most importantly, the dangers of access to unlimited soda."

🎡 Janet C. traveled the state working concessions for fairs and festivals.

🥞 Erin K. bussed and waited tables at Perkins Pancake House in Sandusky and also served ice cream at Golly Gee.

"My favorite was when a herd of baseball or softball teams would come after a game!"

💍 Sara O. made personalized name rings at Kings Island.

👶🏻 Ashley S. was a babysitter and worked in a Little League concession stand.

👨‍🎨 Greg N. recalls two polar-opposite painting jobs — one inside a frigid Friendly's warehouse freezer, and one atop Aerovent's scorching roof.

👩‍💻 Amanda S. helped build computers and wire ethernet for New Albany High School in 1998, when it was cheaper to build than buy.

"It was an incredible experience for us to learn the skills at such a young age, plus it was good money and I learned a lot of leadership skills."

More Ohio teens are working

Plus: Our readers share their best summer job memories.

Illustration of a help wanted sign surrounded by circles

The number of Ohio teenagers with jobs has been trending upward in recent years and is higher than the national rate, census data shows.Why it matters: While teens aren&#x27;t working at the same rate as their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="parents or grandparents once did" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2018/07/02/americas-teens-employment-recession-jobs" data-vars-content-id="ca23f9ba-c3ef-4d88-975c-9eb33209068d" data-vars-headline="More Ohio teens are working" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2018/07/02/americas-teens-employment-recession-jobs" target="_self">parents or grandparents once did</a>, the trend bucks a common perception that few work at all.

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Business

A line chart that shows teen employment rates ages 16 to 19 in Ohio and nationwide from 2015 to 2024. Ohio rose from 33.4% to 39.8%, peaking at 40% in 2023. Nationwide increased from 27.7% to 33.4%. Ohio remained above the national rate throughout.

Alissa Widman Neese

Featured stories

Stonewall CEO celebrates progress, Pride before departing

Columbus ranks among safer metros for pedestrians

More Ohio teens are working

Girls flag football is booming across Ohio

As curfews rise and hangouts disappear, where do teens go?