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

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Exploring the empty, iconic Longaberger basket building

The unique Newark landmark is up for sale again.

Real Estate

As a Central Ohio native, I have been fascinated by the Longaberger Basket Building for decades. I finally got a tour inside, and it felt like a pilgrimage. Why it matters: Long vacant and recently for sale once more, the basket is perhaps Ohio&#x27;s most <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="well-known" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/realestate/ohio-basket-building-for-sale.html" data-vars-content-id="c0a7793e-d3fa-479d-bd04-6c0665460ff9" data-vars-headline="Exploring the empty, iconic Longaberger basket building" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/realestate/ohio-basket-building-for-sale.html" target="_blank">well-known</a> oddity.

How Columbus is making composting easier

We tried the city's free compost drop-offs. Here's what we learned.

News

Columbus residents have composted about 400,000 pounds of food waste since the city started rolling out free public drop-off sites <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="three years ago" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/06/12/ask-axios-columbus-ohio-composting-sites" data-vars-content-id="e7f685ed-d90d-4d12-8b0b-b6a3ce5e06a6" data-vars-headline="How Columbus is making composting easier" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/06/12/ask-axios-columbus-ohio-composting-sites" target="_self">three years ago</a>.Why it matters: Food is the most common divertible material dumped in the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill, at a rate of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nearly 1 million pounds" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/04/22/columbus-landfill-trash-recycling-compost" data-vars-content-id="e7f685ed-d90d-4d12-8b0b-b6a3ce5e06a6" data-vars-headline="How Columbus is making composting easier" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/04/22/columbus-landfill-trash-recycling-compost" target="_self">nearly 1 million pounds</a> daily.

New Columbus program lets residents decide the budget

Residents can submit community ideas for $9 million in city funding.

Columbus begins a financial experiment this week, handing over the keys to a portion of the city&#x27;s budget to the public for the first time.Why it matters: The city&#x27;s inaugural participatory budget represents a small fraction of its overall budget — but it&#x27;s meant to give residents a direct say in community investment.

The Longaberger Basket Building's history and future

After a decade sitting vacant, what comes next for the basket with it up for sale?

History

The Longaberger Basket Building opened as the company&#x27;s Newark headquarters in 1997, welcoming hundreds of employees.Flashback: The $30 million building was the crown jewel of founder Dave Longaberger&#x27;s empire, founded in 1973 in nearby Dresden.

How the Columbus Zoo's new aquarium fits a bigger vision

A historic donation is reshaping the zoo's future.

For nearly three decades, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Columbus Zoo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/02/13/zoo-trumpeter-swans-nest-valentines-day" data-vars-content-id="ec47e5e6-daa2-477f-8351-4004f084a436" data-vars-headline="How the Columbus Zoo&#x27;s new aquarium fits a bigger vision" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/02/13/zoo-trumpeter-swans-nest-valentines-day" target="_self">Columbus Zoo</a> has carried &quot;and Aquarium&quot; in its name. Soon, it&#x27;ll finally have one that matches the billing.Why it matters: The newly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.columbuszoo.org/news/columbus-zoo-announces-vision-john-f-wolfe-aquarium" data-vars-content-id="ec47e5e6-daa2-477f-8351-4004f084a436" data-vars-headline="How the Columbus Zoo&#x27;s new aquarium fits a bigger vision" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.columbuszoo.org/news/columbus-zoo-announces-vision-john-f-wolfe-aquarium" target="_blank">announced</a> standalone John F. Wolfe Aquarium will be Ohio&#x27;s largest when it opens in 2029.

Readers share the best Detroit-style pizza in Columbus

Recommendations include Sexton's and Paulie Gee's, among other spots.

Food and Drink

Yeah, yeah, we <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hate Michigan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/11/30/ohio-state-michigan-buckeyes-rivalry-game-2025" data-vars-content-id="ce5b93fa-73f9-4b67-b699-9d4eb49b3642" data-vars-headline="Readers share the best Detroit-style pizza in Columbus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/11/30/ohio-state-michigan-buckeyes-rivalry-game-2025" target="_self">hate Michigan</a> and all that — but some there make a pretty tasty pizza.The intrigue: For Tuesday&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Detroit-Style Pizza Day" data-vars-click-url="https://visitdetroit.com/inside-the-d/detroit-style-pizza-day/" data-vars-content-id="ce5b93fa-73f9-4b67-b699-9d4eb49b3642" data-vars-headline="Readers share the best Detroit-style pizza in Columbus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://visitdetroit.com/inside-the-d/detroit-style-pizza-day/" target="_blank">National Detroit-Style Pizza Day</a>, we asked for local spots slinging the best crispy, deep-dish rectangles.

More Ohio teens are working

Plus: Our readers share their best summer job memories.

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.

First jobs that launched Columbus leaders' careers

Lifeguards, servers and paperboys who became Columbus names you know.

Culture

A first summer job can be the start of a fascinating resume.Case in point: Look no further than some notable Columbus names who got their professional starts in pools, restaurants, retail stores and everything in between.

The Bottle Shop rebrands as Cordial Cocktail Club

The neighborhood bar further embraces its cocktail culture with a new name.

A beloved Columbus bar and bodega is getting a new name for a new era. Drinking the news: The Bottle Shop, a neighborhood fixture tucked between Harrison West and OSU campus, announced Tuesday it will become Cordial Cocktail Club &amp; Bottle Shop.

As stock soars, good vibes are back for Intel in Ohio

The company is reaffirming its semiconductor plans after multiple delays.

A year after another <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="delay" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/02/28/intel-ohio-one-chip-delayed-chip-factory-fab" data-vars-content-id="361cb923-968c-44d9-8342-4bf2b1ce4840" data-vars-headline="As stock soars, good vibes are back for Intel in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/02/28/intel-ohio-one-chip-delayed-chip-factory-fab" target="_self">delay</a> to Intel&#x27;s pair of semiconductor plants in New Albany, the company is now riding a wave of momentum and doubling down on its new timeline.Why it matters: The $20 billion project known as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ohio One" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/01/22/intel-ohio-one-semiconductor-plant-columbus" data-vars-content-id="361cb923-968c-44d9-8342-4bf2b1ce4840" data-vars-headline="As stock soars, good vibes are back for Intel in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/01/22/intel-ohio-one-semiconductor-plant-columbus" target="_self">Ohio One</a> is the state&#x27;s largest investment ever in a private company.

Rev1's $700 million impact on the Ohio startup scene

The company's annual report sheds light on its effect on Ohio companies.

Columbus&#x27; largest venture development studio generated more than $700 million in economic impact last year.Why it matters: Beyond massive AI companies, it&#x27;s a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="challenging time" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/11/20/startup-funding" data-vars-content-id="dea274bf-761b-4b24-8dbc-0dad9533991b" data-vars-headline="Rev1&#x27;s $700 million impact on the Ohio startup scene" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/11/20/startup-funding" target="_self">challenging time</a> for startups looking for funding, and Rev1 represents a public-private partnership aiming to boost Ohio businesses.

Why Columbus is a top food test market

Fast food chains like Burger King often try new items here first.

If Burger King sliders never go nationwide, you can blame — or thank — Columbus.Why it matters: Columbus&#x27; perceived <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="identity crisis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/08/05/yes-columbus-ad-campaign-tourism-ohio" data-vars-content-id="cd75de18-4c94-4f41-a913-91773369eba9" data-vars-headline="Why Columbus is a top food test market" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/08/05/yes-columbus-ad-campaign-tourism-ohio" target="_self">identity crisis</a> is well documented. But as our city evolves, one bragging point has endured: It&#x27;s still a top test market, especially for food.

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.

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Exploring the empty, iconic Longaberger basket building

The Longaberger Basket Building's history and future

How the Columbus Zoo's new aquarium fits a bigger vision

Readers share the best Detroit-style pizza in Columbus

More Ohio teens are working