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Mushrooms are thriving in Central Ohio's wet August

Experts say they're probably nothing to worry about — but don't eat them.

News

As Central Ohio residents deal with an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="abnormally stormy August" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/08/13/central-ohio-storm-rain-weather" data-vars-content-id="efb44b09-6488-460d-a0a3-49c75ac6311d" data-vars-headline="Mushrooms are thriving in Central Ohio&#x27;s wet August" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/08/13/central-ohio-storm-rain-weather" target="_self">abnormally stormy August</a>, our spore-bearing cousins are thriving.Why it matters: My normally green yard has become filled with dozens of large white mushrooms in recent days — some nearly as big as dinner plates.

Weekend picks: Take your dog to Bark Bash

Plus: ArborFest, ¡Festival Latino! and Hot Wheels Monster Trucks.

Things to Do

Well, hot dog — there&#x27;s a break in the rain in Saturday morning&#x27;s forecast, just in time for thousands of pups to go paddling at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.🐶 Our pick: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bark Bash" data-vars-click-url="https://www.metroparks.net/event/bark-bash/" data-vars-content-id="1397043f-a7e3-4e51-be1d-8d1ce66563e6" data-vars-headline="Weekend picks: Take your dog to Bark Bash" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.metroparks.net/event/bark-bash/" target="_blank">Bark Bash</a>.

Teachers are AI-curious, but worried about screens

A Columbus-based education company surveyed teachers across the globe.

Teachers are struggling to embrace useful and increasingly unavoidable technology while keeping students focused, per a new global survey from a Columbus-based education company.Why it matters: Many Central Ohio students are back to school this week for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first school year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/07/08/ohio-schools-require-ai-policy-artificial-intelligence" data-vars-content-id="f450e040-cef1-4795-82c8-228982452ddb" data-vars-headline="Teachers are AI-curious, but worried about screens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/07/08/ohio-schools-require-ai-policy-artificial-intelligence" target="_self">first school year</a> in which all Ohio K-12 public districts must have policies in place related to AI in the classroom.

Micro Center doubles down on in-store experience

The retailer is debuting a new look at its flagship Columbus store.

Micro Center is adding AI development space and 3D printing tech as part of a reintroduction to its hometown this weekend. Why it matters: Micro Center&#x27;s flagship Columbus store is a notable outlier in the fading electronics <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="retail" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/retail-sales-amazon-world-cup" data-vars-content-id="6beeaf75-f9e7-4979-bd3e-32a1156e4336" data-vars-headline="Micro Center doubles down on in-store experience" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/retail-sales-amazon-world-cup" target="_self">retail</a> space.Driving the news: The company is hosting a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="grand reopening" data-vars-click-url="https://www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news/article/micro-center-columbus-remodel.aspx" data-vars-content-id="6beeaf75-f9e7-4979-bd3e-32a1156e4336" data-vars-headline="Micro Center doubles down on in-store experience" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news/article/micro-center-columbus-remodel.aspx" target="_blank">grand reopening</a> of its Bethel Road store Saturday, showing off a new look for its &quot;home base&quot; and oldest location.

Anything Bagel keeps the classic Block's recipes alive

We tried the bagels Columbus has loved for decades.

Food and Drink

Eighteen months after the beloved Block&#x27;s Bagels closed its doors, a second brand is taking its shot at reviving the Columbus shop&#x27;s recipes. Catch up quick: Block&#x27;s, which launched in 1967, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="closed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/dining/2025/02/10/blocks-bagels-of-columbus-closing-after-founders-death/78383298007/" data-vars-content-id="ebcb1b8d-4de0-448c-97c4-ba75977e7260" data-vars-headline="Anything Bagel keeps the classic Block&#x27;s recipes alive" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/dining/2025/02/10/blocks-bagels-of-columbus-closing-after-founders-death/78383298007/" target="_blank">closed</a> in March 2025 after the death of founder Harold &quot;Hal&quot; Block.

Why Ohio has butter cow bragging rights

The Buckeye State did it first, way back in 1903.

The Iowa State Fair&#x27;s butter cow may be the country&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most famous" data-vars-click-url="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-life-size-cows-made-of-butter-became-an-iconic-symbol-of-the-midwest-180987208/" data-vars-content-id="a5412e46-e7c8-47ae-9633-f0823e691f26" data-vars-headline="Why Ohio has butter cow bragging rights" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-life-size-cows-made-of-butter-became-an-iconic-symbol-of-the-midwest-180987208/" target="_blank">most famous</a>, but just for the record: Ohio did it first.By the numbers: Ohio&#x27;s first cow and calf debuted in 1903, while Iowa didn&#x27;t have a cow until 1911.

Take a sneak peek at Ohio Village's $22M makeover during the state fair

Admission is free with with a 2026 Ohio State Fair ticket.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ohio Village" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/ohio-village/" data-vars-content-id="12f6f401-98c7-4a9b-b1b3-6d0c723aba5f" data-vars-headline="Take a sneak peek at Ohio Village&#x27;s $22M makeover during the state fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/ohio-village/" target="_blank">Ohio Village</a> at the Ohio History Center is in the midst of a major overhaul. <ul><li>We got a sneak peek last week — and soon, you can too.</li></ul>

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.

Inside Ohio's gift to the future

The America250 time capsule will include a piece of the Wright brothers' Flyer and a "Heart of It All" pin.

America at 250

From a piece of the Wright brothers&#x27; Flyer to a &quot;Heart of It All&quot; pin, Ohio has picked the artifacts that will represent the state in a national time capsule honoring <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="America&#x27;s 250th birthday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/07/03/ohio-america-250-celebration-2026" data-vars-content-id="765335ae-d442-402d-995a-560a6690194a" data-vars-headline="Inside Ohio&#x27;s gift to the future" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/07/03/ohio-america-250-celebration-2026" target="_self">America&#x27;s 250th birthday</a>.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="America250-Ohio collection" data-vars-click-url="https://america250.org/time-capsule/contents/#OH" data-vars-content-id="765335ae-d442-402d-995a-560a6690194a" data-vars-headline="Inside Ohio&#x27;s gift to the future" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://america250.org/time-capsule/contents/#OH" target="_blank">America250-Ohio collection</a> captures the Buckeye State in 2026 — its history, priorities and identity — for future Americans opening the capsule in 2276.

Central Ohio's odd connection to Paraguay

How an Ohio-born president became a hero to a South American nation.

Did you know one of Ohio&#x27;s presidents is a big deal in Paraguay?Why it matters: The United States begins its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/06/11/world-cup-guide-watch-parties-central-ohio" data-vars-content-id="9ae52a4a-cf6f-4adc-b4d4-a9b3ae6cf7f5" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio&#x27;s odd connection to Paraguay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/06/11/world-cup-guide-watch-parties-central-ohio" target="_self">World Cup</a> journey today, and Central Ohio has tons of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="international representation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/visuals/global-international-food-cuisine" data-vars-content-id="9ae52a4a-cf6f-4adc-b4d4-a9b3ae6cf7f5" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio&#x27;s odd connection to Paraguay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/visuals/global-international-food-cuisine" target="_self">international representation</a>, so we planned to write about local ties to each opponent.<ul><li>🇵🇾 First up: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Paraguay" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ussoccer.com/competitions/fifa-world-cup-26/matches/united-states-paraguay-tickets-live-score-match-hub-lineups-highlights" data-vars-content-id="9ae52a4a-cf6f-4adc-b4d4-a9b3ae6cf7f5" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio&#x27;s odd connection to Paraguay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ussoccer.com/competitions/fifa-world-cup-26/matches/united-states-paraguay-tickets-live-score-match-hub-lineups-highlights" target="_blank">Paraguay</a>.</li></ul>

Harambe's death still echoes 10 years later

The death of the beloved Cincinnati gorilla set off a social media firestorm.

Ten years ago today, Cincinnati became the center of the internet after Harambe — a 17-year-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo — died in one of the strangest viral news cycles of the social media era.Flashback: On <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="May 28, 2016" data-vars-click-url="https://cincinnatizoo.org/cincinnati-zoo-devastated-by-death-of-beloved-gorilla/" data-vars-content-id="30ed0105-8a97-4307-bd80-7d7aa78b2de4" data-vars-headline="Harambe&#x27;s death still echoes 10 years later" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cincinnatizoo.org/cincinnati-zoo-devastated-by-death-of-beloved-gorilla/" target="_blank">May 28, 2016</a>, a 3-year-old boy entered the zoo&#x27;s Gorilla World exhibit.<ul><li>Fearing the child could be seriously hurt or killed, a zoo response team shot Harambe, an endangered western lowland silverback.</li></ul>

A new era for OSU's world-renowned cartoon museum

The new-look Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is open after six months of updates and renovations.

One of Columbus&#x27; best-kept secrets marks the start of a new era this weekend, reopening at Ohio State with a new look, new exhibitions and an internationally recognized headliner.Why it matters: The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library &amp; Museum is the world&#x27;s largest collection of comics and cartoon art, an archive that draws experts and enthusiasts from all over the world.

Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend

A statewide effort is preserving history before it disappears.

If you&#x27;re visiting family in Cincinnati or Youngstown over <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Memorial Day" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/memorial-day-weekend-2025-federal-holiday-meaning" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/memorial-day-weekend-2025-federal-holiday-meaning" target="_self">Memorial Day</a> weekend, a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="grave-tracking project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiohistory.org/ohio-revolutionary-war-veterans-project/" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiohistory.org/ohio-revolutionary-war-veterans-project/" target="_blank">grave-tracking project</a> honoring our nation&#x27;s earliest veterans could use your help.Why it matters: Revolutionary War soldiers were among Ohio&#x27;s first settlers, but their graves are deteriorating, disappearing and often <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="difficult to track down" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/columns/2022/05/30/memorial-day-early-u-s-vets-buried-hidden-reynoldsburg-cemetery/9890084002/" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/columns/2022/05/30/memorial-day-early-u-s-vets-buried-hidden-reynoldsburg-cemetery/9890084002/" target="_blank">difficult to track down</a>.<ul><li>Over 400 volunteers have documented thousands over the past year, and the state will use the data to make an interactive online map and database.</li></ul>The latest: Collection wraps up Monday ahead of a July Fourth reveal coinciding with America&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250th birthday" data-vars-click-url="https://america250-ohio.org/" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://america250-ohio.org/" target="_blank">250th birthday</a>.The big picture: Ohio didn&#x27;t become a state until 1803 — 20 years after the Revolutionary War ended — but thousands of soldiers <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="migrated here" data-vars-click-url="https://america250-ohio.org/2025/04/rev-war-graves/" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://america250-ohio.org/2025/04/rev-war-graves/" target="_blank">migrated here</a> and died in old age.<ul><li>Many were given land as back pay for their service.</li><li> The Sons of the American Revolution estimates about 7,000 are buried here, including 169 in Franklin County. The group&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="massive list" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiohistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Revolutionary-War-Patriots-Buried-in-Ohio_opt.pdf" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiohistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Revolutionary-War-Patriots-Buried-in-Ohio_opt.pdf" target="_blank">massive list</a> documents presumed locations but doesn&#x27;t track their conditions — a gap project organizers hope to fill.</li></ul>By the numbers: Volunteers have already recorded over 4,100 graves across 1,400 cemeteries, according to a live preliminary <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6c0513ba52704005b71e1783a00be8f0" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6c0513ba52704005b71e1783a00be8f0" target="_blank">dashboard</a>. <ul><li>That includes 129 in Franklin County.</li><li>The Cincinnati, Youngstown and Marietta areas have the largest estimated concentration of graves — over 1,000 total — but less than half have been recorded so far.</li></ul>How to help: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Download a free phone app" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiohistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AM250_RevWarGuidetoFieldCollection.pdf" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiohistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AM250_RevWarGuidetoFieldCollection.pdf" target="_blank">Download a free phone app</a> to submit photos.<ul><li>Use historical records, like the list above or <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="others listed here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohiohistory.org/preserving-ohio/history-preservation-where-you-live/revwarvet-graves/" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohiohistory.org/preserving-ohio/history-preservation-where-you-live/revwarvet-graves/" target="_blank">others listed here</a>, to figure out where to start looking.</li></ul>Pro tip: Check the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6c0513ba52704005b71e1783a00be8f0" data-vars-content-id="3e7dc645-b4c1-4e67-bbde-c5ce6ad97d02" data-vars-headline="Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6c0513ba52704005b71e1783a00be8f0" target="_blank">dashboard</a> first to see whether the site has already been recorded.<ul><li>Some graves are duplicates and now must be consolidated as a consultant reviews the data, says project manager Krista Horrocks, with the State Historic Preservation Office.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: In addition to historical record keeping, organizers also hope to help communities look to the future.<ul><li>The project may spur discussions about cemetery upkeep or how to honor veterans whose markers are missing, Horrocks says.</li></ul>The bottom line: &quot;Maybe someone will have gravestones put in for them, so they won&#x27;t be forgotten,&quot; she says.

The century-old LeVeque Tower needs some work

The signature silhouette of the Columbus skyline has become something of a pedestrian eyesore.

The signature silhouette of the Columbus skyline has become something of a pedestrian eyesore, wrapped in cheap metal and wood to ensure no one is hit by falling debris.Why it matters: The LeVeque Tower isn&#x27;t just any downtown building, it&#x27;s the city&#x27;s most iconic structure and a reminder of a time when we built skyscrapers with aesthetics in mind.

🏨 Throwback Thursday: Columbus' oldest hotel 

Columbus' oldest hotel is getting a $30 million facelift

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