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Franklin County home values keep going up

New valuations will arrive in June, affecting 2027 tax bills.

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Heads up, Franklin County homeowners: There&#x27;s a good chance your property value is going to rise <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="again" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/08/08/franklin-county-home-values-2023" data-vars-content-id="c284c988-3eb7-4353-b292-143cb67aaf5f" data-vars-headline="Franklin County home values keep going up" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/08/08/franklin-county-home-values-2023" target="_self">again</a>.Why it matters: A home&#x27;s appraised value affects sale prices and how much owners pay in property taxes.

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.

Ohio's most popular baby names of 2025

Oliver and Charlotte are Ohio&#x27;s most popular baby names for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fourth year in a row" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/19/most-popular-baby-names-ohio-2024-olivia-charlotte" data-vars-content-id="b4355bf3-343f-4882-98e0-636cc6b9f9ba" data-vars-headline="Ohio&#x27;s most popular baby names of 2025" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/05/19/most-popular-baby-names-ohio-2024-olivia-charlotte" target="_self">fourth year in a row</a>,<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" according to Social Security" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/" data-vars-content-id="b4355bf3-343f-4882-98e0-636cc6b9f9ba" data-vars-headline="Ohio&#x27;s most popular baby names of 2025" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/" target="_blank"> according to Social Security</a> card applications submitted at birth.

Ask Axios: Where can you recycle a TV for free in Columbus?

Unfortunately, there's almost always a fee. Here's why.

Reader Juliet K. asks: Do you know of a place to recycle TVs and monitors for free? Everywhere seems to have a price tag attached to it!<ul><li>Worthington&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new recycling center" data-vars-click-url="https://www.worthington.org/2459/Worthington-Recycling-Convenience-Center" data-vars-content-id="0611336d-e927-43d9-927d-9926381c127d" data-vars-headline="Ask Axios: Where can you recycle a TV for free in Columbus?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.worthington.org/2459/Worthington-Recycling-Convenience-Center" target="_blank">new recycling center</a> says it accepts all electronics but those two.</li></ul>

Nonprofits rethink funding playbook

Central Ohio nonprofits are getting creative as federal funding cuts, inflation and shifting corporate giving habits squeeze budgets

Some Central Ohio nonprofits are turning to new business ventures and deeper community partnerships as federal funding cuts, inflation and shifting corporate giving habits squeeze already-tight budgets.Why it matters: Leaders at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="YWCA Columbus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/" target="_blank">YWCA Columbus</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Festa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wearefesta.org/" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wearefesta.org/" target="_blank">Festa</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mid-Ohio Food Collective" data-vars-click-url="https://mofc.org/" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mofc.org/" target="_blank">Mid-Ohio Food Collective</a> are responding to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tighter budgets and increased demand" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/nonprofits-federal-funding-survey" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/nonprofits-federal-funding-survey" target="_self">tighter budgets and increased demand</a> — from pursuing new revenue streams to leaning harder on individual donors.<ul><li>&quot;Right now, it does feel like an enormous shift is taking place,&quot; Kim Emch, founder of Columbus-based Festa, tells Axios. &quot;It&#x27;s causing us as nonprofits to think really critically and strategically.&quot;</li></ul>Follow the money: YWCA Columbus is leaning more heavily on private giving as corporate donations shift and federal grants become harder to secure.<ul><li>About <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="20% of the organization&#x27;s roughly $15 million" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/2024-financials" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/2024-financials" target="_blank">20% of the organization&#x27;s roughly $15 million</a> budget comes from corporate and individual giving.</li><li>Most remaining revenue comes through government grants and income generated from services.</li></ul>&quot;Federal grants haven&#x27;t necessarily dried up, but they&#x27;re more restrictive,&quot; says advancement and engagement officer Makiva McIntosh.Corporations have <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="also become more cautious" data-vars-click-url="https://www.conference-board.org/press/2026-corporate-citizenship-outlook-pr" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.conference-board.org/press/2026-corporate-citizenship-outlook-pr" target="_blank">also become more cautious</a> about where they donate, says McIntosh, whose organization focuses on racial equity and women&#x27;s empowerment.YWCA Columbus shifted staff roles to focus on attracting and retaining individual donors.<ul><li>YWCA worked with previously recognized women to pool donations and become presenting sponsors of its largest annual fundraiser.</li><li>&quot;Private donors tend to be more committed to organizations like ours that align with their values,&quot; McIntosh said.</li></ul>Yes, but: Festa, which serves families facing poverty, has never relied heavily on federal dollars.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="It brought in about $1.8 million" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wearefesta.org/annualreports" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wearefesta.org/annualreports" target="_blank">It brought in about $1.8 million</a> last year, with roughly 41% coming from individual donations and 15% from government grants.</li></ul>Still, Festa feels the ripple effects of competition.<ul><li>Emch notes that one grant went from 100 applications to nearly 700.</li></ul>The strategy: To take more control over their own budget, the organization launched two business ventures, including workplace <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="English-language instruction" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wearefesta.org/festabusinessesl" data-vars-content-id="45c9ad42-8ad0-4265-abe9-4b2ecbff389a" data-vars-headline="Nonprofits rethink funding playbook" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wearefesta.org/festabusinessesl" target="_blank">English-language instruction</a> tailored to employers&#x27; workforce needs.<ul><li>&quot;We charge a fee, and they pay us,&quot; says Emch, who founded the nonprofit 19 years ago. &quot;That has helped not only sustain us but grow.&quot;</li></ul>Zoom in: At Mid-Ohio Food Collective, greater need and shrinking federal aid are forcing the food bank to rely more on partnerships to keep food moving through its network.<ul><li>The Grove City nonprofit logged more than 1.8 million pantry visits in 2025, up roughly 57% from pandemic-era levels.</li><li>State support for food purchasing has fallen back to pre-COVID levels, per senior VP Mike Hochron.</li></ul>&quot;We&#x27;ve got more hungry people to feed and less food to do it,&quot; he says.To help close the gap, Mid-Ohio expanded food rescue efforts, redirecting surplus food that would otherwise go to waste.<ul><li>About 40% of the pantry&#x27;s food now comes from donated products, Hochron says.</li></ul>The bottom line: Nonprofits have always operated with limited resources, Emch says — and she believes they&#x27;ll find a way through the current squeeze, too.<ul><li>&quot;We nonprofits exist to solve the biggest problems in our world with the smallest budgets,&quot; Emch says. &quot;I think we are a group of tenacious, scrappy, passionate people who love our neighbors.&quot;</li></ul>

Central Ohio nonprofits feel federal funding squeeze

39% of nonprofits are operating at a deficit, up from 22% in 2022.

Columbus-area nonprofits providing housing, food access and other basic services face growing financial strain as federal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="funding cuts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/25/doge-trump-musk-budget-cuts-math" data-vars-content-id="0666a281-87d3-416c-ab9d-f8ddd5e2c8c9" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio nonprofits feel federal funding squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/25/doge-trump-musk-budget-cuts-math" target="_self">funding cuts</a> increase demand and intensify competition for private donations.Why it matters: A recent survey from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Center for Effective Philanthropy" data-vars-click-url="https://cep.org/report-backpacks/state-of-nonprofits-2026/" data-vars-content-id="0666a281-87d3-416c-ab9d-f8ddd5e2c8c9" data-vars-headline="Central Ohio nonprofits feel federal funding squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cep.org/report-backpacks/state-of-nonprofits-2026/" target="_blank">Center for Effective Philanthropy</a> found 66% of nonprofits are concerned about their financial stability as demand for their assistance rises and public support shrinks.<ul><li>The percentage of responding nonprofits operating at a deficit rose to 39%, up from 22% in 2022.</li></ul>

Ohio kids are competing for the spelling bee crown

Just one Central Ohio speller remains, but 15 Ohioans are vying for the title.

Our <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="best spellers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/05/30/scripps-national-spelling-bee-ohio-participants-2024" data-vars-content-id="0b9653df-b43a-41ac-be54-68bf18daac90" data-vars-headline="Ohio kids are competing for the spelling bee crown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/05/30/scripps-national-spelling-bee-ohio-participants-2024" target="_self">best spellers</a> are in D.C. this week for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.Zoom out: 15 Ohio kids are among <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="247 contestants" data-vars-click-url="https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-national-spelling-bee-welcomes-247-spellers-as-it-returns-to-washington-d-c/" data-vars-content-id="0b9653df-b43a-41ac-be54-68bf18daac90" data-vars-headline="Ohio kids are competing for the spelling bee crown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-national-spelling-bee-welcomes-247-spellers-as-it-returns-to-washington-d-c/" target="_blank">247 contestants</a> who start spelling in the preliminary rounds Tuesday, representing nearly every corner of the state.

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.

Ticks set ER records as Lyme disease rises in Ohio

Once concentrated in the Northeast, around half of Ohio ticks now carry Lyme disease.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tick season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/tick-bite-rate-lyme-disease-what-to-do" data-vars-content-id="c8e10d80-a6a4-4398-9050-1dd08ebde5cd" data-vars-headline="Ticks set ER records as Lyme disease rises in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/tick-bite-rate-lyme-disease-what-to-do" target="_self">Tick season</a> is in full force with summer approaching, and May being <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lyme Disease Awareness Month" data-vars-click-url="https://www.globallymealliance.org/about-lyme/prevention/lymeawareness/" data-vars-content-id="c8e10d80-a6a4-4398-9050-1dd08ebde5cd" data-vars-headline="Ticks set ER records as Lyme disease rises in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.globallymealliance.org/about-lyme/prevention/lymeawareness/" target="_blank">Lyme Disease Awareness Month</a> helps remind us of the risks these pests pose.Why it matters: Tick-related <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="illnesses" data-vars-click-url="https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2026-04-14/the-number-of-tick-related-illnesses-in-ohio-is-skyrocketing-heres-why" data-vars-content-id="c8e10d80-a6a4-4398-9050-1dd08ebde5cd" data-vars-headline="Ticks set ER records as Lyme disease rises in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2026-04-14/the-number-of-tick-related-illnesses-in-ohio-is-skyrocketing-heres-why" target="_blank">illnesses</a> are skyrocketing this season, sending people to the ER in record numbers.

News 🗞

Nonprofits rethink funding playbook

Central Ohio nonprofits feel federal funding squeeze

Ohio kids are competing for the spelling bee crown

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

Help Ohio find missing veteran graves this Memorial Day weekend