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

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Keep an eye out for poison hemlock

The plant is spreading in Central Ohio and can be deadly to ingest.

Health

The plant that may have killed Socrates could also be growing in your backyard.The big picture: Poison hemlock has spread widely in central Ohio over the past few years. But experts say it remains a largely underappreciated hazard in the area.

Columbus embracing weekend lunches

Local restaurant spending is shifting from weekday lunch hours to the weekends.

Food and Drink

Restaurant spending in Columbus is shifting slightly from weekday lunch hours to the weekends, per new Square data.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a reflection of pandemic behavior changes — and an important insight for restaurants as they adapt to survive and thrive.

New Metro Parks canopy walk opens Friday

The attraction will be open daily at Blacklick Woods Metro Park.

Things to Do

Metro Parks&#x27; newest and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tallest trail" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/03/15/blacklick-woods-metro-park-canopy-walk-trees" data-vars-content-id="edae9d38-5729-4d4d-9d85-b8cdbdf178be" data-vars-headline="New Metro Parks canopy walk opens Friday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2024/03/15/blacklick-woods-metro-park-canopy-walk-trees" target="_self">tallest trail</a> opens Friday morning with a 10am ribbon cutting at Blacklick Woods.The intrigue: The new canopy walk stretches 530 feet and features a 55-foot-tall observation tower, a cargo net hammock and a kids play area.

MLB umps aren't as bad as you think

It might be surprising news to Guardians and Reds fans.

Sports

Surprising news, Reds and Guardians fans: Major League Baseball umpires are doing pretty well this season, at least when it comes to calling balls and strikes.By the numbers: League-wide, umps have a nearly 94% accuracy rating so far in 2024, per unofficial metric-keeper <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="UmpScorecards" data-vars-click-url="https://umpscorecards.com/home/" data-vars-content-id="a538447f-47da-4471-a683-feb6380c9d03" data-vars-headline="MLB umps aren&#x27;t as bad as you think" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://umpscorecards.com/home/" target="_blank">UmpScorecards</a>.

Biden's Ohio ballot conundrum, explained

Democrats are confident a solution can be found.

News

A procedural issue could keep <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="President Biden" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" data-vars-content-id="b73f2575-547f-419b-875c-e15e73dffb35" data-vars-headline="Biden&#x27;s Ohio ballot conundrum, explained" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_self">President Biden</a> off the Ohio ballot in November, but Democrats are confident a solution can be found.Why it matters: It would be unprecedented for a major party candidate to be left off the ballot, and it would have disastrous consequences for other Democrats up for election.

Ohio uses AI to eliminate unnecessary words in state administrative code

AI is helping remove millions of code words deemed unnecessary and outdated.

In his war against the regulatory state, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted enlisted the bots long ago.The big picture: Husted&#x27;s office credits an AI-aided analysis of the state&#x27;s administrative code with eliminating 2.2 million words&#x27; worth of unnecessary and outdated regulations as of the end of last year.

DeWine wants stronger seat belt laws

Thousands have died in unbelted crashes since 2019.

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to make it easier for police to enforce mandatory seat belt laws for drivers and passengers.Why it matters: Most of those killed in Ohio car crashes were not wearing seat belts, state data shows, making enforcement a matter of life and death.

Ohio cities file lawsuit challenging ban on tobacco regulations

Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati lead charge in effort to ban flavored and menthol tobacco.

Fourteen Ohio cities, including Columbus, have banded together to challenge a state law that preempts municipalities&#x27; ability to regulate <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tobacco sales" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/12/15/ohio-house-dewine-veto-smoking-restrictions" data-vars-content-id="37cb021c-a01e-4e7a-8847-68555a5c5e8f" data-vars-headline="Ohio cities file lawsuit challenging ban on tobacco regulations" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/12/15/ohio-house-dewine-veto-smoking-restrictions" target="_self">tobacco sales</a>.State of play: Columbus city attorney Zach Klein filed the lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Tuesday.

DeWine and legislature don't always cooperate

The governor has often clashed with lawmakers of his own party.

Gov. Mike DeWine has not always had an easy time working with the state legislature, despite his political party holding supermajorities throughout his tenure as governor.By the numbers: DeWine has vetoed eight bills since taking office in 2019, an Axios analysis of legislative data finds.

DeWine focuses on Ohio kids in State of the State

The governor's speech comes as his second term nears the halfway point.

It&#x27;s not a state budget year, but Gov. Mike DeWine came equipped to his annual State of the State address Wednesday with plenty of requests for lawmakers and leaders across Ohio.Why it matters: His policy ideas involve issues such as education, social media and access to health care that would have implications for all Ohioans.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Watch the speech" data-vars-click-url="https://ohiochannel.org/video/state-of-the-state-address-2024" data-vars-content-id="2a4acd82-c484-4960-af8d-b76034374ba0" data-vars-headline="DeWine focuses on Ohio kids in State of the State" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ohiochannel.org/video/state-of-the-state-address-2024" target="_blank">Watch the speech</a> … <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="read the text" data-vars-click-url="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHIOGOVERNOR/2024/04/10/file_attachments/2842523/Final%20As%20Prepared%20Governor%20Mike%20DeWine%202024%20State%20of%20the%20State%20Speech.pdf" data-vars-content-id="2a4acd82-c484-4960-af8d-b76034374ba0" data-vars-headline="DeWine focuses on Ohio kids in State of the State" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHIOGOVERNOR/2024/04/10/file_attachments/2842523/Final%20As%20Prepared%20Governor%20Mike%20DeWine%202024%20State%20of%20the%20State%20Speech.pdf" target="_blank">read the text</a>.</li></ul>

Shayla Favor wins Franklin County prosecutor primary

Favor currently serves on Columbus City Council.

In another closely watched race down ballot, Columbus City Council member Shayla D. Favor won the Democratic primary for Franklin County prosecutor, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unofficial results" data-vars-click-url="https://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/elections" data-vars-content-id="17b34f9a-1b36-4ca8-bc01-75d81e96d3f3" data-vars-headline="Shayla Favor wins Franklin County prosecutor primary" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/elections" target="_blank">unofficial results</a>.Why it matters: If elected in November, Favor pledges to reform the local criminal justice system as the first woman and first Black prosecutor in county history.

Ohio Senate Republican primary: Live results

Ohio voters are deciding which Republican will challenge Sherrod Brown.

Politics

Ohio voters are deciding <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="which Republican" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/02/20/what-you-need-to-know-ohio-senate-primary-ohio" data-vars-content-id="69a1ac28-9df4-42be-b92b-4f698346b185" data-vars-headline="Ohio Senate Republican primary: Live results" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/02/20/what-you-need-to-know-ohio-senate-primary-ohio" target="_self">which Republican</a> will challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in what&#x27;s considered a toss-up November election. Polls close at 7:30 pm.Catch up quick: Brown has been in office since 2007, all while the state has moved towards the right.

Ohio sees big increase in Gen Z voters

That's an average of about 3,000 new voters per month.

A surge of new Gen Z voters in Ohio has caught the attention of the Civics Center, a nonpartisan group aiming to boost voter registration numbers.By the numbers: From late August to Jan. 6, the number of 18-year-old Ohioans registered to vote increased by 35%, to nearly 50,000 people, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="group reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thecivicscenter.org/blog/18-years-old-voter-registration-ohio" data-vars-content-id="5542cb17-9a71-46e2-9473-4b3bb17810be" data-vars-headline="Ohio sees big increase in Gen Z voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thecivicscenter.org/blog/18-years-old-voter-registration-ohio" target="_blank">group reports</a>.

Biden, Trump both older than past Ohio presidents

Our Throwback Thursday column looks at the ages of our native sons.

History

The 2024 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="presidential rematch" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/13/trump-biden-nominations-election-rematch-history" data-vars-content-id="2ddc2a70-55c3-4fb1-8371-761d69f166bf" data-vars-headline="Biden, Trump both older than past Ohio presidents" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/13/trump-biden-nominations-election-rematch-history" target="_self">presidential rematch</a> is a race between two of the oldest contenders in American history, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Sareen Habeshian writes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/29/trump-biden-president-age-oldest-term" data-vars-content-id="2ddc2a70-55c3-4fb1-8371-761d69f166bf" data-vars-headline="Biden, Trump both older than past Ohio presidents" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/29/trump-biden-president-age-oldest-term" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Sareen Habeshian writes</a>.State of play: Both 81-year-old President Biden and 77-year-old former President Trump are older than any past president hailing from the Buckeye State.

Politics 🇺🇸