A nonprofit near Canal Winchester that helps homeless dogs get adopted faster has received $2 million to share its strategy across the nation.

Why it matters: Gigi's already moves 1,400 dogs a year out of rural Appalachian shelters into Columbus, and a donation from The Stanton Foundation will launch a grant program to significantly scale its impact.

Catch up quick: Gigi's opened in 2018, the brainchild of dog-loving Bexley philanthropists and named for their beloved Akita.

• It offers a unique solution to a supply-and-demand problem.
• Southern Ohio shelters have an oversupply of dogs, while Columbus has an abundance of people wanting to adopt one.
• The nonprofit reports it has helped more than 20,000 dogs since its launch.

How it works: Its 8-acre campus serves as a sort of waystation, where transported dogs stop briefly to receive veterinary care and behavioral evaluations.

• They then head to more in-demand shelters and rescues in Central Ohio, Cleveland and Dayton, or are adopted directly at Gigi's.
• This frees up space in rural Ohio, reducing costs, stress, disease and euthanasia.
• On average, shelter stays are reduced from about two months to two weeks, executive director Justin McKinniss tells Axios.

Stunning stat: Gigi's staff members drive three vans more than 41,000 miles annually.

Follow the money: The $2 million gift will help others follow Gigi's strategy by overcoming a major cost barrier.

• Gigi's will award 24 canine transport van grants worth $80,000 each over the next two years so rescues and shelters nationwide can purchase them.
• Selected recipients must follow the safety and stress-reduction protocols Gigi's has built and researched.

The big picture: Behavior care and shelter medicine research is a growing part of Gigi's mission, McKinniss says.

• It now offers behavior training to the public and low-cost veterinary care to partner rescues and shelters, in addition to its adoption efforts.
• The grants will continue expanding that footprint.

What they're saying: "One of the things we definitely want to make sure we're doing is growing programs that can benefit systems around the country and make them better," McKinniss says.

Stop by: 6175 Wright Road. Adoption hours are available Wednesday-Saturday.

Columbus will hold a special public hearing with its Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee in August to examine police use of Flock Safety license plate readers.

Why it matters: Flock has become a lightning-rod issue nationwide. Its technology is opposed by groups like the ACLU, and a growing number of cities are suspending use over civil rights and privacy concerns.

How it works: Flock cameras, usually mounted on street-side poles, automatically scan and log license plates to create databases used by law enforcement agencies.

• Civil rights groups warn of continually expanded uses and data sharing with outside agencies.
• Columbus inked a two-year, $228,000 contract with Flock in 2024.

The latest: Last week, Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered Columbus police to stop statewide Flock data sharing after an audit found that Columbus' network was searched 15,000 times for immigration-related searches.

• Since 2017, a Ginther executive order has banned the use of city resources to enforce federal immigration policy.

What they're doing: Council Member Emmanuel Remy, who requested the audit, announced the public meeting Aug. 10 to examine findings.

• According to a news release, Flock representatives have been invited to answer public questions.

What they're saying: "This hearing is about transparency and accountability," Remy said in the release.

• "We owe it to Columbus residents to understand exactly what happened, determine whether existing safeguards were sufficient and identify what changes are necessary to ensure these tools are used appropriately moving forward."

Zoom in: Franklin County has nearly 600 cameras, according to DeFlock.org, which maps all Flock and other automated cameras.

• Columbus ranks No. 641 of 3,222 ranked cities in cameras per capita.

Zoom out: Cleveland is having a similar discussion about Flock.

• The company is supported by its mayor but opposed by some council members and local activist groups.

👋 The CEO of Maryhaven, a nonprofit rehabilitation center, is resigning amid "severe financial distress" and uncertainty about whether it can continue operating. (Dispatch)

💰 Ohioans received $183 million in payouts for their unclaimed state money during the most recent fiscal year. (Ohio Capital Journal)

📉 Ohio has too few workers to meet the needs of the state's small businesses, per a new national report. (Statehouse News Bureau)

🚗 Carvana's "car vending machine" plans near Polaris appear to be moving forward, according to permit requests. (614 Magazine)

Columbus' oldest hotel is getting a $30 million facelift, but it still doesn't look a day over 129.

Flashback: The downtown Westin originally opened in August 1897 at 310 S. High St. as the Great Southern Fire Proof Hotel and Opera House.

• At the time, downtown had lost seven theaters and four hotels to fire in a short span, per a historical marker.
• The goal was to spur development — and make it last.

The intrigue: The hotel's impressive guest list includes presidents William McKinley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson.

Yes, but: At one point, much of its rich history disappeared. In the '70s, red carpeting covered the grand lobby's original marble flooring, among other "misguided renovations," Ohio Magazine recalled in 2013.

• Luckily, that look didn't last.

Fast forward: Today, the seven-story, Marriott-operated hotel advertises "a seamless blend of historic charm and modern comfort."

• Whitestone Capital bought it last year for $10.65 million and is starting renovations this month with the help of nearly $3 million in state tax credits.

What's next: Work will include "repairs to windows, the roof and exterior masonry, as well as updates to interior finishes," Columbus Business First reports.

• It'll remain open during construction, and the project should wrap in 2028.