Springtime at Central Ohio high schools means the return of traditions like prom, senior skip day and, surprisingly to some, students running around in their underwear with water guns.

Why it matters: Depending on who you ask, "Senior Tag" is a beloved tradition and silly spectacle or a public nuisance and serious accident in the making. Either way, it's likely coming to a suburban neighborhood near you this month.

How it works: Our regional variant of the national "senior assassin" phenomenon, Senior Tag involves students hunting each other with water guns over the course of weeks until one winning team remains.

• Rules vary, but typically prohibit tagging on school property or at students' workplaces.
• Participants pool entry money and winners often take home sizable cash prizes.

The intrigue: In the past, the game's most notorious twist was invincibility while naked — that's since been largely amended to allow for underwear or swimsuits.

Today, the game is no secret in school communities.

• At many schools, seniors create social media pages for their game.
• Grove City residents on a local Facebook page are discussing their school's Nerf variant.
• Olentangy Schools is alerting residents and sharing Delaware County sheriff's rules that prohibit trespassing or playing while driving.

Friction point: Between scantily clad teenagers carrying gun-shaped objects, the frantic nature of the game and tags occurring late into the night or in front of unsuspecting adults, Senior Tag has led to countless 911 calls and stern words from school and police officials.

Between the lines: Schools would ban the game if they could. But because it's played away from school grounds, there's not much they can do.

• Worthington Christian's student handbook bans spring athletes from participating.

What they're saying: Blendon Township police chief John Belford warned students in 2024 that "armed citizens" may "react to a strange situation not in the way they intend."

• Former Westerville police chief Joe Morbitzer once called the game "a bad situation waiting to happen."

Threat level: Those comments may seem hyperbolic — but because the game so frequently involves cars and new drivers, accidents have deadly potential.

• In 2024, a Cleveland-area teen died when he fell from a moving vehicle while playing his school's version of the game.
• Last year, the same thing happened to an Arlington, Texas student.

The Artemis II crew is set to return to Earth today — and the person from mission control ensuring everything goes smoothly learned the ropes in Ohio.

Catch up quick: Jeff Radigan, the mission's lead flight director, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Ohio State in the early 2000s. He joined NASA in 2008.

• He "leads a team of flight controllers, researchers, engineers and other experts that work together to complete the mission and keep the astronauts safe," the Dispatch reports.

Behind the scenes: Radigan's wife, Molly, also graduated from OSU and works for NASA.

• She's deputy chief of the Spaceflight Systems Division, leading "mission control personnel responsible for power, avionics and life support for NASA's human space missions," per the Dispatch.

What's next: A Navy recovery team is expected to pick up the astronauts tonight when their flight capsule lands in the ocean south of San Diego, just after 8pm our time. NASA is streaming it live.

Go deeper: Ohio State's 2024 alumni feature on the Radigans

🚌 The COTA official in charge of the $8 billion LinkUS program's rollout is "no longer with the organization," just seven months into her tenure. (Dispatch)

⚖️ Former Franklin County deputy Jason Meade will be allowed to argue he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr. in 2020.

• His retrial is scheduled to begin Thursday with jury selection. (WSYX-TV)

🇮🇹 Italian Americans are suing the City of Columbus, in hopes of returning a Christopher Columbus statue to its original location outside City Hall. (WBNS-TV)

🍺 The North Market celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, starting with a new limited-edition beer in partnership with Seventh Son. (Columbus Underground)

It's shaping up to be a picture-perfect weekend, with warm temperatures and spring flowers in full bloom.

🌷 Our pick: Stroll through them — or take some home.

Zoom in: Admire 140,000 flowers from afar during Columbus Blooms, a "vibrant spring showcase" at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

• Included with admission, $17-25. Kids under 3 free!

The other side: Timbuk Farms in Granville is in the midst of its Tulip Festival, with over 500,000 in pick-your-own fields.

• $16. Kids under 2 free!

What else is happening:

🌽 The "farm-to-fable" musical "Shucked" is at the Ohio Theatre all weekend.

🛻 Monster Jam rolls into the Schottenstein Center.

🐎 The Equine Affaire, "the largest horse trade show in North America," gallops over to the Ohio Expo Center.

• Pro tip: The popular Fantasia show requires a separate ticket.

🎶 Columbus' favorite drag queen, Nina West, kicks off six days of shows at your favorite local music venue, Natalie's Grandview.

🪩 Skully's hosts the Gimme Gimme Disco dance party tonight.

Two more events

Ohio has its first Buc-ee's, the Texas-born mega travel center known for turning gas stops into full-blown day trips, reports Casey Weldon of the soon-to-launch Axios Cincinnati newsletter.

Why it matters: The 74,000-square-foot gas station on steroids opened this week near Dayton, marking Buc-ee's debut in Ohio — and the Midwest.

By the numbers: The Huber Heights site includes 100 fueling stations and 24 EV chargers.

• It's also set to employ more than 200 people, according to Buc-ee's.

Yes, but: It's not really about the gas.

• Inside, you'll find Texas barbecue (including the famed brisket sandwich), fresh fudge, pastries like Czech kolaches, a wall of jerky and the cult-favorite Beaver Nuggets — a crunchy, sweet corn puff snack.

Plus: Aisle after aisle of beaver-branded merch, from popular T-shirts to "who is buying this?" items like buckets of bacon grease.

Zoom out: The opening drew Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, his wife Fran and two of their grandkids.

• A Facebook group dedicated to the Huber Heights Buc-ee's has already topped 29,000 members.

💭 Casey's thought bubble: Am I the first to make a lame "It's now the Buc-ee State" joke? I sure hope so.

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