The wait is over. Bring on the golden goblets and melodrama!

Why it matters: The latest season of "Love Is Blind" debuts today, putting Columbus and its dating scene in the spotlight.

• Our singles, our romantic spots, our Midwest charm — all are on display for the world to enjoy. And judge.

How it works: The first six 1-hour episodes, out now on Netflix, feature 32 Ohioans "meeting" each other in separate pods, without knowing what their potential partners look like.

• Some pairs will get engaged, and only then meet up in person.
• The couples are whisked away for a tropical vacation to get to know each other.

Zoom in: The cast list will start with plenty of Central Ohio representation, and Columbus is the season's "main location," per Experience Columbus.

More episodes will drop the next three Wednesdays. They'll showcase couples returning to the Buckeye State to meet their partners' families and try "living together."

• The March 4 finale will feature a succession of weddings, where cast members decide at the altar if they still want to get married or split up.

📺 Where to watch: Lots of local watch parties are popping up.

• We'll also share our hot takes over the next few weeks.

For now, enjoy our predictions:

🇩🇪 Schmidt's buffet, anyone? Reddit sleuths claim to have seen cast members "living" at the Jaeger Square apartments last year. (It happens to also be one watch party site.)

• If true, we may see plenty of German Village and the Brewery District.
• Think Fudge Haus dates and romantic dog walks at Scioto Audubon Metro Park.

🎳 Bowling for love. Producers typically organize a group night out with a few adult beverages, and a private party at Pins fits the vibe.

• Or maybe they'll give Makers Social even more exposure following its recent "Shark Tank" appearance.

🌳 Topiary Park and Otherworld. Three shots from the official trailer feature these unusual local landmarks.

🚗 Long-distance drama. The cast list features singles "from Cincinnati to Columbus," and a few Clevelanders too.

• That could fuel tension if partners hail from different places … maybe they'll compromise and move to Dayton or Mansfield?

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You might be surprised by how many Central Ohioans don't live in proximity to affordable, healthy food.

Driving the news: That's the main takeaway from a new interactive map and report compiled by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a national nonprofit advocacy group.

• ILSR recently released "Mapping Food Deserts and Grocery Consolidation," which plots independent, small, large and megachain grocery stores — and the gaps and inequity in between them.

Zoom in: ILSR identifies a handful of Central Ohio food deserts.

• Those are defined as a low-income area with at least 500 people, or 33% of the population, living more than one urban mile or 10 rural miles from the nearest supermarket, supercenter or large grocery store.
• They're especially prominent to the southeast, with a dearth of grocery stores around the Near East Side, Obetz and Eastland.

The bottom line: "Today, in many metro areas and smaller communities, people have few real choices about where to shop," reads the map's accompanying report.

• "Local grocery markets are highly concentrated, with just one or two megachains capturing the majority of sales in most places. As competition has collapsed, food deserts and higher prices have followed."

🗺️ Go deeper: Explore the map.

🔎 Ohio State's head of gynecology received quarterly payments for years from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, federal documents show.

• Mark Landon says he was a paid consultant regarding "potential biotech investments" and had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. (WCMH-TV)

🚕 Drivers have been spotted on Columbus streets testing technology for Amazon's Zoox self-driving cars and taxis. (WOSU)

🏦 America's first Black-owned bank in 20 years — Adelphi Bank in King-Lincoln Bronzeville — keeps growing ahead of its three-year anniversary. (Next City)

🐺 Take a deep dive into the Wolfe family's historically private real estate business, which recently rebranded to "Journal Capital" and launched its first website after 30 years. (Columbus Business First 🔒)

It feels positively balmy outside this week. Or maybe it's just been entirely too long since we've experienced above-freezing temperatures.

By the numbers: Columbus' recent stretch of high temperatures of 32 degrees or below started Jan. 23 and lasted 18 days.

• That's long enough to crack the leaderboard for longest cold stretches ever.
• It's the longest cold stretch we've experienced since the winter of 2000-2001 .

The bottom line: With highs above freezing for the foreseeable forecast, there's nowhere to go but up from here.

The Crew unveiled the team's new home jersey yesterday, less than two weeks before the 2026 season kicks off.

Between the lines: A team news release says the "Crafted for Excellence Kit" is a nod to the Crew's "hardworking identity through simplicity, clarity and purpose."

• The jersey features a jock tag inspired by the Columbus flag.

💰 What to expect: Fans can pay $90-110 for a replica or $170 for an authentic jersey at the team shop.