Emma G. Wozniak

Columbus-based journalist with a firm belief we all have a story to tell — and a passion for being the mouthpiece through which those stories can be shared with the world.

The Columbus Dispatch •

Ohio men among 3 killed in Florida shooting, suspect charged

Two Ohio men were among three people killed in a central Florida shooting over the weekend.

Douglas Kraft, 68, and James Puchan, 68, of Columbus and Galena, respectively, were fatally shot Jan. 17 near Kissimmee, Florida, in what families said in a statement was a "random, tragic act." Kraft's brother – Robert Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan – was also killed in the shooting.

Authorities arrested Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, on three counts of murder, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WCMH-TV reported.

"T...
The Columbus Dispatch •

5,350-square-foot condo within historic 'Scottish castle' lists for $1.9M

The last time the home at 1427 Roxbury Road hit the market in 2021, it sold within hours.

JV and Amy Wulf owned another unit within Marble Cliff's No. 10 Arlington Place community since 2015, but the married couple had fallen in love with the historic Manor House, a sort of centerpiece to the residential enclave.The 27-room estate was built in 1908 by Sylvio Casparis – an Italian immigrant who oversaw many Marble Cliff stone quarries – as an exact replica of a grand Scottish castle, according to...
The Columbus Dispatch •

See which central Ohio schools have canceled class Jan. 20 due to cold weather

As central Ohio temperatures continue to bite, some schools in the area have canceled or delayed classes for Jan. 20.

The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for most parts of central Ohio, including Columbus, from 7 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day through 10 a.m. on Jan. 20. Throughout the national holiday, temperatures plummeted as low as -8 degrees, with the NWS warning of wind chills dipping to -15.The alert encompasses Franklin, Union, Delaware, Madison and Licking cou...
The Columbus Dispatch •

From hotels to offices, here are some major recent developments in the Short North

The Short North Arts District has seen rapid redevelopment in the past decade, representing one of the densest areas of new construction in the Columbus region.

In 2012, the Short North's business community had reached nearly 270 establishments – ranging mixed-use buildings, hotels, commercial redevelopments, public infrastructure and art – according to the Alliance. Five years later, that number had more than doubled to 710 establishments. By 2023, it was over 850.The neighborhood spans High Str...
The Columbus Dispatch •

2,900-square-foot 'basically new' Italian Village home lists for $1M

A "lightly lived-in" home in Columbus' Italian Village neighborhood with four bedrooms, four bathrooms and 2,900 square feet recently went on the market for $1 million.

The rowhouse-style house at 289 E. Greenwood Ave. sits just 2 miles north of downtown Columbus and a "hop and skip" away from North 4th Street staples like Budd Dairy Food Hall and Seventh Son Brewing Co., according to Realtor Ricky Compton. The property itself includes a private shared driveway, two-car garage, finished basemen...
The Columbus Dispatch •

OSU dorm floods due to pipe failure, displacing hundreds of students

Just two days before the spring semester would begin, Ohio State sophomore Evan Garner was jolted awake at 5 a.m. by sounds of the fire alarm blaring through his dorm room.

Assuming it was a standard drill, he changed into the first set of clothes he could find and filed in alongside hundreds of other students making their way out of the building.It wasn't until he had traveled the three floors down to the lobby, where he saw water pooling high enough to form a visible sheet on the carpet, that h...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Proposed 3-story apartment complex on Hard Road faces pushback

The Columbus Development Commission has voted against plans for a three-story apartment complex off Hard Road on the city's Far Northwest Side that another board and more than 1,000 nearby residents oppose.

At a Jan. 8 hearing, the commission voted 5-2 against the proposed complex, which would be situated on two combined parcels at 2100 Hard Road. Developer Preferred Living's proposal calls for five buildings, 112 units and 212 parking spaces on the roughly five-acre site, currently zoned for "...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Downtown Renaissance Hotel sold, to undergo 'comprehensive refresh'

A Delaware County-based real estate investment firm has taken ownership of the 22-story Renaissance Hotel in downtown Columbus.

Whitestone Capital, a division of the Whitestone Companies based in Lewis Center, announced Jan. 7 that it acquired the 408-room hotel at 50 N. 3rd St. from Marriott International, rendering it the largest owner of Marriott's premium hotel lines in downtown Columbus, according to a Whitestone news release. As part of the new ownership, the hotel is expected to undergo a...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Hybrid coffee house, luxury car detailer planned for former historic flower shop

A new concept is planned for the Kenny Road building that housed what was likely central Ohio's oldest flower shop.

A hybrid boutique coffee house and luxury car-detailing venture is in the works for 1877 Kenny Road, the 124-year-old home of The 5th Ave Floral Co., according to Manav Singh, owner of hotel and retail developer Sintel Properties. After buying the building in June, Singh initially envisioned demolishing it and building a boutique hotel on the site.To Singh, the boutique hotel concep...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Ohio Expo Center's new food hall, ag education center available in 2026

Two new buildings coming to the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds have started booking events ahead of their projected July completion date.

The Ohio Agriculture Center is a multipurpose, agricultural education facility that includes built-in kitchens, dining areas and convention space. The Ohio Showcase Building is a food hall designed to "anchor" the center of the fairgrounds, featuring an exhibit on Ohio's history and flexible dining and event space, according to the fairgrounds' website....
The Columbus Dispatch •

With 2 kitchens and 21 acres, this Pataskala home sold for $3 million

A Pataskala home sold for $3.1 million last month, breaking the recent Licking County property sale record for a residence.

Located at 4056 Courter Road Southwest, the nearly 9,000-square-foot luxury estate sits on over 21 acres about 10 miles east of New Albany. The home, built in the 1980s in the English Tudor style, underwent major renovations in 2016 that more than doubled its original size,...
The Columbus Dispatch •

13 million visitors later, see some of Columbus Metro Parks' 2025 memorable moments

Unless your 2025 resolutions involved spotting a bobcat, building a $1.5 million playground or catching a surprise emu cameo, your year probably didn't resemble the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks'.

Some years are just wilder than others.

Tallying 13 million visitors across 365 days, Metro Parks had a busy year of new land acquisitions, non-native animal sightings, volunteer hours and more, according to its December 2025 newsletter.

Here's a closer look at some of the Metro Parks' mo...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus among Top 10 US homebuying markets amid ongoing housing crisis

It's hard to imagine how a city can be in a housing crisis and still land on a Top 10 list for new homebuyers.

Yet, for Columbus, that's the reality.

The National Association of Realtors found Columbus to be a "housing hot spot" for 2026, ranking among the Top 10 U.S. markets for new homebuying opportunities in a recent report.

At a time when local leaders are urging the importance of affordable housing development, it may seem odd that the nation's largest trade association for real estate p...
The Columbus Dispatch •

'Snow showers,' strong winds could impact New Year's Eve travel, NWS says

As central Ohio prepares to ring in 2026, experts caution that New Year's Eve snowfall could spell trouble for late-night travelers.

Snow showers up to 2 inches are forecast for the evening of New Year's Eve and expected to continue overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. In a hazardous weather outlook the afternoon of Dec. 31, the NWS advised central and west central Ohio of the potential for "intense bursts" of snow at night, which could impact visibility and pose a...
The Columbus Dispatch •

EEOC sues Wendy's, alleging disability, age discrimination in Columbus

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing locally headquartered fast-food giant Wendy's for alleged disability and age discrimination against a Columbus employee.

In a lawsuit filed Dec. 29 with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the commission alleges Wendy's International, LLC – headquartered in Dublin – discriminated against a Columbus-based district manager who went on approved medical leave f...
The Columbus Dispatch •

How much snow will fall this week? See Columbus New Year's forecast

Christmas may not have been white this year, but the coming days in central Ohio are shaping up to be snowy.

Central Ohio is projected to see between 1-2 inches of snow starting the evening of Dec. 30 and continuing overnight, then another 1-2 inches of "snow showers" over New Year's Eve night, according to a hazardous weather outlook from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

T...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Bronzeville church partners on new affordable senior housing complex

A new affordable senior housing complex that has been years in the making soon will take shape on the Near East Side thanks to the efforts of a local church that's served its community for more than a century.

The Scarborough, an 84-unit apartment building for tenants ages 62 and up, is a collaboration between national nonprofit developer National Church Residences, Nix Development Company and Trinity Baptist Church. Located at 480 St. Clair Ave. in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood, th...
The Columbus Dispatch •

High winds with gusts up to 50 mph forecast as Columbus braces for cold front

In the latest bout of bizarre post-holiday weather, high-speed winds are expected to whip through Columbus over the next day.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a wind advisory the morning of Dec. 28 that 20-to-30-mile-per-hour west winds with gusts up to 50 miles per hour are forecast to soon sweep through parts of central, southwest and west central Ohio, plus east central Indiana. These strong winds are anticipated to begin around 8 p.m. Dec. 28, with the alert in effect until...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Are $2,000 tariff checks really happening? The latest on Trump's stimulus plan

With 2026 on the horizon, talk persists regarding President Donald Trump's $2,000 tariff stimulus checks.

The president committed to administering the rebates to low- and middle-income Americans in mid-to-late 2026, using funds acquired from his widespread import duties. But roadblocks remain, including the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case that will determine the legality of Trump's sweeping tariffs, uncertainty surrounding whether duty revenue is enough to finance extensive checks and necessar...
The Columbus Dispatch •

New 12-story tower to replace Downtown parking lot with apartments, courtyard

A new 12-story building with apartments, retail space, a dog park and more took one step closer to reality for Downtown Columbus.

The Downtown Commission recently approved local developer The Edwards Companies' plans for the mixed-use tower, to be located at 33 S. 4th Street beside the YWCA Columbus and across the street from the same company's Preston Centre apartment complex. The new building, which would replace a surface parking lot, is part of Edwards' Capitol Square Renaissance Project –...
The Columbus Dispatch •

1830s Canal Winchester home overlooking Metro Park hits market for $2M

Almost 200 years after it was built, a historic home situated on 12 acres atop protected parkland in Canal Winchester is on the market for nearly $2 million.

The Joshua Stevenson House, located at 5101 Bowen Road, is a five-bedroom, four-bathroom brick farmhouse poised upon a forested hill overlooking Pickerington Ponds. The 4,700-square-foot estate, built in 1835, is thought to have been created by prominent Fairfield County architect John Leist, who's been credited with many other late Federa...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Plans for historic Downtown building reno include apartments, rooftop bar

A historic downtown Columbus office building may soon turn into apartments with a rooftop lounge.

Located at 161-167 N. High St., the Columbia Larrimer Building was built in 1890 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The three-story, roughly 27,000-square-foot building is currently home to Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, a craft bar and scratch-kitchen restaurant, plus two floors of office space.

Darin Ranker Architects & Associations, LLC has submitted plans to the c...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Is it legal for your boss to make you work Christmas, other holidays in Ohio?

Don't go downing the spiked eggnog quite yet, Ohioans.

With the winter holiday season in full swing, teenage cashiers and 50-year-old cubicle dwellers alike tend to be eagerly awaiting one thing – at least a couple days of guaranteed time off. Be it to travel across the country, attend a few festive parties or relax with family, employees of all ages seem to agree that time away from work just might be the gift that keeps on giving.The only downside? That time off isn't exactly guaranteed.Whether...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Marion, Madison County economic development projects up for state tax credits

Ohio's economic development board will consider proposals from two major international companies that hope to invest in the state at an upcoming meeting in Columbus.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority is a five-member, independent board of taxation and economic development experts who've been appointed to review applications for tax credit assistance that aims to spur investment and job creation across the state. The board will gather Dec. 15 in Columbus' Riffe Center to hear a long list of new projec...
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