Today From The Ohio Newsroom

People living in tents on Superior in Cleveland face a brutal winter without permanent housing. Unhoused people will be counted across the state in the annual Point in Time Count.

Homelessness in Ohio surged last year. Advocates don’t see an end in sight

Ohio housing advocates are predicting a greater number of unhoused people in this year’s annual survey of homelessness.

Since 2013, the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has worked to reduce the number of vacant properties in the city of Warren, renovating some and demolishing others, turning them instead into green spaces.

How one northeast Ohio city is tackling urban blight

A decade ago, there were more than 1,500 vacant homes in the northeast Ohio city of Warren.

The area’s population fell rapidly following the industrial decline of the 1980s, leaving behind a trail of empty buildings.

But one local organization is working to address those vacancies.

The Center for Community Solutions, a nonprofit think tank, released fact sheets on the status of women in each of Ohio's 88 counties. It found that, although women are making progress in the state, they still earn less than men and are not equally represented in public office.

The paradox of womanhood in Ohio

Women in Ohio hold most of the state’s college degrees, but they’re also more likely than men to live in poverty and less likely to hold public office.

Preston Ficeti, a sophomore at McDonald High School in Trumbull County, holds a drone in the palm of his hand. He learned how to fly it last year by participating in a drone racing league.

A drone program in northeast Ohio is taking off

Ohio has a strong history of flying. From the Wright brothers to John Glenn, it's been home to aviators for more than a century.

But these days, a newer technology is taking off in one Ohio county: drones.

The federal government recently allocated $650,000 to the Trumbull County Educational Service Center with the explicit purpose of teaching kids about the technology.

Ohio's urban and suburban areas fared better than their rural counterparts.

How healthy is Ohio? Depends on where you live

Global leaders want a way to measure a country's success – beyond just economic output. So, each year the United Nations ranks countries based on life expectancy, average education levels and gross income. It’s called the Human Development Index (HDI).

SOBE Thermal operates a gas-fired boiler in a trailer on the downtown Youngstown, Ohio, site of its proposed tire pyrolysis chemical plant that would make synthetic gas to burn, producing steam for heating and cooling some downtown Youngstown, Ohio, buildings. Marketed as a green solution to waste and energy problems, critics view it as a source of unwanted toxic air emissions and a fire or explosion risk next to a large jail, student housing and other buildings.

A plant proposed in Youngstown, Ohio, would have turned tons of tires into synthetic gas. Local offi

Officials in Youngstown, Ohio, have dealt a setback to a company’s plan to build and operate a recycled tire waste-to-energy plant near the center of the city and adjacent to a neighborhood of predominantly Black residents, enacting a one-year moratorium on such industrial processes.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown signed the ordinance Dec. 26.

The key to curbing Ohio’s chronic absenteeism? Community partnerships and early intervention

Chronic absenteeism is a problem in Ohio.

Cleveland Scene writer Jeff Niesel says local music can bring a greater connection to your community.

Three ways to discover local music in 2024

Cleveland is home to the Rock n’ Roll Music Hall of Fame and early punk pioneers. Dayton is known as the “land of funk”. Cincinnati housed a former record label that turned out R&B hits and Columbus was once teeming with jazz legends.

A man hikes along a trail at the Cincinnati Nature Center during peak fall color. Jason Fallon from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said hiking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and stay healthy at the same time.

Five ways to spend more time in Ohio’s great outdoors in 2024

Spending time outside has a lot of benefits for both physical and mental wellness.

Research shows being outside encourages physical activity, social interaction and decreases stress.

But making time to get outside isn’t always easy, especially during a cold, dreary Ohio winter.

Kari Gunter Seymour said reading more in 2024 can help us better understand our neighbors and ourselves.

Three ways to read more Ohio authors in 2024

For Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter Seymour, reading is a way of better understanding her home state and all of its nuances.

As a ninth generation Appalachian, Seymour regularly writes about her home in southeast Ohio. She said reading authors from our region can be a way of building bridges with our neighbors, no matter how distinct their experiences may be.