Nora Igelnik

Journalist and Editor

WOSU Public Media •

What’s next for passenger rail in central Ohio?

Passenger rail in central Ohio may be rolling up the track sooner than many expect.The expansion of Amtrak trains in central Ohio has been talked about and hoped for since Columbus eliminated its passenger rail in the late 70s. Now, two lines — the 3C&D, representative of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, and the Midwest Connect, linking Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus and Pittsburgh — may see trains running by the early 2030s, or within the next several years. Northeast Ohio also has a...
WOSU Public Media •

Mayor Andrew Ginther visits south Columbus workshop for youth affected by community violence

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther visited a workshop Tuesday on the city’s south side that aims to support youth who have experienced community violence.ReRoute is a community-based program that provides intervention for youth between the ages of 13 and 21 who have experienced traumatic events or have seen gun and community violence. The day of programming was held at the Marion Franklin Center, located at 2801 Lockbourne Road.Ginther said the city will continue to invest in prevention, intervention...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus, Upper Arlington high school students team up, present housing solutions to city leaders

High school students in two anthropology classes go to school only 15 minutes apart in Upper Arlington and North Linden, but the distance between them felt farther than it really was.That was, until Erase the Space, an organization that facilitates year-long learning exchanges between different schools in the Columbus metro area to encourage students to research a social issue, brought the young anthropologists from suburban Upper Arlington and urban Columbus Alternative High Schools together.Th...
WOSU Public Media •

Ohio State College of Medicine under compliance review by the Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter on Wednesday informing Ohio State that it is commencing a compliance review of the university's College of Medicine, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a recipient of federal financial aid from discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.The letter was sent to Amy Nash Golan, senior assistant vice president and senior associate general counsel of Ohio State's Office of Legal Affairs by Assistant Att...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus City Council, Franklin County weigh $50 million request to help attract a NWSL team

In an attempt to attract a National Women's Soccer League team to Columbus, the majority owners of the Columbus Crew and the Cleveland Browns, billionaires Jimmy and Dee Haslam, have turned to Columbus City Council and Franklin County with a $50 million ask.Members of city council were briefed on a plan a few weeks ago supported by Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther for a private-public partnership where the council and Franklin County would each contribute $25 million towards a proposed training fa...
WOSU Public Media •

Effort to repeal ban on hemp, THC drinks, fails as debate about cannabis use continues

Last month, The New York Times Editorial Board published an opinion about marijuana regulation titled, “It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem.”The opinion piece, which backtracked on the editorial board’s previous laissez faire position on marijuana, arguing for more regulation and warning against public health harms, received almost 4,000 comments on the Times’ site and even more debate on social media platforms.Ohio is seeing its own statewide debate about marijuana re...
WOSU Public Media •

Habitat for Humanity to develop multi-family housing in Near East Side neighborhood

Columbus has welcomed 120,000 new residents since 2010, and the city continues to grow, with a projected regional population of 3 million by 2050.The need for more affordable housing in the city to accommodate this population development may lie in the concept of “gentle density,” which refers to increasing the housing supply in single-family neighborhoods by adding more diverse housing options.Brandi Braun AL-Issa, CEO of Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio, said she sees the construction of multi-fam...
WOSU Public Media •

Ohio State Board of Trustees’ brief meeting opens with statement on Les Wexner

Ohio State University President Ted Carter Jr. opened Thursday’s brief, 10-minute Board of Trustees meeting with a statement about the university’s association with Ohio billionaire and mega donor Les Wexner.Wexner, who was deposed by members of Congress in February due to his financial and personal relationship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, holds close ties with Ohio State. Carter said the university respects the rights of students, faculty and staff to express their opinion...
WOSU Public Media •

About 8,700 acres of public land in Ohio to be considered for fracking approval

More than 8,236 acres of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area’s 18,000 acres in Belmont County and an additional 513 acres of Salt Fork State Park may be approved for fracking at the next meeting of the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission.The date for the meeting has not been set yet. That's according to Melinda Zemper, a board member for the nonprofit Save Ohio Parks, which is dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of fracking — the process of injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sa...
WOSU Public Media •

Franklin County man sues Nationwide Children's Hospital over infant daughter's death

A Franklin County man filed suit against Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 23, accusing the hospital of negligence, wrongful death and willful, wanton and reckless misconduct in the case of his infant daughter.Tyler M. Peyton’s daughter, Ellieana Peyton, died at 27 days old as the result of a three to four-foot crib fall that occurred March 25, 2025, in the presence of a patient care assistant, the lawsuit alleges. A CT scan revealed that Elliean...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus' Dept. of Public Service releases report on shared mobility services

The City of Columbus' Department of Public Service released its State of the Program report on shared mobility Thursday.The Columbus region is expected to grow by another 1 million people by 2050, the report states, and the city’s transportation system cannot safely manage another 1 million cars. Offering shared mobility services ensures an “accessible, affordable, healthy and sustainable option, including for shorter trips and first/last mile trips connection,” according to the report.In 2024,...
WOSU Public Media •

Survey on deer population reveals Clintonville residents largely invested in control methods

The Columbus City Council and Department of Neighborhoods will be hosting a community conversation about different deer management approaches at the Whetstone Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.The city launched a community survey this past summer to better understand Columbus residents’ views about deer in their neighborhoods and gather feedback about potential deer management strategies.A survey findings summary was created by students at Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural and Env...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus has received 736 snow and ice removal complaints for sidewalks so far this year

As temperatures rise, uncleared snow on sidewalks have melted and turned into ice overnight, posing a hazard to pedestrians.In 2026 so far, there have been 736 complaints filed with Columbus Building and Zoning Services concerning a lack of snow and ice removal on sidewalks or interior walkways, the department's Deputy Director Anthony Celebrezze said in an email.Of those complaints, 265 have resulted in compliance.According to Columbus City Code, property owners or tenants (it specifically depe...
WOSU Public Media •

Former National Afro-American Museum director is concerned about its future after layoffs

A former Ohio History Connection director is concerned about the future of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce after she, along with the museum’s other managers, were among 30 employees laid off in October, along with three other employees who had their hours cut.Jerolyn Barbee, who worked for 17 years for the private, non-profit history center and had been assistant director of the Afro-American Museum since 2015, said she is worried about the state of programmi...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus listed among cities to hold matches for 2028 Olympic Soccer Tournament

ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home to the Columbus Crew, will hold matches for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Women’s and Men’s Soccer Tournaments, along with six other cities.The announcement was made on Tuesday morning.These preliminary matches will lead to the final stage matches at the Rose Bowl Stadium, making a total of seven cities involved in the Olympic Soccer Tournaments. The other cities are Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, St. Louis, San Diego, and San José, Calif.“We’re honored to ho...
WOSU Public Media •

Community Shelter Board conducts annual homeless count in Columbus and Franklin County

The Community Shelter Board is conducting its annual Point-in-Time count on Thursday to evaluate the extent of homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County.The count is an effort to document the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and is conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Volunteers ventured out for a land count from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday. The volunteers continued to do an unsheltered count throughout the day, visiti...
WOSU Public Media •

Three people arrested at Ohio State career fair during Customs and Border Protection protest

Three people were arrested by Ohio State Police on Tuesday for criminal trespassing at the Ohio Union during a protest targeting Customs and Border Protection at the College of Arts and Sciences annual spring career fair.Around 75 students and community members gathered at the Ohio Union to confront the CBP recruiters — who operate under the Department of Homeland Security — and generally protest against the university’s decision to include the organization among the 150 employers at the career...
WOSU Public Media •

Mid-Ohio Market to re-open on Wednesday after Tuesday morning fire

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective plans to re-open its no-cost Mid-Ohio Market at noon on Wednesday, despite a fire that happened early Tuesday morning.Erich Hiner, director of communications for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, said the organization is working with Columbus fire officials to determine what caused the fire at the Norton Road facility.Hiner said that at first glance, the damage seems external. Staff need to examine each item for damage, but so far, only some cabbage and bread items neede...
Transitions •

Czechia’s Baby Bust - Transitions

Just a few years ago, the country had one of Europe’s highest fertility rates. Those figures have plummeted. Demographers and young Czechs share their insights on why. 

For Katerina, a 25-year-old married doctoral student living in Prague, her long-time dream of living on a small farm with four children seemed almost plausible.

That was, until the reality of today’s economic situation in the country set in. By 2022, the Czech Republic saw rising consumer prices, with inflation reaching over 15...
Transitions •

Truth at a Cost - Transitions

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The Lantern •

SJP student leader issued summons for criminal trespass; graduate student suing Trump admin and attorney held under investigative detention after on-campus press conference Thursday

One Ohio State student was issued a summons for criminal trespassing and another was held under investigative detention following a press conference outside of Thompson Library Thursday.

Jineen Musa, co-president of Ohio State’s chapter for Students in Justice in Palestine and a third-year in health sciences and health information management and systems, was issued a summons for violating the university’s space standards, while Ohio State graduate student Ahwar Sultan and his attorney Jana Al A...
The Lantern •

Navigating the ever-changing higher education landscape: Four takeaways from The Lantern’s sit-down interview with university President Ted Carter Jr. Monday

Amid an era of unprecedented shakeups in educational institutions across the country, the American public university system has faced multiple challenges from both federal and state policies over the past six months — and Ohio State is no exception.

From Ohio Senate Bill 1 to diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks to visa revocations, students, faculty and staff at Ohio State are left to wonder what is next for the university.

The Lantern sat down with university President Ted Carter Jr. Mo...
The Lantern •

Opinion: Five under-the-radar stories from this year’s campus desk

The Ohio State community has witnessed many changes this academic year, whether local, statewide or national.

There is a new U.S. president. New laws. New university policies. A wavering and fragile social and cultural climate.

Through all this, one factor endures: the Campus desk’s commitment to keeping an eye on what impacts students, faculty, staff and the broader Buckeye community. However, with so many daily changes, it can be difficult to remember the “underground” campus news.

Below, w...
The Lantern •

Five international Ohio State students have F-1 visas revoked for reasons unknown to the university

At least five international Ohio State students had their F-1 visas revoked as of Friday afternoon, the university confirmed.

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said in a statement the university does “not have any indication why this action was taken” at this time, but that the students are still in the United States as they, their attorneys and the university consider next steps.

A F-1 visa allows individuals to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited academic institutio...
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