Ohio
Bed bugs found in downtown Columbus office building home to the Ohio Bureau of Workers Comp.
William Green building
The William Green building in downtown Columbus houses the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation.
A group of employees at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation were recently asked to work from home after bed bugs were discovered in the William Green Building in downtown Columbus, an agency spokesperson confirmed.
BWC spokesperson Kim Norris said that workers discovered a dead bed bug on the 22nd floor in May, and fewer than five bugs were found on that floor in July.
Employees in the “affected area” were asked to work from home until the area was inspected, treated and cleared.
Another was found on the 23rd floor on July 23, according to Norris.
“There is no infestation. We regularly clean the William Green Building and other facilities,” Norris said. “If a staff member reports a potential bed bug, we inspect the area and set traps as a precaution.”
The Dispatch viewed an internal message sent by BWC Administrator and CEO Stephanie McCloud on July 23 to employees. It said the agency had contracted with professional pest-management services to investigate the “isolated incidents”, inspect the building and “remediate the problem.”
Staff in the “directly affected areas” will continue to work from home until the situation is resolved, according to McCloud.
Employees filtering in and out of the William Green Building late Thursday morning were mostly unaware of the bedbugs, with only a handful indicating they had heard of them. Several confirmed the bug sightings to a Dispatch reporter and photographer but declined to comment for fear of retaliation.
The bed bug sightings occurred just over four months after state employees, including a considerable portion of BWC’s staff, returned to working in person following an executive order by Gov. Mike DeWine.
The spouse of a BWC worker, who spoke to The Dispatch on behalf of their partner, estimated that 90% of BWC workers were allowed to work from home before DeWine’s return-to-work order.
At the time he announced the return-to-work order, DeWine said returning workers to the office would “best serve the public” and “maximize the use of state-owned assets and facilities,” The Dispatch previously reported.
Breaking and trending news reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com and at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
A 21-year-old Ohio man is being held on a $2 million bond in connection with a deadly shooting at a Rochester Hills motel on Labor Day.
Calvin Roger Jones Jr., of Cincinnati, was arraigned on one count of assault with intent to murder, one count of carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of felony firearm, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. If convicted on the charge of assault with intent to murder, Jones faces up to life in prison.
Deputies say an altercation started in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn on South Rochester Road in Rochester Hills involving at least three people. During the confrontation, authorities said two people were shot. One man died, and a second victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff’s office said no one was seriously injured in a car crash on South Boulevard that was connected to the shooting.
An investigation continues.
News
Responders on scene told 21 News that the crash involved four people. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
BOARDMAN Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) were on the scene of a three-car crash in Boardman.
According to an OSHP dispatcher, the call came in at 9:01 p.m. for reports of a three-car crash.
Officials on the scene indicated that the crash happened near Wendy’s, located at 433 Boardman Poland Road in Boardman.
Responders on scene told 21 News that the crash involved four people. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Troopers speculate that one driver hit the back of a second vehicle, which caused the second vehicle to spin sideways and strike the rear of the third vehicle.
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Columbus police arrested a former Ohio State football player accused of attacking and strangling his girlfriend.
Michael Roen McCullough, 25, is charged with a felony count of strangulation, according to documents filed in the Franklin County Municipal Court.
Police took McCullough into custody after responding to a report of domestic violence about 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at an address located in the 100 block of Marconi Boulevard, according to court documents.
The woman told police that she and McCullough were driving home in his vehicle about 9:30 a.m. on the day before his arrest. She said they got into an argument before they arrived at their home, court records say.
The woman said that McCullough broke her cell phone, punched her in the face several times, and grabbed her by the throat with one hand while pushing against a window, court records say.
“She said she could not breathe at all and felt panicked,” police said.
She also said that she didn’t recall the rest of the drive to their home and regained consciousness once they arrived in front of their home.
The responding officer noticed that the woman had a black eye, a cut, and a swollen lower lip. She also had a bruise on the front of her throat, where she said that McCullough grabbed her.
McCullough was a graduate of Worthington Kilbourne High School and became a walk-on long snapper for the Buckeyes from 2018 to 2020.
McCullough is currently scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday morning in Franklin County Municipal Court. He is currently being held in the Franklin County jail without bond.
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