Ohio

John Carroll University to host Ohio Peace & Conflict Conference Feb. 13; public invited

Published

1 month ago

February 10, 2026

John Carroll University to host Ohio Peace & Conflict Conference Feb. 13; public invited

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — John Carroll University will host on Friday (Feb. 13) the 2026 annual Ohio Peace & Conflict Studies Network (OPCSN) Conference, which will bring together faculty, students, and nonprofit organizations from across the state to explore how civic engagement can serve as a powerful form of peacebuilding to create and strengthen democratic practices.

The conference, titled “Strengthening Democracy through Civic Engagement & Peacebuilding,” will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday at John Carroll University, 1 John Carooll Blvd. in University Heights.

The public is invited to participate by registering, through Feb. 11, here. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students from 16 colleges and universities across Ohio have already registered to attend.

Presentations will be centered on the work of Ohio colleges and universities, as well as community organizations engaged in related efforts statewide.

Registration for the conference includes a light breakfast and lunch, with fees set at $35 for members of the general public; $25 for Ohio college and university faculty, staff, and administrators; and $10 for Ohio college students.

John Carroll will be the first Jesuit university to host the OPCSN conference. Over the years, JCU has supported collaboration and growth in the field of peace and conflict studies through hosting an international college and university seminar, developing courses and programs, and training faculty, staff and students in conflict management and sustained dialogue.

The event will be hosted by JCU’s Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding, Peace, Justice & Human Rights program; Center for Service Learning & Social Action, and Office of Student Experience & Campus Belonging.

The conference is co-sponsored by Wilmington College’s Peace Resource Center and Community Campus Coalition, with partners that include The Ohio State University’s Divided Community Project and the University of Akron’s Center for Conflict Management.

The annual OPCSN conference convenes Ohio colleges and universities committed to peace studies, justice, and conflict transformation.

This year’s theme focuses on how civic engagement — through local governance, community organizing, dialogue across differences, and media literacy — can strengthen democratic institutions and foster more just and inclusive communities.

Ohio currently has more than 19 colleges and universities with peace and conflict studies programs, making the state one of the foremost regional hubs for peace education in the country.

“Ohio has a long history of innovative statewide work in the field of alternative dispute resolution, conflict management, and peace studies,” said Jennifer Batton, who is Conflict Management Training Instructor at the University of Akron’s Center for Conflict Management and Coordinator for OPCSN, in a release.

“As early as 1989 the Supreme Court of Ohio Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was created by the Chief Justice to explore how ADR methods could be used across the state and the non-partisan Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management was created to incorporate these methods and programs into education, court and community, and state and local government.

“The OPCSN was built on this foundation, from work supported state-wide in higher education, in order to help students develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to solve their local and global communities’ most pressing problems.”

This year’s OPCSN conference will feature:

An opening panel with representatives from John Carroll University, The Ohio State University, and Kent State University’s Growing Democracy Project
Student poster sessions highlighting civic and peacebuilding initiatives across Ohio
Two rounds of interactive workshops and panels focused on community engagement, dialogue, and democratic participation
A networking luncheon for OPCSN member institutions

For more information, visit ohiopeaceandconflict.org.

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Ohio

How mutual connections led Arthur Smith to Ohio State football

Published

2 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

How mutual connections led Arthur Smith to Ohio State football

Arthur Smith had only limited familiarity with Ryan Day before being hired as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator over the winter.

He had spent the past decade in the NFL. Their interactions were largely confined to the school’s annual pro day when Smith and other coaches and front office personnel from the league descended upon the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to scout prospects for the draft.

“I didn’t know him really well personally,” Smith said.

But Smith’s recent years offered a unique window into Day and his program, deepening a level of respect he held from afar. During his two seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator, he coached Justin Fields and Will Howard, two former starting quarterbacks for Day at Ohio State.

The mutual connections extended to previous stops. When Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, they drafted defensive end Zach Harrison and traded for cornerback Jeff Okudah in 2023. Both played for Day as well.

“I’ve had such a good experience with some of the players that have come through,” Smith said, “so I was intrigued.”

Smith had not coached in college since 2010, when he was an administrative assistant and intern at Mississippi, and spent little time in recent years considering a return.

But Mike Tomlin’s sudden resignation as the Steelers coach in January left Smith exploring his options.

“We had just been in the playoffs,” Smith said. “It kind of hits you fast in these cycles.”

It allowed him time to give the opportunity at Ohio State a closer look.

“I weighed my options and talked to a lot of people,” Smith said. “It just made sense.”

His list also included Mike Vrabel, the former All-America defensive end for the Buckeyes in the 1990s who also vouched for Day. Smith was on Vrabel’s staffs with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-20, including two seasons as their offensive coordinator.

“He knows Ryan really well,” Smith said, “and gave me the whole picture. I know from afar, because I love the history of this game, and understand how important this place is in football.”

The hiring of Smith marked another offseason in which Day found a coordinator steeped with NFL experience.

It was last year when Day brought in Matt Patricia, a former Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots and head coach of the Detroit Lions, and branded him as the head coach of the defense.

Smith arrives with a similar stature on the other side of the ball, enabling Day to continue delegating play-calling for the offense, a role he once held following his promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach in 2019.

“Arthur seemed like the right fit,” Day said.

His background is part of that, adding another coordinator with head-coaching experience in the NFL to the staff.

“You understand what happens in that office and comes across his desk,” Smith said. “You’re a little more empathetic, and you try to your job really well, so you can take that stress off and he doesn’t have to worry about the unit responsibility he gives you.

“It’s a big part of your job, because there’s a lot that goes into that job besides just coaching on the field.”

In his two months with the Buckeyes, Smith has taken to the program, seeing the immense pressure surrounding Ohio State as similar to his time in the NFL.

“You don’t go to Ohio State if you don’t welcome those expectations,” Smith said. “It’s the same thing in the NFL. You have an expectation to win every Sunday, and you love that challenge as a competitor. It kind of gets you going as a coach.”

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.

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Ohio

Kroger investing millions in central Ohio, including two new stores

Published

15 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Kroger investing millions in central Ohio, including two new stores

Kroger is opening two more stores in central Ohio and renovating plenty more as part of a $112 million investment.

The “record breaking” funds are meant to “support shoppers and grow communities” in both central and northwest Ohio through 2026, according to a Kroger press release.

“These investments underscore Kroger’s confidence in the long-term growth of our communities and our ongoing commitment to meet customers where they live, work and shop,” said Jon Young, president of Kroger’s Columbus Division, which covers central Ohio, Toledo, Michigan and West Virginia. “By bringing new Kroger Marketplace locations and enhanced shopping experiences to our cities ranging from central Ohio to Toledo, we’re focused on creating convenient, modern stores that deliver fresh, affordable groceries for local families.”

On March 19, the company broke ground on its newest store in Canal Winchester. Construction is continuing at Kroger’s Delaware site at 1650 Sunbury Rd, and the 123,000-square-foot store is expected to open in early fall of 2026. According to Kroger, it will create more than 220 local jobs and brings a $33 million investment to Delaware County, one of the fastest growing counties in the state.

The Delaware location is “bringing the company’s most modern grocery experience to the community,” with “enhanced” produce, deli, meat and seafood offerings, a dedicated sushi counter, specialty cheese shop, as well as an expanded apparel section and on-site fuel center.

The Canal Winchester store will be 118,000 square feet and also feature a fuel center, and is slated to open in late fall of 2026. It’s a $30 million investment and will create around 250 jobs, according to Kroger.

Renovations are underway

Approximately $24 million will be spent on renovations for these 15 existing locations:

Brewers Yard
Dublin
Gahanna
Lambertville
Lancaster
New Albany
Pataskala
Reynoldsburg
Sylvania
Toledo
Waterville
Weirton
Wheelersburg
Wheeling
Worthington

Renovations will differ by store needs and will likely include new product cases, improved restrooms and new decor, among other projects.

Currently, the Kroger Columbus Division employs nearly 18,000 people across the division’s stores in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.

Business and consumer issues reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com

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Ohio

‘No Kings’ protests planned in Columbus, other central Ohio cities

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

‘No Kings’ protests planned in Columbus, other central Ohio cities

A nationwide “No Kings” protest is scheduled for March 28. In Columbus, demonstrators will gather at the Ohio Statehouse.
Organizers are protesting what they describe as government overreach and authoritarian actions by the Trump administration.
In addition to the main rally, smaller events are planned throughout central Ohio on the same day.

A nationwide protest is set to return this weekend, with a “No Kings” demonstration planned at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus as well as in other area communities.

The Downtown event is part of a coordinated day of action expected to include hundreds, and potentially thousands, of gatherings across the country on March 28.

Mia Lewis, a volunteer with Indivisible Central Ohio and associate director of Common Cause Ohio, said the protest aims to bring together people concerned about federal policy and government overreach.

“We’re fed up with the Trump administration and their overreach,” Lewis said. “We’re taking a stand against illegal wars, injustice and power corruption.”

When and where is the Columbus protest?

The Columbus event is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 28 at the Ohio Statehouse, according to event organizers.

Participants are expected to gather near the William McKinley Monument before a rally and march through Downtown.

The protest is being organized locally by Indivisible Central Ohio, alongside partners including Common Cause Ohio, ACLU of Ohio and Columbus 50501.

Central Ohio events planned throughout the day

In addition to the Statehouse rally, there are three other rallies planned in Columbus, including at Easton, in German Village, and a senior-focused gathering scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. near Neil Avenue and Goodale Boulevard.

Other rallies are scheduled in more than 15 other cities throughout central Ohio. Those interested can visit nokings.org to view a map of events in their region.

What is the ‘No Kings’ movement?

The “No Kings” movement is a nationwide organizing effort that opposes what organizers describe as authoritarian actions by President Donald Trump and his administration.

According to organizers, more than 1,000 events have already been planned across the country for March 28, with thousands more expected.

“I have noticed that most people are unhappy with the Trump administration and they want to see change,” Lewis said.

Organizers say millions of people participated in similar protests last year.

What to expect from ‘No Kings’ events

Organizers say the demonstrations are intended to push back against federal policies and actions they oppose, while also encouraging civic engagement and nonviolent protest.

The coalition has hosted training sessions ahead of the March events aimed at educating participants about their rights and how to safely observe federal enforcement activity.

Organizers estimate attendance at the Statehouse event could exceed 15,000 people, potentially making it one of the largest protests in the city’s history.

The event is expected to include speakers such as state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus; retired Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich and representatives from advocacy groups. Organizers said attendees are encouraged to bring signs and messages important to them.

“Everyone is welcome,” Lewis said.

Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.

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