Ohio
Ohio State president ‘will not compromise’ on safety as campuses face Gaza war protests
In an end-of-the-semester email sent Monday afternoon to the campus community, Ohio State University President Ted Carter followed up on communication from over the weekend with a reminder of the university’s stances on protesting and free speech.
On Saturday, Ohio State said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that hate speech is “deplorable and does not align with our values, even if allowed under the First Amendment.”
The post came following a couple of campus protests in the past few days over the war in Gaza. Video clips from one of those protests were shared on an Instagram account belonging to StopAntisemitism — “a grassroots watchdog organization dedicated to exposing groups and individuals that espouse incitement towards the Jewish people and State and engage in antisemitic behaviors,” according to its website.
In his email, Carter said that college campuses “must be places where we can process these events through respectful discussion and debate.”
“We are here together to learn from one another and hear new and different perspectives – including those with which we disagree,” he said.
Carter said he wants students, staff and faculty to stand up for what they believe in, and that Buckeyes should “dedicate ourselves to using our voices with civility and compassion.”
“I remain steadfastly committed to maintaining an environment where all members of our community feel welcome while continuing to uphold the First Amendment and the laws of our state and nation,” Carter said.
Cater added that Ohio State will “continue to prioritize safety”, including having university police officers and trained staff on-site for demonstrations, and enforcing space rules, that prohibit “intentional disruptions of university events, classes, exams or programming, including commencement.”
Carter also warned that when protected speech becomes threatening, “Ohio State has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy.”
“I will not compromise on this,” he added.
Carter asked that people consider their words wisely.
“Even if speech is protected, is it how you would talk to a member of your family or a friend?” he said. “Displays of hate speech on our campuses, even if allowed under the First Amendment, are reprehensible and do not align with our values. Ohio State must be a place where all are welcome and safe.”
Remarks come as campuses face protests nationwide
The Israel-Hamas War has sparked protests on college campuses across the country since violence broke out in October.
More than 100 people were arrested last week for protesting Israel’s war in Gaza at Columbia University in New York City. Students were forcibly removed by police from tents pitched on lawns at the center of campus.
The Columbia students were part of student groups protesting the university’s financial investment in “corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine,” the group told USA Today.
Police in New Haven, Connecticut arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University Monday and charged them with trespassing a protest seeking for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers that supply Israel with arms.
Harvard University restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday in anticipation of pro-Palestine student protests.
Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.
shendrix@dispatch.com
@sheridan120
Columbus city officials says police aren’t working with ICE
Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said officers won’t be helping with federal agents in immigration enforcement operations.
Nearly half of the more than 500 incidents reported to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline in the past year were from Columbus-area callers.
The hotline, which is run by advocacy group Ohio Immigrant Alliance, serves loved ones of immigrants; immigrants (including those in detention) who need help; ordinary and concerned Ohioans; and professionals who are seeking guidance on how to deal with ICE enforcement actions against their staff, clients, customers and community.
The hotline launched in January 2025, when President Donald Trump took office for his second term, promising increased immigration enforcement. It catalogued 548 incidents between its start and February 2026, according to a report released March 25 titled “Connecting Ohio: The Ohio Immigrant Hotline’s First Year in Action.”
The goal is to provide immediate help and to use data to advocate for systemic change, according to the report.
Of the 548 incidents, 229 happened in an 11-county region of central Ohio. A 21-county region in northeast Ohio had the second-most at 123.
After a wave of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and activity in December in Columbus, dubbed “Operation Buckeye” by ICE, hotline calls surged and haven’t let up, said Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.
Hotline staffers who speak English, Spanish, French and other languages handled 94 incidents in December.
Before that, the hotline’s busiest month was October, with 40 incidents.
Last year, the hotline averaged 39 incidents a month, the report said, but this year that has ballooned to 96 monthly. Most of the incidents were reported via email, with the most common reports discussing ICE and Border Patrol activity within the state.
Who called the Ohio Immigrant Hotline?
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance often gets requests for help from individuals, but the hotline allowed it to be able to report and track its work, according to the report.
Though some people thought the hotline was ICE’s tip line and reported immigrants’ presence and a few harassing or prank calls, the majority wanted to help immigrants, according to the report.
“It’s heartening,” the report reads, about those wishing to help. “The spirit of solidarity and community in Ohio is real.”
The hotline manager, who the Alliance did not name because of threats to their safety, has often engaged with people in distress, including those who cannot find a loved one they suspect may have been arrested and detained by ICE. There were 73 reports of arrests by ICE or Customs and Border Patrol agents.
The hotline gathers details about those individuals and connects callers with resources to help.
Other callers have included attorneys or friends of detainees calling because medication or other needs are being denied to someone in detention.
What has the hotline accomplished?
The hotline helped people find immigration attorneys; deposited thousands of dollars in immigration detention commissary and phone accounts for 50 people; helped families raise money for attorneys, filing fees, medical needs, and support after deportation; and connected callers to volunteer, donation, and advocacy opportunities.
The hotline also helped defend civil rights and the quality of life for detained immigrants. After reports from immigrants in detention detailed violations of Ramadan meal services, the Ohio Immigrant Hotline notified the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. The ACLU Ohio resolved the issue with leadership at the jail, which was not identified in the report.
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance is also part of a lawsuit due to one report that came in through the hotline.
People can report incidents about ICE arrests and raids to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline, at 419-777-HELP or 4357 or hotline@ohioimmigrant.org. Resources for immigrants and advocates can be found at OhioIsHome.org.
Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.
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.
Grand Opening party at new Kroger in Powell
Grand Opening party at new Kroger in Powell
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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