Ohio
Shot through the heart: fast draw is alive and well in Ohio
Many of the traditions of the American West are lost to us now. Most will never know what it’s like to ride a wagon train, move a herd of cattle out of state or die of consumption.
But there’s still one great cowboy pastime that can be enjoyed, and Ohio is at the heart of it.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
The sport of fast draw is thriving, and Ohio has the oldest still-running organization that specializes in this unique activity that is as much art and performance as it is sport.
Drag racing with a firearm
The Ohio Fast Draw Association (OFDA) holds events in cities across the state, often renting out spaces that are suited to their specific needs.
At a recent event in Bellefontaine, Ohio, a small city north of Dayton, they rented out the Logan County Fish & Game hall, a remote one-story building off Route 68.
The room was harshly lit by fluorescents, the smell of sulfur, from the gunfire, hung in the air and conversation was regularly punctuated by the sound of two shots.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
Brian “Doc” Hric is Vice President of the Buckeye Rangers, a fast draw club out of Willoughby, as well as secretary for the Ohio Fast Draw Association.
“Well, the sport of fast draw – because we say fast draw, people think, ‘Oh, you must be some kind of an artist.’ Well, technically we are, but we don’t draw anything,” said Hric.
Western fast draw as a sport isn’t nearly as old as the activity it recreates. In the 1800s, fast draw was a life or death situation with two people facing each other and the faster draw shooting, and often killing, the other person first.
The sport of fast draw started in the late 1950s at a well-known California tourist attraction, Knott’s Berry Farm, according to Hric.
“That’s where it originally was created by a couple of workers there … and it kind of grew and went on from there. In the ’60s and ’70s, there was fast draw clubs all over the United States. They used to put contests on at casinos in Las Vegas, where some of the actors would go, like Clint Eastwood and Glenn Ford and people like that, and actually participate in those,” said Hric.
Ohio Fast Draw Association, which started in 1960, is the nation’s oldest sanctioning body in the sport. They set up events every month in cities all over the state and clubs like Buckeye Rangers and others come to compete.
The sport, of course, has lower stakes than the historical version of gunfighting; nobody is shooting at anything but a target. In the sport of fast draw, competitors line up side by side and on an activated signal, they both draw their six shooters and fire, with the target reading their speeds. A really quick speed can be between three tenths and four tenths of a second, while the elite can go even faster.
“What I like to refer to this as: this is like drag racing. But instead of a car you’re using a firearm,” said Hric.
3 ways to fast draw with Brian “Doc” Hric
Showdown in Bellefontaine
One of the fastest shooters of the day in Bellefontaine was Laura Campbell, of Quincy, Ohio. She’s been shooting since 2007, when she and her husband picked up the hobby.
There used to be a women’s division, but a lack of participants led the association to fold the divisions together, so now Campbell goes up against her husband and all the other men.
“This is, this is like the second contest that I’ve competed with the men and the contest we had the beginning of the morning. I won that contest, so, yeah … I beat him. I beat them all,” Campbell said with a laugh.
Campbell relished the opportunity to go back home to Quincy with a victory under her belt.
“I have a group of ladies that I go out to lunch with once a month, and that’s the first thing they say, ‘Hey, Quickdraw, how you go? Have you got a contest? Did you win? Did you win? Because if you didn’t win, we won’t make fun of you, you know?’” Said Campbell.
Campbell said she and her husband were never into guns before discovering the sport, which was inspired by their abiding love for Western film and TV.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
Respecting the iron
Like many sports that include an element of danger, the sport of fast draw is highly focused on safety. In their case, gun safety is the name of the game, and one of their guiding principles.
“We do not shoot live ammunition. There is no live ammunition shot in the sport of fast draw. We use what is called as a wax bullet,” said Hric.
Competitors assemble their own shells with wax loads and a shot shell primer, that uses no gunpowder, to propel them. It’s important that the wax mixture is just right; too soft and the load won’t make it to the target in one piece, too hard and it will bounce off and possibly fly back at the shooter.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
Tony Wisen is the chairman of the Ohio Fast Draw Association.
“So we we have race guns and we have stock guns. So stock guns can still shoot live ammunition, which you don’t do in competition. And you’re not allowed to have live ammunition anywhere near a competition,” said Wisen.
Race guns are modified with lighter barrels and other parts made out of aluminum for a faster draw time. Those guns can’t shoot real bullets.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
A western tradition
Perhaps the most important part of the sport is its reverence of the American western tradition. The act of fast drawing revolvers is itself an homage to the Wild West, but beyond that, competitors don’t just show up to competition in the same garb — or persona — that they’d wear into work at an office on Monday.
“Western wear is mandatory. Now to what degree you want to take that Western wear, that’s up to the individual. We’ve had people dress in all buckskin fringes,” said Hric.
It doesn’t stop at the clothes. Most of the competitors at these events are old enough to have grandchildren. And much like their kids and grandkids do at comic-cons and cosplay gatherings, many fast draw competitors show up to events in character.
“In Ohio fast draw, you do not have to have a character or take a handle. There are other organizations that do, and that’s what they go by. People don’t know what a shooter’s real name is. They know them by their handle, or their character, which is kind of neat,” said Hric.
Though OFDA does not require one, many choose to still come to events in character. For Hric, a retired fire department paramedic with a touch of asthma who already went by the nickname “Doc,” an immediate parallel presented itself in the form of one of the most famous figures of the Wild West era.
“Okay, I chose Doc Newberry, who is an offshoot of Doc Holliday,” said Hric, referencing the famed ally of Wyatt Earp. Holliday fought with Earp in the gunfight at the OK Corral, perhaps the most famous gunfight in American history, suffered from tuberculosis and notably was also in the medical profession.
As Doc Newberry, Hric competes and also shares his love of history and the American west with other competitors and spectators.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
“I didn’t feel like dressing up as Star Wars and shooting lasers, so I decided to do this instead,” said Hric.
A deep abiding love for cowboy culture is the bolo tie that binds all the spectators and competitors at fast draw events, even more than shooting or competition. And one cowboy figure towers above the rest in terms of influence.
“John Wayne is my absolute hero. I love my John Wayne,” said Laura Campbell.
“I’m a big John Wayne fan … I grew up with Westerns, the Don Knotts comedy westerns. Yeah, the John Wayne, Clint Eastwoods. So I was really into Westerns,” said Wisen.
“I wanted a large loop lever put on my rifle like John Wayne. Because John Wayne was my hero. That’s the guy that I love watching his Westerns,” said Hric.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
The shadows of figures like Wayne, Eastwood, and other cowboy movie legends, like Glenn Ford (who was notable for being the fastest draw in real life, not just his films) loom large over the sport and all the gatherings.
As much as fast draw is a competition, it’s also a performance, an oral history session and a chance to gather with friends.
At the end of a loud day of shooting and living out their childhood—and sometimes adulthood—dreams, the cowboys and cowgirls of Ohio Fast Draw always seem to have a blast reliving history in their own unique way.
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Step aside, Bigfoot.
A new bill introduced to the Ohio House on April 13 wants to make the Loveland Frogman Ohio’s official state cryptid.
This very real bill is being sponsored by Ohio Representative Tristan Rader, who represents district 13 in Cleveland, and Representative Jean Schmidt, who represents district 62 in Loveland.
“This bill is about showcasing our communities,” said Rader in a press release. “The Loveland Frog is uniquely Ohio. It reflects the stories we tell, the places we’re proud of and the creativity that makes our state worth celebrating.”
The bill makes note that Loveland’s beloved legend has inspired books, documentaries, local festivals, artwork, merchandise and local tourism — all contributing to the local economy.
The Loveland Frogman is, as described by House Bill 821, “a frog-like, bipedal creature standing approximately four feet fall.”
The legend also inspired a found footage horror movie released in 2023.
But what is the Loveland Frogman?
The legend of the Loveland Frogman started with the story that, on two different nights in March of 1972, two different police officers spotted the Frogman.
The creature went unseen for decades, until in 2016, when a couple playing Pokemon Go said they spotted something weird between Loveland Madeira Road and Lake Isabella.
“We saw a huge frog near the water,” Sam Jacobs wrote in an email. “Not in the game, this was an actual giant frog.”
Jacobs said he stopped playing Pokemon Go so he could document what he was seeing, snapping some photos and shooting a short video.
“Then the thing stood up and walked on its hind legs. I realize this sounds crazy, but I swear on my grandmother’s grave this is the truth,” he wrote. “The frog stood about 4 feet tall.”
When they returned to Jacobs’ girlfriend’s home, her parents told them about the legend of the Frogman.
So was it the legendary Frogman? Or just a big frog? Jacobs wasn’t sure.
Around a day after WCPO’s story about Jacobs was published, we got a phone call from a man who claimed to be one of the original police officers who first saw the cryptid.
Mark Mathews told us the creature was not a frog at all.
Mathews explained that the first officer to encounter the purported Frogman, Ray Shockey, called him one night in the March of 1972 after spotting something strange on Riverside Drive/Kemper Road near the Totes boot factory and the Little Miami River.
“Naturally, I didn’t believe him … but I could somehow tell from his demeanor that he did see something,” Mathews said.
Later that month, Mathews was driving on Kemper Road near the boot factory when he saw something run across the road. However, it wasn’t walking upright and didn’t climb over the guardrail as the urban legend of the Frogman goes. The creature crawled under the guardrail. Matthews said he “had no clue what it was.”
“I know no one would believe me, so I shot it,” he said.
Mathews recovered the creature’s body and put it in his trunk to show Shockey. He said Shockey said it was the creature he had seen, too.
It was a large iguana about 3 or 3.5 feet long, Mathews said. The animal was missing its tail, which is why he didn’t immediately recognize it.
Mathews said he figured the iguana had been someone’s pet and then either got loose or was released when it grew too large. He also theorized that the cold-blooded animal had been living near the pipes that released water that was used for cooling the ovens in the boot factory as a way to stay warm in the cold March weather.
“It’s a big hoax,” he said. “There’s a logical explanation for everything.”
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