Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How one Parsons Avenue family is starting school from a storm shelter

And check out 76 FENCE Greater Columbus Celebrates Grand Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on the Columbus Patch calendar

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Wednesday August 19th Patch AM
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What's up Columbus! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How one Parsons Avenue family is starting school from a storm shelter
  • How CMHA's voucher squeeze could affect renters across Columbus
  • How Columbus families can now grab pantry groceries any hour of the day.

Also on today's calendar: 76 FENCE Greater Columbus Celebrates Grand Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do evil hens lay? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 79 and low of 65 degrees.
  • Thursday: Humid with a thunderstorm, temps: high: 80, low: 61.
  • Friday: Nice with plenty of sunshine, with a high of 82 and low of 63 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Storm damage leaves Ohio family scrambling ahead of school year (spectrumnews1.com) — A Columbus family of 16 is starting the school year from a Red Cross shelter after storms destroyed their Parsons Avenue home, leaving the kids with almost no belongings. With nearly 70 people still displaced in Franklin and Perry counties, Columbus City Schools and city partners are rushing in clothing, supplies, and support to students at 17 affected schools.
   

2. Rising rents, lower incomes put pressure on CMHA Housing Choice Voucher program (abc6onyourside.com) — Columbus families relying on Housing Choice Vouchers are feeling the squeeze as rising rents and stagnant wages outpace federal funding for the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. To close a multimillion-dollar shortfall, CMHA has frozen new vouchers, tightened moves, and lowered payment standards while working with HUD for more support, aiming to protect current voucher holders first.
   

3. Columbus food pantry expands locker pickup program (nbc4i.com) — A Columbus food pantry, NNEMAP, has expanded its refrigerated locker system so local families can pick up requested food 24/7 without interacting with staff. After overwhelming demand since 2023, new lockers are now operating, doubling capacity, speeding up fulfillment, and offering more privacy and dignity for residents who might otherwise hesitate to seek help.
   

4. Funeral Director recalls drive-by shooting during service (nbc4i.com) — Family and mourners at Antioch Jordan Baptist Church in Columbus were caught in a drive-by shooting Monday afternoon as a funeral procession was about to leave, sending two people to the hospital. Funeral director Lori Diaz described bullets striking her vehicle and terrifying attendees, including a youth drumline and nearby daycare parents, while Columbus police say the victims are expected to recover and the investigation continues.
   

5. Michael Burditt Cadwell (vtdigger.org) — Columbus is mourning architect and longtime Ohio State professor Michael Burditt Cadwell, who died August 9 after a long illness. Cadwell led the Knowlton School of Architecture, published influential books, and earned national honors, while friends and family remember his mix of humor, scholarship, and devotion to loved ones; donations are suggested to Pittsford Village Farm or an OSU scholarship fund.
   

📸 Around Columbus

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • UPDATE: REUNITED!!
    Please share & repost to help reunite this lost cat! Loki was LOST on August 16, 2026 in Columbus, OH 43231 near northern woods apmts Sharing for a… (Nextdoor Academy/Crossing Creek)
  • I am in the Whitehall/Bexley area.
    A tree limb came down in my yard. On my lunchbreak today I cut up a large portion of it and put it at the curb. Was planning to get the rest done… (Nextdoor Fairmoor)
  • Hyatt Hotels posted a job opening for Housekeeper Room Care in Columbus. Apply here.
  • Clean Team posted a job opening for Day Cleaner in Columbus. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Columbus here.

Ok Columbus! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Deviled eggs (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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