Local
On Sunbury Road, where the city begins to thin and green again, the Agler Freedom House sits modestly behind a line of trees. Its windows are plain, the white clapboard siding unadorned. The casual passerby might miss it entirely. But the ground beneath it carries a memory older than the city of Columbus itself.
In the mid-19th century, this house stood on a quiet stretch of road that was far from quiet in its purpose. Runaway slaves – men, women, and children – moved through here at night, guided by whispered directions and the promise of safety. The Agler family, white abolitionists in a hostile state, took them in. Basements became bunkers, kitchens became waystations.
The people who stopped here weren’t simply “runaways” – they were fugitives under federal law, risking life and limb for the radical act of freedom. They were also freedom seekers, part of a network of the defiant and the determined that would come to be called the Underground Railroad.
More than 150 years later, another kind of traveler found his way to the same door.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 7:00 PM
On January 17, 2025, Anduril Industries in partnership with the state of Ohio announced their Arsenal-1 AI/drone warfare complex, set to be built outside the Rickenbacker Air base in Pickaway County, Ohio.
Please join us for a discussion on the negative impact this drone warfare plant will have on Ohioans and how we can fight to prevent the plant from ever being built. Although this plant promises Ohioans thousands of new jobs those jobs come at a cost: expanding the drone warfare program for the US military and around the world (these drones have been used in Gaza and the West Bank), a drain on Ohio's natural resources, farmland stolen from local farmers, a strain on worker health, and an expanded surveillance state.
Register here.
End Starvation. Divest Now
Residents of Ohio will hold a rally and press conference on Friday, August 22 at 11:30 AM outside the Ohio Statehouse to demand an end to the forced starvation in Gaza and Ohio’s investments in Israel Bonds and private affiliates.
● Gaza is facing mass starvation, and aid is being intentionally restricted
● Israel Bonds have dropped below investment grade—yet Ohio counties still buy
in
● Pending legislation (SB 87, HB 188) threatens to silence divestment campaigns
● Ohioans are saying
Friday, August 22, 2025 |
Rally begins 11:00 - 11:30 AM
Press Conference: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Ohio Statehouse – 1 Capital Sq, Columbus
Speakers—including Gazans and those directly affected, veterans, lawyers, faith leaders, students, and healthcare workers—will call for divestment from entities
complicit in Gaza’s starvation and Israel’s war crimes.
The event follows rising public pressure on counties like Franklin for financially and ethically questionable investments in Israel.
Monday, August 18, 6pm, Upper Arlington Public Library [Meeting Rm. B], 2800 Tremont Rd.
Come on Monday, August 18 from 6pm to 7pm to Meeting Room B of the Upper Arlington Public Library, 2800 Tremont Rd., to learn all about Ranked Choice Voting.
Lifelong Ohio resident and “Rank the Vote Ohio” speaker, Chris Anderson will discuss the benefits of ranked choice voting and how it can improve Ohio’s elections if implemented. Learn about how ranked choice voting can empower voters, expand voter choice, promote greater diversity of political candidates, and hold politicians accountable by ensuring that majority-backed candidates are elected to office.
Hosted by Upper Arlington Progressive Action.
An emergency "pop up" protest brought nearly 200 people to the Ohio Statehouse this afternoon to condemn Governor Mike DeWine's announcement that he's sending 150 of the state's National Guard to Washington DC. Since August 13, National Guard troops in D.C. have taken over the police department because Trump claims there's a crime increase, although data shows crime is down in the nation's capital. Ohio now has the dubious distinctionf of joining West Virginia and South Carolina as states supporting the action.
The impromptu rally today mirrored the large ongoing Washington DC protests against the unprecedented National Guard mobilization. Speakers at the event chastised DeWine for capitulating to Trump's power grab, pointing out that the troops will target immigrants, the homeless and people of color.
People in cars passing by honked and waved to the protestors. An impressive number of demonstrators showed up and spoke out, with signage ready to denouce DeWine's decision. One memorable sign stated, "Trump said he couldn't call the National Guard on Jan. 6."
Sunday, August 17, 2025, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Columbus Metropolitan Library: Hilliard Branch, 4500 Hickory Chase Way, Hilliard, OH 43026.
Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan reminisce about friends and family members that have left us and the music they enjoyed or reminds them of their loved ones. Hear music from Roger Miller to the Grateful Dead to Carole King to the Pogues.
Listen live at 11pm Fridays, August 15 and 22 streaming at wgrn.org or on the radio at 91.9FM
and
Mondays at 2pm streaming August 18 and 25 at wcrsfm.org or on the radio at 92.7 or 98.3FM
Saturday, August 16, 3:30-5pm
Columbus Metropolitan Library [Main Branch], 96 S. Grant Ave.
Join us for a chilling exploration of Piketon’s nuclear history and its haunting impact on the Appalachian community.
Join us for the screening and discussion panel. This in-person event will take place at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Dive into the dark history and ongoing concerns surrounding nuclear activities in the region. Hear from experts, engage in discussions, and gain insights into this pressing issue. Don’t miss this eye-opening event!
For over 70 years, the small, tight-knit community of Pike County, Ohio, has paid the ultimate price for America’s nuclear ambitions. With the highest cancer rates in the state and a legacy of contamination, this rural town bears the scars of decades-long radioactive exposure. In 2019, the crisis hit a devastating milestone when a local school was permanently shut down after radioactive isotopes were discovered inside its walls.
This film takes you inside the heart of the Piketon Atomic Plant story, exposing the human cost of nuclear power and the fight for truth in a radiated community.
This article first appeared in The Buckeye Flame
As trans individuals and advocates in Ohio, we know that our community is facing extraordinary challenges right now. The fear, the hate, the legislation—it’s all real, and for many, it’s overwhelming. We completely understand that for some, leaving a state like Ohio—where anti-trans laws, rhetoric, and fear-mongering are rampant—might feel like the only viable option for survival. And for those who can afford to make that move, who have the resources and support to relocate and rebuild their lives elsewhere, that might be the right decision for their physical and mental health.
But here’s where we feel the need to speak up: When we start to frame “getting out” as the only solution, we risk abandoning the very people we’re trying to protect. Ohio isn’t just a place on a map; it’s home to thousands of trans people who, right now, are counting on the people who have stayed—who have chosen to dig in their heels and continue the fight, no matter how difficult.
This article first appeared on Ohio Capital Journal
Buried in a March executive order from President Donald Trump is a provision that could cast doubt on voting machines in Ohio and around the country. The order directs federal officials to amend a set of security benchmarks for voting machines.