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SATURDAY: Protest to stop the war on Iran: bring our troops home! No blood for oil!
As more and more Americans die in this illegal war of aggression, we must take the streets and continue to demand an end to this war. Iran isn’t our enemy, it’s the billionaires robbing us of our rights!
🕓 4PM
🗓️ Saturday, March 7
📍 OH Statehouse, 1 Capitol Sq
🌦️ Rain or shine, we’ll see you in the streets!
What many may not be aware of is that a high-yielding aquifer lies deep under most of Central Ohio. Keeping the aquifer on the down-low, so to speak, was perhaps the plan by local power brokers who foresaw how major corporations would someday come to our region seeking vast amounts of water for industrial use.
That day has arrived, as Google and other tech behemoths take millions of gallons daily from the aquifer and local groundwater that have fed this aquifer for thousands of years, if not longer. Also, utilizing the aquifer is Columbus Water and Power, the city department which provides potable water for 1.4 million residents.
According to Google, the Far South Side data center used 177 million gallons in 2024 when it was just coming online. Its data center in Lancaster took 207 million gallons that year and in New Albany, 405 million. Of Ohio’s 200-plus data centers, roughly 130 are in Central Ohio.
Coincidentally, Columbus City Council voted 9-0 last November to raise water and sewer rates across the city and suburbs with the average annual bill going up $100.
This moment has been years in the making. Thanks to the relentless organizing of residents like you, the Columbus City Council has officially referred the collaboratively written Community Crisis Response Amendment to the May 5th, 2026 primary election ballot!
For half a decade, the Columbus Safety Collective has fought to reimagine public safety. Because of the nearly 30,000 signatures collected by our incredible volunteer canvassers, we reached a historic compromise with the Mayor, City Council, and labor leaders to put forward a common-sense, life-saving proposal.
Why We Fight:
This campaign is for the people and by the people. As our Co-Chair Chana Wiley shared, this work is deeply personal. It is rooted in the tragic loss of her brother, Jaron Thomas, who lost his life after calling 911 during a mental health crisis.
Mental health stigma is real, and the wrong response can be fatal. All of us, no matter where we live or what we look like deserve the right help when we experience an emergency. This amendment ensures that what happened to Jaron never happens to another family.
What the Amendment Does:
On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, we learned that Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, “has turned over the voter registration data of nearly 8 million Ohioans to the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Trek Manifest + The AYE-1 Band’s Tosca’s Boy Sessions Part 1 is a live Hip Hop album recorded at Natalie’s Grandview. Trek introduces Tosca’s Boy Session 1 like Jay-Z’s unplugged channeled Frank Sinatra performing at Harlem’s Club Sudan. Trek segues into call and responses which combine T.I. and Vince Staples hooks for familiarity.
Tosca’s Boy’s 1 introduction is a 6 minute long introduction of live rap concert. Tosca’s Boy’s Live Sessions 1 second song “Death Wish” reveals Trek Manifest’s backing group The AYE-1 Band’s sonic palette.
During the entire Tosca’s Boy Live Session 1, the AYE band contains a sophistication in jazz sound and arrangement reminiscent of a Hank Crawford classic. “All Black“ continued the live show experience like LA Symphony over a trap beat. “All I Know” is a ballad which brings us into the feeling of Tosca’s Boy Sessions 1.
Trek is working with his grief. Trek’s mom died 5 years ago. I think Trek said his mom died on his birthday. “Own” is a ballad about understanding a relationship with existence. “Own” is followed with an interlude with Trek’s mom’s culture.
Thursday, March 5, 12noon
Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road
Rain or shine!
Join Strauss sexual abuse survivors in confronting the OSU Board of Trustees and calling for the removal of John Zieger and Liz Kessler.
It’s time to fight the good fight. These important actions can help us avoid cynicism, build our movement, make our opposition clear and impossible to ignore, and secure a foundation to make more and more powerful demands and escalate our actions:
Our next Central Ohio meeting will be held Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
Please register in advance here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/G6uOmcnlSgqfcuBlS4ofTA
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link. This registration will also place the meeting on your calendar as a recurring event for the first Tuesday of every month, so you’ll be set for future Central Ohio meetings as well.
At our February meeting, we introduced four proposed task forces to help guide our 2026 work:
- Oil & Gas Land Management Commission “Rapid Response”
- Legislative Advocacy
- Community Outreach (Fairs & Festivals)
- Education
How did you choose to spend your Monday night?
Hopefully, you were one of over a hundred people who attended a meeting sponsored by “Our City, Our Say” at 1890 East Main Street, the new-ish and very impressive Center of Entrepreneurial Development or COED, with a focus on supporting Black entrepreneurs.
Our City, Our Say is fighting an uphill battle against Columbus City Hall to bring real democracy to your city. In Columbus, we have a rigged system, designed by those currently in office to ensure that big money and a small group of people control the future of our city. Different groups have tried, and failed, to sponsor a ballot initiative to force change (three that I can remember).
What’s the goal of Our City, Our Say?