Today from The Ohio Newsroom

People incarcerated in Belmont Correctional Institution work hard each year to grow giant pumpkins for competitions. But growing pumpkins inside a prison comes with challenges.

Severe storms have dealt significant damage across parts of southern Ohio. Now, the region is recovering.

Starting Oct. 1, the federal government will give states less funding to administer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs. Ohio's largest counties are losing millions.

A local pawpaw farmer says invasive ambrosia beetles have killed three-quarters of the trees in his southeast Ohio orchard.

More than a dozen citizenship ceremonies have been canceled in northeast Ohio this year as naturalization approvals fall and immigration backlogs increase.

In western Ohio, a school district is using hydroponic towers to grow food for their local food bank. They hope the effort will be the start of a regional collaboration.

Tuscarawas County in northeast Ohio is home to a sizable population of Guatemalan immigrants. They've found community in a local garden.

A statewide quarantine remains in place to prevent the insect from spreading, but there's still no fool-proof solution. And since the spotted lanternfly prefers to feed on grapes, experts say, if we aren't careful, Ohio's vineyards may be at risk.

The 190-year-old newspaper says it will stop publishing at the end of this year if it can't find a buyer.

Medications to treat opioid use disorder can reduce cravings and the risk of overdose. But primary care providers across Ohio are hesitant to prescribe them.

Seamstresses across Ohio are providing zippered shirts to cancer patients so they can more comfortably undergo chemotherapy treatments.

A dam removal project in southwest Ohio will restore the flow and habitat of Paint Creek and make the area safer for recreation. It's one of several efforts to remove low-head dams across the state.

From 1959-1962, a Cincinnati company distributed thalidomide, which can cause limb deformities. Now, survivors want the federal government to acknowledge their existence.

The Ohio Pharmacy Association received millions of dollars to increase connectivity between rural pharmacists and other healthcare providers.

The American Legion post in Meigs County hosts a yearly bean dinner that's been running since shortly after the Civil War.

As extreme weather becomes more common because of climate change, scientists say streamgages could help communities prepare for future floods.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has increased arrests and required ankle monitors for many Haitian residents in Springfield.

A judge says a diversion program helps homeless people avoid jail and start fresh. Though some experts question camping bans and other charges the participants often face, proponents say the court gives people a second chance.

“North Star” retells the story of one of the most well-known women of the 19th century and spotlights the Garst museum researchers keeping her legacy alive.

Thanks in part to a $90 million investment of COVID-relief funds, new behavioral health facilities are popping up across Ohio. Now, they need workers.

Many Ohio communities are facing resistance to Flock Safety surveillance cameras. Some are implementing guardrails, while others are outright ending their contracts.

The Ohio Attorney's General Office has launched a hotline that aims to prevent online romance scams, which have targeted elderly people across the state.

A new film based in rural Ohio blends documentary and fiction to capture the often unseen process of substance use recovery.

Residents of Cadiz in eastern Ohio have been dealing with water issues over the last year. Recently, the Ohio EPA found several violations at the village's water treatment plant.

The full-contact sport has a long history in the state. Some teams are celebrating two decades and wider recognition.

The “Lawyers = Justice” Initiative will sponsor attorneys to build their practices in rural parts of northwest Ohio, where legal help is scarce.

A visitors bureau in north central Ohio is installing signs along the Mohican River to help first responders locate people mid-emergency.

Ohio researchers have been working on a conservation plan to bolster the native Eastern massasauga. Their efforts may be the first of their kind.

From fertilizer to fuel, seeds to steel, here's how farmers across Ohio are coping with climbing costs.

An entire generation grew up without mayflies. But the pesky bug's return this summer points to a healthier Lake Erie .

The Ohio State Fair opened on Wednesday with a new glittering crown jewel: a custom-carved, Ohio-made carousel celebrating wildlife and notable landmarks from all over Ohio.

A new exhibit at the Underground Railroad Museum is using soil from 14 sites around the state to tell a more complete history of Ohio.

For years, the Ford Crown Victoria was notorious for one thing: law enforcement. Now, these cars are being preserved as museum pieces in Ohio.

The Wheelhouse in Lima recycles bicycles to help community members without a ride to work.

In 2023, Ohioans checked out more library materials per capita than people in any other state. Many local libraries expand their reach by taking collections on the road.

Segregation is still pervasive in Ohio public schools, according to a recent analysis by university researchers and an education advocacy group.

An amendment to abolish property taxes won't go before Ohio voters this November. But the group behind that effort is still circulating petitions across the state to try for next year's ballot.

About 4 million Ohioans live in a township. Most of townships' operational funding comes from property tax — leaving some township leaders concerned about the path forward if it were to be abolished in the state.

Amid the federal government's decision to end temporary protected status for Haitians, residents in Lima are seeking out community support.

At 85 years old, Grandma Joy had never seen a mountain. So her grandson took her to see the Great Smoky Mountains. The pair went on to visit all 63 national parks.

Statistics from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show the number of people experiencing homelessness across the country dropped by 3% last year. But the trend is moving in the opposite direction in Ohio.

The owners of four injection wells in southeast Ohio's Washington County agreed to voluntarily stop their operations in early July, following a request from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' oil and gas division.

Fairfield County native Jacqueline Ratliff is sailing aboard the Nautilus, in hopes of documenting unexplored ocean habitats.

The state is investing money to help counties develop land use plans that prioritize agricultural land.

OhioHealth will close the labor and delivery unit at Grady Memorial Hospital in central Ohio's Delaware County at the end of July. It's the latest in a string of more than two dozen Ohio hospitals that have closed or consolidated maternity care since 2018.

Arm wrestling clubs are springing up all over the state. Now, Ohioans are representing Team USA at the world championships and rising through the international ranks.

Thousands of family farms raise beef cattle in Ohio. But the state has far fewer meat processing businesses. One southeast Ohio butchery's humane approach has farmers traveling from all over.

After Ohio Humanities lost federal funding last year, the statewide organization is announcing an organizational shift.

The Supreme Court ruled President Trump has the authority to rescind Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Syria.

As the end of another session comes quickly, it's unlikely nursing staffing bills will move before December, when all legislation either goes to Gov. Mike DeWine or dies.

Nurses across the state are pushing for hospitals to adopt mandatory staffing ratios, amid overwhelming patient loads. But hospitals and rural providers say it could make things worse.