Dental Implants in Columbus, OH

Tracking of infectious diseases, mental health funding and self-described life saving investments are at risk in central Ohio and beyond after millions in federal cuts to health care and research in the Buckeye State.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), headed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, announced a restructuring of the department in late March, which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since then, the national health landscape has experienced rapid changes, including efforts to reduce HHS staff by tens of thousands of workers and cuts to funding that endangers programs like Meals on Wheels and research on infectious diseases like HIV.

The Columbus area faces cuts that are well into the hundreds of million and include employee and grant terminations and general uncertainty about the future of health care funding for some of the state's and country's biggest health care players.

Columbus, state programs see hundreds of millions cut

The CDC recently notified the Ohio Department of Health that at least $250 million in grants were terminated, including grants for childhood vaccination in Ohio at a time when Ohio sits below the national average in fully-immunized kindergarteners.

An HHS spreadsheet indicates that there could be even more cuts, though ODH currently maintains the $250 million number in a time of confusion for many state health departments.

"ODH is actively working with the CDC to get clarification and further guidance," an ODH spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Columbus Public Health (CPH) was forced to terminate 11 employees after half of the already-promised $6 million in federal funding was cut. The funding came to the city's health department via ODH, which disseminates federal funds, which were part of COVID-19 operations funding that allowed the city to more actively surveil and investigate diseases.

That includes COVID-19, E.coli and measles, and the funding helps the department act quickly to warn the community of the diseases and take necessary precautions, especially for vulnerable communities like the elderly and chronically ill.

"Imagine you have your mortgage with the bank. You've been paying it for the last three years, and then they just call you on Friday afternoon and say 'We're not going to handle your loan anymore, and we don't know who's going to handle it. You're on your own' and walk away," Dr. Mysheika Roberts, commissioner of CPH, told The Dispatch. "But you had a 30-year mortgage with them and in the midst of it, for no good reason, they just stopped."

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services also saw grant cuts over $50 million, according to an HHS spreadsheet, used for mental health and substance use in a state credited as one of the epicenters of the opioid epidemic. Like ODH, the department continues to seek clarity.

"Our department remains committed to our primary mission of ensuring that all Ohioans have access to the services and supports they need to live up to their full potential," a spokesperson for the department said in an email.

Major hospitals, universities also face cuts

Ohio State University was not immune to roughly $2.4 million in federal cuts. While that's a small portion of the over $1 billion in funding the university gets, the terminations disproportionately impact LGBTQ+ related studies and cuts funding for studies around vaccine hesitancy in rural populations.

"We are grateful for the research support we receive from our federal partners as these investments literally save lives right here in Ohio," a spokesperson for the university said in a statement. "Across the university, research continues, which benefits farmers, patients, military personnel, law enforcement, small businesses and Ohioans in all 88 counties, but we are closely monitoring and managing federal notifications that have impacted a number of our faculty and laboratories."

The NIH terminated Nationwide Children's Hospital's Abigail Wexner Research Institute's grant studying the impact of puberty blockers on the health of adolescents. The children's hospital declined to comment, but according to an HHS, the cuts amount to nearly $1 million.

Medical business and health care reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com or @samanthajhendr on X, formerly known as twitter.

Big Lots is making a comeback.

While more than 600 Big Lots stores have closed across the country as the Columbus-based retailer has navigated bankruptcy, about 200 are returning under new ownership.

Variety Wholesalers, which acquired 219 Big Lots stores in February, plans to start reopening those stores soon.

"We're thrilled to bring the Big Lots brand back to life by offering more deals than ever, lots of famous brands and a new apparel department for the entire family,” Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers, said in a release. “We’re opening stores quickly so we can serve the community. We know the stores won’t be perfect to start, but each week we’ll add more new products as we build towards the grand opening celebration in the fall.”

Which Big Lots in Ohio are getting new life? Here's what to know.

Big Lots stores reopening in Ohio

According to the release, Variety Wholesalers, which owns Roses Discount stores, Roses Express, Maxway, Bill's Dollar Stores and Bargain Town, started reopening Big Lots locations with nine stores in six states last week. Those are:

Another 55 stores will open on May 1. The remaining stores will open through early June and lead up to a grand opening celebration that will take place across all stores this fall.

In Ohio, several stores are reopening soon, according to media reports. The Canton Repository reports three stores will reopen soon. They are:

Crain's Cleveland Business adds Big Lots locations in Bridgeport, Warren, Youngstown and Wintersville to the list.

What Ohio Big Lots stores did Variety Wholesalers buy?

In all, Variety Wholesalers bought more than two dozen Big Lots stores in Ohio. They are:

Specific dates for other stores to reopen have not been announced.

40 Big Lots to see new life as Ollie's Bargain Outlets, including 4 in Ohio

Ollie's Bargain Outlet of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, announced in March it was acquiring 40 Big Lots locations across the country, including four in Ohio.

"Everything about these stores lines up well with our business and growth strategy. These locations are the right size, come with favorable lease terms, are located in existing and adjacent trade areas, and have long serviced value-conscious consumers,” Eric van der Valk, president and CEO of Ollie’s, said in the release.

The four Ohio locations are:

Is Columbus, Ohio-based Big Lots going out of business? Retailer closing more than 600 stores

In February, the liquidation firm helping Big Lots through its bankruptcy process added more than 200 stores to the list of about 460 whose leases went up for sale in January, the Dispatch previously reported.

The update from Gordon Brothers Retail Partners of Boston added another 33 stores in Ohio to the list that already included 23 locations in the state.

What Big Lots stores in Ohio are closing? Here's the full list

The Big Lots locations in Ohio that will close are:

Kentucky Big Lots stores in the list of closures

In Kentucky, these stores, including three — Bellevue, Covington and Florence — near Cincinnati, are slated to close:

Big Lots files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024

Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 9, 2024, the Dispatch reported previously. The company blamed inflation and high interest rates for taking a toll on its customers.

Los Angeles-based investment company Nexus Capital Management had agreed to buy most of its assets, the company said, but that deal fell through in December. Gordon Brothers then stepped in to buy Big Lots out of bankruptcy and then sell some of the stores to Variety.

Big Lots joins Joann Fabrics, Macy's, Kohl's, JCPenney in closing stores

Big Lots joins several other national retailers in filing bankruptcy and closing stores in 2025. They include:

The wall was installed at Greenlawn Avenue and Harmon Avenue near Interstate 71 due to continued heavy rainfall.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A floodwall was activated in Columbus on Saturday as central Ohio continues to see steady rainfall this weekend.

The wall was installed at Greenlawn Avenue and Harmon Avenue near Interstate 71 due to continued heavy rainfall. The wall is in the Franklinton neighborhood.

The city said motorists should avoid the area.

The last time the floodwall was activated was last April.

RELATED: Flood warnings, watches in effect as more rain heads to central Ohio

The city announced road closures due to the floodwall activation.

These closures are expected to last through at least Sunday afternoon, the city said.

Several roads across Ohio are closed due to high water. See a list of current flooded roads to avoid here.

Flood warnings and watches are in effect for central Ohio this weekend. You can view the full list of weather alerts here.

There is usually an uptick in car crashes during heavy rain events due to hydroplaning. This occurs when your tires are moving over a wet surface too quickly so that your tires lose contact with the road.

The best way to prevent this is to drive slowly during heavy rain events and to make sure your tire tread is thick enough.

Tire pressure that is too high or too low can also increase the risk of hydroplaning.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it's important to drive slowly in the rain.

It becomes harder to control your car when the road is slick. Be sure to increase the distance you follow behind other vehicles as well.

NHTSA also suggests remembering the phrase, "Turn around, don't drown."

When you see that a road is flooded, or if there are barriers blocking the road, turn around.

It's also important to stay informed. Monitor road conditions through OHGO, your local sheriff's department or by tuning into 10TV News.

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change.

What is the best internet provider in Columbus?

AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Columbus, Ohio. It provides speedy fiber plans and reasonable pricing. In fact, AT&T Fiber offers the fastest speeds across the board: 5 gigabits for $245 and 2 gigabits for $145 monthly. The coverage, however, is not 100% in the area. If AT&T is not available at your address, some other solid options to check out for home broadband are Spectrum, T-Mobile and Verizon, depending on which ISP is available at your location.

T-Mobile and Verizon also offer 5G internet in Columbus, with deep discounts if you already have a cellphone plan with one of these companies. Plans by both providers start at $50 and drop to as low as $35 when bundled with an eligible phone plan. If you're looking for affordable plans, check out Breezeline Base, which costs $25 monthly for a 100-megabits-per-second connection.

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Columbus across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also closely read providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider's website.

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Columbus. The prices referenced in this article come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up monthly automatic payments -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Columbus, Ohio

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Columbus

Cheap internet options in Columbus

The cheapest plan you'll likely find in Columbus is Breezeline's Base tier for $25 monthly. However, this is not available in all areas of the city. Another solid deal would be Verizon 5G Home Internet at $50 a month. Why? Eligible Verizon mobile customers can receive a $15-per-month discount, dropping the monthly total to only $35.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Columbus

The best internet deals and top promotions in Columbus depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Columbus internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T, Breezeline and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is Columbus broadband?

Speeds range from a very modest 50Mbps to 5,000Mbps in Columbus, although not everyone will have access to these numbers. Many plans sit in the 100 to 300Mbps range, while some faster speeds can be found.

AT&T offers the fastest internet plans in Columbus. It boasts fiber options that include multi-gigabit plans, including 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Columbus

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn't end there: We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What's the final word on internet providers in Columbus?

AT&T's fiber plans are the best bet in Columbus, but they're not available to all residences. There are plenty of other reliable, affordable and fast plans. Whether you need satellite or cable, fiber or DSL, there are several options, with some starting at just $25 a month.

Internet providers in Columbus FAQs

Fiber internet is available through AT&T, Breezeline and Brightspeed. Although none of these fiber networks are widely available, you'll find access to fiber in about 26% of the Columbus area.

Breezeline offers a $25 monthly plan that's the cheapest in Columbus. Service comes with speeds up to 100Mbps.

AT&T Fiber offers a 5-gigabit plan for $245 a month. You'll also find AT&T Fiber 2000 and AT&T Fiber 1000 plans that are plenty fast for most. Those plans cost $145 and $80 a month, respectively.

If you have access to AT&T's Fiber, it offers much faster speeds and value than Spectrum's cable plans. If you're leaning on AT&T's Internet Air plans, Spectrum is a faster, more reliable bet. Find more details in CNET's full comparison of AT&T vs. Spectrum.

While welcoming Ohio State University's championship football team at the White House, President Donald Trump made multiple claims about Ohio, Vice President J.D. Vance and OSU.

Here's a fact check.

Did Trump win Columbus?

While speaking about hometown star Jack Sawyer, Trump said, “We won Columbus by a lot of points. I like it."

While Trump won Ohio by 12 points in 2024, he lost Columbus by 38 points (68% voted for Kamala Harris and 30% voted for Trump), according to Franklin County Board of Elections results. He also lost across Franklin County, while winning every surrounding county.

Harris received 244,211 votes to Trump's 106,094 votes in Columbus.

In Franklin and its six surrounding counties, Harris won 532,746 votes to Trump's 454,962 votes.

Did J.D. Vance graduate in two years from Ohio State University?

Trump praised Vance for his time at OSU in his speech:

“He was such a good student, he didn’t stay there for four years. He got out in two years, No. 1 in his class. How do you do that?"

It appears to be true that Vance took two years to graduate.

According to Hillbilly Elegy, Vance says he started at OSU in September 2007 and he graduated with his bachelor's degree in August 2009.

Was J.D. Vance No. 1 in his class?

Trump also said Vance was number one in his class.

Vance did graduate summa cum laude, which means he had a 3.9 GPA or higher, but 16 other students in his class graduated with that distinction, according to the commencement booklet from that year.

Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.