New details have been revealed by Franklin County prosecutors about the torture they say a 4-year-old Reynoldsburg boy underwent at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend before the child died on April 10 In a motion filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court prosecutors ask Judge Michael Holbrook to hold 19-year-old Kailee Smith-Parks without bond in connection with the death of her son as well as 22 counts of endangering children The motion filed by the Franklin County Prosecutor's office details for the first time what prosecutors allege Ja'Kai endured between March 22 and his death Smith-Parks and Allison had a camera installed inside Ja'Kai's bedroom in Smith-Parks' Steinway Drive apartment Reynoldsburg police began a death investigation and obtained the video footage The footage showed Smith-Parks and Allison torturning Ja'Kai "both physically and psychologically," court records state The footage shows Ja'Kai's mother and her boyfriend beating Ja'Kai starving him and locking him in his bedroom Ja'Kai is also seen on video being water boarded by the couple Ja'Kai was malnourished and had visible signs of abuse on his body when his mother took him April 10 to Mount Carmel East Hospital on Columbus' Far East Side The boy was transferred to Nationwide Children's Hospital where he died as a result of the injuries he suffered Allison is already being held in the Franklin County jail without bond after passing on an opportunity to be issued one by a magistrate at an April 30 arraignment whose April 30 appearance was waived by her attorney A hearing to determine if Smith-Parks will be given a bond will be held on May 8 before Judge Holbrook who has been assigned to oversee both of the cases That investigation included the agency meeting with Smith-Parks The March neglect report did not involve allegations of physical abuse A separate report had also been received by the agency in December 2023 but was closed without any action being taken Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com Ohio (WSYX) — A tanker truck driving eastbound on I-70 near Brice Road overturned around noon on Saturday a tanker truck carrying restaurant grease landed in the median between the east and westbound lanes The driver of the truck suffered an arm injury that was treated at the scene Police say there were no other vehicles involved in the crash The scene was cleared early Saturday evening The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is asking for the public's help to find a teenage girl from Reynoldsburg who has been missing for several days was last seen on April 25 in the Reynoldsburg area She has brown eyes and black hair that is in locs The Dispatch contacted the Reynoldsburg Division of Police on May 1 for additional information Anyone with information regarding Ava's whereabouts is asked to contact Reynoldsburg police at 614-866-6622 Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky Ohio (WSYX) — The Reynoldsburg City School district is notifying 51 teachers that their positions will be cut at the end of this school year The reduction in force is a result of the failure of a 6.5 mil levy failure in November In February, the Reynoldsburg school board approved $8.3M in cuts falling short of the needed $8.5M following that levy failure the board also voted to reinstate pay-to-play fees for athletics requiring $400 for each junior high student and $500 for each high school student per sport Another change involves the removal of all school resource officers the district's 12 safety and security staff members will receive school resource officer training The district says it will follow the RIF process as outlined in the Reynoldsburg Education Association's Negotiated Agreement As Reynoldsburg City Schools grapples with spending cuts the city is stepping up to cover the entire cost of school resource officers for the next school year Reynoldsburg City Council approved covering the roughly $246,000 cost for the two officers for the 2025-26 school year The Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education approved more than $8.3 million in cuts in February as the district deals with a major deficit and the fallout of a November levy failure The school resource officers were among the cuts but District Superintendent Tracy Reed asked the city to cover the cost "We are thankful for the City's partnership and support in maintaining the two School Resource Officers at our high school campuses for the 25-26 school year We look forward to continued collaboration," a district statement provided to The Dispatch reads Begeny said after the meeting that as of now the city is taking on the cost only for the next school year "I would like to hope that the district will figure out what they're doing financially and the community will support them in the future we'll take this on a year-to-year approach," he said He said the two officers are primarily at the two high school campuses on Summit Road and Livingston Avenue but visit other district buildings as needed who is a former Columbus City Schools teacher and former school board president said he knows firsthand that these officers do more than people realize we also can help them with what's going on outside the buildings," the mayor said The district has also notified 51 teachers they are losing their jobs as a result of the cuts Eastern suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X Ohio (WSYX) — A small plane has made an emergency landing near Reynoldsburg The plane landed in the 8800 block of Taylor Road in Reynoldsburg at about 2 p.m It is a Cessna 172 and registered to HD Security Systems Inc Flight data indicates the plane took off from Lebanon Municipal Airport in Lebanon The Ohio State Highway Patrol said only one person was aboard at the time and suffered no injuries The FAA is now investigating what caused the emergency landing According to the West Licking Joint Fire District Reynoldsburg plans to create stricter regulations and penalties for owners of animals City Council has introduced an amendment to the city's animals running at-large ordinance that rewrites the law to state owners must keep reasonable control of their animals both on their property and while out in public also adds specific provisions for dangerous dogs stating that while the dog is on an owner's property it must be in a locked pen or in a locked fenced yard so long as the animal is supervised and under the control of someone owners must have the dog on a leash no longer than 6 feet A dangerous dog is one that a county dog warden has already designated as dangerous or one that the city proves has previously bitten someone but the incident wasn't reported City Attorney Chris Shook said after the meeting If an owner fails to control their dog and the animal causes serious physical harm to any person — regardless of whether there are prior convictions — it will be a first-degree misdemeanor If a dangerous dog causes serious physical harm to any person the owner can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor and be sentenced to a minimum of 30 days in jail if convicted An Ohio lawmaker is also expected to introduce a new state law this week The Reynoldsburg law will be known as Avery's Law who was severely injured in a dog attack in June while in a Reynoldsburg backyard She was rushed to Nationwide Children's Hospital in critical condition for a nine-hour emergency surgery Russell was featured in a March investigation into Ohio's weak dog laws published by The Dispatch and USA TODAY Network Ohio The sweet, smart and loving Russell has spent the last 10 months recovering graduated from therapies at Nationwide Children's Hospital and rejoined her basketball team as a shooting guard Avery Russell attended the council meeting with her mother seeing legal changes happen as a result of what Avery endured is incredible Drew Russell said in an interview after the meeting "It means that everything — all the pain and trauma that she suffered through — is not going in vain and unnoticed," Drew Russell said "The fact that this little girl can have so much impact to bring changes to the world is amazing It is very unfortunate that this had to happen About 17,000 dog bites are reported yearly to local Ohio public health agencies, but many more go unreported. Some of the attacks cause serious injuries such as disfigurements and amputations and even deaths This story has been updated with information from the Reynoldsburg City Council meeting Reynoldsburg — New details have emerged in the death of 4-year-old Ja'Kai Smith The young boy was taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital by his mother He was later transferred to Nationwide Children's Hospital Smith-Parks has been charged with child endangerment while Allison is charged with aggravated murder Authorities revealed that a call was made to Reynoldsburg police on March 12 reporting that Ja'Kai was being locked in a room and malnourished In the weeks leading up to the boy's death Children Services had been investigating claims of neglect and were meeting and working with Smith-Parks Smith-Parks' bond was set at $500,000 and Allison's was set at $1.5 million They're both scheduled to appear in court on Friday Reynoldsburg City Schools this week is notifying 51 teachers they are losing their jobs as a result of more than $8.3 million in spending cuts the district confirmed to The Dispatch Friday The district is following the reduction in force process required under its contract with the Reynoldsburg Education Association More on Reynoldsburg school board: Reynoldsburg school board approves more than $8.3 million in cuts, including 51 teachers "This was a difficult decision to make to address deficit spending," the statement reads Reynoldsburg schools is also firing five of district's seven social workers and five of its nine elementary assistant principals as part of the cuts The statement did not indicate whether the social workers and elementary assistant principals have been notified about reductions Reynoldsburg schools is also increasing student pay-to-play fees to $400 for junior high athletics and $500 for high school athletics The cuts are effective for the 2025-2026 school year Reynoldsburg City Schools was one of many central Ohio school districts that had levies fail in November. Voters rejected by a 55% to 45% margin the district's five-year 6.65-mill levy to meet emergency spending requirements of the district The district did not place another levy on the May 6 ballot Three new speculative warehouses are coming to Reynoldsburg's Taylor Road — a development that could eventually bring 400 jobs and more than $18 million in payroll to the eastern Columbus suburb Real estate developer Core5 Industrial Partners will build the warehouses on a 54-acre site on the east side of Taylor Road just south of Broad Street and east of the L Brands complex in the Licking County part of the city Mayor Joe Begeny told The Dispatch after announcing the project in a Facebook video Wednesday afternoon "Any time that you can bring 400 jobs to a community is a good thing," Begeny said the site would become one of the city's top 5 biggest employers behind Bath and Body Works Central Ohio Primary Care and Reynoldsburg City Schools Begeny said the city does not know what businesses will occupy the buildings The warehouses are slated to be built as distribution-style buildings but the mayor said they could be used for manufacturing or research and development businesses The three buildings will total more than 800,000 square feet with the first being about 310,000 square feet the second about 265,000 square feet and the third about 245,000 square feet which is within the Licking Heights Local Schools District will have a 75% abatement on property taxes adding that district officials are aware of the abatement The district gets about $1,400 in property taxes from the 54-acre site because it is used as farmland The 25% of property taxes the district will receive will be significantly more "They seem to be rather pleased with the opportunities you get any kind of revenue in without adding additional students," he said of the district Begeny said a traffic study is being done now it's not going to be something where Taylor Road is going to be widened," he said "It's more about traffic management and flow from that point because there's already semi trucks going in and out of the facility across the street at the Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret." The development is expected to go before Reynoldsburg's Planning and Zoning Board on April 17 and hopefully break ground in July or August "They want to move on it quick and get things up because obviously the central Ohio job market is one of those things that necessitates it," Begeny said in the Facebook video A popular restaurant is bringing its bold flavors to a new space in the heart of downtown Reynoldsburg Slab Kitchen is moving into the former Tempe Taco, 7360 E. Main St., the restaurant announced Wednesday Slab Kitchen has been sharing space with Eastside Brewing Co. A grand opening date at the new location will be announced soon offering fan favorites while also introducing exclusive dishes unique to this location," the restaurant's Facebook post states The new location will have a laid-back vibe with a modern and cozy design Slab is owned by brothers Bryan and Terron Nelson who started the restaurant as a food truck in 2019 was the restaurant's first brick-and-mortar location As soon as this summer Reynoldsburg residents could enjoy beer or wine while outside along a portion of East Main Street Reynoldsburg City Council on Monday night discussed a proposed Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area which is a designated area where adults 21 years and older may consume alcoholic beverages from participating businesses during designated hours primarily along East Main Street from Davidson Drive to Graham Road which would be marked with signs as people enter and exit the boundaries Mayor Joe Begeny said in an interview after the meeting that when it comes to development in the Old Reynoldsburg part of the city developers first ask about parking and then about a potential DORA He said the area would make sites like the former Tempe Taco and the new mixed-use buildings northeast of East Main Street and Lancaster Avenue more attractive to new businesses "We're at a point where we were ready to do it and we wanted to make sure that we got everything lined up," he said Begeny said people could only consume alcohol purchased from restaurants or bars with liquor permits within the DORA The alcohol would also have to be in a specific DORA cup meaning people could not bring their own alcohol Reynoldsburg has proposed designated hours of 4-10 p.m City Attorney Chris Shook told council members the city will reevaluate the hours specifically in the two city parks the city would also establish a safety plan with the Reynoldsburg Police Department and Truro Township Fire Department and a sanitation plan carried out by the city's public service and parks and recreation departments Reynoldsburg council informally discussed the proposal Monday night But several steps remain before council members vote on the proposal which is expected to be officially submitted to the council on April 14 Council would vote on the legislation May 26 council would evaluate it every five years per state law and either reauthorize its operation or dissolve it Council could also choose to dissolve all or part of the DORA at any time with prior publicized notice The contract was originally expected to be $111,000 but that was reduced to $50,000 because the firm accidentally included a fee Begeny told council members during the meeting Eastern Suburbs Reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X “It’s our mentality,” senior forward Toby Nwokolo said Coach (Andrew Moore) always says how you do anything is how you do everything.” Junior guard Xavier McKinney used a different phrase but made the same point “We’ve just tried to build better habits,” McKinney said “We use the word ‘consistent,’ or at least our coaching staff does,” Moore said “We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves Their work habits have definitely improved.” Even with two Division I signees on the roster and two more commits headed to the same level the Raiders agree they have needed more than talent to join the state’s elite The Raiders, who are No. 1 in this week’s USA Today Network Ohio Super 25 Poll have won six games by 10 points or fewer and five by 21 or more A 73-63 win over defending champion Cleveland St 22 at Capital might prove particularly key given that Reynoldsburg led the Wildcats in the final 10 seconds last year but lost in double overtime Reynoldsburg also has wins over 2024 Division I runner-up Centerville and state semifinalist Toledo Whitmer Ignatius) has really changed their confidence in who they can be,” Moore said “We kind of looked at this year as the time where we could do something special Those guys have played a lot of minutes in this program Fisher (20 points per game) has signed with Ohio University 2.6 assists) have committed to play for the Bobcats Although Reynoldsburg has never reached state The Raiders have had only two losing seasons since 1997 and enter a Friday game at Logan 74-28 in four-plus seasons under Moore a former Mount Vernon standout and assistant coach at Air Force They’re 8-0 in the OCC-Buckeye this season “The way our season ended last year lit a fire under us,” Fisher said “I’ve seen a lot of maturity (and) that’s why our team is hard to beat We have a lot of guys who can score 20 a night What makes us even better is that nobody feels like they have to score 20 a night.” Click here for central Ohio basketball scores Moore and his players say a potential postseason rematch with Orange (14-2) is far from their minds (last year’s loss) was in the back of our heads,” Bowens said “We aren’t worried about the tournament or two or three games ahead We’re just worried about the team in front of us.” dpurpura@dispatch.com @dp_dispatch The city of Reynoldsburg is embarking on a $31-million renovation and expansion of its service building to better serve residents and city employees as the eastern Franklin County municipality continues to grow The project will consolidate the city's street and stormwater departments into an expanded service building at 7806 E that's currently home to the city's street department the East Main Street site will have a new administrative building and sufficient storage space for lawn mowers and other heavier equipment The site's fuel station will be used for all service department vehicles and Reynoldsburg police cruisers Site preparation work is ongoing with construction to start in the spring adding that the project should be completed in late spring or early summer 2026 Begeny said the upgraded facility will allow city employees to perform a higher quality of service for residents with modern tools and equipment The renovation and expansion will create more storage space so equipment and trucks will not be stored outside and exposed to winter weather conditions like they are currently But Begeny said the project is also important so the city can do right by its hard-working employees we spend a lot more time in these buildings than we do with our own families," he said "We want to make sure those facilities are up to that and user friendly for everything that needs to be done for a city in today's world." Reynoldsburg residents will not see their taxes go up because of the project Because the city has enough income tax revenue and has managed its finances well Begeny said the city could essentially get a loan without going to voters to ask for new money He said based on Reynoldsburg's economic growth trajectory city officials have planned what resources the service building will need for the next five to 10 years and they'll build that into the city's general budget "I don't want to go to the taxpayers for something like that to either raise an income tax threshold or anything like that," Begeny said which is driving economic growth and bringing different businesses in and having that income tax portion pay for the services and things that we can provide." mdevito@dispatch.com Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education approved making more than $8.3 million in budget cuts Tuesday night but more cuts will be needed as the district deals with a major deficit and the fallout of a November levy failure and five of its nine elementary assistant principals The district also will increase student pay-to-play fees to $400 for junior high athletics and $500 for high school athletics the district will reduce program and class offerings and modify building boundaries to address overcrowding and improve busing efficiency The cuts will be effective for the 2025-2026 school year When it comes to reducing programs and class offerings Reynoldsburg will eliminate redundant courses or courses with low enrollment and reduce or eliminate contracted foreign language courses and program offerings The district will put off facility maintenance such as delaying the replacement of the home gym bleachers at the Reynoldsburg High School - Livingston Campus deferring repairs to the high school Summit Campus tennis courts and holding off on parking lot replacement and driveway repairs at multiple schools Changing building attendance boundaries will allow the district to run buses more efficiently but under the new plan that would increase to 43 students meaning fewer miles will be driven and less fuel will be used The district will still need to approve another roughly $250,000 in cuts as Treasurer Angele Latham said it needs to make a total of $8.5 million in reductions District administration had originally recommended eliminating all but two of the district's elementary assistant principals but board members opted for a reductions package that retained four assistant principals instead Superintendent Tracy Reed told The Dispatch after the meeting that Reynoldsburg administrators in the next few weeks will evaluate how to make the additional cuts The spending reductions come after Reynoldsburg was one of many central Ohio school districts that had levies fail in November. Voters rejected the district's five-year 6.65-mill levy to meet emergency spending requirements of the district by a 55% to 45% margin Board members said throughout the meeting they did not want to make these spending cuts staffers and community members in attendance to help pass a levy in the future "We need your support for a levy," Board President Angela Abram said "We need you to get out there and do what needed to be done the first time." the district did not place a levy on May primary ballot said after the vote she was unhappy with the district eliminating social worker and assistant principal positions she wants the district to pursue another levy as soon as possible "They've already said it's not going to happen this spring but let's get it on as soon as we can — before it takes even more of a toll on the kids," she said REP Fieldhouse an indoor athletic complex on the Columbus' Northeast Side is expanding by adding a new location in Reynoldsburg The complex will be located in the empty field by Central Ohio Primary Care The complex will include indoor athletic fields that can be used for multiple sports as well as indoor courts for basketball and volleyball There will also be a commercial element to the project with retail and restaurant space fronting East Main Street The site is being developed by Adam Trautner and is a senior executive at Gahanna-based developer The Stonehenge Company "We're really excited about it," Trautner said "I think we're the right team for this project because the sports side of it is something that we're doing and we're having some success with but the rest of the development is what we do on a daily basis." Trautner told The Dispatch designers are still working on both the athletic complex and the commercial development and preliminary plans will be submitted to the city in the coming months He said that he hopes construction will start later this year and the facility will open in 2026 Trautner said he is still finalizing the details such as the size of the indoor sports complex and the number of courts But he added that he envisions the hard court space will be similar to REP's existing location at 5524 N REP Fieldhouse is expanding its original location Trautner said late last year the city of Columbus approved plans to build a new 22,000-square-foot building for more turf fields Here are three things to know from Reed's State of the Schools address Wednesday night: Reed said district staff have worked diligently to reduce millions of dollars from the budget and curtail deficit spending while also managing their day-to-day work She said she aims to prioritize supporting teachers and engage students in robust learning experiences "I remind my team every day our main thing is the main thing and our main thing is making sure that our kids get the best education possible making sure that we support teachers with the things that they need to be effective whether it's professional development (or) instructional materials But we need to make sure that we support them." Personnel from other school districts request to tour Reynoldsburg's three STEM schools so they can see the programs in action adding she had a request as recently as last week "That is a testament to the leadership that we have in our buildings that other school systems want to come and see what we're doing That is amazing work by our leaders," she said The district is increasing the number of students in Advanced Placement courses and working to ensure more students are passing the exams More than 10% of the district's student population and junior Quinn Dean finished in a tie for fourth Josiah Montgomery finished first and won a state championship in indoor track The district is in the middle of a strategic planning process that started in November and is expected to wrap up this summer That will result in a five-year strategic plan with goals and a vision for the district to follow the district is gathering public input from the community is vital because the plan can't just come from her She said students need the community to come together to create a shared vision and formulate a direction for the district "It has to be a shared vision between the school community and the larger community to make sure our kids get the education that they so deserve," Reed said I'm committed to establishing and working toward the shared vision for all of our students." the district’s executive director of communications and outreach From beloved community festivals to commercial and residential development and major infrastructure improvements there's no shortage of activity in Reynoldsburg And Wednesday night Mayor Joe Begeny highlighted just a fraction of projects within the eastern suburb The mayor gave his annual State of the City address recapping 2024 and previewing roadway projects local park improvements and more to come in 2025 and beyond Here are six things to know Begeny's address Begeny said the South Waggoner Road bridge replacement over French Run north of East Main Street (Route 40) should open in the "next week to 10 days." The bridge has been closed since November The bridge project is part of the city's project with Franklin County to widen South Waggoner Road to three lanes between East Broad and East Main streets the city has been moving utility lines as the first phase of the project Begeny said in an interview after his speech that the entire Waggoner Road project is expected to be completed in spring 2027 After the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education approved making more than $8.3 million in budget cuts on Tuesday night Begeny called on community members — whether they have children in the district or not — to show up at sporting events volunteer in classes or donate as a way to make a difference in the lives of students And while he wants to see the community support the district Begeny said residents should still challenge the district to be better for feedback about the kind of district we want Reynoldsburg City Schools to be "They need to hear from you because one day they will have to ask the community for another levy to operate And you need to let them know what you want to see now we can all take ownership of our schools' future."    Realigning Brice Road and East Main Street intersectionThe city is looking to address a longstanding traffic problem: the Brice Road and East Main Street intersection Begeny said the city last year requested $2 million in federal funds but the overall federal budget needs to pass before the city gets the funds Reynoldsburg will also seek grant funding for the project Begeny said the goal is to work with the Central Ohio Transit Authority to do these improvements when construction is done for LinkUS the voter-approved plan to build rapid transit bus lines Begeny said late last year the city signed a contract to develop an indoor athletic complex in the empty field by Central Ohio Primary Care Begeny said the restaurant will be open to everyone but will cater to the young athletes hungry for burgers Pickleball courts coming to Reynoldsburg's JFK parkLater this fall the city will add six pickleball courts at John F replacing two of the existing tennis courts Another tennis court will be a hybrid court that can accommodate both tennis and pickleball The city received a $150,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the city will pay for the rest of the project Begeny said after the speech that the project is expected to cost between $650,000 to $700,000 the city hopes to start the first of a multiphase project to improve Civic Park The first phase will include adding a dog park the city will add access to the park from Rosehill Road The city's annual Tomato Festival runs Aug Begeny announced that rock ’n’ roll tribute band That Arena Rock Show will open the festival Aug 8 and country musicians Dillon Carmichael and Eddie Montgomery will highlight the weekend Aug NEWARK ― Jordan Fisher didn't play in the first game against Newark But the Ohio University commit's presence proved to be the difference for talent-stacked Reynoldsburg in a heated rematch Friday The 6-foot-6 senior had two dunks and 6 points in the second overtime scoring 19 of his 23 points after halftime as the Raiders wrapped up the outright Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division title with an intense 70-67 victory before a huge senior night crowd in Jimmy Allen Gymnasium Reynoldsburg had to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and a tough 3-pointer just ahead of the fourth-quarter buzzer by senior Braylon Morris to escape in a game that felt like a regional final we gave it all we had and have nothing to hang our heads about," said junior Jake Quackenbush 10-rebound effort helped give the Wildcats a chance "We took the second-best team in the state to double overtime and in that first half we got to some rebounds I never thought we could get to with hands in his face from the top of the key who scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth Quackenbush took a charge and Reynoldsburg (20-1 And when Quackenbush hit a baseline fadeaway and senior Kalen Winbush hustled for a rebound basket Newark went up 58-54 in overtime and had the ball with under two minutes left starting a 6-6 frontline of Division I recruits along with a 6-3 guard Damon Griffin sank two free throws and Fisher hit a short baseline jumper to tie it 58-58 but Reynoldsburg missed a potential game winner Fisher got things started with back-to-back dunks as the Raiders went up 62-58 and never trailed again Ty Gilbert's off-balance jumper and a length-of-the-court pass from Morris to senior Austin Rose kept it close at 64-62 But Griffin drove for a layup and Fisher hit another clutch inside shot for a 68-62 lead dropped in two clinching foul shots with 12 seconds left and Reynoldsburg completed the season sweep The Wildcats limited the high-powered Raiders to just 6 of 18 shooting in the first half and took a 25-15 halftime lead Sophomore Ty Brooks cashed in 7 first-quarter points and Quackenbush scored 6 straight ending the half including a short hook shot with two seconds "We only had two turnovers and they had just one offensive rebound," coach Jeff Quackenbush said But the athletic Raiders ratcheted up the defense Nwokolo stepped out to make three 3-pointers and Jordan Bowens dunked off a turnover as the visitors used a 24-11 blitz to take a 39-36 edge going to the fourth After making just 1 of 11 3s in the first half Reynoldsburg hit 5 of 10 the rest of the game while the Wildcats were committing nine of their 11 turnovers Ohio guard commit Xavier McKinney had 12 and Griffin 11 as the Raiders made 10 of 11 second-half foul shots they were out-rebounded 31-21 by the much-smaller Wildcats Brooks contributed 9 points and Gilbert 8 to go with three assists But Newark hit only 5 of 21 3s against the Raiders' length on the perimeter "I thought our kids did a good job of keeping their heads," coach Quackenbush said you play good defense and the other team makes some shots We have to clean up some little things against pressure but to only have 11 turnovers against a team like them you're taking pretty good care of the ball." Jake Quackenbush said the Wildcats now have the tournament on their minds and the next stop is Lancaster" (on Friday in the regular season finale) Our half-court offense is getting much better." Fifth-seeded Newark hosts 12th seed Olentangy on Feb and now that we can't win the league the goal is to win the district and see how far we can go," Jeff Quackenbush said dweidig@gannett.com Instagram: @dfweidig The family of a nonverbal Reynoldsburg City Schools student has filed a federal lawsuit against the district alleging the child was left unattended and harnessed in a seat on a school bus for hours and the district failed to investigate appropriately The parents of the child filed the lawsuit as John and Jane Doe to protect their child's identity the boy would be harnessed into a seat on the school bus the boy did not return home from preschool by bus at the regular time The boy's father tried to call the preschool and the district's bus garage several times but did not receive an answer The father went to the preschool but was told no children remained in the building The boy's parents called Reynoldsburg police to report their son missing Court records say Reynoldsburg police found the boy on a school bus at the district's bus garage The bus had brought the boy to his street but dropped him at a neighbor's home The preschool had marked the boy absent from school on that day More: More police at Reynoldsburg High School Monday after homecoming dance fight Saturday The boy's parents do not know where the boy was for the approximately five hours he was unaccounted for and believe he may have been left on the school bus harnessed inside his seat "If John Doe was left unattended on the bus as a non-verbal child with autism spectrum disorder John Doe would not be able to alert anyone," the lawsuit says John Doe would be unable to alert anyone nearby or to share these details after-the-fact." The boy's parents met with school officials and requested through an interpreter to view the video from the school bus The lawsuit alleges that the parents' request to view video from the bus camera was passed around within the school district until enough time had passed that the video had been recorded over and was no longer available that the district completed a full investigation was completed but provided no documentation to the parents the boy began having behavioral outbursts for months due to "the emotional distress and physical trauma endured through this neglect and suspected abandonment" and did not return to preschool The district is accused in the lawsuit of depriving the boy of his right to an appropriate and free education as well as neglecting a student and intentional infliction of emotional distress Reynoldsburg City Schools said through a spokesperson Wednesday it is unable to comment on pending litigation More: Reynoldsburg gives school superintendent 8% raise as it faces $8.5 million in budget cuts after levy request fails bbruner@gannett.com DAYTON – Not every work of art is considered a thing of beauty at the time it is unveiled. Sometimes, like a Jackson Pollock splatter painting, it takes a few years – or in the case of Olentangy Orange a few quarters – to appreciate what you’re seeing Decades from now, few will remember how the first half of Saturday’s Division I state high school boys basketball championship game resembled a finger painting more than a Rembrandt the 7,545 fans that spread throughout University of Dayton Arena will recall that the third quarter was among the most mesmerizing eight minutes of high school hoops they ever witnessed Orange and Reynoldsburg became the first Columbus-area teams in tournament history Increasing from four to seven divisions this season made the Cbus vs each of the four state regions sent a team to the finals which precluded teams from the same region squaring off in the championship game Still, history was made. And Orange made most of it by defeating Reynoldsburg 56-41 for the school’s first basketball title It was the 21st “big school” title by a Columbus-area team and first since Pickerington Central defeated Centerville in 2022 all cities where high school basketball is outstanding but it was pretty cool having all the focus on Columbus Capital city hoops may not have the most team titles but a strong argument can be made that Columbus has produced some of the best prep champions including what many deem the greatest in Columbus East which went 70-1 over three seasons (1966-67 1967-68 and 1068-69) with state titles in 1968 and 1969 The Tigers’ lone loss over that stretch was to Linden McKinley in the 1967 regional final winning the big-school title behind an offense that averaged 93.8 points had five starters receive Division I college scholarships And don't forget about Brookhaven this century Where does Orange rank in the pecking order of all-time Columbus teams It’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison But while not on the level of the 1960s East teams or the 1970s Walnut Ridge and Linden squads the Pioneers are impressive in their own right Orange was 76-8 over the past three seasons that lost more than eight games this season and we’re 76-8 the last three years,” Orange coach Anthony Calo said but we’ve absolutely been trending this way so it’s wonderful to get the payout with a state championship.” Calo understands Ohio high school basketball history probably better than most coached Westerville South to the Division I title in 2016 and some of Anthony’s most cherished moments include attending state tournaments with his father “My dad (at Westerville South) when I was 2 years old we have to see this kid from Akron.’ Just going to these games with my father as a kid was super cool.” Maybe the only thing cooler was Ed being able to watch his son drape a cut basketball net around his neck as cheering orange and blue took over UD Arena during the victory celebration “Both are special,” Ed said of winning a state title as a coach and watching his son do the same It is hard to put into words just how ugly both Orange (26-2) and Reynoldsburg (26-2) played for two quarters “I kept looking at the field goal percentages,” he said including 1 of 7 from 3-point range the first quarter The Raiders shot 4 of 12 and 0-2 from outside the arc Orange: 3 of 13 overall and Reynoldsburg 3 of 11 Both Calo and Raiders coach Andrew Moore attributed some of the many misses to strong opposing defenses And it is true that both teams got after it defensively the first 16 minutes But it is just as true that both schools were too quick to settle for outside shots even as they missed a handful of layups five years later will we have any regrets or will we be happy with our performance?” Pioneers senior guard Ellis Appiah said “That motivated me to push harder in the second half.” Appiah turned in the game of his high school life finishing with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting including 3 of 4 from 3-point range and one made free throw Calo’s message must have resonated through the locker room because after intermission Orange disproved the theory that it takes 32 minutes of strong play to win a state championship The Pioneers turned a three-point halftime lead into a 15-point cushion with five minutes left in the third quarter and finished the period outscoring Reynoldsburg 30-12 “We have five guys who shot 40% on 3s this season we were bound to break through in the third quarter but having two Columbus teams playing for all the marbles roller@dispatch.com @rollerCD  A Franklin County grand jury has formally charged the mother of a 4-year-old Reynoldsburg boy and her boyfriend with murder in the boy's death murder and 22 counts of endangering children in connection with the April 10 death of Ja'Kai Smith The indictments were filed April 25 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court Both Smith Parks and Allison remain in the Franklin County jail They are each scheduled for an arraignment on April 30 Smith-Parks and Allison are accused of endangering Ja'Kai between March 22 and when Ja'Kai died on April 10 Court records do not detail the reason behind each separate charge but the offense dates include every calendar day in that span More on Ja'Kai Smith: Two charged in death of 4-year-old Ja'Kai Smith of Reynoldsburg Ja'Kai Smith died on April 10 after Allison was seen on surveillance footage hurting the boy in the driveway of a home on Steinway Drive Smith-Parks did not get medical treatment for Ja'Kai despite having a reason to believe he needed immediate attention Reynoldsburg police or the Franklin County Coroner's office have not released additional information about the nature of Ja'Kai's injuries as of April 25 Franklin County Children Services confirmed the agency had received a report of Ja'Kai being neglected in March That report was under investigation at the time of the boy's death including the agency meeting with Smith-Parks Spokesman Scott Varner said the March report did not involve allegations of physical abuse The agency had also received a report of endangerment concerns regarding Ja'Kai in December 2023 but the case was closed without any action being taken Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com A small plane was forced to make an emergency landing April 16 at a Reynoldsburg farm after the pilot reportedly ran out of fuel according to the Reynoldsburg Division of Police Reynoldsburg police received reports of a plane landing in an empty field at what is known locally as the Bauman Farm The field is located off Taylor Road SW just south of Kingsley Drive and north of East Main Street (U.S The pilot was the only person on board the plane and no injuries were reported Reynoldsburg residents who flocked to a City Council meeting were generally supportive of the city changing its animal laws to allow residents to own chickens — as long as there are specific regulations More than a dozen residents spoke at the April 14 meeting and those in favor highlighted the current cost of eggs; the desire for healthier fresher alternatives to store-bought eggs; property owners' rights; and hands-on learning opportunities for children among the reasons why they would like to own chickens within the eastern suburb that sits in Franklin it's a basic civil right to be able to grow your own food in America on soil you bought from your hard-earned money," resident Ian Klingler said "I'm not asking for us to be allowed to raise large mammals like cows or hogs I'm simply promoting Reynoldsburg to participate in the basic right that American adults can manage their own backyard without their local government If we work together to craft up a plan with both sides (of) the aisle and our neighbors we can mitigate all the concerns our neighbors have related to this issue." City ordinances do not include chickens among the animals residents may own and specifically state residents may not own farm animals, according to the city's online code. A handful of residents were either indifferent or outright opposed to the change over concerns about noise Resident Lauren Nader said if the city allows chickens require a backyard coop and have enforcement either from an animal control officer or zoning department "I believe Reynoldsburg has to be proactive We need to set in place guidelines and regulations and permits," she said Reynoldsburg council members did not make any decisions during the meeting They directed the city attorney to research whether the suburb can partner with Columbus Public Health on permitting as the agency handles permits for the city of Columbus and other suburbs Multiple council members did say they don't want to allow roosters or slaughtering and they would like to limit the number of hens Ohio (WSYX) — A Reynoldsburg mother and her boyfriend were indicted on charges of aggravated murder and child endangerment in connection with the death of 4-year-old Ja'Kai Smith are scheduled to appear in Franklin County Common Pleas Court next Wednesday They both face one count of aggravated murder is charged with two more counts of endangering children The district has said it needs to cut $8.5 million dollars from its operating budget after 55% of voters rejected a five-year 6.65 mill levy in November 2024 “The Levy not passing and having to make reductions that’s really difficult,” Superintendent Dr According to a financial presentation shared by the district the potential cuts include eliminating elementary school assistant principals delaying maintenance and technology updates across the district restoring participation fees to $400 for junior high and $500 for high school the board of education unanimously approved a contract extension and an 8% pay raise for Dr which sets her base salary at $187,746 effective August 1 2025 and includes an annual 3.5% increase for the next two years Board President Angela Abram defended the contract extension and Reed’s salary was increased after a compensation study found her income ranked below other superintendents in Central Ohio “We made market adjustments needed to retain talent here in Reynoldsburg,” Abrams said according to the public minutes from the board’s December 17th meeting “If there were a resignation over compensation there would be a total destabilizing impact on the district.” Reed referenced the district’s salary review for teachers and classified staff when ABC 6/FOX 28 asked her about her new contract Reed said she’s committed to including the community in the process to create a new strategic vision for the district which will create a plan for five to seven years into the future The district has no plans for a new levy this year The silence is deafening and indefensible from the supposed adults charged with turning an ugly incident from a Division I district championship game into a “teachable moment.” OH – No boys or girls basketball game begins without the obligatory announcement from the Ohio High School Athletic Association about its firm commitment to sportsmanship standards and the finger-wagging admonition for players and fans to But in the aftermath of Reynoldsburg freshman Mehki Roddy’s unprovoked punch to the groin of Hilliard Bradley sophomore Ben Mirgon in Saturday’s Division I district championship game, there has been no announcement from either Reynoldsburg High School nor the OHSAA about Roddy’s status moving forward Bruce Hooley writes high school sports and sports at large for Press Pros Magazine.com That seems incompatible with two statements on the OHSAA’s website which state that it is committed to: Mirgon probably didn’t feel very safe Saturday night after he brought the ball across midcourt with his 15th-seeded team leading No 2 Reynoldsburg by 12 points with four minutes left in the second quarter only to have Roddy approach him after a pass to the wing and punch him squarely in the groin who had just drained consecutive three-point field goals to contribute to Bradley’s lead More than one minute passed before anyone from Bradley was permitted on the court to tend to Mirgon who left the game after the punch as Reynoldsburg went on a subsequent 7-0 run Reynoldsburg coach Andrew Moore removed Roddy from the game after the punch when Reynoldsburg overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat Bradley and win the district title be a clear case of assault in the easy-to-find videos on Twitter (X) The official is staring directly at the play given that Mirgon had the basketball until a second before the punch and was unobstructed by other players He was simply assessed an intentional foul which means the official saw the foul occur Here is what the announcers said of the incident on the National Federation of State High School Associations broadcast as Roddy initially fell backward upon minimal-to-phantom contact from Mignon’s arm as he came across midcourt: Announcer 1: “He (Roddy) tried to put a little acting on that one If one brief look at a replay is all it required for two announcers to come to an immediate conclusion about the severity and impropriety of Roddy’s behavior why did the weekend pass with neither the OHSAA or anyone from Reynoldsburg Schools addressing the matter Why was Roddy permitted to play in the fourth quarter of the game after the incident was reviewed on video at halftime said the family heard nothing from either the OHSAA or Reynoldsburg school officials or administrators all weekend “I was hoping for some accountability,” said Mirgon who runs the largest AAU basketball program in Central Ohio “I was hoping for some level of consequence that everyone could agree was fair and equitable.” Mirgon said Moore contacted him Monday afternoon to apologize for the incident and that Roddy texted an apology to Ben Mirgon said his school would not permit him to discuss the incident and directed questions to the Reynoldsburg district’s communications supervisor who emailed this non-committal statement on Tuesday morning: a Reynoldsburg Boys Basketball player acted in a way that lacked sportsmanship the coaching staff felt the action warranted additional consequences “Reynoldsburg City Schools does not condone players’ unsportsmanlike conduct Our student-athletes represent our District and community and are considered mentors and role models for our younger students We expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest sportsmanship standards on and off the court “We are taking appropriate steps to address the situation and ensure that all our athletes understand the importance of ethical conduct and responsible representation of their families and our District.” You read that right…there’s no mention of Roddy’s name nor his punishment — if any — in the official statement from the school neither OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute nor Director of Communications Tim Stried responded to text messages last night seeking clarity on Roddy’s eligibility status for Reynoldsburg’s matchup against Dublin Coffman on Thursday © PressProsMagazine.com, All Rights Reserved. | Site Map | Terms of Use | Website Designed by Marketing Essentials. ForecastReynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education talks cuts after failed levy by Stephanie Duprey Ohio (WSYX) — Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education says that it's looking to make up the $8.5 million that it was banking on from the failed levy different departments pitched what possible reductions might look like The board says it started making plans immediately after the November levy measure failed Everything that was proposed Thursday night is not set in stone "It saddens me that we're going to have to take away things from our kids We're in the space that we have to do something but we have to do it," Reynoldsburg schools superintendent Dr Tracy Reed said after Thursday night's meeting Reed says she respects the community's decision to vote against the levy in November but stresses that cuts need to be made in order to make up for a massive funding shortfall Administrators say the district is spending more money than it takes in on everyday needs and that federal funds that came in during the pandemic have stopped The district is also getting less money from the state as well "Most of our leaders in this room were not here three years ago so we're a new leadership team having to deal with things that just happen," Reed added the district put several measures in place the district detailed several new potential cost-saving measures All in an effort to save the district more than $5 million this fiscal year there will be more meetings for families and staff to weigh in on Reynoldsburg City Council will open its Monday meeting to hear from residents about whether the city should change its law to allow residents to own chickens After a resident repeatedly asked the council to reconsider city laws over the past several months council members decided to host a work session during which residents will have the opportunity to advocate for or against the topic Currently, city ordinances do not include chickens among the animals residents may own, and the ordinances specifically state residents may not own farm animals within the eastern suburb, according to the city's online code. Residents have brought up chicken ownership a couple of times in the past few years and Council President Shanette Strickland said council members wanted this session so residents could voice their opinions "I really felt it in my heart … we need to be able to give some type of direction some type of answers to our residents on which way we want to go," she said council members will have to decide to either leave the city laws as they are or make changes Strickland said if council members decide to move forward with changes they must examine the effect on public safety and city administration The city also has to think about the logistics such as the number of chickens residents could own a certification or permit process for those residents who would want to have chickens that would fall to the city's code enforcement department Reynoldsburg would likely need to add two more park rangers as the city's rangers would be responsible for wrangling any chickens that get loose from their enclosure For those who want to share their thoughts, Strickland encouraged them to attend the meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 14 at City Hall, 7232 E. Main St. Those who cannot attend in person may submit comments via email to Council Clerk Mollie Prasher at mprasher@reynoldsburg.gov As Reynoldsburg City Schools prepares to make $8.5 million in cuts after a November levy failure the district's Board of Education has approved an 8% raise and contract extension for its superintendent The board cited the need for strong leadership and stability in approving the extension Reed's base annual salary will increase to $187,746 as of Aug and she'll get 3.5% raises in 2026 and 2027 to bring the superintendent salary in line with other similarly sized central Ohio districts The district studied salaries of all district positions in 2023 and adjusted them for teachers bus drivers and other staff members in an effort to retain employees was about Reynoldsburg staying competitive Westerville offers a base salary of $214,000 adding those districts' levies also failed in November "You will find that we made a market adjustment that is needed to retain the talent here in Reynoldsburg," Abram said Please understand that if this position is unfilled Reynoldsburg was one of many central Ohio school districts that had levies fail in November. Voters rejected the district's five-year The district now aims to trim $8.5 million in expenditures and is determining what it will cut Abram said it is looking at future levy options but has yet to determine when it will try another one Parent Lisa Shook said during the meeting that the school district should focus on passing a levy and understanding why district residents rejected the November ask "It didn't fail because the superintendent wasn't paid enough because the community doesn't trust the board with their money," Shook said "Failing to consider that outcome when negotiating this contract further fuels that this contract will do nothing to convince the 'no' voters to switch their vote to 'yes,' and it may convince 'yes' voters to vote 'no.'" As the district prepares to trim millions from its budget Shook said everyone — including the superintendent — should make sacrifices "Approval of this contract places the interests of one person over the interests of thousands," she said Board member Neal Whitman said he understands that for parents like Shook and others who have emailed or spoken to board members it's hard to justify giving the superintendent a raise while the district faces $8.5 million in cuts adding a free market doesn't care that Reynoldsburg's levy failed but there are search firms out there and she's a highly qualified candidate," Whitman said everything is in chaos — as some of us have personally experienced." Reed was previously the chief academic officer at Sandusky City Schools before coming to Reynoldsburg in December 2022 and starting with the district Feb paid her an annual base salary of $167,000 with 2% increases each year beginning Aug The salary figure did not include her benefits package Abram told The Dispatch after the meeting that the board asked Reed to provide the district with "stability without stagnation and she has done that" in her nearly two years with Reynoldsburg Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sued a Columbus man and his Reynoldsburg car dealership alleging he failed to provide vehicle titles to his customers Yost named Renato Jovanovski and Ohio Luxury Imports in the lawsuit which he filed April 23 in Licking County Common Pleas Court In a news release which alleges Jovanovski didn’t possess vehicle titles or that cars weren’t titled when he sold them to customers The lawsuit also accuses him of not applying to certify the titles or obtain certificates stating he did so within 40 days of selling the cars Ohio law requires title transfers to happen within a month of a sale “Buying a used car without knowing the dealer’s reputation is a roll of the fuzzy dice,” Yost said in the release “Reading online reviews and checking for a history of complaints could spare you the headache of a bad deal.” Ohio Luxury Imports customers were unable to obtain certificates of title with the state after their purchases and filed complaints with Yost’s office Yost alleges Jovanovski violated the state’s Consumer Sales Practices Act which protects customers from unfair or deceptive transactional practices Car dealer faces charges: Former Whitehall car dealership owner altered odometers on vehicles, prosecutors say The lawsuit seeks to stop Jovanovski from selling cars and have him reimburse customers Yost alleges he deceived It also seeks that Jovanovski face a $25,000 fine for each alleged deceptive sale Yost filed lawsuits in five other counties — Butler Yost’s office had resolved 15 title-related complaints involving Ohio Luxury Imports and paid $71,858 from its Title Defect Recision fund which refunds customers who bought cars but didn’t receive the title within the timeframe the law requires More than $300,000 had been paid out across all six counties (This story was updated to meet our standards.) Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com struck Bradley sophomore Ben Mirgon in the groin with 4:03 remaining in the second quarter of the Division I district final Bradley was leading 30-18 at the time but went on to lose 57-51 As the game stream showed a replay of the punch the announcers called for Roddy to be ejected “We’re going to get an intentional foul called on Roddy,” one of the announcers said “If only there was instant replay that they could go to down there.” The game was streamed online by the National Federation of State High School Associations Reynoldsburg City Schools is taking "appropriate steps to address the situation," it said Tuesday in a statement that did not specify Roddy's punishment the coaching staff felt the action warranted additional consequences," according to the statement from Valerie Wunder Reynoldsburg coach Andrew Moore declined to comment Tuesday Roddy was closely guarding Mirgon as Mirgon dribbled the ball near midcourt Just before Mirgon crossed the half-court line Roddy grabbed Mirgon’s left arm and Mirgon pushed him away Roddy got up and approached Mirgon as if he were going to guard him He then moved closer to Mirgon and delivered the punch Bradley coach Brett Norris said the officials told him that Mirgon's substitute had to shoot the two free throws that accompanied the intentional foul Norris could have picked the free-throw shooter Sayre missed the first and made the second Responding to a thread on X in which video of the punch was shared wrote: “Player and coach have sent apology texts ..will await the punishment yet to come...time to move on with life ...appreciate everyone seeing this through and hopefully a life lesson is baked in here somewhere for others” Reynoldsburg takes a 23-1 record into a regional semifinal against Dublin Coffman at 6 p.m aresnik@dispatch.com @DispatchPreps Ohio (WSYX) — The Reynoldsburg City Schools Board approved a plan to reduce spending by more than $8.3 million The need to cut millions is due to voters not passing a levy last November Board members shut down that option and instead passed Scenario B The superintendent’s preferred option would have eliminated seven out of nine elementary school assistant principals There are six elementary schools in the district The board also voted to reinstate pay-to-play fees for athletics the approved plan reduces the number of social worker positions from 12 to seven and cuts 51 teaching positions starting in the upcoming school year I know these social workers and assistant principals are needed in each building These teachers cannot take over like you think Liliana addressed the board during the meeting and called on members to choose Scenario C retaining seven assistant principals but not making as deep as a cut also spoke at the meeting and expressed her disappointment after the vote "I just hope that we can get the levy on the next ballot and get it to pass,” said Rios Board President Angela Abram acknowledged that the approved plan falls short of the $8.5 million target "Be it resolved that we have acted on and are approving scenario B we recognize that does not get us to the 8.5 and so additional reductions will need to be made." The additional reductions were not addressed during the meeting Levy committee sign-up forms were distributed before the meeting allowing parents to express interest in supporting the next levy effort the timing of when the levy might appear on ballots was not discussed or decided Ohio (WSYX) — A heated moment during a high school district championship basketball game at the Ohio Expo Center led to a significant disciplinary action for a Reynoldsburg player With four minutes remaining in the second half The incident happened after a Reynoldsburg player fell during play and then got up and threw a punch to the Hilliard Bradley player's groin area Reynoldsburg Schools issued a statement disavowing the students' actions Reynoldsburg City Schools does not condone players' unsportsmanlike conduct We expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest sportsmanship standards on and off the court." expressed satisfaction with the district's decision and stated it had nothing further to add Reynoldsburg managed to come back and secure the win Jordie Bowens gets up in traffic and converts as the Raiders punch their ticket to the Big Dance (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless) Toledo-bound Toby Nwokolo scored a career-high 33 points as Reynoldsburg wiped out a six-point deficit in the final 70 seconds of the first overtime and went on to capture the program’s first final four berth OH – Some of Reynoldsburg’s loudest partisans – and there were plenty at the Ohio Expo Center’s Taft Coliseum Saturday – likely had lumps in their throats watching the Raiders fall into a six-point deficit to Olentangy Liberty with just 72 seconds left in the first of two overtimes of a Division I regional championship game for the ages “It was looking a little rough for a minute,” Reynoldsburg senior forward Jordan Fisher said “But once we gathered ourselves and remembered how hard we practice every day for these moments Veteran central Ohio columnist Steve Blackledge writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros Attacking like piranhas in blood-filled waters the Raiders used their breathtaking athleticism on both ends of the floor to rattle Liberty and come away with a 98-91 victory and secure its first trip to the final four Reynoldsburg (25-1) hadn’t trailed by double-digits all season until Saturday when Liberty (21-5) grabbed a 31-21 lead midway through the second quarter who can turn up the heat with its pressure and score in bunches came in the first overtime as Liberty scored the first three baskets and took an 81-75 lead on a basket by Jeffrey Reynolds with 1:19 remaining The Raiders never backed down despite a late momentum shift toward the Patriots If they weren’t doing damage from behind the arc “The big part I remember was the kid missed the free throw that could have made it a three-possession game,” Reynoldsburg coach Andy Moore said It was just a matter of continuing to do what we do.” Fisher raced downcourt for a quick basket at the 1:12 mark Jordan Bowens stole the inbounds and scored to make it 81-79 A third Patriot turnover in a row allowed Bowens to score on a dunk and tie it with 27 seconds left Liberty had another chance but Christian Moulton lost the ball in the lane maneuvering for the final shot “That was really disappointing,” Patriots coach Greg Nossaman said “Things got a little crazy when they pressed us full-court and some things happened They cause you to make mistakes with the way they play and we weren’t very secure with the ball in some instances.” is a proud sponsor of area sports on Press Pros Reynoldsburg got out to an eight-point lead and never wavered as the final two minutes were spent shooting free throws Jordan Fisher gets up and over Liberty defender Parker Van Engelenhoven for two “We went to our diamond full-court pressure and it hurt them,” Moore said We wanted to change the tempo and we achieved that I never would have dreamed this game would get in the 90s the way they play Toledo signee Toby Nwokolo had a career night with 33 points to pace the Raiders “It was just plain grit that got us this win,” Nwokolo said “I think the ability to come back like that in overtime was a testament to our character.” He’s a good shooter but not a knockdown shooter and he hit four threes tonight for us and they came at big moments.” Fisher and Xavier McKinney added 18 points each Bowens 15 and Damon Griffin 14 for Reynoldsburg which came in scoring 74.6 points per game but had been limited to 57 and 60 in tough wins over Hilliard Bradley and Dublin Coffman Contact Weedman USA at 614-733-3747 or go online to Weedman.com “They shot lights out … they hit a ton of threes to extend the lead,” Nossaman said Nick Butterfield (25 pts) connects on a second critical three-point shot during overtime but the talented Raiders were just too much down the stretch Reynoldsburg blocked 11 shots on the night which is especially impressive considering the Patriots are one of the biggest lineups in the area at 6-9 “We make history every time we step on the floor,” said Fisher one of three Ohio University signees or commits for the Raiders I’m so excited I don’t know what to think or say I’ve dreamed of a moment like this since I was a kid in the basement shooting on the Nerf hoop Northwestern-bound Tyler Kropp 21 along with 15 rebounds Reynolds 20 and Parker Van Engelenhoven 16 for Liberty which came yielding just 49.6 points per game 3 statewide by MaxPreps.com and Liberty was No 4 and the matchup sure lived up to that billing we’ve had some turmoil and some ups and downs along the road,” Moore said Aptus Wealth Management proudly sponsors the Buckeyes and Central Ohio sports on Press Pros Kandawaswika Kahari was sentenced to 39 years in prison for the murder of Susan Ramburg whose body was discovered in the trunk of her car nearly two years ago COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Kandawaswika Kahari was sentenced to 39 years in prison for the murder of Susan Ramburg, whose body was discovered in the trunk of her car nearly two years ago police found Ramburg's body in her garage Her then 10-year-old son revealed to police that Kahari had "made a bed" for Ramburg in the trunk and had checked on him in the days following her death "He should never have to hug his dead mother He should never have to play dead while laying in his own blood so his mother‘s murderer will stop kicking him," relatives told the court highlighting the trauma the boy experienced The judge described the case as "one of the most horrific murders that I've encountered while on the bench." She noted the physical and psychological toll on the child as a factor in her sentencing decision Kahari will be eligible for parole after serving his sentence The pilot of a small plane that ran out of gas on April 16 and landed in an empty farm field in Reynoldsburg could possibly face citations depending on the findings of ongoing investigations The aircraft — a Cessna 172 single-engine plane — made an emergency landing at around 2:06 p.m. at the Bauman Farm, located off Taylor Road SW just south of Kingsley Drive and north of East Main Street (U.S. 40) in the Licking County portion of Reynoldsburg, The Dispatch previously reported. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are also investigating the emergency landing Lt. Drew Untied, a spokesperson for OSHP, said the pilot was traveling from Lebanon, Tennessee, to Akron when he was forced to make the emergency landing. Flight log data maintained by FlightAware shows the plane taking off from Lebanon just after 10 a.m on April 16 and landing four hours later at the Reynoldsburg farm the plane took off from Reynoldsburg just after 3:30 p.m the plane took off from Lancaster and landed just before 8 p.m Lieutenant Untied said the pilot either ran out of fuel or the plane may have had a malfunctioning fuel tank pump the plane is registered to HD System Securities out of Watertown The Dispatch attempted to contact the owner of the business for comment a senior adviser in the office of communications for the FAA told The Dispatch on April 18 that they still need to determine if there were any regulation violations before they take potential action against the pilot the pilot could face depend on the violation "The sanction depends on the circumstances of a violation It can range from counseling and retraining on the low end to certificate suspensions or revocations on the high end," Gregor explained in an email to The Dispatch Gregor declined to comment on the emergency landing since the investigation is still open Untied said that the OSHP has no plans to cite the pilot for the emergency landing retail network with a new shipping store set to open at 1300 Aida Drive in Reynoldsburg The upcoming DHL ServicePoint will offer international and domestic shipping services for both account and non-account holders Customers will have access to time and day-definite delivery options and DHL’s On Demand Delivery service through the DHL mobile app DHL operates over 3,000 ServicePoint Partner locations nationwide This story was updated to correct for an inaccuracy Andrew Moore played for a legendary high school basketball coach – his father Moore went on to a standout college career at Muskingum University where he was an All-American and is enshrined in the school's athletics Hall of Fame Moore had one goal – to be the head coach of a Division I college basketball program He started as a freshman coach under his father There was a one-year stint as a head coach in there and a couple of “director of basketball operations” titles He spent his last six years in the college ranks as an assistant at the Air Force Academy “You’re 50 years old and you’ve been an assistant for 25 years and you haven’t been a Division I head coach yet,” Moore said maybe it’s time to readjust your goals a little bit Maybe it’s time to stop being so selfish that it’s all about my career and what I want to do.” He took a Division I job – a Division I high school job at Reynoldsburg with the added duties of athletic director It'll be the last game of a seven-game state championship card in the storied building Moore’s father had some excellent teams over his 20 years at Mount Vernon where he won nine league and three district titles But he never got this close to winning the last game who was a conference player of the year in college and an assistant all over the map has one (somewhat) significant trophy: He was on Michigan’s staff when the Wolverines won the 2004 NIT (aka the NCAA consolation prize) “I know people might think that’s funny,” Moore said That was probably the one time you feel you’re playing for something really important.” Moore said that one of the things he took from his father, who died, at age 77, as Moore was packing up his family to move back to Ohio in 2020 It was a lesson the elder Moore learned after he was fired from a small-town job early in his career Moore said another thing he took from his father was a series of lessons on the alchemy of winning with an overmatched roster This is where benevolent dictatorship is combined with hard work “My dad was as good as a lot of people – he was as good as just about anybody I’ve seen – at winning with less talent,” Moore said if you can get talented guys to do these things They are flanked by juniors Jordie Bowens and Xavier McKinney McKinney made the game-winning layup as time expired in Reynoldsburg’s 64-63 victory over West Chester Lakota West in the semifinals McKinney was the second option on the inbound play “All of these guys have been through a lot together – not liking me This has really worked out for me the last five years marace@dispatch.com Ohio (WSYX) — Big Lots is set to reopen 55 stores across the United States beginning May 1 Among the locations re-opening is a store on East Livingston Avenue in Reynoldsburg which will open its doors as part of a second wave of openings which includes several other Ohio locations scheduled to open in June The sale and subsequent re-opening mark a significant step in Big Lots' efforts to recover from its financial difficulties Ohio (WSYX) — The parents of a nonverbal child with autism have filed a federal lawsuit against Reynoldsburg City Schools alleging their 6-year-old son was left unattended on a school bus for hours The lawsuit claims the school district failed to protect the child when the child was picked up from his home by a Reynoldsburg City School bus to be taken to afternoon pre-school His mother harnessed him into his seat due to his special needs an attendance sheet given to a bus driver assigned to take him home indicated that John Doe was not in attendance at school that day "We think the student was on the bus for a period of time," said Mark Weiker The lawsuit further alleges that the parents who are Nepali and non-native English speakers were discriminated against and "treated differently" by the school district after the incident The family claims they were not provided with crucial information including bus video footage requested the day after the incident and that communication was cut off through their interpreter "We recognize the school has challenges in transportation lots of information was not provided to parents and communication was cut off through the interpreter." The child was found and returned home 79 minutes after his scheduled drop-off time following a search by Reynoldsburg police at the school bus yard The lawsuit states that the child did not return to pre-school and has experienced emotional distress and trauma due to the incident When asked about the child's current condition "He is still working through the issues." Regarding the family's well-being ABC 6 reached out Reynoldsburg Schools for comment and in a statement they told us "The Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education administrators and staff are unable to comment on ongoing litigation we reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe learning environment that is conducive to student success."