Nora Igelnik

Journalist and Editor

WOSU Public Media •

Effort to repeal ban on hemp, THC drinks, fails as debate about cannabis use continues

Last month, The New York Times Editorial Board published an opinion about marijuana regulation titled, “It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem.”The opinion piece, which backtracked on the editorial board’s previous laissez faire position on marijuana, arguing for more regulation and warning against public health harms, received almost 4,000 comments on the Times’ site and even more debate on social media platforms.Ohio is seeing its own statewide debate about marijuana re...
WOSU Public Media •

Habitat for Humanity to develop multi-family housing in Near East Side neighborhood

Columbus has welcomed 120,000 new residents since 2010, and the city continues to grow, with a projected regional population of 3 million by 2050.The need for more affordable housing in the city to accommodate this population development may lie in the concept of “gentle density,” which refers to increasing the housing supply in single-family neighborhoods by adding more diverse housing options.Brandi Braun AL-Issa, CEO of Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio, said she sees the construction of multi-fam...
WOSU Public Media •

Ohio State Board of Trustees’ brief meeting opens with statement on Les Wexner

Ohio State University President Ted Carter Jr. opened Thursday’s brief, 10-minute Board of Trustees meeting with a statement about the university’s association with Ohio billionaire and mega donor Les Wexner.Wexner, who was deposed by members of Congress in February due to his financial and personal relationship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, holds close ties with Ohio State. Carter said the university respects the rights of students, faculty and staff to express their opinion...
WOSU Public Media •

About 8,700 acres of public land in Ohio to be considered for fracking approval

More than 8,236 acres of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area’s 18,000 acres in Belmont County and an additional 513 acres of Salt Fork State Park may be approved for fracking at the next meeting of the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission.The date for the meeting has not been set yet. That's according to Melinda Zemper, a board member for the nonprofit Save Ohio Parks, which is dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of fracking — the process of injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sa...
WOSU Public Media •

Franklin County man sues Nationwide Children's Hospital over infant daughter's death

A Franklin County man filed suit against Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 23, accusing the hospital of negligence, wrongful death and willful, wanton and reckless misconduct in the case of his infant daughter.Tyler M. Peyton’s daughter, Ellieana Peyton, died at 27 days old as the result of a three to four-foot crib fall that occurred March 25, 2025, in the presence of a patient care assistant, the lawsuit alleges. A CT scan revealed that Elliean...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus' Dept. of Public Service releases report on shared mobility services

The City of Columbus' Department of Public Service released its State of the Program report on shared mobility Thursday.The Columbus region is expected to grow by another 1 million people by 2050, the report states, and the city’s transportation system cannot safely manage another 1 million cars. Offering shared mobility services ensures an “accessible, affordable, healthy and sustainable option, including for shorter trips and first/last mile trips connection,” according to the report.In 2024,...
WOSU Public Media •

Survey on deer population reveals Clintonville residents largely invested in control methods

The Columbus City Council and Department of Neighborhoods will be hosting a community conversation about different deer management approaches at the Whetstone Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.The city launched a community survey this past summer to better understand Columbus residents’ views about deer in their neighborhoods and gather feedback about potential deer management strategies.A survey findings summary was created by students at Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural and Env...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus has received 736 snow and ice removal complaints for sidewalks so far this year

As temperatures rise, uncleared snow on sidewalks have melted and turned into ice overnight, posing a hazard to pedestrians.In 2026 so far, there have been 736 complaints filed with Columbus Building and Zoning Services concerning a lack of snow and ice removal on sidewalks or interior walkways, the department's Deputy Director Anthony Celebrezze said in an email.Of those complaints, 265 have resulted in compliance.According to Columbus City Code, property owners or tenants (it specifically depe...
WOSU Public Media •

Former National Afro-American Museum director is concerned about its future after layoffs

A former Ohio History Connection director is concerned about the future of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce after she, along with the museum’s other managers, were among 30 employees laid off in October, along with three other employees who had their hours cut.Jerolyn Barbee, who worked for 17 years for the private, non-profit history center and had been assistant director of the Afro-American Museum since 2015, said she is worried about the state of programmi...
WOSU Public Media •

Columbus listed among cities to hold matches for 2028 Olympic Soccer Tournament

ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home to the Columbus Crew, will hold matches for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Women’s and Men’s Soccer Tournaments, along with six other cities.The announcement was made on Tuesday morning.These preliminary matches will lead to the final stage matches at the Rose Bowl Stadium, making a total of seven cities involved in the Olympic Soccer Tournaments. The other cities are Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, St. Louis, San Diego, and San José, Calif.“We’re honored to ho...
WOSU Public Media •

Community Shelter Board conducts annual homeless count in Columbus and Franklin County

The Community Shelter Board is conducting its annual Point-in-Time count on Thursday to evaluate the extent of homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County.The count is an effort to document the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and is conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Volunteers ventured out for a land count from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday. The volunteers continued to do an unsheltered count throughout the day, visiti...
WOSU Public Media •

Three people arrested at Ohio State career fair during Customs and Border Protection protest

Three people were arrested by Ohio State Police on Tuesday for criminal trespassing at the Ohio Union during a protest targeting Customs and Border Protection at the College of Arts and Sciences annual spring career fair.Around 75 students and community members gathered at the Ohio Union to confront the CBP recruiters — who operate under the Department of Homeland Security — and generally protest against the university’s decision to include the organization among the 150 employers at the career...
WOSU Public Media •

Mid-Ohio Market to re-open on Wednesday after Tuesday morning fire

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective plans to re-open its no-cost Mid-Ohio Market at noon on Wednesday, despite a fire that happened early Tuesday morning.Erich Hiner, director of communications for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, said the organization is working with Columbus fire officials to determine what caused the fire at the Norton Road facility.Hiner said that at first glance, the damage seems external. Staff need to examine each item for damage, but so far, only some cabbage and bread items neede...
Transitions •

Czechia’s Baby Bust - Transitions

Just a few years ago, the country had one of Europe’s highest fertility rates. Those figures have plummeted. Demographers and young Czechs share their insights on why. 

For Katerina, a 25-year-old married doctoral student living in Prague, her long-time dream of living on a small farm with four children seemed almost plausible.

That was, until the reality of today’s economic situation in the country set in. By 2022, the Czech Republic saw rising consumer prices, with inflation reaching over 15...
Transitions •

Truth at a Cost - Transitions

You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber.
Not a subscriber?


Subscribe today for access to:
Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles).

You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber.

Not a subscriber...
The Lantern •

SJP student leader issued summons for criminal trespass; graduate student suing Trump admin and attorney held under investigative detention after on-campus press conference Thursday

One Ohio State student was issued a summons for criminal trespassing and another was held under investigative detention following a press conference outside of Thompson Library Thursday.

Jineen Musa, co-president of Ohio State’s chapter for Students in Justice in Palestine and a third-year in health sciences and health information management and systems, was issued a summons for violating the university’s space standards, while Ohio State graduate student Ahwar Sultan and his attorney Jana Al A...
The Lantern •

Navigating the ever-changing higher education landscape: Four takeaways from The Lantern’s sit-down interview with university President Ted Carter Jr. Monday

Amid an era of unprecedented shakeups in educational institutions across the country, the American public university system has faced multiple challenges from both federal and state policies over the past six months — and Ohio State is no exception.

From Ohio Senate Bill 1 to diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks to visa revocations, students, faculty and staff at Ohio State are left to wonder what is next for the university.

The Lantern sat down with university President Ted Carter Jr. Mo...
The Lantern •

Opinion: Five under-the-radar stories from this year’s campus desk

The Ohio State community has witnessed many changes this academic year, whether local, statewide or national.

There is a new U.S. president. New laws. New university policies. A wavering and fragile social and cultural climate.

Through all this, one factor endures: the Campus desk’s commitment to keeping an eye on what impacts students, faculty, staff and the broader Buckeye community. However, with so many daily changes, it can be difficult to remember the “underground” campus news.

Below, w...
The Lantern •

Five international Ohio State students have F-1 visas revoked for reasons unknown to the university

At least five international Ohio State students had their F-1 visas revoked as of Friday afternoon, the university confirmed.

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said in a statement the university does “not have any indication why this action was taken” at this time, but that the students are still in the United States as they, their attorneys and the university consider next steps.

A F-1 visa allows individuals to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited academic institutio...
The Lantern •

SB 1 becomes law; Ohio public higher education overhaul bill signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon

Ohio Senate Bill 1 — which bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming and faculty striking, limits the teaching of controversial subjects, requires the online publication of course syllabi and more across Ohio’s public higher education institutions — was signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon.

SB 1 — formally known as the “Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act” and introduced by Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) — previously passed through the Ohio Senate Feb. 13, p...
The Lantern •

PHOTO GALLERY: Approximately 200 students, faculty and staff walked out to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 Wednesday

Roughly 200 students, faculty and staff walked out Wednesday in opposition of Ohio Senate Bill 1, which aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and faculty strikes at public higher education institutions statewide.

The protest — which was organized by the Ohio Student Association — marched from the Oval to the Ohio Statehouse from noon to 2:30 p.m., as chants of “This is what democracy looks like” and “Mikey, Mikey hear us say, we need DEI to stay” rang through the streets, in r...
The Lantern •

Ohio House passes DEI-banning Senate Bill 1; bill returns to Ohio Senate for concurrence

A bill that would reconstruct the state’s higher education passed the Ohio House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon and will now move to the Ohio Senate for concurrence.

Ohio Senate Bill 1, also known as the “Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act,” aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and prevent faculty from striking, as well as limit the teaching of controversial subjects within Ohio’s public higher education institutions.

The Senate intends to concur with the House...
The Lantern •

Arts & Life desk’s picks for the top 20 TV shows of the 2020s

With streaming services like Peacock, Paramount+ and Max entering the TV scene in the early 2020s — combined with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping much of the world indoors for months — the decade has dramatically redefined entertainment as consumers know it.

As audiences began embracing new viewing habits, networks and streaming platforms responded with a surge of content — ranging from fresh takes on the Marvel and Star Wars universes with shows like “WandaVision” and “Andor” to acclaimed limite...
The Lantern •

Ohio State joins OpenAI higher education consortium as company commits $50 million to advance research and education at 15 institutions

Today, OpenAI launched NextGenAI at Ohio State, a consortium of 15 “leading research institutions” committed to using artificial intelligence for research breakthroughs and transformations in education.

The breakout artificial intelligence research organization that operates the AI chatbot ChatGPT is dedicating $50 million in “research grants, compute funding, and [Application Programming Interface] access to support students, educators, and researchers advancing the frontiers on knowledge,” ac...
Load More