Emma G. Wozniak

Columbus-based journalist with a firm belief we all have a story to tell — and a passion for being the mouthpiece through which those stories can be shared with the world.

The Columbus Dispatch •

Westerville family honored in Carry The Load Memorial Day walk for fallen soldiers

As Megan Piazza likes to say, her husband Matthew was an “all-Army guy.”

Maj. Matthew Piazza — known by those closest to him as “Matty P” — grew up playing with G.I. Joe action figures, wore red, white and blue any chance he got and, if you ask his wife Megan, was forced by his parents to go to college when he’d much rather have enlisted in the Army right away.

And yet, Megan said her husband would’ve probably hated being honored at a Memorial Day event like Carry The Load.

“He wasn’t the guy...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus City Council offers aid to youth LGBTQ+ nonprofit in wake of political attacks

The city of Columbus is taking a stand against what several of its council members consider attacks on the local LGBTQ+ youth population.

Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the largest and oldest organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio, will receive a $100,000 grant from the city after an ordinance sponsored by Councilmember Melissa Green passed unanimously May 12. Prior to the vote, Green criticized state and federal policy for "actively undermining the very existence of our LGBTQIA+...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Franklin County deputy fatally shot dog after it attacked partner during pursuit

A Franklin County deputy fatally shot a dog after it attacked his partner on May 13.

The incident began around 2 p.m. after the deputies attempted a traffic stop, which led to a brief pursuit after the driver failed to comply, according to a press release from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. The driver abandoned their vehicle near Mock Road and Century Drive, leaving the driver's side door open. A pit bull exited the vehicle and bit one of the deputies in the face, the release states.

Th...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus Crew unveils three new premium seating areas at Lower.com Field for 2026 season

After selling out all premium seating since it opened in 2021, the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field is adding three new all-inclusive premium spaces for the 2026 season.

Aiming to open by next season’s first match in February 2026, Skyview Club, Northwest Lofts and Patio 96 will be included in season ticket packages on a first-come, first-served basis, said Adam Green, Crew vice president of ticket sales and service. Starting today on the Crew's website, current season ticket holders have the fi...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus Zoo postpones opening of $40 million North America Trek

Less than one week after announcing an official opening date, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has postponed the opening of its North America Trek.

Director of communications Jen Fields said in an email Monday that a broader review of the trek’s progress was prompted after a viewing window in the new area’s black bear habitat was accidentally cracked by construction crews. Though black bear Stevie had not yet moved into the habitat and there were no animal safety concerns, this incident — coupled...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Actor Ryan Reynolds flexes Wrexham AFC gear from Columbus company Homage

Ryan Reynolds represented a Columbus-grown company well in a social media post this week, showing off gear for a soccer club he owns made by Homage, a local company in which he is an investor.Reynolds posted a series of photos on Instagram decked out in Wrexham AFC merch created by the Columbus clothing company.Reynolds bought the Welsh football club alongside fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney in 2020. Last year, his Maximum Efforts Investment LLC invested in Homage.“These @Homage shirts are...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Bald eagles are nesting in Grandview: Here's what we know about Annie and Apollo's eaglet

In 2016, bald eagles John and Annie — named after Ohio’s Glenn family — were seen nesting above Grandview’s Scioto River. Now, nearly a decade later, Annie remains a staple of Central Ohio’s ever-expanding eagle population. Though spotting a bald eagle may seem rare to many Ohioans, the species is thriving statewide, with an estimate of nearly 1,000 active nests across Ohio, said Gary Comer Jr., the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Central Ohio wildlife management supervisor. Annie, seen Wedn...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Kroger offers one-day discount for shoppers 55+ on Wednesday, May 7

Supermarket chain Kroger is offering a one-day discount to its senior loyalty members across Columbus and Cincinnati.

Shoppers ages 55 and up can receive a 5% discount on their in-store purchases at any of Kroger’s 217 locations in Columbus and Cincinnati on Wednesday, said Mark Bruce, corporate affairs manager for the company’s Columbus division. Seniors must either present a Kroger loyalty card or sign up on the day in order to be eligible, Bruce said.

“Providing fresh, affordable food at th...
The Columbus Dispatch •

Columbus Zoo to open new $40 million North America Trek expansion this month

After years of anticipation, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officially announced an opening date for the first phase of its new North America Trek.

On May 23, the zoo will host a special community dedication ceremony for the new region at 10 a.m., after which guests can enter and explore the trek themselves. The redesigned region — which has been in the works since 2021 and represents one of the largest long-term projects the zoo has seen in over a decade — will mimic the feeling of a national par...
The Lantern •

Ohio State international student feels ‘forsaken’ by university, discusses aftermath of revoked immigration status, lawsuit against Trump administration

International graduate student Ahwar Sultan was taking notes during his architectural theory class in Knowlton Hall when he received an email from Ohio State’s Office of International Affairs informing him that his immigration record had been terminated.

The April 3 email, however, raised more questions for Sultan than it answered. He had been fully enrolled at the university, attending classes and a student in good standing. He could not understand why this was happening.

He sat in his lectur...
The Lantern •

Ohio State graduate student sues Trump administration over F-1 visa revocation, alleges pro-Palestinian activism as cause

An Ohio State graduate student filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for revoking his F-1 student visa, alleging he was targeted for participating in pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

Ahwar Sultan, a second-year graduate student in comparative studies, filed the lawsuit Tuesday afternoon, claiming ​​unconstitutional retaliation by the federal government in violation of the First and Fifth Amendments, according to the press release.

Ohio State’s chapter of Students for Justice in P...
The Lantern •

USG presidential election results have been delayed over a month; here’s why

A little over a month following the Undergraduate Student Government’s 2025 presidential election, students are still waiting for a winner.

The campaign period for the presidential race began Feb. 23 and ended March 5, though election results were postponed due to ongoing USG Judicial Panel hearings, with no set date for when results would be announced, according to a March 6 USG Instagram post.

Following an election cycle filled with accusations of misconduct against all candidates, which saw...
The Lantern •

College of Arts and Sciences announces 11 F-1 visa revocations at town hall meeting Wednesday, 5 students from ASC impacted

At least 11 international Ohio State students have had their F-1 visas revoked, as confirmed during a College of Arts and Sciences town hall meeting with faculty and staff Wednesday afternoon.

Of these 11 students, five are enrolled in ASC, according to university Dean David Horn. This updated figure marks an increase from the seven students reported in university President Ted Carter Jr.’s Tuesday university-wide email.

University spokesperson Ben Johnson confirmed these updated numbers Thurs...
The Lantern •

Ohio State reports at least 7 students had F-1 visas revoked via campus-wide email Tuesday

At least seven international Ohio State students have had their visas revoked, according to a Tuesday email from university President Ted Carter Jr.

This email follows a Friday announcement confirming five students had their visas revoked, per prior Lantern reporting. Though two additional students have since come forward, Carter said the university is still unaware of the exact reason behind the revocations, and university officials were not formally notified of the government’s actions.

“I k...
The Lantern •

5 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.

An F-1 visa allows individuals to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited academic instituti...
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 •

President Carter, Johns Hopkins University president discuss citizenship in higher education at campus intellectual diversity center’s first public event; center director sheds light on curriculum

Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. and Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels discussed the role of higher education institutions in shaping engaged citizens during a Tuesday panel moderated by Lee Strang, the executive director of Ohio State’s intellectual diversity center.
The Lantern •

Former NASA leader and astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. named Ohio State’s spring commencement speaker

Bolden — who served for 34 years in the Marine Corps, during which he traveled to space four times — was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 to serve as NASA’s 12th administrator, according to a Monday Ohio State News article. This role, which is the highest-ranking position within the agency, involves working with Congress and other elected officials to make decisions about space-related programs and policies, according to a December 2024 Government Executive article.

“It is qui...
The Lantern •

‘Buckeyes don’t stand for foolishness’: Roughly 900 students, faculty and staff gather to protest SB 1, criticize university President Ted Carter Jr. and state legislature

Around 900 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Oval from 1-4:30 p.m. Tuesday to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks.

From Ohio State community members to administrators, religious leaders and politicians, the crowd grew from a mere few dozen people just before 1 p.m. to approximately 900 by 2:30 p.m. The protest was organized by Ohio State’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the university’s chapter of the...
The Lantern •

Trump threatens college campus protesters with arrests and federal funding cuts via Truth Social Tuesday

This morning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened college campus protesters with arrests and federal funding cuts.

This post arrives in light of a scheduled protest of Ohio Senate Bill 1 — which aims to make significant changes to Ohio’s public higher education system, namely by overhauling programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, per prior Lantern reporting — on the Oval today. In his post, Trump threatened to cut off all federal funding to any education institutions that allow...
The Lantern •

‘We laughed at him:’ Ohio State community reacts as President Carter announces end of Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Belonging and Social Change

The fabric of Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion programming has begun to unravel following Thursday’s University Senate meeting.

Inside Drinko Hall’s Saxbe Auditorium, Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. announced the university’s plan to discontinue the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change effective Friday, meaning 16 related professional staff positions will be removed within 60 days, per prior Lantern reporting. The 3:30 p.m. meeting dre...
The Lantern •

University eliminates DEI leadership position; former senior vice provost of inclusive excellence Wendy Smooth returns to faculty role

Ohio State eliminated a top leadership position that directly focused on university diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in late January.

Wendy Smooth, former senior vice provost of inclusive excellence, returned to a faculty position Jan. 31, according to an email sent by then-interim Executive Vice President and Provost Karla Zadnik to university colleagues. The email, sent on Jan. 9, said Smooth would return to a College of Arts and Sciences faculty position at the end of the month an...
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