Matthew Rand

1 week ago | wosu.org | Matthew Rand

As the Columbus Symphony prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary next year, it’s also preparing to welcome a new leader. Maureen O’Brien will start in her new role as CEO July 15. She most recently served as executive vice president for institutional advancement for the New World Symphony in Miami. O'Brien takes the reins as CSO embarks on a major capital campaign to build a new performance hall.

3 weeks ago | wosu.org | Matthew Rand

It's been 10 years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which affirmed the right to same-sex marriage across the United States. The lead plaintiff in that case was Sandusky, Ohio native Jim Obergefell, who went to court to have his marriage to his late husband, John Arthur, recognized by the state. Related: Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Case Sparked An Unlikely FriendshipToday, polls show most Americans think same-sex marriage should be legal.

1 month ago | wosu.org | Matthew Rand

It might not feel like it, but the ground under our feet is sinking. Using satellite data, a team of researchers were able to precisely map rates of subsidence, the gradual sinking of land, in dozens of major U.S. cities, including Columbus. The subsidence rates are small, just a few millimeters per year, but the research raises some big questions about how this issue could impact cities’ infrastructure and development in the long term.

1 month ago | wosu.org | Matthew Rand

As central Ohio home values continue to climb, so do tax bills, straining household budgets and stirring debate about funding for schools, public safety and other local services. There are several local levies on the May 6 primary ballot. How might rising property taxes affect support for those measures? Bevan Schneck is Director of Public Affairs for the Ohio Municipal League, a statewide association that serves the interests of Ohio municipal governments at the Statehouse.

2 months ago | wosu.org | Matthew Rand

Ohio libraries are gearing up to fight a Republican-backed proposal in the Ohio House that threatens the funding structure that has supported libraries across the state for decades. The plan would eliminate the Public Library Fund and replace it with a flat direct appropriation. Library groups say the move would result in millions of dollars in cuts, jeopardizing library programs, materials and services across the state.