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🌱 Patch AM: Could that “warrant” call be fake? What Franklin County deputies say.

Happening soon: Candy Cane Course - Columbus on the Columbus Patch calendar

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Sunday December 14th Patch AM
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Hi Columbus! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Could that “warrant” call be fake? What Franklin County deputies say.
  • How Columbus residents can build lifesaving winter shelters for outdoor cats
  • How will Columbus’s new salary-range rule change local job postings?

Also on today's calendar: Candy Cane Course - Columbus and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Columbusfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Jimmy, did you crash on your bike again? You’ve lost a tooth! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Columbusfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Frigid; breezy in the morning, with a high of 15 and low of 3 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Monday: Mainly cloudy and very cold, temps: high: 23, low: 14.
  • Tuesday: Partly sunny and not as cold, with a high of 36 and low of 31 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. No, you don't have an active warrant for your arrest. How to avoid scams (dispatch.com) — If you live in Columbus or Franklin County, deputies say scam calls and texts claiming you have an arrest warrant or must pay fees are surging, especially during the holidays. The Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to hang up, verify through official numbers, and use its new online resource to recognize local warrant, jail, delivery, banking and romance scams before money is lost.
   

2. How to make and where to get outdoor cat shelters this winter (nbc4i.com) — As Columbus temperatures drop, local groups are urging residents to help protect an estimated hundreds of thousands of outdoor cats across central Ohio. The piece walks you through building simple insulated shelters, explains why straw is essential, and points to free shelter giveaways and other resources from Columbus Humane and Colony Cats that you can use right now.
   

3. Columbus, Ohio, Enacts New Pay Transparency Ordinance Requiring Salary Ranges in Job Postings (natlawreview.com) — Columbus employers with fifteen or more workers will soon need to include reasonable salary ranges in most job postings, under a new city pay transparency ordinance already in effect but not enforced until 2027. The law, enforced by the Columbus Community Relations Commission, aligns the city with Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati in pushing clearer compensation information for jobseekers.
   

4. Report links data center to rare cancers, raising questions about central Ohioans' safety (nbc4i.com) — Central Ohio’s growing cluster of data centers, including many around Columbus suburbs like Dublin, New Albany and Hilliard, is raising new questions about air and water quality. A recent report about alleged health impacts near an Amazon facility in Oregon, which the company disputes, has Ohio officials weighing a special discharge permit and residents pushing for clearer data on local risks and safeguards.
   

5. Common snowberry boasts many ecological benefits (dispatch.com) — If you’re planning a Columbus-area garden, OSU Extension Master Gardeners in Franklin County highlight common snowberry as a hardy, wildlife-friendly shrub for central Ohio yards. They explain its winter berries, habitat value, and easy care, including pruning tips, soil tolerance, and how sun exposure boosts berry production.
   

📸 Around Columbus

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Update: Pet Reunited
    Bear, a dog who went missing in Columbus, OH, has been safely reunited with their family after 1 hours, 56 minutes. Message from Owner: "o! We are… (Nextdoor Brookshire)
  • When I walked past St.
    Mary’s on 3rd in German Village today they had free Christmas trees. If you know anyone that needs ones they are right out front ready to go. (Nextdoor Downtown/Arena District)
  • Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC posted a job opening for Part time Hotel Night Auditor in Columbus. Apply here.
  • Snipes posted a job opening for Stock Personnel in Columbus. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Columbus here.

Ok Columbus! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I didn’t lose a tooth, Mom. It’s right here in my pocket.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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