Issuu

Clintonville • Graceland • Easton • Powell

Find events at ColumbusMakesArt.com/ARTober ArtMakesCbus

ColumbusMakesArt.com is a project of:

CONTENTS

39 20 26 68 10

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

C O V E R PA C K A G E UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

10 True Crime Cases Still Haunting Columbus

BUILT DIFFERENT

THIN FOR THE WIN

EVEN MORE MACABRE

BUCKEYES AND BEER

HOME ICE

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

BUMP IN THE NIGHT

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Bitsy Voce

The ring is just the beginning.

Fall Wedding Jewelry Event BUY ONE 50% All Wedding GET ONE OFF Jewelry October 13th - 24th (closed Sundays & Mondays)

Found the ring? Come find everything that goes with it. Still looking? Start with your engagement ring and add a wedding band (or two). Then complete your look with earrings and necklaces. Find your something blue. Or add gifts for the people standing beside you . With more than 1,500 engagement and wedding ring styles in our store—and unlimited custom options—you’ll have plenty to try on, compare, and make your own. Plus, take advantage of our best prices of the year on natural and lab-grown diamonds!

You’ll Find Even More To Try On At

Two Trunk Show Weekends October 16th – 17th: CrownRing • Noam Carver • Ostbye October 23rd – 24th: FANA • Uneek Try things on. Compare styles. Ask questions. Find or design exactly what you want. Make an Appointment on our website or scan the QR. Or drop in at your convenience between October 13th - 24th (closed Sundays & Mondays).

Worthington Jewelers. Where Columbus Gets Engaged™. 692 High Street, Worthington OH 43085 | (614) 430-8800 | worthingtonjewelers.com Tues 10am-6pm | Wed & Thurs 10am-7pm | Fri 10am -6pm | Sat 10am-5pm | Closed Sun & Mon *Discount applies to the lower-priced eligible item. Excludes loose diamonds, natural diamond stud earrings, and select luxury estate pieces. Cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, or gift cards. See store for details.

Opening Volley PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lindsay Press EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jack McLaughlin

J AC K M C L AU G H L I N Editor-In-Chief

The Mystery of Life It’s an accepted fact that our weird, high-powered monkey brains evolved to be curious. And despite the abundance of scientific literature supporting this, and the plethora of David Attenborough-voiced documentaries that depict primates jamming a stick into an anthill to see what’s inside, I still think the extent to which curiosity drives our daily lives is undersold. On a visceral level, we feel the inexhaustible need to understand the answer to burning questions: Who built the pyramids? Where do we go when we die? Is the dress blue and black or white and gold? We’re compelled by mysteries. Consumed by them.I believe it’s the curiosity centers of our brains lighting up when we’re prompted with something we do not have an answer to. It’s the instinct that leads us to go ham on an anthill, only on a larger scale. It’s a fundamental factor in the way we entertain ourselves day to day, and even—I would argue—in our faith. Since it’s October, let’s look at horror movies (which are the best kind of movies, in case you were wondering). Despite the specifics of the plot, they all typically share the same formula: There’s an unknown, or undefined, evil entity attempting to harm a protagonist. Take the classic monster movie genre (the “creature feature”), for example. Whether it’s about a giant snake or crocodile (I see you Anaconda and Lake Placid), or something supernatural, the best part of the movie is always when the audience knows there’s a monster on the loose, but before they actually see it. Once producers are forced to show the creature in the shadows, doesn’t it always feel a bit like a letdown? At that point—once the giant CGI crocodile gets rolled out onto the screen while snapping a dude in half—the mystery is gone. Before the monster takes real, physical shape, the undefined possibility of what it could be, or what it could look like, is still running rampant in our minds. Not to jump too far ahead of myself—and not to make a judgment on the validity or lack thereof of any faith or following—but I believe that mystery is a precondition for spirituality as well. The definition of God changes across faiths, but the archetype is the same: an allpowerful being who isn’t fully defined. I was raised Catholic, and while I can explain God as an omnipresent entity, I can’t paint a picture of what He or She looks like, or the space they occupy. All of that is to say this: Don’t overlook the power of mystery, and how deeply compelling it can be. Our October issue features a handful of unsolved Columbus cases, mysteries, if you will— whether they be based in true crime or involve UFOs—that still haunt us to this day. I think it’s easy to scoff at our love for things like this. For mysteries. For the questions surrounding answers we simply do not have. And if any month is defined by the unknown, it’s October. Think horror movies and Halloween. Instead of shrugging off your love for true crime cases, your fascination with the Dyatlov Pass incident (maybe this one’s just me), or a newfound love for all things unsolved in Columbus, why not give in for a little bit? Because after all, these fascinations are rooted somewhere deep in our minds for a reason.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Maggie Valentine Mary McCarthy CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hannah Anthony, Kristen Davis, Sumner Howells, Tyler Jamison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alex Lewis, Asia Atuah, David Shaw, Jack McLaughlin, John M. Clark, Laura Jones, Matt Mahoney CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Brooke Stanley, Julie Friedman Levi Gaidos CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Thomas CREATIVE DESIGNERS Abby Nocera Leah Ronski MARKETING MANAGER Emma Mortellaro MARKETING ASSISTANT Gillian Dunahoe ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mindy Wilhite Anna Gerhard Meghan Chapman ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Elliot Harpham

Questions about Questions about advertising? advertising? Scan here! Scan here!

Created by Created by

(614)Magazine Magazine (614) 458 E Main Columbus, OH 43215 1554 Polaris PkwaySt., #325, Columbus, OH 43240 Office:(614) (614)488-4400 488-4400||Fax: Fax:(614) (614)488-4402 488-4402 Office: Email submissions to: editor@614now.com Email submissions to: editor@614now.com www.614now.com www.614now.com ©Copyright 2026 by Lewis & Clark Media LLC. Reproduction of any content, in whole or in part, without written consent of publisher is strictly prohibited. 614 (614)Magazine Magazineis is notresponsible not responsible for for return return of unsolicited of unsolicited materials, materials, manuscripts, manuscripts, or photographs. or photographs. "614 (614) Magazine" Magazineis ais registered a registeredTrademark Trademarkof ofLewis Lewis& Clark & ClarkMedia, Media,LLCLLC

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

POV:

you found

your home and everything feels easier

livepr eßerr eÎ.com

� S TA F F P I C K S Spooky season has arrived in Central Ohio, we asked 614 staff if they believe in ghosts. Here’s what they said:

I have always believed in ghosts! There are several very haunted places in Columbus that I avoid…

I grew up across the street from Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville (an old haunted tuberculosis hospital) and saw Ghost Hunters come almost annually to film an episode around Halloween… but sadly no amount of suspicious noises in an abandoned building can make me believe. —Andrew Thomas, Creative Director

—Mary McCarthy, Associate Editor

I do believe in lingering spirits~ While I myself have never experienced the paranormal, my mother tells a story of how my uncle was once drawn into the woods by La Llorona! My grandfather had to run out and save him.

I do believe in ghosts and I’m a big fan of the thought of them. However, I have not had any experiences that really make me think I have had any run-ins with them! —Abby Nocera, Creative Designer

—Leah Ronski, Creative Designer

I’ve heard stories from friends and family that make me want to believe, but never had any spooky experiences myself. —Anna Gerhard, Senior Account Executive

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

ON t h e W E B

Columbus.FunnyBone.com

Every day we’re posting Columbus’ top news, entertainment, and sports stories from throughout Central Ohio. Check out all the Columbus news online, including the new ones below, at 614now.com and subscribe to our daily email!

Visit our site to see the entire lineup of shows!

CATEGORY

YouTuber calls Columbus eatery ‘best sandwich shop in America’

Grandview Heights to elect first Dog Mayor

Traveling from New York to Columbus, YouTuber Rob Martinez has determined a local sandwich shop, Wario’s Beef and Pork to be the “best in America.” To prove it, Martinez produced a 13-minute video to document Wario’s behind-the-scenes success.

Grandview Heights is stirring up its pawlitics. The city has teamed up with local dog bar and park The Wag in search of its first ever Dog Mayor. Five finalists from the furriest mayoral candidates will campaign until the official Dog Mayor ceremony held on October 9.

EVE N TS C A L E N DA R From sipping local brews and celebrating Italian culture to live music and Halloween fun, October is packed with events to enjoy around Columbus. OCT

9 -1 1 OCT

17 OCT

2 2-31 OCT

2 4-25

The Columbus Italian Festival St. John the Baptist Italian Church $12 - $25

Twenty One Pilots Ohio Stadium $120 - $200

The Rocky Horror Show Short North Stage $25 - $80

Boo at the Zoo The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Admission varies

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

By Laura Jones Photos by Sumner Howells Story Design by Julie Friedman

BUILT DIFFERENT Meet the mad scientist of Columbus guitar customization, the “Pickguardian” Tony Dudzik

f you think people spend a lot of money on their pets, just wait until you talk to a guitar player. Many players love to customize, obsess, and tinker—ruminating not only on the perfect sound, but also look for their instrument. No one knows this more than Tony Dudzik, or, as he’s known through his online shop, the Pickguardian. Since the early ‘90s, Dudzik has replaced pickguards, the laminated material protecting the guitar from scratches. He churns out an astounding 30–35 per week for players as far away as Australia and as local as Columbus. As a guitar player since childhood, he comes by the work naturally. “I always customized any guitar I had,” he said. “I took them apart, put them together, and changed pickups. One of the things I always had trouble with was finding pickguards that actually fit right or worked with different pickups or controls.” He created an online store which steadily grew, and in 2013 he went full-time. He now operates out of a three-room shop on Tibet Road.

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

Visit him there, and you’ll catch his vibe. The shop’s aesthetic is rock ‘n’ roll meets mad scientist. There’s a velvet painting of Elvis hanging by the toilet. Beatlemania litters the front room. In the work space, mounds of plastic every shape, size, and color cover the floor. If you want it, chances are Dudzik can make it. Or already has. He’s seen it all. From a request for a Precision Bass guard that would accommodate specially installed Strat guitar pickups, to a super short-scale modified to become an octave bass. If none of that makes sense to you, don’t sweat it, Dudzik understands guitar gear better than most. In fact, he and his friends even host a podcast about it called The Guitar Knobs, where they speak endlessly to builders, authors, and demonstrators about one thing and one thing only, gear. “I think most guitar players are looking for that holy grail, whether it be an instrument or amp or effects pedal. They have a sound, but maybe want something just a little bit better. We’re all after that brass ring,” he explained. →

Since the ‘90s, Dudzik has been customizing guitars and creating pickguards for clients near and far

Dudzik works his magic out of a small three-room space on Tibet Road

“I LIKEN IT TO THE HOT ROD WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAND OUT A BIT MORE. SOMETHING NOT JUST STOCK, OR WHATEVER YOU CAN GET FROM THE FACTORY.” Dudzik churns out over 30 custom pickguards weekly

October 3, 2026 – January 3, 2027 Pickguards protect a guitar’s finish from being scratched while being played

CONTEMPORARY QUILTS

OF EXTRAORDINARY INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE

Nancy Crow | curator

Kerri Green

Maren Johnston

Barbara Kanaya

Chriss Johns

TIN

G THE

TU RE

Made possible with support from The Fox Foundation Inc.

T TO

ARS

25 YE

But what about pickguards, which don’t aid in a player’s sound, but rather their look? If pickups and strings are function, the guards are the fashion. “People like to personalize,” he said. “I liken it to the hot rod where people want to stand out a bit more. Something not just stock, or whatever you can get from the factory.” I understand this well. I met Dudzik when I wanted to swap out the “green guard” on my Fender Mustang PJ. The bass was “Firemist Gold,” with an allegedly white guard that, due to a commonly known problem with Fender, was turning a sickly mint. Dudzik not only swapped the guard, he advised on its replacement. A shiny pearl parchment that sparkled under the light. Suddenly, I could exhale. Dudzik understands the deep breath a player takes when they finally actualize the instrument they want. He owns over 50 guitars, which in some circles, is considered a conservative amount. But he still remembers his first fixation. “In the ‘80s, I wanted a George Harrison Rickenbacker 12-string, the 360 he played on Hard Day’s Night. I tried many 12-strings over the years, but they just weren’t quite right.” Luckily, he made an agreement with a friend, and finally acquired his “holy grail.” The thing with guitar players though, is that the quest is never really done. Desire drives, and the search for sound or the perfect look is half the fun. So, flush, round, or beveled edges, vintage or modern, the Pickguardian is here to help us find it, one pickguard at a time. ♦

EC TI

N G T H E CO M M U N I T Y

FREE ADMISSION: Wed–Fri, 11am–4pm • Sat & Sun, 1–4pm 145 E Main St | Lancaster OH | 740-681-1423 | www.decartsohio.org

To learn more, or customize an instrument of your own, visit www.pickguardian.com. 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

The pizza powerhouses behind the Sexton’s brand have launched a brand-new concept focused on thin-crust bar pie, and unrivaled affordability

Uncle Frico’s Vote for Pepperoni pizza with organic red sauce, mozzarella, and local pepperoni →

By David Shaw Photos by Tyler Jamison Story Design by Levi Gaidos

long series of events set in motion by a Dave Portnoy pizza review in 2023 ultimately resulted in the August opening of Uncle Frico’s Pizza, the latest concept from the team behind Sexton’s Pizza. In a departure from the New York-style pies served at the growing pizza empire’s flagship Sexton’s Pizza locations, Uncle Frico’s specializes in bar pies, a triangle-cut spin on the traditional tavern-style variety found throughout Columbus. In 2023, when Portnoy asked his social media followers to suggest a Columbus pizza spot as part of a trip to Ohio to open what was then the Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Columbus, fans of Sexton’s Pizza successfully lobbied for Portnoy to stop at its Hilliard location. Portnoy rated Sexton’s an 8.1, a rating tied for the highest of any reviewed pizza shop in Columbus (and at the time tied for the top score in Ohio) and high enough to spark an absolute run on Sexton’s pizzas. →

Serving up hot and crispy pizza at Uncle Frico’s ↓

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

← Pocket Tots Supreme pizza

“It’s a great location. The people are vibing. The kids love it. So it’s already working.” “It was a quadruple of the business within eight hours,” said Joey Sexton, co-owner and founder of Sexton’s Pizza with brother Jamey. “When I say quadruple, that means no phones, no internet, online’s off, in-person ordering only, so you could really ten times your business, but obviously with quality you have to control it.” The order volume sparked by Portnoy’s rating forced the business to focus time, energy, and oven space on the New York-style pizza sampled during the review, at the expense of bar pies that were also served at that time. Post-Portnoy success never faded, resulting in both progressive expansion into new locations across Columbus and a sustained focus largely on New York-style pies. According to Sexton, the general business plan has always included expanding the Sexton’s Pizza brand across Columbus. Central Columbus is now covered thanks to an opportunity presented by Little Grand Market in Grandview after a previous Harrison West Sexton’s Pizza location was forced to close due to persistent electrical issues. “All we had to do was bring equipment,” said Sexton of the Little Grand Market space. “The place looked clean, the bar looked awesome, they have our beer on tap. It was just a huge collab that we felt was a perfect move and come to find out, it was. That place smashes. It’s doing as much as our standalone place in Gahanna, which is insane.” The success of the Grandview Sexton’s Pizza location

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

opened the company to a similar commercial developmentattached opportunity, this time as part of Rambler Columbus, a student housing complex on Lane Avenue near Ohio State’s main campus. The idea to start a new brand built on ultra-affordable bar pies at this location quickly took hold, and never let go. “It has been two years since we’ve served those [barstyle] pizzas and people still ask about them, my family loves them,” said Sexton. “So when the opportunity came to us to be on campus, I was like, ‘Why don’t we just do those pizzas there and call it Uncle Frico’s?’” Started in a pan, Uncle Frico’s bar pies are slid directly onto the pizza stone for the last minute or two of the bake, resulting in the development of a frico edge, the term used to describe the crispy, caramelized mixture of cheese and dough that rings the pizza when cooked this way. This same type of edge is what gives Detroit-style pizza its unique texture, the dough against the square pan heated in a way to produce the same effect, albeit oriented vertically. The dough used in Uncle Frico’s pizzas is the same dough used at all Sexton’s Pizza locations, sourced out of a centrally located dough commissary that allows Sexton’s to tightly monitor quality and efficiently distribute it. Because of the easier-to-make frico style and efficient build-out of the Sexton’s Pizza production process, Uncle Frico’s is able to offer a $10 price point on cheese pizza, particularly appealing to the student community surrounding it. →

↑ Sexton’s and Uncle Frico’s owners, Jamey Sexton (left) and Joey Sexton

↓ BBQ Chicken pizza

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

↑ Uncle Frico’s serves up dishes besides their iconic pizza, like buffalo chicken dip served with housemade tortilla chips

“Same dough, same ingredients, same owners. It’s all the same quality.” “I don’t even think you can buy a coffee anymore for $10,” said Sexton. “We wanted to offer something that was quality but just easier to make, so we could actually make it cheaper.” Uncle Frico’s customers are able to dine in or grab and go from a dedicated carryout window. The restaurant’s menu reaches a bit beyond Napoleon Dynamite-themed pizza styles (like Vote for Pepperoni, or the concept’s name as a play on Uncle Rico) into wings, fried ravioli, and, yes, tater tots. According to Sexton, early business results are strong, potentially foreshadowing a similar everycorner-of-Columbus expansion plan for the Uncle Frico’s brand if all goes well. “It’s already taking off, which we’re just very fortunate to be in that situation, to be able to open something and it works,” said Sexton. “It’s a great location. The people are vibing. The kids love it. So it’s already working.” ♦

Try a crispy frico-edged slice for yourself at Uncle Frico’s Pizza located at 222 W. Lane Avenue open Wednesday through Sunday.

↑ Near OSU’s campus, Uncle Frico’s offers an affordable menu for everyone

Set Your Young Saver Up For Success.

BMI

Open a Savings account for a youth age 0-17, using promo code YC26, and we'll give your young saver a boost by depositing a $100 cash bonus+ into a Youth Certificate! Whether you’re their mom, dad, aunt, uncle, or grandparent, give them the boost they deserve.

www.bmifcu.org/youth100 *Enter promo code YC26 when opening a savings account online or in person for a youth age 0-17, and deposit a minimum balance of $5. Existing BMI FCU members are not eligible. A parent or legal guardian is required on youth accounts. Rates as of 08/31/26 are as follows: Savings rate is 0.05% Annual Percentage Yield (APY), and Youth Certificate rate is 3.70% APY. Youth Certificate requires a minimum balance of $50 to earn interest. Rates are subject to change without notice. Fees such as a penalty for early withdrawal may reduce earnings. Cash bonus of $100 will be deposited into a youth certificate for the same new youth member within 10 business days after savings account opening. Youth Certificate must remain open for a minimum of 12 months or the bonus will be debited from the account at closing. Cash bonus may be considered income and reported on 1099-MISC or 1099-INT. Membership eligibility and account requirements apply. BMI FCU is open to everyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Franklin, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Madison, Union, Delaware, or Morrow County. This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Additional coverage up to $250,000 provided by Excess Share Insurance Corporation, a licensed insurance company. BMI FCU may amend, suspend, or discontinue this offer at any time without notice. Offer ends December 31, 2026.

By Asia Atuah Photos by Tyler Jamison Story Design by Brooke Stanley

Even More

↑ Annie Dickson’s Clintonville

bakery, Bite This by Annie, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity since the space opened in 2024

Macabre As one of Columbus’ most unique bakeries seeks to expand, Bite This owner Annie Dickson reflects on her own personal struggles, and how they landed her where she is today

very successful business has strong bones. Yet, most don’t display them out front. Cruising down North High Street, you might do a double take at the 12-foot skeleton perched outside a small storefront. That’s Gerald. And not unlike Halloweentown’s sentient skeleton cab driver, Benny, he’s your greeter as you’re transported into a realm of year-round spook. Instead of the mystical world of non-mortals, you’re entering Bite This by Annie, the Clintonville bakery emanating an alt-gothic aura. When you first walk in the modest 670-square-foot space, music is blaring, and the Halloween influence is unmissable, rife with witches, broomsticks, ghosts, and pumpkins. Heavy metal, Noah Kahan, Phantom of the Opera—they all have their place on the playlist. Visually, it’s all black everything, with cobwebs on the ceilings and every square inch of wall carefully curated with local alt art and signed band paraphernalia. Buoyed by a wave of popularity that hasn’t noticeably settled since her opening in 2024, Dickson is working toward a Bite This expansion that would quadruple the Clintonville storefront. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, and Dickson is currently in the fundraising stages, but the new space would bring even more of Columbus’ most unique bakery to a brand that often sports lines—quite literally—around the block. “I want to be in a bigger space, as soon as I can be. I want to create a space for the community so that people can come and sit and then, relax and spend time with us, and just enjoy our space that we’ve created. We’re kind of working behind the scenes right now a lot,” she said. →

Bite This features a rotating monthly menu of specialty muffins ↓

← Lorem ipsum dololr sit

caption and such lorem ipsum 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

Butterfly Business Heroes Make a Difference Support Nationwide Children’s this season.

Butterfly Hero Partner, Velvet Ice Cream

To learn more, scan the QR code.

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

Bite This was started somewhat by accident, according to Dickson. After years of sharing baked goods with family and friends, their encouragement— and posting her creations online—landed the bakery concept on the map. She started out selling at farmers markets, before moving into the current bakery space . And speaking of the internet, Bite This boasts over 255K followers across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, viewers may have found themselves hooked by the bakery’s atmosphere or its creative baked goods, which certainly follow the theme. “I am known for taking nostalgic comfort foods and making them with almost a Tim Burton-like twist,” Dickson said. Case in point, her popular round bagel and biscuit bombs, which have now assumed a final form: The Reapers. These “grown-up, gourmet Hot Pockets” are skull-shaped savory pastries stuffed with all types of fillings. Sausage, egg, and cheese, butter chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, to name a few. The bakery is also well known for its brownies, cookies, and Pub Grub, an in-house snack blend similar to Chex Mix, only a lot more fun. The menu rotates monthly, sometimes weekly, and decorations on Dickson’s treats often include skulls, bats, edible blood splatters, and cobwebs. Among the cycling menu and rotating flavor beats, what remains a constant at Bite This is its authentic and wholly accepting environment. Dickson shared how the space is essentially a love letter to the macabre—art, tattoos, music, and all things her teenage self could never fully embrace growing up in the South. “I was the little emo kid in a sea of little preppy kids that didn’t understand me,” she laughed. “I was definitely the black sheep. I was the odd one out, and I never had that place where I could just go and be myself.” The bakery’s clientele is varied, Dickson said. Young and old, emo-heavy and not. Coming as they are is what Dickson wants from her customers. After all, at the end of the day, they all share the same moniker: Creeps. →

↑ The menu rotates monthly

(sometimes weekly), so there is always something new to try at Bite This

Zoe’s Raspberry Coconut Fat Boi ↓

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

“Please come and see me and be authentically who you are. I don’t care if you wear Vineyard Vines and listen to Taylor Swift all day, or you’re only into death metal. I don’t care. This is a space where everybody can come and be themselves, and be accepted and loved for that,” she said. Perhaps just as impactful as opening the bakery is Dickson’s major milestone of being over four years sober, since July 2022. Dickson has very openly shared her struggle with alcoholism and addiction online. A habit formed over five to six years spiraled as time went on, and a vicious cycle of drinking and blacking out came to a head when her husband shared his fear for her life. That was a wake-up call, and shortly after Bite This grew in popularity, Dickson made a choice and never looked back. “Since then, I have kind of just made it my mission to be really open about that journey and share how it has changed my life, and how I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made that decision. I definitely would not have made it for another four years,” she said.

↑ Bite This’ small Clintonville storefront is lined with macabre tokens and regularly blasting death metal music

Bonfire Brownie ↓

Being sober, Dickson said, has also given her mental clarity as she trucks forward in her business. It, for example, informs how she handles conflict resolution. “I don’t want to come into my space and feel toxicity or stress, because that’s a trigger for me. I used to just grab a bottle anytime I felt stressed, and I had to figure out new ways to cope with those feelings,” she reflected. “So it greatly impacts how we do things at Bite This, and it’s become how I lead.” Dickson shared how fond she is of the special bond she’s nurtured with her customers. One-on-one conversations and comforting, personable interactions are the norm at Bite This, and above all, she’s fueled by the positive impact she has on their lives. “I get messages all the time about somebody’s been struggling with their mental health and they saw my story and, you know, I saved their life, or, ‘You made me decide to go to rehab,’ or whatever it may be. Those are the moments, for me, that are really like, ‘OK, I’m doing something here,’” she said. “This is what makes it special. This is what it’s all about.” ♦ Grab your own Bagel Bomb or Pub Grub at Bite This, which is located at 3009 N. HIgh St. in Clintonville. 30

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

FAMILY-OWNED SINCE 1934

NATIONAL

MONTH

1,000 REBATE

UP TO

ON SELECT KARASTAN PRODUCTS

SHOP IN-STORE OR SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE AT

www.riterug.com

*see showroom or sales representative for details

BUCK EYES& BEER An in-depth pairing of each Ohio State football game with the perfect local beer companion By Jack McLaughlin Photos courtesy of breweries Story Design by Leah Ronski

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

olumbus is a football town, just like Columbus is a craft beer town. Sure, the two overlap all the time, but never this intentionally. As an ode to the Buckeyes and the Arch City’s bevy of great beer, we’ve put together a game-by-game guide that pairs one local craft beer with every remaining game on the Buckeyes’ 2026 schedule. Cheers! →

10/3 @Iowa SkuLL Session: Vienna Lager Land-Grant Brewing Co.

Something festive is in order for the first conference away game of the season, and this Buckeyes-themed lager from Land-Grant is perfect to get you going. At right around 5.5% ABV, this lighter brew is ideal for day drinking when it’s still hot outside, while still feeling definitively autumnal.

10/10 VS. Maryland East Coast/Hazy IPA Parsons North Brewing Co.

Exactly how the Big Ten is able to span from Maryland to Southern California doesn’t really make sense, but we’re not complaining, because it’s football season. We’ll give a nod to conference-mates along the Atlantic here, with an IPA that— with the addition of oats—is low on bitterness but high on dryhopped aroma and fruity flavor.

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

10/17 @Indiana Corbin’s Revenge IPA: RYE IPA Temperance Row Brewing Co.

If the Buckeyes hadn’t lost to Indiana in the Big Ten title game last season, would that have impacted how they performed later in the College Football Playoff, where they went one-and-done against Miami? Who knows. Either way, OSU will be out for blood in Bloomington this year. Fittingly, we’ve paired this contest with a revengethemed IPA with some spice from added rye, plus oldschool piney and earthy hops.

10/31 @USC Dank Charmer: Terpene IPA Columbus Brewing Co.

If they remained legal for taprooms to sell in Ohio, we would’ve included a THC seltzer here, but since those laws seem to be changing every week or so, one of CBC’s terpene IPAs will do. These beers do not contain THC, but instead are infused with terpene extracts from cannabis to boost the brew’s “dank” flavor and aroma, and for our purposes, nod to California’s robust history with the whacky tobacky, the first state to allow medical cannabis in 1996.

11/7 vs. Oregon Bodhi: Double IPA Columbus Brewing Co.

Big and bold with West Coast roots could describe OSU’s opponent in Oregon just as well as it could describe this classic Columbus IPA. Bodhi, an 8.3% ABV double West Coast IPA from Columbus Brewing Co. Coming into the season as a Top 10 team, Oregon is no slouch. On the chance the Ducks pull an upset, having a beer this strong on hand might be a good thing.

11/21 @Nebraska Daybreak: Coffee Vanilla Cream Ale Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Co.

This award-winning Wolf’s Ridge Brew might not seem like an obvious choice until you peel back the curtain to learn corn is one of several ingredients used to create a smooth mouthfeel. The brewery notes Daybreak starts with a “pre-prohibition style Cream Ale with barley and corn for a smooth, crisp, clean sipper.” When you’re playing the Cornhuskers—and doing so in Nebraska— the decision is obvious.

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

11/14 vs. Northwestern Purple Pils: Czech Pilsner Forbidden Root

Not only is this 5.1% ABV easy-sipper purple like the Wildcats, it’s brewed by the Chicago-based beer maker (with an Easton taproom), Forbidden Root. The brewery is known for adding botanicals—this one packing lotus root, chamomile, and jasmine—which feels about right considering Northwestern’s status as a prestigious academic university.

Nov. 28: Michigan Dark Apparition: Imperial Stout Jackie O’s Brewery

Let’s get one thing clear, we have unlimited faith that the Buckeyes will beat the Team Up North this year. But it’s never bad to have a backup plan. Just in case the Wolverines find a way to escape Columbus with a win, this 10.5% ABV stout will make sure you wipe the rest of the day from your memory.

Dark Apparition, a Russian imperial stout with sweet, roasted notes, boasts a whopping 10.5% ABV ↓

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 19-24 eat614.com

Find Your Perfect Pairing 17 ARROWS CRAFT KITCHEN + BAR AGAVE & RYE BAREBURGER BEER BARREL BELLAWOOD FARM BLACK SWAN BAR & GRILL BRU BURGER CLUSTERTRUCK CUT 132 ETHYL & TANK FADO IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT FLIPSIDE FORBIDDEN ROOT FOURTH STREET TAPROOM & KITCHEN FYR GALLO’S PIZZA KITCHEN & BAR GRANDVIEW CAFE HANGRY CITY GRILLE & SPIRITSV HUBBARD GRILLE INDIA OAK JOHNNIE’S TAVERN

PRESENTED BY:

LINCOLN SOCIAL MACKENZIE RIVER MATT & TONY’S SERVICE BAR MTM TAVERN STEAKHOUSE PARLAY SPORTING CLUB + KITCHEN PAT & GRACIE’S PBR COWBOY BAR + SMOKEHOUSE RAIL CRAFT KITCHEN & BAR RITZY’S RUSTY BUCKET SMASH SHACK BURGER CO. SOCAL SOW PLATED SOW TO GO THE SPORTSBOOK AT HOLLYWOOD CASINO TUPELO HONEY UNDERSTORY WOLF’S RIDGE AT WORTHINGTON INN WOLF’S RIDGE BREWING WORLD OF BEER

BENEFITING:

By John M. Clark Section Design by Andrew Thomas Illustrations by Bitsy Voce

olumbus has no shortage of stories that are difficult to explain. Someone vanishes without a trace, a killer disappears into the crowd, a strange object crosses the sky… something goes bump in the night. Over the years, the region has been home to baffling disappearances, brutal murders, strange sightings, and other mysteries that have left people searching for answers long after the headlines faded. This month, we’re gathering around a metaphorical campfire to revisit some of Central Ohio’s most perplexing unsolved mysteries. There are clues that never quite added up, suspects who were never brought to justice, and families who have spent decades wondering what happened to the people they loved. From multiple open murders and those who vanished without a trace, to unexplainable airships and the perplexing story of a replica sailing vessel left to rot, here are the unsolved cases Columbus still can’t shake. → 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

↑ Eubanks, a talented painter, is still on the loose after escaping prison in the 1970s

KILLER ON THE LOOSE Incarcerated for the murder of a 14-year-old Mansfield girl, Lester Eubanks escaped prison in 1973, and was never seen again

t was March 1972. Lester Eubanks sat on the side of his bed, balancing a canvas on his lap. Dipping his brush in oil paints, the self-taught artist applied finishing touches to one of his favorite works—a portrait collage of Angela Davis, the California civil rights activist. Because of his creative skills, Eubanks became well-known in his new home—on Death Row of the Ohio State Penitentiary in Downtown Columbus. The 30-year-old Mansfield native had

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

been behind bars for six years, ever since being accused, and then convicted, of brutally assaulting and murdering a 14-yearold girl in his hometown. To fight boredom and to take his mind off the nearby electric chair, Eubanks had returned to a hobby he first adopted as a child. The story goes that the prison artist sold one of his works for $300. If so, that money may have figured into one of the penitentiary’s most notorious escapes.

A booking photo of Lester Eubanks ↓

Where Columbus

Celebrates Together.

FOR EVERY REASON TO GATHER. PRIVATE DINING • HOLIDAY EVENTS CLIENT DINNERS • TEAM OUTINGS BIRTHDAYS • MILESTONE MOMENTS In 1968, Governor Jim Rhodes granted Eubanks a stay of execution for psychiatric tests to determine if he was sane. The Ohio Supreme Court eventually ordered an indefinite reprieve of his death penalty, and Eubanks was moved into the general prison population. There, he earned membership in the lockup’s Honor Inmate Program, in which prisoners who had kept their noses clean were awarded more recreation time, better jobs, and even trips outside prison walls. In late 1973, a guard loaded Eubanks and three other “honor inmates” into a prison van and took them Christmas shopping at Great Southern Shopping Center on South High Street. There, they split up after being told where and when to meet the guard again. While the others kept their word to return, Eubanks did not. And authorities have not seen him since. The convicted felon was believed to have been met at the shopping center by friends, who drove him to the Detroit area. Tips began coming in that Eubanks was working in Alabama, then living in California with a cousin’s ex-wife and painting new works under the assumed name, Victor Young. Over the years, police and the U.S. Marshals Service have received hundreds of tips, wiretapped conversations of Eubanks speaking on the phone with his father, and photos of people who are believed to have associated with him. He’s even said to have returned to Ohio three times in recent years, to attend the funerals of family members. Authorities believe Eubanks is still alive, and they occasionally publish “age progression” photos to show what he may look like. Still, 52 years after the notorious child killer went missing from that ill-advised Christmas shopping trip, he remains on the loose.

SPACES FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES

FOOD & DRINK OPTIONS

EXCEPTIONAL SPACES & HOSPITALITY

PERFECT FOR ANY OCCASION

MANY TASTES & EXPERIENCES UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

ORANGE UMBRELLA RESTAURANTS

LOCAL CANTINA • BENDI WOK N BAR THE ROSSI KITCHEN + BAR • LOCAL BAR SOUTH VILLAGE GRILLE • MID CITY GARAGE LIBERTY TAVERN • THE GO GO BOOK YOUR EVENT TODAY AT ANY ORANGE UMBRELLA RESTAURANTS LOCATION ORANGEUMBRELLARESTAURANTS.COM/EVENTS

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

THE COLUMBUS POLTERGEIST Flying phone and flickering lights: The true story of Tina Resch and the paranormal events that followed her

ights flashed off and on; a bathtub faucet began pouring water; candles flew out of their holders. That’s the reality John and Joan Resch of North Columbus faced 12 years after choosing to foster a two year-old girl. Little Tina seemed normal enough in 1972. She transitioned well into her new home. She adored her foster father. And there were plenty of siblings to play with. But she grew troubled, was socially awkward and also accident-prone. And there were rumors of abuse by the Resches. When Tina was 12, she told Joan that an older boy in the home had molested her. Joan called her a liar. Relations between Tina and her foster parents turned icy. Tina became angry and frustrated. Then at 14, Tina began exhibiting unexplained behavior. She could tell strangers facts about their lives she shouldn’t

↑ A 1984 photo depicts Resch in an armchair while a telephone, allegedly compelled by paranormal forces, flies across her lap

have known. She could tell who was at their door before the door opened. As strange as this was, it couldn’t compare to the events of early March 1984. It was a Saturday morning, and Tina went to the family room to watch cartoons with her siblings. When she entered, the TV began changing channels; its volume soared and it began to switch off and on by itself, as did lamps in the room. The door to the clothes dryer slammed shut on its own and the dryer started spinning. Joan and the rest of the kids were more startled than frightened. After all, there had to be a logical explanation. When John came home and Joan told him what had been happening, he assumed Tina was pulling tricks on them. But then, he witnessed things for himself—with Tina right by his side.

John called over electricians who checked the home’s panel and entire circuitry. They were watching the very same lights flash off and on and then heard the screeching on the telephone line. Not being able to help, they left. Perhaps there was something otherworldly going on. John and Joan asked their church pastor to come over. All was calm, and he blessed every room. But when he was invited to sit for a few minutes, the sofa he walked to had moved from the wall. The pastor walked out. Over the next few days, friends and relatives came and left, and they all witnessed the same thing. Joan remembered a reporter from The Columbus Dispatch she had met the previous year—Mike Harden. Harden went to the home, and when he began to see things flying through the air, he summoned a photographer. On March 6, the front page of The Dispatch carried Fred Shannon’s photo of Tina sitting in a living room chair, a telephone appearing to fl across her lap. Soon, everyone in town wanted inside the Resch home to see the unexplainable. The couple held a news conference a few days later. But by then, the activities had lessened. Reporters and photographers sat for hours, waiting for something unusual to happen. Joan called Tina aside and told her something had to happen, or they would all be branded as fools. Tina knew what she had to do. And when a photographer glimpsed Tina pushing a lamp over, they all cried “fake” and left. Except for an out-of-town parapsychologist named William Roll. He had been staying with the Resches, trying to understand Tina’s relationship to the bizarre activities. He saw them, too, and believed that deepseated anger within the girl was manifesting itself in paranormal ways. Tina gladly accepted an invitation to return to North Carolina with Roll, so that he could conduct experiments. But the tests proved inconclusive. Tina returned to Columbus, where lights continued to flash and candles continued to fly through the air. But with the press believing now that the whole thing was a hoax, interest in the Resch home quickly died down. Editor’s Note: Tina Resch’s life went from one of amazement to living as a fraud and then to tragedy. Look for coverage of her full story later in life in a future issue of (614) Magazine.

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

EYES IN THE SKY The case of the Sunbury airship sighting in 1897 coincided with similar reports from around the Buckeye State

ith a ferocious storm raging outside his secondfloor office, W. F. Whittier decided the time was right. In addition to being the co-owner of Sunbury, Ohio’s newspaper, he was also an avid photographer. And on the night of April 25, 1897, he set about to capture an image quite rare for the time—a bolt of lightning. Carefully, Whittier set his camera in a nearby window, waited for the next terrific flash, and then “Click!” His timing felt spot-on. Nothing to do now but take the camera home and develop the film the next morning. Imagine Whittier’s shock after rinsing the chemicals from his photo paper and hanging it to dry in his darkroom. Yes, there were the brilliant, jagged edges of a bright, white lightning bolt. But also, right in the middle of the photo, the unmistakable outline of what he called an “airship.”

↑ One sighting of the “airship” described it as a bird-like object that emanated a noise like “distant music”

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO, [THERE WAS] THE UNMISTAKABLE OUTLINE OF WHAT HE CALLED AN “AIRSHIP.” Men had been experimenting with steerable, lighterthan-air, gas-powered vessels since the early 1850s. But the late 1890s will be remembered for nationwide sightings of flying contraptions that had far greater capabilities. Newspapers were filled with first-person accounts by upstanding citizens about strange sights in the night sky. This phenomenon reached Ohio in the spring of 1897. On April 15, a farmer in east-central Ohio traveled to nearby Casstown to tell anyone who would listen what he had witnessed the night before. He claimed he had seen a huge, “bird-like” object hovering slowly in the sky about 150 feet above his hog farm. It had wings and a large tail or rudder, he said, with a noise like “distant music” coming from it. In Westerville, residents observed a strange red light hovering above them for about two hours before “flying against the wind to the East.” John Haywood, a mathematics and natural sciences professor at Otterbein College, watched through a telescope and said the object appeared to be a large, bright red disk. Whittier, the editor and photographer, knew he had captured something special. But newspapers of the time did not have the technology to include photos with their articles. Instead, the enterprising young man made a few dozen copies of his glossy black-and-white image and sold them for a dollar apiece to residents on the street. A Columbus newspaper reporter wrote that he had managed to get one of the photos. His description of the purported airship matched the one offered by Whittier. But by then, accounts of mysterious flying objects had already begun to die down. And unfortunately, copies of the mysterious airship photo disappeared as people turned their attention to other newsworthy events.

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

BARSTOOL MASSACRE Shotgun blasts left three dead at a Columbus bar; More than 40 years later, police don’t have an answer

t was Tuesday, March 9, 1982. A janitor arriving that morning for his cleaning job at Gig’s Bar on East Gay Street witnessed a scene that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He walked through a door that should have been locked and into the scene of a bloody massacre—three people lying dead from what was later learned to be high-powered shotgun blasts. The victims were 21 year-old bartender Joseph “Joe-Joe” Nebel, whose body was splayed across the bar where he had been counting the night’s receipts. 26 year-old barmaid

Will DNA testing lead to a breakthrough for the 1982 triple homicide at Gig’s Bar? ↓

Michelle Granger apparently had just restocked the cooler and was lying beside a stack of beer. 39 year-old Elton Shorter, a McDonald’s executive who stopped by regularly, was spread across two barstools. Most of the money from the cash register sat where Nebel had been counting it. Wallets, purses, and jewelry were untouched. The question wasn’t just “Who?” but also “Why?” Detectives conducted numerous interviews but could find nothing that pointed to a motive. They surmised the shooter must have been someone known to the employees and who was in the bar at the time it closed. Nebel, they learned, would never

have counted money in front of strangers. However, there was a witness. A woman working third shift at the nearby Ohio Bell building had been the victim of car break-ins, so she had parked the night before in front of Gig’s, so she could keep an eye on it from her 14th floor window. She told police it was shortly after 3 a.m. when she saw two men come out of the bar. One stopped to toss something in the back of an orange or red car with a beige vinyl top before they both drove off. Customers told police a regular from the Near East Side was in the bar that night along with a friend from Cleveland he called, “Jim.” From their recollections, it seemed that Jim had arrived in a car that could have been the one described by the phone company employee. Police questioned the Columbus man, who said he had been in the bar that night, but left earlier. They never were able to track down “Jim.” Evidence from the scene, glasses, and a couple of beer bottles, is still under lock and key. And now that DNA testing is readily available, cold case detectives are still hopeful they will yield important clues. But 44 years after one of the city’s most gruesome murders, police say they are prepared for this case—like too many others—to remain unsolved.

CHRISTKINDLMARKT D UBLIN

AUTHENTIC Mexican Restaurant

HAPPY HOUR 4PM - 8PM @casajaliscogrillcantina

5445 Roberts Rd, Hilliard OH

CHRISTKINDLMARKT D UBLIN NOV 21 - DEC 24 | RIVERSIDE CROSSING PARK | DUBLIN, OH

YOUR NEW

HOLIDAY TRADITION STA R T S H E R E

Discover the warmth, Freude (joy) and wonder of a German Christmas market, in Dublin, Ohio.

↑ Gig’s Bar was the site of a still-unsolved triple homicide in 1982

CHRISTKINDLMARKTDUBLIN.COM 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

THE HOSPITAL MURDERS The still-unsolved stabbing deaths of two Columbus hospital lab employees

t was Friday, December 30—the start of a festive weekend that would ring in 1984. Dr. Devi Munjal, a cancer investigator at Riverside Methodist Hospital interrupted her vacation late that afternoon to return to the hospital and collect her mail. What she discovered inside her laboratory would shock the community and lead to an investigation with ties to one of the bloodiest days in FBI history. Munjal found the body of 33-year-old lab employee Joyce McFadden tied up, her mouth covered with tape, and her throat slit. She had been stabbed 19 times. But before police could reach the scene, it was contaminated by the presence of doctors, lawyers, and some say even the hospital president.

↑ Both wedding rings of the murdered lab workers were missing from their bodies when police discovered them

A SWAT team member made the next horrifying discovery— the body of McFadden’s 30-year-old co-worker, Patty Matix, similarly tied, stabbed to death, and stuffed into a small “cold room” used for storing biological samples. The murderer had taken wedding rings from both women and rummaged through desks. Investigators also learned that curiously, about 30 minutes before the bodies were found, an unknown caller phoned the hospital switchboard and asked to have McFadden call the lab. They surmised that Matix had been killed first and that McFadden, who had been visiting the hospital library, was summoned back to her work station so she could be murdered, too.

One of the few pieces of solid evidence was a boot print that appeared to match that of an onsite construction worker. But he was quickly cleared. Budget constraints prevented police from traveling to Pennsylvania to question Matix’s relatives. It was three years after the murders that police finally learned her family despised her husband Bill, saying he often mistreated Patty. Shortly after her death, Bill collected on a $350,000 life insurance policy and moved to Florida with the couple’s infant daughter. In Miami, Matix hooked up with an old army buddy, Michael Platt, and they opened a groundskeeping company. But behind the scenes, police say, the pair murdered people, stole their cars, and robbed armored cars and banks. It was during this time that Platt’s wife also died, supposedly from a self-inflicted shotgun blast. In April 1986, field agents from the FBI began an operation to catch Matix and Platt, who had been seen driving a murder victim’s stolen car. A massive shootout ensued, during which the two suspects continued firing at agents even after sustaining multiple hits themselves. In the end, Matix and Platt lay dead, but not before they had killed two special agents and injured five others. Investigators from Columbus took the position that Matix likely killed his wife and Joyce McFadden at Riverside. But why he would have called for McFadden to return to the lab after killing Patty has never been explained. And officially, 42 years later, the case remains open.

NISSAN/NORTH PRESENTS THE

FAN PACKAGE EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE PERFECT GAME DAY

ADMIT TWO

GAME DAY

11/14/26

GAME OSU VS. NORTHWESTERN

2 TICKETS TO OSU V. NORTHWESTERN 1 NIGHT STAY AT HOTEL LEVEQUE

WINNER

11/6/26

SCAN TO ENTER

BLACKSTONE TABLETOP GRIDDLE DINNER AT BUTCHER & ROSE OHIO STATE REPLICA JERSEY

2027 NISSAN ROGUE HYBRID AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT NISSAN/NORTH

www.NissanOfColumbus.com 8600 N. HIGH STREET, COLUMBUS, OH 43235 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

RUN AGROUND Once on public display Downtown, questions around the fate of Columbus’ full-size replica of the Santa Maria still hang in the air

t’s hard to imagine a more ignominious final chapter in the story of a once-celebrated “star” of the city’s Downtown riverfront. The Santa Maria—a full-sized replica of the sailing ship Christopher Columbus once captained—in pieces and out of public view, rotting away beside a wastewater treatment plant. How did she fall so far? In the late 1980s, the City of Columbus began making big plans to mark the 500th anniversary of the famous voyage made by its namesake explorer. One of the highlights of the 1992 celebration would be the nation’s firstever international flower show, AmeriFlora. Another was the commission of a “permanent” riverfront attraction—a replica of the famous Santa Maria, which Columbus had sailed to the “New World.”

↑ A replica of the Santa Maria stood on display in Downtown Columbus

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

Fall is Here Photo courtesy of Columbus Metropolitan Library

R AMEN SE ASON IS HERE TOO

THE NEW, FLOATING MUSEUM WAS AN INSTANT HIT WITH LOCAL CITIZENS. COLUMBUS LEADERS CALLED IT “AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL” AND A “LIFETIME LEGACY.” $1.5 million was raised through private donations, and a boat building company in Albany, New York, was hired to build the 97-foot-long, three-masted ship. Once completed in 1991, it was separated into pieces, shipped here, and reassembled for display on the east side of the Scioto River, at Battelle Park. The new, floating museum was an instant hit with local citizens. Columbus leaders called it “an inspiration to us all” and a “lifetime legacy.” Over the years, however, visits declined and so did the admission fees needed for the ship’s upkeep. The Santa Maria was given to the city. And when the city made plans 20 years later to revamp the waterfront, the ship had to go. At first, Columbus officials said it would be a temporary removal, with minimal repairs and an eventual return to the river—perhaps near COSI. But estimates for making the Santa Maria ship-shape again soon swelled to more than a million dollars. The same city leaders who had authorized a half-million dollars just to move it to dry dock were in no mood to foot such a bill. So, in 2014, the boat that was once declared “the world’s most authentic, museum-quality representation of the Santa Maria” was taken apart and moved 11 miles south, to a field next to the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lockbourne. There it rests in ten pieces, partially covered in tarps, and rotting away. Not exactly the future that had been envisioned less than 40 years ago.

“Hands down the best Ramen I’ve had in Columbus!” — Rosie REVIEW

FEATURING RAMEN, DONBURI RICE BOWLS & SMALL PLATES IN UPTOWN WESTERVILLE 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

THE COLLEGE LOVER KILLINGS The brutal stabbing deaths of two Ohio college students remain one of Columbus most gruesome, and longest-running, cold cases ever

he murders, in February 1970, were so gruesome they drew comparisons to the Manson family killings just six months earlier. Today, the vicious attacks on two college students near the Ohio State University campus remain one of the city’s oldest cold cases. Mary Petry was a 20-year-old French major at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati. Bill Sproat was a 22-year-old graduate student in French at Ohio State. They had met through a mutual friend a year and a half earlier and bonded over their love for France. Both had studied abroad and wished to live there someday.

On Friday, February 27, Mary caught a ride with friends from Cincinnati to a Holiday Inn in Grove City. From there, Bill was expected to pick her up and take her to his apartment on West 18th Avenue. When Bill didn’t show up, Mary phoned the apartment and told Bill’s roommate, Tom McGuigan, that she would take a cab. By the time Mary got to the apartment, Tom had already left to spend the night with friends. She placed a short phone call to a girlfriend at OSU with whom she had planned to spend the night. Nothing more is known about the couple’s whereabouts until shortly after noon the following day, when Tom returned to find the front door ajar.

The gruesome killing of Mary Petry and Bill Sproat drew comparisons to the 1969 Manson murders ↓

Sproats’ apartment on W. 8th Avenue ↓

Inside, a horrific sight. Bill’s body was found on the bathroom floor, tied with coat hanger wire, which apparently had also been used to strangle him. He had been stabbed in the back almost two dozen times. Mary’s body was on Bill’s bed, nude from the waist down. She was not tied, but hairs matching hers had been found tangled in the wire used to bind Bill. Mary had been assaulted, stabbed repeatedly in the back, and bludgeoned over the head with a nearby bowling ball. A newspaper boy told police he had encountered a man outside the apartment the night before, and that the stranger had told him to “get the hell out of here.” The boy had not seen the man’s face. A young woman who lived a half-block away reported someone trying to force his way into her apartment on the day the bodies were found. But she did not get a good look at him. Police cleared Bill’s roommate and the cab driver. With nothing more to go on, one officer said he doubted the case would ever be solved. And to this date, it has not been. However, interest in the murders was revived by a podcast three years ago. Now, with advanced tools like DNA testing and the use of genealogical databases, there is new hope that whoever brutally killed Mary and Bill will finally be held accountable.

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

One month after withdrawing $40,000 and buying a new car, Hilltop resident Andy Chapman vanished ↓

STILL A MISSING Hilltop resident Andy Chapman’s whereabouts remain a mystery after he vanished in 2006 54

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

few weeks before Andy Chapman went missing, police pulled the 32-year-old man over near Ohio State University and found unprescribed painkillers in his car. The Hilltop resident had struggled with opioid addiction since being hurt in an auto accident about two years earlier. Family members, including sister Aimee Chapman, say they are certain the fifth-degree felony charge that followed is a big reason their loved one is still missing 20 years later—that he was treated as a fleeing criminal rather than a possible crime victim.

The Chapman family’s lives were turned upside down in December 2006 when Judy Rafferty received what she described as an “urgent” call from her son. He wanted her to come to his home on Whitethorne Avenue so he could give her something. But Rafferty, who lived near Zanesville, was sick with the flu and wasn’t able to go. When she made it to his house two days later, her son and his two roommates were gone. Thinking at first that Chapman’s disappearance was related to his addiction, Judy and Aimee waited weeks to tell police, who relatives believe were slow to act. They began investigating the case for themselves and found that Chapman had withdrawn almost $40,000 from his retirement account a month before he went missing. He also had spent about $14,000 of the withdrawal on a new car. Had he wanted to give his mother the rest? The question of what happened to the young man’s car was answered years later when sister Aimee discovered the title had been transferred seven months after her brother’s disappearance to a relative of one of his missing roommates. In the two decades since he went missing, Chapman’s family have worked almost continuously to keep his case in front of the public. In January 2025, they placed billboards with his photo on West Broad Street. That move proved fruitful when State Representative Christine Cockley, also from the Hilltop area, saw one of the billboards on her way to work. Cockley set about to co-sponsor with Representative Kevin Ritter a bill requiring law enforcement to enter missing persons cases into a national database. HB217 passed unanimously in March of this year but awaits a vote in the Senate. That action seemed to reinvigorate sister Aimee and mother Judy, who say no one deserves to be on a “missing persons” list and that they will never give up in the search for their loved one.

↑ Judy Rafferty and her son Andy Chapman 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

THE BODY IN THE RIVER The baffling case of Joey LaBute, who was found dead in the Scioto after he vanished following a Short North bar visit in 2016

en years after the disappearance and murder of a 26-year-old Columbus man, there appears to be renewed interest in the baffling case. Joe LaBute, Sr., told (614) that Netflix is preparing an episode of Unsolved Mysteries about the tragedy surrounding his son, Joey LaBute. And the host of the podcast, Truth & Transparency, has spent hours of interview time dissecting it. But will any solid leads emerge? On a typical Friday night, the younger LaBute would have been home in front of his TV. But on this particular evening, the 26-year-old Gahanna resident had been convinced to have pizza with co-workers in the Short North and then share drinks with family at nearby Union Cafe. It was the last night LaBute’s loved ones would see him alive. March 4, 2016, was the start of a particularly busy weekend in Columbus, one that coincided with the annual Arnold Sports

Joey LaBute’s father believes a mysterious Facebook message he received was likely connected to the death of his son →

Festival, which draws well over 100,000 athletes and spectators to venues in and around the Short North. LaBute, who graduated from Ohio State University in 2011, worked for Morgan Stanley at their Easton offices. By most accounts he was affable, witty, and well-adjusted, despite losing his mother to cancer when he was just nine. After dinner, LaBute walked a short distance to Union Cafe, a large and popular gay bar on North High Street. There, he met a cousin, Stacy Reigle, and her then-husband, Kyle. The three were celebrating the fact that Kyle had recently announced he was gay. The couple would go on to divorce, but remained on good terms. Stacy said she and Kyle mostly stayed in one corner of the packed bar and sipped cocktails while LaBute occasionally danced and chatted with friends and acquaintances he happened to bump into.

Shortly after midnight, Stacy and Kyle lost track of LaBute. Stacy wasn’t feeling well, and she wanted to let him know the two were leaving. But calls and texts went unanswered. Surveillance video would later show LaBute leaving the bar alone at about 12:30 a.m., probably within minutes of Stacy and Kyle’s departure. Two friends recalled getting short phone calls and text messages from LaBute. He told one, “I’m driving.” The other received a curious text— “Jnhstioj.” His car was later found at a nearby apartment complex where he had once lived, and for which he still had a parking sticker. LaBute’s relatives and friends began a frantic search for the missing man on Sunday, March 6. The senior LaBute, who drove from his home in Cincinnati, reported getting mysterious Facebook messages from an unknown man a few days later. But there was no solid evidence about Joey’s whereabouts until three weeks later, when divers pulled his body from the Scioto River near Scioto Audubon Metro Park. The coroner reported no gunshot or stab wounds and no external trauma. And he said it’s likely LaBute died before he entered the water. The official cause of death was listed as “undetermined.” To this day, Joe LaBute, Sr., remains convinced that the mysterious messenger was either the killer or someone who knew the killer. “I believe [he] was trying to glean information on the progress of the case,” LaBute said. “He was not a friend of Joey’s. When he asked, ‘Where are you?,’ that’s when I discontinued the conversation. He is an oddball, to say the least.” Ten years later, police and family say they are no closer to solving LaBute’s death other than to say they all suspect murder. And until someone with more knowledge of the death comes forward, the case— like too many other missing persons investigations—is likely to remain unsolved. 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

↑ In addition to the kidnapping and murder, the house of Out-R-Inn co-owner Martin McNamee was also burned down

THE OUT-R-INN MURDERS How a man dead in a field and another tied to a tree connect to a popular campus bar in this bizarre true crime case

man in black with a sack of tools found murdered in a field; his business partner kidnapped and tied to a tree while a fire consumes his house and the body of another murder victim. It all adds up to one of the strangest crime cases in Columbus history. Robert Gil and Martin McNamee co-owned two popular bars in the 1990s, the Out-R-Inn just off North High Street and Pockets on Kenny Road. On the night of September 25, 1994, Gil left his partner’s Westerville home and was never seen alive again. The next day, Gil’s van was found in a parking lot just off the

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

highway, more than 75 miles east of Columbus. Then on October 1, a Guernsey County farm couple discovered Gil’s body in their pasture, a short distance away. The man was dressed in black from head to toe. With him was a nine-millimeter handgun, along with a knapsack containing a screwdriver and hacksaw. He had been shot once in the head. McNamee had an alibi and was never considered a suspect. But he was awarded half of the $600,000 payout from his partner’s life insurance policy and continued running their two businesses.

MCNAMEE HAD AN ALIBI AND WAS NEVER CONSIDERED A SUSPECT. BUT HE WAS AWARDED HALF OF THE $600,000 PAYOUT FROM HIS PARTNER’S LIFE INSURANCE POLICY AND CONTINUED RUNNING THEIR TWO BUSINESSES. Fast-forward 10 months. As McNamee later told police, he was kidnapped as he was leaving the Out-R-Inn on the night of August 18, 1995. He said he gave a ride to Monroe Leggett, a High Street panhandler who occasionally did work for the bar owner. When they reached the OSU campus, Leggett insisted on picking up a hitchhiker he called Carl. Leggett and Carl allegedly robbed McNamee at gunpoint and then forced him to take the two to his Westerville home, where he gave them $5,000 from a safe. From there, the two kidnappers drove McNamee in his own Jeep to a wooded area and tied him to a tree. He eventually got loose, made his way to the nearest road, and flagged down two women. It turns out that while McNamee was tied to the tree, someone was burning his house down. But that wasn’t the strangest part. His Jeep was found in his driveway, with the keys in the ignition. And several days later, human remains were found in the burned-out basement— identified as those of Leggett, who had been stabbed to death prior to the fire. McNamee insisted he knew nothing about the fire or the body, and he wasn’t charged. Still, it wasn’t the end of McNamee’s troubles. Ten years later, in August 2005, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion by skimming profits at his bars and was later sentenced to three years in prison. To this day, the murders of Robert Gil and Monroe Leggett remain unsolved.

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

“We used to watch companies leave. Then Meta helped kickstart the Silicon Heartland.” Chris

President and CEO, OhioX

Stephanie

CEO, The Dawes Arboretum

Jeremy

Operations Manager New Albany Data Center

Investing more than $1.5 billion in Central Ohio. Meta’s investment in New Albany goes beyond the data center. It helps support small businesses, schools and nonprofits across the community. Part of a nearly decade-long partnership that continues to thrive.

We don’t just build here. We invest here. meta.com/BuildingOhio

Trent Vogelhuber, the first Central Ohio native drafted into the NHL, is returning home as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets

H O M E

I C E

By Alex Lewis Photos by Kristen Davis Story Design by Julie Friedman

rent Vogelhuber soaks up as much of his summers as he can. The 38-year-old father of two walks his kids to school, plays soccer in the backyard with them after work, and enjoys family dinners. But for the new assistant coach of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, who was hired in June 2026, this summer is different than the ones before. Vogelhuber returns home to Columbus where his hockey career began and takes on his first NHL coaching job after eight years on staff with the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. This move feels destined for Vogelhuber, who became the first Central Ohio player drafted to the NHL when the Blue Jackets selected him 211th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft, which just so happened to be held at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena. “When you’re doing something that you love, you want to get to the highest level,” described Vogelhuber from his new office at the Blue Jackets’ practice facility. He looks at the NHL as the highest level in the world. During his last four years as the Monsters’ head coach, Vogelhuber led them to a successful 145-108-35 record and three consecutive playoff appearances after his first year. But he never lost sight of the Blue Jackets. “If you were to ask me in Cleveland what team I would want to coach for, it would have been Columbus,” said Vogelhuber with a boyish grin. He added, “Coaching in the NHL—coaching for Columbus—is a dream come true.” Even beyond the new title, there is plenty for Vogelhuber to be excited about. The Dublin, Ohio native is welcomed to Columbus by a committee of family and friends—many of whom he has gotten to see during his first few weeks back home. →

Photo courtesy of the Columbus Blue Jackets

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

While Trent and his wife, Kathleen, have chosen to put down roots in Grandview Heights, Vogelhuber looks fondly on his upbringing in Dublin, describing summers spent playing street hockey and biking to friends’ houses all over town. Both Trent and Kathleen’s parents still live there, along with Trent’s grandparents. Outside of their immediate family, Vogelhuber describes a web of supportive cousins, aunts, and uncles who also call Columbus home—in addition to families they were friends with back before they moved to Cleveland. “The network that we’ve been able to come back into seamlessly has been incredible,” shared Vogelhuber. He later added, “Picking back up into our old life with some of those old friendships and relationships has been amazing.” During his first press conference after joining the Blue Jackets’ coaching staff, he called himself an “investor of people.” He shakes this off as a little “tagline-ish” when we speak weeks later, but he doubles down on the sentiment: “That’s what I love to do.” “I’m a social guy,” he noted. “I like to be around people.” Later in our conversation, he expanded on this, confessing that he hates to be alone. “I couldn’t live alone. I couldn’t work alone. I like to be with people in a team setting trying to accomplish something bigger than ourselves.” He continued, “When you’re doing that as a coach, players can feel if that’s real or not. You really have to care about other people as much as yourself.”

“I LIKE TO BE WITH PEOPLE IN A TEAM SETTING TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING BIGGER THAN OURSELVES.”

Vogelhuber was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in June

As the Blue Jackets embark on a new season under the leadership of head coach Rick Bowness, who joined the team in January 2026, Vogelhuber hopes to bring this team-first mindset and an ethic of genuine care to his hometown club. “The last thing I want this to be about is me because I’m from Columbus,” flagged Vogelhuber about this story. Pointing at the locker room, he stresses, “It’s about the guys in there and helping in any way I can.” At this point in Vogelhuber’s career, he feels more prepared than ever to take on this responsibility. “I’m confident in my ability to help these guys be the best that they can be and win hockey games,” the former Miami University RedHawk declared. “Trying to jump to the NHL five years ago wouldn’t have been a good thing for me even though it’s a dream.” Vogelhuber continued, “The organization and I both feel that this time is right for both of us. I’m confident and ready now.” As whispers circulate of Vogelhuber being Bowness’ likely successor when the 71-year-old retires, the new assistant seems to tune it all out. No matter what his future looks like, Vogelhuber reaches for a tried and true aphorism: “Bloom where you’re planted.” He reminds himself, “The way to get to where you want to go in the grand scheme of things is to be where you are.” That is what Vogelhuber plans to do, at least for the next couple hours after our interview until he heads to pick up his kids from school. “I’m a dad first now,” he explains about his current season of life balancing coaching and fatherhood. “The time you have when your kids are young, that’s valuable. That’s the best thing in the world,” said Vogelhuber. “Trying to make sure I’m doing both can be tough some days. But I feel like I’m in a decent spot now after eight years of coaching and finding my groove.” ♦ To learn more about the Blue Jackets upcoming season, visit www.nhl.com/bluejackets.

Care that feels familiar, even if the face is new. You might not notice how closely we coordinate — and that’s the point. Your care always feels the same, no matter who you see.

Primary care in Worthington 55 Dillmont Drive MedOneHP.com

614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Book an appointment

(614) MAGAZINE

BEYOND THE STOREFRONTS:

25 Years of Polaris Fashion Place Milestones, memories, and what’s next for Central Ohio’s gathering place By Mary McCarthy | Photos courtesy of Polaris Fashion Place/Dave DeCamp

wenty-five years ago, Polaris Fashion Place opened its doors as a shopping destination for the growing communities of northern Columbus. A quarter-century later, it’s so much more than a shopping destination. What started as a traditional enclosed shopping center has stretched and grown alongside Central Ohio, providing new spaces for entertainment, dining, socializing, and so much more. We sat down with Tamra Bower, General Manager of Polaris Fashion Place, to discuss the milestones that shaped the last 25 years, and what she’s most grateful for as the mall looks to the future. Reflecting on what stands out from the last quarter-century, two projects came to mind. “One of the most exciting moments in Polaris Fashion Place’s history was the introduction of our Lifestyle Center, which expanded the property beyond a traditional enclosed mall and created an even more vibrant destination for shopping, dining, and gathering,” Bower said. The addition of FieldhouseUSA marked another turning

point—one that had less to do with retail and more to do with people. “Another milestone was the addition of FieldhouseUSA, which further strengthened our role as a community hub by bringing families, athletes, and visitors together in a new way,” she said. “These transformational projects reflect our ongoing commitment to evolving alongside the needs and interests of Central Ohio.” That willingness to evolve shows up again when Bower reflected on what keeps shoppers coming back, even as the retail landscape shifts nationwide. “At our core, Polaris Fashion Place is about more than transactions,” she said. “We continue to bring together a mix of retail, dining, entertainment, and experiences that give people reasons to visit beyond shopping alone. As consumer preferences have evolved, we’ve evolved right alongside them, creating an environment where people can connect with friends and family, discover new brands, enjoy a great meal, or simply spend time together. That sense of experience and community keeps people coming back.”

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

“Being part of Central Ohio for the past 25 years is incredibly meaningful because Polaris Fashion Place has consistently served as a gathering place for the community.” That evolution will continue under the new ownership group, O’Connor Capital Partners, which took over operations in 2025. They will continue to invest in the tenants, physical infrastructure, and spirit of Polaris Fashion Place. Walk through Polaris on any given day and you’ll see customers from all walks of Central Ohio—grandparents pushing strollers, teenagers discovering their style together, parents grabbing dinner after a long week. Bower said, “Families return because Polaris offers something for everyone. Parents, grandparents, teenagers, and young children can all find ways to enjoy their time here. Beyond our retail offerings, we’ve created a welcoming, safe environment where families can gather, make memories, and spend quality time together. That combination of convenience, variety, and comfort has helped make Polaris a destination families trust and enjoy year after year.” It’s a theme Bower returned to when asked what being part of Central Ohio for 25 years actually means to her. “Being part of Central Ohio for the past 25 years is incredibly meaningful because Polaris Fashion Place has consistently served as a gathering place for the community,” she said. “We’ve had the privilege of being part of countless family traditions, celebrations, and everyday moments. Whether visitors are shopping for something that helps them express their personal style, meeting friends for dinner, or attending a community event, we’ve been honored to provide a place where people come together.”

When asked what she’s most proud of after 25 years, Bower doesn’t point to a single project or a number. “What makes me most proud is that Polaris Fashion Place has become a trusted gathering place for families and the broader community,” she said. “Creating a welcoming, safe environment where people can spend time together, celebrate milestones, and create lasting memories is incredibly rewarding. The role we’ve played in bringing people together over the past 25 years is something we value deeply.” As for what comes next, Bower is optimistic—even if she can’t predict exactly what the next 25 years will bring for retail. “The future is incredibly exciting,” she said. “We hope to continue evolving alongside our community by embracing new ideas, experiences, and opportunities that reflect changing lifestyles and preferences. Our goal is to remain a place where people want to gather, explore, and connect. Change creates opportunity, and we’re excited to see how Polaris Fashion Place continues to grow and serve Central Ohio in the decades ahead.” Twenty-five years in, Polaris Fashion Place is still doing what it set out to do in the beginning—giving Central Ohio a place to show up for each other. Follow Polaris Fashion Place on their social media channels @PolarisFashionPlace and visit the mall at 1500 Polaris Pkwy.

They Might Be

A look behind the scenes at how record holder for the state’s largest pumpkin, Jared Persinger, cultivates 2,500-plus pounders

By Amy Campbell Photos by Hannah Anthony Story Design by Brooke Stanley

ared Persinger is a fifth-generation farmer who, along with his father, John, does all the farm things: getting a total of 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat through their growing seasons, maintaining a herd of 20-plus cows, and running the farm’s autumn attraction, South Plymouth Pumpkins. But giant pumpkins? That was where he drew the line. “A friend mentioned it to me and I waved it off,” Persinger said, “I thought it was dumb.” He had just accumulated a lot of pumpkingrowing knowledge, though, establishing the farm’s pumpkin patch in 2022. He’d already discovered that vine borers and cucumber beetles are a pumpkin grower’s “arch enemies,” and that once they show up, they just keep coming. So, he did some reading on the subject. “I was like, this might be fun, to see how heavy I can get a pumpkin,” he said. “Then I tried the first year, and it’s such a challenge to take care of them… I kind of got hooked.” In the beginning, Persinger’s goal was just to get a pumpkin by the end of the season.

Persinger record-setter tipped the scales at 2,505 pouds ↓

↑ Jaredn Persinger of South Plymouth

Pumpkins in Washington Court House holds the Ohio state record for largest pumpkin

The Place To Be IN HOCKING HILLS

↑ Persinger on the South Plymouth Pumpkins farm

“I planted four my first year,” he said, “and they were wiped out pretty quick.” But because farmers love farming, he didn’t give up. And in 2025, on his third try, Persinger set Ohio’s state record for a giant pumpkin: 2,505 pounds. In the weigh-off, he got second place. “A guy from New York brought in his pumpkin,” Persinger recalled, “and his weighed 13 pounds heavier than mine.” The guy from New York went home with a $9,000 prize; Persinger walked away with state-record honors and a tidy $7,000. The third- and fourth-place pumpkins came from Michigan and West Virginia, respectively, and of the top 20 entries, no one went home emptyhanded. Giant pumpkins pay. The day after he set the record, Persinger was on the road with a second pumpkin, headed for Oakland Nursery in Dublin. “On the way up, it cracked open on the bottom,” he recalled. “I think the trip had it bouncing around just right, and when we got there it had started leaking.” →

A M E NITIE S & FA M IL Y FUN

E VE NT & WE DDING V E NUE

Th e P e r f e c t L o c a ti o n

On-Site Hiking Trails, Volleyball, Pond, Playground and across from Fox’s High Rock Farm Petting Zoo

Indoor / Outdoor space for Weddings, Events & Celebrations in addition to our 20 On-Site Cabins

Hiking, Waterfalls, Caves, Dining & Local Attractions THIS OCTOBER: Nelsonville Bigfoot Festival & Grandma Gatewood Fall Colors Hike

Book Your Cabin or Fall Event TODAY!

614.245.8267

R OMA NTIC GE TA W A Y S

614NOW.COM

FA MIL Y A DV E NTUR E S

OCTOBER 2026

M EM ORI ES THA T LA ST

(614) MAGAZINE

The leak disqualified it; otherwise, the pumpkin would have been the winner at 2,428 pounds. The potential for damage en route to the weigh-off is another factor that makes the giant pumpkin game risky. Persinger uses a skid steer to move his pumpkins—a compact, nimble machine that looks like a mini bulldozer—and a lifting rig with straps rated for up to 3,000 pounds to raise it onto a flatbed trailer for road trips. “A lot of guys can fit the pumpkins in the bed of their trucks,” he said, “but mine wouldn’t fit because it was like, seven-foot wide. It was way too much of a risk.” For giant pumpkins, even the growing process is big. Persinger starts his seeds in a heated hoop house, and handpollinates the seedlings to control genetics. He compares his soil test results to an online calculator’s optimized formula, then amends the soil to give the plants their best start. It takes roughly 100 gallons of water a day and 1,000 square feet of ground and vine to grow one giant. In their peak growth window, the biggest-of-the-big put on 40 to 60 pounds per day over 10 to 15 days, and reach full maturity in 90 days. The competitiongrade seeds are selectively bred, and can cost more than $100. Each. With the 2026 pumpkin weigh-off season about to begin, Persinger said that while he doesn’t expect a new record in 2026, he does have two giants in the field that could get to 2,000 pounds. So, after three years of hard work, time, money, and persistence to achieve a 2,505-pound, 7-foot wide, recordsetting pumpkin… How do you dispose of it? “I fed mine to my cows,” Persinger said. “They ate a 2,500-pound pumpkin in one day. It blew my mind. I had no idea they’d do that.” ♦

Lorem ipsum dololr sit caption and such lorem ipsum ↓

The pumpkin patch will be open daily, 9 a.m. to dark. Visit South Plymouth Pumpkins at 7105 State Route 729 NW, Washington Court House, Ohio, 43160, online at southplymouthpumpkins.com or message them on Facebook.

← Lorem ipsum dololr sit caption and such lorem ipsum ← Persinger is now in his fourth year of growing giant pumpkins

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

614NOW.COM

← In addition to giant pumpkins,

Persinger and his father also harvest corn, wheat, soybeans, raise cattle, and more.

More About South Plymouth Pumpkins

The farm has expanded its offerings year over year. The self-serve attraction is based on the honor system using cash and Venmo and offers field pumpkins, a corn maze, photo opportunities, Highland cattle, mini donkeys, and a coffee truck with beverages and baked goods for sale on weekends. 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

Bump IN THE Night T U O B A N MA TOWN

Matt Mahoney inside the Thurber House, widely considered one of Columbus’ most haunted sites →

(614)’s Matt Mahoney spends a night inside the Thurber House—considered by many as the most haunted home in Columbus —and lives to tell the tale

Story by Matt Mahoney Photos by Hannah Anthony Story Design by Abby Nocera

The stairs leading up to the second floor are considered a hot spot of activity in the Thurber House ↓

SPOOKY LEVEL:

EXPOSITION It is not every day that you get a text from your editor asking how you would feel about spending the night in a haunted house. On one hand, I have never met a ghost before; and while anecdotal evidence will only take you so far, I’d like to think of myself as a skeptic, but also a particularly attractive target for phantasmal intrigue. If ghosts were real, I would probably be one of the first guys to meet one. Like a ghost, I am naturally quite pale, and if you’ve ever seen any movies featuring ghosts you’ll know that the guy in denial about their existence is usually the first one to get got. As someone who considers themselves a humorist (or at least funny-looking) I was already familiar with the Thurber House (where I planned to spend the night), the Thurber Prize, and Columbus’ own James Thurber’s place in the literary canon. I was less familiar with the Thurber House’s long line of reported hauntings. In 1868, when the grounds were occupied by the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum, six people were killed when the building caught fire. In 1904, local jeweler Thomas Tracy Tress died of an accidental gunshot wound in the house. Thurber—who moved in along with his mother, father, and two brothers shortly after—appears to have been convinced the place was haunted, as his short story The Night the Ghost Got In indicates.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 1 I arrive at the Thurber House just before dark on an evening in late August. This is an old residence, well over 100 years. Nearby, a quaint yet slightly unsettling topiary garden on the complex brings to mind the hedge sculpture scene from The Shining. Great care has been undertaken to arrange the house as it originally looked when the lauded humorist occupied it in the 1910s. While exploring the halls, program and event director Jess Cox points to a chair on the second floor at the top of the stairs that she refers to as a “hot spot.” Then, something weird happens. Descending the stairs, I grab my notebook to jot this down only to find that every single piece of the pen fell apart and landed on the stairs in front of me. Strange, but well within the realm of natural possibility. Jess is kind enough to lend me a spare before bidding me adieu for the evening. I sit down at Thurber’s old desk in the dining room and start to pound out a few ideas. 614NOW.COM

OCTOBER 2026

(614) MAGAZINE

SPOOKY LEVEL: 3

Seeking inspiration for what to do in the event I meet a ghost, I occupy myself with a few levels of Luigi’s Mansion on my Nintendo DS. The hours go by, the night grows darker, and the whole place has gone beyond silent. I feel isolated, and so as I often do when this is the case, I start talking to myself. Half inner monologue and half outward incantation, I wander the halls speaking aloud. I came across an obituary written in The New Yorker upon Thurber’s passing in 1961, stopping for a moment to read. I feel a strange sort of connection with James Thurber, or at least, who I imagine James Thurber to be based on this brief eulogy. I think to myself, “Aren’t we both just trying to get the world to laugh with us instead of at us?”

SPOOKY LEVEL: 7

By this point it is nearly midnight, and before laying down I opt to take one final walk around the property. Tonight is August 27, and a near-total lunar eclipse, or what some call a “blood moon” is taking place. This only adds to the tension as I stroll through the garden, peering back inside the illuminated interior. I almost expect to see an apparition lurking the hallways. Suddenly, I’m ready to go back inside. With each successive light I shut off as I make my way up to the third floor apartment, my heart climbs higher and higher into my throat. Maybe I was foolish to doubt the possibility of a haunting. Maybe, or maybe not. Shutting the apartment door behind me and locking it for good measure, I settle in for the evening.

↑ Matt Mahoney outside the historic home during a late August “blood moon”

(614) MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026

SPOOKY LEVEL: 10

(AND THEN 2)

At around 3 a.m. I wake up to use the restroom. I’m not sure if this happens to other people, but there’s a brief second of confusion I always seem to undergo when sleeping in a house that is not my own. This is not my beautiful house. Afterwards, as I approach the bed, an imposing figure materializes before me. It is a familiar shape, that of a man, but grotesque in its proportions. Its large, bulbous head stands near the ceiling, looming over me like a hawk ready to snap up its prey. Its arms seem to close in on me, and for a moment, I feel an unmistakable terror take hold of my body. After what felt like an eternity but was probably less than a few seconds, I realized that the figure I saw before me was my own shadow, projected onto the wall from the faint glow of the thermostat behind me. I lay back down and stare at the ceiling as I try to bring my heart rate back down to a normal level. It doesn’t come quickly, but eventually sleep settles back over my body.

SPOOKY LEVEL:

EXISTENTIAL My alarm goes off and I awake to a world decidedly less spooky than the one I left. I grab my things, give the place a final once-over, and then depart: Not necessarily a braver man, but certainly one more in touch with the spiritual world. To me, the question is not “Why do we believe in ghosts?” but rather, “Why do we want to believe in ghosts?” There’s a certain attractiveness to the idea, isn’t there? It is no coincidence that ghost stories almost always focus on those who had a sudden untimely demise, either at the hands of another or through some accident. Sometimes, death can be anticlimactic. Perhaps out of fears that we ourselves may leave life unresolved, we create an opportunity for others to return from beyond the grave in an effort to settle the score. There was little, if anything, that happened to me during my stay at the Thurber House that would convince me that ghosts are real. Still, there is a part of me that wishes something had occurred, if for no other reason than to definitively settle that which can never be settled. Indeed, ghosts—and the greater questions surrounding our fears of mortality they bring about— can be unnerving for some to contemplate. Me though? I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. ♦ To learn more about the Thurber House and its paranormal programming for the month of October, visit thurberhouse.org.

614NOW.COM

Dogs. Cats. Horses. Farm animals. Around here, we provide every animal we treat with the best, most advanced care possible. Backed by cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art diagnostics, and dozens of board-certified specialists, we deliver complete, compassionate care for animals of every kind. Yes, even cats.

“They provide the absolute highest level of care for all animals. Yeah. Even cats.”

6 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS ACROSS

CARING. DOWN TO A SCIENCE. vmc.vet.osu.edu

CENTRAL OHIO. SCAN THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE.

SAWMILL | EASTON TOWN CENTER