County, Bengals Request $350 Million from State Budget to Renovate Paycor Stadium
The county and city plan to leverage the stadium’s renovation to jumpstart $500 million in additional development at The Banks.
BY MADELINE FENING
Hamilton County Commissioners and the Bengals are asking Ohio lawmakers for $350 million to renovate Paycor Stadium.
The county announced the request on April 10, just one day after lawmakers in the House passed a controversial budget plan to give $600 million in 30-year state-backed bonds to the Cleveland Browns for a new domed stadium outside city limits in Brook Park. The bonds are expected to cost the state nearly a billion dollars over 30 years; the budget now heads to the state Senate.
The budget proposed by House Republicans passed on a mostly partyline vote, but not all Republicans are happy to give the Browns such a big check.
“Every one of those teams will have its hand out for state cash for a stadium project in the future — and the Browns deal sets the floor for such discussions,” wrote Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican also running for governor. “None of those teams would concede that the hapless Browns are more important to Ohio — or more deserving of our cash — than its own club.”
Vertical transportation improvement projections for Paycor Stadium
PHOTO: HAMILTON COUNTY/BENGALS
What are the plans for Paycor?
As for Paycor, the proposed plan covers a lot—from critical infrastructure upgrades to flashy fan-facing improvements—and is scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2028. Unlike Cleveland, where a whole new stadium is on the table, Hamilton County’s pitch leans into maintaining and modernizing the existing riverfront property.
“Because Hamilton County and the team took care of the stadium and protected the taxpayer’s investment, constructing a new NFL stadium is not necessary,” the proposal says, noting
that a new build could cost upwards of $2.4 billion.
Instead, they’re asking for support to fund big-ticket upgrades, including: Stadium-wide vertical transportation improvements (think new escalators and elevators)
Canopy and roofing system replacement
Fully modernized audio-visual systems
North End Zone transformation to increase seating and improve crowd movement
New field-level clubs, suites, and seating to increase year-round events
Club and suite modernization
Improved accessibility and safety measures
Upgraded entry and security tech
The proposal also says the county and city plan to leverage the stadium’s renovation to jumpstart $500 million in additional development “directly adjacent” to the venue.
“As the State assesses sound strategies for retaining Ohio’s professional sports franchises, it should prioritize support for communities that have demonstrated a successful integration of Stadium development with a combination of projects resulting in
true urban renewal with significant economic development impact,” the proposal reads.
What’s next?
It’s unclear whether the state legislature will include the $350 million request in its final budget—especially with another Ohio NFL team already in line for public money. The Bengals must decide by June 30 whether to trigger the first of five rolling two-year lease extensions at Paycor. So far, there’s no new long-term lease deal between the team and the county.
UC Students Demand Action After Hate Speech and Arrest Rock Campus
BY MADELINE FENING
Some University of Cincinnati students are rallying behind a student who was arrested by UC Police during a counter-protest against non-students spouting hate speech. An expert on college campus free speech told CityBeat it’s harder than ever to walk the line between harassment and the First Amendment.
How it started
It all started on Tuesday, April 1, when a group of non-students began picketing in UC’s Bearcat Commons, a high-traffic area for students walking to and from class. The demonstrators held signs that read “Muslims are Terrorists,” “Women are Property” and “The Jews Killed Jesus,” among other signs. But the signs were only part of the message; Laila Shaikh, founder and president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UC, told CityBeat she watched as the men shouted racist statements at specific students passing by.
“They come to campus very, very often, but Tuesday in particular they had very loud mics,” Shaikh said. “Every time they’d see a woman wearing a hijab, or a brown student, or a student wearing a keffiyeh, which is a Palestinian scarf, he would go on the mic and say, like, excuse my language, ‘You’re a fucking terrorist.’” Shaikh told CityBeat other UC students joined in on the jabs lodged by the man with the megaphone.
“There were even crowds of students, who were predominantly white, that were, like, cheering and clapping every time he’d make very derogatory slurs to different students walking by,” she said. “Obviously, it was making a very tense and dangerous environment on campus for many students of many different backgrounds.”
Some students quickly started counterprotesting, making their own signs and shouting at the demonstrators. At one point, a student named Collin Miller was
standing close to the main demonstrator while holding a Palestinian flag when officers with UC Police (UCPD) told Miller to back away from the man. Police accused Miller of bumping into the demonstrator and, by standing in front of him, prevented him from walking away.
“Officers attempted to detain Collin Miller when he made multiple attempts to resist officers’ orders after being told to stop interfering with the leader of the demonstration on campus,” the arrest report reads.
A video showing part of the arrest quickly spread online, showing five officers physically restraining Miller as he appeared to resist. Charges describe Miller as using his elbows to “prevent officers from handcuffing him,” kicking and “flailing his body” before being placed in handcuffs.
CityBeat has requested body-worn camera footage from UCPD.
“Police officers warned the student several times not to impede the movement of the demonstrators,” said Kelly Cantwell, senior public information officer for UC’s Department of Public Safety. “The student became involved in an altercation with the demonstrators and disregarded police officers’ directions.”
Collin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He pleaded not guilty in Hamilton County Court.
Students in support of Miller quickly mobilized to protest his arrest outside the Hamilton County Justice Center the night of his arrest. Maxon Agosta, a spokesperson for UC Young Democratic Socialists of America, told CityBeat the organization helped ensure Miller had access to an attorney. Agosta believes Miller’s rights were violated during the arrest.
“Collin was not violent or anything towards protesters. [Police] just kept on
telling him to stop. Collin never stopped,” Agosta said. “He was asking, ‘Am I arrested? Am I being detained?’ Police were not giving him an answer or letting him know what he was charged with, etc. And so he was a little bit resisting.”
Legally, officers in Ohio aren’t required to immediately disclose the probable cause of an arrest, and Miranda Rights are only required to be read before questioning, according to the Ohio Bar Association. But Agosta argues Miller’s interaction with the demonstrators never warranted an arrest in the first place, especially with such force.
“Why continue confronting a student about blocking protesters when there is no violence happening in that moment?” Agosta said. “If you want to play the whole free speech thing, like, ‘Hey, the Nazis were technically allowed to be there.’ Okay? So was Collin. These were grown adults spewing hate speech and harassing
Maxon Agosta, a spokesperson for UC Young Democratic Socialists of America, addresses students in Bearcat Commons
PHOTO: MADELINE FENING
students who are just walking to class, who were just doing their own thing. But instead, police decided to respond to a student who pays to be at this campus.”
During the February Nazi demonstration in Lincoln Heights, CityBeat spoke with Ryan Thoreson, an assistant professor of constitutional law at the UC College of Law. While discussing the protester vs. counter-protester dynamic, he said counter-protesters can find themselves in a more vulnerable position than Nazi demonstrators.
“I think a lot of the [white nationalist] organizations that have engaged in offensive protests have the advantage of coming into it kind of clear-eyed about their goals and what they intend to convey,” he said. “Whereas counter protesters do not, right? They are in a deeply emotionally charged moment where they are being confronted with awful and offensive messages, without coordination among the people who are there – I think that does often set people up to respond in ways that might not be [legally] protected in the way that the original protesters are.”
Free speech on campus
Because UC is a public campus, nonstudents are allowed to demonstrate their First Amendment rights in common
spaces, including holding signs with hate speech. Neal Hutchens is an education professor at the University of Kentucky specializing in the intersections of higher education law, policy and free speech. Hutchens told CityBeat that UC has very narrow control beyond the First Amendment to control speech on its campus.
“Where universities can tend to regulate are what are called time, place and manner,” he said. “For instance, they can say you can’t go into certain buildings, you can’t protest at 3 a.m., we’re not going to put you in front of a residence hall.”
According to UC’s facilities guide, the university prohibits the use of some noise amplification equipment, like the bullhorn used by demonstrators on April 1. Bullhorns can only be used if they are no louder than 90 decibels at 45 feet, and their use is relegated to Bearcat Commons on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-2 p.m. Miller was arrested at 3:30 p.m., according to records, and student witnesses told CityBeat the demonstrators were “using [the bullhorn] for the majority of that time.”
Hutchens said details like these can get tricky.
“This is a pretty constant source of tension for colleges and universities,” he said. “Some of these groups
that specialize in this kind of hateful messaging, they actually love it when a university will try to deny them access, because they love to go to court and get the court order, because they’ll still get access, and then that helps them get all their other supporters to give money.”
UC also has an individual policy on campus for harassment, which students claimed was taking place when the demonstrators called some brown students “terrorists,” but UC’s anti-harassment policy only applies to students and staff of the university, not the general public. Even still, the bar for harassment within speech is high, according to Hutchens. You must be able to prove the harassment prevented someone from accessing an education.
“It’s a very high bar, and that’s one of the problems that institutions encounter,” Hutchens said. “Under the First Amendment, you get groups on campus that engage in mean, hateful, terrible speech, but at the end of the day, it’s protected by the First Amendment.”
But Hutchens added that a university could be under a legal responsibility to protect students from harassment if the speech qualifies as harassment under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
“It’s very much something that the Biden administration, before they left
office, focused on that you could have a violation of federal law if you’ve got language and harassment directed at individuals on the basis of race or ethnicity or religion,” he said. “The current administration, they’re focused on antisemitism only.”
UC is one of 60 universities in the United States that have been sent a letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) warning the university is at risk of “potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.” But this warning was not to the semi-regular demonstrators with signs like “The Jews Killed Jesus,” it was in response to proPalestinian demonstrators.
“The University of Cincinnati administration has shown SJP and student organizations and organizers repeatedly that they get to step in and impede on our free speech when they disagree with it,” Shaikh said. “But someone directly yelling and encouraging other students to say comments and derogatory slurs to Black students, to Muslim students, Arab students, women in general – that’s half of UC’s entire student population – they are actively choosing not to step in.”
Sheriff: 2 Dead After Dump Truck Crash Ends Inside NKY Restaurant
BY MADELINE FENING
Two people are dead and one person is in critical condition after a dump truck crashed into the Boonedocks Pub & Grub restaurant on April 8.
According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, police and fire units were dispatched to the intersection of U.S. Route 42 and Beaver Road -- just west of Walton -- around 4 p.m. Officials say a 66-year-old driver of an SUV took a left turn from Beaver Road to Highway 42, driving into the path of a dump truck loaded with gravel. The SUV then hit a guardrail and flipped over, landing on its top.
While trying to swerve out of the way of the SUV, the sheriff’s office said the dump truck crashed into the side of Boonedocks Pub and Grub, hitting four unoccupied cars in the parking lot along the way.
Officials said no one in the restaurant was hurt, but confirmed two of the SUV passengers were killed in the crash: 91-year-old Eva Mulberry and 89-yearold Betty Hillard. The driver of the SUV was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the dump truck, 66, was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Owners of Boonedocks Pub & Grub
released a statement about the crash on Facebook later that same day.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at the intersection of Highway 42 and Beaver Road,” reads the April 8 post. “Our hearts and prayers go out to those affected, and we extend our sincerest condolences to the families, loved ones,
and first responders involved.”
The post also addressed security footage of the crash that the owners said was unknowingly leaked online.
“This footage was not intended for public release, and we are currently looking into how it was shared,” the post reads. “We kindly ask that, out of respect for those impacted, the video
not be shared further.”
The sheriff’s office is investigating, saying limited visibility at the intersection may have been a factor in the crash. Alcohol and/or excessive speed are not believed to be factors in the crash.
No charges have been filed at this time.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office is investigating a Tuesday crash involving a dump truck that ended up hitting the side of a restaurant just west of Walton.
PHOTO: BOONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Cincinnati’s Libraries are Vital for Education and Community and Deserve to be Well-Funded
BY KATHERINE BARRIER
Local library-goers breathed a collective sigh of relief on April 9 after the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) announced the Ohio House removed a budget provision that would have meant an insane $14.5-million cut to the library system’s funding had it been adopted. While a win is a win, our library system is still facing the danger of potential cuts in the upcoming budget.
While the cuts wouldn’t be to the level of $14.5 million, they would still have an enormous impact on the services, resources and programs CHPL provides to over 830,000 people who live in Hamilton County — with more than 450,500 of those people being library cardholders, according to the library system. And living in a time where community is more important than ever, these proposed cuts would be devastating to those of us who see the library as a safe haven: a place filled with endless stories to fuel the imagination; opportunities to learn more about the world; resources that can help advance your education or career; and a space to connect with friends, neighbors and educators.
The proposed $14.5-million budget cut
Last week, CHPL sounded the alarm on their website and across social media, explaining the Ohio House’s proposed budget provision cutting library budgets across the state. On April 1, the House put forth its version of a state budget for the next two years, which rejected Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal to increase the Public Library Fund (PLF) from 1.7% to 1.75% of tax revenue collected in the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF).
Instead, under the House’s ideal budget, the PLF would be eliminated. Funding would come through line-item appropriation directly from the GRF, meaning upward of $100 million would have been taken away from Ohio’s 251 public library systems. This change to funding would also hurt libraries’ ability to forecast revenue and long-term financial sustainability.
In a social media post, CHPL said about 50% of its budget comes from the PLF, with the other half coming from local property tax levies. The library would lose 29% of its funding — $14.5 million — starting on July 1 if the budget provision were adopted. In the post, the library encouraged Ohio residents to reach out to state representatives to share what the library meant to them.
A small victory, but more work ahead
It turns out messing with Ohio’s libraries isn’t a smart move. Libraries are beloved in the Buckeye State, with the Ohio Library Council stating Ohioans visited their local libraries more than 44.6 million times in 2023. As State Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, pointed out in a press release, that’s the equivalent of 434 sold-out games at OSU’s Ohio Stadium.
And, according to the American Library Association, CHPL has the second-highest circulation in the country, only behind the New York Public Library. Our library system was also ranked second in holdings and 15th in the number of visits — and that list is comprised of mostly cities and counties much larger than Cincinnati and Hamilton County. In terms of visits, Ohio’s other two Big C library systems ranked in the top 25, with the Cleveland area’s Cuyahoga County Public Library coming in at No. 11 and the Columbus Metropolitan Library ranking at No. 23.
With all those library visits, it’s no surprise Ohio’s state reps were reportedly flooded by constituents demanding they remove the proposed cuts from the budget. On April 9 — in the middle of National Library Week, mind you — the House finalized its proposal with a vote, removing the devastating cut, but still allocating less money to Ohio’s libraries.
Instead of funding libraries with a set percentage of the GRF, the Ohio House proposal would still allocate a set amount through a line-item appropriation. And while the appropriated amount is $10 million more than initially proposed, it’s still less than what libraries currently receive, meaning less stable funding, and $90.8 million less than DeWine’s proposed budget.
The budget bill moves to the Ohio Senate, and CHPL says they now have the opportunity to advocate for changes.
“We may call on you again for support, as the budget process could last through June,” the library wrote, addressing patrons and residents in a blog on April 9.
Protecting the library
I’ve spent countless hours in libraries throughout my life. As a West Side kid, my mom took me to the Delhi library at least once or twice a month to trade in enormous stacks of books for more enormous stacks. When I think about the physical spaces I grew up in, the Delhi library is always at the top of my mind, playing like a film reel of a tree growing in one place, except it’s me growing as I wind my way through the library.
As I grew, I hopped from one part of the library to the next — the children’s section where I read every Bill Peet, Spot, Clifford and Max and Ruby book I could find, to juvenile fiction and nonfiction where I bookwormed my way through the Harry Potter, Animal Ark, Saddle Club and Thoroughbred series (I was very much a horse girl). I was into fantasy novels as a teenager and magical realism as a young adult. Throughout each stage as a reader, the library was there to foster my interests and keep me engaged and learning. I loved reading so much that I abandoned any practical or rational thought to pursue writing and editing as a career, which thankfully is more or less working out so far.
And while fostering a love of reading is the library’s most well-known strength, it’s not its only strength. I worked as a shelver for CHPL’s Hyde Park and Delhi branches during college and saw firsthand the community-oriented third space the library provides. I was often off in my own world when I explored
the stacks as a kid, but while I was doing that, the library was also offering invaluable resources to other patrons, from their online research databases that you can access for free with just a library card number, to continuing learning platforms like Treehouse, which provides technology education courses, and language courses through Transparent Language.
I helped older patrons navigate Microsoft Word to create resumes and younger ones fill out applications for their own library cards. The library is now home to six different MakerSpaces, which allow patrons to use things like 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing and embroidery machines, audio recording equipment and more — all for free. There are free meeting and study rooms you can reserve; kids can get help with homework or even free after-school meals at some branches; there’s also the library’s Discovery Pass, which allows patrons to visit attractions around Cincinnati, like the Cincinnati Museum Center, American Sign Museum and Taft Museum of Art, for, you guessed it, free.
Let’s not forget the number of community programs the library offers — ranging from fun afterschool events like arts and crafts, LEGO building and kids’ book clubs, to ESOL classes, knitting groups, a monthly Spice Club, board game days and drop-in hours where older adults can learn how to use technology. Not only are these kinds of events and programs fun, but they also build community and allow you to meet new people and foster friendships with neighbors who share your interests. Study after study shows many populations are growing more lonely and isolated, making book clubs and knitting groups and gathering to learn some local history more valuable than ever.
And though not everything should be about money, for the fiscally minded who may cry, “But we need to cut the budget!”, libraries actually have significant returns on investment. It’s estimated that for every $1 Ohioans spend on libraries, libraries generate $5 in economic value.
Ohio’s representatives and senators should probably take this recent pushback against cutting library budgets as a reminder of who they work for. It’s not special interest groups or lobbies, but the voters who elected them and the constituents who entrust them with our tax money — and the constituents have spoken loud and clear on where that money should go: protecting our public libraries.
The downtown main branch of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
PHOTO: CHPL.ORG
irst and foremost, I have something to admit: I don’t really smoke. I’m probably the least appropriate person to take on this assignment. But come to think of it, maybe that makes me the most appropriate person to do some digging. Because if I’m confused by Ohio’s everevolving weed laws — someone who’s basically been stone-cold sober since D.A.R.E. came to my suburban Cincinnati classroom — I can’t be the only one.
I may not partake in much pot, but I have been working as an Ohio journalist since 2013. The people have spoken, but the powers that be are still figuring out how to translate that into policy. What started as a grassroots (pun fully intended) victory for recreational pot advocates has turned into a slow-motion, not-so-fun game of legislative hot potato — with the Ohio Statehouse (whether intentionally or not) threatening a buzzkill with changes that could potentially limit the number of plants that can be grown at home, drop legal THC levels and create requirements about how marijuana is transported, to name a few.
In this issue, we’re clearing the air: how
did we get here? What does the law really say? What do lawmakers want to change? Who wins? Who loses? And when could the dust actually settle?
Whether you’re a regular toker, a curious observer or someone who’s still not entirely sure how much a gram even is (cough, cough: me!), welcome to the Weed Issue.
The herb-sTory
April 20, 2025 will mark 530 days since recreational marijuana was legalized in Ohio, but the root of reality is that the Buckeye State still has no idea what legalized pot will look like in the long-term.
As cannabis-inspired celebrations take place on that Sunday in mid-April, there probably won’t be a lot of reviewing of the Ohio Revised Code. Still, we have to acknowledge for thousands of Ohioans in recent years, excitement about any unofficial holiday has been eclipsed by very serious legal implications of marijuana use.
When you research green in Ohio, there are gray areas — gray areas that persist today.
This year is actually the 50th anniversary of marijuana being decriminalized in
Ohio. That’s not a misprint — on August 22, 1975, then-Gov. James Rhodes joined the governors of California, Colorado, Maine and Alaska in reducing the severity of penalties for cannabis possession.
So then why were there at least 7,500 marijuana-related arrests as recently as two years ago?
Perhaps the biggest reason is that “decriminalization” is somewhat of a misnomer. In 1975, Ohio only really decriminalized possession of less than 100 grams of marijuana. (For some perspective, one gram is enough cannabis for one or two smaller joints. At one dispensary, we found just under three grams selling for $25.) To be clear, although marijuana was said to be decriminalized 50 years ago, no amount of pot was really legal. Possessing less than 100 grams of marijuana was still classified as a minor misdemeanor. While there was no jail time, no fines over $150 and no addition to your criminal record (unless it was repeated), you could still end up in handcuffs by selling larger amounts or using in public.
Today, under Ohio’s new law, possessing up to 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of
cannabis is legal. However, according to NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a social welfare organization based in Washington, D.C., possessing between 70 and 100 grams can still result in a misdemeanor with a fine of $150. Possessing between 100 grams and 200 grams can result in a misdemeanor, 30-day incarceration and a $250 fine. Once you’re beyond 200 grams, we’re talking about felonies – and a lot more time behind bars.
I hate to throw more numbers at you, but we can’t ignore medical marijuana. If you have a medical marijuana card, generally speaking, you can legally possess up to 226.8 grams of pot.
blurred (sTaTe) lines
Here’s where that buzzkill might really come in. On top of all the nuances of the state weed laws, local jurisdictions in Ohio have the authority to regulate or prohibit recreational marijuana businesses within their boundaries (that doesn’t include possession or cultivation, but it can still add a whole mess of confusion). Remember, marijuana
remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government.
“I sometimes joke that this keeps me a job,” said Professor Douglas Berman, the executive director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, housed in the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University. He also studied law at Harvard University and Princeton University. “This is just incredibly complicated to have federal law stacked on top of state law [and] local issues. [For instance,] there’s a shopping center owner who doesn’t know whether or not their local county will allow a dispensary, so can they sell to somebody who wants to open a dispensary there? Are they going to get a license? That has all sorts of echo effects.”
Federal law prohibits the transportation of marijuana across state lines – even between states where it is legal – because it remains illegal federally. That’s important for the Tri-State area since that means that — even if Kentucky or Indiana were to legalize recreational marijuana (which they haven’t) — you couldn’t transport it (legally) there.
“I know every day people drive to Michigan to obtain marijuana because it’s cheaper and it has a lower tax,” said Sen. Stephen Huffman, a state legislator who has been on the front line of updating Ohio’s cannabis law. “The reason we’re at where we’re at and doing what we’re doing is the absolute failure of the federal government. [Marijuana] is up there with methamphetamine and heroin. So there’s no medical purpose.”
The federal government breaks down drugs into “schedules.” Schedule 1 drugs are considered by the federal government to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse — examples include marijuana and heroin. Schedule 2 drugs also have a high potential for abuse, but they’re recognized as having legitimate medical uses — like oxycodone, adderall and fentanyl. This spans to schedule 5, which covers over-the-counter cough medicine.
“Once they change [marijuana] to a schedule 2, which first the Trump administration thought they would, then the thought was the Biden administration [would], but it hasn’t [happened],” said Sen. Huffman. “A place like The Ohio State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital or Cleveland Clinic can’t do any medical research to prove that there’s value to it, and so along with being a schedule one drug, it’s illegal to have. The federal government just says, ‘Hey, we’re not going to do anything. We’re just going to turn our back.’”
CityBeat asked Senator Huffman if he’d go as far as recommending federal comprehensive cannabis reform.
“I wouldn’t disagree with that,” Huffman, a Republican, said. “I think the very first step is moving it to a schedule 2 drug so they can do medical research. [Also, so]
we can have a banking system. All these dispensaries are cash businesses because they can’t use credit cards. It’s not uncommon that people will walk into the Ohio Department of Taxation with literally a suitcase, with a quarter of a million dollars, to pay their taxes or their license fee, which is absolutely ridiculous. That’s again the failure of the federal government to change their regulations.”
However, Senator Huffman acknowledges federal involvement would pose its own challenges because – whether they’re succeeding or not — numerous states are running their own programs.
“The cat’s out of the bag,” he said. “There are 20 or 25 [states] with recreational programs and 35 or 40 [states] with medical. But I think it would certainly help if the federal government provided some guidelines for everybody to travel across state lines.”
Weed The people
If the people have spoken, why are lawmakers still tinkering with the details? It starts with legal jargon that most Ohioans probably didn’t think twice about.
In 2015, Ohio voters said “no” to a constitutional amendment that would’ve legalized both medical and recreational marijuana in Ohio. That term “constitutional amendment” is important: this would’ve changed the state’s constitution. If there was a desire to change the law again later, Ohio voters would’ve needed to return to the polls. It would’ve been “hands off” for the legislature.
In 2023, Ohio voters said “yes” to a citizen-initiated statute (not a constitutional amendment) that legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. (Separately, Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016.) The statute is still considered part of the law, but it differs in its level of permanence.
So, yes, lawmakers can make changes. But they likely are considering that doing so could lead to major backlash.
My goal when taking on this assignment was to give you a very specific outline of Ohio law. But as I dug deeper, I realized the long and short of it is — we can’t, not really. That’s because, up until (and after) my deadline, hearings were still being scheduled and pieces of legislation were being adjusted.
We can, however, give you a sense of the conversation. These are two bills that could change the law in Ohio (and it’s important to remember, neither of these bills are law):
Senate Bill 56: Passed by the Ohio Senate in February, this bill proposes several major changes to the law. It:
• Reduces home cultivation rights to six plants per household
• Reduces allowable THC (the primary psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant) levels in cannabis products to 70%
• Caps the number of dispensaries allowed to operate in Ohio at 350 (the Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) told CityBeat there are currently 139)
House Bill 160: Introduced in the Ohio House, this bill offers what some consider a more moderate approach with fewer changes to the existing law. It:
• Allows adults to grow up to six plants per person (12 per household)
• Reduces allowable THC levels in cannabis products to 70% (similar to SB56)
• Caps the number of dispensaries allowed to operate in Ohio at 350 (similar to SB56)
Issue 2: For comparison, here’s what Ohioans approved in 2023 (which, again, can legally be changed):
• Allows adults to grow up to
six plants per person (12 per household)
• Delegates responsibility for setting THC content limits to the Division of Cannabis Control but specifies that such limits should not be less than 90% content for extracts
• Does not cap license number (but the Division of Cannabis Control can review the number of licenses on a biannual basis)
a public affair
The Ohio Statehouse’s Republican supermajority is quick to say the legislative rewriting is largely about protecting Ohioans. CityBeat asked Senator Huffman, Senate Bill 56’s main sponsor, why the current law doesn’t do enough. He answered with two words: “Public consumption. You can walk down the street. You can sit at a ball game and smoke marijuana next to a 10-year-old child. Senate Bill 56 would not allow consumption [or] smoking of marijuana in a moving vehicle. It also doesn’t allow growing marijuana in a daycare facility, because a lot of people use their house as a daycare facility.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Senator William DeMora, a Democrat, told us in response. “Right now, marijuana is treated like cigarettes. You can’t smoke marijuana anywhere. You can’t smoke a cigarette, so you can’t smoke marijuana in a stadium, because you can’t smoke a cigarette in a stadium except in a designated spot outside. [...] For him to say, well, I don’t want to smell marijuana as I walk down the street, well, sorry, that’s just tough shit, because it’s going to happen.”
We sought clarity on this issue from Professor Berman.
“My understanding is that [public consumption] is currently illegal unless — and I think this is part of where this gets complicated — if a private property
Today, under Ohio’s new law, possessing up to 70 grams of cannabis is legal.
PHOTO: APHIWAT CHUANGCHOEM FROM PEXELS
owner [...] wants to allow it. In my sense, the big concern — and I think this is not a full-hearted concern — is that when I walk down a street downtown, if there is a restaurant, it’s private property, and if they choose to allow people to smoke on their private patio, that’s not technically public consumption.”
Equity and ExpungEmEnt
Both Senate Bill 56 and House Bill 160 include rules about transporting marijuana in vehicles. Under these proposals, cannabis must be kept in its original, unopened packaging or stored in the trunk. If the vehicle doesn’t have a trunk, it must be placed behind the last upright seat or somewhere not easily accessible to the driver, aiming to promote safety and prevent consumption while driving. This is raising concerns about fairness for various commuters (for instance, those without vehicles) among legal experts who are closely monitoring the legislation. Professor Berman and his team have created a fluid, online resource that helps people all over the country keep up with the legal battle.
“The more rules, restrictions and cost that you put on accessing and using these products, the more you shut people out for having equitable access to this right,” said Professor Berman.
“Columbus police [...] already told me they are not going to stop somebody on the sidewalk walking down the street because they might be smoking a joint as opposed to a cigarette,” Senator DeMora said. “They’re not going to stop and make the distinction. They’re not going to stop people from smoking on the front porch of their house or giving their neighbor a
marijuana cigarette that they go in the backyard. That stuff’s not going to happen. What is going to happen is in other places, selectively, law enforcement will use this to harass people [who] aren’t from that area, who might not look like the people in the general population of that area. Because now they can say, ‘Well, I thought you had a marijuana cigarette.’”
In order to understand the very real way criminalization has affected Ohioans, CityBeat pulled data from the NORML. In 2023, the year that Ohio voters approved recreational marijuana, there were still approximately 7,500 marijuana-related arrests (possession and sales) in the state. NORML pointed out that arrest data is provided to the FBI on an annual basis.
NORML said, in most instances, the data provided is incomplete and underreports the total number of actual marijuanarelated arrests. Why? They say not all participating law enforcement agencies provide data in a timely fashion.
Analysis conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) shows that, due to racial profiling and bias in marijuana enforcement, Black people in Ohio are more than three times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates. This disparity has not improved over the last decade, and in fact, disparities have actually gotten worse in most states.
Both Ohio Senate Bill 56 and House Bill 160 propose mechanisms for expunging certain marijuana possession convictions. Specifically, individuals convicted before the bills’ effective dates for possessing amounts that are now legal could apply for expungement. However, applicants would need to submit evidence of their conviction and its eligibility under the new
Robbins, Deputy Director of OHCANN. “We want to make sure Ohioans have access to affordable, regulated, tested products.”
Robbins said her team focuses on the importance of keeping products affordable and accessible. Robbins also addressed THC potency caps introduced in earlier legislation, noting the coalition’s preference for allowing the Division of Cannabis Control to make those decisions.
“We think it’s a purity argument over potency,” she said. “We trust that regulators know what’s right for this industry. [For instance], the intoxicating hemp market is something that our members are very concerned about.”
Our next big clue for how Ohio will respond to and legislate marijuana might come in Ohio’s 2026 governor’s race. Early frontrunners are Republicans Vivek Ramaswamy and Attorney General Dave Yost and Democrat Dr. Amy Acton. Ramaswamy has expressed support for states’ rights on marijuana and criticized federal overreach.
legal thresholds. The court would then schedule a hearing, notify the prosecutor and consider any objections before deciding on expungement. A notable difference between the bills is the associated fee — something upsetting to many advocates: House Bill 160 specifies a $50 filing fee. Senate Bill 56 does not mention a fee.
i call it likE i smokE it
Professor Berman said the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio serves as a reminder that advocates can have a voice.
“We started seeing in the evolution of Ohio’s medical marijuana laws that when something comes up that really ends up seeming very goofy and counterproductive to everybody’s interests, the regulators [and] sometimes the lawmakers will make adjustments,” he said. “If you pass a law that says you have to have [marijuana] always locked in your trunk, and then a whole bunch of people start getting pulled over because they don’t have a trunk … you may not get a lot of sympathy right away, but over time, they’ll see they’re really foolish rules.”
Professor Berman said the cannabis industry has the ability to speak for consumers in ways that can help because — if the rules are discouraging — people will stop coming to the dispensaries. In Ohio, the major voice is the OHCANN, a group that vouches for the interests of marijuana businesses. The group’s leaders — representing some 60 percent of the market — told CityBeat they were relieved to see a proposed marijuana tax hike removed from the state budget in February.
“Doubling a tax on a new industry that isn’t even a whole year into adult-use sales was very concerning for us,” said Adrienne
“Ramaswamy has expressed support for marijuana legalization,” Professor Berman said. “And he’s expressed that kind of anti-regulatory attitude across a variety of fronts. Might he come in and say, you know, all these rules and restrictions about where you can buy the product and how much you can get … let’s do away with that stuff.”
Yost supports medical use but has been cautious of full legalization. Acton hasn’t detailed a cannabis stance but is expected to take a public health-driven approach.
long road in thE wEEds
So where does all of this leave us? Likely with a long road in the weeds — but with a clear view of how far we’ve come. At the federal level, President Donald Trump has expressed support for marijuana policy reform, marking a shift from his earlier positions. Last September, Trump endorsed Florida’s Amendment 3, a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21. But it did not pass — and since then, Trump has not outlined any specific plans to promote federal cannabis reform.
In Ohio, the future of SB56 is unknown and one legislator said HB160 could be debated until at least June. Professor Berman acknowledged that — in theory — the Ohio legislature could be toying with marijuana law for a very, very long time.
“You know, if somebody asks if we’ll legislate alcohol forever, legislate firearms forever or legislate taxes forever, the answer is probably yes,” he said. “But then, sometimes there are very big changes and sometimes it’s just gonna be tinkering.”
Ohioans lit the spark, but the full picture’s still coming into focus. As the smoke clears and the rules settle in, we’ll be watching closely to see how – and if – it continues to roll out across the state.
The first recreational marijuana sales at Sunnyside Recreational and Medical Marijuana Dispensary on Aug. 6, 2024
PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY
ARTS & CULTURE
Cincinnati to Broadway
Todd Almond’s theater career and new book defy categories
BY RICK PENDER
Cincinnati theater fans likely recall Todd Almond. A 1999 grad of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, he dazzled audiences at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) in memorable productions in the early 2000s. He took on the title role of a genderqueer East German singer of a fictional rock band in John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch; he reprised that role there in 2018. He also played the German transvestite who survived the Nazis in ETC’s 2005 staging of I Am My Own Wife
Almond is now based in New York City, where his multifaceted career makes it a challenge to encapsulate his career. In a New York Times feature earlier this year, when asked how he fills in a form asking what he does for a living, he said, “Every freaking time, I write ‘writer,’ and then I cringe. Or I write ‘actor’ — actor! — and I throw up. Or I write ‘musician,’ and I think, ‘You’re not a musician. You would be fired in a minute.’” In truth, he’s all of those things, but prefers not to be pinned down. When asked a similar question in a recent CityBeat interview, he said he still struggles to answer.
Almond has complicated things with his recent creative outlet, a new book that’s both a personal memoir and an almost journalistic account of his experience as a performer in Slow Train Coming: Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country and Broadway’s Rebirth. With a title from a Dylan tune, it’s based on his experience performing in a show that used the Nobel Prize-winning songwriter’s songs in an unorthodox way. It’s not a musical in any traditional sense. In fact, it’s fundamentally a play by noteworthy Irish novelist and playwright Conor McPherson (whose shows have been performed at numerous Cincinnati theaters).
Just as Almond struggles to categorize his own career, this show defied traditional forms. It was definitely not a jukebox musical with a collection of Dylan’s best-known songs. “It’s a piece of theater that has a lot of music in it,”
he said. “Just for the sake of ease in conversation, I say I was in a musical called Girl from the North Country, but … it doesn’t quite line up with the rules of what is a musical.”
Set in Dylan’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, in the ‘30s, a decade before the songwriter was born, Girl from the North Country features hard-luck characters out of work, out of homes, out of hope, living in a cramped boardinghouse during the depths of the Depression. They support one another emotionally, and their emotions are represented by Dylan’s songs, not advancing the plot but offering texture to scenes. In a recent CityBeat interview, Almond said he and other actors thought of the show “almost as a church service, where there were readings, there were homilies, there’s humanity and then there’s hymns. These hymns come in that have absolutely nothing to do with what we were just talking about, but they are just us letting God talk to us for a minute.” He came to think of Dylan’s music as, in a sense, the voice of God.
Speaking with CityBeat, Almond said he and many of the performers felt their songs, often sung straight out to the audience, were different. “The scenes were reality, and the music was tone. Or mystery. Or edge. Something like inserting a major color, like the wind is suddenly blowing.” Definitely not the typical storytelling employed by most musicals.
Almond cited a personal example from the show. As Elias Burke, he played a neurodivergent, childlike man who lives with his parents in the boardinghouse. He dies unexpectedly, then makes a final appearance wearing a white, almost ghostlike, suit, and sings Dylan’s “Duquesne Whistle” in a rousing, Gospel-styled performance. Almond explained his thoughts about how McPherson constructed his play. “The best thing he could do in this dark revelation is to have an extremely happy, inviting moment, actually an extra gut punch for the audience.” For many who saw the show, Almond’s performance was a memorable highlight.
Girl from the North Country, starring Almond as Elias, will air on CET, Cincinnati’s PBS station, at various times on May 23-26. Check your local listings to learn more.
His book is an impressive compendium of numerous comments from performers and others involved in its original London 2017 production and its remounting with an American cast in New York City that included Almond. It was Off Broadway at the Public Theater in 2018; in 2020, it moved to Broadway’s Belasco Theatre but was cut short when it opened just a week later when the COVID pandemic entirely shut down Broadway. After a lengthy delay, it reopened in late 2021, only to suffer several pandemic-caused shutdowns and reopenings. Almond’s recounting blends his personal journey with the
ins and outs of producing a Broadway show, especially what goes on backstage and in dressing rooms. It’s a fascinating, behind-the-scenes chronicle.
Almond harkens back to Cincinnati which, despite his Nebraska roots, he thinks of as his artistic hometown. “I love the people there and the audiences. I loved working with Lynn Meyers at Ensemble Theatre; she shaped me.” It surely laid a foundation for his striking performance in Girl from the North Country. How he and his book should be categorized is immaterial. It’s one that theater fans should read.
Slow Train Coming: Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country and Broadway’s Rebirth by Todd Almond can be purchased by visiting bloomsbury.com.
Todd Almond PHOTO: ATISHA PAULSON
CULTURE
TYellow Springs Film Festival Returns with an Extra-Special Spring Mini-Fest
BY BRENT STROUD
he Yellow Springs Film Festival debuted in the fall of 2023, introducing a spring Mini-Fest as a midpoint between annual events. Every event they’ve hosted since has been met with acclaim and enthusiastic audiences responding to carefully curated programming of films fresh on the festival circuit. The festival also features Q&As with the filmmakers as well as special guest appearances and performers such as Fred Armisen, WuTang Clan’s Raekwon, comedian Reggie Watts and director Jim Jarmusch, to name a few.
This year’s edition of the Mini-Fest is a little different, stretching over two days and branching out to downtown Dayton for a special appearance from beloved writer, director and underground icon, the “Pope of Trash” himself, John Waters.
Waters will present a 25th anniversary showing of his 2000 Cannes Official Selection film, Cecil B. Demented, on the first day of the Mini-Fest, April 17, followed by a Q&A at partnering Dayton venue The Brightside Music and Event Venue, presented in partnership with the Berry Family Foundation.
The showing will match some of the criteria for what Waters tells CityBeat is his favorite way to see a movie: “At a private screening in a theater arranged by a distributor of a weirdo, foreign, feel-bad movie that I might put on my annual Ten Best List.”
It will be a private screening for festivalgoers lucky enough to get a ticket — the appearance sold out weeks ago shortly after being announced, and it fits nicely in the weird category too. The film, starring Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, a young Maggie Gyllenhaal, Waters and regulars also known as the Dreamlanders (Mink Stole, Patty Hearst and Ricki Lake), is about a crew of sex-obsessed mainstream moviehating terrorist filmmakers known as the “Sprocket Holes” who kidnap an A-list star and force her to act in their guerilla-style movie, all at gunpoint. Lines blur and a type of Stockholm syndrome sets in that mirrors film actress and Waters’ friend Patty Hearst’s wellreported real-life experience decades before.
The always opinionated Waters tells CityBeat who the terrorist group in Cecil B. Demented would likely go after these days: “Any characters based on a video game.”
Yellow Springs Film Festival founder and director Eric Mahoney (Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero, Joan Baez:
Rebel Icon), who was just recently called upon to moderate a Q&A with actor Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Mud, Nocturnal Animals) for a screening of the actor’s directorial debut, talks about the excitement surrounding Waters’ appearance, which has been in the works for some time. “I think there’s a lot of enthusiasm about bringing him to town and then having that conversation with a really iconic, independent artist like that.”
The second part of the special twoday Mini-Fest returns to Yellow Springs the next day, April 18, at the village’s historic Little Art Theatre. “Then we kind of wanted to balance that with a little bit more local-centric programming the next day, bringing it back to Yellow Springs, doing two different events,” Mahoney says.
The first event of day two will be a short film program starting at 5 p.m. at the Little Art Theatre featuring all Ohiobased filmmakers and creators that includes Chasers, a film that recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The program will also feature most of the filmmakers on hand for a Q&A. “Lots of Ohio-based and/or native artists that are doing really interesting work in narrative, animated and documentary style will all be in the mix for that,” Mahoney says.
trying to do as much of that with our screenings this year as possible.”
The festival has been bringing a lot of notable figures who might not otherwise appear in the region to perform and/or speak for festival audiences, but Mahoney wants to make sure new and up-and-coming creators are getting visibility, as well. “Also, we wanna lean into being as diverse as possible and show younger filmmakers’ work,” Mahoney says. He compares it to a balance of celebrating the known and unknown, giving the region a chance to connect with cult icons like Waters or Jarmusch, as well as giving newer filmmakers a platform.
The second part of day two will include a special showing and local premiere of another film, the featurelength documentary Seeds, which won the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The film will play at 8 p.m., following the shorts program, also at the Little Art Theatre. Seeds director Brittany Shyne, a Dayton resident, will be on hand for the showing.
“So, it all kind of comes back to that kind of local connectivity, as well,” Mahoney says. “[Shyne] lives just kind of down the street, so it’s really amazing to get to celebrate her work and show that film to the local community and be able to show that film right out of Sundance and she’ll be on hand to do a Q&A. We’ll be able to kind of chat with all the filmmakers and have a really nice two-day offering that goes from really iconic filmmakers to nowup-and-coming, interesting Ohiobased artists.”
Many of the festival’s past screenings have featured appearances and talks from filmmakers but Mahoney says the hope is to do even more. On the importance of that type of interaction, Mahony says, “It really, really adds a lot to the experience. People get to hear from the filmmakers and artists and ask them questions. We’re really
With Cincinnati recently being passed over as a future location for the Sundance Film Festival, Mahoney, who sat in on the Cincinnati Film Commission panel for Sundance and has been to the festival, says he thinks the city would have been a perfect fit. Of the possible reasons for the loss, he says, “It might have been slightly too big of a leap, maybe culturally or geographically for them. They wanna keep it a West Coast, mountain kind of vibe; maybe that’s what some of that had to do with. I don’t know, but my hat’s off to Cincy — they did a wonderful pitch and I certainly think that city is worthy of a top-tier film festival.”
Maybe the loss of an established major festival opens the door for a regional festival of our own to grow into something truly special. When asked about this possibility, Mahoney tells CityBeat, “We’re still very much in our infancy here, and I think we’re just trying to grow this festival very carefully and methodically and I think that, certainly, we would love nothing more than to kind of grow into a very culturally significant arts festival over the years. So, if we can provide that service for Southwestern Ohio and the Midwest and bring to the table a new arts festival that has really exciting programming that people are excited to learn about and come visit for the first time and continue to grow, I’m very, very interested in doing that and being a part of the film and arts community and doing what we can to enhance the visibility of the Midwest as a player in the arts scene.”
The Yellow Springs Film Festival Mini-Fest takes place April 17 and 18. The main festival will return for its third year on Oct. 2-5 with programming and special guests to be announced. More info: ysfilmfest.com.
John Waters PHOTO: GREG GORMAN
FOOD & DRINK
Marigolds Bloom Where Others
Fade
Crown Restaurant Group’s newest restaurant, Marigold, is unlike any other concept they’ve created.
BY SAMI STEWART
Crown Restaurant Group (CRG) celebrated the grand opening of their eighth concept, Marigold, in February. Its concept takes a page out of the London desi pub’s book, serving the beloved London curries and adapted Indian dishes that the UK has grown to know, love and seek out above most other cuisines. Marigold’s menu features British classics like Scotch eggs and pot pies elevated with flavors from India, London curries accompanied by sourdough naan and saffron rice, and so much more.
CRG co-owners, Anthony and Haley Sitek, say that Marigold is unlike any of their other concepts, and it wasn’t plan A for the space. They had originally planned to move Crown Cantina into that space, but Mi Cozumel opened at Fountain Square over the summer, and they realized that the block was saturated with Mexican concepts. “Nada is two blocks away. Mi Cozumel is one block away. Chipotle is down the street. You’re gonna talk about four Mexican restaurants in two Cincinnati blocks. That’s not going to
work,” Anthony says.
The idea of a British-Indian restaurant had been bopping around Anthony and Haley’s minds for a while. They knew it was a fresh concept for Cincinnati and a departure from CRG’s other concepts. Once they set their mind to it, Anthony says the process didn’t take long to get off the ground. “[Marigold chef Megan Yung] was the last piece of the puzzle,” Anthony says. “Bringing in her knowledge of the cuisine, her experience in general and letting what she does shine was pretty freaking awesome. It all happened in eight months, too.”
Not only does Yung have chops as a chef, but she’s intimately familiar with the UK’s cuisine. She’s a Northern Kentucky native who studied culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in London. There, she fell in love with London’s Indian food scene. “The neighborhood I lived in was specifically a Bangladeshi neighborhood, so there were a lot of curry houses, a lot of stuff I really hadn’t been exposed to,” Yung says. “Getting to know friends from different parts of the UK, I came to learn that curry is just as much of an English dish to them as it is Indian. It’s comforting like spaghetti and meatballs, and it’s become entrenched in their culture.”
As the executive chef of Marigold,
she’s perfectly poised to bring Marigold’s concept to life. Her lived experience combined with her impressive resume and her deep love of English food brought us the incredible menu at Marigold. “Megan is really who brought the menu to life,” Haley says. “When we started doing menu tastings, I was honestly concerned that we weren’t hitting the mark. I didn’t think we were doing it justice, and then we found Megan.”
Prior to opening Marigold, Yung was making herself a simple lunch one day — roast chicken — when Anthony came in, tried it and said, “that’s going on the menu. It’s that beauty in the simplicity of how she cooks and how she executes. It’s amazing,” Haley says. “And not only was her food hitting, it was her personality. She’s everything that I think Marigold represents, and I am more excited about the food with Megan behind it.”
The menu leans more toward British cuisine with smatterings of Indian flavors throughout, like the chicken liver mousse that’s served with pistachio dukkah, curried onions and sourdough naan to mop up the dregs. Or the double cut pork chop (a shared favorite of Anthony and Megan’s) that’s accompanied by a prune and pepper chutney. They feature a trio of curries, Malabar shrimp, butter chicken,
and korma chickpea and squash, which are London curries, specifically.
“The best way to describe them is that they have the same flavor profile [as Indian curries], but the richness is up to the max,” Yung says. “They’re also a bit sweeter to accommodate British sensibilities, but I think that’s actually perfect for Cincinnati. I know a lot of people didn’t grow up eating it, or don’t have a lot of experience with Indian curry, and they’re kind of intimidated and aren’t sure, and [London curries are] the perfect kind of bridge into it.”
This approach to the menu reflects Yung’s experience living in the UK, where there are pockets of culture throughout the country. “There’s a huge group of Indians and people from other areas in Southeast Asia living in London and all the parts of Great Britain. It’s actually kind of interesting to see where people from certain parts of India ended up in certain parts of the UK. In Birmingham, it’s more Balti, and where I was there was more Bangladeshi culture. It comes from a difficult situation, but now it’s just part of the culture in the UK, and it really is celebrated,” Yung says.
She mentions having a few Indian families enjoying a meal at Marigold since it opened, one in particular passing along their thanks. “They said they were really excited to see their culture and their food presented in something other than a takeout container, and I thought that was really nice,” Yung says.
Marigold is held down by a primarily women-led team, something that’s reflected in Marigold’s branding. Take the name — Marigold was once a common name for girls and women in the UK, but it’s also the flower that throws a wash of yellowish-orange onto Indian weddings and rests on the heads of celebrated women as a crown, a nod to both the UK’s monarchical society and the restaurant group’s name.
Throughout the restaurant, you’ll find warm yet sophisticated elements that pull in the UK as well as the boldly colored mural invoking Indian elements. “And then you have Rosie, which is the name of all of our murals in our restaurants,” Haley says. In Losanti, the Rosie mural takes up a whole wall. At Rosie’s Italian, she’s brandishing a martini glass. Marigold’s Rosie, designed by Chicago-based muralist Jenny Vyas, is hard to miss. She dons a crown and flowing red hair studded with marigolds, anchoring the two cultures together and paying homage to Haley’s red hair and childhood nickname, Rosie, as well as the Cincinnati Reds’ mascot.
“I’m proud to be from Cincinnati, and we’re proud to be raising our family here,” Haley says. “[In our restaurants], we’re trying to own that, and to represent Cincinnati as best as we can.”
Marigold, 60 W. Fifth St., Downtown. More info: marigoldcincy.com
Throughout the restaurant, you’ll find warm yet sophisticated elements that pull in the UK
PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER
An assortment of salads from Marigold
PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER
MUSIC
It’s Bootsy, Baby
Music legend, pop culture icon and Cincinnati’s favorite son Bootsy Collins is back with a new record, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer.
BY BRENT STROUD
From his early days pioneering funk in Cincinnati clubs alongside his brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins, to becoming part of James Brown’s iconic backing band The J.B.’s, Bootsy Collins has been shaping music history for decades. His influence deepened through his boundary-pushing work with Parliament-Funkadelic and his own group, Bootsy’s Rubber Band — both of which helped evolve the sound of funk and laid the groundwork for future generations of musical artists. Collins’ instantly recognizable voice has also graced hits like Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In the Heart” (1990) and Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” (2000), cementing his presence in pop culture. Beyond his musical innovation, Collins’ larger-thanlife persona — from his star-shaped sunglasses and glittering space suits to his custom star bass — became a signature style all its own. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and ranked No. 4 on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest bass players of all time.
Collins tells CityBeat about his early days in Cincinnati clubs. “You had The Gold Lounge, Mr. Pitifuls; you had The Playboy, not the fancy Playboy, you had The Playboy, the rathole Playboy,” Collins says with a laugh. “That’s the first gig I ever had. Mr. B’s, Skipper’s. I mean, they had so many clubs, man, and it kept us working.” Collins and his brother’s band, The Pacemakers, played four or five nights a week around the city and across the river in the ‘60s. “So, it was a great time for musicians,” Collins says. It was at one of those clubs where the Collins brothers were noticed and found their way to King Records, the legendary local record label and studio that was very much on their minds. They were fans of Brown and the music coming from King. “Over at King Records, you know, we always wanted to get in there and see him and they wouldn’t let nobody in, you know, so, until we earned
it, we earned our way to get in there with the A&R guy Charles Spurling,” Collins says. “He came to see us at a club, The Viking Club. The Viking Club was on Vine Street and he came to see us and wanted us to come over to King Records to record some of his stuff because he was a writer and an artist, as well. So, that’s how we got in the door.”
Collins went back to King for part of the new record; the drum track played by Daru Jones, a drummer who has previously worked with Jack White, on “The JB’s Tribute Pastor P” was recorded in what was the old studio space. “We wanted to go over there and get some of that vibe, you know, because I recorded a lot of stuff over there. I hadn’t been over there since, so to see it and be a part of it coming back to life is like, man, it was a beautiful honor,” Collins says.
Recording at King brought the Collins brothers to the attention of Brown when they became his new backing band, the J.B.’s, in 1970. They went on to tour and record with Brown, playing on influential recordings like “Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine” and “Super Bad.”
After less than a year with the band, the brothers quit and formed a new group, House Guests, documented by the 2019 archival release My Mind Set Me Free from Shake It Records, continuing their expanding power and groove before joining the George Clinton collective, Parliament-Funkadelic, in 1972.
Collins talks about the difference between working with Brown and Clinton. “Yeah, JB was more, you know, you gotta get in this groove and you gotta hold that groove and it was really a good time for timing and playing a groove and staying with it. With George, I got a chance to get loose and freed up and play what I actually, really felt, you know, and getting a chance to write stuff, do a track. You didn’t do that with James. You came up with parts and he would say he’s glad he thought of it,” Collins says, laughing.
Collins was able to stretch out and create with Clinton, earning writing credits. “We learned as we continued to grow. I started learning more about it when I was with George. And that’s where I started to find out that, ‘Oh, okay, this is a part of it. You mean just because I did the riff, I came up with a few keyboard ideas, I get writers?’ I mean, yeah. So, that’s when I started learning the difference and, you know, ‘Oh, you can really be a part of this thing.’”
Collins’ new album, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer, released on April 11, features all the trademark charm of Collins’ work over the years — the larger-thanlife, spaced-out futuristic production, the rap before rap turns of phrase, the tidal wave of bass-driven groove. It feels, at once, like a lost Rubber Band recording and something altogether new. His career is highlighted by notable collaborations and the new work
continues that spirit. The album features appearances from Snoop Dogg, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Wiz Khalifa, among others.
“Those are some of the best times,” Collins says of collaborating with other artists. “Just working with other people, you learn a lot of stuff. Just being able to feel what each other is feeling, you know, is kind of like a miracle, to me. It allows you to grow, to continue to grow.”
Always looking forward, Collins even experimented with controversial artificial intelligence technology for the album track “I.Am.A.I.” “Well, I actually noticed that not only that it’s coming, it’s here already, but it’s coming in a big way,” Collins says of AI. “I just love to be a part of the new stuff, stuff that I know that you can’t stop. That idea is just so woven into our future, that no matter how much you dislike it, it’s coming anyway. So I said, ‘I just might as well write a song about it,’ you know? I got a chance to kind of combine a few things, old technology and new technology, and it just felt right.”
On his production style, Collins says, “I’m always listening for sounds, and when they come to me in my head, I try to find something that is similar or as close to it as possible. For me, it’s not just the plain sound of the guitar, although there are songs that rely on just plain acoustic sounds, which is great, you know, which is great. I dig it all, but when I hear these different sounds in my head I try to go after it. And I just feel like people want to get away a lot of times, instead of just the norm. Anybody can plug and play, you know, but you give them more than what they’re funking for, you know?”
Collins also recognizes the important of delivering a truly unique and authentic experience to listeners.
“That to me has always been a thing we’ve always done,” Collins says. “Just realizing it is a whole other thing. So, it’s a good feeling, it just makes you feel good to be able to take ‘em higher, you know? All of that is what I grew up on and grew up in — taking people higher
— and you can do that with the vibrations of music and sound and bring peace and love…So, yeah, I wanted to put some of that in the album. It’s like, you know, we all need it.”
Collins defines funk as something that makes us all equal and, maybe, all things possible. “Funk is making something out of nothing,” he says.
Having some fun with it, he also describes it as a great equalizer. “You can’t get around it because funk was here before we were. We just found out that, okay? We were born between an ass and a peehole. So, how you gonna not be funky?” he says, laughing. “I mean, people go around acting like they’re all this and all that, like they didn’t come through a butthole and a peehole, you know — everybody did. So, that to me just tells me the whole story. Like, no matter what you say, I know the real deal and not the deal-dough.”
It’s in that spirit that he decided on the name for the record, taking power over the situation and having a little fun with it. “The main thing is, the reason I called it Album of the Year #1 Funkateer is because of personal rejections,” he says with a laugh. “You know, people always get rejected. It’s like, ‘You giving that mug a Grammy? Oh,’ you know? It’s like, being rejected so much, it’s funny. So, I said to myself, ‘Just give yourself a Grammy.’ Even if you don’t get no accolades, it’s still cool. Just have fun with it. That’s my part of having fun with it, is to give them more than what they’re funking for.” Collins will make a handful of appearances at record stores in different cities this month for the record release, and will be honored at Motown’s 66th anniversary in August in addition to a “Funk Not Fight” rally as part of the Bootsy Collins Foundation he shares with his wife, Patti Collins, that aims to end violence in communities and schools around the country.
For more information about Bootsy Collins and to listen to his new album, visit bootsycollins.com.
Bootsy Collins PHOTO: JOSEPH ROSS
SOUND ADVICE
BRIGHT EYES
April 23 • MegaCorp Pavilion
Touring behind 2024’s Five Dice, All Threes, Omaha natives Bright Eyes are coming to the Queen City. After laying low for a few years, lead singer and principal songwriter Conor Oberst has released a steady stream of new music, beginning with collaborative sessions alongside fellow songwriter Phoebe Bridgers that resulted in 2019’s selftitled Better Oblivion Community Center. That record was quickly followed by what became Bright Eyes’ tenth album, 2020’s Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was Bright Eyes’ music has since strayed from their earlier, folky beginnings. Those looking for the emotional bloodletting of classic songs like Fevers and Mirrors’ “Haligh, Haligh, a Lie, Haligh,” may be surprised to hear a song like “Bells and Whistles,” the opening track to Five Dice, All Threes. Major chords, whistling, jaunty glockenspiel and tambourine replace the lo-fi, hushed intimacy that those of us who grew up in the early 2000s, as Bright Eyes was gaining attention, have come to expect. Oberst said as much himself in an interview with NME for 2011’s The People’s Key, a notable departure from their previous aesthetic, stating that, for him, that particular sound had begun to “(wear) a little thin,” and that they instead decided to pursue
simply titled “Hate.” Like John Lennon’s “God’ from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Oberst sets out to kill sacred cows, from Jesus and Muhammad to an “LA shaman,” and the annoying necessity of small talk. It’s a powerful indictment of religious hypocrites and political figures while also an impassioned plea for something real, something more than the “artificial poets” that swarm the airwaves. After nearly thirty years of making music, Bright Eyes has proven time and again that there is nothing artificial about them; they’re the real thing.
Bright Eyes plays MegaCorp Pavilion on April 23 at 6 p.m. More Info: promowestlive.com. (Derek Kalback)
BETH HART
April 29 • Andrew J Brady Music Center
one that aimed to be “rocking, and, for lack of a better term, contemporary, or modern.”
But while they have evolved sonically, what remains is Oberst’s lyrical gifts. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Oberst is one of a handful of our generation’s greatest lyricists. A standout track from Five Dice, All Threes is one
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Beth Hart is bringing her gritty blues rock to Cincinnati. Ever since her second album, 1999’s Screamin’ for My Supper, Beth Hart has built a career on her ability to blend soulful vocals and emotive songwriting with hard rock angst and a confident swagger that is clear to anyone who has had the pleasure of witnessing her perform live. A comparison could be made to Janis Joplin, who Hart even performed as in the lead role in the Off-Broadway musical Love, Janis. Hart resists being pigeonholed to one style only. Her first hit single, “LA Song (Out of This Town),” is a case in point. It has more in common with contemporary singers of that era like Alanis Morissette than traditional blues, with soft synths and programmed drums setting the stage
for a tale of a wayward woman making her way in the City of Angels. Hart’s trademark storytelling, much of which contains autobiographical elements, has been present from the start. Hart has been candid in the past about her difficult upbringing and struggles with drugs and alcohol, resulting in her being dropped by her record label, Atlantic Records, in the early 2000s. References to her former drug use can be heard in songs such as “Like You,” where she sings, “Talked to the pain/It’s been here forever/The drugs make me sane/But they don’t make me better.” Thankfully, Hart managed to put her past behind her and rebuilt her career with the release of the 2002 album Leave the Light On. This was followed by her critically-acclaimed live album Live at Paradiso, a record that secured her a place in the pantheon of powerhouse performers.
These days, Hart stays busy, touring Europe and the States and collaborating with artists such as Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and blues guitarist virtuoso and songwriter Joe Bonnamassa, who said of Hart after performing with her at the Blue Balls Festival in Switzerland: “I was totally knocked out by Beth. Here’s this lady who’s acting like I’m the cool one, and meanwhile I’m thinking, ‘Man, she’s got it all.’ She’s the new Janis Joplin, Tina Turner — the real deal, you know?” Take Joe’s word for it and treat yourself to an unforgettable performance by a singer considered by many of her peers to be one of our very best.
Beth Hart plays the Andrew J Brady Music Center on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. More info: bradymusiccenter.com. (DK)
Beth Hart
PHOTO: MONA NORDØY
Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes
PHOTO: TONY BONACCI
TOMMY PRINE
May 16 • Southgate House Revival
After a long wait, Tommy Prine is back in the Cincinnati area. Originally scheduled to swing through the Queen City back in January, one of the many snowstorms that struck the area this winter canceled his original show. Prine, a youthful 29 years old, and, of course, son of legendary folk musician John Prine, will be taking the main stage at the beautiful Southgate House Revival.
Prine’s folk influence came from much of what his father produced in his storied music career, but Prine has been known to credit Bon Iver and The Strokes for much of his musical curiosity as well.
After spending time traveling across the country, opening up for the likes of Jason Isbell and Tyler Childers, Prine has been doing much of the touring recently on his own headlining shows with his band behind him. Prine had always taken bits and pieces of influence from his father as his childhood went on, but it wasn’t until his father passed away in 2020 that he decided to pursue a full-time music career. It took three years from that point for Prine to put together what would be his debut album, This Far South.
The success coming off this debut album slated Prine as one of the hot new commodities in folk music, encouraging his release of the deluxe version of the album in 2024, adding to his strong portfolio of thoughtful music. Prine has come a long way since his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville back in 2023, not forgetting the influence that his father had on him, whilst also creating his own sound, very independent from his
father’s music. Slated for a fun Friday night in Newport, this will be the perfect show to welcome the summer season.
Tommy Prine plays the Southgate House Revival on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. More info: southgatehouse.com. (Evan Shibel)
Tommy Prine
PHOTO: PHIL CLARKIN PHOTOGRAPHY
THEMELESS CHALLENGER
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
Across
1. “Lupin” star ___ Sy
5. One on the horse
9. Energy
14. Singh (Pip’s boyfriend in “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder”)
15. Storage cylinder
16. Fish served in kabayaki
17. Objets d’art
19. Bend below one’s sink
20. Lesley who won the 2013 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television
21. Calligrapher’s holders
23. Simpson in the “Old Man Yells At Cloud” meme
25. Hold back
26. Graceful birds
29. First stage in the Kübler-Ross stages of grief
32. Ideal place to play street hockey
34. Drooping eyelid, medically
36. “The Ocean State” sch.
37. What an andiron holds
39. Shit shingle
40. Cancer is a part of it
44. Showman who supposedly said “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”
48. Nissan compact
50. Some Lumon employees off the severed floor in “Severance”
51. Not moving
53. One of the “Little Women”
54. They might hold pipettes, bunsen burners and a balance
58. With one’s mouth wide-open
62. Composer Albéniz
63. Arctic chicken-like bird
65. Oscar-winner for “The King’s Speech”
66. Hold the throne
67. Dweeb
68. Woman’s name that means “star”
69. Oil-producing overseers: Abbr.
70. Fully groks
Down
1. Royal circles
2. Place to shop
3. Sneaker brand
4. “Boyhood” director Linklater
5. Kind of computer port
6. She answers a lot of iPhone calls
7. African spiral-horned antelope
8. Gently moved a cradle
9. Camper’s spot
10. Hamilton’s home
11. Raise red flags
12. “That sounds bad, old chap”
13. Jeans problem
18. “Three Tall Women” playwright
22. Put one’s foot down?
24. Interplanetary visitors, for short
26. Currencies with an architectural theme on its notes
27. Move effortlessly
28. “Erie Canal” mule
30. Joined at the hip
31. “Peanuts” character with a secuity blanket
32. “___ I says so”
33. Case worker?
35. “Mr. Robot” creator Esmail
38. Sporty Pontiac
41. Cheaper tuition category
42. Embassy aide
43. Cheater’s paper
45. Freeloader
46. Best-of-the-best crew
47. Ropes on a boat
49. Elite, in the NFL
52. Back off
54. Run on sentence?
55. “WYSIWYG”
56. Boston : T :: San Francisco :
57. Saving time?
59. “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” coauthor James
60. Hair line?
61. Concludes
64. Word with hall, room, or center
LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:
