HEAT WAVE
Central Ohio is bracing for a heat wave.
National Weather Service Meteorologist John Franks said drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. If you plan to be outside wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing, and try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.
COOLING CENTER
The Licking County Cooling Center will be open from 9:30am-6:00pm, today, Wednesday and Thursday to help folks stay cool and beat the heat. The Cooling Center is located at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 592 West Main Street in Newark.
LANCASTER WOMAN CONVICTED ON SEX CHARGES
A Fairfield County jury has returned guilty verdicts in the case of a 38-year-old Lancaster woman accused of engaging in sex acts with an underage boy. Amanda Spain was convicted on three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in connection with incidents that occurred between April and July 2025. Spain will be sentenced at a later date.
NEWARK MAN IS HEADING TO PRISON
Calvin Jenkins, the Newark man who escaped from authorities for a short time earlier this year, was back before a judge. Jenkins, 21, entered a guilty plea to one charge of escape and was sentenced to six months in prison. In April, Jenkins was in municipal court for a scheduled hearing and while walking back to a sheriff's cruiser took off. He was apprehended less than an hour later.
FIRE AT OWENS CORNING
Multiple fire departments were dispatched to Owens Corning on Case Avenue in Newark Monday morning for two separate furnace fires. The first calls came in shortly after 10:30 a.m. and the fire was quickly upgraded to a two-alarm fire. The fires were contained in about thirty minutes. No injuries were reported.
SNAP BENEFITS
Legal aid groups across Ohio say federal SNAP cuts are already reducing participation and benefits. Joshua Goodwin, with the Legal Aid Society of Southeast and Central Ohio, says it’s becoming more difficult to access SNAP because the paperwork requirements have increased dramatically.
In the fall, other federal changes will go into effect that could limit SNAP access.