⚡ Lightning Struck East Market On Sunday Night

Plus: 🍴 After 38 Years, This Whitehall Restaurant Is Closing

Author

Chelsea Wiley
March 24, 2026

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Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. Discover the events that bring our community together and experience art made authentically. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Hello, Tuesday! Chelsea, here.

I still can’t believe how intense those storms were on Sunday night. The hail was one thing, but that lightning and thunder? Absolutely fearsome. One lightning strike even hit East Market, sparking a fire in the historic building. Here’s what we know about how bad the damages were and when the market will reopen.

🍴 After 38 Years, This Cafeteria-Style Restaurant In Whitehall Is Closing
If you’ve ever felt weirdly emotional about cafeteria food, this one might hit you. MCL Restaurant & Bakery is closing after nearly four decades, marking the end of an era for comfort food, pie slices, and a very specific kind of Midwest nostalgia.

🌳 ODNR Considers Renaming Charles O. Trump Wildlife Preserve
A small wildlife preserve south of Columbus is suddenly at the center of a much bigger conversation. A proposal to shorten the name of Charles O. Trump Wildlife Preserve has people debating whether the change could come across as political, even if that’s not the intent.

Headlines 📰 

✈️ Columbus travelers, heads up: it’s still unclear if ICE agents will be joining TSA at the airport. Officials aren’t commenting, but don’t forget, TSA staff are showing up despite the partial DHS shutdown. (Axios Columbus)

P.S. Don’t forget that you can check TSA wait times here.

🏋️‍♀️ CrossFit isn’t just for gym-goers. At Ohio’s juvenile correctional facilities, the Expanding Horizons program uses high-intensity workouts to teach teens teamwork, resilience, and discipline while supporting mental health and reducing recidivism. (WOSU)

👗 Glamazon Jayne is a little downtown shop with a big heart. From glittery clothes to shoes and accessories in all sizes, it’s a place where transgender women and the LGBTQ+ community can feel seen, celebrated, and safe in a place they can find pieces that bring joy. (Columbus Monthly)

☀️ Weather: 51 and sunny

Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council 🖼️
Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. Discover the events that bring our community together and experience art made authentically. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Coming Up This Week 📆

Coming Up This Month 📆

🏒 The Best Things To Do This March In Columbus

March is well underway, and it’s jam packed. You can cheer on the Crew and the Blue Jackets, catch a play, enjoy an evening at the symphony, and more. Get out there and make the most of March, my friends.

Today's Photo 🤳

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😍 Wildflowers are blooming at Blacklick Woods Metro Park, and so many other parks across the city. Where is your favorite spot to stop and enjoy the flowers?

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- Chelsea