60 Degrees Last Night, Now It Feels Like 10

Top of Mind

Columbus Has a Fix-It Button. It’s Called 311.

That pothole you’ve been swerving around since April?
The streetlight that’s been out long enough to develop lore?
The mystery couch that’s been living on your block rent-free?

Columbus actually has a fix-it button for that. And no, it’s not yelling into the void on social media. It’s 311.

What 311 Actually Is

311 is Columbus’s non-emergency service line. It exists for the everyday problems that make city living feel like an obstacle course, but don’t require police, fire, or anyone arriving with sirens.

Think of it as customer service for the city you already pay for.

You can reach it by dialing 311, calling 614-645-3111, or submitting a request online or through the city’s app.

What You Can Report?

311 is designed for issues like:

• Potholes that are actively winning
  

• Dead streetlights
  

• Illegal dumping and overflowing dumpsters
  

• Abandoned vehicles
  

• Graffiti
  

• Broken sidewalks or curbs
  

• Missed trash or recycling pickup
  

• Yard waste issues
  

• Street signage problems

If it’s broken, abandoned, unsafe, or clearly the city’s responsibility, it probably belongs here.

What 311 Is Not For

Important expectations to set:

311 will not:

• Mediate neighbor disputes
  

• Handle emergencies
  

• Settle parking grudges
  

• Explain why traffic cones have become legally binding in some neighborhoods
  

If someone is in danger, call 911.
If something is annoying, persistent, or slowly decaying in a public space, call 311.

Why It Actually Matters

Here’s the underrated part: 311 creates a paper trail.

Every request is logged, tracked, and routed to the appropriate department. Over time, those requests help the city identify repeat problems, prioritize repairs, and justify budget decisions.

Translation: complaining is fine. Complaining through 311 is how things actually get fixed.

Columbus processes tens of thousands of these requests every year, and patterns matter. Multiple reports about the same issue carry more weight than one very angry tweet.

How to Use It Without Overthinking It

• Be specific
  

• Add photos if you can
  

• Include exact locations
  

• Don’t assume someone else already reported it

The system works best when people actually use it.

311 won’t fix everything.
But if something is broken, abandoned, or clearly the city’s responsibility, this is how you stop yelling into the void and start leaving a paper trail.

And in Columbus, that alone puts you ahead of the game.

Next time something’s busted, don’t tweet it.
311 it. And while this isn't exactly the kind of eye contact and hospitality OSU dining staff were taught in the ’90s, it’s still service with a smile, even if it’s digital.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: Columbus’s 311 line averages 500,000 calls a year. How many is that per day?

A) 1328
B) 1347
C) 1392
D) 1369

Real Bad Weathers Here

By Tuesday, daytime highs in Ohio are expected to sit in the 20s and 30s, with colder air settling across the Upper Midwest, where temperatures could dip into the teens and single digits. Wind chills will make it feel colder, and lake-effect snow will once again be a factor for northern Ohio.

As if that weren’t enough, forecasters say a reinforcing shot of Arctic air could arrive around New Year’s, pulling colder air south from Canada. While this second wave isn’t expected to set record lows, it will keep temperatures well below seasonal comfort levels heading into early January.

Looking further ahead, the outlook is mixed. January is expected to continue this pattern of swings, brief cold snaps followed by milder stretches. February could actually trend warmer than average along the East Coast. Much of that depends on the behavior of the polar vortex, which is expected to strengthen early in the year, a setup that usually limits prolonged cold outbreaks but still allows short, intense ones.

The takeaway: Ohio isn’t heading into a historic deep freeze, but the next week will be a sharp reminder that winter still knows how to make an entrance.

Layer up, check your heating systems, and maybe don’t test how “brisk” that New Year’s walk really feels.

While The Rest of America Drops Balls. Elmore Drops Sausage

America Drops Balls. Elmore Drops a Sausage.

Across the country, New Year’s Eve follows a familiar script.
A crowd gathers.
A countdown starts.
Something large is lowered very slowly.

In Elmore, that something is an 18-foot illuminated bratwurst, suspended from a crane.

Yes. The Sausage Drop is happening again.

Where This Is Happening

Elmore sits just off the Ohio Turnpike near Toledo. Population: about 1,370.
Slogan: Time Well Spent Since 1851.

Tonight, the village is living up to it.

The Sausage

The glowing bratwurst is nearly 18 feet long, wrapped in lights, and lowered from a crane as the countdown hits zero. It’s organized by the Elmore Historical Society and honors Tank's Meats, a longtime local butcher shop that has donated time, food, and support to the community for years.

Instead of a plaque or proclamation, Elmore chose a floating sausage.

Correct decision.

What’s Happens on NYE in Elmore

This is not just a drop. It’s an evening.

Bingo.
Fireworks.
A sausage-eating contest that escalates faster than anyone plans for.

In previous years, competitors have consumed multiple sausages in minutes. Pride was high. Regret followed quickly.

At 6 p.m., the sausage descends. Fireworks follow. The New Year begins.

Why People Show Up

Because it’s early.
Because it’s family-friendly.
Because no one has to drive home at midnight.

Because sometimes a town just decides to do something strange together and sticks with it.

No sponsors chasing national attention.
Just neighbors, a crane, and a very confident sausage.

New York drops a ball.
Elmore drops meat.

And every year, somehow, that feels exactly right.

Time well spent.

Trivia Answer:

D) 1369… Okay, techinically its 1369.86, so you should round up, but that’s not what this is all about, is it!