2024 What A Doozy

Best of 2024

Most Chill Legislative Win: Recreational Marijuana Legalization
Ohio finally joined the cool kids this year, greenlighting recreational marijuana. Sure, it won’t fix potholes or lower rent, but at least now there’s a legal reason to stare at sunsets for hours on end.

Headline We’re Still Explaining to Outsiders: Matthew Pancake and His Gerbils
Ohio didn’t just lean into weird this year it swan dove. Leopard pajamas, gerbils down the pants, and a burglary spree that defied logic? Matthew Pancake, you’re the patron saint of “What just happened?”

Weather MVP: Tornadoes, Drought, and Corn Sweats
Ohio’s weather hit every extreme this year, from a record-breaking 73 tornadoes to a drought that made us consider landscaping with rocks. And then there was probably our favorite “The Corn Sweats” with the most quoted fun fact “One acre of corn can sweat anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water a day” Wild! 

Spam Call Generator of the Year: The Columbus Hack
If your phone didn’t ring nonstop this summer, were you even in Columbus? The city hack gave scammers free rein and left the rest of us dodging more numbers than a bad Tinder match.

Most Predictable Loss: Historic Landmarks vs. “Luxury” Apartments
2024 continued the Ohio tradition of replacing beloved landmarks with apartments that look like they were designed in Microsoft Paint. Rooftop pools are nice, but we’d trade them for a little charm and maybe a building that doesn’t scream “future parking lot.”

Wild Ride:
2024 was a fever dream of camels, chaos, and questionable decisions, but we made it through together laughing, sweating, and probably dodging at least one tornado. Thanks for sticking with us through it all. Here’s to 2025: fewer spam calls, hopefully more camels, and just the right amount of Ohio weirdness. Cheers! And here is the rest of the letter.

Top of Mind

Tornado Siren: Just Testing Your Heart Rate

If you woke up Saturday morning to a tornado siren blaring through northwest Columbus, no, you weren’t dreaming and no, it wasn’t a drill. At 6:30 a.m., residents in Columbus, Dublin, and Worthington got a rude awakening thanks to a rogue siren at Centennial High School’s football stadium. The siren blared for a solid half hour, reminding everyone that heart-pounding panic pairs terribly with half a cup of coffee.

In a year where Ohio has already endured a record-breaking 73 tornadoes, the irony wasn’t lost on anyone. Franklin County Emergency Management confirmed the siren had a technical malfunction because why wouldn’t the one piece of tornado equipment we trust decide to play pranks in December? Service crews will address the issue on Monday, so hopefully, it won’t take a morning encore to get it fixed.

For now, we can all rest easy knowing it was just a glitch or maybe a bored piece of equipment trying to see how fast it could clear a block. Either way here’s hoping the next unexpected noise we hear is just a neighbor’s leaf blower and not another false alarm.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: Since 1890, what was the hottest New Year’s Eve on record, with a high of 68 degrees?

A) 1951
B) 1965
C) 2010
D) 2018

Remembering Jimmy Carter: A President Who Never Lied

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Jimmy Carter, a man whose integrity and humility set a gold standard for public service. He lived to 100 years a remarkable milestone that made him the first U.S. president to reach the century mark. Fittingly, he was also the first U.S. president born in a hospital, proving from the start that he was destined to break the mold.

Carter entered the Oval Office in 1977 with a simple promise: “I will never lie to you.” And unlike so many promises made on the campaign trail, this one held true. It wasn’t always glamorous or easy, but Carter’s leadership was defined by honesty, restraint, and a deep commitment to doing what was right even when it was unpopular.

His achievements were quiet but monumental. He brokered the Camp David Accords, a landmark peace agreement between Egypt and Israel that reshaped the Middle East and earned him a Nobel Peace Prize decades later. At home, Carter established the Department of Energy and pushed for renewable energy before it was fashionable, installing solar panels on the White House as a symbol of what the future could and should be. (Reagan may have taken them down, but Carter’s foresight only shines brighter in hindsight.)

What truly sets Carter apart, though, is what he didn’t do. He didn’t start a single war. He didn’t drop a single bomb. In a political landscape where conflict is often seen as inevitable, Carter chose diplomacy and dialogue, proving that peace is always an option if you have the courage and patience to pursue it.

His post presidency life might be his greatest legacy of all. Carter didn’t fade into the background, so he rolled up his sleeves. He built homes for the homeless with Habitat for Humanity, tirelessly worked to eradicate Guinea worm disease, and became a global advocate for human rights. He was a leader who used every day of his life to serve others, long after the cameras stopped rolling.

Get Crackin’ at Kai’s Crab Boil: Perfect for Any Celebration

It’s messy work, but isn’t that what makes a celebration memorable? Whether you’re treating Mom on Mother’s Day, showing Dad you know what he really wants for Father’s Day, or gathering friends and family for any big occasion, Kai’s Crab Boil turns a meal into an experience. Between the customizable buckets, casual vibes, and overflowing paper towels, it’s the perfect spot to laugh, eat, and maybe compete to see who can crack the most crab legs.

Trivia Answer:

A) 1951 the coldest New Year’s Eve in Columbus was 1976 with a low of negative 5