oh oh oh olympicsss

Top of Mind

Ohio Athletes Take on the Paris 2024 Olympics…

Brace yourself, Paris — Ohio is crashing your party. The 2024 Paris Olympics are underway, and as the French capital becomes the ultimate sports playground, we’re rooting for our local heroes who have made it to the world’s biggest stage.

With 13 Ohio-born athletes (and a few more who’ve wisely decided to call Ohio home) among the 10,500 competitors, we’re not just watching; we’re making a statement. From July 26 to August 11, Paris is hosting a spectacle of epic proportions, complete with 350,000 hours of TV broadcast (none of which you’ll be able to see at TownHall or any other Bobby George establishment…) Our Ohioans are ready to show the world how we do it!

Whether it’s lifting heavy objects, swimming quickly, or leaping over poles, we'll be here, proudly cheering on our own, making some serious waves.

Ohio’s Olympic Athletes To Watch:

• Joe Kovacs (Shot Put): Currently throwing heavy things around in Columbus, Kovacs has two Olympic silver medals and is gunning for gold this time. Don’t miss the shot put qualifiers today at 2 p.m. ET—where he’ll look to launch his way to the finals and maybe add a third medal to his collection.

• Hunter Armstrong (Swimming): Former Ohio State swimmer Armstrong secured a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, July 27th as part of the U.S. 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. His blistering 46.75-second split in the third leg helped Team USA clinch their first gold medal of the Games. Armstrong’s performance is a shining example of Buckeye's excellence on the world stage.

• Katie Moon (Pole Vault): Olmstead Falls’ own Olympic reigning champ from Tokyo 2021. The pole vault qualifiers are on Monday, August 5, with the finals scheduled for August 7. She’s here to prove that what goes up must come down—with a medal.

• LeBron James (Basketball): Akron’s favorite son is back for his fourth Olympics. With two golds and a bronze already, King James is looking to add more royal jewels to his collection.

• Simone Biles (Gymnastics): The Columbus-born, Texas-raised star is eyeing four more medals with upcoming events in the individual all-around, vault, floor exercise (August 5), and balance beam (August 5). She’ll enhance her legendary status even further if she wins all four medals.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, how many gold medals have Ohio Olympians won in Summer Olympic events (excluding this year)?

A. 69
B. 48
C. 87
D. 101

In the News

Ohio’s Tax Holiday is Here!
No Sales Tax! Running from July 30 to August 8, This 10-day shopping spree allows you to buy what you need without giving a cent to the taxman (as long as the purchase is under $500…). It’s like a modern-day Boston Tea Party, minus the tea and rebellion.

A Little History: Why This Feels Like a Modern-Day Boston Tea Party

Ohio introduced its first sales-tax holiday in 2015, originally meant to lighten the load for back-to-school shoppers. What started as a modest relief for parents has evolved into a full-blown event, now lasting a full 10 days. It’s almost as if the state is daring you to buy more stuff.

This Year: Restaurants Get a Piece of the Pie

New this year: restaurant meals are included in the tax holiday. This twist aims to give the local dining scene a much-needed boost after some tough years. So, go ahead and enjoy a tax-free meal — just remember that alcohol isn’t included. Sales tax might be on vacation, but Uncle Sam still wants his cut of your booze.

Shop Online or In-Store: Your Choice

Prefer to shop from your couch? No problem. The tax holiday applies to online purchases too, as long as you hit "buy" before August 8. It’s a green light to fill your cart without that annoying tax line at checkout. Just don’t wait until after midnight on the 8th, or you’ll be back to paying full price.

Know Your Local Rates:

What Are You Really Saving?
Here’s a quick look at sales-tax rates around Central Ohio:

• Franklin County: 7.5%

• Delaware County: 7% (7.5% in parts of Columbus and Westerville)

• Licking County: 7.25% (7.75% in parts of Reynoldsburg)

• Fairfield County: 6.75% (7.25% in parts of Columbus and Reynoldsburg)

• Pickaway County: 7.25%

• Madison County: 7%

• Union County: 7% (7.5% in parts of Dublin)

So yes, you’re saving some real money—maybe not a fortune, but enough to feel like you’re sticking it to “the man.”

Another Local Medalist!

Noble Cut wins GOLD!

Our Friends over at @noblecut earned multiple medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Valentina’s Melon Basil and Cento Limoncellos soared to Silver medal wins while Melon Basil took home the esteemed Platinum medal, and the Cento Limoncello secured a Silver. Cheers to these award-winning spirits! You can head to the distillery here in Columbus and try them all. Click the link below to book a tour!

What else did they win?

Gold

GOLD MEDAL Noble Cut Distillery VoHio Vodka $9.16 --- Award Code: 1843

Silver

Cento Limoncello --- Award Code: 1845

Melon Basil Limoncello --- Award Code: 1846

Shiphouse Vodka --- Award Code: 1847

Manhattan --- Award Code: 83

Bronze

Limited Edition Limoncello --- Award Code: 1844

The Espresso Martini --- Award Code: 82

The Dirty Martini --- Award Code: 84

Trivia Answer

C. 62 (We’ve only taken 3 home from the Winter Olympics.)

Signing Off