Threat at the Zoo...

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A Scare at the Zoo

A Saturday trip to the Columbus Zoo turned into something much uglier this weekend after the park received what officials believe was a false active shooter and bomb threat.

The threat came in around 2:18 p.m. through a security dispatcher, prompting the zoo to evacuate guests and staff. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrived within about 10 minutes and swept the grounds. No suspicious items were found. Guests, staff, and animals were all safe.

So yes, the penguins are fine. The flamingos are fine. The humans, however, are once again stuck living in the era where a family trip to see gorillas can be interrupted by some anonymous coward with a phone.

Columbus Zoo President and CEO Tom Schmid said law enforcement found “no traces of any bombs of any kind,” and officials believe the incident was a swatting call, not a legitimate threat. Around 5,000 people had been at the zoo throughout the day.

The zoo stayed closed for the rest of Saturday, but employees were allowed back inside to care for the animals. It reopened Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and anyone who was there during the evacuation will receive free admission to come back another day. A rain check for giraffes is nice, even if the reason for needing one is completely absurd.

Columbus was not alone. Akron Zoo and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo were both evacuated Sunday after receiving similar false bomb and active shooter threats. Toledo Zoo was also reportedly targeted Friday, along with zoos and aquariums in other states, including Louisville and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Zoo officials said they had run a safety drill earlier in the week and another exercise Saturday morning because of the recent wave of threats across the country. That preparation helped the evacuation go smoothly, according to Schmid.

“This is part of life now around the country, around the world,” Schmid said, noting that threats like this are becoming more common.

And that may be the most depressing part of the whole thing. The Columbus Zoo handled the situation well. Law enforcement responded quickly. Everyone got out safely. The animals were cared for. The plan worked.

But the fact that there even has to be a plan for this at the zoo says a lot about where we are.

A place built for kids, school trips, animal lovers, and dads pointing confidently at meerkats while calling them prairie dogs became the latest target in a national swatting trend.

Thankfully, this one ended with no injuries, no explosives, and no real threat.

Just another reminder that the modern world has found a way to make even a zoo day feel slightly dystopian.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: While this week’s been cold, May 10, 1966, was the coldest May Day in Columbus history. How cold was it?

A. 43 degrees
B. 29 degrees
C. 25 degrees
D. 31 degrees

Meijer Wants Your Old Baby Gear, and Your Garage Probably Does Too

If you have an expired car seat sitting in your garage like a plastic monument to a past version of your life, Meijer has good news: it’s time to let it go.

From May 6 through May 19, Meijer is bringing back its Baby Gear Recycling Event for the third year in a row, giving families across the Midwest a chance to drop off used, expired, or damaged baby gear at participating stores.

That includes car seats, booster seats, strollers, and travel systems. Basically, if it once transported a baby and now lives in your basement collecting dust, this is its moment.

Since launching the program in 2024, Meijer says more than 30 tons of baby gear have been recycled, including nearly 18 tons during last spring’s event alone. That is a lot of old car seats avoiding the landfill, and probably a lot of parents finally reclaiming one corner of the garage.

Here’s how it works: bring eligible baby gear to the marked drop-off area near the customer service desk at your local Meijer. In return, you’ll get a special offer code in your mPerks account for 25% off one item in the Meijer baby department. The coupon can be redeemed from May 6 through June 2. Apparel is excluded!

Meijer says the event is part of its broader commitment to sustainability and community support. Corporate wording aside, this is one of those programs that actually makes practical sense. Baby gear expires, breaks, gets outgrown, or somehow multiplies in storage. Recycling it properly keeps bulky plastic and metal out of landfills while giving families a little help on whatever baby item they inevitably need next.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally get rid of that car seat from three growth spurts ago, this is it.

Your garage gets cleaner. The landfill gets spared. And somewhere, a stroller with one bad wheel finally gets to retire with dignity.

Ohio Hits May, Immediately Asks for a Jacket

May in Ohio is supposed to mean patios, flowers, and convincing yourself that a 68-degree day counts as “basically summer.” Instead, Columbus kicked off the month with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal, which is not spring. That is April filing a formal complaint.

According to meteorologist Aaron White, an upper-level low pressure system over eastern Canada pushed the jet stream farther south, dragging colder air into the Midwest and giving Ohio a truly uninspiring start to May. Highs across the state were stuck in the 40s and 50s Friday and Saturday, which is less “spring weekend” and more “forgotten February bonus round.”

It even got cold enough for snowflakes to mix in with rain in parts of northeast Ohio. Nothing says “Mother’s Day is coming” like wondering if your windshield scraper retired too early.

The average high for Columbus this time of year is around 70 degrees, so yes, if you felt personally betrayed by the weather, you were correct. Overnight lows also dipped near or below freezing in some spots, forcing gardeners across central Ohio into their annual panic sprint of covering plants with old bedsheets and hoping for the best.

The good news is this cold pattern is not expected to stick around forever. Warmer air returns Monday, with highs climbing into the mid-70s. The bad news, because this is Ohio and joy must be rationed, another storm system moves in Tuesday and brings more rain along with cooler air for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

By the weekend and into next week, the pattern should start to break down. But forecasters say it may take until the second or third week of May before central Ohio sees a more consistent stretch of highs in the 70s and 80s.

So basically, spring is here.

It’s just buffering.

North Market Is Turning 150, Which Is Basically Ancient in Restaurant Years

North Market Downtown is turning 150, and instead of quietly accepting a plaque and moving on, they’re throwing a full-on anniversary party.

The 150 Year Celebration: 150 Years Fresh is a special anniversary edition of North Market’s signature Apron Gala, bringing the historic market to life after hours for a chef-driven night of food, drinks, music, and very strong “Columbus actually has cool stuff” energy.

Guests will stroll through the market and enjoy exclusive bites and sips from North Market’s local merchants, plus fine wine, craft beer, specialty cocktails, and live entertainment. The night will also feature world-renowned producer and DJ RJD2, with Ryan Fey of The Grill Dads serving as master of ceremonies.

And because this is the Apron Gala, guests are encouraged to wear their most creative apron for a chance to win a prize. Finally, a formal event where looking like you’re about to aggressively prep onions is not only accepted, but encouraged.

The celebration is also a thank you to the community that has supported North Market for nearly 150 years, and to the independent merchants who continue to make it one of Columbus’ most important gathering places. Long before every neighborhood needed a “food hall concept,” North Market was already doing the real thing: local food, independent businesses, fresh ingredients, and a place where Columbus could actually bump into itself.

Proceeds from the event support North Market Downtown’s nonprofit mission to preserve and strengthen the market, nurture local entrepreneurship, champion independent businesses, and keep fresh food and meaningful experiences accessible to the community.

So yes, it’s a party. But it’s also a celebration of one of Columbus’ oldest and most beloved institutions.

150 years of local. 150 years of fresh. 150 years of North Market still being cooler than whatever “elevated dining concept” just opened in a former bank lobby.

C) 25 degrees (burrrr)