Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano announced that Hilliard homeowners with storm-damaged properties from the Aug. 10–11 severe weather may apply for a temporary reduction in assessed value, potentially lowering their real estate tax bills until repairs are complete.
Public Safety
Severe storms packing 82 mph winds struck Hilliard on Tuesday, Aug. 11, toppling trees at Britton Elementary and Cemetery Road, closing the Avery Road railroad crossing and leaving tens of thousands of Franklin County residents without power for what AEP Ohio says could be days.
Public Safety
Overnight storms knocked out power for more than 7,300 Franklin County customers by Tuesday morning, and the National Weather Service warns a potentially stronger round of severe weather with 60-plus mph wind gusts will hit the Hilliard area Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Public Safety
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office warned drivers Monday to watch for high water on Riverside Drive and Lane Road in Hilliard after storms dropped up to 2 inches of rain across Franklin County, with more rain forecast through midweek.
Public Safety
An unknown suspect fired multiple rounds from a moving vehicle on I-71 South near the I-270/Stringtown Road interchange on Monday, Aug. 10, striking two vehicles but injuring no one; the Franklin County Sheriff's Office is seeking witnesses and surveillance footage.
Public Safety
Hardy Parkway Street will close for approximately 30 days starting Aug. 17 as the $8.9 million Frank Road roundabout project shifts phases, with the closure landing two days before Hilliard City Schools students return for classes.
Public Safety
Alton Road between Alkire Road and O'Harra Road will close from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Monday, Aug. 10, for approximately 12 days of drainage maintenance by the Franklin County Engineer's Office.
Public Safety
A head-on collision on Alkire Road near Bausch Road on Thursday afternoon killed one driver and left another in critical condition, with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Crash Investigation Unit seeking witnesses.
Public Safety
Murnan Road between Kuhlwein Road and W. Broad Street reopened Thursday, Aug. 6, after a four-day drainage maintenance closure, the Franklin County Engineer's Office confirmed.
Public Safety
The Franklin County Sheriff's F.O.R.C.E. task force, announced Aug. 5, has recovered more than $145,000 in stolen merchandise and secured nine indictments since March 2026, with its coverage area including Hilliard retailers.
Public Safety
The Hilliard Division of Police disclosed that it limits Flock camera data sharing to agencies in states contiguous to Ohio, plus the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, as a Columbus audit revealing thousands of possible immigration-related searches fuels regional debate ahead of an Aug. 10 public hearing.
Public Safety
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office warned residents on July 28 that scammers are impersonating deputies and demanding payment, reminding the public the agency will never call to collect money and urging anyone who receives such a call to hang up and report it.