Columbus City Council Tackles Immigration, Wexner Grilled, Data Center Debate - Local Pulse February 19

Good morning, this is Columbus Local Pulse for Thursday, February 19th. We start with breaking developments from City Hall where Columbus City Council members just proposed a legislative package to protect immigrants amid rising federal enforcement. Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans and member Lourdes Barrossas say it would bar ICE agents from detaining people on city property like schools and daycares without a judicial warrant, while harsher penalties target harassment there and block any detention centers in town. A public hearing yesterday drew unanimous support from 21 speakers, with community leaders like Angie Plummer from Community Refugee and Immigration Services urging real action to safeguard families we see every day on our streets. Council will tweak and vote on this in coming weeks, showing our leaders stepping up for daily life in neighborhoods from Franklinton to the Short North. Shifting to bigger headlines, Ohio billionaire Les Wexner faced a six-hour congressional deposition yesterday at his New Albany mansion, denying any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and calling himself duped by the con man who once managed his fortune. U.S. House Democrats like Rep. Robert Garcia expressed skepticism, noting Wexner's deep ties and over a billion dollars in transfers, while his name dots our landscape from the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center to New Albany's growth. Survivors are now pushing to remove it from campus sites, stirring local conversations about accountability. On the economic front, a new Ohio Capital Journal piece spotlights the rush to build data centers around Columbus, critiquing how local and state deals fast-track them with tax breaks, raising questions on community input and infrastructure strain near places like Rickenbacker Airport. Job market stays steady with about 12,000 openings listed locally, many in tech and logistics, while real estate sees median home prices around 320,000 dollars, up 4 percent year-over-year in areas like German Village. Weather-wise, our last mild day brings partly cloudy skies with highs near 55 degrees, perfect for outdoor errands, but thunderstorms loom tonight into tomorrow—plan indoor alternatives for evening walks along the Scioto Mile. Outlook calls for cooler temps and scattered showers through the weekend. Quick business note: nearly 300 Ohio dairy farms, many in Franklin County, are enrolling in expanded federal Dairy Margin Coverage by February 26th for better feed price protection. No major openings or closings today, but watch for Ag Day at the Capitol recaps influencing rural ties here. Upcoming, Franklin County Commissioners host community sessions next week post their February 17th meeting with the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Local schools report strong wrestling wins for Northland High, and Ohio University navigates new state funding rules tied to higher ed reforms. Crime in the past 24 hours stays low-key: police arrested two in a Broad Street theft ring, This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.