Top headlines of the week, Aug. 15 2025
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
Editor’s Note: Beat Notes is a weekly feature from Dispatch journalists who share what’s been happening in their area of coverage and upcoming events. This week we hear from Bailey Gallion, who covers crime, policing and A.M. breaking news. She joined the Dispatch in 2023.
Covering my beat
My shift generally starts at 6 a.m. and I check for anything that happened overnight that might be worth covering, such as homicides, crashes, or other significant news that might be of interest to readers. I monitor live traffic conditions and emergency radio feeds from Franklin and several nearby counties.
I spend a lot of time at crime scenes talking to police and local residents. When I’m at my desk, I’m often requesting public records or reading through them.
Recent stories
Many of my most-read stories in August were about vehicle collisions, including a driver who had her license suspended months after she stopped on I-71 for a missed exit.
On Aug. 18, I was at the scene of a tragic death investigation on Columbus’ Far South Side. The mother of a 3-year-old boy called police and said the child was not breathing, and his father was later charged with murder, according to court records. Prosecutors said the father fatally assaulted the boy.
In August, I’ve covered two stories involving Columbus police officials “relieved of duty.” Columbus Division of Police officers who are relieved of duty must turn in their badges and guns and are placed on a desk job at headquarters.
A sergeant was relieved of duty amid a sexual assault investigation in July, according to internal records I obtained with a public records request, and division spokespeople confirmed another officer was relieved of duty for unspecified off-duty conduct on Aug. 17.
We also maintain a monthly homicide tracker, which is consistently one of our most-read stories.
Upcoming stories
My beat largely consists of the breaking news of the day and following up on news from yesterday, so it’s hard to say with much certainty what’s to come. What I can predict is that we will continue to cover topics like gun violence, vehicle collisions and the ins and outs of major police agencies like the Columbus Division of Police.
Ideas welcome
If you have a hot tip or a suggestion for our crime coverage, you can reach me at bagallion@dispatch.com. I am always especially looking to speak with survivors of violence, people directly impacted by crime and rank-and-file officers to break news that would never appear in a news release.