A Blue Jackets overtime loss, Hawaiian rotisserie chicken Downtown, and OSU's new president gets a 30% raise.

Good morning, Columbus. It's 36° right now but climbing to 58° under mostly cloudy skies with light rain possible. There's a 20% chance of showers, so grab a jacket.

Those wind gusts are hitting 56 mph by afternoon. Hold onto your hat.

⚡ Quick Hits

• Ravi Bellamkonda will make nearly 30 percent more than his predecessor Ted Carter when he takes over as Ohio State president. Carter left to become Secretary of Defense. The Board approved Bellamkonda's contract: base salary, bonuses, housing allowance, the works. The Lantern has the full comparison.

• Johnny Velo Bikes just got the stamp of approval from a major e-bike brand. Aventon named the Clintonville shop to its 2025 Top Shop Award list. It's the only Columbus shop that made the cut.

• Hawaiian rotisserie chicken is coming Downtown. Huli Huli is setting up shop in the old Jury Room building on High Street, a former courthouse space that's been sitting empty since trials moved elsewhere.

• Black Diamond Prime Steakhouse is now open in Johnstown, about 30 minutes northeast of Columbus, marking the expansion for a hospitality brand that started in the Hocking Hills. The new restaurant took over the Main Street spot where Ray Ray's Hog Pit closed last year. Upscale steakhouse meets bourbon-forward dining.

📍 Construction Watch

Orange barrels and fresh asphalt return to Columbus streets for another season.

Columbus kicks off construction season with 37 streets getting resurfaced. The Department of Public Service released its 2026 paving list: 37 roads getting work from March through November.

If your daily commute includes North Broadway, Refugee Road, or sections of Cleveland Avenue, expect delays and detours through summer.

Orange barrels are officially back. High-traffic roads and side streets that haven't been paved in years are all getting attention. Most of the work happens May through September.

It's one of the bigger paving years in a while. The state kicked in more money, which means more roads get attention this season.

The increased funding came through as part of the state's infrastructure package passed late last year. Local officials have been prioritizing roads based on condition ratings and traffic volume. Some of these streets haven't been touched in over a decade, so the work is overdue.

That's good news for your car's suspension. Bad news for your morning ETA, though. Leave extra time.

🗓️ Out & About

Endo Flow: a pop-up dance & support gathering | Friday | Hixon Dance. A space to move, share, and learn together about managing endometriosis through dance and community support.

The March Madness Begins Comedy Show | Friday | 34 W 5th Ave. After Dark kicks off tournament season with stand-up. Bracket optional, laughs guaranteed.

Wellness After Hours | Friday | Engage Higher Degree Fitness. Candlelit yoga, sound healing, and optional IV therapy designed to restore and recharge after dark. Wind down before the weekend with intention.

Josh Teed: Tides of Change Tour | Friday | The Summit Music Hall. Josh Teed brings his latest tour to Columbus with support from Luzcid. If you're into electronic soundscapes and late-night vibes, this is your Friday night.

📜 On This Day

In 1993, the "Storm of the Century" dumped snow across Ohio. Columbus got 5 inches with 41 mph gusts while southeastern Ohio buried under nearly 20 inches.

It started in the Gulf and turned into a monster by the time it hit the Midwest, stretching from the coast to Canada and knocking out power grids for days. It remains one of the most widespread weather events in recorded history.

Forecasters saw it coming, but the storm hit harder than anyone thought. Wind chill went subzero in mid-March after a mild winter.

Hundreds of thousands lost power. People checked on neighbors, shared generators, dug each other out. It's the stuff you do when it's dark for three days.

The storm shut down highways and grounded flights across the eastern United States. Schools closed for a week in some areas. Emergency crews worked around the clock to clear roads and restore power lines weighted down by ice and snow.

Today's 56 mph gusts are stronger than the 41 mph gusts in '93, but brief by comparison. Still, March doesn't play.

Bundle up if you're heading out tonight. It's windy.

Quiet news day, loud weather. Those wind gusts aren't messing around.

See you Monday.

Before coffee. Before the chaos.