Four sentenced in a 13-year-old's fatal overdose, Service Bar teams up to help Mezcla employees after car crash, and 150-year anniversary of the first Black-owned newspaper in Columbus.

Good morning, Columbus. It's 34° right now but climbing to 47° under moderate rain.

100% chance of precipitation, so grab an umbrella before you head out. Rain gear all day, no exceptions.

📍 Four sentenced in Hilltop overdose case that killed 13-year-old

A grandmother ran a drug operation out of her Hilltop home. Her grandson is dead. The sentences, up to 17 years, won't bring him back, but they close a case that reveals how fentanyl infiltrates the places kids should be safest.

Four people were sentenced this week in connection with a 13-year-old's September 2023 overdose death at a home on Warren Avenue in the Hilltop. The child's grandmother, Ema Loza De Leon, 58, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, and 12 drug trafficking counts. She received 17 years in prison.

Police found the boy unresponsive on September 5, 2023. He died from fentanyl and cocaine.

Investigators discovered narcotics throughout the home, near where his body was found. Police haven't said whether he lived there or was visiting, or how he got the drugs.

Three others were also sentenced. Jose Garcia-Huerta, 26, got eight years for trafficking fentanyl and engaging in corrupt activity.

Lezly Avila, 22, received nearly eight years for cocaine and fentanyl possession. Jovany Raudel-Avila, 18 at the time, got a 12-year suspended sentence with probation, meaning he avoids prison as long as he complies with probation terms.

Prosecutors linked the four to thousands of grams of fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and heroin found at their homes. Garcia-Huerta's sentence also covers a 2021 case where he sold fentanyl to an undercover Franklin County Sheriff's detective.

📍 Service Bar collaborates with Mezcla after crash closure

Mezcla's been closed since a van crashed into it in January. Repairs are underway, but staff still need paychecks. Service Bar is stepping in with a collaboration to support them while the restaurant rebuilds.

Service Bar announced a collaboration with Mezcla to support employees during the restaurant's closure. A vehicle crashed into Mezcla in early January, forcing an indefinite shutdown while repairs continue. No official reopening date has been confirmed.

Service Bar is hosting pop-up events where Mezcla staff serve Mezcla-style food and drinks: basically giving them shifts and income while their own place is down. The pop-ups happen at Service Bar's location in the Bottoms, the hospitality venue for Middle West Spirits. They're announcing pop-up dates on Instagram and Facebook.

Mezcla (the Short North spot that does upscale Mexican without the pretension) hasn't said when it'll reopen. Check their social media for updates on the collaboration and reopening timeline.

⚡ Quick Hits

• Whitehall's mayor says the city is on solid ground despite months of controversy. Mayor Michael Bivens pointed to a 45% drop in aggravated assaults and a nearly 20% drop in robberies. City Council meets tonight to discuss budget cuts to the Department of Neighborhoods: not eliminating it, but trimming what it does and how much it costs.

• Ohio lawmakers want to mandate free tutoring for students who score low in math or English. Senate Bill 19 passed the Senate unanimously but faces pushback in the House. The teachers union says it's more paperwork with no proof it actually helps kids. Recent assessments show one-fifth of Ohio students have limited English proficiency.

• Columbus Independents Weeks runs through March 14, with local restaurants offering three-course dinners for $39 pre-tax and gratuity. More than a dozen spots are participating, including The Refectory, Barcelona, and Z Cucina. Check the Columbus Independents website for menus and dates.

• Rise Brands cancelled plans for an entertainment campus at the old Bogey Inn property in Worthington. The project would've brought a 36-hole putting course, restaurant, and bar to a site that's sat mostly empty for years. No word on what's next for the property or why the deal fell through.

📜 On This Day: Columbus's First Black Newspaper

In 1876, a lawyer and civil rights advocate launched the city's first Black-owned paper. It didn't last long, but it cracked open the door for every Black voice in Columbus journalism that followed.

In 1876, The Ohio Enterprise became Columbus's first Black-owned newspaper. John P. Green ran it while also practicing law and fighting civil rights cases.

He later became the first Black lawmaker in Ohio's statehouse. The paper covered local politics, social issues, and the lives of Columbus's Black community during Reconstruction.

It folded within a few years, but it proved a Black paper could exist in Columbus. Later papers like The Ohio State Monitor and The Columbus Call and Post built on that foundation.

Out & About

A Night in Reserve | Tonight, 7:00 PM | 4230 The Strand (Middle West Spirits) | The 2026 Barrel Reserve Release Dinner. Four-year-aged spirits, zero pretension. If you know your barrels, you know why this matters.

Women in Construction Week Panel & Luncheon | Tonight, 11:30 AM | COhatch Polaris | Panel discussion plus lunch, sponsored by MAC Construction. Proceeds support Femergy Columbus. If you're in the industry or curious about it, this is the conversation.

The rain keeps up through tonight. Pack the umbrella, watch for slick roads, and maybe skip the outdoor plans. See you Wednesday.

Before coffee. Before the chaos.