Curious Cbus
You've got questions. We've got reporters. Let's find answers together.
That's the idea behind Curious Cbus. You submit your burning questions about our region and we’ll work on getting answers, together, through the resources of 89.7 NPR News, WOSU TV, and the WOSU Digital Media teams.
So what are you curious about? Submit your question, vote on what we should investigate next, and see what we've dug up so far.
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Curious CbusFor decades, urban and suburban planners focused on cars rather than pedestrians when building infrastructure. Now Columbus and other cities are playing catch-up in adding safe sidewalks and shared-use paths. -
Curious CbusDepending on who you ask, you may get a different answer on how the idea for a community festival arose. But one thing we know for sure is that ComFest was born around a nexus of activity at the corner of 16th and Waldeck Avenue.
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Curious CbusThis year marks the 130th anniversary of the first Black student to graduate from Ohio State University. His name was Sherman Hamlin Guss and he graduated in 1892.
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Curious CbusIn the 1960s, the construction of shopping malls had a deep impact on the American economy. Downtown retail struggled as shoppers flocked to large indoor and outdoor shopping centers. Today, Columbus’ first malls are either gone or in decline, but 50 years ago, they were in their prime.
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Curious CbusForty-five years ago, a bold new way to watch television launched in Columbus. Warner Cable would start to offer an unheard-of 30 channels. But even more impressive was the remote control that let viewers interact with local shows in real-time.
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Curious CbusCromwell Dixon made aviation history by becoming the first person to fly across the Continental Divide in 1911, but his story of innovation began in Columbus's University District neighborhood.
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In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges cleared the way for legal same-sex marriage across the county. After nearly seven years and tens of thousands of same-sex marriages in Ohio, the letter of the law still states that marriage can only be between one man and one woman.
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Visitors to Scioto Audubon Metro Park may have noticed the three giant pillars behind a chainlink fence at the northern edge of the park. Curious Cbus has received more questions about these mysterious monoliths than anything else in the city.
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Curious CbusWe know that the buckeye tree was native to the land where Ohio now sits, but why exactly did Ohioans come to be known as Buckeyes?
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Today, all that remains of the church that inspired Sunbury’s Blue Church Road is a rusty old bell. But for over 100 years, Kingston Presbyterian Church—later renamed Blue Church as its grey exterior faded into light blue—was a hub of community life.
Curious Cbus FAQ
How does WOSU collect questions?
We collect questions through our website and connected online modules. If you are having trouble submitting a question, you can email webmaster@wosu.org.
Are there questions WOSU won’t accept?
All questions asked are properly considered and are eligible for a voting round, unless it does not meet WOSU Public Media’s guidelines for decorum, fairness or obvious conflicts of interest. We do not accept questions about WOSU Public Media or its staff, and we don’t pose our own questions.
How does WOSU pick the questions for voting rounds?
WOSU Public Media editors and producers choose questions that have potential to be answered by 89.7 NPR News, WOSU TV or WOSU Digital Media. There is no guarantee that a question submitted will get moved to a voting round and be answered by WOSU Public Media.
What happens if my question is in a voting round?
Voting rounds typically stay open for a week or two. We want to give as many people as possible a chance to choose the next question that will be answered. If your question is chosen for a voting round, we’ll contact you so that you can let your friends, family and social networks know to vote for your question!
After a question wins a voting round, the Curious Cbus staff will start assigning reporters and/or producers to the story. The reporters and/or producers will be in touch with you to gauge your interest and potential involvement in the story.
What happens if my question is in a voting round and doesn’t win? Will it still get answered?
Just because a question loses in a voting round, does not mean we’ll simply forget about it. It could be eligible for another voting round soon! Producers and editors at Curious Cbus will frequently go through older questions and look for reasons to investigate.
Often, a question could be so good, or timely, that it doesn't need a voting round to investigate.
Why do you change the wording of some questions when they enter a voting round?
Curious Cbus staff reserve the right to edit some of the questions for language, clarity and brevity.
Now let’s get curious about Columbus!