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The former Wonder Bread factory will no longer be the future home of Wonderland – an ambitious mixed-use project intended to house studio space for local artists, musicians, actors and entrepreneurs – but the dream will likely find new life elsewhere.

Negotiations over the 64,000-square-foot Italian Village building, 697 N. 4th St., fell apart last week after Wonderland Columbus board members failed to secure feasible terms with real-estate developer Kevin Lykens. Lykens purchased the factory last year for $800,000, intending to lease the space to as many as 150 Wonderland tenants.

“Every time we seemed to reach a milestone, plans seemed to change and adjust,” said Adam Brouillette, the group’s executive director. “I don’t think anybody is thrilled, but we’re staying the course.”

Friction, Brouillette said, arose from constantly-shifting arrangements between the two parties since the Wonderland concept was announced 19 months ago. A “reasonable” lease agreement then became a rent-to-own deal that ultimately morphed into Wonderland directors offering this month to buy the property outright.

Wonderland directors never completed a signed contract, said Brouillette, who declined to detail financial particulars or the recent purchase-price offer.

“We set up a price range and offered the highest end,” he said.

Lykens, who rejected the buyout offer, had a different perspective. He said Brouilllette and his team faced multiple roadblocks from the Internal Revenue Service that repeatedly prevented particular leasing terms (Wonderland Columbus is presently under review for 501c3 nonprofit status) and drove down prices.

Brouillette, on the other hand, said Lykens’ financial terms repeatedly increased and that he was in search of more money as the concept gained buzz.

Still, “we thought it was a done deal” months ago, said Lykens, who redeveloped a commercial stretch at Summit and Hudson streets and is rehabbing the run-down Garden Theater in the Short North. “We purchased it with an intended rate of return, which involved a long-term lease.

“I would have loved to have (Wonderland) in my building.”

The Wonderland team is now seeking new spaces of similar size Downtown and in the Franklinton and King-Lincoln neighborhoods.

Unless a particular building inspires a new name, Brouillette said the alternate venue will retain the Wonderland moniker.

More than 1,000 ideas from hopeful tenants, ranging from a recording studio and a brewery to pop-up fashion boutiques, were submitted last year for the 150 spaces in the Wonder Bread building.

Upper Arlington firm BBCO Design, whose Wonder Bread renovation schematics were on display last month at ComFest, will remain with the new project and assist in the search.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio –

Nursing homes and home healthcare agencies are already feeling the pinch of the state’s new two-year budget.

Cuts in the rates of Medicaid reimbursements are forcing some facilities to make difficult decisions as they try to balance cost-cutting measures with patient care.

Gov. John Kasich’s administration said it’s a transformational state budget. Officials are attempting to shift the balance of power in long-term health care away from nursing homes and toward home and community-based care.

But the shift will be bumpy road for some.

Heritage Adult Day Health Centers provide nursing care, meals and activities for seniors who are still living at home but need around-the-clock care.

“This is sort of often the last stop before family members have to make the choice for placement. We’re able to keep people out for, at least, on average about two years – out of a nursing home facility,” said Executive Director Erica Drewry.

Drewry said Heritage fully agrees with the state’s new emphasis on home and community services. The new state budget increases overall spending on such programs but at the same time, it cuts the Medicaid reimbursement rate by 3 percent. That means staff cuts right away and a question mark for the future.

“As we lose reimbursement, I think the question of viability is the issue and then I think families just won’t have access to the services they need,” Drewry said.

Nursing homes are feeling a similar pinch with Medicaid reimbursement cuts of 6 percent, dropping the daily per patient rate paid by the state from $177 to $167.

Nurse Aide Lyndsey Leffler said the cuts will mean that aides who don’t lose their jobs will likely be asked to do more.

“The residents are really going to suffer because right now we can take care of 16 to 21 patients a piece which is a lot of residents and we have to take care of more. I just don’t think the residents will receive the care they deserve,” Leffler said.

But Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging, said the new policy focuses on giving the patient choices. She said there are financial incentives for nursing homes to improve quality and to provide care that’s more individualized rather than institutionalized.

“We are expecting a different way of doing business because it’s what our consumers have told us it’s what they want and we’re trying to help everyone understand and expect excellence,” Burman said.

She said that while everyone is being asked to tighten their belts, the state’s new policy gives nursing homes the tools they need to adapt for the future.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio –

When it’s hot, really hot, most of us would like to stay inside, but for some people, that’s just not possible.

There are some jobs much hotter than others.

One of the hottest is roofing.

Just ask the Able Roofing crew that was three stories up Thursday doing work on a vacant building.

It’s a hot job that adds even more heat.

There are hot tools, hot materials and, of course, the unforgiving sun.

Temperatures on the rooftops on a hot day have reached nearly 140 degrees. To escalate the heat, the crews use tools that can reach 1,800 degrees.

The crews have to drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks and use general safety guidelines.

But at least on the roof, there is sometimes a breeze.

Another hot job is blowing insulation into attics.

In attics, there is no breeze. It’s dark, often craped and it’s the hottest job in construction.

“The temperature differential can usually be somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 degrees from the living level of the house, so it can be significant on a hot day,” said Randy Hall, vice president of Edwards, Mooney and Moses, an insulation company.

Russ Green has been blowing insulation into attics for about a year and a half. He said days like Thursday are the worst.

“Looks like I went a swimming a lot of times when I get out of here,” said Green. “Wet from head to toe.”

On the other hand, there are cool jobs: like scooping ice cream at Graeter’s.

It might also be the coldest.

The ice cream is made at the company’s Bethel Road facility and it is stored in a freezer kept way below zero — 65 degrees below zero.

Workers sometimes stay in the freezer for an hour during inventory.

That’s a 200-degree difference from out on the roof.

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Hug a hydrant, plop in a pool, find a fan or appropriate some air conditioning.

It’s a hot one, the warmest and muggiest day of the year so far.

The temperature at Port Columbus was 95 degrees at 5 p.m., with high humidity translating into a heat-index reading of 105 degrees.

An hour earlier, the temperature hit 96 degrees — the hottest of the year — and the heat index stood at 107 degrees.

Sweltering under a heat dome baking a large chunk of the country, central Ohio shared in the misery today.

Heat-weary central Ohioans awoke this morning to an excessive-heat warning as the thermometer topped 80 degrees prior to 9 a.m.

An anticipated high of 97 degrees and soaking humidity are expected to translate into a heat-index value of up to 110 degrees today.

A heat-index reading of 109 degrees or more would place today among the 10 muggiest days on record in Columbus. The record of 116 degrees was set July 15, 1995.

The heat warning will continue through Friday, when a high of 96 and a heat-index reading of about 108 degrees is forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

The stagnant, hot air also is trapping ozone in the lower atmosphere, leading to an air quality alert through Friday that warns those with respiratory and other health problems to avoid exerting themselves outdoors.

Some would-be baseball fans apparently ducked a game because of the heat.

The Columbus Clippers had expected a sellout crowd of about 10,000 in Huntington Park for a 12:05 p.m. game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Instead, the Clippers drew 7,328 people, with a big dip in the number of their oldest and youngest fans.

“The day before yesterday the senior citizen groups and day care centers started calling about ticket exchanges,” Clippers president and general manager Ken Schnacke said.

“I am pleasantly surprised by the crowd we have. But the heat index was supposed to be 110 degrees. It wouldn’t have been a good idea for the senior citizens group or the day care children to be out in this kind of weather.”

Figuring Hogwarts would overheat, a Harry Potter costume party scheduled for Friday at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware was postponed until July 29. Main Street Delaware, the sponsor of the event, figured wearing dark,heavy capes in blistering weather wouldn’t entice many Muggles.

At Ohio State University, the Wexner Center for the Arts moved its outdoor plaza movie — the sci-fi classic Battle in Outer Space — into air-conditioned Mershon Auditorium at 9 tonight due to the heat.

The high heat also is idling highway workers. The Ohio Department of Transportation will not work on the Rt. 33 bridge over I-270 in Dublin this weekend. All lanes of Rt. 33 over I-270 will be open and there won’t be ramp closures as previously announced. When it’s too hot and humid, concrete cures too quickly, ODOT officials said.

With a high of 95 degrees and a top heat index of 103 yesterday, central Ohioans struggled to keep their cool.

Sipping on a mound of cherry and lime shaved ice that was melting faster than he could keep up, 8-year-old Jack Coe voiced the feelings of many.

“It’s really hot,” said Jack, who explored the grounds of the Franklin County Fair in Hilliard with his grandfather, Bob Thornburg.

Few joined Jack and his grandfather in wandering the deserted fairgrounds, as many people opted to enjoy the great, air-conditioned indoors.

“I’ve never seen the fair like this, not in 17 years,” said Joan Carter of Byesville, who was working at the mini-basketball booth. “It’s too hot to do anything.”

Fair manager Tim Shade said the extreme temperatures have affected turnout, which is down 12 percent from last year.

“My last name’s Shade. I would love to spread some of that around,” he said jokingly.

The fair offers cold drinks, sprinklers, misters and fans in a bid to cool off those braving the heat.

In Columbus, about 35 children splashed in cold water rushing from a fire hydrant on Ann Street, next to Lincoln Park Elementary School. The hydrant is one of four opened by the city through Friday as part of heat-relief efforts.

Lori Nestor, who lives across the street, brought her grandchildren, Benjamin, 6, Haley, 5, and Jade, 3, to play in the gushing water. “They’ve been waiting for the hydrant to open. They didn’t even finish their lunch,” Nestor said.

Lucetta Stewart, a recreation leader for the Southeast Lions Recreation Center, brought 15 of her summer-program participants. Frenchelle Allen, 9, excitedly splashed in the water, enjoying the cool mist from the hydrant. “It feels like 102 degrees out here, but we’re having fun with a whole bunch of other kids,” she said.

After a very wet spring, central Ohio has baked during a dry, hot summer.

The high temperature at Port Columbus has reached 90 degrees or more on 11 of 20 days in July, increasing the month’s average high temperature to 89.1 degrees. Meanwhile, only 1.51 inches of rain has been recorded at the airport this month, 1.34 inches below normal.

Much of the U.S. is sweltering under a heat “dome” caused by a huge area of high pressure that’s compressing hot, moist air, leading to miserable temperatures and heat-index levels.

The dome of high pressure also pushes the jet stream and its drier, cooler air farther north – it’s now well into Canada – while hot, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico circulates clockwise around the dome, traveling farther inland than normal.

West of Columbus, the Montgomery County coroner’s office is investigating a man’s death as possibly heat related. The man, found in his home without air conditioning, had a core body temperature of 108 degrees prior to dying. Another death near Middletown, in Butler County, also is being investigated as heat related.

Information from Dispatch reporter Jim Massie, Dayton Daily News and Associated Press was included in this story.

astuckey@dispatch.com
rludlow@dispatch.com

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Libra

You may feel torn between public opinion and your partner, and trying to blend the two might be difficult, but not impossible. You may have to compromise or make a sacrifice, but it shouldn’t be too painful. If you are caught in a tug of war, the best strategy is to casually let go of your side of the rope. You’ll find that the element of surprise is all you need to get ahead today.

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LATHAM, Ohio –

The Jackson family planned a fun Fourth of July celebration at a Pike County campground.

It ended with a hit-and-run crash.

Zane Wolford, 14, was riding his bicycle inside the Long’s Retreat Family Resort, in Latham, when a vehicle hit him.

He flipped head over heels, landing on and breaking his clavicle. He also broke his leg.

“I was crushed, didn’t know if he was crippled, alive, seeing him lay there all twisted,” said Pete Wolford, Zane’s dad.

The teen was on the ground, injured, and the driver of the gray Pontiac Grand-Am didn’t stop, authorities said.

“I can’t recall anything like this,” said Pike County Sheriff Richard Henderson.

Zane suffered a broken leg and a broken shoulder.

“What kind of human being hits a child and not even stop? Who would have that disregard for human life?” Pete said.

His father said the boy had nightmares after the crash.

“It’s hard to get in and out of the house and into bed and stuff,” Zane said.

The weeks after the crash have been busy for the sheriff’s office, too.

“It’s very frustrating for us. You get a young man like this and you want to solve it for his family,” Henderson said.

Pike County sheriff’s officials are looking for Smith“>Kirby A. Smith, who has been identified as a person of interest in the hit-and-run crash.

In the meantime, Pete and Zane said they are thankful for life.

“Fortunately, he’s tall. A smaller child, it would have killed them,” Pete said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pike County Sheriff’s office.

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A federal judge signed off on the settlement between Penn National Gaming and Columbus this afternoon.

The deal will allow construction of a casino to go ahead unhindered, bring it into the city and supply it with sewer and water services. Columbus will collect an estimated $24 million in casino tax revenue each year when the casino opens. The city has agreed to pay Penn National $15 million toward cleanup of the casino site near I-270 and W. Broad Street.

The settlement also means that Nationwide Realty Investors has agreed to purchase Penn National’s original casino site in the Arena District for $11 million and that The Dispatch Printing Company and the developer have agreed to drop their lawsuits against each other.

Penn National Gaming announced to its shareholders this morning that it had finalized the settlement.

The parties then met in a telephone conference with U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost this afternoon to seal the deal reached last night.

On Tuesday, Penn had declared that the deal was off because two contingencies had not been met.

Today, company chairman and chief executive Peter M. Carlino said in a statement: “While neither of these conditions were satisfied by the July 19, 2011, deadline set forth in the settlement agreement, we believe that we have now reached an agreement in principle among all parties relative to the satisfaction of these conditions. We expect to complete the documentation of these matters shortly.”

He said the company continues to expect to open the casino in the fourth quarter of 2012.

City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. said, “It’s expected they’ll submit their annexation petition on Friday.”

The City Council would then vote Monday on an ordinance that verifies that the city can provide services to the casino site, he said. The rest of the annexation process, including a vote by Franklin County commissioners and a final vote by the City Council, could take several weeks.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman praised the settlement in a statement released this afternoon:

“I am pleased that this legal process has come to an end so that we can begin creating new jobs on the West Side of Columbus,” Coleman said. “I look forward to working with Penn to ensure the casino is constructed on time as we begin the process of transforming this important neighborhood.”

Penn National had sued the city in federal court, seeking to force Columbus to provide sewer and water service without annexing the Hollywood Casino site. The property now is in Franklin Township.

Under the settlement, Columbus pledged $15 million toward cleaning up the casino site west of the city, and Penn National said it would annex the site to Columbus’ West Side.

The deal hinged on two contingencies, both of which Penn National now says have been met:

• Penn National had to have an agreement to sell its original casino site in the Arena District for at least $11 million. Nationwide Realty Investors has acknowledged it was in talks with Penn National to purchase the land but has not commented recently.
• Penn National had to settle separate lawsuits with The Dispatch Printing Company, which publishes The Dispatch and Dispatch.com.

This afternoon, Michael F. Curtin, the former Dispatch Printing president who has been working as a consultant for the company on the casino issue, said:

“The Dispatch Printing Company is pleased the casino development will occur within the city of Columbus, fulfilling a central promise made to voters during the 2010 relocation campaign. Mayor Coleman, City Council and Franklin County commissioners deserve credit for working together on this issue for the best, long-term interests of the central Ohio community.”

Dispatch Printing had asked a judge to force Penn National to annex, saying the developer reneged on promises to annex after the publishing company helped pay for the campaign to move the casino site from the Arena District to Franklin Township. Penn National sued Dispatch Printing, asking a judge to stop the company from interfering in the casino developer’s business.

Dispatch Printing had agreed to drop all of its legal claims before the Tuesday deadline, but Penn National wanted additional assurances that the publishing company would do nothing to further hinder the construction of the casino. Such assurances went beyond what was necessary to complete the settlement, a Dispatch attorney said, and the company would not agree to them.

The deal reached today did not include any additional assurances, said Steven Tigges, an attorney for Dispatch Printing.

dcaruso@dispatch.com

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Gemini

Your moods are up and down today, which is not unusual for the Twins, but the fluctuations may be more marked than usual. If you’re feeling trapped in a situation, you’ll start to wonder what you’re caught up in, and why. Money presents a few concerns, and this is not a day to fall out with a friend over finances.

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The Dayton, Ohio, based Zapp band is known for songs such as ‘More Bounce to the Ounce,’ ‘Dance Floor,’ ‘Computer Love,’ ‘Doo Wa Ditty,’ ‘I Want to Be Your Man,’ ‘I Can Make You Dance’ and ‘Heartbreaker.’ / Supplied photo Gospel singer Shirley Murdoch of Dayton will perform Saturday night at Kuhlman Center.

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HOWARD, Ohio –

Emergency crews in Knox County are searching a river for at least one person after a watercraft accident.

According to College Township Fire Department, rescue crews were called to a campground near Austin Road after the incident at about 4 p.m.

Danville Fire Department has responded to the area and divers are in the Walhonding River, looking for one person, officials said.

Specific details on the accident and watercraft were not released.

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