Historic election, murderer’s execution date & more: top Columbus stories
A historic mayoral runoff election and the time frame for the execution date of a 5-year-old girl’s killer — these are among last week’s top news stories in Columbus.
Here are key takeaways from the five most-read Ledger-Enquirer stories about Columbus in the past seven days:
Isaiah Hugley, the former city manager fired by Columbus Council’s 7-3 vote last year, won the 2026 mayoral runoff against Councilor Joanne Cogle, becoming the first Black candidate elected mayor in the city’s 198-year history. In his victory speech, he sent a pointed message to the councilors who voted to oust him. Click here to read the full story.
On the night after election day, Cogle released a statement not conceding to Hugley’s claimed victory. “With the nature of how tight this race was, I will be awaiting the final total of votes before making a more comprehensive statement regarding the election.” Click here to read the full story.
But the following day, Cogle reversed course and conceded the election to Hugley, despite all the ballots still not being counted and the results still not being certified. Her statement explains why. Click here to read the full story.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has set a 30-hour execution window in August for Jeremy Williams, who was convicted in the 2021 kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland of Columbus. Williams has taken an unusual legal step that is speeding up his date with the death chamber. Click here to read the full story.
Columbus-based Star Spangled Tea & Coffee has signed a three-year deal with Freedom 250 to create special beverages for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration. The lineup includes a tea inspired by the Boston Tea Party era and a coffee blend tied to America’s return to space. Click here to read the full story.
These summaries were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. All the Ledger-Enquirer articles linked in this recap were reported, written and edited by journalists.
