Why Ohio is no longer a battleground
David Knox
The Community Guide
The next president of the United States will be decided by voters in a half-dozen states — the battleground states that polls say could swing the Nov. 5 election either way. Ohio isn’t on that list. It used to be. For more than a half century — from Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson’s trouncing of Republican Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential race through Donald Trump’s stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in 2016, Ohio was a bellwether state — the mantra “as Ohio goes, so goes
the nation” held true. That changed in 2020 when Joe Biden won the White House despite losing to Donald Trump in Ohio by a gaping 8 percentage points.
What changed? Some political observers say Ohio now votes differently than the nation because the state no longer mirrors the country demographically.
Slow population growth has made Ohio older and less racially diverse.
But both sides argue a bigger factor is fundamental shift in political attitudes. They say Trump’s 2016 victory and strong reelection
bid in 2020 mark a swing to the right in Ohio and former “blue wall” Democratic states.
Republican supporters of Trump welcome the shift, calling it a return to traditional social values and rejection of the globalization of the economy and interventionist foreign policy.
Democrats paint a darker picture, blaming Trump and his vitriolic rhetoric for spurring a resurgence of racism and fear of immigrants and undermining democracy by questioning the integrity of the voting system.
But some Ohio election results cast doubt on such
sweeping generalizations:
n Before Ohio helped Trump win the presidency in 2016, the Buckeye State voted twice to put a Black man in the White House — casting its 18 electoral votes for Barack Obama in 2008 and, four years later, backing his successful bid for a second term.
n Just three years after supporting Trump in his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 2020 and a year after Trump-appointed members of the Supreme Court cast the deciding vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ohioans voted overwhelmingly, 57to-43 percent, to amend the state constitution to guaran-
tee the right to abortion.
Skeptics question how hard-to-change attitudes over hot-button social issues such as race and abortion can account for such seemingly contradictory swings in election outcomes.
Many observers argue economics better explains voter behavior – especially in presidential races.
One fact is indisputable: almost all opinion polls put the economy at the top of the list of issues voters worry about and Ohioans have good reason to fear the economy is failing them:
Lorain County is among the majority of the state’s
It was a hurricane like no other
Patti Ewald
The Community Guide
Gulfport, Florida — Seems about every year, a hurricane or tropical storm skirts scarily close to Gulfport.
It’s a little beach town just south of St. Petersburg on the southern tip of Pinellas County — a tiny peninsula off the Florida peninsula.
The drill is the same for every storm.
A couple hours before the storm is supposed to hit, batten down the hatches as best as I can. Drag lawn furniture and all potential projectiles inside or against the back of my west-facing house. Then turn on the Weather Channel and wait. Wait for the storm. Wait for the power to go out and then wait till the morning to go check out the damage and walk the five blocks down to O’Maddy’s, a bar on the water, for a post-storm “We survived!” party.
Usually, the road would be clear till we got about a block from O’Maddy’s. We would have to wade in ankle-deep water the rest of the way. The bar would be dark but open, and you could get a beer, but only the cans they had put on ice before the electric went out. By dinner time, the water that had breached the seawall would have gone down and, most of the time, power would have been restored.
This time it was different.
As the storm approached, the animals sat on the couch with me as I switched back and forth on the TV channels, the sound of howling winds and torrential downpour outside. My power never went out. First time ever. How lucky, we are, I thought. And then the morning came. There were murmurs from all
directions.
“It’s bad. It’s real bad.”
I got dressed and walked toward the water, Boca Ciega Bay. It’s the intracoastal waterway. A hundred years ago, before bridges were built, Gulfport was where people caught a ferry over to the beaches on the barrier islands.
This time, the morning after the storm was different. The water had gone down, as always, but there was no celebration at O’Maddy’s because O’Maddy’s was gone. Only a skeleton remained. The seawall had not only been breached; it had been demolished, and it took most of O’Maddy’s with it.
Sand covered the streets. Washed-up boats were in the street. The wooden pier was in the middle of the road three blocks from the water. Shop owners were all busy dragging stuff out of their shops. The water — the surge — was so strong, it had toppled commercial refrigerators.
Everything gone, lost or ruined. I felt sad, shocked — and guilty. I was just three blocks up the street and I had no water even near my house and I had electricity.
I took some photos and walked home. At the farthest edge of the damage, the owners of a little place called Gulfport Brewery had cleaned up their damage and were now setting up a grill under one of those canopy tents. They were handing out water and cooking hot dogs and hamburgers for shopkeepers and residents who had been hit.
“It’s the least we can do,” the owner said.
Patti Ewald, the former managing editor of The Chronicle-Telegram, moved to Gulfport, Florida, in 2008. She worked at Poynter Institute and the Tampa Bay Times before retiring and rejoining — remotely — the Chronicle staff as a part-time copy editor. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram or email her at pewald@chroniclet.com.
PATTI EWALD / CHRONICLE PHOTOS
This is the seawall across from O’Maddy’s that was destroyed. A boat is washed up against the Gulfport Casino (an old dance hall, not a betting casino). The wooden pilings held a pier that washed three blocks up the street.
The “Welcome to Paradise” sign at Tommy’s Tiki Hut, located on the same beachfront road, remained like a cruel joke after the restaurant was destroyed by the hurricane.
counties that have gone more than 20 years without any net gains in jobs. For many Lorain County workers, hopes of attaining middle class prosperity are dying.
Decades of economic data provide evidence that those workers and their families are likely to cast their votes for a presidential candidate — from either political party — who promises to change that bleak outlook.
Richard Perrins
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — Lorain County dedicated the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of community members, public officials and Gold Star families congregated on the grounds of the old Lorain County Courthouse for the ceremony and the monument’s unveiling.
A Gold Star family refers to one whose member has died in active duty military service. The Woody Williams Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated toward erecting similar monuments, worked with local Gold Star family members to make the project a reality. Kimberly Hazelgrove was one of these family members. A U.S. Army veteran herself and the wife of Brian Hazelgrove, who died in action in Iraq in 2004, Hazelgrove was a member of the committee that pushed for the monument.
“On this sacred day, we recognize the unique sacrifices of all those that were left behind,” Hazelgrove said in her remarks. “Like all of you here today, our entire family was destabilized by uncertainty, loss, chaos and unimaginable grief. I see you, I feel your pain,
RICHARD PERRINS / CHRONICLE Gold Star family members place wreaths next to the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in Elyria.
OBITUARIES
Donald James Volante
Donald James Volante, 73, and a long-time resident of Amherst, passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at his home.
Donald was born August 27, 1951, in Painesville, Ohio, and was raised in Euclid where he graduated high school. He continued his education at Miami University and then Kent State University where he received a bachelor degree in mathematics. He made Amherst his home since 1987.
Don was an aviation enthusiast, a recreational pilot in his early adulthood, and later had a fulfilling career as an air traffic controller at Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin. After retiring from the FAA, he worked for Raytheon training new and prospective air traffic controllers, including a few who were Amherst Steele graduates.
The most meaningful times of his life were spent with his family, especially in the summer on Lake Erie, beach vacations, and cruises. He enjoyed movies, Cedar Point, and auto shows. He was very happy at Halloween handing out loads of candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
Christmas was also very special to Don, from finding the right tree to celebrating with extended family and friends. He was a lifelong baseball fan and enjoyed going to Cleveland Guardians games. Don proudly coached Amherst youth teams of baseball, soccer, and basketball.
Survivors include his wife, Sarida Anne Volante (nee: Venturella); his children, Monica Anne Volante of Cleveland, and Christopher James Volante of Amherst; his siblings, Terry (Dee) Volante of Batavia, Ohio, and Susan (Wajeeh) Faheem of New York City.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald Jr. and Wanda Volante (nee: Starkey).
The family will receive visitors Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass of Christian at Burial 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 200 St. Joseph Drive, Amherst. The Rev. Fr. Timothy O’Connor, pastor, will officiate. Rebroadcasting of services will be available at www.hempelfuneralhome.com.
The family suggests any memorial contributions be made to Second Harvest Food Bank, 5510 Baumhart Rd, Lorain, Ohio, 44053.
For those unable to attend please visit the funeral home’s website to share a memory and sign the guest register, www.hempelfuneralhome.com.
Jeffrey Mitchell Gregory
Jeffrey Mitchell Gregory, 66, of New London, died Saturday, September 21, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Born January 13, 1958, to the late William ‘Bill’ and Nancy (Westfall) Gregory, he grew up in Wellington, moving to New London as an adult.
Gregory
Jeff worked at the New London Foundry for nearly 50 years. Jeff always enjoyed football, playing during high school in Wellington and later watching the game. He was also a skilled chess player and collected knives for many years. A true family man, Jeff most cherished the time he spent with those that he loved. This included his beloved pets, which were always spoiled by him.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Cheryl (Patchin), whom he wed August 21, 1976; children, Kenny (Daisy) Patchin, Melinda Carol Gregory, Amy Lynn Gregory, and Matthew Gregory; ten grandchildren, Drake, Kylie, Breena, Summer, Autumn, Zachary, Nathan, Mitchell, Nicholas, and Miles; two great-granddaughters; a sister, Shelly (Wayne) VanAssche; brother, Todd Gregory; and many cousins, relatives, and friends.
Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. The Eastman Funeral Home in New London is honored to assist the family with their arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Huron County Humane Society, 246 Woodlawn Ave., Norwalk, OH 44857.
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GOLD STAR
From A1 and we need to make sure that we are together.”
During the ceremony, an assembly of invited Gold Star families listened to addresses from public officials including U.S. Rep. Bob Latta; state Reps. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, and Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, and messages read aloud from U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and JD Vance and Gov. Mike DeWine.
Rain pelted attendees during the ceremony, but Hazelgrove saw it as a blessing.
“Tears from heaven,” Hazelgrove said as she motioned to the gray sky. “Your loved ones are wrapping themselves around you, anyone who has lost someone.”
County commissioners Jeff Riddell and Dave Moore also delivered remarks, as well as Mark Harris, president of the Woody Williams Foundation.
Named after Williams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, Harris said the foundation aims to directly help Gold Star families through outreach, scholarships and supporting the construction of monuments.
The foundation’s goal, Harris said, is to not forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“The monuments are meant to be a place to heal,” Harris said. “It’s a place to come and speak to your lost loved ones. And it’s a place to have ceremonies throughout the year that bring us together, so we don’t forget those who pass away.”
LEGAL NOTICE
Defendant Unknown Father, whose last known address is, Unknown otherwise the place of residence being unknown, will take notice that on August 20th , 2024 Patricia Wright filed a Complaint or Motion in the Lorain County Court Of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, Lorain County, Ohio, captioned Patricia Wright Vs Christina Cohoon, et al. 24JG69389 / 24JG69390, for custody of the following child(ren): A.S. D.O.B 2-07-2014 and T.S. D.O.B 2-7-2014.
A hearing on this Complaint or Motion is scheduled for the 18th day of October, 2024 at 11:30 AM before the Honorable Judge Frank J. Janik of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division located at 225 Court St., Elyria, Ohio. LCCG 8/19,8/26;10/3/24 20739926
Accompanied by a threegun salute and sounding of taps by members of AMVETS Post 211, representatives from Gold Star families unveiled the monument toward the end of the ceremony.
The monument consists of four memorial panels made from black granite. The panels, from left to right, read “Homeland,” “Family,” “Patriot” and “Sacrifice.” Inscribed on the panels are images representing Lorain County, the Gold Star flag and a
silhouette of a saluting soldier.
Benches, flagpoles and six military service branch markers surrounded the panels.
The site was designed by Clark & Post Architects Inc., and cost an estimated $340,000. In August, county commissioners approved a $100,000 grant from COVID-19 relief funds, while donations from veterans and community organizations made up the remaining funding.
At the ceremony, Gold
Star families in attendance were given a yellow rose, which many placed on the monument. The ceremony included renditions of “The StarSpangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” by Elyria Council member Andrew Lipian, also a member of the Ohio Air National Guard, and a benediction by U.S. Army veteran and chaplain Jonathan Cooper.
Contact Richard Perrins at (440) 6875172 or email rperrins@chroniclet.com.
Volante
Amherst Schools get $1.6M state tech grant
The Community Guide
Amherst Schools will receive about $1.6 million in technical education equipment funding as part of a state grant program. The program invested in 34 school districts across the state in an effort to create more opportunities for career technical education.
Amherst Schools’ grant was written by Mackenzie Hall, director of curriculum and instruction, robotics and automation teacher John Agostinelli and Beth Schwartz, a technology innovation specialist.
Hall said the group recognized a need to train more students in the areas of robotics and automation, and decided to establish a devoted program taught by Agostinelli to provide hands-on opportunities for students interested in the manufacturing industry. Agostinelli began teaching the program last year.
“Robots, it turns out, are really, really expensive,” Hall said. “It was a barrier for us to be able to bring this program to life. So this helps. All this money is going to be spent on equipment that allows us to teach these courses.” But now, with funding
at his disposal, Agostinelli said he’ll be able to expand the program into two different tracks — one focusing on programming logic controllers, which automatically monitor manufacturing processes, and one in computer-integrated manufacturing — a more comprehensive term for controlling the process.
The two tracks teach the same ideas, Agostinelli said, all integrated into learning about the manufacturing process. He said the school will use the funding to add to its existing maker space, an area in the building devoted to robotics study.
One of the key pieces of technology Agostinelli said he’ll be able to add is a flexible manufacturing system that he says costs more than $600,000.
Fitted with multiple cells and robot arms, the machinery allows students to have hands-on practice with working with technology they’d experience in a manufacturing career.
“I built the courses around the equipment, because I knew these are the skills that students needed,” Agostinelli said. “These systems and technologies will allow them to experience what it’s like to
be in the advanced manufacturing industry.”
By the time the school is able to purchase and set up its new technology, which Agostinelli hopes will be by February or March, the maker space will have seven robots that students in his classes can work with.
Starting in January, the high school will offer a programmable logic controller course for the first time, Agostinelli said. Next year, it will offer a capstone course and a mechatronics class.
Agostinelli said the automation and robotics program accepts students in grades 9-12. He said the program aims to study robotics in depth, but also teach students problem solving and critical thinking skills that he said the grant funding will facilitate.
“I’m a big believer that the more in-depth you experience something, the more you understand if you enjoy it and if it’s a good fit for you,” Agostinelli said. “We don’t want to do a general overview. It helps people know if they want to go into advanced manufacturing as a career.” Contact Richard Perrins at (440) 6875172 or email rperrins@chroniclet.
Gore Orphanage bridge reopened after 20 years
The Community Guide
A bridge and a portion of Gore Orphanage Road in Henrietta Township that were closed for nearly 20 years reopened Tuesday.
Deputy County Administrator Karen Perkins and Assistant County Engineer Robert Klaiber shared the news Tuesday with the Lorain County Board of Commissioners — including Commissioner Jeff Riddell, a Henrietta Township resident who reacted cheerfully to the news. The county spent $4.3 million in state
AMHERST BRIEFS
414 Church St. Pancakes, sausage, milk, coffee and orange juice will be served from 9 a.m. to noon.
Donations at the door.
For more information, follow the Amherst Fire Department Facebook page.
Operation Market Garden
A free community presentation about Operation Market Garden will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Amherst Historical Society, 113 South Lake Street.
Members of Baker Company, a 101st Airborne WWII reenacting group, will share about Operation Market Garden, an Allied military operation during WWII which was fought in the German-occupied Netherlands from September 7-25, 1944.
To RSVP, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at 440-988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
funding in spring 2023 to hire a company to replace the bridge about 1/3 of a mile south of Becker Road.
A sheet pile wall, which is made of interlocking vertical steel sheets, failed in the early 2000s. That forced the bridge and part of the road to close.
Federal funding became available through the state in 2023. Schirmer Construction of North Olmsted was awarded a $4,276,401 contract that April to replace the bridge and rebuild a portion of the road to the south.
Veterans remembrance program
The American Veterans Remembrance Association and the Amherst Historical Society present The Best Years of our Lives!
This Free 1945 Living History Event will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Avenue, Amherst.
Free shuttle and parking is at Amherst Junior High, 548 Milan Ave, Amherst. It is November 1945. WWII has ended, and millions of servicemen and women are returning home to a greatly changed United States. Immerse yourself in the music, fashion, and culture of the era, and join us for a glimpse into The Best Years of Our Lives at this free living history event.
For more info, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at 440-988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org.
And don’t forget about the WWII reenactors and their free presentation about Operation Market Garden on Tuesday, at the Amherst Historical Society, 113 South Lake Street, Amherst.
Richard Perrins
Automation teacher John Agostinelli holds a programmable logic controller in the lab at Amherst High School.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Rape trial begins for former deputy
Owen MacMillan
The Community Guide
A Lorain County Common Pleas Court jury heard opening statements and the testimony of the alleged victim in the rape case against Charles “Chuck” Crausaz, 52, of Columbia Township.
The former Lorain County sheriff’s deputy faces felony charges of rape, kidnapping and two counts of strangulation. He also faces misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and using weapons while intoxicated faces felony charges of rape, kidnapping and two counts of strangulation. He also faces misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and using weapons while intoxicated Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Patrick Hakos told the jury that Crausaz had returned home from a brief stay at an alcohol abuse rehabilitation facility May 11, 2024. The next day, Hakos said, Crausaz got drunk before handcuffing a woman in his home and then allegedly physically assaulted her and forced her to participate in multiple sexual acts while taking pictures.
Defense attorney Matthew Bobrowski told the jury that much of the story the prosecution told was not in dispute. What was in dispute was the nature of the sexual encounter that did occur, which he argued was consensual.
Rather than drunkenly forcing the alleged victim into handcuffs, Bobrowski said his client was sober when he exited his bathroom to find the woman in handcuffs and on his bed.
“We’re not disputing at all that a sexual encounter occurred,” he said. “What we’re disputing is whether it was, in fact, consensual. Mr. Crausaz is saying it was a consensual sexual encounter.” It was not unusual, Bobrowski said to the jury, for Crausaz and the alleged victim to take such pictures, adding “this was something they did.”
“So, yes, a sexual encounter did occur,” Bobrowski said. “At some point through, and Mr. Crausaz himself will testify — if it comes to that, if he does take the stand — that encounter went south someway that he is not aware (of).”
The alleged victim, who had been in a relationship with Crausaz prior to the alleged rape, was the first witness to testify. The Chronicle-Telegram does not typically identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
She outlined a history of problem drinking for Crausaz, saying that in the days before the alleged assault that she had driven him to Cincinnati and
COMMUNITY GUIDE
Charles “Chuck” Crausaz, 52, of Columbia Township listens to his attorney at the conclusion of his trial’s first day.
dropped him off at an alcohol rehabilitation facility.
Crausaz checked himself out of that facility and returned home to Columbia Township three days later. The alleged assault took place the next day on Sunday, May 12, 2024. From the stand, the witness said that Crausaz had seemed sober and normal upon his return from Cincinnati up until she discovered him sleeping on a recliner on the patio of his home.
When she woke Crausaz up, she could tell he was drunk, she said. She told him to go upstairs to sleep in his bedroom and went back inside.
The alleged victim said that she found a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of vodka tucked between the slats of a wooden pallet outside. She dumped out that bottle in the sink “like I had so many times before.”
Crausaz eventually went upstairs, and the alleged victim said she went back to watching television on the couch downstairs.
Soon after, the alleged victim said that Crausaz came downstairs wearing only “lounge pants” and approached her. She said that Crausaz then grabbed her wrist, threw her to the floor and placed a handcuff on her left wrist.
The alleged victim said that she protested and struggled as he attempted to place her other wrist in the cuffs
“I was wrestling around with him, because I didn’t want him to put me in the handcuffs,” she said.
“I said, ‘What are you doing?’ and he said, ‘You’re not gonna tell me no.’”
She told Hakos she knew Crausaz had been referring to having sex at that moment, and that, despite being in a relationship, they had not had sex in at least six months because “I was tired of all the alcohol and all the lies.”
She testified that and Crausaz sat on her chest. It was then, the alleged victim said, that Crausaz was able to place her right hand in the handcuffs.
Kennel expansion build begins for no-kill shelter
The Community Guide
CARLISLE TWP. — Lorain County officials broke ground on an expansion to the dog kennel last week.
The $1.4 million project at 301 Hadaway St. will increase the kennel’s capacity from 40 to 60 dogs and will be finished in the spring. Officials all agreed the project had been a long time coming after being in the works for more than three years.
In 2018, county commissioners approved borrowing about $1 million for the project. At that time, the plan was to build an entirely new kennel.
Fast forward to now, when the plan is to expand the kennel on the south side of the building, adding room for 20 more cages, and on the west end, adding an area for volunteers to bathe dogs and have a dedicated adopting area for families to meet the animals they plan to take home.
The additions were funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, a $250,000 state grant and more than $300,000 in private donations.
Commissioner David Moore said the kennel’s capital project is one of the benefits of ARPA funds, adding shelters across the country have seen an increase in animals coming
WANT TO HELP?
To benefit the kennel, Taya Szabados and her mom, Wendy, created the group Cuffs and Pups. The pair collect items for the kennel at Amherst, Sheffield Lake and Sheffield police departments. Their current drive runs through Oct. 18, Wendy Szabados said. For more information on the Szabasos’ collection, including items needed by the kennel, visit Cuffs and Pups’ Facebook page or email cuffpups@gmail.com.
through their doors.
He said the county kennel is effectively a no-kill shelter now thanks to its volunteers — a far cry from 25 years ago when many of the dogs to come through its doors were euthanized.
“I’m really proud of our staff here, I’m proud of the partnerships that we have formed here and I’m really proud of today,” Moore said. “This is, to me, a historic day.”
Fellow Republican Commissioner Jeff Riddell echoed Moore’s sentiments.
He said when he came on as commissioner, everyone kept saying “someday we’re going to do this.”
“I was raised by a guy who said ‘Someday ends in Y but it’s not a day of the week,’” Riddell said. “Someday is here and it’s happening and this is a quality of life issue.”
Commissioner Michelle Hung
said previous commissioners had decided to relocate the dog kennel, but later rescinded the decision and put it to the new commissioners coming into office.
“Things in government don’t move as quickly as we would like them to,” she said. “... After a period of years we are here today and we’re very, very pleased to be here today with this expansion and keeping our home right here on Hadaway Street.”
Moore is up for reelection this November; he faces Democrat Brian Baker.
Hung, a Republican, lost her bid for reelection in the March primary. Running for her seat are Republican Martin Gallagher and Democrat Tony Dimacchia.
The kennel is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is closed Sundays, Mondays and legal holidays.
Now through Oct. 1, adoption fees are waived for dogs; all a family must pay is the $26 dog license fee. The regular adoption fee is $80 plus the license. Only cash or checks are accepted to adopt a dog.
For more information on the kennel, including available dogs, visit loraincountyohio.gov or call (440) 326-5995.
Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245.
7 states — but not Ohio — are battlegrounds in 2024
David Knox The Community Guide
There are no hard criteria defining battleground states in a presidential election.
But political experts generally agree seven states deserve that title this year, according to David Cohen, professor of political science at the University of Akron.
“The blue wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the Sun Belt states of Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina,” he said, “those states are going to decide the presidential election.”
The results of the 2020 election explain why.
Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania
and Wisconsin are the five states that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but switched to Joe Biden in 2020; Biden also carried Nevada, but narrowly; while Trump barely held on to North Carolina.
But Ohio has been considered a solid red state since 2016, after helping to put Trump into the White House and backing him again four years later by a much wider margin.
“The fact is in 2024, Ohio is not a battleground state,” Cohen said. “This is not where the election’s going to be won or lost.”
Cohen, a program director at the university’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, said the Democratic Party’s switch from President Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential candidate hasn’t changed that fact.
Signs both parties have written off the Buckeye State are unmistakable.
Neither Donald Trump
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
nor Harris have scheduled visits to Ohio.
Nor have the parties “invested in any presidential campaign infrastructure in this state,” Cohen said.
“They haven’t deployed staffers in Ohio. That’s how you know they’re not planning on contesting.”
Cohen said that Ohio remains a battleground in the fight for Congress, where Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Cleveland is running for a fourth term against Republican businessman Bernie Moreno.
“The race in Ohio could very well determine who controls the U.S. Senate in 2025,” Cohen said.
Three House seats now held by Democrats all face stiff Republican challenges and “are pretty much tossups.”
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, from Toledo’s 9th District has been a member of Congress since 1983 and is running for a 22nd term. Kaptur is the longest
serving woman in Congressional history. She is being challenged by state Rep. Derek Merrin of Monclova.
First-term U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, from AkronCanton’s 13th District faces Kevin Coughlin, a former Ohio state senator. Greg Landsman, also a freshman, in Cincinnati’s 1st District is being challenged by Orlando Sonza, a certified public accountant and West Point graduate.
Retaining those districts “are key if Democrats want to win back control of the House,” Cohen said. Cohen said that chances of keeping these seats are improved because of the decision to go with Harris.
“I think the renewed enthusiasm for Democrats is really, really good news for those congressional races,” he said.
Contact David Knox at ctnews@ chroniclet.com.
Carissa Woytach
A shepherd mix awaits adoption at the Lorain County Dog Kennel on Wednesday. He is one of 40 dogs currently in the kennel.
COMMUNITY GUIDE PHOTOS
Lorain County Dog Warden Timothy Pihlblad speaks during the groundbreaking with Commissioner Jeff Riddell.
WELLINGTON — The Kiwanis will celebrate its 100th anniversary by donating more than $60,000 today to the village for playground equipment for Union School Park.
“There aren’t too many clubs in the area that have been around for 100 years, and we wanted to celebrate that,” said Jenny Arntz, immediate past president of the Kiwanis Club of Wellington and director of Main Street Wellington.
“We want to let everyone know what we have been doing and what plans we have for the future.”
The Kiwanis definitely have been busy. The Parade of Flags, State of Wellington Breakfast, Pancake Day and annual nut sale are just a few of their fundraisers for the playground.
“Everything we do goes back to the kids and the community,” Arntz said.
K-Kids, a club for elementary school kids; Kiwanis Builders Club for middle schoolers and Key Club for high schoolers, help children and teens become active in the community and give back.
“The K-Kids make placemats for seniors in the nursing home, sing Christmas carols and collect pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House,” said Carol Burke, current Kiwanis president. “The Builders Club helps with blood drives, puts on a talent show and helps with Pancake Day. The Key Club participates in town events and partners with us on Pancake Day.”
All of their service has helped to make the donation possible.
“We’ve been working hard to raise money for the community park,” Burke
said.
While the playground’s completion is a ways off, once the infrastructure is completed and the water and electrical are put in, it won’t be long before it opens, she said.
“We try to get the community together to help our kids,” Burke said. “We began in 1915. Kiwanis were originally established as a social group for men. They soon realized they could do more and went from a social group to one for the kids.”
And that is what they remain.
Richard Perrins The Community Guide
When Lorain County Community College’s esports program started in the fall of 2021, four students competed in the video game Super Smash Brothers from a small room they shared with a health class.
Three years later, the esports program has grown to 32 students — and is headquartered in a new dedicated room.
Starting next week, the esports team will be competing from a newly renovated space in LCCC’s Campana Center for Ideation and Invention, which LCCC officially opened with a ceremony on Thursday evening. The room houses 10 computer stations, 10 Nintendo Switch stations and a video review area. For students who are part of the program and their coaches, the space offers an opportunity to grow their skills but also encourage their sense of community.
Kylie Zeman, a 20-yearold programming student from North Ridgeville, is on the program’s Valorant team. Zeman is pursuing a degree in emerging media and technology through Kent State University, but said she wants to focus her research on esports and the technology within the field.
When she first joined the program in 2022, Zeman said she used to only interact with her Valorant
David Knox The Community Guide
Lorain County has passed a milestone nobody celebrates: The county has gone more than a generation with fewer employed workers than it had at the turn of the 21st century.
The latest figures show Lorain county’s businesses, industries, schools and local governments combined employed an average of 97,891 workers last year. That’s 8,241 less — an 8 percent decline — than the record of 106,132 workers posted in 2000.
If 8,241 fewer jobs doesn’t seem like a lot, think again. Most of those missing jobs were in manufacturing. Many were unionized posts paying middle-class wages.
Those lost paychecks totaled $825 million last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Those numbers aren’t estimates. They come from reports required to be filed by every employer with workers covered by unemployment insurance growth
From A1
This includes more than
teammates. The new space allows everyone in the program to come together and compete, rather than interact virtually.
“It’s all about inclusivity and it’s important to group up as a team,” Zeman said. “It is all online, but at the end of the day we’re all real people and we have different personalities, so it’s really nice to come together.”
LCCC President Martha Ballinger spoke at the event before handing a huge pair of scissors to three members of the program to cut the ribbon. Ballinger said the success and enthusiasm surrounding the program made it a priority to encourage its growth.
“Having esports here has really turned into such a vibrant athletic program,” Ballinger said. “As the players all know, it’s about much more than sports. It’s about critical skills, teamwork and leadership, all combined with balancing academic success. … And we’re so excited of their success so far.”
Robert McClelland, the program’s head coach, said the team competed in 191 matches in total across all games and tiers, and dedicated the new space to allow student athletes to be themselves.
Having been head coach since the program’s inception three years ago, McClelland said he’s watched the program and its members grow in tandem from
95 percent of all employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That decline in payrolls goes a long way to explain the dramatic drop in median household incomes — meaning half the county’s households had incomes above and half below — over the last two decades. Last year the Census Bureau estimated Lorain County’s median household income at $69,066. That’s $13,806 — nearly 17 percent — less than the 1999 record of $82,872, adjusted for inflation.
Lorain County isn’t the only Ohio county with fewer workers and lower payrolls today than decades ago:
43 counties — nearly half the state’s total 88 — haven’t seen any net job growth since 2000 or earlier.
16 other counties haven’t recovered jobs lost since 2007 and the start of the Great Recession.
Only 29 counties, representing less than 40 percent of the state’s population, are at record high employment today.
Is that growing inequality in employment fueling
a “handful of passionate students” to student athletes competing nationally across multiple games.
“This new facility reflects the commitment these players have shown, and it’s going to elevate what we can achieve even further,” McClellan said. “Having a dedicated space means more opportunities for practice, team building and, ultimately, more opportunities for success.”
McClelland said members
of the team, like Zeman, have decided to explore career paths related to esports, including game analysis and event management.
“What excites me most about the space isn’t just how it will help us win tournaments, though I’m certainly looking forward to it,” McClelland said.
“More importantly is how it will help our students thrive in ways that go beyond the game… This room will be their hub, their
creative space, and their launchpad into whatever comes next.”
The program’s fall season officially starts next week, McClelland said, with players competing in 20 different games on Monday through Friday in three different tiers of competition.
Robert Rogers, a 19-yearold psychology major and one of the team’s star players, joined the program last year. Rogers won the NJCAA tier two Mario Kart
tournament in the spring and plans to compete for the tier one championship this fall.
“I decided to come check (the esports program) out, and what I found was a year’s worth of experiences and journeys I was not ready for,” Rogers said. “I got moved to a new tier, so someone’s going to take my tier two championship whether I like it or not. But that means I get to take the tier one championship.”
voter anger against Democrats, the party traditionally seen as the champion of workers?
Election results suggest that’s happening.
In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama took 22 Ohio counties on his way to winning the state and the White House.
By 2020, however, 15 of those counties switched to Republican Donald Trump. Twelve hadn’t seen any net
job growth in more than 20 years.
Among those counties voting for Trump were the formerly Democratic strongholds of Lorain, Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
Those three counties are key factors in Ohio’s transformation from a “bellwether state,” which could go either way in presidential elections, to a deep-red state solidly in the Repub-
lican camp, according to David Cohen, a program director at the University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.
“The loss by Democrats of traditional bluecollar counties like Lorain, Mahoning and Trumbull counties is at the epicenter of why Ohio is no longer a battleground state,” he said.
Cohen said the Democratic Party acknowledges many blue-collar workers “flipped to Trump” and “has been working hard since 2016 to earn those white working-class voters back.
“Despite huge policy successes like the bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the Infla-
tion Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act — all of which pump a lot of money and investment into the manufacturing sector — and despite union leadership overwhelmingly supporting the Biden administration and Democrats, many of those blue-collar workers have not come back to the party,” he said. The economic strain on Ohio’s blue-collar workers isn’t new, Sherry Lee Linkon, former codirector of the Center for Working Class Studies at Youngstown State University, said. It began many decades ago.
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Kiwanis Club of Wellington President Carol presents Village of Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider
Amherst celebrates its 2024 Girls Soccer Seniors Kamille Coleman, Sophia Blanden, Addison Lachman, Abbey Cooke, Genevieve Herrmann, Julia Ciura, Talia Debronsky and Maddie Gates on Senior Night against Buckeye.
Amherst’s Sophia Blanden pushes the ball past Buckeye’s Kylee Kash.
Amherst Girls Soccer vs Buckeye
Amherst celebrated its eight Seniors against Buckeye. Amherst and Buckeye battled in a very physical game that included several yellow cards in the second half the game heated up. Amherst scored a goal in each half to secure a 2-0 win over Buckeye.
and
From left, Amherst’s Isabelle McGee, Addison Lachman, kamille Coleman, Sophia Blanden and Paige Miller celebrate Blanden’s first goal against Buckeye.
Wellington’s Kahleb Caswell pushes the ball past Brookside’s Jacob McIver on a run
Wellington Boys Soccer vs Brookside
Wellington hosted Brookside and came away with a 3-0 conference victory. The match was scoreless at the half. Wellington broke through with a little over 27 minutes left in the second half and then scored two more goals with left than 10 minutes left in the match to secure the win.
Wellington Volleyball at Columbia Wellington and Columbia battled in close sets all night. Wellington took the first set 25-20 but Columbia took the second set 25-21 to even the match. Wellington won an emotional third set 30-28 and carried that momentum on into the fourth set to win the set 25-21 for a 3-1 match win.
At right, Wellington’s
makes the pass at Columbia.
Wellington Girls Soccer vs Brookside Wellington celebrated its four
for Senior Night against Brookside. Brookside dominated the game with a convincing 7-1 win.
At
Photos by Russ Gifford / The Community Guide
Wellington celebrates the final point in set four for the match win at Columbia.
Ella Postlewait
Wellington’s Brooke Lehmkuhl gets the kill at Columbia.
Wellington celebrated its four Girls Soccer Seniors, Kady Jerore, Lucy Roush, McKenna Stahl and Harper Fleming on Saturday against Brookside.
Seniors
Wellington’s Alex Mills and Brookside’s BriAnna Slaughter battle for possession of the ball.
left, Wellington’s McKenna Stahl moves the ball past Brookside’s Karisa Mehalic.
Wellington’s Spencer Brasee
Brookside Keeper Zach Doell collide going after the ball.
Wellington’s Zach Barnes and Brookside’s Landon Goodrich battle for a loose ball.
up the field.
BULLETIN BOARD
Steele Leo walks for childhood cancer
The Amherst Steele Leo Club is holding its 2nd annual STEPS Walk for Pediatric Cancer to raise funds for childhood cancer research and to support families affected by this disease.
The 1-mile walk will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Amherst High School Mercy Health Stadium.
Registration with a $5 donation begins at 12:30 p.m. All of the money raised will be given to help North Central Ohio families to help offset the expenses of running their child to treatments and appointments, medications, etc., and to hospitals to assist in pediatric cancer research.
According to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, 47 children per day in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer.
The Leos will also be collecting unwanted, used eyeglasses to be recycled and distributed to those in need in third world countries.
Avon K of C plans firearm safety training
On Oct. 17 at 6 p.m., the Knights of Columbus Council 3269 in Knights of Columbus will host Kevin Arocho, President of Arocho Firearms LLC, and a member of his staff (Heather) for a free mini-class including informing and training attendees on gun safety at Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon. They will talk about the Rules of Firearm Safety, home security; creation of a home defense plan; legal use of force responsibilities; and aftermath of an encounter.
Please RSVP by Oct. 14 to rudybreglia@gmail.com. Snacks and refreshments will be served. Bring a friend. Public is welcome.
CROP Walk is Sunday in Amherst
C.R.O.P. walks began in 1947 as Christian Rural Overseas Programs to help the American Farmer share their extra grain with hungry neighbors after WW2 in Europe and Asia.
The first walk in America was in North Dakota in 1969 and the walks were held in Lorain County for many years in Lorain, Elyria, and Oberlin and started in Amherst late in the 1990s and continue today with members from our Community Congregational UCC, St. Peters UCC and now friends from our Vermilion UCC with 25 percent of raised funds staying at our local Amherst Food Pantry at Good Shepherd Baptist Church. All funds are matched by Nordson Corporation.
Our walk is Sunday at 2 p.m. in downtown Amherst. Every one is invited to join us in person or with donations through our website @events.crophungerwalks.org/cropwalks/event/amherstoh.
Free Clinic annual steak fry Oct. 18
The 24nd Annual Lorain County Free Clinic Steak Fry Benefit will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Eagles, 1161 Milan Avenue, Amherst.
Tickets are $25 and include steak, potato, salad, desert and beverages. You can by tickets at lcfreeclinic.org, by emailing paul@lcfreeclinic.org or calling 440-277-6641.
Famous world sites
42. The night before Christmas
43. Eyewash vessel
45. Food tester
47. King Kong, e.g.
48. Milk quantity
50. *____ Verde National Park
52. *Black Hills’ Mount ____ National Memorial
55. Short-trunked
Recipe amt.
The Bulletin Board is published on a space-available basis and items will be edited for style, length, and clarity. Items must be submitted to news@lcnewspapers.com by 11 a.m. the Monday before publication.
All proceeds support the work of the Free Clinic and help provide medical care to the underserved in Lorain and eastern Erie counties.
For more information, contact Paul Baumgartner at 440-315-9012.
Red Cross blood drive Tuesday
In partnership with American Red Cross, Mercy Health hosts regular blood drives to ensure that we have an adequate stock of blood. Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital will be hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the hospital. Make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org. Use Sponsor Code: Mercy.
To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, there are requirements that must be met. For more information about eligibility, visit redcrossblood.org.
Empty Bowls by the Lake plans fundraiser
Guests are invited on Oct. 19 to a simple meal of soup and bread served at ALHS from 11am- 2pm.
In exchange for a $25 donation, guests will be asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.
The event will include live entertainment and a silent auction.
All proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and other local community resource centers and food banks. When you give to Empty Bowls by the Lake, you are helping feed the hungry and to spread the word about the need that exists all around us.
Please email us at EmptyBowlsByTheLake@gmail. com if you’d like to help in any way.
Avon Democratic Club to meet
The Avon Democratic Club will hold its next meeting on Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Avon Library, 37485 Harvest Drive. We will discuss the upcoming election and what we can personally do to elect local and national Democratic candidates.
Local candidates will also be present to meet in person and provide their signage.
More information at https://www.avonohdems.com.
Last County Action Plan summit Oct. 22
The Lorain County Strategic Action Plan Final Summit will be held at the Spitzer Conference Center, Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Rd N Elyria, on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Final Summit will be the culmination of the work
from the Lorain County Strategic Action Plan process, launched in March.
The Final Summit will include a presentation of the short, medium and long-term actions that have been established from the Task Force sessions.
Oberlin Library board to meet
The Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library Oct.10 at 5 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
Lost Houses of Lorain County program
A review of selected historic houses and the case for historic preservation and architectural salvage will be the topic of a free program at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Pittsfield Township Hall, State Routes 58 & 303, just south of Oberlin.
The presentation will be given by Col. Matt W. Nahorn, owner and manager of the New Indian Ridge Museum on Cooper-Foster Park Road, in Amherst.He will talk about the houses from which the salvaged doors, windows, and other architectural features have been saved.
Avon historians plan spooky Halloween talk
The Avon Historical Society will have a program called “Halloween, Our Spookiest Holiday” at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Olde Town Hall at the corner of Detroit and Stoney Ridge.
Halloween has roots that go back thousands of years. See how the earliest practices of All Hallows Eve have led to our candy-and-party modern celebration. For more information, go to www.avonhistory.org.
Ebony and Ivory Piano Wars
The Rotary Club of Oberlin will hold a piano wars program at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Oh-Ky Adc of Bricklayers, 45960 Telegraph Road, Amherst. Enjoy a fun night of fellowship and fundraising. Cocktails, dinner and entertainment are included with your ticket. $75 each Venmo @OberlinRotaryClub, PayPal @ Rotary Club of Oberlin OH, DACdb, or Check to PO Box 123 Oberlin, OH 44074. No tickets sold at door.
Avon-Avon Lake GOP to meet
The Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club will meet at 5 p.m. Oct. 10 in Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon. County official Rob Berner will talk about how the reappraisals were derived; the impact on our property taxes and Ohio’s solutions. What about school levies? Tom Hach, executive director of Free Ohio Now/State Director of Ohio Freedom Action Network, will speak about his actions to perpetuate our God-given inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. A lso speaking will be John Prajzner, assistant to the Lorain County Recorder and candidate for Lorain County Treasurer. Meetings held the second Thursday each month. Guests cost $5.
Catch a film in LCCC series Fridays through December
The Community Guide
There’s still time to catch a movie at Lorain County Community College’s Film Series on select Fridays through December. They were able to screen 10 films this season, two more than usual, retired professor and LCCC Film Society Director Robert Dudash said.
The remaining schedule includes:
n “The Divine Order” (Friday)
n “Wadjda” (Oct. 18)
n “Shayda” (Nov. 8)
n “Atonement” (Nov. 15)
n “The Old Oak” (Nov. 22)
n “The Well-Digger’s Daughter” (Dec. 13)
A flick of note is “Wadjda,” which Dudash said was definitely selected thanks to the expanded programming.
“First of all, it’s very unusual to have a film from Saudi Arabia, let alone the director being a woman,” he said.
“The content of the film is a little bit controversial within Saudi Arabia because it deals with a young girl who begins to assert herself and her independence — visà-vis some of the things she would like to do and actually proceeds to do. It’s really a lovely little film.”
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