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LORAIN COUNTY
AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021
www.lcnewspapers.com
Volume 8, Issue 6
Why are vaccine numbers so low for some? Numbers show huge divide between white COVID shot recipients and people of color JASON HAWK EDITOR
When Claudia Jones got her first COVID-19 vaccine shot, she had her camera ready. The Oberlin NAACP president said she felt a responsibility to share the pictures with Black friends, because some have struggled with doubts about be-
ing inoculated. "Some people just have their suspicions about white folks giving Black folks vaccines," Jones said. The war against the virus isn't just about science and medicine. Statistics released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm it's also about race, ethnicity and trust. Of the Americans who have
been vaccinated so far, just 5.4 percent are Black. That low figure isn't at all proportional to how many Black people are in long-term health care facilities (14 percent) or how many work in the health care industry (16 percent), both groups that are part of the earliest vaccine rollouts. In Ohio, 908,096 people — 7.77 percent of the population — had started vaccinations as of Feb. 3, and only 43,801 of them identify as Black or African American. That's just 4.8 percent.
The Ohio Department of Health also breaks down the vaccination numbers for Asians (2.3 percent) and people who are Hispanic or Latino (1.3 percent). White people account for a little over 68 percent of the state's vaccine recipients so far. The numbers are even more skewed for Lorain County, with 76 percent of the 24,140 people who have been vaccinated identifying as white, 3.3 percent as Hispanic or Latino, 2.2 percent as Black and 0.9 percent as Asian. RACE PAGE A4
Provided photo
Claudia Jones receives a COVID-19 vaccination.
Oberlin alum, Unemployment fraud rampant victims don't member of the Many realize that their identity was stolen ‘Chicago Seven’ until they receive a 1099-G in the mail dies at age 80 DYLAN REYNOLDS
THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — Peace activist Rennie Davis, one of the most prominent opponents of the Vietnam War and a member of the "Chicago Seven," died Tuesday, Feb. 2. He was 80 year old. Davis was a graduate of Oberlin College, attending from 1958 to 1962. It was at Oberlin that he Public domain became known as "a fabulous Rennie Davis, a political organizer for change," 1962 graduate of said fellow alumnus David Oberlin College, Finke. was an influential "He was always cheerful, always upbeat, always had a smile peace activist. on his face. But he was intense. He would work 18 hours a day," Finke remembered in a phone interview. "He would work until he was exhausted, then drink whiskey to fall asleep and coffee to wake himself back up... I was active, but Rennie was three CHICAGO SEVEN PAGE A2
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EATON TWP. — Dick and Gail McConnell knew something was wrong when they received a 1099G tax form in the mail. It showed Gail had claimed more than $11,000 in unemployment benefits. Both are retired and neither had needed any type of unemployment benefits in decades. The Eaton Township residents are among a growing number of Lorain County and Ohio residents who are realizing they are victims of identity fraud related to unemployment scams. Dick McConnell, 76, said he and Gail, 72, are always cautious with their mail, and they figure the most likely way Gail’s personal information could have gotten out was through tax or medical documents. “We’re really racking our brain trying to figure
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not heard back. Stories like the McConnell's are part of the reason why the state says it is forming a public-private partnership to work on improvements to the unemployment system. "These experts will provide recommendations and solutions to improve the
call center, claims process, and fraud detection efforts in the state unemployment system," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday as he announced the partnership. The goal of the 16-or-so private-sector experts in FRAUD PAGE A2
OBERLIN — A man was stabbed near the throat early the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 3 after a night of drinking and playing cards, according to Oberlin police Lt. Mike McCloskey. Tracy Brown, 24, of Oberlin, was visiting friends on the 200 block of South Pleasant Street when an argument broke out, McCloskey said. Around 12:31 a.m., Jason
Radca, 34, of Pensacola, Florida, allegedly knifed Brown in the upper chest. An incident report said police found the victim bleeding, but not heavily enough that they believed his artery was cut. David Dock, who had been inside during the incident, told police he had restrained Radca from behind. They wrestled into the snow outside, and Dock
thought Radca dropped the knife. The incident report said police searched and didn't find the knife in the snow. But McCloskey said it was later recovered with blood still on it. Radca told investigators that his memory is bad due to epilepsy, and he did not know whether he'd cut STABBING PAGE A2
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out how they did it, and our greatest concern is that they’re going to do it again,” he said. The couple reached the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services by phone and was assured their complaint was being investigated, but as of Sunday the McConnells had
Stabbing results in felony charge
News staff Jason Hawk news@lcnewspapers.com Phone: 440-329-7122
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Angelo Angel | Chronicle
Dick McConnell of Eaton Township holds up a 1099-G tax form on Sunday. He and wife Gail McConnell were surprised when the form showed Gail had received $11,235 in unemployment benefits that she did not actually claim.
Amherst
Oberlin
Wellington
Primary filings show a City Council shake-up • B1
South Park Street shooting now a homicide • B2
Schools hope task force will help tackle hard decisions • B1
OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A3 • CROSSWORD A4 • SUDOKU A4 • KID SCOOP B6