Community News – The Oberlin Review

Independent Congressional Candidate Visits Oberlin on Listening Tour

December 13, 2019

Chris Gibbs, who is planning to run for Representative Jim Jordan’s seat in Congress as an Independent, met with potential constituents at The Corner Joint on Wednesday. Gibbs is currently traveling around Ohio’s fourth congressional district, which includes Oberlin, on a listening tour as part of the exploratory phase of his campaign. Gibbs is a farmer, the former chair of the Shelby County Republican Party, and a former supporter of President Donald Trump. After becoming frustrated with politi...

Makerspace Cultivates Student Creativity

December 13, 2019

City Council Rezones Land for Potential Retail Center

December 13, 2019

Last week, Oberlin City Council voted 7–0 to rezone land at the intersection of Ohio State Route 58 and U.S. Route 20, opening up the plot to be developed into a shopping center by the Carnegie Management and Development Corporation. The vote followed a public hearing, which many community members who spoke against the possibility of a new commercial building. Residents’ concerns mirrored those raised at two previous meetings on the topic, and included how these plans might contradict the cit...

David Gibson, 65, Passes

Katie Lucey, News Editor

November 22, 2019

David Gibson, co-owner of Gibson’s Bakery, died Saturday Nov. 16 at age 65. In a video released in August, Gibson revealed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2018. Gibson was a lifelong resident of Oberlin and a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University. This past May, his family was awarded $44 million, a number later capped at $25 million under Ohio law, as a result of the lawsuit filed by Gibson’s Bakery against Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. Gibson previously served on the Lorain County Planning Commission and as chairman of the Oberlin Planning Commission. Gibson is survived by his wife, Lorna (Perkins) Gibson; his children, Krista, Allyn, and ...

Democratic Candidates Look to Defeat Rep. Jordan in 4th Congressional District

November 15, 2019

Several Democrats have filed paperwork to challenge Republican Jim Jordan in the 2020 Ohio 4th District Congressional election, a seat he has held since 2007. Democrats Shannon Freshour, Jeffrey Sites, and Mike Larsen have announced their candidacy for the position ahead of the Dec. 18 filing deadline. Representative Jim Jordan is a founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. He also serves on the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Previous attempts to unsea...

Residents Respond to Construction of Pyle South Amherst Road Roundabouts

November 8, 2019

After almost a year of planning and discussion between residents and city officials, four roundabouts on Pyle South Amherst Road were completed last Friday. The roundabouts were part of a larger repavement project that also included cement stabilization, resurfacing, the addition of pavement markings, new signage, a golf cart crossing. The project began after Public Works Director Jeff Bauman applied for and received an Ohio Public Works Commission grant to repave the 20-year-old pavement. This ...

Newly-Elected City Council Members Set Priorities for Term

Lila Michaels, Layout Editor

November 8, 2019

After a competitive race for Oberlin City Council, voters elected seven of twelve candidates into office on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Four incumbent councilors, Heather Adelman, Kristen Peterson, Kelley Singleton, and Linda Slocum were re-elected for another term. Ray English, Elizabeth J. Meadows, and Mary Price will replace three current councilors. Ronnie Rimbert was the only incumbent candidate who ran but was not re-elected. Bryan Burgess, who served as council president, did not run for re-election because he was term-limited. Councilmember Sharon Pearson also did not run for re-election. Following the election, Councilmembers English, Peterson, and Slocum each spoke of their commitment to environmental sustainability....

Unknown Substance Causes Emergency at Walmart, Mercy ER

November 1, 2019

An unknown substance originating in the Oberlin Walmart parking lot left seven people sick or unresponsive on Tuesday. Some of the exposures occurred in Mercy Allen Hospital and resulted in the hospital employing its emergency management plan and temporarily evacuating its emergency room. Chemical testing is still ongoing, but Chief of Police Ryan Warfield says he suspects the substance was fentanyl. The exposures began when police responded to a call reporting a suspicious individual walking i...

Shopping Center Plans Raise Concern at City Council Hearing

November 1, 2019

Plans are in motion to develop a 28-acre shopping center at the intersection of Ohio State Route 58 and U.S. Route 20 in Oberlin. The proposition was met with resistance from community members at a City Council hearing on Oct. 21. The property belongs to Oberlin Fire Chief Robert Hanmer, who intends to sell it to Carnegie Management and Development Corporation if the plans are approved. Carnegie Management expects to spend $10–15 million on construction, and predicts that the development could brin...

Democratic Debate Propels Ohio to Center Stage

November 1, 2019

Twelve candidates for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination descended on Westerville, OH, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to take part in a three-hour debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times. Many of the candidates came out swinging, attempting to highlight ideological divides and set themselves apart from the field. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren became a lightning rod for critique from other candidates, especially on the issue of health care. Other clashes focused on foreign polic...

Gibson’s Bakery Files Cross-Appeal

November 1, 2019

Gibson’s Bakery has filed a cross-appeal in the ongoing lawsuit that the bakery’s owners brought against Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. This cross-appeal comes after the College’s Oct. 8 decision to appeal the June jury verdict finding the College and Raimondo responsible for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress related to a series of 2016 student protests against the bakery. The jury initially awarded the Gibsons $11 million in compens...

Despite Zoning Challenges, Lorain Street Food Truck Opens

October 4, 2019

After over a year of searching, Steel Magnolia — the only food truck currently located in Oberlin — has found a home on 408 E. Lorain St., near IGA. The truck serves a mix of soul food and traditional Caribbean cuisine and was opened by Oberlin native Shontae Jackson who runs it with her mom, Sarah Jackson, and 17-year-old daughter, Tanzania. Sarah says that seeing her daughter succeed has been incredibly fulfilling. “Ever since she was a little girl, it’s been her dream,” Sarah said...