Community News – The Oberlin Review

Black Lives Matter protesters marched from Tappan Square to the Post Office on June 6.

Black Lives Matter Protesters Gather in Tappan Square

June 30, 2020

Protesters gathered in Tappan Square on June 6 to protest the murders of George Floyd and other Black men and women killed by police. During the demonstration, several speakers addressed the crowd to talk about the history of police violence against communities of color and demanded change on the local and national level. After protests against police brutality spread in cities in the U.S. and across the world, Oberlin resident Janet Gonzalez formed a Facebook group called Oberlin Peaceful Demonst...

Third-Party Candidate Ends OH-4 Campaign After Contractor Presents Invalid Signatures

June 13, 2020

Chris Gibbs, an Independent candidate running for US Congress in Ohio’s 4th district, announced on May 17 that he is suspending his campaign. The announcement came after the Lorain County Board of Elections determined he did not collect the requisite number of signatures to appear on the November ballot. Last spring, Gibbs announced that he would run as an Independent against Republican Representative Jim Jordan, a vocal supporter of the president and a founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. Gibbs voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election but grew dissatisfied with Trump’s policies over the last few years. As a farmer, Gibbs is especially frustrated with Trump’s trade war with China, which has d...

Slow Train customers place their orders at the cafe's rear entrance. Many of Oberlin's downtown businesses have changed the way they operate to allow for social distancing.

Oberlin’s Small Businesses Face Slow Summer

June 13, 2020

Small businesses in Oberlin continue navigating challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Ohio moving forward with its gradual reopening plan. Local businesses were hit hard by the state-wide stay-at-home order issued March 22, which curtailed business in Oberlin and sent students home. As part of his Responsible RestartOhio plan, Governor Mike DeWine reopened restaurants and bars for outdoor dining on May 15 and dine-in service on May 21. However, many of Oberlin’s businesses rel...

College, Gibson’s Bakery File Briefs Appealing $25 Million Verdict

June 12, 2020

Last Friday, the College filed to appeal the $25 million verdict that Gibson’s Bakery won in their case against Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. A jury found the College guilty of libel last June and initially awarded the Gibsons $44 million in damages, later capped at $25 million due to Ohio state laws regarding tort lawsuits. The Gibsons argued that the College supported students in protesting and boycotting the bakery following accusations of racism in ...

Kim’s Grocery & Carry-out has stayed open during the COVID pandemic.

Struggling Downtown Businesses Receive Financial Assistance, Support

May 9, 2020

Since Ohio announced its stay-at-home order on March 22, most of Oberlin’s small businesses have lost their steady sources of revenue. Many are currently unable to pay rent or compensate their employees. In an effort to temporarily cover expenses, some businesses have taken advantage of a new loan program instituted by the City of Oberlin, while others are looking to the federal Paycheck Protection Program. “Our business dropped almost 90 percent. We used to get a hundred tables, almost 120...

Shannon Freshour, who won the Democratic Primary for Ohio's Fourth Congressional District. She will run against Republican Representative Jim Jordan in the fall.

Freshour Wins Democratic Primary for 4th Congressional District

May 2, 2020

Shannon Freshour was announced as the winner of the Ohio Democratic Primary on Tuesday after securing 47 percent of the vote. She will move on to face Representative Jim Jordan in the November general election for the Ohio 4th Congressional District seat. Jordan is the founder of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative House of Representatives members. Shannon ran against candidates Jeffrey Sites and Mike Larsen, who earned 29 percent and 23 percent of the vote, respectively. The re...

A community member created a chalk walk at Welcome Nursing Home to boost morale during a time of social distancing.

Local Retirement, Nursing Homes Cope with Pandemic Challenges

April 27, 2020

Local senior living centers Kendal at Oberlin and Welcome Nursing Home confirmed this week that no staff or residents at either establishment have tested positive for COVID-19. Both began closing their campuses before Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order was enacted on March 23, and have continuously updated their protocols to ensure the safety of their communities over the past month. Welcome Nursing Home caters specifically to elders in need of care services and medical plans. Ken...

School District Provides Internet Access, Food, Laptops to Students During Remote Learning

Anisa Curry Vietze, News Editor

April 24, 2020

After the Oberlin City School District went remote last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators and teachers are having to employ some creative techniques to ensure K-12 students can equitably continue with their education. The absence of in-person classes has caused disruptions for families who depend on schools for childcare, free or reduced-price lunches, and educational opportunities that they may not have access to at home. School districts across the country are transitioning to educating students online, a move that presents additional challenges for some Oberlin families. The district conducted an informal survey a couple of years ago that revealed that 18 percent of the district’s students d...

On April 1, City Council held their first-ever Zoom meeting since their regular meeting on March 16 was canceled following social distancing recommendations.

City Council Transitions to Zoom, Funds COVID-19 Response Efforts

April 18, 2020

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, City Council recently committed funding to several programs that provide financial relief and resources to Oberlin community members. City Council expanded existing programs and established new initiatives that offer assistance to residents, business owners, students, and seniors. Many of these efforts were addressed following an interim period when City Council was unable to meet. On March 16, City Council’s regular meeting was canceled after the city...

Graph of projected hospital bed capacity needed to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in Ohio. Data is displayed for April 20, the projected statewide peak date. Graph courtesy of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Ohio Generally Prepared for COVID-19 Outbreak, Data Models Suggest

March 31, 2020

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread across the country, statistical models produced by public health professionals show that, in comparison to other states, Ohio is well-prepared to weather the pandemic. While statewide testing rates continue to lag behind national averages, Ohio’s capacity of available hospital beds is projected to be sufficient to handle the peak of the outbreak. As of Monday afternoon, 27,275 COVID-19 tests had been conducted across the state, with 1,933 positiv...

Ben Franklin & Mindfair Books’ window displays a banner to inform customers of their reduced hours and new delivery options in response to COVID-19. “My message is, ‘Let's stick together while we stay apart,’” said Ben Franklin’s owner Krista Long. “I think everyone, all the business owners in Oberlin, … have that also at their heart.”

DeWine Issues Stay-at-Home Order; Oberlin Businesses Struggle with Consequences of Coronavirus

March 23, 2020

Oberlin business owners are worried that they will need to lay off workers after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Sunday announcement that the Ohio Department of Health is issuing a “stay-at-home” order for all of Ohio. The order is meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19, which — as of Monday afternoon — had hospitalized 104 people in Ohio, with 442 confirmed cases in the state overall. Even before the formal order, local businesses in Oberlin were battling the financial impact of the pandem...

College, Local Officials Continue to Respond to COVID-19 Outbreak

Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief

March 20, 2020

As more cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, are confirmed daily in the United States and around the world, local Oberlin leaders — both College administrators and City officials — continue to respond to the pandemic. Currently, the only publicly confirmed COVID-19 case in Oberlin is an employee in the College’s Campus Dining Services. This case was announced to the campus community in an email sent by President Carmen Twillie Ambar late Sunday night. According to Interim Chief of Staff David Hertz, Lorain County Public Health and the College are in regular contact, and LCPH is conducting an ongoing investigation into the confirmed case on campus. Hertz added that LPCH stresses that people who feel ill sho...