February 9, 2018
In recognition of Black History Month, the Oberlin Heritage Center’s Museum Education and Tour Coordinator, Amanda Manahan, will present an illustrated program about the history of Oberlin’s Black business owners this weekend.
According to Manahan, the program will highlight between 16 and 20 people, their accomplishments and struggles, and their continuing legacies in town. Black entrepreneurs have had a presence in Oberlin since the mid-19th century.
John Watson, for example, was a former...
February 9, 2018
Filed under Campus News, Community News, Recent Stories, Security Report
Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018
3:21 p.m. Campus Dining staff reported a brown two-shelf push cart missing from the Science Center food court area. No value was given at the time of report.
5:18 p.m. Facilities staff reported graffiti in two different locations on campus. The graffiti, written in marker, was found in the Firelands Apartments men’s restroom and on an electrical box in Robertson Hall parking lot. A work order was filed for removal.
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018
12:05 p.m. A student reported the theft of their bicycle from outside a Goldsmith Village Housing Unit. The bike is valued at $150-$200.
7:40 p.m. Safety and Security Officers responded to a report of graffiti in a restroom on the first floor of Bibbins H...
December 8, 2017
The Office of Environmental Sustainability is attempting to reduce Oberlin College’s carbon footprint and boost its sustainability reputation by cutting emissions through a new landfill gas recovery system that was proposed during a presentation to the Board of Trustees yesterday.
“[The video] highlights carbon neutrality progress over the past decade and introduces the proposed heating solution utilizing waste heat from the electrification process at the landfill,” said Bridget Flynn, the...
December 1, 2017
Oberlin has advanced with nine other cities to the final round of competition for the Georgetown University Energy Prize, which recognizes top performing communities for increasing energy efficiency and reducing municipal and household energy budgets. The winner, to be announced this month, will earn $5 million to fund their “dream project.”
Former staff members of the Oberlin Project and members of Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly entered Oberlin into the competition in 2014. T...
Eliza Guinn, Production Editor
December 1, 2017
Filed under Community News, NEWS, Recent Stories
Construction on the NEXUS pipeline halted in the Northeast Ohio city of Green after the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals voted in a 2–1 decision to block the company from building within city limits. Members of Oberlin City Council and Students for Energy Justice, an organization at the College, are continuing work to raise awareness and protesting with hopes of achieving the same result.
Green spent $350,000 of the city’s annual budget of $32 million fighting the pipeline’s construction. Green Mayor Gerard Neugebauer claims he opposed the plan since he was hired more than two years ago, and this court ruling provides a reprieve — likely of several months — before any further arguments or court actions ensu...
Jenna Gyimesi, Staff Writer
November 17, 2017
Filed under Community News, NEWS, Recent Stories
City Council approved the Heritage Home Program to create a fund that will provide homeworkers and landowners a more affordable, accessible way to renovate or repair aging homes. The program, passed Nov. 6, will officially take effect Dec. 1.
Anyone who owns a home in Oberlin built 50 or more years ago can receive free technical assistance. Qualifying homeowners can obtain a low-interest, equity-based loan to improve upon or maintain their property through the program.
Recently re- elected City Councilmember Linda Slocum was a critical advocate for the program, and she articulated it as one of her main goals throughout her campaign.
“When I was running for council the first time, I went to the [doorstep] of...
November 10, 2017
David and Allyn Gibson, the father and son co-owners of Gibson’s Bakery in downtown Oberlin, filed a lawsuit against Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday. The lawsuit stems from a series of protests and boycotts directed at Gibson’s after an alleged incident of racial profiling and student shoplifting.
The Gibsons allege eight counts against the defendants, including accusations of libel, intentional infliction...
Jack Brewster, Staff Writer
November 10, 2017
Filed under Community News, NEWS
The Ohio Department of Commerce approved a license last Friday for Ascension BioMedical LLC, a medical marijuana company, to build a facility in the Oberlin Industrial Park. The approval makes it one of the few cities in Ohio — and the only in Lorain County — to grow medical marijuana.
City Councilmember Kelley Singleton has advocated for medical marijuana growers to settle in Oberlin since this spring, arguing that the medicinal marijuana industry would bring economic benefits.
“I think it’s a great victory for the city of Oberlin,” Singleton said. “This will provide some good paying jobs and some much-needed tax revenue.”
Fadi Boumitri, the owner of Ascension Biomedical, said he chose Oberlin...
Johan Cavert, Staff Writer
November 3, 2017
Filed under Campus News, Community News, NEWS, Recent Stories
An impressive array of writers, politicians, educators, and national leaders will convene at The Hotel at Oberlin for a private conference in a couple of weeks to address contentious issues concerning the state of American democracy.
The conference, which will take place Nov. 15–17, is titled The State of American Democracy: A National Conversation and will, according to organizers, discuss solutions for rebuilding what they refer to as “the frayed edges of American democracy.”
The lengthy roster of guests features a broad range of speakers from both sides of the ideological spectrum with expertise on a wide range of contemporary issues. Among the guests listed are J. D. Vance, author of The New York Time...
Devyn Malouf
November 3, 2017
Filed under Community News, NEWS
Despite the Oberlin Police Department’s announcement in August to hire Elyria Police Officer Clarence “Ryan” Warfield as its new police chief, that desk still remains empty. Warfield has yet to accept his potential position not only because of the time required for a full background check, but also due to opposition from multiple sergeants in the department.
Warfield has over two decades of experience with the Elyria Police Department, where he began as a road patrol officer and eventually served in the community impact and investigative units. Town officials and current members of the Oberlin Police Department have variously voiced their support — or lack thereof — for the potential hire.
City Manager...
November 3, 2017
City Council held an emergency meeting Saturday, deciding to reject a $3,500 offer from NEXUS for means of access. The offer would have given NEXUS the legal right to use city property without owning it, granting the company the ability to begin building its pipeline.
The Oberlin Community Bill of Rights, which was created in 2013, prohibits the creation of infrastructure relating to fracking in the city. City Councilmember Bryan Burgess added that the city also does not have authorization to...
October 27, 2017
Since the Oberlin City School District continues to face uncertainty as enrollment numbers drop and the construction of a new school remains up in the air, the Nov. 7 election presents a much-needed opportunity for positive change.
The school board is made up of five elected representatives, and three seats will be up for grabs at the end of the year. Six candidates are vying for a position, including current representatives Albert Borroni and Anne Schaum, recently resigned Oberlin College staff ...
