Midwest
Haitian refugees ‘don’t understand the laws,’ former lawmaker says amid fatal wreck, cultural clashes
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – An Ohio town that has seen its population swell with thousands of Haitian refugees has had to battle differences in culture and even driving practices as it adjusts to its new reality.
“We’ve got an influx of folks that have come in, and I think we were a little bit shocked that it was close to 20,000 people in a community of 60,000, and that’s caused some issues between the folks that live here and the folks that are coming in,” former Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler told Fox News Digital.
The comments come as Springfield, which is located roughly 50 miles west of Columbus, has entered the national spotlight in recent weeks, most recently when former President Donald Trump pointed to the town during one of his responses in Tuesday’s debate.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said during a response to a question about immigration. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
RESIDENTS OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO SHARE FRUSTRATION ABOUT MIGRANT CRISIS HITTING THEIR COMMUNITY
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, debates Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After earning the Democratic Party nomination following President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the race, Harris faced off with Trump in what may be the only debate of the 2024 race for the White House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee)
The issue has also caught the attention of Ohio Republican senate candidate Bernie Moreno, who argued that the Biden administration’s “open border” policies “have flooded Springfield, Ohio, with thousands of illegal Haitians who are sucking up social services and destroying a small town here in Ohio.”
“We need to deport illegals, not invite them to wreak havoc on our communities like Sherrod Brown and Kamala Harris have done,” Moreno told Fox News Digital.
While local officials and multiple media outlets have disputed the point that Trump raised in the debate, there is still a new reality faced by longtime members of the Springfield community. Chief among them, according to Koehler, are cultural differences between locals and the Haitian refugees who are new to the town.
Haitian community center in Springfield, Ohio, is shown here. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)
The lake at Snyder Park in Springfield, Ohio, from which local residents have claimed Haitian refugees have taken geese to slaughter and eat. (Michael Lee/ Fox News Digital)
“They don’t understand the laws, they don’t understand some of our customs, we don’t understand some of their customs, and that clash and the overwhelming amount of people that have come at one point has really caused some issues,” Koehler, who is now running to represent the area in the state Senate, said.
One more extreme example of that, Koehler recalled hearing second hand, allegedly played out at a local Walmart, where he said there were stories of “people showing up at the Walmart on a Saturday morning, going into the bathroom, and stripping down and bathing themselves.”
State Rep. Kyle Koehler says he has heard secondhand of migrants stripping down to bathe in washrooms in the local Springfield Walmart. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)
FOCUS GROUP REACTS TO TRUMP CLAIM THAT MIGRANTS ARE ‘EATING THE DOGS’ IN OHIO TOWN
“Again, not something we do here, something someone might do in another culture, or something someone might do if they don’t understand the culture they’re in now,” Koehler said. “Whether that’s true or not, those stories get passed around, and it inflames the situation we have in our community.”
There have been no reports of people taking baths or showers in Walmart stores around Springfield, an individual familiar with the situation told Fox on background.
Another issue causing concern among the local population is road safety, Koehler noted.
“The driving in town is horrendous,” Koehler said, noting that a lot of that issue can also be chalked up to cultural differences.
One notable situation occurred last August, when a school bus carrying dozens of children in the area collided with a minivan, resulting in over 20 kids being hurt and one, Aiden Clark, being killed.
The driver of the minivan was later identified as Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant who was found guilty earlier this year of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide for his role in the incident.
The tragic incident inflamed tensions in the community, with Koehler noting that road safety had been one of the more visible concerns for locals.
Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler (Fox News) (Courtesy Kyle Koehler)
“We do have a really abnormal number of car accidents that are happening,” Koehler said. “And it’s not only the number, but the severity of them. When you go on a street that is a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit and there’s a car sitting on its hood, and I’m not talking about one, I’m talking about five or six accidents a week like that, you begin to wonder.”
Nevertheless, Koehler stressed the positive attributes of Springfield, arguing that the town was once in decline but is now on the way back.
“We have a wonderful town,” Koehler said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Kyle Koehler is a former state representative. He was initially referred to as a current lawmaker.
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Indiana
Chicago-area weather forecast: Several inches of snow expected for NW Indiana Wednesday, Thursday
CHICAGO (WLS) — Parts of northern Indiana could see several inches of lake-effect snow Wednesday and Thursday.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 7 a.m. ET Wednesday until 1 p.m. ET Thursday for La Porte County, Indiana and Berrien County, Michigan.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
There is a Winter Weather Advisory from 8 a.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Thursday for Porter County, Indiana.
There is a Winter Weather Advisory from 7 a.m. ET Wednesday until 1 p.m. Thursday for Starke County, Indiana.
Bands of heavy snow are expected Wednesday afternoon. Two to 5 inches of snow are possible in Porter, while La Porte parts of Berrien could see more than 6 inches of snow, ABC7 Chicago meteorologist Tracy Butler said.
Snow will continue through Wednesday night into Thursday morning before tapering off during the day on Thursday.
A band of snow is expected to move through the Illinois part of the Chicago area around 7 a.m. Butler said light accumulations of less than an inch are possible.
Temperatures across the area will drop steadily throughout the week.
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Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Where to find hidden gem restaurants in Des Moines
Des Moines features its share of hidden gem restaurants beloved for their local ownership, friendly ambiance and great food.
From a restored 1914 general store serving reinvented American classics to a nationally revered small-town pizza spot to an authentic mom-and-pop Korean restaurant. Whether you are craving carefully crafted concepts to hole in walls, consider this your guide for planning weeknight dinners, date nights, or after-work fare across the Iowa City corridor.
Káva House & Café
Káva House & Café is located in downtown Swisher in a restored 1914 general store. A longtime staple, the restaurant might be best known for its fine coffees, but it is also a full-service restaurant with breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The menu reinvents American deli standards, including Otto’s old-fashioned meat loaf hot sandwich and a variety of loose meat sandwiches
Details: 122 Second St. S.W., Swisher, 319-857-5000, kavahousecafe.com
Price range: $10 to $20
Ramen Belly
Ramen Belly is tucked away in the Peninsula Neighborhood in Iowa City. In 2023, the restaurant was named to Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in the Midwest. While ramen is in the restaurant name, the spot offers a wide variety of Japanese cuisine, from poke bowls to donburi, dumplings and short ribs.
Details: 1010 Martin St., Iowa City, 319-569-1057, or ramenbelly.co
Price range: $10 to $20
I Love Fufu
I Love Fufu opened in 2022 and has been serving African and Caribbean specialty dishes, such as jollof rice, the popular West African soup egusi, and oxtail. Fufu is a must-try, a staple in many West African countries, made by boiling starchy vegetables such as cassava, yams or plantains, then pounding them into a smooth, elastic dough. Fufu is typically served as an accompaniment to soups, stews and sauces, allowing diners to scoop up and savor the rich flavors of each dish.
Details: 230 E. Benton St., Iowa City, 319-499-8189, ilovefufuiowacity.com
Price range: $10 to $20
Lincoln Winebar
Lincoln Winebar is nationally acclaimed to have the best pizza in Iowa, according to the New York Times and 50toppizza.it. Lincoln Winebar leans into local ingredients, from toppings like asparagus and hot honey sourced from local farms, to bring a fresh influence to the Italian classic. From seasonal pizza varieties to mainstay classics like pepperoni and sausage, to locally grown oyster mushrooms, a Margherita, and brie and Gorgonzola, this small-town spot has big energy.
Details: 125 First St. W., Mount Vernon, 319-471-0959, or foodisimportant.com
Price range: $20 to $30
Le Gourmet
Located in the Old Capitol Mall, Le Gourmet is a traditional Korean restaurant that can be easy to miss but is a must-try. It offers a variety of Korean soups and noodle dishes, along with popular Korean street food like tteok-bokki, chewy rice cakes stir-fried in a spicy, sweet, savory sauce, or gimbap, similar to hand-rolled sushi but with different preparation techniques. The restaurant also offers formal dining options like broiled eel and L.A. galbi, inviting diners to try something new.
Details: 201 S. Clinton St. Suite 173, Iowa City, 319-471-0959, or legourmettogo.com
Price range: $10 to $20
La Regia Taqueria
La Regia specializes in street tacos, as well as burritos and quesadillas. Located on the west side of town, La Regia offers a multitude of options, from carne asada to birria, and more adventurous meat options like lengua (cow tongue) and tripe (cow stomach), one of the few places where these meat varieties can be found in the Iowa City corridor. The restaurant also has an expansive menu for non-meat eaters, from fried fish tacos to veggie sope.
Details: 436 Hwy. 1 W., Iowa City, 319-341-8226, or laregia.com
Price range: $10 to $20
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
OAKLKEY, Kan. (WIBW) – A woman suffered serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Thomas County in western Kansas, officials said.
The collision was reported at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on K-25 highway just south of County Road D. The location was about 15 miles northwest of Oakley.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol’s online crash log, a 2008 Chrysler Town & Country minivan was northbound on K-25 when it left the roadway to the right — or east — side and overcorrected back onto the roadway.
The vehicle then began sliding sideways into the east ditch, where it rolled once.
The minivan then came to rest upright facing southeast in a field.
The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, Terri Threlkeld, 50, of Page City, was transported to Logan County Hospital in Oakley with serious injuries. The patrol said Threlkeld wasn’t wearing her seat belt.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.
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