Ohio
Springfield, Ohio: 2 Schools Evacuated Over Bomb Threats Disparaging Haitian Migrants
Two Springfield, Ohio, elementary schools were evacuated Thursday after they were named in a bomb threat that included hateful language towards Haitian immigrants.
“My hometown of Springfield is becoming a third-world (expletive) because you allowed the federal government to dump these (expletive) here,” read the threat, which was emailed to multiple agencies and media outlets. “We have Haitians eating our animals and then you lie and claim this is not happening when we see this happening. I’m here to send a message, I placed a bomb in the following locations…”
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A spokesperson for Springfield City Schools said students at Fulton Elementary School were evacuated and taken to Springfield High School, WDTN reports. Springfield Academy of Excellence was also evacuated, and Clark State College announced its Brinkman building in downtown Springfield would be closed Thursday “out of an abundance of caution.”
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the bomb threat also forced the evacuation of city hall, the state motor vehicle agency’s local facility, and other buildings, Yahoo News reports. No bomb was found after the threat.
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Presidential Debate Thrusts Springfield Into Spotlight
Springfield has received national attention in recent days after former President Donald Trump repeated unfounded rumors during Tuesday’s presidential debate about Haitian migrants eating peoples’ pets.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. This is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck released a statement saying there’s no evidence of any pets being harmed or eaten by its Haitian immigrants.
“Obviously, the negative response and threats are very sad and hard to handle,” Rue said. “We want to move forward together, and it just makes it more difficult to do that when we have violent actions and threats.”
Second Bomb Threat Made Against 3 Springfield Schools
On Friday, two more Springfield City schools were evacuated and one closed after another threat was emailed to local media outlets, according to WHIO. A district spokesperson said Perrin Woods and Snowhill Elementary students were evacuated to an alternate location Friday morning after receiving information from the Springfield Police Division.
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Roosevelt Middle School was also closed before the start of the school day. Some parents arriving with their students were turned away, according to reports. Clark Park High School, which is not part of the Springfield City School District, was also evacuated after it was named in the threat.
It is not yet clear if the threat is linked to Thursday’s threat or if it mentions Haitian migrants.
Springfield Officials: Haitian Migrant Population Straining Resources
Tensions have grown over the increasing Haitian population in Springfield as the volume and pace of the arrivals have put pressure on city housing, healthcare, and schools. Haitian immigrants have increased Springfield’s population by 25-30% over a three-year period, according to Rue.
“Rumors like this are taking away from the real issues such as issues involving our housing or school resources and our overwhelmed healthcare system,” he told the Springfield News-Sun.
The city was previously propelled into the national debate over immigration after 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed last year when a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant struck his school bus. On Tuesday, Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, mentioned Clark in a post on X that said “a child was murdered by a Haitian immigrant.” Later that day, Clark’s father, Nathan Clark, said Vance and others were exploiting his son’s death for political gain.
“My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti,” Clark said during a Springfield City Commission meeting. “This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state, and even the nation, but don’t spin this towards hate.”
Ohio Governor to Send More Resources to Springfield
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a press release Wednesday announcing the state would send healthcare and public safety support to Clark County, which houses Springfield. More specifically, DeWine said he would dedicate $2.5 million to expanding primary care access “for everyone living in Springfield.”
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“The federal government needs to assist these communities with funding because these dramatic migrant surges impact every citizen in the community — the moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on our streets, and the children who go to school in more crowded classrooms,” he wrote. “The federal government does not have a plan to give any support to the communities impacted by surges, and we have absolutely no indication that a plan is coming in the near future.”
DeWine’s press release also outlined additional support the state is providing to address the increase in the Haitian population, including the creation of a school-based health clinic in the Springfield City School District to expand primary care access for school children and their parents.
DeWine said migrants are choosing Springfield because of its job opportunities, noting employers say they have “done a very, very good job, and they work very, very hard,” The Hill reports.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.
Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.
Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.
Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.
Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.
Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Up next
Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.
Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.
The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.
The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:
- Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
- Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
- Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
- Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.
The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.
In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.
The honors continue to roll in for this Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
From young players ready for another College Football Playoff run next season to players hungry for one more run starting December 31 before the NFL Draft, this Ohio State Buckeyes team is loaded with talent headed into their seventh playoffs appearance since the CFP era began in 2014.
Five defensive players and four offensive players headlined a class of extremely talented Buckeyes. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the No. 1 spot to go along with his Heisman and Maxwell honors.
An offensive Ohio State Buckeye took the No. 2 spot right behind Mendoza.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith takes the No. 2 spot
Jeremiah Smith was ranked behind Mendoza along with his gun-slinging sophomore quarterback. Julian Sayin was the second-highest ranked quarterback on the list at No. 5.
“Smith caught 80 balls for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, but that doesn’t really tell the story…Smith commands double-teams constantly, draws the attention of everyone’s best corner, and has every defensive coordinator he faces scheming to slow him down. And none of it has mattered.”
ESPN’s David Hale
Smith is expected to have one more dominant season with the Buckeyes next season where fans hope to see him paired next to five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. Senior wide receiver Carnell Tate has been an impressive receiving mate for Smith the past two seasons. Tate caught 48 passes, nine touchdowns, and had 838 yards. He ranked No. 26 in the rankings.
Offensive tackle Austin Siereveld ranked No. 44 as well.
The defense takes over
All five of Ohio State’s defensive players on the list ranked inside the top-22. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles sat at No. 21 to kick things off for the defense. The Buckeyes have had the best defense in college football for the entire season and these are the names that have made it happen. Projected first round NFL Draft Arvell Reese took the No. 16 spot.
“A new set of stars emerged to lead the nation’s No. 1 defense this fall, and Reese was undeniably front and center. He has thrived under new coordinator Matt Patricia, recording 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss from the edge position and finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles…Reese was named Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and recorded a sack in six of Ohio State’s first eight games of the season.”
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg
Defensive linemen Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry ranked at No. 13 and No. 11 respectively. Safety Caleb Downs was the highest ranked defensive Buckeye at No. 7. Downs is a simply a lockdown player who can play corner or safety while still being able to tackle at a high level. If he chooses to declare for the NFL Draft after the season is over, he’ll be slated to go within the top 10 in most mock drafts.
Opposing quarterbacks only targeted downs 20 times for the entire season. Only nine passes were caught on his watch as the primary defender.
“The longest completion he gave up was 17 yards. A 14-yard completion in the second quarter of the Big Ten title game was the first one he’d given up in nearly two months. There is not a more lockdown corner in the country than Downs.”
ESPN’s David Hale
The Ohio State Buckeyes are waiting for the winner of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoffs this Saturday at 12:00pm Eastern on ABC/ESPN.
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