Volume 51, No. 21
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
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CHESTERLAND NEWS COVID-19 Ohio Decides on Mail-In Forces Primary through April 28 Changes to Deal Reached after COVID-19 Delayed March 17 Primary Township By John Karlovec editor@geaugamapleleaf.com
By Emily Crebs editor@geaugamapleleaf.com
Chester Township Trustees began to discuss the repercussions of novel coronavirus prevention efforts on the township administration and emergency services departments March 23. Trustee Skip Claypool drafted policy recommendations to be followed by all trustees, directors, staff and employees in city administration, which he presented at the emergency meeting last Monday. The recommendations include taking all employees’ temperatures at the Chester Township Fire Department station prior to work, and if employees have a temperature exceeding 100.4 degrees, they will be sent home. The trustees plan to recommend township Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals cease all meetings at town hall and work remotely. Despite Gov. Mike DeWine’s stay at home order issued March 22, the township building and administrative offices will stay open for essential services. Fire Chief John Wargelin recounted an incident in the past week where a woman came to the town hall because she was struggling to get the natural gas in her house turned on. “The fact that we remain open in some respects is very important because (citizens) are coming to us,” Wargelin said. “I think it’s really key that we can keep helping our residents in these situations.” See Township • Page 2
State legislators have extended voting for the Ohio primary election through April 28 and have decided it be conducted through mailed-in absentee ballots. On March 25, the Ohio legislature unanimously passed the primary changes as part of an omnibus bill — House Bill 197 — which will enact numerous provisions to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill last Friday. “I want to thank Senate President Obhof, House Speaker Householder, Minority Leaders Sykes and Yuko, and all members of the Ohio General Assembly who worked for the bipartisan and unanimous passage of House Bill 197,” DeWine said in a statement issued after passage of HB197. “This bill will ensure continuity of government, extended mail-in voting for our primary, clarity for schools and students, relief to workers impacted by COVID-19, and measures to make sure we are prepared to help Ohioans get back to work when this pandemic subsides. I applaud the collaborative work on this bill and look forward to signing it soon.” Voters, poll workers and candidates across the state ping-ponged last week between the possibility of an election day in which thousands of voters and poll workers could be potentially exposed to a deadly virus, and a delay pushing electoral victory into early June. The end result — by order of Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton — was polling
locations in the state of Ohio were closed for the March 17 primary election and would reopen for a delayed primary on June 2. But while state lawmakers said Acton had the power to close the polls, they said the authority to set a new date for the primary election rests with the General Assembly. “The Ohio legislature must provide an Act to respond to our local elections officials, precinct workers, candidates and most importantly, Ohio’s voters, that provides clarity and certainty regarding Ohio’s primary election,” Speaker of the House Larry Householder, R-Glenford, wrote in a March 17 memorandum sent to
all 99 members. On March 21, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent a letter to members of the Ohio General Assembly asking for its support of the Ohio Voters First Act. He said the forthcoming legislation, which had the backing of DeWine, was “a path forward to complete this election as quickly as possible that will simultaneously protect public safety and ensure every eligible Ohio voter has the opportunity to have their voice heard.” The Ohio Voters First Act would have done the following: • Authorize the secretary to See Voting • Page 4
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