Lorain County Community Guide - Oct. 8, 2020

Page 1

Your EVERY WEEK: your town news COMMUNITY GUIDE

$1.25

LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE

Thursdays

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume A, Issue BB

Count on us to report the top local stories

Get the scoop delivered to your home weekly. Subscribe to the Community Guide

Call 440-329-7000

COMMUNITY GUIDE Don’t miss an issue!

$1.25

LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020

Vermilion is sending kids back to school

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 7, Issue 41

DUKES HOMECOMING ROYALTY

First local district to reverse course on fully remote COVID operations JASON HAWK EDITOR

VERMILION — The pandemic has cooled enough in once red-hot Erie County that Vermilion students will soon be allowed back in the classroom. Young Sailors have been learning 100 percent online this fall. That will change with a soft reopening on Oct. 19 and 20, with groups of students reporting back in phases each day. Vermilion Superintendent Phil Pempin said the decision was made with the advice of Erie County Health Commissioner Pete Schade because the spread of COVID-19 there, once out of check, has been reined in. The county has dropped from red to orange alert. As of Tuesday, it Phil Pempin had recorded 960 total cases, 817 recoveries, 135 hospitalizations and 47 deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Pempin said he has no regrets about starting the year online. "You're not going to regret being overly prepared or overly cautious under the circumstances," he said. "I think it was the right thing to do, because that's the data we had and that's the recommendation that we had." The Vermilion Schools will continue to offer an online option for families that aren't comfortable returning to in-person classes. Pempin said he won't be able to guarantee that in-person students will have 6-foot social distancing. School buildings are simply too small, he said. Masks will be required inside at all times. A part of the Vermilion school system is in Lorain County. It is one of three local districts to start the year VERMILION PAGE A2

“You’re not going to regret being overly prepared or overly cautious under the circumstances.”

Phil Pempin, Vermilion Schools Superintendent

U.S. Postal Service Use Only

Classifieds, legals, display advertising, and subscriptions Deadline: 1 p.m. each Monday Phone: 440-329-7000 Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday News staff Jason Hawk news@lcnewspapers.com Phone: 440-329-7122 Submit news to news@lcnewspapers.com Deadline: 10 a.m. Tuesday Send obituaries to obits@chroniclet.com

Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

Caleb Teague was named Wellington High School's 2020 homecoming king and Christina Capek was crowned queen Friday night at the Dickson Street stadium, where they had to strike a socially distanced pose due to pandemic precautions. This year's court included Camerson Brinker, Jacob Evans, Dylan Lawson, William Palmison, Wyatt Sasack, Caleb Teague, Kevin Xia, Lauren Alley, Jazmine Auble, Alaine Bremke, Christina Capek, Jill Laposky, Lauren McClure and Madelyn Mull.

Absentee voting Q&A with Lorain County's top elections official, Paul Adams JASON HAWK EDITOR

SHEFFIELD TWP. — Absentee voting has officially kicked off in Ohio, now that the first wave of ballots have been mailed out. But there is a great deal of misinformation swirling around out there, breeding confusion about how it works and whether it's safe. Paul Adams, director of the Lorain County Board of Elections, went on the record recently to answer common questions about the fall election. What is better: voting in person or voting absentee? "I would say it comes down to voter preference. We're making accommodations available for both, and for mail we're increasing our capacity so that we can make it as easy a process as possible." If you're going to vote in person, Adams said you're most likely going to stand in line due to social distancing and limits on how many people are allowed inside polling locations at a given time. Is voting absentee the same as voting by mail? "In the state of Ohio, the only type of voting via the mail is called absentee." Ohio will not mail you a ballot unless you request one, said Adams. Boards of elections will not automatically send them out. Is absentee voting new because of the pandemic? "No. The rules that a voter is going to follow for absentee voting via the

Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

mail are the same rules that have been in place since 2006." Does absentee voting have a history of problems in past elections? "I have not seen there to be major problems with absentee voting in the state of Ohio or here in Lorain County." When an absentee request form or ballot is received, it's reviewed, and any irregularity will spark an investigation, Adams said.

Do I have to vote absentee like in the spring? "In this case, no. You have three options: You can vote via mail, you can vote in-person absentee, and you can vote at the polling locations on Election Day." Who is eligible to vote absentee? All registered voters in Ohio can request to vote absentee if they wish. ABSENTEE VOTING PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Send legal notices to jyoder@chroniclet.com Submit advertising to chama@chroniclet.com

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams answers questions about absentee voting, election security and myths and misconceptions.

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Akron Children’s Hospital to build near Route 2 • B1

College students watch first presidential debate unfold • B3

Main Street contest brings flowerpots to life • B5

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • KID SCOOP B6


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Lorain County Community Guide - Oct. 8, 2020 by Lorain County Printing and Publishing - Issuu