A look at recent actions in the Ohio General Assembly and how lawmakers representing the area voted.

OHIO SENATE

House Bill 519: Suspends Ohio’s motor fuel tax for 90 days and declares an emergency. The bill also seeks to address key fob signal use in car theft (goes to House).

Sponsor: Rep. Andrea White (R., Kettering).

Vote: Passed Wednesday, 26-5.

Northwest Ohio senators: Paula Hicks-Hudson (D., Toledo), no; Theresa Gavarone (R., Bowling Green), yes; Rob McColley (R., Napoleon), yes; Bill Reineke (R., Tiffin), yes.

OHIO HOUSE

House Bill 519: Suspends Ohio’s motor fuel tax for 90 days and declares an emergency. The bill also seeks to address key fob signal use in car theft (goes to governor). 

Sponsor: Rep. Andrea White (R., Kettering).

Vote: Concurred with Senate amendments on Wednesday, 78-16.

Northwest Ohio representatives: Elgin Rogers (D., Toledo), no; Michele Grim (D., Toledo), yes; Erika White (D., Springfield Township), did not vote; Josh Williams (R., Sylvania Township), yes; Haraz Ghanbari (R., Perrysburg), yes; Jim Hoops (R., Napoleon), yes; D.J. Swearingen (R., Huron), yes; Rep. Gary Click (R., Vickery), yes; Kellie Deeter (R., Norwalk), yes; Ty Mathews (R., Findlay), yes; Matt Huffman (R., Lima), yes; Roy Klopfenstein (R., Haviland), yes.

Rep. Erika White voted in favor of H.B. 519’s emergency clause, but the House Journal indicates she did not vote on whether to concur with Senate amendments.

Drivers braved the mud pit during the BG 4x4 Fest at the Wood County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green on Saturday.

Click on the image above to view the entire gallery.

VANDALIA, Ohio — Ohio voters will be critical for ensuring that Republicans keep majorities in both chambers of Congress, President Trump said as he encouraged his supporters to turn out for the midterm elections.

“When I run, we win,” Trump told a spirited crowd at a southwest Ohio high school on Saturday. “When I don’t, there are ... less people [that vote]. What I’m going to do is ask you to just pretend that I’m running.”

Exactly one month from Election Day, Trump visited Butler High School to campaign for Ohio’s Republican candidates, including U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R., Ohio), Ohio’s 9th congressional district candidate Derek Merrin, and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Trump criticizes Brown for Biden agenda

The President not only praised Mr. Husted for his work in the Senate but also lauded the senator for his past football career at the University of Dayton.

“Nobody told me you were a great athlete. ... Before I said he was a great guy, but I didn’t know he was a great champion athlete,” Trump said.

“Sherrod Brown is not an athlete,” he added, a dig at Mr. Husted’s opponent. “He can’t even tie his shoes.”

Mr. Husted, who was appointed to the seat last year, is facing a competitive election against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat. 

Trump blamed Mr. Brown for supporting former President Biden’s agenda, claiming he “helped dump thousands of migrants into communities like Springfield, Ohio.”

Trump’s visit coincided with the funeral of Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian immigrant and student at Wright State University who died of an apparent suicide after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Trump Administration can terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants living in Ohio. The funeral took place in Springfield, Ohio, about 25 miles from Butler High School.

On Friday, Mr. Brown campaigned in Toledo and called the President’s visit a “bailout” for Mr. Husted’s campaign.

Merrin detours outside district for Trump

Ohio is seen as a critical state for Republicans in a tough election cycle, as Democrats aim to flip Mr. Husted’s seat while growing their numbers in the House of Representatives.

“Let’s get President Trump the majority in Congress that he needs to finish the job,” Mr. Merrin said. “And keep America great.”

Mr. Merrin bashed his opponent, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), calling her a “career politician” who cares more about power, money, and her career than solving problems for the American people.

Trump praised Mr. Merrin, saying he thought “he was going to do great,” although he appeared to confuse Ms. Kaptur with U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, another longtime Democratic congressman, who represents Connecticut’s 3rd congressional district.

“You’re running against that woman, aren’t you?” Trump asked Mr. Merrin. “With the crazy, purple hair? My hair is very innocent by comparison. Oh, she’s terrible, people, how the hell does she keep winning elections? You got to beat her.”

Ms. DeLauro is known for the purple streaks in her hair.

On Saturday, Ms. Kaptur held a roundtable discussion with members of the United Auto Workers and Service Employees International Union. The discussion was focused on affordability and workers’ rights.

“No wonder Derek skipped town again for the second time this month to campaign with the national party bosses he really works for,” a spokesman for Ms. Kaptur’s campaign said. “Marcy Kaptur spent today in Toledo, standing with our union workers. That’s the difference in this race. Marcy answers to Northwest Ohio — Derek answers to whoever cuts him the biggest check.”

Trump backs Ohio’s Issue 3

In addition to endorsing several of Ohio’s Republican candidates, the President also endorsed the only statewide issue on the ballot, Issue 3, which would enshrine the state’s current voter photo ID requirements into the state constitution.

“Even if you hate Jon Husted, even if you hate Vivek Ramaswamy, you’re going to go out, you’re gonna vote,” Trump said of Issue 3. “But nobody hates them; they’re so freaking good.”

In addition to the candidates, Trump praised the work his administration has done in the past two years, highlighting a $400 million investment into Stellantis’ Toledo Assembly Complex.

“Stellantis is investing $400 million at its plant in Ohio, bringing 900 new jobs back, just as an example,” Trump said. “That’s in Toledo. Brand new trucks made by Stellantis in Toledo.”

However, his visit also comes after nearly 1,300 employees were laid off at the Springfield Navistar truck plant this week. The company entered into an agreement with Roshel Inc. to sell a majority of its assets, and, according to a WARN notice filed with the state, the sale was expected to close Friday.

Attendees support Trump’s agenda, protesters disagree

Jonelle Brown, a Vandalia resident, said she was “really hopeful” Mr. Husted will defeat Mr. Brown this November, saying the former senator was already in office too long.

“He’s a drag on our state,” Ms. Brown said of the former senator. “We don’t need him.”

Mike Boatman of Evansville, Ind., had a longer commute to Saturday’s rally but said he tries to see the President speak every opportunity he gets.

Mr. Boatman, part of the Front Row Joes crew, visited Ohio after hearing Trump speak in Mobile, Ala., on Friday. The Front Row Joes are a group of Trump supporters that travels across the country to hear him speak. The President’s visit to Vandalia was Mr. Boatman’s 160th time listening to Trump in person.

“The news changes all the time,” he said. “So it’s not the same, you know, every rally is different. I’ve never been to a rally that is exactly the same thing.”

Democrats are hoping the President’s approval ratings, the economy, and the war with Iran will help their party’s candidates this November, but Mr. Boatman said he isn’t expecting a “blue wave.”

Mr. Boatman, who drives to the President’s rallies, said he paid more for gas under Mr. Biden’s administration and, while he acknowledged prices have climbed, said it was worth it.

“It’s more important for Iran not to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “I’ll pay more because we cannot have that.”

Outside the venue, protesters started gathering as early as 1 p.m. Kendra Mead, a Greenville, Ohio, resident, said she was protesting because she disapproves of the current administration’s policies, specifically around immigration and the war in the Middle East.

“America is inclusive,” she said. “We’re diverse, but that’s what makes us stronger.”

She was joined by Matt Six of Wickliffe, Ohio, who said he hasn’t been impressed by Sen. Husted’s time in office.

“He’s been a rubber stamp [for Trump],” Mr. Six said.

The deadline to register to vote in Ohio is Monday. Early in-person voting begins Tuesday. Election Day is Nov. 3.

A 34-year-old Toledo man was killed Saturday afternoon when his motorcycle collided with a car on Reynolds Road, Toledo police said.

Joshua Seeman was riding a motorcycle northbound on Reynolds Road about 2:30 p.m. when Jason Duquette, 38, of Toledo, who was also northbound, attempted to turn left from the right curb lane, police said.

Mr. Seeman, who was passing an island, rode directly into the path of Mr. Duquette’s vehicle, according to police.

Mr. Seeman was pronounced dead a short time later at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center.

The crash remains under investigation.

BOWLING GREEN — Harvey Higgins, 10, ran toward a cider mill at Carter Historic Farm as soon as he saw it, his mother Emma said.

He turned a large red wheel to make apple cider Saturday, getting a taste of how Wood County farmers made it during the Great Depression.

“He’d do that all day if he could,” Mrs. Higgins, of Bowling Green, said of the activity. 

Families from across northwest Ohio listened to live music, ate a farm-to-table meal, and watched demonstrations of blacksmithing, cider pressing, corn shelling, and wool spinning during the Wood County Park District’s Heritage Harvest Fest.

Visitors also looked at goats, chickens, sheep, and pigs while enjoying the festivities. 

The park district offered tours of the Loomis family’s farm home and the farm’s one-room schoolhouse, giving free tractor rides to the schoolhouse.

Chase Fleece, Carter Historic Farm coordinator for the Wood County Park District, said the property is an educational site “where you can explore the barns, learn about the Great Depression while we run the farm as well.” 

It’s meant to be something of a “living agricultural museum about the Depression era in northwest Ohio.”

“That’s the entire mission of the property,” Mr. Fleece said. “We’re just kind of celebrating not only the harvest that contemporary farmers are experiencing right now, but also tie it back into history. The wagon rides and everything will feature the antique equipment that we have here.”

The farm-to-table meal featured bratwurst with sides including potato salad, baked beans, cornbread, and sauerkraut. 

“One of the goals of this is to use as much of the produce and commodities that we make here at the farm,” Mr. Fleece said, noting a major product this year is pork. “We always raise hogs at the farm. ... We raise them here all year and then we use the meat for a variety of products or programs.” 

Jim Witter, program manager at the Wood County Park District, guided visitors, mostly children, through the corn-shelling process. He had 13-year-old Preslee Maynard, of Perrysburg, put in cobs of field corn at the top of the miniature corn-shelling machine before cranking a wheel on the side. 

The machine separated the kernels from the cob before the machine spit out the cob on the other side.

“It’s not the type of corn you would eat,” Mr. Witter said. Instead, it’s for animals. “You might be able to grind it, make cornmeal out of it, but it’s definitely not corn on the cob. It’ll break your teeth.” 

Mr. Witter said corn-shelling machines were very common in Wood County during the Great Depression. 

“This is for things like … popcorn,” he said. “You could shell popcorn if it was good.” 

Preslee stopped by the festival for a third year in a row with his mother, Courtney Maynard, and siblings Garrett, 11, and Madison, 3. 

He said his favorite part of the festival was the corn-shelling demonstration. 

Mrs. Maynard said she loves learning about the history of the farm and likes that it gives her children a sense of perspective.

“It also teaches our kids to appreciate what they have now,” Mrs. Maynard said. “They get to experience how hard people used to work back in the day.”

Mrs. Higgins said part of the reason she took her children to the festival was not only to educate them but also give them a break away from their screens. 

“It’s just so prevalent nowadays,” Mrs. Higgins said. 

As early in-person voting gets under way, residents throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan will be greeted with ballots full of candidates and issues.

In Ohio, the deadline to register to vote is Monday. Early in-person voting starts at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

For Lucas County voters, the early vote center is located at 3737 W. Sylvania Ave. in West Toledo.

For Wood County voters, the early vote center is located at the Wood County Courthouse at 1 Court House Square in Bowling Green.

In Michigan, the early in-person voting period begins Oct. 24.

How to register to vote in Ohio

To vote in Ohio, a resident must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old on or before the day of the general election. They must be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election they want to vote in.

They must not be incarcerated for a felony conviction, permanently disqualified from voting for election-law violations, or declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court. 

In order to register, a resident must provide their Ohio driver’s license or identification card number, name, date of birth, address, and last four digits of their Social Security number.

How to register to vote in Michigan

Similarly, an individual must be a Michigan resident and a U.S. citizen to register to vote. The individual must be 18 by Election Day, and they can not be serving a jail or prison sentence.

If there are more than 15 days before the election, Michigan residents can register online, by mail, or in-person.

If there are less than 15 days before Election Day, Michigan residents can only register by visiting their local clerk’s office with proof of residency.

On the ballot in Ohio

The race for governor is at the top of the ballot in Ohio. Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton is facing a competitive race against Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Libertarian candidate Donald Kissick is also on the ballot.

Following Ohio’s gubernatorial race is another closely watched contest for U.S. Senate. Sen. Jon Husted (R., Ohio) is looking to hold onto his seat against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Libertarian William Redpath and independent candidate Greg Levy are also on the ballot.

Ohio voters will also decide the state’s next attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, and treasurer. 

Two Ohio Supreme Court seats are on the ballot. Justice Daniel Hawkins, a Republican, is seeking re-election but faces a challenge from Democrat Marilyn Zayas, a judge on Hamilton County’s First District Court of Appeals. The term begins Jan. 1.

The sole Democrat on the state’s Supreme Court, Justice Jennifer Brunner, is also seeking re-election but faces a challenge from Republican Colleen O’Donnell, a former Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge.

There will be one statewide issue, which will ask voters to add the state’s current voter photo ID requirements into the state’s constitution.

On the ballot in Lucas County

The most competitive race in Lucas County is for Ohio’s 9th congressional district. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) is seeking re-election, but former state Rep. Derek Merrin, a Republican, is looking to unseat the longest-serving woman in Congress. The opponents ran against each other in 2024, and Ms. Kaptur won by less than 1 percentage point.

State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D., Toledo) is also seeking re-election to Senate District 11. The district is a Democratic stronghold, but she does face two challengers: Republican James Nowak and Libertarian Kenneth Sharp.

All of Ohio’s House seats will be on the ballot this November.

Lucas County residents will also have several contested races for commissioner, auditor, and judges.

There are two countywide levies on the ballot for Lucas County voters. The Imagination Station is asking voters to renew a five-year, 0.17-mill property tax levy. For the owner of a $100,000 home, the levy will cost $3 annually and is first due in 2028.

The Toledo Lucas County Public Library is asking voters to approve a new five-year, 3-mill property tax levy. For the owner of a $100,000 home, the levy will cost $105 annually and is first due in 2027.

Several cities in Lucas County, including Maumee, Oregon, and Toledo, will have charter amendments on the ballot.

Multiple school districts, including Springfield, Sylvania, and Toledo, will also have levies on the ballot.

Lucas County voters can visit lucascountyohiovotes.gov to view their sample ballot for a complete list of candidates and issues.

On the ballot in Wood County

Longtime U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) is up for re-election this year. He faces Democrat Brian Shaver, the president of Fostoria City Council. Libertarian Michael Veloff is also seeking to represent Ohio’s 5th congressional district.

Wood County residents will also have contested races for commissioner, auditor, and judges on their ballots.

Several townships, including Freedom, Perrysburg, and Webster, will have levies to support fire and EMS services.

Middleton, Milton, and Lake townships will have levies on the ballot for road construction and resurfacing.

Eastwood, Lake, McComb, and North Baltimore school districts are asking voters to support their levies.

Wood County voters can visit boe.woodcountyohio.gov to view their sample ballot for a complete list of candidates and issues.

On the ballot in Michigan

Similar to Ohio, Michigan’s Senate seat is another highly watched race as former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, faces former U.S. Rep Mike Rogers, a Republican.

Michigan voters will also vote for their next governor. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is looking to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but she faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. John James (R., Shelby Township) and Libertarian candidate Anthony Hudson.

On the ballot in Monroe County

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R., Tipton) is up for re-election, but Democrat Christian Vukasovich and Libertarian Ronald Muszynski are hoping to unseat the incumbent to represent Michigan’s 5th congressional district.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D., Ann Arbor) is also seeking re-election. Republican Heather Smiley and Libertarian Timothy Teagan are running against the longtime congressman.

State senators are elected at the same time as the governor, and state representatives are elected in even-numbered years, so southeast Michigan voters will decide who represents them at the statehouse this November.

Monroe County voters can visit co.monroe.mi.us/409/Elections to view their sample ballot for a complete list of candidates and issues.

What to bring to early vote

To cast a ballot in Ohio, registered voters must show a valid form of photo ID that has the voter’s name and photograph. The identification must not be expired.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include an Ohio driver’s license, state identification card, or interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A U.S. passport or U.S. military ID card is also acceptable.

To cast a ballot in Michigan, registered voters must also show a valid form of photo ID, such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport.

Registered voters in Michigan can vote without photo ID by signing an affidavit.

For more information before the start of early in-person voting, visit ohiosos.gov or michigan.gov/sos.

COLUMBUS — Ohio lawmakers now have all the information they need to fund a freeway easing congestion between Toledo and Columbus, according to leaders of northwest Ohio business and planning organizations.

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s U.S. 23/I-71 Connector Feasibility Study shows building the project will end up costing much less than doing nothing, said Brian Dicken, vice president of advocacy and strategic initiatives for the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“When you look at the study that just came out ... it’s showing a 6-1 benefit to cost,” Mr. Dicken said. “They look at things like fuel savings, time savings, and safety. That’s a pretty significant consideration.”

Assuming the project is built beginning in 2035, the total cost is expected to be between $890 million and $1.1 billion, according to ODOT. 

The largest financial savings would be realized as a result of crash reductions and time savings, the report states. From 2035 to 2055, the project is estimated to save $2.2 billion in reduced crashes and $1.8 billion in travel time savings. 

Sandy Spang, executive director of Lake Erie West Regional Council, said ODOT’s study is a significant milestone for northwest Ohio.

“We now have a settled route, a substantially reduced construction cost, and an exceptionally strong return on investment, all of which demonstrate the value of moving this project forward,” Ms. Spang said.

“For more than three decades, Lake Erie West Regional Council member communities and our partners throughout northwest Ohio have consistently advocated for a safe, efficient, free-flowing connection to Columbus,” she continued. “Their regional collaboration has brought us to this point, and this study gives us a strong foundation for turning that long-held vision into reality.”

Mr. Dicken said the recent opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge makes the project even more urgent.

“It’s too early to say, but estimates are saying we could see a 5 to 10 percent increase in commercial traffic because of that flowing through this corridor,” he said. “The problems that we’re experiencing now will only get worse as traffic increases.” 

Project details

ODOT’s preferred route for the freeway connector was announced in late July.

The Ohio General Assembly directed ODOT and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission to conduct the study as part of the most recent transportation budget. The department’s final report was released on Wednesday.

“This report represents a robust evaluation of different alternatives for a connection between U.S. 23 and I-71,” ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said.

“ODOT heard a lot of feedback throughout this process, including both the benefits and concerns of a potential alignment,” Ms. Boratyn continued. “Our expert team worked diligently with OTIC to deliver a report reflective of the most feasible alignment.”

The route is projected to carry approximately 21,900 vehicles per day under a scenario in which tolls are not used, according to the report.

“Modeling indicates that the route would reduce travel time between I-475 and I-270 in 2055 by approximately six minutes during non-peak conditions and 22 minutes during the morning peak hour, based on the existing roadway configuration on U.S. 23 and the addition of one lane on I-71 in each direction,” the report states.

If tolling is used, the projected traffic in 2055 drops to 8,500 vehicles per day. The estimated toll revenue could support 17.8 percent of the estimated project costs and could pay for the long-term operation and maintenance of the route, according to the report.

“However, tolling does not provide sufficient revenue to fund construction of the recommended preferred route, and substantial additional funding from other sources would be required for implementation,” the report states. 

The connector is similar to the “Fort to Port” project that improved U.S. 24 from Indiana to Toledo in recent years, Mr. Dicken said.

“The usage that they’re projecting on this would be equivalent to what we see between Napoleon and Toledo in terms of usage. It’s about 22,000 [vehicles per day],” he said. 

“If you look back at where we were before that road was built to what we have now, I think most people would agree that it’s safer and it’s more efficient,” Mr. Dicken continued. “We’re better off as a region and a community.” 

How will the project be paid for?

It’s unclear how the project would be paid for. Gov. Mike DeWine has repeatedly said the state would not have enough money to build large new projects such as the proposed connector without additional revenue. 

Mr. Dicken said tolling should remain part of the discussion, noting he has seen estimates that tolling could pay for as little as 6 percent of the project to as much as 80 percent of the cost.

“Until a decision is made as to exactly how it’s going to be funded, we still believe that you need to keep all options on the table,” he said. “You don’t want to close a door prematurely.”

Lawmakers could also vote to increase the motor fuel tax to raise additional funding, but that may be a heavy lift considering the increased cost of gasoline since the beginning of the war in Iran.

Mr. DeWine just signed an emergency bill suspending the gas tax for 90 days, so Ohioans will already see relatively higher prices when members of the next Ohio General Assembly are sworn into office in January. 

Both Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton said they would read ODOT’s report closely and determine which steps to take. They both said building and maintaining Ohio’s transportation infrastructure is important for the state.

City officials say they are in the final phase of cleaning up Brent Industries, where a fatal explosion and fire in August killed two people and caused the building to collapse.

A private contractor has contained pollution runoff, extracted impacted soil, and removed tanks affected by the fire, and officials are awaiting Ohio Environmental Protection Agency test results that will conclude the site’s cleanup, city officials said.

Neighbors heard two explosions at the facility, in the 2900 block of South Avenue, on Aug. 18, followed by a fire that consumed the building and wasn’t fully extinguished until three days later. According to its website, the facility cleaned and disposed of textiles soiled with both hazardous and nonhazardous materials.

First responders believe 12 people were inside at the time of the incident, two of whom were initially unaccounted for. The two victims, Heladio Garcia Perez, 46, and Mary Allen, 64, were found dead once the bulk of the fire was extinguished. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office determined the causes of death were blunt force trauma.

Brent Industries hired GHD, an Illinois-based environmental firm, to handle the remediation under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concerns included tanks of mineral spirits, contaminated soil, and air quality from the fire.

Soil removal concluded on Aug. 29, and the tanks were contained by Sept. 5. State agencies and city officials have been managing the cleanup since Sept. 6, when the U.S. EPA handed over the property to Ohio’s agency.

City crews continuously monitored water and air quality until Sept. 5, and have said there are no ongoing concerns. The removed waste has remained on the sites, and city officials are awaiting testing to determine whether it is contaminated and where it can be removed to.

The Toledo Police Department has released body camera footage from the Sept. 2 encounter and Sept. 14 arrest of Nazario Vazquez.

Mr. Vazquez’s arrest stems from an incident on Sept. 2, in which a neighbor found Mr. Vazquez on the ground outside his home on Walbridge Avenue and called 911 for medical assistance.

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

The neighbor’s two-minute conversation with a dispatcher was also released Friday.

The police footage from around 7 p.m. Sept. 2 shows that after Mr. Vazquez became responsive, he appears to slowly punch the air while bystanders attempt to calm him down. An officer said, “Just let him know that we’re here to help him. Just keep reassuring him.”

Mr. Vazquez then swung his left arm toward a responder’s leg. He was rolled over, and a responder knelt on his upper back while handcuffing him. Mr. Vazquez later kicked an officer with his left leg while still on the ground before being put on a stretcher.

Police issued a warrant for Mr. Vazquez’s arrest on Sept. 7 for assault on a peace officer, a fourth-degree felony.

In the footage of his Sept. 14 arrest, an officer first spoke with Mr. Vazquez’s daughters before he exited his house and slowly walked with a cane to the police cruiser around 2:30 a.m.

“TPD has been responsive to the concerns brought to us and will continue to provide information as it becomes available for release,” a department spokesman said Friday.

The release came a day after more than 50 supporters gathered at the Farm Labor Organizing Committee office in South Toledo, questioning the circumstances of Mr. Vazquez’s arrest and calling for the release of body-camera footage.

The department said multiple public records requests have been filed seeking videos and records associated with these incidents.

“Those requests are broader than the footage being released today and will take additional time to review and process,” the spokesman said. “Our Records Section will continue working to fulfill those requests through its normal process.”

At a preliminary hearing in Toledo Municipal Court on Sept. 22, the prosecutor recommended amending the charges to a second-degree misdemeanor of obstructing official business, with the victim’s consent, according to court records. 

Mr. Vazquez entered a no-contest plea and served time at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio until on Sept. 24 the remaining time of his 30-day sentence was dismissed.

He was then placed in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Mr. Vazquez’s immigration status before his arrest is unclear. A noncitizen can face deportation proceedings because of immigration status or, in some circumstances, because of a criminal conviction.

It was not immediately clear on what grounds federal officials are seeking Mr. Vazquez’s deportation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment.

“Mr. Vazquez’s immigration status was not the basis for the Sept. 2 police response or his Sept. 14 arrest,” Toledo police said Thursday in response to concerns the arrest did not conform to the city’s immigration status and resources ordinance. 

“The Sept. 14 arrest was based on charges stemming from that encounter, including assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. His immigration status was not the reason for either police action,” police said.

Mr. Vazquez’s case is now in federal court, police said.

Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown says his opponent is calling in reinforcements to “bail him out.”

Mr. Brown met with voters on Friday at Earnest Brew Works in downtown Toledo. His visit comes a day before President Trump is expected to visit Vandalia, Ohio, to campaign with U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R., Ohio).

“Sen. Husted essentially asked the data center, crypto boys to come in and bail him out, and they came in with $30 million,” Mr. Brown said. “Now he’s asking the President to come in and bail him out.”

“The fact is, if he would listen to people and vote to end the war [with Iran], listen to people and vote to end these tariffs, that’s what people want,” he added. “They don’t want a $30 million investment from the crypto billionaires. They don’t want a presidential visit. They want action.”

His comments come after Fairshake, a super PAC funded by the cryptocurrency industry, announced plans to spend at least $30 million to oppose Mr. Brown in Ohio’s Senate race.

Mr. Brown, who lost his re-election bid in 2024, is seeking a comeback to the U.S. Senate. He is running against Mr. Husted, who was appointed to the seat last year.

“It’s understandable that Sherrod Brown is panicking about the onslaught of ads coming his way,” a spokesman for Mr. Husted’s campaign said. “After failing hardworking Ohio families for 50 years, he must be terrified of having his abysmal record splashed across TV screens.”

“Ohioans already fired Sherrod Brown once, and they’re not willing to go back to his days of higher taxes and a wide-open border,” the spokesman added.

Ohio could determine which political party has control of the Senate, as Republicans hope to hold on to majorities in both chambers of Congress in a tough election cycle.

“Last time, Trump won by 12 [percentage points], I lost by 3 [percentage points] ... people say to me, ‘You didn’t lose to [U.S. Sen.] Bernie Moreno, you lost to Donald Trump,’ like that makes me feel better,” Mr. Brown joked. “But this time is so very different. People are unhappy.”

Mr. Brown said he recently visited the Meta data center under construction in Wood County. Data centers have been a key focus of his campaign, as voters on both sides of the aisle raise concerns about the use of agricultural land, water supply, and electricity bills.

“It doesn’t matter your political party,” Mr. Brown said. “People that are Republicans and near Bowling Green or near Delta or near Swanton or near Montpelier, any community, particularly the small towns, people are really upset, as they should be.”

On Wednesday, Senate Democrats blocked Mr. Husted’s Ratepayer Protection Act from moving forward, despite the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly supporting it. The bill would require state public utility commissions to consider, but not mandate, a strategy aimed at making data centers pay for energy infrastructure costs associated with their developments.

“If Democrats block this bill, they will prove beyond a shadow of doubt that they do not care about affordability, and they will not do anything to take action to help,” Mr. Husted said ahead of the vote.

On Friday, Mr. Brown said the bill does not do enough to regulate data center development.

“This bill asks utility companies and asks public utility commissions to do something ... to say, ‘Well, we hope they’ll do better,’ it does not do anything,” Mr. Brown said.

Scot Yarnell, the owner of Earnest Brew Works, said he thinks data centers could cost Mr. Husted in the midterm election.

“Anybody that is supporting data centers in Congress is not representing their constituents,” Mr. Yarnell said. “Unless your constituents are truly a handful of billionaires.”

Mr. Yarnell, a South Toledo resident, said he has previously voted for Mr. Brown and intends to do so again this year. As a small business owner, Mr. Yarnell said he has felt the impacts of rising costs in both his expenditures and revenue.

Recently, his shipments have come with higher surcharges due to the price of diesel, and as customers cut their spending, entertainment is usually the first to get cut.

“I do sell a frivolous product in the sense that it’s kind of cool to go out with your friends for beers and stuff,” he said. “But if times are tough, you got to cut something, and this definitely gets cut.”

The last day to register to vote for the midterm elections is Monday, with early in-person voting beginning Tuesday. Election Day is Nov. 3. 

They didn’t roll out the red carpet.

Instead, Ohio Department of Natural Resources staffers rolled out a large vinyl mat that depicted a bird’s-eye view of a wetland on the floor of the Walbridge Park Shelter House.

That was done so people who came to hear Gov. Mike DeWine talk up his H2Ohio program on Friday could use their imagination and pretend they were walking on top of some restored wildlife habitat.

The agency had a row of wetland plants out on display along the walkway leading into the shelter house, too, and tree seedlings for attendees to take home.

The highlight, though, was freshly cooked walleye nuggets, lightly breaded with toasty bread crumbs, so those in the audience could snack on the most famous sport fish in the Maumee River and Lake Erie as speakers made their remarks.

The occasion was the latest of several stops in what the governor’s office is calling its H2Ohio Tour.

The purpose of it is to not only celebrate accomplishments of the statewide water-quality program that began at the start of Mr. DeWine’s first term, but also to thank the many local governments, nonprofit agencies, and private businesses that had a hand in creating or expanding wetlands.

Mr. DeWine didn’t shy away from one of the biggest reasons these celebrations are happening around the state, though.

He said he wants to keep his legacy program on the minds of the two candidates vying to replace him, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton.

Both have said they intend to keep it going but have not revealed many specifics. 

Mr. DeWine said it’s important that whoever is sworn into office on Jan. 11 realizes that the first eight years of H2Ohio have created a foundation to build upon.

It has not solved weighty problems, such as western Lake Erie’s chronic algal bloom or all of the threats from lead poisoning that Ohio children face in old buildings that still have lead-based waterlines.

“We’re going to have a new governor and a new legislature soon,” Mr. DeWine said. “We want to talk about the success [of H2Ohio], but we also want people to know the job is not done. The foundation has been laid, but we have to continue to do this.”

Several speakers echoed that, including Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz and Rob Krain, executive director of the regional land trust in Perrysburg known as the Black Swamp Conservancy.

“This is a legacy of the DeWine administration, but it cannot stop there,” Mr. Krain said. “The progress we are making deserves to continue into the next administration and beyond. Clean water is a long-term commitment, and Ohio needs to keep the foundation that has been set.”

Award-winning project

The setting was no coincidence.

Walbridge Park was chosen because it is near the largest wetland project undertaken in the Maumee River, a $13.5 million effort to rebuild Delaware/Horseshoe Island and Clark Island.

The 83-acre effort gained some national attention recently when it won an award from the American Association of Port Authorities.

Tom Winston, the local port authority’s president and CEO, and Joe Cappel, its vice president of business development, said they received the award earlier this week while attending the association’s national conference in New Orleans.

Ms. Mertz called H2Ohio “a program that is making a measurable difference.”

“As we approach the next chapter in H2Ohio’s story and journey, we hope everybody keeps working together toward this really important mission,” she said.

Bob Midden, a Bowling Green State University emeritus professor of chemistry, described how he and other scientists in the Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network have documented improvements in several wetlands they have studied.

Bond issue now appears unlikely

After formal remarks, Mr. DeWine said in a private interview that he’s pleased with the progress he made.

“H2Ohio is working,” he said. “We never said it was going to be overnight. We knew it was going to take a while. We came up with the most cost-effective way of doing it. That’s where we invested our money.”

He also said he no longer believes the Ohio General Assembly would support his call for asking voters to approve a statewide H2Ohio bond issue. He has said for months he wanted that to ensure stable H2Ohio funding and to avoid the kind of steep cuts H2Ohio’s wetlands program incurred from legislators in his last biennial budget.

“I don’t think the legislature wants to do that [a statewide bond issue] and that’s fine, as long as every two years they continue to put [enough] money into it,” Mr. DeWine said. “The only thing I want is to make sure we have consistent support of it.”  

While statistics say violent crimes like homicide are down in Toledo, domestic violence remains a present issue in the community. 

“Lucas County 911 receives more calls involving abusive relationships than anything else,” said Rebecca Facey, Toledo’s chief prosecutor. “It is constant, pervasive, and it is happening within every neighborhood and every generation. Why? Because it is a part of our culture. We have assigned gender roles that perpetuate, encourage, and even justify brutal misogyny.” 

Beyond the Algorithm: Media, Culture, and the Path to Ending Intimate Partner Violence was the theme of the second Breaking the Cycle of Violence Summit, hosted by the city of Toledo at ProMedica Toledo Hospital’s education center on Friday. 

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Councilmen Cerssandra McPherson and Vanice Williams gave opening remarks. 

In his keynote address, Jabari Evans, a professor of race and media at the University of South Carolina, focused on media literacy and how young people use digital tools for social development.  

“All of that is inclusive of many different things,” Mr. Evans said of his research. “One of which is [young people’s] intimate relationships, the way they pursue romance, the way in which they talk to each other and learn gender roles.” 

He said that in the modern age, movies, music, television, and podcasts are in our pocket and compete for our attention. It is in understanding these things and how young people consume them that sticky issues like domestic violence can be rooted out. 

“I don’t think we typically understand what’s happening until it’s time to intervene ... especially if you're speaking about something as sensitive as domestic violence,” Mr. Evans said. “I think it starts off with how relationships develop, how communication is done.” 

The professor said for teenagers like his son, who is 19, the coronavirus pandemic hit at formative times in their lives, one in which they should have been busy interacting, forming relationships, and building social skills. That event has caused an overreliance on technology that lasts into today.  

He said the big takeaway from this research is that adults need to meet young people where they are when it comes to media.

Also, parents, guardians, and those with young people in their life should make sure that what is being put forth in their teens’ TikTok algorithm, however bad of an example it might be setting for something like a romantic relationship, does not get the last word.

“Adults, their immediate want is to police. I think on the side of talking to adults, they need to aim to meet [young people] where they are at and be more in those spaces that they are inhabiting, learn more about those spaces so that they are not simply just saying ‘hey, that is over there. Don’t do that.’”

Another keynote speaker was Eric Marsh, Sr., director at the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting. His own work focuses on how print, television, and digital journalists do their jobs. 

“We train journalists to change the way they cover individuals and communities impacted by gun violence more empathetically and ethically,” Mr. Marsh said. 

The organization has been around for six years and, despite its name, works with a nationwide focus. Mr. Marsh described how the organization’s founder, Jim MacMillan, a veteran photojournalist, noticed “harm” being created by journalists working within these violent subjects. 

“Oftentimes journalists rush in to get the story first while a family is still reeling from an immediate tragedy,” Mr. Marsh said. “One of the things we have developed is our survivor connection program, which trains community members to serve as sources to intercede so the journalists have someone to talk to.” 

Another potential cause of harm for journalists, Mr. Marsh said, is relying too much on the police narrative from police reports and the like. He encourages those he works with to reach out to people with lived experience and public health experts instead. 

The director said this will result in a fuller conversation around the issue with greater context. 

“It has actually worked out really well,” Mr. Marsh said. “We have worked with 300 survivors. We have created a database of sources for journalists that has 150 survivors, most of those are limited to the Philadelphia tri-state area.” 

More than 150 journalists have been certified through what the program teaches as well. Member journalists are in 18 different states and a Midwest chapter just opened in Chicago.  

The 2nd annual Glass City Get Down Street Art Festival kicked off Friday in Toledo.

Mind and Soul Gallery and Studio teamed with SeaGate Food Bank for the event, which continues from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 526 High St. 

Admission is free, but a non-perishable food donation to help support SeaGate Food Bank is encouraged.

Click the image above to view the full gallery.

Bethany House and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s Steinem Sisters Collection will honor victims of domestic violence through the Northwest Ohio Silent Witness Project and its silhouette exhibits.

A Thursday unveiling will feature life-size wooden silhouettes, also known as Silent Witnesses. Each silhouette will be revealed in a solemn ceremony where a reader will recount the story of the girl or woman represented by that figure, organizers said. 

The unveiling will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the McMaster Center at the Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St., in downtown Toledo.

The silhouettes will be on display at the Lagrange, Locke, Reynolds Corners, Sanger, South, and West Toledo branch libraries and at the Main Library from Oct. 9-29 in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Admission is free. The library discourages bringing young children to the exhibit.

The local project was established in 2001 after a Bowling Green State University alumna Michelle Rizzi was murdered by her husband and abandoned at a construction site on campus. The Bethany House domestic violence shelter maintains the project.

“The Silent Witness Project asks us to do something simple but important: remember these women and girls by name and hear their stories,” said Jason Kucsma, the library’s chief executive officer.

From high school sports to picking apples, Blade photographers head out every day to capture the triumphs, tragedies, and oddities of life in Lucas County and beyond.

Click the image above and the arrows on the left and right to view the full gallery.

TIFFIN, Ohio — An investigation into illegal gambling resulted in the seizure of 93 slot machines from two locations in Tiffin.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission searched two businesses in the 100 block of Washington Street following reports of illegal gambling. 

The commission and the Tiffin Police Department searched Skilled Games at 122 N. Washington St. and Patty’s Place at 109 N. Washington St. Investigators also seized an undisclosed amount of money.

“Our enforcement efforts remain exceptionally thorough and strategically focused, as it has been consistently demonstrated that illegal gambling harms communities, undermines public safety, and negatively impacts the Ohioans who live in them,” said Andromeda Morrison, the commission’s interim executive director.

“We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners to uphold the integrity of gaming in Ohio and protect residents from the risks associated with unlawful activity,” she said.

It’s official: The Old Wood County Jail in Perrysburg has new owners.

Josh and Caroline Jablonski closed on the historic property Monday. Originally listed for $400,000, it sold for $385,000.

“The same family has owned it since 1918, so we feel so lucky to be next,” the Jablonskis wrote in a Facebook post announcing the purchase.

Built in 1847, the building at 240 W. Indiana Ave. served as the Wood County jail and infirmary until 1870 and as the Perrysburg jail until 1899. The town sold it in 1918.

The couple, who have a 1-year-old daughter, plan to make it a home for their young family while preserving as much of the jailhouse’s historic character as possible, which was important to the previous owners.

“We do feel very lucky that we have the opportunity to restore things and keep things as original, because maybe someone else wouldn’t have,” Mrs. Jablonski said. “So we feel like we have this duty to this house — that we have to take care of it.”

A Realtor with the Danberry Co., Mrs. Jablonski said she has seen her share of older homes and new builds, but she has a special appreciation for historic properties.

“I’ve always had a love for old homes. I love looking at old homes, and I love when I can have a client look at an old home to buy. I think they’re so special. They don’t make houses like they did before,” she said.

Many of the jailhouse’s original features, including its cells, hardwood floors and concrete kitchen floors, will remain intact, she said.

For Sharon Hoffmann, 88, who lived in the building for 15 years, the jail’s past was never a drawback but rather part of its charm. The cells that once housed prisoners held her dishes and fine china.

“It was great. All these jail cells were wonderful for storage,” she said, “and I love the history of it, especially the stone and the bricks.”

The Jablonskis respect that history.

The couple invited the community to follow their Perrysburg Jailhouse restoration journey on social media, where their audience is already growing quickly. “Once a jail. Always a landmark. Soon to be our home,” the restoration site announces.

“We’ve had lots of interest already, which is very exciting. People love to follow along. We’ve had some comments like, ‘Oh my gosh, are you going to rip everything out?’ They’re worried that we’re going to tear it down and make it modern or something,” she said.

The Jablonskis expect to repaint and patch walls, with larger bathroom renovations planned for later.

“We’ve been working up to this for so long. I was a little relieved that it was official. Now all these ideas we’ve had, all these conversations — we actually have to do it. It’s real,” Mrs. Jablonski said.

Birth

ProMedica Bay Park Hospital

Adriena and Donovan McBride, of Toledo, girl, Sept. 29.

Marriage licenses

Lucas County

Sept. 28, 2026

Robert Harmon II and Alexis Davis, both of Ohio.

Jeffrei Palazzolo and Yohanis Portales Ochill, both of Michigan.

Daryl Whitlow and Michele Henderson, both of Michigan.

Payton Foley and Chel- sie Kirk, both of Ohio.

Mohamed Kamara and Fama Ndiaye, both of Michigan.

Clinton Mosler and Maria Shannon, both of Ohio.

Derek Graham, of Michigan, and Leslie Augst, of Ohio.

Dominic Guyton and Savannah Rowe, both of Michigan.

Anthony English, of Michigan, and Shameka Moore, of Tennessee.

Corey Schindler and Miranda Paredes, both of Ohio.

Festus Trice and Nataya Crowder, both of Michigan.

Nathaniel Konzen and Rebecca Barnes, both of Ohio.

Spencer Bodi and Kiersten Blaisdell, both of Michigan.

Joseph Braun and Erin Leupp, both of Ohio.

Dylan Mitchell and Amanda Rogers, both of Ohio.

Vincent Tucker and Kayla Hite, both of Ohio.

Sept. 29, 2026

Eric Dow, of Ohio, and Tracey Spedden, of New York.

James Jacobus and Desiree Thomas, both of Ohio.

Charles McCartney and Caroline Kurtz, both of Ohio.

Eric Bares and Lillie Abshire, both of Ohio.

DaQuan Gray and LaTesha Riley, both of Ohio.

Brian Beverly and Kerrigan Carter, both of Ohio.

Jay Boettinger and Taylor Ritenour, both of Michigan.

Lewis Morelock V and Tiffani Panko, both of Ohio.

Run Yu, of Michigan and Ross Krawetzke, of Ohio.

Divorces granted

Lucas County

Laura Keyer from Aaron Keyer.

Aaron Keyer from Laura Keyer.

Tiffany Broka from Justin Broka.

Justin Broka from Tiffany Broka.

Phillip Bass from Kristina Bass.

Kristina Bass from Phillip Bass.

Tamara McInerney from Michael McInerney.

Michael McInerney from Tamara McInerney.

City leaders say the passage of Toledo’s public safety levy this November could vastly improve the police and fire departments, but warn it won’t solve all of the city’s financial problems.

“One could make the argument, how badly does the city of Toledo need Issue 16 to pass,” Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said Thursday. “So badly, that even when it passes, we will still have a $25 million budget deficit. Can you imagine the world we will face if it doesn’t pass?”

On Thursday city leaders went before Toledo City Council’s public safety committee to give a “high-level” overview of Issue 16, which will ask Toledo residents to approve a temporary 0.25 percent income tax levy for neighborhood safety expenditures.

The Neighborhood Safety Income Tax is expected to generate $25 million a year, which would go to the city’s general fund.

If the public safety levy is approved, it would allow the city to double the size of police and fire classes, Mr. Kapszukiewicz said, promising a police and fire recruitment class with 40 spots each for the next four years.

The additional revenue would also allow the police department’s gang task force to grow by adding detectives and patrol officers.

In addition, the mayor said, public safety could expand beyond the police and fire departments.

“It has to be [spent on] safety,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said after the meeting. “This isn’t going to a youth program, for instance, the word is neighborhood safety.”

The increased revenue could triple the funding dedicated to the demolition of abandoned buildings and develop the city’s first residential speed enforcement program, the mayor said.

“Essentially what we’re going to commit to is cars and officers in neighborhoods every single day enforcing speed,” Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold said. “So pulling people over who are speeding and giving them tickets.”

Budget work continues

The mayor’s proposals come at a price. Even though the levy would bring in approximately $25 million a year, it won’t necessarily cut Toledo’s budget deficit in half, since it will still cost the city more to fund larger public safety classes, increase the funding of the demolition program, and grow the city’s gang task force.

The mayor did not have an exact cost on Thursday of what the new expenditures will total because finance officials continue to work on the proposed budget for next year. But he said the cost is nowhere near what the levy will bring in.

“Essentially the levy will bring in tens of millions of dollars more than the added cost that we will incur from hiring more police and fire,” he said.

If the levy does not pass, the mayor said the city would be looking at layoffs in the police and fire departments and warned other things could be on the chopping block.

“I don’t know that we’re ready today to say that MONSE will be cut,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. “I think MONSE would absolutely be on the list of programs that would be in great danger of being eliminated if Issue 16 failed.”

The options

Mayor Kapszukiewicz did not have a definitive number of how many police officers and firefighters would be laid off if the levy doesn’t pass, but his Thursday presentation was one of two he’ll make. Later this month, his administration will return to council chambers with two proposed budgets: one if the levy passes and one if it does not.

The city’s roughly $50 million budget deficit is not a management issue, Mr. Kapszukiewicz said, but rather a structural problem inflicted by repeated cuts at the state and federal levels and lost population.

Last year, the mayor’s administration cut $6 million of the 2026 budget, and city council cut an additional $3 million. The city council also passed a resolution to reduce the 2027 and 2028 budgets by $10 million a year.

“We cannot cut our way out of this problem, unless we make peace with the fact that we’re going to lay off police and fire,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said.

“I don’t want to see layoffs among police and firefighters,” he added. “I don’t think [council] wants to see layoffs among police and firefighters … there is no way to accomplish what we want to accomplish without introducing new revenue into our system.”

The Neighborhood Safety Income Tax would only be levied on earned income, so residents who are retired, unemployed, or not earning a wage would be exempt.

If approved, the city’s tax rate would match the state’s income tax rate at 2.75 percent, while also placing Toledo as one of the highest income tax rates in Ohio.

This would be the city’s third income tax levy in addition to the 0.75 percent tax and the 0.25 percent for roads.

The 0.25 percent for roads is strictly used for the cost of improving the city’s roads, streets, and bridges. And the 0.75 percent levy is divided up into three sections. Approximately 0.33 percent goes to the general fund for police, fire, and other safety department responsibilities, 0.33 percent goes to the general fund for other expenses, and 0.33 percent goes to the city’s Capital Improvements Fund. 

The Neighborhood Safety Income Tax will be on the Nov. 3 ballot for all Toledo residents voting in the midterm election.

Nazario Vazquez’s 15-year-old daughter Maria was sleeping in her South Toledo home last month when she was awakened by her mother, who told her police were there to arrest her father.

Maria Vazquez choked back tears Thursday as she recounted the arrest in the early morning hours of Sept. 14, and how traumatic it was for her and her six siblings.

“They told me that if he doesn’t come out peacefully, they were going to force their way inside to take him. My dad saw the situation for me and my siblings, and he didn’t want to make it worse. He went with them peacefully,” she said.

She spoke at a news conference at the Farm Labor Organizing Committee office on Broadway Street that drew over 50 supporters of Mr. Vazquez, some holding signs critical of law enforcement.

Mr. Vazquez’s arrest stems from an incident on Sept. 2, in which a neighbor found Mr. Vazquez on the ground outside his home on Walbridge Avenue and called 911 for medical assistance, Jessica Molina said.

Ms. Molina, from Abriendo Puertas Para Soluciones, a service provider with front line access to the immigrant population, said Mr. Vazquez was taken to the hospital and released the following day.

Anthony Beamon, Mr. Vazquez’s neighbor, said he made the 911 call when he found Mr. Vazquez face down on the ground outside his house. 

He said Mr. Vazquez struggles to stand and has a hard time walking without a walker or cane. 

“Police had said he was swinging his cane at them, and that was why he was charged with assault. I saw no cane. His walker was about 5 feet from them,” Mr. Beamon said

“They are trying to say he was resisting arrest. That is absolutely untrue from what I saw,” Mr. Beamon said. 

Police issued a warrant for Mr. Vazquez’s arrest on Sept. 7 for assault on a peace officer, a fourth-degree felony. According to the affidavit, on Sept. 2 he assaulted the officer “by kicking him, causing his knee to buckle.”

According to court records, Mr. Vazquez was arrested on the outstanding warrant on Sept. 14 and arraigned the following day in Toledo Municipal Court. Bond was set at $25,000.

At a preliminary hearing in Toledo Municipal Court on Sept. 22, the prosecutor recommended amending the charges to a second-degree misdemeanor of obstructing official business, with the victim’s consent, according to court records. 

Mr. Vazquez entered a plea of no contest and stipulated “that there is a factual basis for a finding of guilty” and waived his right “to a presentation of facts and explanation of circumstance supporting a guilty finding.”

Judge Nicole Khoury found him guilty and sentenced him to 30 days at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio. He received credit for the 8 days he had already served in custody since his arrest, leaving him 22 days to serve at CCNO. 

During the same court appearance, Mr. Vazquez was also told that if he was not a citizen of the United States, his conviction “may have the consequences of deportation, exclusion from admission to the United States, or denial of naturalization pursuant to the laws of the United States.”

On Sept. 24, his sentence was “modified for good cause shown,” according to court records. He received credit for one day at CCNO, and the remaining 21 were dismissed, as he was brought back to Toledo upon request of federal officials.

“Mr. Vazquez was transported to CCNO to be put in ICE custody. He is now facing ICE deportation proceedings that stemmed from a medical call two weeks prior,” Ms. Molina said.

She also raised concerns about whether the city’s code of conduct was followed. A portion of the code prohibits departments and city officials from using city money, equipment, or personnel for apprehending anyone based on suspected immigration status, except in response to a court order. 

“Mr. Vazquez’s immigration status was not the basis for the Sept. 2 police response or his Sept. 14 arrest,” Toledo police said in a statement Thursday, in response to concerns the arrest did not conform to the city’s immigration status and resources ordinance. 

“TPD initially responded to a call for service on Sept. 2. Following that encounter, Mr. Vazquez was taken to the hospital due to his level of intoxication. The Sept. 14 arrest was based on charges stemming from that encounter, including assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. His immigration status was not the reason for either police action,” police said.

Mr. Vazquez’s case is now in federal court, police said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment. 

Toledo police said they are processing requests for police reports and body-worn camera pertaining to the incident footage, and they should “provide additional information and context surrounding what occurred.”