11/22/2025
• On Monday, the last remaining residents of the Riverside Mobile Home were evacuated so that the City of Toledo could begin demolition of the property, which had become unsafe for occupancy due to several years of neglect by an absentee out-of-state landlord.
• Also on Monday, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) was awarded $122,468 to expand its TARTA Flex microtransit service to Westwinds Industrial Park in Holland as part of the State of Ohio's Workforce Mobility Partnership program.
• On Tuesday, Toledo City Council unanimously approved 15-year tax abatements on two Westgate area development projects: one at the former Sears site (3450 W. Central Ave.) and another at the former Elder-Beerman site (3311 Secor Rd.). Both properties will sign a payment-in-lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement totaling $8.5 million for the Washington Local Schools district.
• Also on Tuesday, the Lucas County Commissioners approved $200,000 for a study on renovations necessary for the Lucas County Jail. Commissioners also heard from the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board that federal budget cuts totaling $3 million in Lucas County could displace up to 700 people.
• In further Tuesday news, it was announced that ConnecToledo had won a Levitt Music Series Grant, entitling the organization to receive $120,000 each year for the next three years. The funds will be used to put on 7-10 free music concerts at parks throughout Toledo.
• On Wednesday, striking workers at Libbey Glass organized by the United Steelworkers voted down a proposed contract offered by the company citing concerns about 12-hour shifts, no strike clauses, no lockout clauses, and the ability of the company to schedule overtime on an employee's day off.
• Also on Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) announced that FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries (including Toledo Edison) would be required to pay $180 million in restitution to customers over three billing cycles as penalty for bribing state officials to pass HB6 (a nuclear plant bailout) in 2019.
• In further Wednesday news, city officials announced a pause on plans to reconstruct Secor Road between Central Avenue and Kenwood Boulevard pending the results of a new safety study for Secor Road between Central Avenue and Dorr St. Reconstruction is now expected to take place in 2030 and 2031.
• On Thursday, the American Numismatic Society announced plans to move from New York City to Toledo. The organization, which has 18 employees and owns nearly 800,000 monetary objects, will have a museum and gallery space in the four-story Professional Building (1828 Parkwood Ave.) next to the Toledo Museum of Art.
• Also on Thursday, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority authorized $23 million in bond financing for a $43 million project by Toledo Heritage Village, L.P., to rehabilitate 191 income-based housing units in North Toledo and South Toledo operated by Vistula Management.
• In further Thursday news, the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport launched non-stop flights to Sarasota, Florida through Allegiant Air.
• Mayor Kapszukiewicz proposed a $1 billion municipal budget for 2026. Highlights include $11 million more for the road repair fund; $500,000 for youth programming; hiring 25 new police officers and 20 new firefighters; restoring the sidewalk rehabilitation program; raising the standard monthly garbage collection fee from $11.50 to $18.50; organizational restructuring that will save $375,000; eliminating 11 vacant positions for a saving of $1.4 million; reductions in supplies and services totaling $5 million; transferring $24 million from the capital improvement fund to the general fund; and transferring $28 million from the budget stabilization ("rainy day") fund, leaving $49 million. Per the municipal charter, Toledo City Council must approve a budget by March 31.
• Mayor Kapszukiewicz has publicly discussed the possibility of addressing budget shortfalls in the future through the introduction of an entertainment fee on tickets sold to events in Toledo. Cities like Canton and Sandusky have already introduced such fees.
• The international Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit will be held in Toledo next year. The event will take place November 3 through 5 at the Glass City Center and is expected to draw around 2,000 participants.
• Two new modular homes were installed in the Old South End at 434 South Ave. and 439 Maumee Ave., the first new housing built in that neighborhood in over 20 years. The houses, developed through the Historic South Initiative, will be on the market for an asking price of $160,000.
• Residents at Ashland Manor (2030 Ashland Ave.) report an overgrowth of trash due to management locking the trash compactor doors. Management has not responded to inquiries from tenants or reporters at 13 Action News.
• The state's Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program is accepting applications for income-eligible individuals to receive one-time assistance for their home energy bill this winter. Households must be at or below 175% of the federal poverty level. For more information, visit https://energyhelp.ohio.gov.
• Those interested in speaking, vending, or performing at this year's Kwanzaa celebration taking place at the Frederick Douglass Community Association (1001 Indiana Ave) December 26 through January 1 should contact Diane Gordon (419-410-8022), Rodney Gordon (567-218-3145), or Donald Lynn (419-509-0751).
• This Saturday (November 22) from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the inaugural International Holiday Market will take place at Levis Square Park (435 N. St. Clair St.) in downtown Toledo. The event will feature handcrafted gifts, food, and cultural performances from several cultures and nations.
• Next Tuesday (November 25) from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., a tree walk will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery and Arboretum (1502 W. Central). Participants will explore three locations in the cemetery and learn how to diagnose common tree problems. To register or for more information, visit https://www.historic-woodlawn.com/events
• Next Thursday (November 27) is Thanksgiving. The following places are providing free meals to residents in need: Faith United Lutheran Church (4543 Douglas Rd.) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (carryout only); Pilgrim Church (1375 W. Sylvania Ave.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; St. Joan of Arc Church (5856 Heatherdowns Blvd.) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Mayores Senior Center (2 Aurora Gonzales Dr.) from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Cherry Street Mission Life Revitalization Center (1501 Monroe St.) starting at 12 p.m.; and the Entrepreneurs Club (222 Fassett St.) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m..
• All individual donations up to $1000 made to the Toledo Free Press between now December 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) through their annual NewsMatch campaign. All donations are tax-deductible. To donate, visit https://www.toledofreepress.com/
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News sources: The Blade, 13ABC, WTOL, Toledo Free Press