​By: Sarah McRitchie

TOLEDO, Ohio -- The University of Toledo will receive approximately $13 million dollars as a result of the CARES Act, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
 
Of that, a minimum of $6.7 million is for emergency cash grants for students at the University of Toledo.
 
There are more than 22,000 students enrolled at UT, according to the university’s website.
 
It is unclear how the university plans to use the total funding.
 
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was passed and signed into federal law in late March to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, announced yesterday that more than $6 billion will be immediately distributed to higher education institutions.
 
Colleges and universities are required to utilize the $6 billion to provide cash grants to students for disruptions to their lives from COVID-19, according to a press release from the Department of Education.
 
“We prioritized getting funding out the door quickly to college students who need it most,“ DeVos said. “We don’t want unmet financial needs due to the coronavirus to derail their learning.”
 
The CARES Act stipulates nearly $14 billion total is to go toward postsecondary schools and its students.
 
Each institution must certify it will distribute the funds in accordance with the law before it can access the funds. The university will then determine which students will receive the cash grants.
 
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Ohio’s primary election has been postponed after the polls were ordered closed by the Ohio Department of Health, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
 
Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of Health, issued the order at 10 p.m. the night before election day.
 
“I make this Order to avoid the imminent threat with a high probability of widespread exposure to COVID-19 with a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of the people in the general population,” the order read.
 
The move comes after Governor Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose sought a court order to delay the election until a later date, which was denied by Judge Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
 
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine said he fully supports Dr.Acton’s Order to close polling locations, as they felt it was not safe to allow in-person voting to proceed.
 
“Our goal is that no one will have to choose between their constitutional rights and risking their health,” DeWine said.
 
They felt it would be a disaster if the public and poll workers were unwittingly spreading the virus at polling locations, he said.
 
While DeWine did not offer specifics on the next steps forward, he added that Ohioans must have ample time to vote.
 
“We presented a plan we felt would preserve people’s rights, extend those rights, and set the election on June 2nd with ample time for voting to occur,” DeWine said.
 
There are 67 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

By: Sarah McRitchie, UT:10 News Web Producer

TOLEDO, OH - Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz gave the annual State of the City address on Thursday at the Toledo Zoo. 

Kapszukiewicz said that while Toledo has a long way to go, progress has been made – pointing to an overall decrease in crime last year, the creation of the Toledo regional water commission, and the passage of the lead-safe ordinance. 

The speech focused on his pitch for voting in favor of Issue 1 in the upcoming March election, a tax levy he said is a way of “investing in ourselves.” 

If enacted, the city will invest in youth recreation, parks, universal pre-kindergarten, an increase in the police force, as well as road repairs, the mayor said. 

“We have a choice to make in this community,” Kapszukiewicz said. “If we’re happy with the status quo, we vote no on Issue 1… or we can decide to invest in ourselves and to do what successful cities do and vote yes on Issue 1.” 

​The ballot language was highlighted to show it requires 40% of the funds from the levy be dedicated specifically for street repairs. Issue 1 doesn’t allow for any reallocation of those funds. 

“This is a level of accountability that I think is important to build the trust of our voters as we head to the polls,” the mayor said of the stipulation on roads. 

The city of Toledo resurfaced 1.6 miles of roads in 2019 and estimates 700 miles of residential roads could be paved over the next decade through the tax increase. 

The passage of Issue 1 would increase income tax from 2.25% to 2.75% for the next 10 years. A household with a $100,000 annual income would pay an additional $500 yearly in income taxes.

By Sarah McRitchie
Copyright 2020 by UT:10 News - All rights reserved.
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