Yellow Springs, Ohio

Miami Township Fire-Rescue, which serves Yellow Springs and surrounding areas in Greene County, Ohio, is asking voters to approve a five-year, 0.8-mill property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot dedicated to capital equipment. If approved, it would cost $28 annually per $100,000 of appraised home value. Fire Chief Jim Cannell said much of the department's equipment is due for replacement, including turnout gear and a 16-year-old pumper truck, which now costs over $1 million to replace. The levy would free up existing operating funds for staffing and daily operations. Call volume is already up from last year, with over 1,000 runs through September, about 80% medical calls.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a term-limited Republican leaving office in January, has drawn attention for positions that diverge from his party's mainstream, particularly on capital punishment and immigration. DeWine, a Catholic, has refused to sanction executions during his tenure and cites concerns about deterrence and protecting life "from pre-birth to natural death," though he has stopped short of commuting death row sentences outright. Ohio currently has 113 inmates on death row.

On immigration, DeWine has defended Springfield, Ohio's Haitian community — now numbering over 10,000 — against false claims amplified by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the 2024 campaign, including debunked allegations about pets being eaten. In an August New York Times op-ed, DeWine argued Haitian migrants have boosted the local economy and called on Trump to pursue immigration reform, even as the administration's removal of temporary protected status threatens mass deportations. Catholic officials say DeWine's stances align closely with church social teaching, even though he rarely invokes it explicitly in public statements.