WKBN-TV

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton toured the Youngstown Business Incubator and rallied in Liberty, stressing ties to Mahoning and Trumbull counties ahead of Election Day against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton has repeatedly addressed a Ramaswamy-backed ad featuring her estranged mother, calling her a liar and alleging mental health issues; Gov. Mike DeWine called it exploitative. Both candidates are closing with pitches on Ohio's affordability crisis, with Ramaswamy touting his business background and property-tax executive orders, and Acton emphasizing public-service experience, a working families tax cut, and school funding.

Ramaswamy has self-funded and outspent Acton nearly $80 million to $34 million overall, though Acton has outraised him recently; both have shattered Ohio's gubernatorial fundraising record, and neither has held elected office before. Democrats are banking on a late push, including a Cleveland rally with Barack Obama and expanded early voting, as prediction markets show Acton favored heading into Election Day.

Warren, Ohio has been awarded roughly $1.3 million in state grant funding to improve roads surrounding its planned industrial park, which will be built on the former Warren Western Reserve High School site. The full roadwork project is expected to cost just over $2 million, with the grant covering a significant share.

Plans call for rebuilding and widening about 650 feet of Nevada Avenue Southwest and 730 feet of Victoria Avenue Southwest, along with wider intersection turns and upgrades to sewer and utility lines. Mayor Doug Franklin said the improvements aim to attract manufacturers, support job growth, and better separate industrial delivery traffic from residential traffic. Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber President Guy Coviello framed the grant as part of broader regional economic momentum, pointing to a concurrent groundbreaking on a speculative industrial building in nearby Youngstown.

Warren, Ohio has been awarded roughly $1.3 million in state grant funding to help pay for road improvements around a planned industrial park on the site of the former Warren Western Reserve High School. The full roadwork project is expected to cost just over $2 million.

Plans call for rebuilding and widening about 650 feet of Nevada Avenue Southwest, between West Market Street and Victoria Avenue Southwest, along with wider turning lanes at both intersections. Crews would also rebuild and widen roughly 730 feet of Victoria Avenue to accommodate future development, plus upgrades to sewer and utility lines.

Mayor Doug Franklin said the improvements aim to make it easier for manufacturing traffic to move in and out of the site while improving safety for nearby residential neighborhoods. City officials say the upgrades could help attract new manufacturers and support expansion for existing property owners and developers, citing strong interest from companies in light manufacturing and technology sectors, while also potentially boosting local property values.

Opposition to Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras continues to spread as more governments restrict or drop the technology over privacy and misuse concerns. The Texas Department of Transportation has suspended approvals for new Flock cameras on state roadways, following an August order from Gov. Greg Abbott halting state agency funding for the devices. Texas joins Florida, which revoked permits for the cameras on state road rights-of-way after Gov. Ron DeSantis warned against creating a "digital AI surveillance state."

Locally, Half Moon Bay, California, will let its camera pilot expire rather than renew it, following El Cerrito's earlier removal in the East Bay; a San Jose officer's alleged misuse of the system to track a domestic violence victim was cited as a factor. Eastpointe, Michigan, ended its contract after separate employee misuse, and a Deer Park, Texas detective was recently suspended for hundreds of unauthorized searches. Coopertown, Tennessee, has now also terminated its Flock contract after public pushback, despite the police chief's defense of the cameras' limited tracking capability. Flock has issued new privacy guidelines to detect suspicious activity, while President Trump has voiced support for the cameras even as GOP officials remain divided and some police say losing access has slowed investigations.

The Mahoning County Board of Elections says absentee ballot applications will be mailed to all registered Ohio voters ahead of the Nov. 3 General Election, sent out by the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. The BOE cautions that voters may also receive additional applications from outside activist groups but should complete and submit only one form to avoid confusion.

Completed applications must be returned to the BOE no later than Oct. 27. Requested ballots will not be mailed until early voting begins on Oct. 6. The voter registration deadline for the election is Oct. 5, and the Mahoning County BOE will stay open until 9 p.m. that day to accommodate late registrants. Voters who plan to cast ballots in person do not need to submit an absentee application.