Ashland County

Richland and Ashland counties in north central Ohio have long had economies dominated by manufacturing. Local educators and employers are trying to prevent a loss of workforce.

For many of us, COVID is becoming an increasingly distant memory. But in rural Ohio, where the state’s vaccine rates are among the lowest, one health department is still trying new ways to get people vaccinated.

Post-election audits found vanishingly few errors in November’s vote counts across Ohio, according to data released by Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday. Since November, county election staff have recounted ballots by hand in a selection of precincts, focusing on three races: the presidential race, one Ohio Supreme Court race and a countywide race. In the presidential contest, the audits matched official results by 99.98 percent on average.

Courts across the country are facing a daunting task as they look to restart jury trials. A recent attempt to hold a trial in Ashland County during April and early May showed how easily a trial can go wrong. On April 28, the first day of jury selection, the defendant, Seth Whited, began either having a panic attack or displaying symptoms of COVID-19 while in the courtroom.