TOLEDO, Ohio — A 66-year-old Toledo man has died after his car left a hospital parking lot and crashed into a parked vehicle in West Toledo on Monday, Nov. 2, The Blade reported.
The driver, identified as Gregory Kowalski, 66, of Toledo, was in a car that accelerated out of the ProMedica Toledo Hospital parking lot, ran over a series of curbs, crossed a large grassy area and went through a fence before continuing to Midwood Avenue, according to the report.
The car then struck a parked vehicle in the driveway of Original Gino’s Pizza in the 3000 block of Midwood Avenue, near Hughes Drive. Kowalski was taken to Toledo Hospital, where he later died, The Blade reported.
Toledo police said the car accelerated for an undetermined reason before it left the parking area. A 33-year-old Perrysburg man associated with the parked vehicle was not hurt, according to the initial police account.
The Toledo Police Department is investigating the crash. Anyone with information can contact the department through the Toledo Police Department website.
The Fostoria Free Press extends its condolences to Kowalski’s family and friends. This is a developing story and will be updated if police release more information.
Sources
The Blade, “Man dies following West Toledo crash” (published Nov. 2, updated Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.toledoblade.com/local/police-fire/2026/11/02/man-injured-when-acceleration-led-west-toledo-crash/stories/20261102087
Toledo Police Department initial crash account, as reported by NewsChunks, “Toledo Man Injured After Vehicle Leaves Hospital Parking Area” (Nov. 3, 2026): https://newschunks.com/state/ohio/toledo/toledo-man-injured-after-vehicle-leaves-hospital-parking-area/
Illustration: FFP (not an actual image of the scene).
TOLEDO- A 50-year-old Toledo man is jailed on rape and burglary charges after police say he forced his way into a woman’s home through a basement window late Thursday night and assaulted her.
Richard Ulch, of Toledo, was arrested Friday, Oct. 23, and charged with two counts of rape and aggravated burglary, according to Toledo police affidavits and court records first reported by 13abc and WTOL 11.
What police allege
According to the charging documents, Ulch got into the home through a basement window on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 22. Once inside, he is accused of violently assaulting the woman who lived there, including holding her head against the stairs, and raping her.
Police have not publicly released the street or neighborhood where the alleged attack happened. FFP is not identifying the woman.
The charges
Rape is a first-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2907.02. Aggravated burglary, which covers trespassing into an occupied home by force while inflicting or threatening physical harm, is also a first-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2911.11.
Ulch is scheduled to appear in Toledo Municipal Court on Monday, Oct. 26. Felony cases that begin in municipal court are typically bound over to a Lucas County grand jury, which decides whether to return an indictment.
Earlier case
Court records also show Ulch was charged earlier this year with impersonating a peace officer and theft. In that case, he is accused of posing as a police officer and stealing boots from a local store. The outcome of that case was not immediately clear.
Charges are accusations, not findings of guilt. Richard Ulch is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Anyone who has experienced sexual violence can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24 hours a day at 800-656-4673.
This is a developing story. FFP will update it as court records and police information become available.
[UPDATED 10/29/26 10:30 PM] A third proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed over the Oct. 20 chemical release, The Blade reported Thursday. The new suit, Thiede, et al. v. M.C. Tank Transport, Inc., et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against M.C. Tank Transport Inc. and parent company The Kenan Advantage Group Inc., according to the Ann Arbor law firm that filed it, Dubin Law PLLC. It seeks to represent people who owned, rented, occupied or lived in homes within 15 miles of the Progress Avenue terminal between Oct. 20 and Oct. 23, with separate subclasses for Ohio and Michigan residents. The firm says the suit seeks damages such as loss of use of property, evacuation and displacement costs, cleanup costs and lost wages. It joins Hartford’s Oct. 23 suit and a second proposed class action filed Oct. 26 by a resident, both in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. These are allegations that have not been proven in court, and no class has been certified. The filing firm noted that the 15-mile boundary does not mean every property in that area was affected.
TOLEDO — A Toledo business owner has filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status against the company behind last week’s chemical leak in north Toledo, its parent company and the terminal’s plant manager, according to Lucas County Common Pleas Court filings reported by 13abc and WTOL 11.
The suit was filed Oct. 23 by Todd M. Hartford and his company, Hartford’s Fencing & Landscaping LLC. It names M.C. Tank Transport Inc., parent company Kenan Advantage Group Inc. and terminal plant manager Albert Dudek as defendants, and lists claims of negligence, gross negligence or recklessness, nuisance and strict liability for an abnormally dangerous activity, 13abc reported.
The case stems from the Oct. 20 release of glycidyl methacrylate, or GMA, from a storage tank at the terminal at 1266 Progress Avenue. GMA is an industrial chemical used in resins, coatings and adhesives. The release led Toledo Fire & Rescue to order everyone within one mile of the terminal to evacuate and people within three miles to shelter in place. The City of Toledo posted updates on the response on its official hazmat incident page. All evacuation orders were lifted at noon Oct. 23.
What the lawsuit claims
According to the complaint, the defendants failed to keep adequate levels of a chemical stabilizer in the tank, failed to properly monitor its temperature and pressure, and failed to inspect and maintain its safety systems. The suit also argues that storing the chemical in bulk so close to homes and businesses was reckless, and that venting the tank to relieve pressure allowed the release to keep reaching the surrounding community, WTOL reported.
The complaint estimates about 1,379 people in 581 housing units lived inside the one-mile evacuation zone and about 49,527 people in 22,940 housing units lived inside the three-mile shelter-in-place area, including some in Monroe County, Michigan. It says at least 389 businesses and facilities sit within three miles of the terminal, 35 of them inside the evacuation zone.
Hartford says he was displaced from his home and his business had to close, according to the filing. He is asking the court to let the case go forward as a class action on behalf of displaced residents and businesses that were forced to close or limit operations, and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
These are allegations in a civil complaint. No court has ruled on them, and the court has not decided whether to certify the case as a class action. M.C. Tank Transport, Kenan Advantage Group and Dudek had not responded to the allegations as of 13abc’s report.
FFP has covered the leak since the first night, including the evacuation, the shelter-in-place order and the lifting of all orders on Oct. 23.
Watch: WTOL 11 report
Video: “Class action lawsuit filed against business at center of north Toledo chemical leak,” posted by WTOL11 on YouTube.
Sources:
13abc (WTVG), “Toledo business owner sues over chemical release,” Oct. 26, 2026: https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/27/toledo-business-owner-sues-over-chemical-release/
WTOL 11, “Lawsuit filed after Toledo chemical leak alleges negligence, seeks class-action status,” Oct. 26, 2026: https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/lawsuit-filed-after-toledo-chemical-leak-alleges-negligence-seeking-class-action-status/512-a087ec64-0c1c-4d20-8a34-93c1a2b3efab
City of Toledo, hazmat evacuation in north Toledo updates: https://toledo.oh.gov/news/2026/10/23/hazmat-evacuation-in-north-toledo
WTOL 11 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuwlRubOK_8
The Blade, “3rd class action lawsuit filed against MC Tank Transport,” Oct. 29, 2026: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2026/10/29/3rd-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-mc-tank-transport/stories/20261029098
Dubin Law PLLC, “Federal Class Action Filed Following October 20, 2026 Toledo Chemical Release”: https://www.dubinlawpllc.com/class-action/toledo-hazmat-release-michigan/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/lawsuit-class-action-toledoFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-27 01:30:342026-10-29 22:20:25TOLEDO | Lawsuit Seeks Class-Action Status Over North Toledo Chemical Leak
TOLEDO – Toledo firefighters were called Monday afternoon to a small fire on the roof of a storage tank at an industrial site near Woodville Road on the city’s east side, according to fire dispatch radio traffic.
Crews on the radio said the tank was believed to hold solidified asphalt and that the fire appeared limited to the tank’s roof. A fire official reported no product being released and no nearby exposures in danger, and a hazardous materials response was held off.
Before water was put on the fire, crews had a facility representative shut off a steam line to the tank, and power to a mixer on top of the tank was cut. Firefighters, joined by a truck from neighboring Oregon, then set up a water stream on the tank. Radio traffic also indicated Woodville Road was shut down in the area while crews worked. The dispatch activity was logged around 3:55 p.m.
Smoke from the scene was visible across parts of Toledo, according to social media posts shared later in the afternoon. Some posts described a loud explosion at a refinery on Woodville Road, but that claim has not been confirmed by officials or news outlets, and fire radio traffic described only a small fire on a tank roof.
No injuries were mentioned in the radio traffic. Toledo Fire and Rescue has not released details on the cause or the name of the facility. Woodville Road’s industrial corridor includes several fuel and asphalt storage sites, which file emergency plans with the Lucas County Local Emergency Planning Committee.
This is a developing story and will be updated as officials release more information.
Sources:
Toledo Fire-Tac dispatch audio and transcript (CrimeRadar), Oct. 26, 2026: https://www.uscrimeradar.com/m/4239-50048_1793043725_wwgrhmsy
Lucas County LEPC facility hazard analysis, Woodville Road: https://www.co.lucas.oh.us/DocumentCenter/View/93756/Seneca-Petroleum-Woodville-Map-and-Hazard-Analysis
City of Toledo: https://toledo.oh.gov/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/crews-douse-small-fire-tankFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-26 17:29:082026-10-26 17:29:08CRIME RADAR | Small fire on asphalt tank at Woodville Road industrial site, Toledo
TOLEDO, Ohio — A 26-year-old Toledo man died and two other men were hurt in a two-vehicle crash early Sunday, Oct. 25, near North Cove Boulevard and Central Avenue in west Toledo, according to Toledo police.
Officers were sent to the area around 3:47 a.m. after 911 dispatchers received an automated crash notification through Apple’s Crash Detection feature, Toledo Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Mohamad Nasser told WTOL 11.
Police said a 29-year-old Toledo man was driving west on Central Avenue in the curb lane when another westbound vehicle, traveling in the left lane, tried to turn right onto Pioneer Lane in front of him. The turning vehicle was struck on its passenger side.
The driver of the turning vehicle, identified by police as Charlton Wallace, 26, of Toledo, and his 26-year-old passenger were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Wallace was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
The 29-year-old driver had what police described as possible injuries. At least one person had to be freed from a vehicle by rescue crews.
Police said Wallace’s family has been notified. The crash remains under investigation, and no charges had been announced as of Monday.
The Fostoria Free Press extends its condolences to Wallace’s family and friends. This story will be updated if police release more information.
Sources
Toledo Police Department, as reported by WTOL 11, “One killed, two injured in two-vehicle crash early Sunday in west Toledo” (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.wtol.com/article/traffic/incidents/fatal-two-vehicle-crash-early-sunday-central-avenue-west-toledo/512-5f0e4727-b76e-4982-8475-6fb083cf60d9
Toledo Police Department, as reported by 13abc, “One person dead in early morning car crash in Toledo” (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/25/three-people-hospitalized-early-morning-car-crash-toledo/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/fatal-accident-lucas-county-ohFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-26 15:09:412026-10-26 19:55:46TOLEDO | Toledo Man, 26, Killed in Two-Vehicle Crash on Central Avenue Near North Cove Boulevard
BOWLING GREEN — A Wood County grand jury has indicted a 22-year-old Toledo man on an involuntary manslaughter charge, alleging he supplied the fentanyl-related drug that killed a 50-year-old former Toledo Storm hockey player in April.
The grand jury returned the indictment against Riley Leu on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Sentinel-Tribune reported. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony (see ORC 2925.02)
Trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony (see ORC 2925.03)
Trafficking in cocaine, a fifth-degree felony
What the indictment alleges
According to the Sentinel-Tribune, the indictment alleges that on April 3, 2026, Leu furnished, administered or caused the man to use a fentanyl-related compound, and that the man died on April 4. The indictment also alleges Leu trafficked in a fentanyl-related compound and in less than 5 grams of cocaine on April 3.
The man who died was a former hockey player who had played for the Toledo Storm, the newspaper reported. The Sentinel-Tribune did not publish his name, and the Fostoria Free Press is not naming him.
Separate assault case set for trial
Leu already faces a felonious assault charge, a second-degree felony, in a separate Wood County case. He was indicted on that charge in May.
In that case, Bowling Green police were flagged down March 3 in the 100 block of North Main Street on a report of a man lying on his back, bleeding from his head and mouth, the Sentinel-Tribune reported. Police said downtown camera footage showed a suspect approach the man from the side and punch him, knocking him backward into the street. Officers posted images of the suspect on social media and identified him as Leu. According to court documents, the man needed two head staples and reconstructive jaw surgery.
Leu failed to appear for a pretrial hearing in August, according to the newspaper. He was back in court in October on the failure-to-appear matter, and bond was set at his own recognizance. A final pretrial in the assault case is set for Nov. 30, and a jury trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 16.
Everyone named in this article is charged and presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. An indictment is a formal charge, not a finding of guilt.
Anyone with information on Leu’s whereabouts can contact local law enforcement.
Sources:
Sentinel-Tribune, “Toledo man indicted for involuntary manslaughter,” Oct. 22, 2026
Ohio Revised Code sections 2903.04, 2925.02 and 2925.03 (codes.ohio.gov)
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/toledo-fentanyl-indictedFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-24 17:31:452026-10-24 17:34:38BOWLING GREEN | Toledo Man Indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter in Fentanyl Overdose Death of Former Toledo Storm Player
A police car light bar (generic file photo). Photo: Tellyaddict / Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
TOLEDO- Toledo police say the car first linked to a fatal East Toledo hit-and-run was not involved, and the driver who struck and killed 21-year-old Nate La Belle is still being sought.
La Belle, a young father, was riding a Veo electric scooter on Main Street near 4th Street on Sept. 20 when he was hit by a vehicle that kept going, WTOL 11 reported.
What changed
Investigators first believed a green Dodge Challenger driven by Heladio Contreras was involved, after learning it had crashed near where La Belle was found, according to a supplemental Toledo police crash report obtained by WTOL. Surveillance video from a Main Street market later showed two separate crashes. The report describes the car that hit La Belle only as a dark blue or black four-door sedan that fled the scene.
“The green Dodge Challenger was not involved. No description of the potential suspect vehicle is available to provide at this time,” police spokesperson Prince Flores told WTOL on Friday.
Contreras told WTOL he lost control in heavy rain, hit a pole and left because he panicked as people blamed him. His attorney was told by police the two crashes happened about 90 seconds apart, he said. He said he turned himself in within two days and has received daily threats online. “Thank you for clearing my name,” he said of police.
Family wants answers
“We want whoever is responsible for my son’s death to pay, no matter who it is,” La Belle’s mother, Shannon La Belle, told WTOL.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111 or contact the Toledo Police Department.
Sources
WTOL 11 Investigates: Driver initially linked to fatal east Toledo hit-and-run cleared after surveillance video reveals another vehicle (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/investigations/11-investigates/driver-initially-linked-to-fatal-east-toledo-hit-and-run-cleared-after-surveillance-video-reveals-another-vehicle-innocent-proven/512-3fb70322-2beb-48ba-8ecf-567745292d13
Toledo Police Department (statement via spokesperson Prince Flores, to WTOL 11) – https://toledopolice.com/
Featured image: Police Light-Bar, Tellyaddict, Wikimedia Commons (public domain) – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Light-Bar.jpg
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/video-clears-driver-police-hitFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-24 14:25:092026-10-24 14:26:18TOLEDO | Video Clears Driver First Linked to Fatal East Toledo Hit-and-Run; Police Still Seeking Car That Killed Nate La Belle, 21
A Flock Safety license plate reader camera (file photo, not in Toledo). Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
TOLEDO- Toledo will have a new police chief Nov. 1, and he is making the case to keep the city’s Flock license plate reader cameras as city council weighs ending them.
Chief Michael Troendle is retiring Nov. 1, and Assistant Chief Kevin Braun, a Toledo native who joined the department in 2000 and has worked his way up from sergeant, will take over, 13 Action News reported.
Priorities
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. We need to expand and grow on the progress that we’ve made,” Braun said. He named professionalism, officer wellness and recruiting as priorities. The department will start 2027 with just under 600 officers, and he would like to reach 650, though budget cuts have shrunk recent academy classes.
The Flock debate
Braun called the cameras “by far the most useful tool that we have ever had on this department,” saying detectives use them in just about every case, WTOL 11 reported. “I see both sides of the debate, but strictly from a policing perspective and a public safety perspective, it would be so detrimental to lose that tool,” he said.
Resolution R-435-26 would urge the mayor to end the city’s use of Flock and avoid new agreements, renewals or extensions. Its sponsors cite privacy, civil liberties, data security, data retention and oversight concerns, including collecting information on people not suspected of any crime. On Tuesday, the resolution did not get the nine votes needed for immediate consideration, which did not decide the issue, and a vote is expected within two weeks.
Council also approved a request Sept. 22 for an audit of how the cameras are used, including searches by city employees, access by outside agencies and controls meant to catch misuse. At least seven Flock cameras in the Toledo area have been vandalized in recent months, WTOL reported.
13 Action News (WTVG): New Toledo police chief set to take over Nov. 1 (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/24/new-toledo-police-chief-set-take-over-nov-1/
WTOL 11: Incoming Toledo police chief supports continued use of Flock cameras (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/toledo-police-kevin-braun-defends-flock-cameras-city-council-weighs-ending-city-agreements/512-3986d76b-1cd4-4720-baa6-6ae8dfeebe48
Toledo City Council – https://toledo.oh.gov/government/city-council
Toledo Police Department – https://toledopolice.com/
Featured image: Flock Safety ALPR Camera, Tony Webster, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flock_Safety_ALPR_Camera_(53833285849).jpg
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/new-toledo-chief-braun-camerasFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-24 13:45:142026-10-24 13:46:04TOLEDO | Incoming Police Chief Kevin Braun Takes Over Nov. 1, Defends Flock Cameras as Council Weighs Ending Contract
TOLEDO — A package containing a suspicious substance that was meant for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s office in Toledo was intercepted before it could be delivered, her office said Friday, Oct. 23.
Kaptur, a Democrat who represents Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, was told this week that her northwest Ohio office was the intended recipient, according to a statement from her office. The office said the package was similar to others reported at congressional offices in Ohio and across the country.
Because earlier packages had made national news, mail for the office was already being held at a local postal facility as a precaution, and that is where the package was stopped, said Ben Kamens, Kaptur’s communications director.
“We take this matter extremely seriously, and will continue to work with the Postal Inspector and both local and Federal authorities as the investigation into this package and others across the country continue,” Kamens said. “Acts of terror, harm, and intimidation have no place in our democracy and cannot be lightly dismissed.”
The office thanked the Postal Service’s inspectors for their quick response and for protecting the letter carrier, staff and constituents. Kaptur’s Washington and northwest Ohio offices remain open and fully operating, the statement said.
Kaptur’s office has not said what the substance was, and no one has been publicly identified or charged.
Part of a national investigation
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating “a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices, and congressional offices,” the FBI’s Cleveland office said in a statement to 13 Action News. “Some of the letters contained an unknown substance,” the FBI said, adding that it is working to identify whoever sent them.
In a public service announcement issued Friday, the FBI and Postal Inspection Service said letters with suspicious substances have been mailed to elected officials, secretaries of state and election offices, and other election-related groups. “To date, no hazardous material has been identified; however, laboratory testing remains ongoing,” the alert says. The agencies said they are working to intercept more letters before they are delivered.
WTOL 11 reported that the packages appear to have targeted both Democrats and Republicans, and that the U.S. Capitol Police are also investigating.
If you get suspicious mail
The FBI advises anyone who finds mail with an unknown substance to:
Call 911.
Leave the item where it is. Do not shake it, open it further or blow on it.
Leave the room, close the door and keep others out.
Wash your hands and any exposed skin with soap and cool water. Do not use hand sanitizer or bleach.
Constituents can still reach Kaptur’s office through kaptur.house.gov or by calling the local office at 419-259-7500.
This is a developing story. FFP will update it as investigators release more information.
Sources
Office of U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur: Statement on suspicious package intended for local NW Ohio congressional office (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-office-statement-suspicious-package-intended-local-nw-ohio
FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (IC3) public service announcement I-102326-2-PSA (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA261023-2
13 Action News (WTVG): Package with suspicious substance intended for Kaptur’s office intercepted by USPS (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/23/suspicious-package-intercepted-before-being-delivered-rep-kaptur-office/
WTOL 11: Marcy Kaptur’s office among congressional offices targeted by suspicious packages (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/marcy-kapturs-office-among-congressional-offices-targeted-by-suspicious-packages/512-dcb24a37-cee2-4467-88f4-653cc646a119
U.S. Postal Inspection Service – https://www.uspis.gov/
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TOLEDO — The Blade, Toledo’s daily newspaper for more than 190 years, has formally notified the state that it will stop publishing on Dec. 31 and permanently lay off 116 employees, unless efforts to sell the paper succeed first.
The notice, filed Friday, Oct. 23, under the federal and Ohio Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) laws, is posted on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ list of layoff and closure notices. A stamp on the two-page letter filed with the state shows it was received at 1:46 p.m. Friday.
“The plight of local journalism and financial losses resulted in the closure of the Toledo Blade,” the letter states.
What the notice says
Last day of publication: The Blade, a division of Block Communications Inc., “will cease publication on December 31, 2026,” and the action is meant to be permanent.
Layoffs: 116 employees will be laid off during a 14-day period starting Dec. 31. They will have no bumping or reemployment rights.
Where: The letter lists the company’s facilities at 2700 Oregon Road and 6507 Fairfield Drive in Northwood.
Unions: Affected workers are represented by three unions: the Toledo Newspaper Guild, CWA Local 34043, which covers editorial, advertising, circulation, marketing and business employees; Teamsters Local 20, which covers circulation drivers, casual workers and vehicle mechanics; and IBEW Local 8, which covers electrical and maintenance work.
Can it be stopped? The letter says “effects bargaining, severance pay and/or possible sale of the Company” are the steps being taken “to mitigate or avoid the closure.”
The state’s WARN notice list shows the filing as a closure affecting 116 workers.
How it got here
Block Communications first told employees in early September that the paper would close Dec. 31 if it was not sold by then. “The financial losses The Blade has endured for years are simply not sustainable,” the company’s chief operating officer, Jodi Miehls, wrote in an email to the union, the Columbia Journalism Review reported.
The announcement came after Guild members voted 46-25 in late August to reject a proposed two-year contract. The union said the proposal would have cut severance in half for its most experienced members, ended seniority protections and allowed outsourcing of Guild work, including the use of artificial intelligence without protections for journalists, according to a Sept. 8 statement from The NewsGuild-CWA. WTOL 11 reported that the guild has said it is willing to work with any prospective buyer committed to local journalism.
“Blade workers would welcome new ownership that shares our commitment to local news as well as to the people of Toledo,” Toledo NewsGuild President Mac Arnold said in that statement.
Is there a buyer?
No buyer has been announced. Block Communications CEO Allan Block declined to discuss whether the company had received interest, telling the Columbia Journalism Review, “I’m not at liberty to talk about that now.”
Earlier this year, Block Communications planned to close its other major paper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, before selling its assets to the nonprofit Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, 13 Action News reported. Venetoulis CEO Bob Cohn suggested in a statement to the Columbia Journalism Review that the group was unlikely to buy The Blade, saying it was focused on its papers in Maryland and western Pennsylvania.
WARN rules generally require employers with 100 or more workers to give notice at least 60 days before a plant closing or mass layoff.
The Blade was founded in 1835 and won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. If no sale happens, Toledo would lose its daily newspaper at the end of the year.
This is a developing story. FFP will update it if a buyer is announced or the company changes its plans.
Sources
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: The Blade WARN notice letter (received Oct. 23, 2026) – https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/jfs.ohio.gov/warn/WARN%202026/The_Blade.pdf
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: 2026 WARN notice list – https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/raw/upload/jfs.ohio.gov/2026/2026-warn-notice.csv
WTOL 11: The Blade files WARN notice, plans Dec. 31 closure affecting 116 employees (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/the-blade-files-warn-notice-plans-dec-31-closure-affecting-116-employees/512-a5663edc-053e-48ca-81b3-34d8939c387d
13 Action News (WTVG): Toledo Blade slated to end publication at end of year (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/23/toledo-blade-slated-end-publication-end-year-more-than-100-employee-layoffs-expected/
Columbia Journalism Review: The Blade’s Shocking, Inevitable News – https://www.cjr.org/news/toledo-blade-shocking-inevitable-news-block-communications-closure-layoffs-bci-john-allan-ohio-newsguild-pittsburgh-post-gazette-baltimore-banner.php
The NewsGuild-CWA: Statement from the Toledo NewsGuild (Sept. 8, 2026) – https://newsguild.org/statement-from-the-toledo-newsguild-on-block-communications-decision-to-cease-operations-of-the-blade/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/blade-files-notice-to-closeFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-10-24 09:00:302026-10-23 22:02:27TOLEDO | DEVELOPING: The Blade Files State Notice to Stop Publishing Dec. 31; 116 Workers Face Layoffs Unless a Buyer Steps In
