Class action suits hit the companies behind Toledo's chemical leak

If you're still deciding when to vote, Tuesday brought a push in Lucas County. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat, joined University of Toledo students and union workers at the Early Vote Center, WTVG reports, one week before Election Day. She said turnout among first-time and college voters could help decide the 9th District race.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the path to a Democratic House majority runs through Ohio, the Blade reports. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is due in Lucas County today to rally with Merrin.

“They can make a difference for the country. They will remember this election.”

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, on first-time and college voters

Johnson spoke about the race at the Oct. 8 appearance, too. He said Merrin “almost won last time,” and that 0.7% of the vote kept him out.

• Kaptur's opponent: former Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin, in a rematch
• District: redrawn to lean more Republican
• Kaptur says top voter concerns: health care costs, farm expenses

Lucas County commissioners criticized Sheriff Mike Navarre's proposed budget Tuesday, saying he hasn't done enough to cut spending. Commissioners asked each department to cut 13%. Even with 20 positions eliminated, the sheriff's budget is up 8.5%, in part because of wage increases commissioners approved last year, WTVG reports.

The other sticking point is patrol contracts. Monclova and Springfield townships pay extra for added sheriff's department response and patrols. Commissioners and their staff don't believe the sheriff's charges will cover the cost, and say the county general fund would have to pick up the rest. Navarre stands by the numbers.

“There is an opportunity for you to negotiate more revenue to increase your budget through this township contracts.”

Lucas County Commissioner Anita Lopez

• Deadline: the county's final budget is due by the end of the year
• Townships and cities without police: deputies respond to emergencies only
• State law: sheriffs must “preserve public peace”

If you rake, mark Mon., Nov. 2. Toledo's leaf collection program starts that day, with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz joining crews at Westwood Park on Tuesday, Spectrum News reports. Crews will work seven days a week, except Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, for six weeks, aiming to get leaves up before the first snowfall.

Crews start in ZIP codes 43623 and 43613, then, weather and time permitting, move to 43606, 43615, 43614 and 43607. WTVG notes that schedule updates come out Fridays. Rake leaves to the curb no more than two days before collection, keep storm inlets clear and move your car when no-parking signs go up.

• Engage Toledo: call 419-936-2020 for your collection date
• Toledo Text Alerts: notices two weeks and one week before, and when done
• 2025 haul: 114,301 cubic yards of leaves

If you miss your date, don't put leaves in the street. Compost or mulch them at home, put them in a gray trash container, or take them to a drop-off site. Elmdale Woodlot is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

If you want a scare with real history behind it, the former Urbanski Funeral Home in Toledo is now Mortuary Manor. It hosted viewings and services from 1926 until its sale last year. The 60,000-square-foot building is now a funeral home museum and host to paranormal investigations, CBS Detroit reports.

Investigators can check out the embalming and autopsy rooms and a basement morgue where guests take photos of themselves on a slab. Visitors can also watch a horror movie projected onto the main sitting room's wall, surrounded by caskets. Guests who pay $200 can spend the night in a five-room suite.

• First wedding: Fri., Nov. 13, naturally
• Amenities: indoor plumbing, heating, air conditioning and Wi-Fi
• Rentals: handheld EMF meters for do-it-yourself investigations