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I’ve been worrying about the cost of college since my kids were born.
We’re saving in 529 plans, but like many parents, as the kids grew and college costs climbed, we wondered if we’d have enough. “I’m hoping for a reckoning,” I joked. At some point, the cost of college would have to correct itself, right?
We may be living through the reckoning.
Baldwin Wallace announced Tuesday it will cut another $7 million from the university’s budget. The university’s total faculty will be 164 after layoffs, down from 213 at the start of the fall semester.
It’s another example of colleges — both private and public, throughout the country — grappling with fewer students and higher costs.
Reports say Wittenberg University in Springfield is cutting faculty, staff and programs. The University of Dayton announced it would not renew some faculty contracts next year.
Schools say they are focusing on programs with the most student interest and shoring up their budgets for the future.
But will cuts make recruiting future students more difficult? And how do they affect the value of a degree?
— Laura
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Mostly sunny and cooler
BW: Baldwin Wallace University is eliminating 10 more academic programs and will lay off another 28 employees as it continues to deal with what started as a $20 million budget deficit. Sean McDonnell reports that Baldwin Wallace has now eliminated 64 positions overall since the start of the fall semester and 84 since cost cuts were announced in February.
Today in Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife, Fran, have been spending days in Springfield, attending Catholic church services and ordering from Haitian restaurants. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about his efforts to help his hometown in the wake of attacks on Haitian migrants from Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks Tuesday during a vice presidential debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in New York. (Matt Rourke, Associated Press)AP
Springfield: The influx of Haitian immigrants to Springfield, Ohio, and GOP U.S. Sen. JD Vance’s portrayal of that community were an early talking point in Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, Sabrina Eaton reports. After Vance criticized Democrats for reversing immigration restrictions that his running mate, Republican Donald Trump, imposed during his presidency and Walz criticized Republicans for blocking a bipartisan border security bill because they wanted to keep it as a campaign issue, Walz lit into Vance for vilifying legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield.
Abortion: Ohio Sen. JD Vance said the vote by Ohioans in 2023 that overwhelmingly approved amending the state constitution to protect individual reproductive rights forced him to realize that Republicans needed to shift their position on abortion. Robert Higgs reports that during Tuesday’s debate Vance denied that he ever supported a national ban on abortion, but came to realize that people do not trust Republicans on the issue of reproductive rights.
Senate debate: Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican rival Bernie Moreno each say they want to debate each other before the Nov. 5 general election. But with about a month to go before Election Day, and only a week before early voting starts in earnest, it’s looking increasingly likely that it’s not going to happen, reports Jeremy Pelzer.
Abortion stats: New state data suggests that Ohio is becoming a haven for women in states with restrictive abortion laws, a turnabout for a state that briefly had one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country but last year enshrined abortion rights in its state constitution. Laura Hancock reports that of 22,000 abortions in Ohio last year, 12.6% were performed for women who reside in other states.
HouseBill 6: Of the $75 million FirstEnergy Corp. paid in lobbying costs and self-professed bribes to get a state bailout, only $4.9 million came from its three utility companies in Northeast Ohio, according to a state audit released Monday. Jake Zuckerman reports that less than $15,000 was charged to ratepayers. The money paid for an aggressive, sprawling lobbying strategy to pass House Bill 6 in 2019 — legislation that provided nuclear plants owned by the company at the time a $1.3 billion, ratepayer-funded bailout.
Alyssa’s Law: Staff at all public and most private schools in Ohio would have to wear silent panic buttons that can alert local law enforcement when there is trouble, including mass shootings, under a newly introduced Ohio Senate bill. Laura Hancock reports that Senate Bill 313 is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died.
Voting deadline: Ohioans have a little under a week left to register in time to vote in the 2024 general election. Rick Rouan reports the voter registration deadline is Monday, the day before early voting will start in earnest across Ohio.
Voter ID: Five times more Cuyahoga County votes were rejected in 2023 elections than were in 2022, under a new state law requiring voters to show a valid photo ID. But turnout in those races was small, making the impact relatively minimal. Kaitlin Durbin reports November’s General Election will be the first big test. Turnout in the presidential election year is expected to increase from about 40% to 70%, bringing out residents who may not have voted in prior elections.
Affordable housing: Some $38 million has been earmarked for a new program aimed at making housing more affordable in the city of Cleveland. Megan Sims reports City Council on Monday passed legislation clearing the way for the city to help pay for the newly launched Cleveland Housing Investment Fund.
Cold-weather gardening: Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying fresh produce from your garden; you can continue to plant and harvest certain crops until that first snowstorm and beyond.
This recently vacated Rite Aid at the corner of Smith and Snow roads in Brook Park has come back from the dead and is temporarily being revived as a Spirit Halloween.Sean McDonnell, Cleveland.com
Spirit Halloween: More than a dozen Spirit Halloween stores have opened for the season in vacant storefronts in Northeast Ohio. Whether it’s a nostalgic brand like Toys R Us or a more recent string of closings like Rite Aid, each Spirit Halloween store location has a ghost story of its own. Sean McDonnell writes you might wonder “What did these stores used to be?”
Sports betting: Ohio’s sports betting companies say gamblers placed $549 million of bets in August, a big uptick compared to last year, reports Sean McDonnell. Combined, the companies had reported just $380 million in bets in August 2023, according to compiled data from the Ohio Casino Control and Ohio Lottery commissions.
Palm Beach: Frontier Airlines is adding another Florida destination to its winter lineup from Cleveland, launching new service to Palm Beach International Airport in December. The new route will run weekly, only on Saturdays. The first flight is Dec. 21, reports Susan Glaser.
Buckeye billionaires: The Buckeye state is now home to three of the wealthiest people in the United States, according to data from Forbes’ 400 Richest People in America. Zachary Smith reports the newest addition to the list at No. 338 is Mike Brown, owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, worth nearly $4 billion.
Child porn: A Florida man wanted on charges of possessing child pornography was arrested Monday in Middleburg Heights, Olivia Mitchell reports. Polk County sheriff’s deputies accused Coby Silcott, 24, of 20 counts of possession of child pornography, authorities said.
Prosecutor charged: Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson was accused Tuesday of tampering with evidence in a case that authorities say stems from an office romance. Lorain County sheriff’s deputies filed charges in Elyria Municipal Court against Tomlinson and his chief of staff, James Burge.
Euclid chase: Five people were injured Monday after a police chase that began in Euclid ended in a crash in Cleveland, reports Lucas Daprile.
Browns rock: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its teaming with the Browns for the “Cleveland Browns Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Game” during induction week. Malcolm X Abram reports the Oct. 20 game against the Cincinnati Bengals is a first-time collaboration and will include guest appearances by 2024 Rock Hall inductees.
Ask Yadi: If your kids don’t do their assigned chores, should they get their full allowance? Yadi Rodriguez writes that if the allowance was set up based on doing certain chores, then you are correct in feeling that they should not receive the entire amount if they didn’t do what they were supposed to do.
Apollo’s Fire: Apollo’s Fire opens its 2024-25 season this October with Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 4, & 6.” Paris Wolfe reports that the works from the early 18th century launch the group’s yearlong celebration of Bach, which ends with a monthlong “Bachanalia” festival in April.
Rascall Flats: Country music group Rascal Flatts have ended their hiatus and are embarking on their “Life is a Highway Tour” in 2025, which will stop at Covelli Centre in Youngstown on March 8. Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Malcolm X Abram reports.
Mitchell’s Sundae: Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream is celebrating its 25th birthday with ice cream sundae specials for its customers, reports Alex Darus.
Disney on Ice: Tickets to “Disney On Ice presents Let’s Dance” are on sale now to preferred customers. Paris Wolfe reports this new Disney on Ice show is in Cleveland from Jan. 15-19 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Harlan Ellison: The late, legendary speculative fiction author Harlan Ellison changed the shape of science fiction — and he’s poised to do it again, with the publication of anthology that’s been anticipated since the early 1970s. Julie Washington reports “The Last Dangerous Visions” ($27.99, Blackstone Publishing), the third and final installment of Ellison’s seminal anthology series, finally published this fall. That, along with three additional new Ellison-related books, have made this fall a new Ellison wonderland.
Carly Pearce: Over the last seven years, Carly Pearce has become the winner of three Country Music Awards, four Academy of Country Music Awards and a Grammy. Peter Chakerian reports the 34-year-old singer-songwriter from Taylor Mill, Kentucky, recently wrapped 45 soldout shows on Tim McGraw’s “Standing Room Only” tour. She performs Saturday at the Agora in Cleveland on a bill with Karley Scott Thomas.
Fall drinks: To help inspire a change in your typical morning cup of coffee, Alex Darus lists 16 fall drinks from Greater Cleveland cafes that beat pumpkin spice lattes. While pumpkin finds its way into some of the recipes, these local coffee shops got creative with their autumn beverage offerings.
Rising Star: Rising Star Coffee Roasters is moving its Cleveland Heights location out of the diner car on Lee Road. Alex Darus reports the local coffee chain, with several Northeast Ohio locations, announced on Tuesday that it plans to move into a new space at 2184 S. Taylor Road.
Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.
— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.
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