Allyson Ritchey

Toledo Free Press

Explore my work with The Toledo Free Press, Northwest Ohio's free in-depth coverage of local news, government, economic development, education, health and wellness and arts and culture.

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Ohio Statehouse rally against HB1 and SB88 - Toledo Free Press

COLUMBUS – Hundreds of Ohioans gathered at the Statehouse on Saturday, Sept. 27, to protest House Bill 1 (HB1) and Senate Bill 88 (SB88), a pair of bills that would restrict certain individuals and entities from acquiring property in the state. At the rally, speakers argued that the legislation would discriminate against immigrants and harm both civil rights and Ohio’s economy. The protest came just days before the legislature resumes its session today (Wednesday, Oct. 1).


The bills’ sponsors...
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Soil to sip: Toledo Spirits taps into local agriculture - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – What does a turnip taste like? In a cocktail, the answer might surprise you. At Toledo Spirits Company, the earthy bite of a root vegetable is reimagined into something smooth, vibrant and unexpectedly delightful – part of an ongoing effort to blend local agriculture with craft spirits.


As “Toledo’s first distillery ever,” founded in 2013, the company has always embraced its local identity.


“We really embrace whatever we can from local culture, local produce, local flavor, and try...
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Maumee recall: 'They are not listening' - Toledo Free Press

MAUMEE — Rain puddled between lines of parked cars at the Lucas County Fairgrounds as residents walked past RECALL yard signs stuck into the soggy ground and shook off water from their umbrellas as they filed into the Green Barn.


Despite the dreary weather, the crowd came out in force on May 21 for one reason – to sign the petitions of candidates who aim to replace the current Maumee mayor and six of the seven city council members. 

What residents say began as backlash over a controversial...
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Artomatic 419 returns to Erie Street Market - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – Toledo is a city with art in its DNA. For years, the Toledo Museum of Art has anchored a thriving creative scene, but its heartbeat often pulses through more unconventional spaces. Artomatic 419, a beloved, grassroots festival that once drew a cult following, went quiet after 2015. Now, after a decade-long hiatus, the festival is returning to the Erie Street Market with its original mission: to transform an underutilized building into a vibrant hub of creativity and to fill the city wit...
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Toledo SEIU Local 1 janitors march for better pay, safer conditions - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO — Long after the last employee shuts down their computer and the lights flicker off for the night, the work is just beginning.


Inside Toledo’s high-rise offices and public buildings at night, vacuums hum down empty hallways. Mop water sloshes against bucket rims. The air is thick, stale and warm. Air conditioning typically shuts off when tenants go home, so the night shift sweats through it.


They clean the messes no one sees—or cares to see—that are left behind. They disinfect bathr...
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Toledo welcomes Victory 1 ship - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – Toledo wasn’t supposed to be on this cruise ship’s itinerary. 


In fact, the Glass City hasn’t been on the itinerary of any cruise ship in over 20 years. That was the reality until May 30, when Victory I, a 286-foot small ship operated by Victory Cruise Lines, docked in the city Friday morning, bringing more than 190 passengers to explore what Toledo has to offer. 


What began as a last-minute detour from Detroit turned into one of the most celebrated stops on the ship’s Great Lakes...
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Cyclists memorialize fallen triathlete - Toledo Free Press

WHITEHOUSE– Before the ride began, the crowd stood still, their helmeted heads bowed for a moment of silence. Then, a single song filled the air — “I Was Alive” by Beartooth — one of Roseann Peiffer’s favorites. She had trained to it, moved to it, lived to it. 


Its lyrics about living life to the fullest played as a tribute to a life cut short.


Peiffer, a respected triathlete and beloved figure in Northwest Ohio’s cycling and running communities, was killed in May by a distracted driver. S...
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Local film honors Black heritage - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – Before there was a documentary, there were voices—soft, unrecorded, almost lost.


Elders in a rural Ohio town gathered in churches and kitchens, passing down stories of Olympic trials, steel mill shifts and cross-country train rides. Now, History Forgotten and Now for All to See brings those voices to Toledo for a Juneteenth screening that asks, “What do we lose when we don’t listen?”


It is not every day that a small Ohio town of fewer than 100 families lays claim to Olympians, un...
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Lucas County launches TickTracker - Toledo Free Press

LUCAS COUNTY — Though they’re only about the size of a poppy seed, ticks can cause weeks, months or even years of illness, and they are once again on the move in Northwest Ohio as spring turns to summer.


While the number of Lyme Disease cases continues to climb year after year in Ohio and nationwide, Lucas County health officials said they are still seeing relatively low cases.


But with warm weather, the risk is still far from zero. Local agencies are ramping up efforts to track, test and...
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5th year program celebrates inaugural class, welcomes new seniors - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO –  May 1 marked a major milestone for high school seniors across the country. Known as College Decision Day, it’s the deadline for students to accept admission offers from most colleges and universities, a moment often celebrated as the start of what is next. 


But what about the seniors who don’t know what is coming next?


This question has driven Jim Pollock, president of Junior Achievement of Northwest Ohio, for decades. Five years ago, he and his team began developing 5th Year, a...
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Juneteenth: Local ways to celebrate - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – Juneteenth – or June 19 – marks the day in 1865 when Union troops, led by General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that slavery had officially ended.


This came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln declared in the 1863 proclamation “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”


More than 250,000 African Americans in Texas joined almost 3.5 mill...
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LC4: New director, direction, building - Toledo Free Press

TOLEDO – The clang of tools and hum of machinery at 1301 Monroe St. will soon be replaced with barks and tail wags as construction on the new Lucas County Canine Care & Control (LC4) facility nears completion. What’s being built here isn’t just a shelter—it’s a reset. 


Designed with both humans and animals in mind, the $35 million, 40,000-square-foot project facility will replace the current Erie Street building and bring a host of long-overdue improvements. 


The building includes 177 tota...
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Shuttered businesses: Closures & local alternatives - Toledo Free Press

Over the past two years, Toledo has seen a sharp uptick in major chain closures—from pharmacies to fabric stores, from fashion to food. These losses have left behind more than just empty buildings. They have disrupted routines, cut off access to essential goods and created new openings for local entrepreneurs to step in.


This page will track those closures as they happen—and link you to alternative local stores and companies and in-depth stories on how the community is adapting. 


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