Latest news with #RobRue
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Constructing affordable homes in Springfield
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — New affordable homes are being developed in Clark County. According to the Clark County Land Reutilization Corporation, four homes on East Liberty Street in Springfield have been designated in the Affordable Homes Program. The roughly 1,300 square-feet homes have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, as well as a front porch and driveway. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the new homes represent advancement for the area. 'I'm proud to see this partnership bringing hope and opportunity to Springfield families,' Rue said. 'These new homes mark more than just construction—they represent progress and stability for our community.' Although initial applications are available here, you can contact CCLRC at 937-521-2173. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rue, Cedeño open 2025 Miami Valley Bike Summit
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — In anticipation of the 2025 Miami Valley Bike Summit, Springfield hosted a conference to welcome its attendees. The Miami Valley Bike Summit intends to advocate, promote and create opportunities for bicycling in all its forms throughout the area. Whether through helping bicyclists voice their concerns or personal stories or being a hub of information for cycling enthusiasts, the summit event is a regional staple for many throughout the Miami Valley. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue spoke to summit attendees this morning about the power of cycling and how it can strengthen communities and transform lives. The conference also featured a keynote speech from Erick Cedeño, also known as the 'Bicycle Nomad.' Cedeño has been featured in national and local publications. He's known to fuse adventure, history and powerful storytelling in his talks. The bike summit began at 9 a.m. at the Hollenbeck Bayley Center and will continue until 5 p.m. today. Click here for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Springfield sues neo-Nazi group over rhetoric about Haitians during 2024 election
The city of Springfield, Ohio, which faced a wave of threats last year following false accusations that Haitian migrants living in the town were 'eating pets' of U.S. citizens, filed a lawsuit Thursday against a new-Nazi group that it alleges tormented the community. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and others filed the lawsuit against a group called the 'Blood Tribe,' naming its leaders Christopher Pohlhaus and Drake Berentz along with several unnamed followers. The case was filed in a U.S. District Court in Dayton. 'The Blood Tribe and its members and associates unleashed a torrent of hateful conduct, including acts of harassment, bomb threats, and death threats, against Springfield residents who spoke out in support of the Haitian community,' says the complaint. President Trump honed worldwide attention on the city during a presidential debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris in September last year, when he repeated false claims that Springfield's Haitians were abducting and eating people's cats and dogs. The plaintiffs said the Blood Tribe showed up at the city's jazz and blues festival in August, where it displayed guns, waved swastika flags and wore matching red shirts, black pants and ski masks. Members of the groups then allegedly made their way to City Hall, where Berentz issued a 'racist and antisemitic rant,' and followers responded with chants of 'Seig Heil' and Nazi salutes, the court filing states. The city authorities further alleged in the lawsuit that the group engaged in and incited 'a campaign of harassment and intimidation, motivated by ethnic and racial hatred, against those who supported Springfield's Haitian community in the face of Defendants' racist attacks.' The complainants have demanded the group be stopped from issuing further threats, requesting the court for a jury trial. The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit focused on combating antisemitism, provided legal help to the plaintiffs. Springfield has a population of around 60,000. Amid Haitians seeking refuge from violence in their homeland, the town recently witnessed an increase in its Haitian community, which now numbers about 10,000 individuals. This led to tensions within the community, as essential services such as schools, roads, hospitals, and social programs have become strained. The situation intensified following an accident in 2023 when a Haitian immigrant driver collided with a school bus, resulting in a child's death The city's lawsuit accused the Blood Tribe of coordinated a 'hit' against the city. It added that in July, the group presented the influx of Haitians as an 'invasion' that was threatening Springfield's 'good White residents.' Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Springfield sues neo-Nazi group over rhetoric about Haitians during 2024 election
The city of Springfield, Ohio, which faced a wave of threats last year following false accusations that Haitian migrants living in the town were 'eating pets' of U.S. citizens, filed a lawsuit Thursday against a new-Nazi group that it alleges tormented the community. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and others filed the lawsuit against a group called the 'Blood Tribe,' naming its leaders Christopher Pohlhaus and Drake Berentz along with several unnamed followers. The case was filed in a U.S. District Court in Dayton. 'The Blood Tribe and its members and associates unleashed a torrent of hateful conduct, including acts of harassment, bomb threats, and death threats, against Springfield residents who spoke out in support of the Haitian community,' says the complaint. President Trump honed worldwide attention on the city during a presidential debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris in September last year, when he repeated false claims that Springfield's Haitians were abducting and eating people's cats and dogs. The plaintiffs said the Blood Tribe showed up at the city's jazz and blues festival in August, where it displayed guns, waved swastika flags and wore matching red shirts, black pants and ski masks. Members of the groups then allegedly made their way to City Hall, where Berentz issued a 'racist and antisemitic rant,' and followers responded with chants of 'Seig Heil' and Nazi salutes, the court filing states. The city authorities further alleged in the lawsuit that the group engaged in and incited 'a campaign of harassment and intimidation, motivated by ethnic and racial hatred, against those who supported Springfield's Haitian community in the face of Defendants' racist attacks.' The complainants have demanded the group be stopped from issuing further threats, requesting the court for a jury trial. The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit focused on combating antisemitism, provided legal help to the plaintiffs. Springfield has a population of around 60,000. Amid Haitians seeking refuge from violence in their homeland, the town recently witnessed an increase in its Haitian community, which now numbers about 10,000 individuals. This led to tensions within the community, as essential services such as schools, roads, hospitals, and social programs have become strained. The situation intensified following an accident in 2023 when a Haitian immigrant driver collided with a school bus, resulting in a child's death The city's lawsuit accused the Blood Tribe of coordinated a 'hit' against the city. It added that in July, the group presented the influx of Haitians as an 'invasion' that was threatening Springfield's 'good White residents.' Associated Press contributed to this report.
CBS News
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Springfield, Ohio, sues neo-Nazi group that it says led Haitian intimidation
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio city that was racked with chaos and threats last year related to an influx of Haitian immigrants filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a neo-Nazi group that it alleges was at the heart of the onslaught. The city of Springfield, Mayor Rob Rue and several others sued the Blood Tribe, leaders Christopher Pohlhaus and Drake Berentz and seven unnamed followers in U.S. District Court in Dayton. They accuse the group of "engaging in, and inciting, a campaign of harassment and intimidation, motivated by ethnic and racial hatred, against those who supported Springfield's Haitian community in the face of Defendants' racist attacks." With legal help from the Anti-Defamation League, the plaintiffs are asking the court for a jury trial to block the group from making further threats and imposing damages. The court file did not list an attorney for the Blood Tribe. Messages were left at phone numbers listed under Pohlhaus' and Berentz's names. Springfield, a city of roughly 60,000 west of Columbus, has seen its Haitian population grow to about 10,000 people in recent years, as Haitians have fled violence in their home country in search of stability and employment. Their growing numbers caused friction with residents, as schools, roads, hospitals and social programs were taxed by the large population — and, particularly, after a child was killed in 2023 when a Haitian immigrant driver hit a school bus. As a candidate, Republican President Donald Trump honed worldwide attention on the city during a September presidential debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris, when he amplified false claims that Springfield's Haitians were abducting and eating people's cats and dogs. Thursday's complaint alleges that the Blood Tribe first coordinated a "hit" against the city before that, in July, casting the influx of Haitians as an "invasion" that was threatening Springfield's "good White residents." "Members of the Blood Tribe heeded the call," the complaint said. "Over the next few months, the Blood Tribe and its members and associates unleashed a torrent of hateful conduct, including acts of harassment, bomb threats, and death threats, against Springfield residents who spoke out in support of the Haitian community." The Blood Tribe showed up at the city's jazz and blues festival in August, according to the court document, displaying guns, waving swastika flags and wearing matching red shirts, black pants and ski masks. They made their way to City Hall, where Berentz delivered a "racist and antisemitic rant," to which followers responded with chants of "Seig Heil" and Nazi salutes. Additional actions the lawsuit alleges against the group include harassing voicemails, hateful emails and social media posts demeaning the plaintiffs and their families. The complaint says that group members also used dating apps to send men looking for drugs and sex to the residents' homes late at night and publicized their personal information with the intent of getting others to join in the harassment. The lawsuit does not directly reference Trump's remarks, but notes that Pohlhaus "gleefully took credit for the growing notoriety" the false claims gained as they spread worldwide after the debate. The leader of a national advocacy group for Haitians sought to invoke a private-citizen right to file criminal charges against Trump and his then-running mate, Vice President JD Vance, shortly after the debate, alleging they played a role in the chaos and threats Springfield experienced. A panel of local judges decided in October to refer the matter to the county prosecutor for further investigation, rejecting the Haitian Bridge Alliance's call to issue arrest warrants or misdemeanor summonses to both men. The alliance awaits a decision on an appeal filed in the Ohio Supreme Court. That lawsuit alleges that Clark County Municipal Court Judges Valerie Wilt, Daniel Carey and Stephen Schumaker "patently and unambiguously lacked jurisdiction" to meet as a group as they did when making the referral to the prosecutor.
