Residents of Springfield, Ohio, hunker down and pray for a political firestorm to blow over

[September 19, 2024]  By JULIE CARR SMYTH

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — In the quiet corners of Springfield, Ohio — out of sight of the drumbeat of politicians and journalists, troopers and newly installed security cameras — the people who live here are taking a breath, praying and attempting to carry on.

Between the morning bomb sweeps of Springfield's schools and the near daily afternoon media briefings, a hush comes over the city of 58,000 that residents say is uncanny, haunting even. It's fear. It's confusion — dismay at being transformed overnight into a target for the nation's vitriol.

Pastor Andy Mobley, who runs the Family Needs Inc. food pantry on the city’s south side, said people are hunkered down out of the public eye. He said they're hoping the attention sparked by former President Donald Trump spreading unsubstantiated rumors about the city's legal Haitian immigrants eating house pets during last week's presidential debate will blow over.

Trump and his vice presidential running mate, Ohio’s junior Sen. JD Vance, have used the cat-eating rumors to draw attention to the city's 15,000 Haitian immigrants, whose arrival to fill manufacturing, distribution and warehouse jobs has put a severe strain on local resources.

Since the Republican candidates' initial comments, more than two dozen bomb threats — mostly from foreign actors seeking to sow discord — have prompted the state to send in additional state troopers and install surveillance cameras around the city in order to reopen schools and government buildings.

“We’ve got good people here. Republican, Democrat. They're good people,” Mobley said Tuesday, as the pantry tended to a steady stream of clients seeking clothing and food.

Resident Josh Valle said the situation is unsettling.

“We definitely need answers,” said the 35-year-old tool and die repairman, who has lived in Springfield for decades. “It's affecting my kids and my community and my neighbors. With the bomb threats and the influx, it's something new every day. And this used to be a really chill town, you know, it used to be just a small town Ohio.”

The area around Springfield City Hall, where Valle spoke, sat largely silent Tuesday afternoon, until a news conference with state and local officials prompted a brief swarm of activity. Local families are avoiding schools in the wake of earlier bomb threats, even though dozens of troopers have fanned out across the Springfield City School District to stand guard. Some 200 of 500 students were absent Tuesday from a single elementary school, officials said.

Still, there are signs of hope.

“Home Sweet Springfield” tea towels adorn the window of Champion City Guide & Supply on a downtown block that bustles with activity over the lunch hour. One line of mugs and clothing items reads: “Speak a Good Word for Springfield — or say nothing.”

Across town, a small group of kids whose parents kept them home on Tuesday horsed around together at a makeshift lemonade stand they set up to make a few bucks. They delighted in the revving motor of a passing muscle car and, when sales were slow, swigged back the merchandise.

Neighborhood kids gather to sell Kool-Aid and chips, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. Some were kept home from school because of the bomb threats at their schools, and if that happens again, they plan to be at the corner with Kool-Aid and chips again tomorrow. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

David Graham, who visits communities in crisis as The Praying Cowboy, positioned himself in Springfield this week to show support. “Agenda: Pray, worship, witness, smile, honor, esteem,” he wrote in a Facebook post from the city, accompanied by his hands holding an open Bible with a newly installed surveillance platform in the background. He added lines with black electrical tape to a small heart placard he posted nearby, to represent Springfield hearts being broken.

He wasn't the only one trying to help. A bipartisan group of area mayors met with Springfield Mayor Rob Rue on Monday to figure out how they can help — including with resources to address the traffic, health care, social services and housing needs prompted by the increase in the Haitian population and their language barrier.

Andrew Ginther, the Democratic mayor of Ohio's capital, Columbus, and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said in a statement: "Mayors across America will continue to stand by Springfield and all cities working to responsibly address an increased number of migrants, which we can do without losing sight of our shared humanity.”

Years ago, Family Needs Inc. was designated one of President George H.W. Bush’s “thousand points of light,” honoring its dedication to volunteerism. The organization has helped Haitians arriving in Springfield for years now, Mobley said — providing them translation services and co-signing their rental agreements.

He recalled working with Haitian immigrants as far back as 2016, the year Trump took office — though census figures show the population remained at only about 400 until a few years ago.

“In 2016, we started signing contracts. Through the pandemic, we were doing things for the Haitian community,” he said. “Has that all been forgotten? They have been here, and we’ve been dealing with this, and we’ve been asking for help through two different administrations. And no administration has helped us, until now this thing has become public.”

As she walked downtown, one resident who declined to give her name said she's not letting the situation get her down.

“It's childish. It's stupid. It took one stupid person to get on a debate and ruin the reputation of a community. I think you know exactly who I'm talking about,” she said.

“He should never have said that. There's no truth to those allegations whatsoever. I was born and raised in this town, I'm staying here, and I have no problem with nobody.”

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