Business

• NECIC's 36,000-square-foot impact center plan anchors North End engagement

  North End job seekers can get staffing help now at the reopened Springmill Street office, ahead of the planned 36,000-square-foot Community Impact Center.

• Main Street project hits final stretch as downtown Mansfield braces for Final Friday crowds

  The 83% complete project still targets an Oct. 31 finish, but downtown storefronts that endured detours face open questions about who pays for the renewal.

• Gorman-Rupp pilot tackles the hidden cost of employee caregiving

  The Mansfield pump maker is testing voluntary caregiver resources for workers, not schedule, pay, or leave changes, as 54% of Ohio caregivers also hold jobs.

• Habitat for Humanity seeks contractor for two high-performance homes in Shelby and Crestline

  Proposals are due Oct. 7 for the two high-efficiency builds, the first in a four-home push local builders can bid on.

• Ohio nursing homes win Medicaid-payment ruling: What could it mean for local care?

  Oak Grove Manor in Mansfield is among Richland County nursing homes owed a share of $875 million in back payments after Ohio used the wrong Medicaid formula.

• Blood Prison returns to the Ohio State Reformatory for the fall haunted-attraction season

  The 2026 season runs Friday through Sunday from Sept. 25 to Nov. 1, with an Apocalypse theme, new sets, and fee-free ticket purchases opening weekend.

• Cleveland-Cliffs contract talks: What the latest bargaining progress means for Mansfield Local 169 workers

  Local 169 members remain on the job under a 30-day extension, with retiree coverage maintained but wages and pensions unresolved and local talks continuing.

• Ohio opens $21.5 million demolition fund: Can Mansfield-area communities compete for renewal dollars?

  Local applicants need eligible properties, a 25% match and reuse plans to compete statewide for grants beginning Sept. 15, 2026.

• Council clears $26M–$30M adaptive-reuse housing project for Mansfield veterans and seniors

  The 8–0 rezoning vote advances 61 apartments near Lexington Avenue, but financing, rents, eligibility and an opening date remain unsettled.

• Downtown's Locked Doors Open for One Day. What's Behind Them — and Why Only One Day?

  Eight historic buildings open Sept. 19 for Downtown Mansfield Inc.'s $25 Secret City Tour, offering rare access to spaces stuck between past uses and uncertain futures.

• JobsOhio Offers Employers Up to $10,000 Per Worker for Technician Training — and Richland County's Manufacturing Base Is Squarely in the Target Zone

  The program pays employers in three installments to train technicians, with five open positions for every qualified tech in Ohio.

• Advocates and Business Leaders Call Ohio Childcare Costs a Crisis — Richland County's Lawmakers Haven't Weighed In

  Richland County families pay roughly 56% above the recommended affordability standard, yet local state legislators have stayed silent as advocates and business groups push for action.