Cincinnati Edition

The campaigns are winding down and we are just days away from the polls closing on the 2020 election with Democrat Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump in nearly all national polls, often by a wide margin.

Hamilton County faces the threat of being reclassified as "purple," the highest level of COVID-19 spread on Ohio's color-coded alert system. Ohio has topped 200,000 cases of the virus since the pandemic began and as of Tuesday, there are 18,433 hospitalizations. What does our region need to do right now to reverse this trend?

It's a spooky tradition dating back generations but with coronavirus cases spiking nationwide, will you be celebrating Halloween this year? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is discouraging traditional trick or treating amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Back in 1960, the old Ferguson Hills Drive-In was looking for a gimmick to bring people to its parking lot. So, operators of the outdoor cinema looked to bury someone alive.

With Halloween on the way and Thanksgiving not far behind, our thoughts are on the harvest's bounty, and all things fall.

Election Day is nearing. Here's one scenario that could play out: Just as Hillary Clinton did in 2016, Former Vice President Joe Biden wins the popular vote, but still fails to become the 46 th president. That has happened two times in the past 20 years, due to the Electoral College.

Local restaurants and bars are getting a boost under the pandemic. The Taste of Cincinnati All Winter program will give restaurants up to $10,000 to stay open. Mayor Cranley announced the funds last week at Nation Kitchen and Bar in Westwood.

Our cities have been the centers of momentous change over the last seven months. From the global pandemic to mass demonstrations over racial injustice, cities have been transformed. Public space is taking on a significant role in our society as a place to demand justice, while public space also raises serious concerns about public health.

On Cincinnati Edition 's weekly news review, Friday at noon:

Of all the seasons to go walking in Burnet Woods, Rama Kasturi most enjoys the winter. It's when the trees are bare, exposing the beauty of the forest, frozen rain covers the branches after a winter storm, and it's quiet with few people in the park. Kasturi explores the woods with her cell phone camera, snapping close-ups along the trail for her book, Four Seasons in Burnet Woods, a photo essay of the park.

The first presidential debate was a shouting match. The second debate was canceled when President Trump came down with the coronavirus and refused to participate in a virtual match-up. Now the final debate is set for Thursday in Nashville.

"Hospitalizations are as high as we've ever seen them," warns Dr. Peter Margolis of Cincinnati Children's Hospital when discussing what the city faces when battling the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a stark warning as our county braces for a new threat.

Hamilton County's number of daily positive coronavirus cases is the highest it's been since the pandemic started. That's the latest from Hamilton County officials who spoke Wednesday morning about the threat facing our community.

An affordable housing project in Lower Price Hill appears to be moving forward. The social service agency Community Matters has been working on the project called Lower Price Hill Thrives for the past six years. The plan is to renovate 10 historic buildings, creating 47 affordable apartment units, and construct a new building. But the project faced a hurdle with the city.

Downtown Cincinnati's Terrace Plaza Hotel was once among the city's centers of high society, with its striking mid-century design and fancy dining and drinking establishments. In recent years though, the shuttered and rundown hotel has been the center of controversy over its future.