CLEVELAND — Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team at 3News was planning to head out on the road this summer to provide a look at how each of the 88 counties in Ohio are preparing for the upcoming presidential election.
We wanted to tell stories of people who didn’t feel like their voices were being heard by those in Washington.
While the battle this fall between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is of major importance to our state and our nation, we are also in the middle of a life-changing pandemic and a historic social movement.
Yes, life has changed for everyone in the Buckeye State throughout the last few months -- and it has changed differently for people in different communities across Ohio. What matters most to someone in Mahoning County is probably different than in Summit County.
So we are going out on the road to talk to people across the state (socially distanced, of course) with the same goal that we had when we first conceived of this project: What keeps you up at night? What issues are the most important for you and your community? How are you coping with the "new normal," that never quite feels normal?
While we deal with the effects of COVID-19, there has been a renewed call for social justice in our country. The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota has led to demonstrations and protests in cities across Ohio. The Cleveland Indians are discussing changing their nickname. Statues are coming down, while Black Lives Matter murals are going up.
Everything has changed in our world.
Join 3News’ Tiffany Tarpley, Mark Naymik, and the rest of our team as we travel across Ohio’s 88 counties in 88 days to find out what matters most to you.
You can follow our journey at WKYC.com/88. Use the hashtag #88in88 on social media.