The Blade, Toledo’s newspaper since 1835, has formally notified Ohio authorities that it plans to close operations and eliminate 116 jobs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filing recorded by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The notice, submitted Oct. 23, lists the action as a closure affecting 116 positions in Northwood, near Toledo, and moves the historic newspaper a step closer to a possible shutdown at the end of 2026.
WTVG reported on Oct. 23, in coverage updated Oct. 26, that The Blade’s final publication date is scheduled for Dec. 31, 2026, and that the WARN letter describes the planned layoffs as permanent, with affected employees having no bumping or reemployment rights. The filing sets a formal closure plan in motion, but it does not rule out a sale that could keep the newspaper operating, and no completed acquisition had been publicly announced in the reporting reviewed through Oct. 28.
The notice follows a September announcement by owner Block Communications Inc. that the newspaper would cease publishing on Dec. 31 unless a buyer could be found. On Sept. 8, Block Communications said it was exploring the sale of The Blade’s assets, and company President and Chief Operating Officer Jodi Miehls attributed the decision to years of financial losses, saying continued investment by the Block family was no longer sustainable, according to the Associated Press reporting cited in the coverage. The company did not disclose the scale of those losses…