SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Spectrum News anchor Dan Bazile has spent the last week in Springfield, giving an inside look into the challenges the community is facing.

Being fluent in creole, Bazile has been able to converse with the city's Haitian community, learning what the past few weeks have been like and speaking with them about their hopes for the future. Bazile now offers his own perspective on what he's learned, seen and heard.

"In my reporting here in Springfield, Ohio, I have found that there’s a real divide among the people.  There are those who are obviously embracing their new neighbors, their Haitian neighbors, and there are those who are obviously against them being here. But this divide was here before, just about when the Haitians arrived, three four years ago, they started arriving here," Bazile said. "So, it was amplified when former President Donald Trump mentioned it in a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian immigrants here were heating pets, which of course has been proven not to be true. City officials have come out and said they haven’t seen any kind of evidence that shows Haitian immigrants were eating pets. But as the saying goes, the damage was already done."

Gov. Mike DeWine said he believes it will be good when the election calms down.

"I think it will be good when this election calms down, this election gets over with, and people stop looking at Springfield," DeWine said. "Because the work that goes on every day in Springfield is very, very important. Frankly, all of the hullabaloo about this is not particularly helpful to people living their lives and working on the challenges and opportunities that they face.” 

Bazile said finding the path forward is a big question. 

"The mayor says these are human beings, and they’re here, and we have to deal with them," Bazile said. "The Haitian community says they’re going to continue to be responsible and do their part. But they say it is up to this community to embrace them."

Harold Herand at the Haitian Community Center said the goal is unity.

“We’re calling for solidarity and unity. We’re one people, we all have blood running through our veins,” said Herand. “The future doesn’t depend on us, but we can contribute to make it better so everyone can live. Everyone can sit at the table and have a bite to eat together to make Springfield one of the best places that people will love to visit.” 

Bazile said what happens in Springfield will continue past the election, even if the national spotlight fades.