BREAKING: Kent voters will decide whether to decriminalize marijuana in November
Kent City Council voted Wednesday night to send an ordinance to the Portage County Board of Elections for inclusion on the November 2022 ballot.
Who owns Nelson Circle? For hundreds of years, the official answer was ‘no one’
Nelson Circle, which is actually shaped like a square, is a small plot of land in the heart of Nelson Township that for many years seemed to belong to… nobody.
Ravenna schools will switch to remote learning Jan. 10-21 to avert Covid spike
- Ben Wolford.
The Ravenna School District announced Tuesday it will switch to fully remote classes from Jan. 10-21, hoping to avoid a spike of omicron Covid-19 cases that could keep students home for longer.
Portage County obituaries for Jan. 3-4
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Franklin Township swears in new trustees, Kellie Kapusta and Glenn Russell
Franklin Township’s new trustees Kellie Kapusta and Glenn Russell were sworn in on Friday by Judge Mark Fankhauser and Mayor of Kent Jerry Fiala, respectively.
Volunteers at Skeels-Mathews recognized for donating 5,500 combined hours
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program recognized several Portage County volunteers for their work through the Skeels-Mathews Community Center over the past 3.5 years.
Portage County obituaries for Dec. 22-Jan.2
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Here are some of the ways the Kent mill could be used
As the abandoned buildings posed a problem for cities fighting urban blight, developers began restoring and repurposing the sturdy brick buildings for museum, residential and commercial use. The conversions often preserve or restore the historic structures and bring new life to the buildings and their neighborhoods.
From the publisher: The top stories in Portage County from 2021
- Ben Wolford.
One of the nice things about local news is that it helps us to remember how far we’ve come. Without a chronicle of the time and place we inhabit together, it would be easy to think we collectively accomplished very little this year.
Kent will consider forming a commission to examine systemic racism in the city
At the urging of several community leaders, Kent City Council pledged to consider forming an anti-racism committee as part of its February committee meeting.
Aurora Board of Education voted to make masks optional
At Monday night’s meeting, the Aurora City Schools’ Board of Education approved a new policy that will make mask wearing optional in the school system effective Jan. 25. The resolution was approved in a 4-1 vote.
Portage County obituaries for Dec. 20-21
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Aurora school board will vote tonight on a resolution making masks optional
- Staff Report.
The Aurora Board of Education will vote Monday night on a resolution that would make masks optional starting in January, according to an agenda posted on the district website.
Photo essay: From the towers to the underbelly of the Star of the West Mill
By Brad Bolton Downtown Kent was going to dramatically change in 2010, and I wanted to photograph that area before and after the construction. All the empty lots north of Haymaker Parkway were slated for new buildings in the next couple years, and the best place to photograph the change was from the top of the Star of the West mill. I knew the manager, Red Michel, through music. Luckily he agreed to take me up to a high window […]
Portage County obituaries for Dec. 17-19
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Hardesty: What Christmas is all about
- Tom Hardesty.
I see Christmas every time I walk into our bedroom. In this instance, Christmas is personified by a decent-sized panda bear stuffed animal that sits on the bottom of one of our nightstands next to the bed. There is a drawstring in the back of the panda that, when pulled, would prompt it to “speak” one of several phrases.
Franklin declined the county’s new recycling contract, but no one knows if the current one is still valid
Franklin Township trustees voted Tuesday night to continue operating under their existing contract with the county recycling agency and said they expect the county to do the same.
The first Riddle Block 9 Airbnb is open – check out the pictures
Renovations are complete on one Airbnb unit in the historic Riddle Block 9 building, the largest commercial building in downtown Ravenna.
Water and sewer prices will increase for Kent residents, recycling will continue
On Wednesday, Kent City Council earmarked $1,391,300 of its 2021 share of American Rescue Plan Act money to repair and replace equipment at Kent’s water reclamation facility. The city’s total ARPA share for 2021 is $3,755,140, with an identical amount due to arrive next year.
Kent Parks and Rec will close its underused fitness center and change staffing
After losing about $60,000 a year since it opened in 2013, Kent’s Fitness Center is slated to close by the end of the year.