The Portage County sheriff is seeking $1 million for new patrol vehicles
After a big salary bump for command staff, the union is optimistic that rank and file could also see raises
New sheriff gifts big raises to command staff and a big truck for himself
A document showing the salaries of non-union sheriff’s office employees in 2020 and 2021. Command staff hired as part of an incoming administration are not represented by a union. Sent to The Portager by the Portage County Auditor’s office on Jan. 21. New sheriff gifts big raises to command staff and a big truck for himself Commission president calls increases ‘exorbitant,’ sheriff’s office says they’re necessary to retain talent Within his first weeks in office, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski raised command staff […]
Streetsboro junction ranked most dangerous intersection in Akron metropolitan area
Streetsboro junction ranked most dangerous intersection in Akron metropolitan area Streetsboro, Ravenna and Kent each contain locations ranked among the most dangerous in Portage County The intersection of state Routes 43 and 14 in Streetsboro is the most dangerous crossing in all of Portage and Summit counties, according to the latest annual report from the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS). These reports help local municipalities identify dangerous roadways and intersections and apply for safety funding through the Ohio Department of […]
Officers rescue 14-year-old babysitter and infant from armed home invader
Kent Police Officers Lenny Kunka (left) and Kyle Auckland (right) who were shot responding to an armed home invasion in Kent on Saturday. Kent Police Department photos Officers rescue 14-year-old babysitter and infant from armed home invader A bullet-proof vest saved one officer’s life, police said The person who placed a panicked 911 call to Kent police on Saturday morning was a 14-year-old babysitter, who locked herself in the bathroom with the 1-year-old infant in her care as an armed man forced […]
Three shot after a home invasion in Kent, with no deaths
Kent Police Lieutenant Mike Lewis during a video press conference on Saturday. Three shot after a home invasion in Kent, with no deaths An armed suspect clashed with Kent police officers Saturday morning Two Kent police officers and a suspect were shot during an armed home invasion at a residence on Summit Street in Kent on Saturday morning, a police spokesman said. Both officers suffered only minor injuries and should recover, said Kent Police Lt. Mike Lewis in a video press release. […]
Slow vaccine rollout will move on to at-risk groups next week
- Ben Wolford.
Portage County will start offering vaccines to people at the highest risk of developing severe Covid-19 next week, though the countywide supply is a fraction of the need, officials said in a press briefing Thursday.
The second phase of vaccine distribution, 1B, includes members of the general population who are over 65 years old or those with severe congenital or developmental disorders. Portage County will receive 1,200 doses per week to address a Phase 1B population of 27,000 residents, said Portage County Health Commissioner Joseph Diorio.
She survived domestic violence, but her landlord evicted her for the ‘nuisance’
Eviction cases are heard at the Portage County Municipal Court’s Kent branch (pictured) and Ravenna branch. Michael Indriolo/The Portager She survived domestic violence, but her landlord evicted her for the ‘nuisance’ Portage County evictions continue despite a moratorium and an uptick in domestic violence crisis calls She never thought she’d be able to have kids. Then, about four years ago, she and her boyfriend became pregnant. She’d never fallen in love like this before. But looking back, she missed the signs, […]
Kent church hosts demonstration condemning insurrection
Kent City Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer Bish holds a sign during the protest organized by the United Universalist Church of Kent on Sunday condemning the Jan. 6 insurrection. Michael Indriolo/The Portager Kent church hosts demonstration condemning insurrection Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent organized the peaceful demonstration in downtown Kent Demonstrators in downtown Kent spoke out Sunday against the insurrection on Capitol Hill during a peaceful protest organized by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent. The roughly 20 demonstrators, mostly Kent residents, waved […]
Suffield has a new salt shed to make winter roads more bearable this year
Suffield’s new salt shed on state Route 43 across from the road department’s red V-plow. Michael Indriolo/ThePortager Suffield has a new salt shed to make winter roads more bearable this year Officials are stockpiling road salt to be less dependent on state supplies Suffield’s first-ever road salt shed, completed last week on state Route 43, will make the township more self-sufficient when it comes to clearing ice and snow this year. The shed, which holds up to two and a half years’ […]
Portage County reacts to D.C. insurrection with shock, sorrow and conspiracy theories
Photo by ElevenPhotographs on Unsplash Portage County reacts to D.C. insurrection with shock, sorrow and conspiracy theories Commissioner Badalamenti falsely claims antifa infiltrated the mob that stormed the Capitol Building The reaction to Wednesday’s insurrection in the capital among Portage County Republicans ranged from blanket condemnation of the rioters to attempts to justify their attack with false conspiracy theories. In public statements and interviews with The Portager, local elected officials waded through the moral wreckage of Trump supporters’ attempted subversion of the […]
New energy-efficient streetlights brighten Downtown Ravenna
Ravenna’s new energy-efficient streetlights illuminate North Chestnut Street on Tuesday. Michael Indriolo/The Portager New energy-efficient streetlights brighten Downtown Ravenna City Engineer hopes new LED bulbs will draw more people downtown and cut maintenance costs Ravenna engineers are installing the last of 150 new LED streetlights on several downtown streets, hoping to cut city maintenance costs and brighten the city at night. Ravenna’s new energy-efficient streetlights illuminate North Chestnut Street on Tuesday. Michael Indriolo/The Portager The new Phillips LED bulbs shine significantly […]
Local volunteers find community in handcrafted sleeping bags
Wilma Fiscus cuts fabric for a sleeping bag during the weekly Cocoon Makers meeting at the former Rausch Intermediate School building in Ravenna on Dec. 16. Michael Indriolo/The Portager Local volunteers find community in handcrafted sleeping bags Cocoon Makers transform donated fabrics into sleeping bags for Portage County’s homeless population In the wake of her husband’s death four years ago, Deloris Hudson found solace in a small group of mostly retired volunteers handcrafting sleeping bags to warm the people of Portage […]
Covid-19 vaccine arrives in Portage County
- Ben Wolford.
The wait for a Covid-19 vaccine is over for Portage County’s frontline medical workers.
On Wednesday, University Hospitals announced it had administered the first vaccines at UH Portage, in line with the distribution priorities set by the Ohio Health Department, the CDC and other institutions.
Lines of cars flock to Dix Stadium for food assistance
Kent State Community Engaged Learning Director Amanda Woodyard talks with Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank CEO Dan Flowers while Kent State volunteers break down boxes and carry groceries to cars during the food distribution at Dix Stadium on Wednesday. Michael Indriolo/The Portager Lines of cars flock to Dix Stadium for food assistance Pantries are still serving groceries nearly a year into the pandemic, and first-time recipients are still seeking help A double line of cars waiting for donated groceries at Kent State’s Dix […]
Portage County health workers are expected to receive Pfizer’s vaccine this year
Visualization of the coronavirus. Fusion Medical Animation/Unsplash Portage County health workers are expected to receive Pfizer’s vaccine this year It’s less clear when the general population will get their doses: ‘We would love to see a Covid-free summer.’ Portage County’s frontline healthcare workers will be among the first in Ohio to receive Covid-19 vaccines when the state begins distribution, which is expected to happen before the new year, said Portage County Health Commissioner Joseph Diorio. Local hospitals will directly receive a […]
‘Unrelenting’ Covid-19 surge launches Portage County into purple
University Hospitals Kent Health Center in October. Michael Indriolo/The Portager ‘Unrelenting’ Covid-19 surge launches Portage County into purple Local health officials anticipate having a vaccine for the general population by February Portage County entered Covid-19 risk level four, the highest possible, after triggering six of the state health department’s seven risk level indicators, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday. The only threshold our county did not cross was for hospital admissions, which did not increase for five consecutive days within the past […]
‘Unrelenting’ Covid-19 surge launches Portage County into purple
Portage County entered Covid-19 risk level four, the highest possible, after triggering six of the state health department’s seven risk level indicators, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday. Michael Indriolo/The Portager
Garrettsville’s indie bookstore celebrates 15 years
- Richie Koch.
For the past 15 years, Ellen Eckhouse of the Village Bookstore in Garrettsville has offered book lovers from all over Portage County a warm welcome, lively conversation and personalized book recommendations. The bookstore has continued as a local landmark, surviving the 2014 Garrettsville fire that burned down several small businesses just across the street and is now persevering through the Covid-19 crisis.
Portage County residents make the best of ‘Plaguesgiving’
Donna Wise poses for a portrait with her dog on the Headwaters Trail. Nov. 26, 2020. Portage County residents make the best of ‘Plaguesgiving’ Thanksgiving looks a lot different this year because of the pandemic, but Portage County residents celebrated nonetheless. The United States has recorded two million new coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, forcing families in Portage County and across the country to adapt their Thanksgiving plans. Donna Wise poses for a portrait with her dog on the […]
Portage County health department issues stay-at-home advisory
- Ben Wolford.
The number of hospitalizations “dramatically increased to a point of concern,” said Health Commissioner Joseph Diorio in the notice, which was released Friday afternoon.
The advisory says positivity rates — the percent of people who test positive out of the total number tested—now exceed 10 percent in Portage County.