Archive

The street supervisor for the Mantua Village Service Department was fired Wednesday, less than a week after a Portager investigation revealed allegations that the mayor has created a toxic work environment.

The zoning inspector of Freedom Township, Gerald Apple, stepped down last week, saying he was harassed and micromanaged by a trustee. The trustee, John Zizka, denied the allegations.

Portage County laid to rest local journalist and historian Roger Di Paolo who died June 18 after a two-year battle with cancer. Family and friends filled the Kent State Newman Center on Thursday afternoon to honor Di Paolo’s life and celebrate his legacy and accomplishments.

The Roosevelt High School Environmental Club earned fifth place in this year’s state Envirothon Competition. Rain Carman, Lillian DeMattia, Delaney Sefchick, Tara Sefchick and Allison Voneida were the first team in school history to advance to the statewide contest, though Roosevelt has competed in the Northeast Ohio regional competition since 2009.

Ken Follett. James Michener. James Clavell. You know these names if you enjoy epic reads that take you into another place and immerse you in the goings-on of well-drawn characters in war, community-building, passion, and survival. Add to these Edward Rutherfurd, author of such wonders as “Sarum,” “London,” “Paris,” and the two-volume Dublin Saga, among others. For the fan of historical fiction, Rutherfurd’s newest work, “China,” is just delicious.

Calling hours for Roger Di Paolo will be held at Bissler & Sons funeral home on Wednesday, June 23 from 2-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Services will be held at University Newman Center in Kent on Thursday, June 24 at 11 a.m.

Portage County commissioners approved multiple collective bargaining agreements with unionized sheriff’s office employees on Thursday, authorizing across-the-board raises.

A controversial road de-icer produced at a facility in Mogadore has been under fire since at least 2013 from environmentalists who claim it contains radioactive concentrations that are potentially contaminating Ohio’s water sources.

Portage County commissioners heard a proposal from a Florida tech firm for livestreaming and recording their meetings. Florida-based BIS Digital specializes in providing integrated video and audio streaming systems. Their solution would be able to provide not only livestreaming but video conferencing via Zoom.

Brimfield trustees held an emergency meeting Monday to consider placing a tax levy on the November ballot. How much, and how to encourage voters to approve it, are still unresolved questions.

When Gregg Isler, Tom Nader and Brittany Dye formed a committee to explore the possibility of reviving the Portage County League this past winter, one of the first things they focused on were reasons why it should exist in the first place.

Over the decades he worked as a journalist and editor, Roger trained dozens of award-winning reporters and writers. He loved local news. His mind and memory for local and national history, politics and a person’s genealogy made him a human encyclopedia.

Portage County’s new director of budget and financial management, Joe Harris, discovered he had a knack for working with money early — when he and his brother spent visits with his grandmother playing blackjack. “We didn’t play with money, obviously, because I was 6,” he said, laughing. “But it was always blackjack, and I had to count it all myself. I think that’s where I got my quick counting skills.”

Trustees are installing temporary speed bumps on Skeels Street and nearby side streets in response to reports of vehicles speeding through the Skeels allotment. The traffic control devices will be removed later this year to allow snow plows to keep the roads clear, Trustee Vince Coia said.

Roger Di Paolo, a historian and journalist whose work enlightened Portage County residents about their own community for over 40 years, died June 18 at the age of 66.

Kent City Council extended hours for the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) to 11 p.m. Council had proposed only extending the hours for Saturday, June 26, when the city will host multiple bands and a fireworks display, but ultimately determined that it would be easier to enact a blanket extension.

Mantua Mayor Linda Clark created a work environment in the village administration that some employees called hostile, directing constant criticism and inappropriate sexual comments at certain employees, causing at least three of them to resign in distress and prompting an investigation into workplace bullying by the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office.

Streetsboro residents would be allowed to keep their livestock a little bit closer to the road or their neighbors’ property lines under the latest version of a zoning update targeting chicken ownership, the Streetsboro Service Committee decided Monday.

Kent resident Katie Sekelsky will appear in her fourth straight Jeopardy! episode on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Mantua Village Council appointed Tammy Meyer as council president Tuesday night following Matt Rosolowski’s resignation last week on June 7.