Letter about county water pH levels not a cause for concern
0.10. A tiny tenth, but a huge headache for Portage County Water Resources Director Dan Blakely.
Around Windham: Practicing gratitude and giving back to the Windham community
- Nicole Sweet.
Hello Windham Family! November is National Gratitude Month. Gratitude is an active process of acknowledging goodness and recognizing its source. There is so much to be grateful for in Windham.
Around Edinburg: Thanksgiving fun and literary happenings
- Cathy Klein.
This month, the Edinburg Ohio Historical Society attended a self-publishing class held at Books a Go Go in Ravenna.
Rooted Ramblings: Pumpkin harvests make Thanksgiving delicious
Is there any better holiday meal than Thanksgiving? A meal made delicious because many of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes contain foods that originate in the Americas.
Op-ed: Listen to our program about solving hunger in Portage County
Food is a basic human need. Yet here in Portage County, many neighbors still struggle to keep their pantries full. We’ve all seen the food drives and we’ve all read the statistics, but numbers alone can feel abstract. We wanted to meet the people doing the work— and understand what it actually takes to relieve hunger in our own backyard.
Obituary: Debra-Lynn Hook (née Bledsoe)
- Submitted.
Our mother—the joyful, loving, and passionate seeker, Debra-Lynn Hook (née Bledsoe)—passed away on October 5, 2025, surrounded by her children and close loved ones.
Portage County obituaries for Nov. 19-20
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Pilot program at Hiram College designed to better support students with autism
A program new to Hiram College this year could help students with autism and other neurodivergencies succeed, while also boosting the school’s graduation rate.
Letter to the editor: Another rebuttal to letter on the firing of Mantua Police Chief
Regarding the recent letter supporting the termination of former Mantua Police Chief Joe Urso, several of the stated claims are factually incorrect and contradicted by publicly available records, state administrative rules, and Mantua’s own documented history. For the sake of accuracy and community understanding, I want to clarify the record.
Letter to the editor: Rebuttal to letter on Mantua Police Chief Urso’s firing
After reviewing a recent public statement, I believe it is necessary to correct several inaccuracies and clarify factual information.
Around Randolph: Waterloo agriculture students excited for the future of farming
- Sandy Engle.
Nov. 9-15 was Ohio Soil Health Week, and throughout Ohio there were events to honor the soil. Surprisingly, within a spoonful of soil there are more living organisms than there are people currently on this planet. As we enter this season of delicious festivities, may we be grateful to the farmers and soil microbes which make our food nutritious and tasty.
Portage County obituaries for Nov. 16-18
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Council approves pay increases for Streetsboro employees
A slew of city employees will be seeing bigger paychecks, thanks to two recent actions by Streetsboro City Council.
County roundup: Fire takes Hiram assistant fire chief’s historic home, plus news from Garrettsville, Mantua and Windham
- Roger Gordon.
House fires are always awful, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for the searing blaze Nov. 11 that burned Hiram Village Fire Department Assistant Chief Jason Groselle and his family’s historic home on Ryder Road to the ground. Fortunately, nobody was home when the fire happened.
Letter to the editor: Mantua council made right choice to fire police chief
I think that the Village of Mantua Mayor and Council made the correct decision regarding ex-Police Chief Joe Urso. The following are some of the reasons I agree with the five council members who voted to terminate Chief Urso:
Letter to the editor: The fallout of Streetsboro school levy failure
When you break the news that the school levy failed to your 17 year old daughter & the tears fall. You try to lessen the blow by reminding her she will be in college next year & won’t feel the cuts that will be necessary. Her response is “I’m not sad for me but for all the other kids”. When she asks what more could we have done? “We worked so hard.”
Portage County obituaries for Nov. 14-15
- Staff Report.
Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County
Deputy sues Portage County Sheriff’s Office in overtime pay, alleged retaliation case
A Portage County Sheriff’s deputy has sued his department in federal court, claiming he was subject to retaliation when he requested tens of thousands of dollars in overtime pay.
Around Charlestown: Santa Claus is coming to [Charles]town
This Thanksgiving, Charlestown United Methodist Church is blessed to give back to the community by offering free Thanksgiving dinner bundles to people in need.
One for the Books: Let’s Hear it for Librarians
They’re teachers, they’re advisers, they’re know-it-alls. They’re a veritable fountain of information. They’re trained to know what you want to read and where to find what you want to know. They’re our librarians. Here are three novels I enjoyed recently that feature librarians, as well as a must-read nonfiction account of what it’s like to stand up to censorship.