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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.

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.

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.

Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County

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.

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.

After reviewing a recent public statement, I believe it is necessary to correct several inaccuracies and clarify factual information.

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.

Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County

A slew of city employees will be seeing bigger paychecks, thanks to two recent actions by Streetsboro City Council.

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.

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:

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.”

Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County

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.

This Thanksgiving, Charlestown United Methodist Church is blessed to give back to the community by offering free Thanksgiving dinner bundles to people in need.

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.

The township is done crack sealing for the year, according to Ruefner. He said that they were finally able to do some road mowing now that the political signs had been taken down. The road department currently has plans to complete some road ditching in the coming days, as well.

Trustee Jeff Eldreth explained that the Mogadore Reservoir water level has been intentionally lowered so that damage from a beaver can be repaired. 

Remembering those we’ve lost in Portage County