Isabella Schreck

In an effort to address a statewide trend of declining enrollment, Kent State University will soon undergo big changes to reorganize its academic affairs division and better its finances in the form of its Transformation 2028 initiative.

Ohio State Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.) is now engaged with a new opportunity, announcing he will run for Ohio Senate in the November 2026 special election.

If passed as is, Portage County schools could lose millions in carryover funds under the current version of the Ohio House GOP’s proposed state budget — a reality that concerns local superintendents and the Ohio Education Association, a union representing over 100,000 school workers statewide.

With the passing of Ohio’s controversial Senate Bill 1, President Donald Trump’s continued executive orders and the age-old partisan divide, Portage County politicians didn’t let up in the statehouse or on social media in March.

The Portage County Land Bank, also called the Portage County Land Reutilization Corporation, recently received nearly $2 million in funds to aid in its mission of rehabilitating homes and buildings and returning them to viability.

Welcome to The Portager’s legislative round-up, which will regularly track what Portage County lawmakers are doing in Washington and in Columbus.

For the first time in eight years, Waterloo Junior and Senior High School in Atwater has a theater program — all thanks to community support, parent and teacher volunteers and a passionate mother who, as she admits, doesn’t really like musicals.

In front of three sold-out crowds, Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance brought the fiery topic of book bans and its effects on students and schools to campus Feb. 7-9 in “Trial by Fire,” a play written by the university’s own Eric Mansfield. Mansfield is assistant vice president for Kent State’s University Communications and Marketing.

In an effort to better connect the Black community and local law enforcement, the Portage County NAACP has brought together safety forces from across the county for quarterly meetings the past three years.

As the new congressional session started Jan. 3, state and federal representatives serving Portage County have begun legislation proposals and community outreach while doubling down on partisan positions in their messaging.

Before alumna Nikki Sweet, the Windham Exempted Village Schools went without a Parent Teacher Organization for over a decade.

With many pieces straight from Beverly Hills, California, Vivid Vibes Boutique now has two locations to bring new, size-inclusive looks to the streets of Portage County.

In late October, an old valve failed as the Village of Hiram took down its old water tower after a new one was added. This could have potentially contaminated local water.

Welcome to the Portager’s legislative round-up, which will regularly track what Portage County lawmakers are doing in Washington and in Columbus.

Drivers planning to park in the Village of Hiram can keep their change heading into the new year.

To get to his job at Walmart in Ravenna, Kent State University junior Odin Amador-Gorby must rely on public transportation and Ubers. He doesn’t own a car due to high prices for even used cars in the Kent area.

After becoming the new director of the Kent State University Museum July 1, Sarah Spinner Liska got to work — fashionably quickly. In the month of September alone, Spinner Liska and her “small but mighty team” ran seven programs. She held the first-ever director’s office hours, started on plans for facility updates to make the space more welcoming, met with faculty throughout various disciplines and supported the first entirely student-run fashion show at the museum, among other projects. The goal […]

When walking near the Cuyahoga River these past few weeks, the water may have looked lower than usual — but no need for alarm.