New PBS documentary explores devastating 1913 Ohio flood
A day that was forecast to have “generally fair” weather ended up as the worst weather disaster in Ohio history.
Tom Hardesty
Round Two: Rockin’ and rollin’ in Kent, plus a tribute to Paul Murphy
I recently finished reading Chas Madonio’s book “Bars, Bands, and Rock ‘n Roll: The Golden Era in Kent, Ohio,” which was published by Kent Historical Society Press in 2022. Like I said awhile back, I had a stack of books to get through, so I got to Chas’ eyewitness account of the wild Kent bar scene in the 1960s and ’70s a little late.
Hospice program organizes a unique visit for horse enthusiast care center resident
Laurene Jae Jackson has packed a lot into her 81 years on the planet.
Round Two: Crowdfunding pay-to-play
What happened? Where were all the football players? That’s what Novell wanted to know. Joe Adolph had some answers – and together they have come up with what they hope is a solution.
Round Two: Happy Father’s Day, Dad
July 1 will mark 20 years since the day my dad died. He was only 63 years old and looked great. I had just talked to him on the phone two days earlier, and he sounded great. That was a Wednesday afternoon. By about 7 o’clock Friday evening, he was gone, the victim of a heart attack while sitting on the couch in his living room. Toward the end of our Wednesday conversation, Dad was trying to think of something […]
Round Two: Why Shedeur Sanders is a good draft pick for the Browns
I was all set to write this as soon as the 2025 NFL Draft ended, but I figured: A. I’d let the dust settle a little bit, and B. Browns fans were crowding the ledge after the Shedeur Sanders pick so better to make sure everyone had gotten safely back inside.
Round Two: Fools need a whole month
April having come and gone, it got me thinking: April Fools’ Day just doesn’t cut it. Yeah, it’s a day for jokes, pranks and assorted other mischief, some of which are repeated year after year, others which are new and inventive. Some are clever, others are downright cruel. Some result in belly laughs and guffaws, others in fistfights.
Round Two: Thanks, Coach Murphy
Late July, 1983. I was camped out on the bed in my mom and dad’s room, my leg sporting a cast from the foot to the knee and propped up on some pillows, and sweat dripping from every pore in my body in the sweltering heat of the little bedroom, which, thanks to the fact our house didn’t have air conditioning, was like sitting in a blast furnace.
Fatal crashes were down in 2024, according to Portage County review
Portage County’s roads were significantly safer in 2024.
Round Two: The Buckeye road to victory
Buckeye Nation has been basking for a month now, Ryan Day has made the rounds on the talk show circuit, and the national championship trophy sits in Columbus, Ohio.
Boykin steps down after 31 years on Kent school board
Brian Boykin has resigned after three decades as a member of the Kent City Schools Board of Education effective Jan. 31. The school board accepted Boykin’s resignation at its Jan. 14 meeting.
Mental Health & Recovery Board receives $1.3 million grant
The Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County received $1,365,871 to invest in local treatment, prevention and recovery support to advance ongoing efforts to fight substance abuse and prevent overdose deaths.
Round Two: Christmas, like Hanukkah, can offer a lesson in resilience
It’s been the better part of 40 to 50 years now, but I still vividly remember the big Christmas Day family gatherings at my grandparents’ house in Brimfield.
Aurora officially buys Geauga Lake in historic deal to open land to the public
The City of Aurora’s purchase of the former SeaWorld property, which includes Geauga Lake’s 53 acres as well as 48 acres of lakefront land, officially closed Dec. 20, marking a significant step in the property’s transformation into a public park.
Round Two: Sifting through the rubble of Ohio State’s debacle against Michigan
A lot of you probably spent the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 30 like I did: watching the Ohio State-Michigan game.
Round Two: Things that go bump, slide, scratch in the night
In November 2001, my wife Kim and I decided it would make for a nice little Thanksgiving trip if we went to see the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Round Two: Remember to thank a vet tech
A year ago at this time, I wrote about the trials and tribulations of the 2.5 years I spent working in animal care.
Round Two: Thanks, Mom
Oct. 2 marked 10 years since the death of my mother, Laura (Willoughby) Hardesty.