Samantha Stephens leads Schneller with a focus on community, opportunity
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Samantha Stephens paused in the lobby of Schneller, a one-of-a-kind company on Powdermill Road in Kent.
Kent
Stow Street bridge replacement still years away
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Kent drivers, beware: those barrels lining the south side of the Stow Street bridge will likely remain in place for at least another year.
Icy start to the school year in Kent
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Facebook's "You Know You're From Kent If/When" page lit up Jan. 5, when residents complained about the school district's response — or lack thereof — to the New Year's Eve snowstorm.
Documenters: Kent City Council committee meeting for Jan. 7, 2026
- Margaret Lennox. Nick Cecil informed the council that there would be a cybersecurity meeting in order to go over updates made to comply with new Ohio law. Jones also went over an update to the civil service rules.
Kitchen Crew 4-H enjoys fine dining experience
- Margaret Lennox. On Nov. 28, a group of children placed their orders with a server at Kent State University Hotel’s Nineteen10 restaurant, chatting eagerly and looking over a kid-friendly etiquette guide provided to them.
Plans to clean up Hometown Bank's South End land are underway
- Wendy DiAlesandro. After Kent leaders in October decided not to rezone almost 12 acres near the center of the city, the proposed buyer backed out, but the land is still in play.
Kent City Council swears in three members
- Margaret Lennox. Kent City Council officially swore in Council At-Large members Benjamin Tipton, Tracy Wallach and Sarah Elizabeth Wesley at its meeting on Dec. 17. Their terms will begin on Jan. 1, 2026.
Renovations complete on former grocery store in Kent’s South End
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A hundred year old building in Kent’s South End neighborhood is ready for new life, thanks to a rehabilitation effort by the Hometown Foundation.
Captain Brady Day will return in July 2026
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Captain Brady Day is back. Last held in 2007, it was a small neighborhood festival: local residents selling homemade crafts from card tables, a grainy slideshow of the village’s heyday as a tourist destination and other low-key attractions.
Documenters: Kent City Council committee meeting for Dec. 3, 2025
- Margaret Lennox. Hall presented the 2026 operating budget, which was approved by the council. Kent is not in a deficit and has been able to put several million dollars into a rainy day fund for emergencies. The 2026 operating budget was approved by council.
The Battleground will close and reopen as a new restaurant next year
Kent’s iconic South End Mexican restaurant The Battleground is slated to close Dec. 31, the leadership announced in a weekend Facebook post.
Documenters: Kent City Council meeting for Nov. 19, 2025
After public comment concluded, Amrhein and council members honored Sue Nelson of Sue Nelson Designs for her contributions to Kent’s community. Nov. 19 was declared Sue Nelson Day to honor her retirement.
Documenters: Kent City School District Board of Education meeting for Nov. 19, 2025
Errera was unanimously elected and immediately sworn in. Errera thanked those in attendance and quickly cast his first vote, which was an approval to move the board into executive session.
New PBS documentary explores devastating 1913 Ohio flood
- Tom Hardesty.
A day that was forecast to have “generally fair” weather ended up as the worst weather disaster in Ohio history.
Kent City Council rejects video surveillance contract with Flock
Kent City Council voted against permitting the Kent Police Department to enter into a contract with Flock Safety at its regular committee meeting Nov. 5.
Portage County voters pass most levies, choose among crowded fields
About a quarter of registered voters in Portage County — 26,525 individuals — cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election. Here’s a look at some of the candidate races and issues that were decided this Election Day.
Kent plans safety improvements for some state Route 261 intersections
Concerned with the volume of traffic accidents at two intersections along state Route 261, Kent city leaders hope two changes will save lives and property.
Election preview: Crowded races fill the ballot in Portage County
Development is a major concern for candidates running for trustee in Brimfield Township, while communication is a hot topic in Hiram Village.