Marijuana revenue adds unexpected funds to three cities in county
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Three Portage County cities are seeing green, but it has nothing to do with the approach of St. Patrick’s Day.
Kent
Grazers Restaurant in Kent to hold farewell open house before closing for good
- Jeremy Brown. Grazers Restaurant in Kent will permanently close on Saturday, Feb. 21.
New owner for Franklin Square Deli plans to keep quality high
- Jeremy Brown. After more than four decades in business, Franklin Square Deli has changed ownership for the first time. The new owner of the downtown Kent-based restaurant known for its sandwiches, soups and gyros will keep the restaurant's popular menu items, but plans to make slight changes to the decor.
Kent City Council appoints new Ward 2 council member
- Margaret Lennox. Eric Dreger is the newest member of Kent City Council. Dreger was selected by council to serve Kent’s Ward 2, which was left vacant when Jack Amrhein ran for — and was elected to serve as — mayor in November of 2025.
East Main Street project remains on track for 2028 completion
- Adriana Gasiewski. Construction crews continue to make progress on Kent’s East Main Street project, expanding sidewalks, completing underground work and creating a temporary roundabout, helping the project remain on track for its 2028 completion.
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.
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.