- Wendy DiAlesandro. Bigfoot sightings in Portage County? The Bigfoot Society (yes, there is one) claims it’s true, and points to multiple recent sightings in Garrettsville, Windham, Mantua, Mantua Center and Streetsboro.
- Roger Gordon. As part of a Village of Hiram Downtown Revitalization project, Hiram College students are leading a poster contest within the Crestwood and Garfield school districts.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. The Portager reported on Jan. 26 that the Village of Hiram was paying Mantua police $100 a day to handle its police dispatch needs until a more permanent contract could be finalized with another provider.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A month after Mantua signed an agreement handing control of its police department to Hiram, Hiram found itself in need of Mantua’s help.
- Roger Gordon. The Windham Township Trustees held a special meeting recently regarding the amendment that the people brought about having a second dwelling on one parcel. The trustees voted to accept the zoning commission’s recommendation to deny that activity.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. The Village of Mantua’s Oct. 21-22 hearing that resulted in Council firing former Police Chief Joseph Urso carries a slew of financial consequences.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Mantua Village Council on Dec. 16 unanimously approved a $170,000 contract handing Hiram Village control of its police department and dispatch center. Hiram’s village council has already authorized the contract.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Continued opposition to a hike-and-bike trail connection in Mantua Township may mean no connection at all. In short, residents and elected officials aren’t on board.
- Roger Gordon. Village council has authorized Mayor Anne Haynam to offer a management contract to the Village of Mantua that would allow the Hiram Police Department to manage the Mantua Village Police Department on a temporary basis.
Nearly a month after removing former Mantua Police Chief Joe Urso from his post, village council on Nov. 18 received a petition calling for Mayor Tammy Meyer’s resignation.
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.
- Roger Gordon.
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.
The recently fired chief of Mantua police, Joe Urso, has appealed his dismissal in Portage County Common Pleas Court, arguing that the village council hearing against him was unfair and that he was denied due process.
In a marathon 12-hour hearing that stretched from 6 p.m. Oct. 21 to just short of 6 a.m. Oct. 22, Mantua Village Council ousted Police Chief Joe Urso, citing a smorgasbord of charges.
In addition to a long hearing that led to the firing of Police Chief Joe Urso, Mantua Village Council also approved Mantua’s first Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area in a meeting that began on Oct. 21.
After an all-night hearing, Mantua Village Council voted in the early hours of Oct. 22 to oust Police Chief Joe Urso, who has headed the department since November 2017.
- Roger Gordon.
The Mantua Village Council will hold an open meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21 and welcome your comments on the DORA proposal. The Mantua-Shalersville Area Chamber of Commerce has requested that the downtown area be designated as a “Designated Outdoor Recreational Area,” which would exempt that area from open-container laws.