- Jeremy Brown
Since Rev. Kevin Michael Horak began serving The Church in Aurora in 1981, he performed 499 baptisms, 489 confirmations, 547 weddings, 358 sermons and 505 funerals, as well as constructed several programs for youths and adults, including an intergenerational and leadership development program, the first of its kind at the church.
- Tom Hardesty
St. Peter of the Fields Parish in Rootstown and St. Joseph Parish in Randolph are among the Northeast Ohio parishes slated to be merged by the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.
- Letter to the editor
I have read some letters to news agencies about Ohio Issue 1, the proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that allows reproductive rights to all individuals. Some of the authors are correct.
- Wendy DiAlesandro
LifeWise Academy, a Hilliard-based organization, wants to offer local public school students what it calls “Bible-based character education” during the regular school day, but local school leaders aren’t all on board.
- Mark Baxter
A Kent church has rebranded itself as the University Church to demonstrate its commitment to the community.
- Ruth Ann Bartholomew
There have been many changes at Charlestown United Methodist Church in the recent past. The most recent was the retirement of Rev. Norma J. Bates. Her retirement was marked with a brunch in the church community room following her final sermon Aug. 27.
- Ann Taft
Unfortunately the Windham Fall Festival has been canceled for 2023. There were multiple factors causing the cancellation. The Village of Windham is considering multiple options for next year.
- Wendy DiAlesandro
Edinburg United Church, founded in 1823, celebrated its 200th birthday with a service and picnic on May 21. The church is located at 4081 Rock Spring Road.
- Jeremy Brown
Late last month, a modest congregation of mournful parishioners gathered in the nave of St. Ambrose Church in Garrettsville to honor the legacy of St. Michael’s in Windham.
- Submitted
As part of Streetsboro’s Bicentennial Celebration, the Streetsboro United Methodist Church held its Aug. 28 service at the original Methodist church building now located at Hale Farm and Village in Bath.
- Jeremy Brown
After pedaling more than 2,500 miles, cyclists participating in the Fuller Center Bike Adventure’s Seaside to Sebago tour pedaled into Aurora on July 8 to help low-income Portage County residents with home-repair projects.
- Jeremy Brown
Liberty Bible Church in Atwater believes everyone needs three homes: an “earthly home,” a “church home,” and a “heavenly home.” For Scott and Linda Fosnight, Liberty Bible is without question their church home.
- Letter to the editor
To raise awareness of opportunities to learn more about the meaning of Juneteenth, past and present, the Kent InterFaith Alliance (KIFA) for Racial Reconciliation and Justice has compiled a list of Kent area houses of worship that will be honoring the significance of the Juneteenth holiday during their worship on June 19.
- Jeremy Brown
Those who attended the Kent Art and Wine Festival in 2019 may be familiar with Pastor Eddie Harris’ oil and acrylic paintings. Harris, a resident of Atwater, will be at the festival again this year with a collection of artwork he’s eager to showcase.
- Jeremy Brown
The Portage County NAACP held a dedication ceremony and a “Celebration of Racial Justice” for its new office at the United Church of Christ in Kent, which rang with sermons and songs May 22.
- Wendy DiAlesandro
Tucked inside a plastic bag that itself was weighed down with a baggie of rice was a flyer with antisemitic propaganda. The front of the page contained images of a dozen high-ranking members of President Biden’s administration, falsely alleging they are all Jewish. The back falsely claims that six “Jewish corporations” own 96% of the media.
- Wyatt Loy
For years, Portage County residents suddenly experiencing homelessness have only had one place to go for emergency shelter. On Monday, a Ravenna nonprofit will open its doors to offer 64 more beds to those in need.
- Tom Hardesty
I don’t do public speaking.
I’m a writer, not David Letterman. I have a galaxies-better chance of entertaining someone through the written word rather than the spoken word.