Chamber’s Fall Festival Returns This October
The Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the return of the Chamber Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff for its second year, set to take place on Saturday, October 21, from 11 am to 3 pm on Buckeye Block in downtown Garrettsville. Building on the success of last year’s event, this year’s Fall Festival promises a day filled...
Move with Monarchs: Get up close to the incredible insects that call Geauga Meadows home
It’s so thrilling to find an insect you’ve never seen before, or one you’ve always wanted to see up close. One sweep of the net can reveal amazing insects that are more often heard than seen. What will you find? Catch up with this season’s stunning Monarch butterflies and more during Monarchs & Meadow Insects – at Frohring Meadows on...
A Pep Rally To Die For: Murder Mystery Fundraiser Planned for the Nelson Garrettsville Community Cupboard
In a thrilling twist, the Nelson Garrettsville Community Cupboard (NGCC) is set to host a unique and interactive murder mystery fundraiser that promises an evening of suspense, intrigue, and delectable dining. This year’s event, produced by Curtains Up Theatre, will be “A Pep Rally To Die For," and takes place on October 28th from 5 to 8 pm at...
Local Kiwanis Looking For New Members
Do you like to help children & young adults? Do you want to serve your community & have fun doing it? The Kiwanis of the Western Reserve needs your help! You know us from our Spaghetti Dinners & Pizza With Santa. If you are interested in learning more about the Kiwanis, please be our guest for our Interest Dinner Meeting on...
Mantua Potato Festival Celebrates 50 Years
This weekend, the Potato Festival will continue its long history of bringing folks to the small community to celebrate the lowly spud. What has been known over the past 50-plus years as the Mantua Potato Festival first began as a Potato Show in 1938.
Thomas Bacher to Present This Year’s Friends of the Library Fall Program at Hiram College
The Hiram College Library is pleased to welcome alumnus Thomas Bacher ’78 back to campus to host this year’s Friends of the Library Fall 2023 Program. The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 5, both in-person and virtually. Bacher is the author of “The Essential Liberal Arts: Historical Sketches of Hiram College.” He will present...
Fall Into a Good Book at Your Portage County District Library
The Portage County District Library will begin the Fall into Reading Challenge starting Monday, September 11. Participants can pre-register now at www.portagecountyoh.beanstack.com/reader365 or any PCDL branch location to track reading minutes, write book reviews and participate in fun activities to earn digital tickets and badges. Sign up now for a chance to win an awesome prize basket! Additionally, PCDL’s fall events...
Thomas D. VanKirk of Middlefield
Thomas D. VanKirk, 74, of Middlefield, formerly of Garrettsville, passed away Wednesday, August 30, 2023. He was born June 27, 1949, in Ravenna, to the late Robert and Mary (Christian) VanKirk. He worked at Carlisle Rubber Company for 32 years, never missed a day of work. He enjoyed working on and driving old classic Chevy’s, especially his 1969 Chevelle and...
Phyllis Jahn Smith Evans of Newton Falls
Phyllis Jahn Smith Evans, born October 22, 1935 in Troy Township, Ohio and is flying high with her daughter, Kristen Evans upon her death, August 24, 2023. She was a resident of Newton Falls, Ohio since 2012. She was the daughter of Otto Jahn and Calla Chidsey of Troy Township. Her father passed away when she was a baby, and...
Brandon R. Bailey of Windham Twp
Brandon R. Bailey, 43, of Windham Twp., formerly of Garrettsville, passed away suddenly Saturday, August 26, 2023. He was born in Ravenna on March 5, 1980, to Kevin and Debra (Seibert) Bailey. He was a graduate of James A. Garfield High School. A country boy at heart, Brandon was a proud CDL truck driver for Northeast Express Services, Inc. in...
MaRSI’s 2nd Friday Dinner
The Mantua Restoration Society (MaRSI) will be holding their 2nd Friday Dinner, from 4 – 7pm, on Friday, September 8, 2023. The dinner features home-made main courses, fresh salads, and delectable desserts. There will be background music featuring Skip Schweitzer on guitar, Cal Craig on banjo, and the vocals of Sarah Harvey. If you haven’t been to one of...
Maplewood Career Center Offers Classes for Adults
Now is the time to sign up for evening adult classes at Maplewood Career Center. Adult Education Programs include: Medical Assisting, Precision Machining, Industrial Maintenance, Module Industrial Maintenance Electrical, Fluid Power, or Mechanical, Welding Technologies, or Module Welding. Coming soon – STNA Classes, Cosmetology, and Dental Assisting. Take time to learn a new skill! If you need your...
Be An Educated Hunter: Park Rangers present two-day course for young and beginning hunters
Geauga Park District’s Ranger Department is proud to offer a Hunter Education Course for young and beginning hunters two upcoming Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Big Creek Park’s Donald W. Meyer Center. Registration for the course, on October 14 and 21, is required on the Ohio Division of Natural Resources’ website at https://oh-web.s3licensing.com/Event/Index. Coursework will be for first-time hunters...
Garfield High School’s Freshman Introduction Event Sets the Stage for Academic Success
The week before the start of school, on August 23rd, high school students at James A. Garfield High School organized a freshman-year introduction day for the incoming class of 2027. The event had been in production for many months prior, during these students’ G-men time; this is a period throughout the school day when students can participate in numerous...
Portage County Health District Alerted to an Increase in Toxic Mushroom Exposures
The Ohio Poison Center has been responding to an increased number of serious toxic mushroom exposures across the state of Ohio, including Portage County. Many of the cases involve backyard foraging for mushrooms. Cases associated with liver injury have been tentatively identified as exposure to Amanita bisporigera, otherwise known as Destroying Angel (a type of poisonous mushroom found in...
Garfield G-Men: The Legacy Continues
Though the G-Men football program consistently ranks among the most impressive in the area, every year the community is left wondering: How will this team fare without the seniors? This year was no different. The class of 2023 left Garfield High School as the new winningest class of all time for G-Men football. The class was loaded with athletes...
Planning on G-H Rotary Mural Continues, Reverse Raffle Discussed
The August 28, 2023 meeting of the Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary was held at the dining table of McCumbers-Brady Realty, with a nearly full house of members and guests Kim Bass–speaker, and Jamie Loew–of Middlefield Banking Company. There was a brief report on the arrival of the new Rotary Exchange student, Sarra Masters and her activities at Rotary camp. Also, there is...
Explore Shalersville’s History this Sunday
For everyone who has been posting questions about Shalersville’s one room schools on Facebook, the museum will be open this coming Sunday, September 3, from 2-5 pm. Drop in and chat with curator Judy Richardson and/or browse through a 2021 Shalersville Historical Society calendar which has pictures, maps and descriptions of those 9 one room schools. You may be...
Get Septic Smart!
Preventative maintenance of your septic system not only extends the life of the system, but also protects your investment, our water resources, and public health. Join the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District and Geauga Public Health during national “SepticSmart” week for a free, in-person SepticSmart program on Tuesday, September 19th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Geauga...
Twentieth Century Club to Explore “All Around Town”
Ladies of the Twentieth Century Club of Garrettsville met on August 24, 2023 at the home of newly-elected president Kathy Countryman for their annual Summer Get Together to launch the new 2023-2024 club year. This event traditionally is an occasion for connection and conversation as well as introducing the programs and program booklets for the upcoming year. Since the...
Mantua Rotary To Hold Third-Annual Poker Paddle Event
Rotary Club of Mantua announces their Third Annual Poker Paddle event for Saturday September 16. Kayakers and even canoers can participate by paddling from Camp Hi in Hiram to Buchert Park in Mantua Village, while along the way paddlers are collecting a five card poker hand. The three top hands win cash prizes: $500 for first place, $250 for...
Small Businesses Invited to Free OSHA Trainings Provided by Kent State Geauga
Workers’ rights. Employer responsibilities. Risks, hazards. Protection, prevention. How should small businesses make sense of it all? Kent State University at Geauga is offering a free pilot training program for small businesses in underserved rural communities to help ensure safe and healthy workplaces. As part of its ongoing leadership commitment to regional workforce development, Kent State Geauga is now accepting...
Crestwood Cheer Squad to Perform at 2024 Citrus Bowl with Help From Maggie’s & More
The Crestwood Varsity Cheer squad has been invited to perform at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida in January 2024. According to Jessica Irvine, Head Cheer Coach, the squad earned this honor in a Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) competition at Bowling Green State University during the summer. “Each day, the girls were evaluated on what they learned,” Irvine explained....
Local Author Publishes Second Book of Windham High School Sports History
Windham author George Belden has written his second book of tales of the greatest athletic teams and events in Windham High School history. The book is being published by Amazon, and will be available on the Amazon website September 1. The cost is $14.99. The Windham Bombers, Volume Two has 350 pages filled with stories of Bomber heroes, as they...
Geauga County Fair’s 4-H 5K Steps Off September 3rd
On Sunday, September 3, 2023, runners will gather at The 201st Great Geauga County Fair to run in the 5th annual Great Geauga County Fair 4-H 5K and Fun Run. Running on a picturesque route through Ohio’s oldest continuous county fair, these runners will be helping support the yearly operations of four 4-H clubs in the county including Geauga...
It’s Tournament Time in Garrettsville
What? It’s Not March Madness at all. You say the season has just started? Au contraire, mes amis. It’s an Amish youth (14 and under) softball tournament AND a Whiffle Ball tournament comin’ down the pike, like nothing you’ve ever seen before. For sure. These folks are not mad at anybody; they’re just inviting the whole neighborhood to...
Streetsboro Quilt Guild to Host Annual Show September 29th and 30th
Streetsboro - The Streetsboro Quilt Guild is preparing for its annual judged quilt show. It will be held at the Faith Baptist Church, 9890 Route 43 in Streetsboro, on Friday, Sept. 29th and Saturday, Sept. 30th. The public is invited to enter quilts, wearable quilted items or quilted art pieces in the show. Although it is a judged show, entrants...
United Way of Portage County Welcomes Seven New Board Members
United Way of Portage County is pleased to announce the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Directors. These new directors will provide strategic direction for continued growtharound United Way’s mission – to unite people and resources to improve the quality of life of families and individuals in Portage County. New board members are: George DeBord, Chief Financial Officer of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County Jeff Fowler, a community volunteer who has served on several Portage County boards, including University Hospitals Portage Foundation, Coleman Professional Services and Coleman Foundation Lori Graham, Compliance & CRA Officer for The Middlefield Banking Company Anthony Horton, Director of Personnel for Kent City Schools Melissa Koher, Human Resources Officer for Hometown Bank Dana Lawless-Andric, Associate Vice President, University Outreach & Engagement at Kent State University Mary Ann Schaefer, Manager of Administrative Services at The Davey Tree Expert Company “We welcome these...
Freedom Twp Historical Society News
Freedom Twp. - Freedom Township Historical Society is busy preparing for a September 12th program on Freedom’s 8 one-room school houses. We are searching for any pictures of the schools, students or teachers, the kid hack drivers or any other information you’d love to share with us. Nothing is too unimportant or insignificant, so please call 330–527–7669, and leave...
Eagle Scout Improves Signage at Hiram Field Station
Recently, James A. Garfield graduate Alex Cooper was recognized for completing his Eagle Scout project at Camp Chickagami in Parkman. Alex’s project was to modernize trail signage at the Hiram College James H. Barrow Field Station. According to Alex, “The College was looking to replace older, outdated trail signage, and needed new signs to clearly delineate the trails for local...
