Candance Academy Closes Out Successful Competition Season
Mantua - Candance Dance Academy’s Competition Team closed out an exciting and successful competition season the weekend of April 15th. The team, consisting of students ages 8 to 18, began training in Mantua last July. This season the team competed in multiple categories and genres at four nationally recognized competitions: FLY, the weekend of February 17th in Cuyahoga Falls;...
Backyard Critters 4H News: Brooklyn Lee Elected Vice President
Freedom Twp. - Brooklyn Lee, a dedicated and talented member of the 4H community, has been making headlines with her exceptional achievements for the past six years. As of 2023, Brooklyn’s unwavering commitment to 4H has been evident through her hard work and dedication to raising animals and competing in various categories, where she has consistently displayed her skills...
Garfield Quiz Masters Compete in National Tournament This Weekend
With its strong finish at the Salem Invitational, the quiz bowl team from James A. Garfield High School in Garrettsville proved themselves worthy to play on a national stage. On Friday, April 28, the team will represent their school in a 128-team national competition: National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ Small School National Championship Tournament. Quiz bowl is a competitive, academic, interscholastic...
JAG Students Celebrate Earth Day with Tree Planting
Garrettsville - In honor of Earth Day, the James A. Garfield High School Environmental Club planted a tree behind the JAG Elementary School for the 2023 kindergarten class. Environmental Club founder Luke Finney helped organize the event. This junior helped found the club in March as a student-run club aiming to better the environment around their campus and community....
Zupancic Drive Residents Seek Solution to Flooding Issue
Garrettsville – Village officials present at the April 12th council meeting were: Councilmembers Tom Hardesty, Chris Knop, Sheri Johnson, John Chambers, Rich Beatty, Mayor Rick Patrick, Village Solicitor Michele Stuck, and Assistant Fiscal Officer Deb Wordell. The meeting was called to order shortly after 7:00pm. Minutes of the March 8th meeting were reviewed and approved in a motion made by...
Friends of the Garrettsville Library Book Sale
The Friends of the Garrettsville Library book sale will be held in the library meeting room on the following dates:Friends ‘Members Only’ PreviewWednesday, April 26 from 2 to 6 pmOpen to the publicThursday, April 27 from 10 am to 6 pmFriday, April 28 from 10 am to 6 pmSaturday, April 29 from 10 am to 2 pm.Saturday is Dollar...
Hiram Village News
Hiram - Hiram Fire Department Assistant Chief Jason Groselle was pleased to share that Eric Mathews and Adam Wracher recently joined the Hiram Fire Department team. Both gentlemen were sworn in by Hiram Mayor Lou Bertrand prior to the regular village council meeting and welcomed by members of council.In other Village news, Portage County residents are encouraged to participate...
Shalersville Township Historical Society News
Shalersville - Calling all people from Shalersville who have or are serving in the United States military. The museum will be open to the public Memorial Day weekend & will feature a display of military uniforms, flags, pictures and stories of our service men and women. If you have a photo of a serviceman, please consider loaning it for...
Triple Trail Fest Coming Soon
Mantua - On Friday and Saturday, June 2nd and 3rd, folks from near and far will gather to explore and enjoy the three major trails that converge in Mantua: the Buckeye Trail, Headwaters Trail, and the Cuyahoga River Water Trail. As Mantua has been designated Ohio’s 10th Buckeye Trail Town, the small town with many outdoor recreation opportunities will...
Garrettsville Board of Public Affairs March Recap
Garrettsville - Board of Public Affairs members and village officials attended a meeting in March where which they discussed financial reports, resident concerns, and new and old business. BPA Vice President Ben Coll called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., with Board Member Michael Sherer, Solicitor Michele Stuck, Superintendent Jeff Sheehan, Fiscal Officer Donna Love, Mayor Richard Patrick,...
Mantua Village Seeks OPWC Funding for Storm Sewer Replacement
Mantua - At the start of the March Mantua Village meeting at 6:30 pm, Mayor Clark and Council convened an executive session to discuss the ongoing Police Department investigation. Roughly 30 people were in attendance waiting in the gallery, including three publications, Chief Urso, Patrolman Brothers, and their legal representative. The executive session ended, with Mayor Clark re-convening the...
$2,000 Grand Prize Offered at the United Way of Portage County’s 2nd Annual Reverse Raffle
Ravenna - United Way of Portage County will hold its 2nd Annual Reverse Raffle on Thursday, April 13. The fundraiser will start at 6 p.m. at the Ravenna Elks Club and will be catered by Guido’s. Numbers will be drawn throughout the evening, and the holder of the last number called could walk away with $2,000. The winner need...
Crestwood Schools Receive Security Grant
Mantua - At the last meeting, Superintendent Dr. David Toth congratulated Jeff Woolard and his team for facilitating a $157,000 grant from the Ohio Facilities Commission. The funds will be used for security cameras, door access and hold alarms. Other planned improvements include upgrades to the district’s communications devices, including bus radios and hand held walkie talkies. In addition,...
The 8th Count Dance Center Wins Big At Major Competition
Trip To Showstopper Dance Championships Was An Exciting One Garrettsville - In Sandusky, the weekend of March 31st, The 8th Count Dance Center competed against dozens of dance studios from around the state and area for prestigious top honors at Showstopper, the largest Dance Competition in the Country. Instructors: Shanelle Waggoner, Layla Jordan, Denise Hart, and Ash Olejnik are proud...
Nelson United Methodist Church News
Barbara Cooper has been a member of Nelson United Methodist Church since she was sixteen. Barbara married Dale Cooper in the church on November 16, 1946. At the proud age of 95 she continues to have very active life. Barbara plays games 3 days a week and attends crafty ladies at the church two times a month. She goes to...
Hiram Village News
Hiram - At their last meeting, former Hiram Police Officer Devin Brown was in attendance to inquire about the date of his final payout from the village. Officer Brown was laid off by the village due to budget constraints. Fiscal Officer Susan Skrovan noted that the final payout would be made that week. She noted that the final payout...
Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary Report
Speaker Pam Montgomery of the James A. Garfield Historical Society regaled the members of the Garrettsville-Hiram Rotary Club with fascinating facts about the area–Garrettsville, Hiram, Freedom, Nelson–and its people. This included Garrettsville bands ( Young Garland Randall used to ride his bike in from Nelson so he could play his clarinet), the Ohio Rose developed by a local horticulturist,...
Overdose Surge In Portage County
Portage County is currently experiencing a surge of overdoses. According to Dr. Dean DePerro, the Portage County Coroner, there have been 12 overdose deaths in 28 days which is unprecedented.The Portage County Coroner’s Office, the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, and the Portage County Health District would like to alert the community to the extreme risk...
Hiram Township News
At the last meeting, Road Supervisor Tom Matota discussed work on the culvert at Hankee Road, west of State Route 700. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, State Route 700 will be closed for 14 days between Pioneer Trail and Hankee Road while the project is completed. The project is scheduled to be completed this summer. In other news,...
Long COVID study at University Hospitals Seeks Participants
With about 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 a week currently in Ohio, the contagious virus is still a reality, although easy to forget as many daily activities have returned to normal. As time has gone on, we have also learned the reality of long COVID, which can affect individuals for months or longer with debilitating effects, such as fatigue, brain...
Local Musician Joins “The Shootouts”
Garrettsville - Local musician Mark Butto started playing drums at the age of age 6, under the tutelage of his older brother, Nick. He was jamming with his older brother’s rock bands long before joining band class in fifth grade at JAG Elementary. “It’s never been my goal to be famous. I just want to make a living playing...
Upcoming Events In Mantua
Mantua - Saturday, April 1st Crestwood High School is hosting breakfast and an egg hunt with the Easter Bunny. Breakfast and photos with the Easter Bunny take place from 9 – 10 am at Crestwood Intermediate School. Egg hunts will take place by age group, with children three and under hunting at 10 am, four and five-year-olds hunting at...
“Into the Woods” a Giant Success
Garrettsville - The James A. Garfield High School Musical Theatre department put on their rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” this past weekend. There were four shows over the span of three days, each one more exciting than the last. The Iva Walker auditorium was the venue for the shows, and they lived up to the hype. The story...
Mantua-Shalersville Fire Board News
Mantua - At their last meeting, Chief Matt Roosa informed the board that yard signs are now available for the 2.99 EMS replacement levy that will be on the May 2nd ballot. He noted that the levy was passed by voters four years ago and urged voters to support the MSFD once again. Residents can find out exactly what...
Hiram College Unveils First Graduate Certificate Program In Trauma Informed Education
Hiram - Hiram College is pleased to announce the first certificate program at the graduate level in trauma-informed education. Offered fully online, the new certificate is designed to support professionals working in education and education-related environments in meeting the needs of children and adolescents who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma. “We are very excited about to offer...
Portage Foundation Hosts Non-Profit Conference in April
The Portage Foundation will be hosting a daylong conference on April 21, 2023, to help local non-profit organizations’ staff, boards and volunteers strengthen and develop key skills to build resiliency. The CORE 2023 conference is designed for non-profit groups of all sizes. The CORE 2023 programming for the day will start with a panel discussion of non-profit board members, facilitated...
More Than 200 Young Women Attend Kent State Trumbull’s STEM TC Conference
More than 200 area high school sophomore and junior students attended Kent State University at Trumbull’s STEM Trumbull County (STEM TC) conference on Friday, March 17, where they met and heard from women in science, technology, engineering and math careers, while learning about education programs that support those paths. According to Dr. Valerie Cubon-Bell, Kent State Trumbull’s STEM TC director...
Rare Bird Spotted
Hiram - When Hiram Village resident David Factor happened to look out at his bird feeder around noon one recent Saturday morning, he noticed something unusual. But before he could grab his camera to document the sighting, a titmouse chased the rare find away. He waited, camera in hand, hoping the bird would return. While he waited, he looked...
Ohio Edison Wrapping Up Energy Grid Enhancements to Promote Economic Growth in Rural Portage County
FirstEnergy electric company Ohio Edison is wrapping up energy grid enhancements in northern Portage County that will help promote economic growth and provide an alternate source of power for hundreds of residents and businesses in the Mantua area. “The work in Mantua provides new equipment capabilities and backup power lines that will meet the energy needs of industrial customers looking...
Leagues Organize Public Meetings For Voters To Learn About Election Changes
Portage County voters can find out how changes in Ohio election laws will affect them at three public meetings on March 27, 29 and 30 in Ravenna, Aurora and Kent. The March 27 meeting will start at 7 p.m. at Reed Memorial Library, 167 E. Main St., Ravenna, followed by a meeting on March 29, 7 p.m., at the Aurora...
