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A Southeast student was alone in the basement with her boyfriend when she died. Prosecutors say he killed her.

When Deerfield resident Haley DeYoung, 20, thinks about Kaylee Freitag, she thinks of the color yellow. She remembers hours, days and years just hanging out and doing what teenaged girls do: visiting a nearby pond, coloring, listening to music, watching movies and going to Eastwood Mall.

Garrettsville Village Council scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. April 14 to address legislation aimed at residents who dump their items on the curb. “We’ve had a rash of people putting a lot of junk out on the curb,” Council President Tom Hardesty said. “Furniture, mattresses that kind of stuff. Right now we’re at a loss as to how we inflict compliance on this. We want to assess a fine right away. We’ll probably end up putting it on their taxes if they don’t comply.”

Finance Director Todd Bragg’s days at the Portage County Administrative Building are numbered as county commissioners placed him on administrative leave in a surprise finale of their March 11 meeting. Bragg has until Monday to submit his resignation or be fired. Commissioners Vicki Kline and Tony Badalamenti supported Bragg’s termination. Commission President Sabrina Christian-Bennett disagreed and distanced herself from their action. The decision came suddenly and took place in front of a nearly empty room. The commissioners went into executive […]

Portage County officials have raised concerns about key parts of the sheriff’s sweeping budget reforms, which call for a spending increase of $2.9 million over three years to cover raises, new hires, facilities repairs and new equipment.

Meeting with county commissioners for the first time since taking office two months ago, Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski and Chief Deputy Ralph Spidalieri laid out a proposal to expand their fleet so that every deputy has a vehicle.

The health department partnered with the center to make the Covid-19 vaccine more accessible to the predominantly Black community the center serves The Portage County health department vaccinated about 42 people against Covid-19 at the Skeels-Mathews Community Center in Ravenna Township Tuesday, making the vaccine more accessible to the predominantly Black community in that area. “I want to make sure people of color get their shots,” said Frank Hairston of the Portage County NAACP. “I want to make sure people in […]

In our interview with County Commissioner Kathleen Clyde, conducted June 12, we discussed the county’s funding of the sheriff’s office, what she and the other commissioners are doing to address racism in the county and her thoughts on the movement to ‘defund police.’

Imani Simmons said her court date was postponed because of the pandemic and she did not receive any updates — until she saw the sheriff’s Facebook page

A screenshot of the Portage County Sheriff’s office’s Facebook post Sheriff’s office ‘wanted posters’ for traffic tickets raise ethical concerns over public shaming Facebook posts are meant to resolve outstanding warrants more quickly and without arrests, the department says Update Feb. 18, 2021: The sheriff’s office posted a statement on its Facebook page Thursday saying it would “continue to use our social media platform to assist us and keep residents informed.” The Portage County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday posted personal details of […]

Anne Marie Noble sits with Mark Minadeo at the Haven’s warming center in the Immaculate Conception Parish Hall on Wednesday. Minadeo, who currently does not have access to stable housing, said he’d be sleeping on the street if it weren’t for the warming center. Michael Indriolo/The Portager The Haven opens warming center as cold snap and blizzard sweep over Portage County The Haven of Portage County is providing shelter and meals to those experiencing homelessness during winter weather since last week Bracing […]

King Kennedy Center Director Myia Sanders said some residents of the McElrath neighborhood have been waiting their whole lives for the construction of a gym on the complex. Michael Indriolo/The Portager Commissioners signal support for King Kennedy Center gym despite tumultuous application process Although county commissioners suggested they would approve the project last year, they have not released funding because the application was not in line with a new approval process For nearly 50 years, community leaders in Ravenna’s McElrath Park […]

The flag of Portage County outside the Kent Municipal Court on Jan. 28, 2021. Michael Indriolo/The Portager Sheriff Zuchowski seeks approval to hire a new labor negotiator Central Ohio law firm Clemans Nelson would replace the county attorney for sheriff’s office union negotiations Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski requested the county commissioners’ approval on Tuesday to hire a new labor negotiator for sheriff’s office negotiations who would replace the attorney the county currently uses for nearly all of its union negotiations. Zuchowski, […]

Nanway Boulevard, which leads to the Portage County Regional Airport, is full of potholes and just one of the many infrastructure improvements that will cost the airport millions. Michael Indriolo/The Portager County commissioners move forward with Portage County airport takeover The change of ownership will help resolve chronic financial problems, officials say The Portage County Board of Commissioners pressed forward with its plan to take over the county’s airport on Tuesday, rescuing the airport authority from the burden of overseeing tens […]

Fearless Femme creator Suzy D’Enbeau said she started her live storytelling shows to get to know more people in the community outside of her job teaching at Kent State. Michael Indriolo/The Portager

Kent City Council has its eye on chimney swifts, which will soon have a new roost in the Tree City. Council met Wednesday to review a project to install a new chimney swift tower on the Hike and Bike Trail along Haymaker Parkway, just east of the police station and across from where Erie Street cuts into Haymaker, City Engineer Jim Bowling said.

After a big salary bump for command staff, the union is optimistic that rank and file could also see raises

A document showing the salaries of non-union sheriff’s office employees in 2020 and 2021. Command staff hired as part of an incoming administration are not represented by a union. Sent to The Portager by the Portage County Auditor’s office on Jan. 21. New sheriff gifts big raises to command staff and a big truck for himself Commission president calls increases ‘exorbitant,’ sheriff’s office says they’re necessary to retain talent Within his first weeks in office, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski raised command staff […]

Streetsboro junction ranked most dangerous intersection in Akron metropolitan area Streetsboro, Ravenna and Kent each contain locations ranked among the most dangerous in Portage County The intersection of state Routes 43 and 14 in Streetsboro is the most dangerous crossing in all of Portage and Summit counties, according to the latest annual report from the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS). These reports help local municipalities identify dangerous roadways and intersections and apply for safety funding through the Ohio Department of […]

Kent Police Officers Lenny Kunka (left) and Kyle Auckland (right) who were shot responding to an armed home invasion in Kent on Saturday. Kent Police Department photos Officers rescue 14-year-old babysitter and infant from armed home invader A bullet-proof vest saved one officer’s life, police said The person who placed a panicked 911 call to Kent police on Saturday morning was a 14-year-old babysitter, who locked herself in the bathroom with the 1-year-old infant in her care as an armed man forced […]

Kent Police Lieutenant Mike Lewis during a video press conference on Saturday. Three shot after a home invasion in Kent, with no deaths An armed suspect clashed with Kent police officers Saturday morning Two Kent police officers and a suspect were shot during an armed home invasion at a residence on Summit Street in Kent on Saturday morning, a police spokesman said. Both officers suffered only minor injuries and should recover, said Kent Police Lt. Mike Lewis in a video press release. […]