BARBERTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION EXEC DIR: “What keeps me up at night?”
Josh Gordon, Barberton Community Foundation executive director I am sometimes asked: “What keeps you up at night?” For those who know me well, they know I sleep like a baby – meaning I toss and turn all night and wake up a bunch! Today, I want to share two things that keep me up at…
Read MoreAcademic HOF inductees grateful to their Barberton High School roots, teachers
PHOTOS BY JOSEPH NICHOLAS 2025 Barberton Academic Hall of Fame Rob Branham, Class of 1993, David R. Cooper, Class of 1962, Anne-Marie Anderson, Class of 1983, Marty Eberhart, Class of 1993, Christine Duncan Finan, Class of 1977, Aaron Day, Class of 1991, James E. Young, Class of 1979 Barberton High School student ambassadors for Barberton…
Read MoreEMMITT: Best paw forward for BPD
PHOTO PROVIDED Barberton K9 officer Emmitt and handler Katie Fleming COMPILED BY EMILY CANNING-DEAN | BGNN staff writer BARBERTON Ever since he was 8 weeks old, K9 Officer Emmitt has been serving the Barberton community as the Barberton Police Department’s first therapy/crisis K9. He has been with the department for almost two years. Recently…
Read MoreSandra Sue Simons, 80
“Together Again” Sandra Sue Simons, age 80, passed away on November 23, 2025. She was born June 25, 1945, in Elkins, West Virginia. She enjoyed gardening, outdoors and flowers. She is preceded in death by her husband, Averill R. Simons. Sandra is survived by her three children: Averill, Jr., Charles Simons and Kimberly (Jerry) Stabarz;…
Read MoreLOCAL BOOK REVIEW ‘Falling’ is white-knuckle thrill ride
Boarding pass. Check. Seat belt buckled. Check. Trays in the upright position. Check. Now sit back and enjoy this white-knuckle thriller of a roller coaster that is “Falling.” For Bill Hoffman, a seasoned airline captain, it’s just another day at work flying passengers from Los Angeles to New York. Until a call comes in midflight.…
Read MoreBARBERTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Exporting our Magic: Survey results
This column from Barberton Community Foundation Executive Director Josh Gordon appeared in the Aug. 7, 2025 edition of The BGNN. Josh Gordon, BCF executive director As some of you may recall, the Foundation recently conducted a survey – called the 2025 Barberton Community Impact & Alignment Study – to help us better understand the challenges…
Read MoreSinger, soccer player, cancer survivor hopes to inspire others
This story appeared in the July 31, 2025 edition of The Barberton Gazette & Norton News. PHOTOS BY CARMEN CARLUCCI Alexis Haynes, 18, found out a week after graduating from Barberton High School that she had ovarian cancer. The soccer player, singer and Kavé Coffee Bar barista who plans to pursue a career in the…
Read MoreLinda M. Fogle, 84
Linda M. Fogle Linda M. Fogle, 84, went home to be with her Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, November 21, 2025. She was born in Barberton on September 28, 1941 to the late Sheldon and Gertrude Bile. Linda was a graduate of Barberton High School, Class of 1959. She retired from First Merit Bank as…
Read MoreDurrell “Dink” Davis
Born in Barberton, OH in 1939, Durrell “Dink” Davis grew up on Wadsworth Road in Norton and is a 1959 graduate of Norton High School. In 1958, he was the Beacon Journal All Star in football. He met his sweetheart Donna in 1960, marrying in 1962 and having 3 children over the next 7 years:…
Read More2025 BARBERTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME – Scott Sabol
By RANDY FORST BGNN sports editor The 2025 Barberton Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be Nov. 26 at Al’s banquet facility. This year’s class includes Mike Bodnar, Brittany Mingo, Scott Sabol, Mike Palija, Charlie Ries (O.C. Barber) and Barberton Tree (President’s Award). A 2013 Barberton graduate, Scott Sabol was an outstanding basketball and…
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