Season of giving: Hooker’s All Ohio Recovery has biggest bike, toy giveaway
PHOTOS BY AMBER MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY Hooker’s All Ohio Recovery had its biggest bike and toy giveaway ever Dec. 21. By CHRISTINA McCUNE | BGNN managing editor BARBERTON For years, Rick Hooker, owner of Hooker’s All Ohio Recovery, has fixed up bicycles and given them to neighborhood kids. The family-owned and operated business at 188 Snyder…
Read MoreWendi R. Barnes-Lewis
Wendi R. Barnes-Lewis passed away on January 24, 2026. Preceded in death by her precious son Jacob, loving parents Dennis and Linda Barnes, and cherished brother-in-law Michael Stobaugh. She is survived by the two other blessings in her life, her son Jordan and daughter Lindsay. Also, her loving and supportive family Skip (Edie) Barnes, Vicki…
Read MoreJames “Jim” Edward Jones, 86
James “Jim” Edward Jones James “Jim” Edward Jones, 86, passed away Saturday, January 24, 2026. He was born on August 30, 1939 in Akron, Ohio to the late Ed and Ethel Jones. Jim was a graduate of Akron Central High School, Class of 1957 …
Read MoreCentenarian recalls simpler past, meeting town founders
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA McCUNE | BGNN Laura Witchey enjoys a visit and shares laughs with her granddaughter, Sarah Witchey, in December in Norton as they take a trip down memory lane. The matriarch of the family will celebrate her 104th birthday this month. By CHRISTINA McCUNE BGNN managing editor NORTON Laura Witchey isn’t on TikTok.…
Read More‘It’s just what we do’ — Game Changers honored at annual BCF dinner
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA McCUNE | BGNN Ray E. Leach Jr. puts on his apron and jokes at the Nov. 6 Barberton Community Foundation dinner that’s how people best recognize him from Leach’s Meats & Sweets. He was named a 2025 Game Changer Award recipient along with the Barberton Police Department. Barberton Police Chief Vince…
Read MoreWish come true: O.C. Barber Wishing Well repaired thanks to donors and history lovers
PHOTO BY CONRAD STORAD |For the BGNN This photo was taken in November of the repaired O.C. Barber Wishing Well made possible thanks to donations from neighbors, residents and local history buffs. By SHEILA SCHNERING BGNN contributor “Make a wish into the well, That’s all you have to do, And if you hear it echoing,…
Read MoreJonathan Paul Todd “JT”, 51
Jonathan Paul Todd (“JT”), age 51, of Gahanna, Ohio, passed away on January 19, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. JT was born in Barberton, Ohio, to Ray and Claudia Todd. He was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend to many. Yet even these words fall short of capturing the…
Read MoreBCF executive director: The time to help others is now
JOSH GORDON, Barberton Community Foundation director If you’ve been up with the news, you are likely aware that some of the consequences of the extended federal government shutdown are beginning to show up in communities across the country, including here in Barberton. Specifically, I am referring to some of our neighbors who are experiencing food…
Read MoreMable “Midge” Patterson, 83
With heavy hearts, we share that our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mable “Midge” Patterson, passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026. Even as she battled Alzheimer’s disease for several years, her kind and loving spirit remained constant. Midge passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by the care and comfort of her family. Though…
Read MoreRed maple planted in memory of ‘Red Tails’
PHOTOS BY TIM YEAGER City workers plant a Red Sunset Maple Tree for members of the Celtic Club and others at Lake Anna in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen – the Red Tails – America’s first Black fighter pilots in World War II. From left, John Collver (Celtic Club Vice President), Pastor Rodney Bowden and…
Read More