Area News

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TIFFANY MEAD A blessing box – a small self-service food pantry – in a Barberton neighborhood that had been attached to the side of a building for years was recently repaired and days later was found destroyed. By CHRISTINA McCUNE BGNN managing editor BARBERTON  What began as a mystery in this city…

ARCHIVE PHOTO FROM PREVIOUS BLUE TIP PARADE By EMILY CANNING-DEAN BGNN staff writer WADSWORTH  A 3-year-old boy was hospitalized after he was struck by a modified ride-on car at the Blue Tip Parade June 23. Police said the incident took place at approximately 6:40 p.m. along the parade route near Broad Street and Auble Street.…

BGNN staff report BARBERTON  A car with three men crashed into a utility pole on S Van Buren Avenue around 10 p.m. June 18, leaving one dead and the other two injured. Police say all three were injured in the crash and the dead man had also been shot. The two survivors were taken to…

BGNN staff report BARBERTON  Mayor William B. Judge issued a letter of resignation June 15 effective immediately. “Today, with a heavy heart, I announce my resignation from my position as Mayor of the City of Barberton, effective today,” the letter states, which was emailed from Judge to The BGNN. “Public service has never been simply a…

  PHOTOS BY HEATHER IMMLER AND CHRISTINA McCUNE | BGNN Kavé Coffee Bar manager Ryan Struckel’s vision is coming to life at the rooftop patio to pay tribute to local history and educate and remind people of all ages about buildings and individuals who have shaped the Magic City. Artist Curtis Goldstein designed the completed…

This appeared in the Feb. 11 edition of The BGNN. Barberton Community Foundation Executive Director Josh Gordon Last month, I shared some background on the listening and research journey the Foundation has been on for the past 18-24 months. The journey I refer to includes the 100+ conversations with community members, and the various research…

By BOB MOREHEAD BGNN senior staff writer BARBERTON  The building secured and the engineering half done, Barberton is taking an abrupt turn in its bid for a new municipal office home. Instead of the 40-plus-year-old former FirstMerit building downtown, bought with $850,000 of federal COVID relief money, officials are eying the much newer Summit County…

Photos by MAGIC CITY AERIALS The 30th Anna Dean Walking Tour is 2 p.m. Sunday, May 31 at the Piggery in Barberton. By CHRISTINA McCUNE BGNN managing editor BARBERTON Magic City history buffs and O.C. Barber fans – and architecture and barn enthusiasts in general – may want to break out their most comfortable walking…

PHOTO PROVIDED A matching grant from the Barberton Community Foundation will support the redevelopment of the Tracy Building, also known as Alexander Commons, at 554-560 W Tuscarawas Ave. The long-term vision for the site includes 32 to 38 upper-floor apartments and renovated first-floor commercial space. BGNN staff report BARBERTON  A matching grant from the Barberton…

BGNN staff report BARBERTON  City council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether the city should contract with Summit County to serve as a certified building commissioner for the city’s building department. Mayor William Judge said he believes it may be more advantageous for the city to contract with a private company instead. His concerns…