Area News

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RESIDENT JEFFREY ENOS Fire broke out about 4 p.m. May 31 following a “loud boom” in the first block of E Randy Street in New Franklin. A neighbor who is a veteran made it out and was taken to a hospital, according to a resident, and some pets belonging to the man…

MERIDETH TERRY Barberton Middle School 6th grader WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCHOOL ACTIVITY? Cheerleading – Barberton Sparkles WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT? Spanish, language arts WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Descendants DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS AND IF SO WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES? A cat named Rocky (2 years old) WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OUTSIDE…

JOSH GORDON Executive director, Barberton Community Foundation    In this continuing series on answering questions I get from community members about the foundation, I am finally able to address one of the most persistent questions I get – what is economic development, and why does the Foundation do it?  Community foundations usually support local nonprofits…

Barberton Community Foundation announced Gil Gonzales has joined the foundation as its new director of economic development, according to a May 28 news release. Gonzales brings a strong background in economic development and a deep commitment to supporting small businesses to his role, where he will lead and support initiatives to grow Barberton’s economic base…

Photos by Bob Morehead/BGNN The Barberton High School Choir sings songs of Americana at the Memorial Day observance. Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 101 and Cub Scout Pack 3101 put the flags at half-staff for Memorial Day. Barberton Mayor William Judge welcomes a crowd of hundreds to the city’s Memorial Day observance at Lake Anna.…

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BARBERTON TREE SERVICE Barberton Tree Service removes a tree from a house in Akron. A 33-year-old man was found deceased on the top floor of the house underneath part of the tree that landed on the house during a recent storm. By EMILY CANNING-DEAN BGNN staff writer BARBERTON  Following a tragedy that…

PHOTOS FROM COVENTRY FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 2286 ON FACEBOOK By BOB MOREHEAD BGNN senior staff writer BARBERTON  It took 17 firefighters from three departments about half an hour May 22 to extinguish a fire at a Ries Street address that started on the porch. “The call came in around 1:20 p.m.,” Barberton Fire Chief Steve Ionno…

*Editor’s note: Because of a pagination error, this story began on the front page of the May 23 print and e-edition but the rest of the story was not printed inside. Here is the complete article, which will rerun in its entirety in the May 30 edition. BGNN staff report BARBERTON  A clean audit was…

NI’AISA BRYANT Barberton High School 12th grade WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCHOOL ACTIVITY, CLUB, SPORT? Key Club, Upward Bound WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT? History DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS AND IF SO WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES? Yes, Sky and Flynn WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL? Working STNA program WHAT DO YOU WANT…

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BARBERTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Parasson’s was born in Barberton as Tonyo’s Pizza. The chain is consolidating all operations into its Waterloo Road location, shuttering its birthplace.   By BOB MOREHEAD BGNN senior staff writer BARBERTON  COVID stole a lot, and not just our loved ones. Now, four years post-peak, we’re still reaping the…