By Phil Keren
The Summiteer

An estimated $35 million project launched last fall will connect all 31 Summit County communities to a public safety fiber network and give internet service firms the opportunity to extend service to residents and businesses.

County leaders decided to initiate the Summit Connects project after the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of having reliable high-speed internet access.

“The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the growing digital divide present in…

By Tom Hardesty

Effective Jan. 9, the Cuyahoga Falls Library is eliminating overdue fines on most items and announcing fine forgiveness. The new checkout policy was approved Dec. 17 by the library’s board of trustees.

“We are thrilled to announce that the Cuyahoga Falls Library is now fine-free,” library Director Andrew Harant said. “One of our core values is access – to our collections, resources and services. Studies show that eliminating fines…

Staff report

Hudson City Council has approved a 10-year grant agreement to incentivize the relocation of Charter Communications’ regional operations.

The annual grant will be equal to 50% of the city income taxes paid by the company’s employees. Hudson has a 2% income tax rate.

The telecommunications company, which is headquartered in Connecticut and does business as Spectrum, will move employees from several regional offices outside the county to 280 Executive…

Sometimes it is the simplest

gifts which bring the most joy

on Christmas day.

I can attest to that, even more than a week past Christmas.

For Christmas I received cookies, candy and hot sauce to slather on my food. I was given processed meat links to munch between meals and books to occupy my time. 

And due to an illness I have presents that I have not opened…

By Tom Hardesty
The Summiteer

Summit County says “big pharma” helped to create the opioid crisis — and the county plans to use that industry’s own money to help defeat it.

In 2017, Summit County was joined by 21 communities and Summit County Public Health in filing a lawsuit against opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies, with the county being awarded $104 million in the resulting litigation settlement.

Now, $45 million of that…

Christine Cipa has joined Tallmadge City Council as its newest at-large member. 

A longtime city resident and former Tallmadge Board of Education member, Cipa said she is eager to “catch up” on council business and serve the community. 

“My husband and I love it here,” she said. “We love Tallmadge. If we didn't, we wouldn't still be here. We have a great school system. We have great neighborhoods. My goal, I guess…

By Phil Keren
The Summiteer

Cuyahoga Falls is making another large investment to upgrade the infrastructure and aesthetic features in its downtown.

The city is paying Kenmore Construction $6.4 million to perform a streetscape transformation project along Front Street running from Broad Boulevard south to Grant Avenue. The visual elements in this section are being updated to tie it in with the rest of downtown, according to Carrie Snyder, Director of the…

Tallmadge residents are getting a new option for their natural gas service.

The City of Tallmadge has partnered with Eastern Power & Gas (Eastern PNG), a new supplier in Ohio, to provide natural gas services to the city. Participants in the natural gas aggregation program will be charged a fixed rate of $3.85/Mcf.

This rate will last 24 months, starting in November 2024 (December 2024 billing cycle) and running through October 2026…

Hey everybody, it's Ben Wolford. Your Summiteer publisher. I've got two things for you today before heading into the long Thanksgiving weekend: a news story and a survey.

But first I just want to say...

It's been an amazing week of new signups. Thank you all so much for joining us. It really shows the need for local news in Summit County. I'm going to be sending out an update to paid…

Hey everybody! This is Ben Wolford, editor and publisher of this here newspaper. I'll keep this email as short as possible.

First, I want to welcome all the new subscribers to our community. Everyone here is joining us at the ground level, which makes each of you an important player in the future of local news in Summit County.

Some of you remember signing up for a different publication we launched a…

We're thrilled to announce that The Summiteer is currently under construction and will be launching soon! We’re hard at work creating a gathering place online for all of our members, where you can find exclusive content and connect with others.

While we put on the finishing touches, we invite you to be among the first to experience The Summiteer. By subscribing now, you'll stay informed and be ready to explore all the…