Happy Friday! Hope everyone has had a phenomenal week! Last time you all voted for the first guide you wanted and the restaurant guide won in a landslide! As we continue to build out that guide we would love more recommendations! We hit up Twisted Olive for the first time this week and it was a treat! Definitely a great spot for the family or a date night!
-Akron Housing Assembly
-Projects 2026
-Grocery Giveaway
-Local Case-> Ohio Supreme Court
-Canton Schools Consolidation
-Events and More!
-JJ
Akron Launches First-Ever Civic Assembly to Tackle Housing Crisis
Akron is trying a new approach to one of its most persistent problems: housing. This week, the city announced the launch of the Akron Civic Assembly, a resident-led body designed to study housing challenges and propose solutions directly to city leadership.
The urgency is clear. In neighborhoods like Middlebury, roughly 75% of homes are owned by absentee landlords or outside investment portfolios, meaning most housing-related profits leave the community. Local leaders say this trend has weakened neighborhood stability and limited opportunities for Akron residents to build wealth through homeownership.
To address this, the city is partnering with Unify Akron, part of Unify America, to convene a 65-person assembly of randomly selected Akron residents. The group will reflect the city’s full geographic and demographic diversity and meet from March 14 to May 14 for about 50 total hours of discussion and deliberation.
Participants will examine issues such as housing affordability, eviction rates, absentee ownership, and neighborhood conditions. Members will be paid $1,000, with childcare and transportation support provided to remove barriers to participation. Any Akron resident over 18 can apply by Feb. 16, with members chosen by lottery on Feb. 24.
City leaders emphasized that the assembly is independent by design. Shammas Malik signed a memorandum of understanding committing the city to publicly respond to every recommendation the group makes by fall 2026, and to issue housing progress updates every six months for two years afterward.
City Council President Margo Sommerville said Council is prepared to cooperate legislatively to turn recommendations into real policy. An accountability team, led by Robert DeJournett, will monitor whether city officials follow through.
Organizers stress this is not just another study. As Unify Akron leaders put it, the goal is action-using residents’ lived experiences as real data to guide housing policy and ensure that future investment benefits Akron neighborhoods, not just outside owners.
North Canton Plans Park Upgrades and Major Public Safety Projects for 2026
North Canton residents will see visible upgrades this year, starting with long-overdue improvements at Price Park. A new playground and gazebo are expected to open sometime this spring, giving the 60-year-old park its first major facelift in decades.
City officials say Price Park has seen few upgrades since the 1980s. The new playground will replace 20-year-old, deteriorating equipment, while the gazebo will replace a 40-year-old structure with failing wood flooring. Accessibility improvements are also underway, including ADA-compliant grading, widened pathways, and a new concrete floor.
The park upgrades are fully grant-funded: $300,000 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the gazebo and $250,000 in capital improvement funds for the playground. Planning for the project began in 2024.
Beyond parks, North Canton is also moving forward with major infrastructure investments. A new fire station, the city’s largest project in 50 years, is scheduled to break ground May 18. The station will cost an estimated $14 million, funded through debt supported by the city’s recently approved 0.5% income tax increase.
Additionally, the city plans to renovate City Hall space for the police department, a project estimated at $1 million.
City leaders say the projects reflect voter-backed investments aimed at improving public safety, accessibility, and long-term community amenities.
Free Grocery Giveaway Returns to Canton Area Jan. 10
Families facing food insecurity can attend the Goodr Pop-Up Grocery Market from 1–4 p.m. on Jan. 10 at Oakwood Middle School in Plain Township.
Social-impact company Goodr is partnering once again with the McCollum family to provide a free, dignity-focused grocery shopping experience. The event is expected to serve 500 pre-registered families, each receiving a week’s worth of groceries at no cost - including fresh produce, meat, eggs, bread, milk, and shelf-stable essentials.
This marks the sixth year of the Goodr–McCollum family partnership. The need remains significant: 14.5% of Stark County residents are food insecure, including more than 20% of children, according to Feeding America.
Pre-registration is required. ⬇️
The McCollum Brothers & Family Presents: A Goodr Grocery Pop-up Market Tickets, Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite
Ohio Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to North Canton Rental Inspections
The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments Jan. 8 in a case challenging the constitutionality of North Canton’s rental inspection law.
The case was brought by CF Homes, a landlord that refused a city inspection of its rental property on North Main Street unless officials obtained a court-approved warrant. North Canton later secured an administrative inspection warrant, arguing inspections are necessary to ensure rental units meet health and safety standards.
The disputed ordinance, first enacted in 2023, required landlords with eight or fewer units to register and allow city inspections. City council later expanded the requirement to include all rental properties in North Canton.
CF Homes argues the inspections amount to unconstitutional searches, claiming the city lacked probable cause and that Ohio’s constitution provides stronger protections than federal law in non-criminal cases. North Canton maintains it followed proper legal procedures and had sufficient cause to inspect in order to protect public health and safety.
Lower courts sided with the city, including Stark County Common Pleas Court and the Fifth District Court of Appeals, both of which ruled the ordinance constitutional.
Each side will have 15 minutes to argue before the court in Columbus. A decision is not expected for several months and could have statewide implications for how cities regulate and inspect rental housing.
Oral Argument Schedule⬇️
Oral Argument Calendar » Supreme Court of Ohio
Canton City Schools Unveils Major Consolidation Plan Amid Budget Crisis
Canton City Schools officials announced a sweeping cost-cutting plan as the district faces a projected $17 million budget deficit by 2028, driven largely by declining state and federal funding.
Superintendent Jeff Talbert said funding losses totaled about $7 million in 2025, with shortfalls expected to grow to $38 million by 2029. The district is required to submit a formal reduction plan to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by the end of January.
What’s changing
The plan centers on accelerated school consolidation, building closures, and attendance-zone redraws to reduce operational, transportation, and staffing costs.
Key changes include:
Belle Stone Elementary will close at the end of the school year and be sold.
A new Timken Elementary School will replace Worley Elementary, absorbing students from several schools.
Multiple schools will merge, reconfigure grade levels, or be repurposed over the next two years.
Attendance zones are being redrawn, with parents receiving notices this month.
Several older buildings will be sold or demolished to reduce maintenance costs.
Staffing impacts
Because 84% of the district’s budget goes to salaries, staffing reductions are unavoidable:
About 30 teaching positions and nine administrative roles will be eliminated.
District leaders expect most reductions to occur through attrition and retirements, not layoffs.
Class sizes will increase by three to five students, with aides placed in all kindergarten classrooms.
Programs and administration
AIM Academy at Belden will return to a traditional calendar and operate as a K-6 school.
The Arts Academy will expand and eventually move into Crenshaw Middle School.
Administrative offices will be consolidated, and one administration building will be demolished to make way for parking.
Levy likely ahead
Even with cuts totaling more than $17 million over two years, the district still projects a $10.5 million shortfall in 2029. Officials are considering placing a 7.9-mill operating levy on the November ballot, which would generate about $8.4 million annually.
A special board meeting is set for Jan. 12, with final approval of the plan expected Jan. 26. Parent meetings on attendance-zone changes are being held throughout January.
Events for This Week!
“American Idiot” (Millennial Theatre Project) – This high‑energy musical runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9‑25 on the Knight Stage at 182 S. Main St. Tickets start around $20.
Is This Thing On? at Nightlight Cinema – Multiple showings of a stand‑up‑comedy film on Jan. 9 and 10; check the Nightlight Cinema schedule.
Holiday Extravaganza Cheer & Dance Championships – A large cheer and dance competition at the John S. Knight Center on Jan. 10 from 7 a.m.–9 p.m. The event is run by US Cheer Productions and promises fun and affordable competition.
Snowball Crawl presented by Thirsty Dog – Sample craft beers from local breweries at Lock 3 on Jan. 10, 2–6 p.m. Tickets are sold at the door ($3 per sample or $28 for 10). The event is indoors and limited to ages 21+.
Aviators vs. Steel City Yellow Jackets – The Akron Aviators host the Steel City Yellow Jackets on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at A Giving Heart Community Center (tickets from $5).
Hope this week has been amazing for you all and we are starting to build out those restaurant guides that you all voted for last time!