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Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope everyone’s month of June went amazingly, although I got to admit, this month flew by like no other. Hopefully if you felt anything similar, you were able to appreciate the small things throughout this past month.
Now, in today’s edition:
Akron and Canton both look at tighter data center rules
Akron families worry about another round of school closures
Housing projects are moving across the region
A major FirstEnergy lawsuit gets dismissed
-Events!!!
-JJ
Akron and Canton are both taking a harder look at data centers
Data centers are no longer just a faraway tech story. They’re becoming a local zoning issue, and both Akron and Canton are trying to get their rules in place before more proposals arrive.
In Akron, future data centers may soon need conditional-use approval before they can be built. That would give the city a formal review process instead of treating these projects like ordinary industrial development. Canton is moving in a similar direction, with new zoning language expected to go before City Council on July 27.
This matters because data centers can sound harmless from a distance. They don’t bring smokestacks or big crowds, and they’re often pitched as modern economic development. But once they get closer to neighborhoods, the questions become more practical: How much power will they use? Will they create noise? What happens to nearby roads, land values, and water demand? And most importantly, do residents get a real chance to weigh in before the project is already too far along?
For Akron-Canton, this feels like the right moment to slow the process down. The goal doesn’t have to be saying no to every project. It should be making sure each one fits the place where it wants to land.
Akron families are worried about more neighborhood school closures
This is one of those stories where the numbers are about enrollment, but the feeling is about home.
Akron Public Schools has far fewer students than it did decades ago, and that creates a hard reality for the district. Fewer students usually means less money, more empty space, and tough questions about which buildings can stay open. But for families, a school is not just a line item. It’s where kids make friends, where parents build routines, and often one of the last major anchors left in a neighborhood.
That’s why another possible round of closures feels so heavy for some Akron residents. Many neighborhoods have already lived through school consolidations, building changes, and the sense that services keep moving farther away. When a school closes, families may have to adjust transportation, after-school care, and the daily rhythm of getting children safely where they need to go.
There is a brighter piece here too. APS is offering a free July “Jump Start to Kindergarten” program for up to 500 students, giving younger kids a chance to build confidence before the school year starts. That kind of early support matters, especially in a district trying to make bigger structural decisions.
The challenge is making sure families feel included in both conversations: the immediate work of helping kids succeed, and the bigger decisions about what the district will look like in the years ahead.
Housing is moving in a few different directions around Akron-Canton
Housing has been one of the clearest themes across the region this week.
Green has signed off on plans for 101 homes at the old horse farm site along Greensburg Road. Akron is looking at zoning changes that could make it easier to build more housing. A new veterans housing project has broken ground in the city. And in Stark County, a Lake Township development is moving forward with help from a tax incentive deal.
Each project is different, but together they point to the same question: what kind of growth does Akron-Canton want?
More homes can help ease pressure in a tight market, especially if supply has not kept up with demand. But new housing also changes traffic patterns, school enrollment, infrastructure needs, and the feel of nearby neighborhoods. That’s why these stories matter beyond the people who will eventually live in the new units. They shape what a community becomes.
The veterans housing project is especially important because it addresses a more specific need. Housing instability among veterans is still a real issue, and projects like this can offer more than a roof. The best versions connect people to stability, services, and a better shot at staying housed long term.
The big picture is that Akron-Canton is not standing still. Homes are being planned, incentives are being offered, and zoning rules are being reconsidered. The next step is making sure the growth actually serves the people already here, not just the market on paper.
Investors see ANOTHER return from Masterworks (!!!!)
That’s 6 sales in 7 months. 29 all time. And the performance?
16.5%, 17.6%, and 17.8%, net annualized returns on sold works held longer than one year (See all 29 at Masterworks.com)
It’s not from stocks, private equity, or real estate… it’s from contemporary and post war art. Crazy, right?
With Masterworks, you don’t need to be a BILLIONAIRE to invest in multi-million dollar art anymore.
Historically, the segment overall has had attractive appreciation and low correlation to stocks.*
Masterworks targets works featuring legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso, identifying what they believe to have significant long-term appreciation potential, not just at the artist level but at the level of individual artworks.
As one of the largest players in the art market, with $1.3 billion invested over 500 artworks, they pass critical advantages through to their 70,000+ members to add art to their portfolios strategically.
Looking to diversify your investments in 2026?
*According to Masterworks data. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
A major FirstEnergy lawsuit was dismissed
The HB6 scandal has been around long enough that some people may feel like they already know the story. But the legal fallout is still moving, and this week brought another major turn.
A federal judge dismissed the SEC’s $20 million securities fraud lawsuit against former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones. That is a significant legal win for Jones, and another complicated chapter in one of the biggest public corruption stories Ohio has seen in years.
For Northeast Ohio, the FirstEnergy story has always carried extra weight. This is not some distant corporation with no local footprint. It is tied to the region’s economy, politics, utility bills, and public trust. The larger HB6 scandal raised uncomfortable questions about how power moves in Ohio, who gets access, and how much ordinary residents actually know before big decisions are made in their name.
The dismissal does not erase the broader scandal. It does mean this specific SEC case will not move forward as filed. For residents, the important part is that the accountability story is still not simple. Some cases advance. Some fall apart. Some questions remain unanswered.
And that’s probably why this story still matters. It is not just about one executive or one lawsuit. It is about whether Ohio can rebuild trust after a scandal that made a lot of people wonder who government was really working for.-An indoor farmers market will run 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Canton Museum of Art (1001 Market Ave. N.). The free event features local food vendors, health and wellness products, free soup and bread samples, recycled arts and crafts demos, free seeds, balloon art, and kids’ activities.
Events Coming Up: July 1-5
Wicked: For Good at Centennial Plaza | 7PM, July 1 (FREE)
Location: Canton Centennial Plaza
Description: Canton Palace Theatre’s free outdoor movie series continues downtown, with pre-movie entertainment starting at 6:15PM.
Free Thursday at Akron Art Museum | 12PM-9PM, July 2 (FREE)
Location: Akron Art Museum
Description: A good low-cost downtown stop before the holiday weekend fully kicks in.
All-American Burger & BBQ Festival | 11AM-11PM, July 2-4 (FREE)
Location: Lock 3, Akron
Description: Three days of food vendors, concerts, kids activities, and downtown summer energy.
Donnie Iris and The Cruisers | 8:30PM, July 3
Location: Lock 3, Akron
Description: Part of the Burger & BBQ Festival lineup, with the Michael Weber Show at 7PM before Donnie Iris takes the stage.
Canton First Friday: Take Me Home | 5PM-9:30PM, July 3 (FREE)
Location: Canton Centennial Plaza and downtown Canton
Description: Music around downtown, with Monica Robins and the Ninja Cowboys on the Centennial Plaza stage from 7:30PM-9:30PM.
Akron RubberDucks vs. Erie SeaWolves | 7:17PM, July 3
Location: 7 17 Credit Union Park, Akron
Description: Start the weekend with baseball and postgame fireworks.
North Canton America250 Celebration | July 4 (FREE)
Location: Downtown North Canton
Description: Parade, picnic, live entertainment, cruise-in, family activities, and a 9:30PM drone show in City Square.
Akron RubberDucks USA Quarter Millennium Celebration | 7:05PM, July 4
Location: 7 17 Credit Union Park, Akron
Description: Baseball, a rally towel giveaway, and postgame fireworks.
City of Akron Fireworks | 9:45PM, July 4 (FREE)
Location: Lock 3, Akron
Description: Akron’s official Fourth of July fireworks show downtown.
Line Dancing on the Plaza | 3PM-4PM, July 5 (FREE)
Location: Cascade Plaza, Akron
Description: A simple Sunday option if you want to keep the weekend moving without making a whole production of it.
Hope everyone has a great week!!