About The Spotlight

We're your locally owned news source for Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake.

While so many local newspapers are getting bought out and crushed by out-of-state private equity firms, our community has an alternative: The Spotlight.

Our mission is to keep local news local. We're a catalyst for ideas and action to help our community thrive.

The Spotlight covers:

• The Stow-Munroe Falls City School District

• The local governments of Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake

• Small businesses and nonprofits

• Feature stories about the people who make our community great

Our journalists have written for The New York Times, Newsweek and, yes, the Record-Courier. In fact, longtime Record-Courier editor Roger Di Paolo was on our board until his passing in 2021.

Why local news matters

Research shows that communities with strong local news sources have…

• Lower taxes

• Less political polarization

• More civic engagement

• Better economies

The Spotlight team

Tom Hardesty, editor, [email protected]Mark Baxter, contributorRoger Gordon, contributorJenna Gobrecht, director of sales and growth, [email protected]Ben Wolford, publisher, [email protected]

Want to join us? Write to [email protected].

The Spotlight board

Mike Beder, owner of Water Street Tavern, Venice Cafe and Franklin Hotel Bar in KentJodie Fiala, owner of Jake’s Eats in MantuaJeff Fruit, former Director of the Kent State School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationBarbara J. Hipsman Springer, Kent State University emeritus professor of journalism

In memory of Roger Di Paolo, Record-Courier editor 1991-2017, Portager board member 2020-2021