Today is Feb. 19, 2026.

• Good morning! We’re under a Dense Fog Advisory until 9 a.m. this morning, so if you’re getting ready to hit the road for work, be careful out there. Other than that, it’s going to be mostly cloudy and warm with a shower around from midday on, with a high of 59 degrees — that’s right, 59 — and a low of 47. There’s still a month of winter to go, but you can feel spring starting to elbow its way in.
  

• STOW FIRE RELIEF COLLECTION: For the third time since late November, a residential fire has struck the city of Stow. The latest blaze occurred the evening of Feb. 14 and caused significant damage, with a Stow resident losing many personal belongings in the fire. And as with the previous tragedies, the City of Stow has set up a fire relief collection to help support the affected resident. Monetary donations are being collected from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. now through Friday, Feb. 27 in the lobby at Stow City Hall, located at 3760 Darrow Rd. Monetary donations are also being taken through the Stow-Munroe Falls Community Foundation or by scanning the QR code at this page. Contact Stow City Hall at 330-689-2700 for more information.
  

• CORRECTION: In last week’s newsletter, The Spotlight inadvertently omitted Cyle Feldman’s name from the Stow City Council group photo. The corrected caption is included with the photo below:

  

  The new Stow City Council that took office Jan. 1. Pictured from left: Council Members Mario Fiocca (Ward 4), John Baranek (Ward 3), Kelly Coffey (Ward 2), Kyle Herman (At-Large), Kim Young (At-Large), Cyle Feldman (At-Large) and Matt Riehl (Ward 1). City of Stow photo

• SMF LIONS CLUB RACE FOR SIGHT: The Stow-Munroe Falls Lions Club’s “Race for Sight” fundraiser will take place Saturday, March 14 at The Center: Events and Catering, located at 4157 Hudson Dr. in Stow. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 and include buffet, drinks, snacks and dessert. Ads and horses are for sale. For more information, contact Randy at 360-483-6271 or [email protected].
  

• ATTENTION STOW ARTISTS: The Stow Arts Commission is providing an open art call for Phase VI of the city’s Traffic Signal Box Beautification Project. The commission is seeking proposals from artists to provide artwork for vinyl wrapping of electrical traffic signal boxes located along Hudson Drive, Norton Road, Stow Road, Graham Road and Lou Dirker Boulevard. Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Monday, March 16. Go here for more information and an application.
  

• MAGNIFYING BOOKMARKS BACK AT SMF LIBRARY: Here’s some great news: The magnifying bookmarks are back in stock at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. You can pick one up at the library’s Accessibility and Wellness Center, which is located to the left of the Information Services Desk. Best part: They’re free. The SMF Library is located at 3512 Darrow Rd. in Stow.
  

• STOW ELECTRIC AGGREGATION PROGRAM: The City of Stow posted Feb. 13 that residents will soon be receiving an opt-out letter in the mail about the city’s electric aggregation program. This letter will explain the new fixed-rate offer starting in April and residents’ options for participation: If you want to stay in the program, no action is needed; if you’d rather opt out, follow the instructions in the letter within the 21-day window.
  

• MUNROE FALLS ELECTRIC AGGREGATION PROGRAM: The City of Munroe Falls has joined the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council’s electric aggregation program, which offers exclusive electric supply rates to residents and small businesses starting with their May bill. If you are a resident of Munroe Falls, enrollment in the NOPEC electric aggregation program is automatic: No action is needed, there’s no disruption to your service, and NOPEC will supply your electricity but Ohio Edison will continue delivering and billing as usual. The city advises residents to watch for enrollment letters in the mail with details and opt-out instructions.
  — Here’s how the NOPEC program works: For the first three months, residents will receive a fixed rate of 8.99 cents per kilowatt hour. After that, residents will move to NOPEC’s standard program price unless they choose another rate option. For more choices or questions, go to this page or call 855-667-3201.
  

• “Reader Spotlight” is a forum where you can send us your comments, concerns and suggestions on anything going on in our communities of Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake. Send your email to [email protected], put “Reader Spotlight” in the subject line, and please include your name and town (recommended but not required for publication). We will publish comments as we receive them.
  

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Community

Save the date: Mayors Pribonic, Mavrides will speak at State of the Cities event March 17

The Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Cities Breakfast Meeting, featuring Stow Mayor John Pribonic and Munroe Falls Mayor Allen Mavrides, will take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 17 at the Acker-Moore Memorial Post at 3733 Fishcreek Rd. in Stow.

The mayors will update residents, business leaders and community stakeholders on key developments, recent accomplishments and what’s ahead for our communities.

• Networking and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the program scheduled to get underway promptly at 8 a.m.

• The event is open to the public. Cost is $20 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members.

• Registration is required. To register or for more information, go to this page.

The State of the Cities Breakfast Meeting is sponsored by Western Reserve Hospital; Stow’s Helping Hands; Apex Skin; Robert Andrews, RE/MAX Crossroads Properties; and Impel Wealth Management.

Reader Spotlight

— From J. Andrew Rome: “As our community welcomes the newly formed Stow Environmental Commission, we have a unique opportunity to address a long-standing "invisible" issue: lead emissions from the Kent State University Airport.

While lead was removed from automotive gasoline decades ago, it remains the primary component of the 100LL fuel used by the flight school's training fleet. Because Kent State is a high-volume training hub, the frequent "touch-and-go" landings and high-power take-offs result in a concentrated release of lead particulates directly over our residential neighborhoods. Research suggests that lead levels in the soil near such airports can be significantly higher than background levels, and air quality often suffers in a "lead shadow" that extends into nearby yards and playgrounds.

The formation of this commission, as championed by Mayor Pribonic and City Council, is the perfect platform to bridge the gap between our city’s health and the university’s aeronautics mission. While the FAA has a national goal to eliminate leaded aviation fuel by 2030, our local families shouldn't have to wait four more years for basic transparency.

I urge the Environmental Commission to prioritize the following:

• Soil and Air Monitoring: Partner with the university’s own Environmental Health departments to conduct public, localized testing in the neighborhoods east of the runway.

• Accelerated Fuel Transition: Advocate for Kent State to prioritize the procurement of G100UL (unleaded high-octane fuel) as soon as supply chains allow.

• Community Education: Provide Stow residents with clear, data-driven information on how to mitigate exposure in their own gardens and play areas.

We are proud to host a world-class flight school, but that prestige should not come at the expense of our children's cognitive health. Let’s make "Lead-Free Stow" a priority for 2026.”

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