Today is Jan. 23, 2025.

• Good morning — and good riddance to those sub-zero temperatures that hit double-digits a couple nights ago and closed schools across Northeast Ohio this week. Today, it’s going to be cloudy and not as cold with occasional snow and flurries, mainly later, accumulating a coating to an inch. Our high will be 26 degrees and our low tonight will be 12 — downright tropical compared to what we’ve had the last few days.
  

• PUBLIC HEARING ON CANNABIS ZONING IN STOW: Stow City Council will host a public hearing on cannabis zoning at 5 p.m. TODAY at Stow City Hall, located at 3760 Darrow Rd. Residents are encouraged to speak during the hearing. See our story further down this newsletter for a full update on where the cannabis issue in Stow currently stands.
  

• ROTARY CLUB COFFEE DRIVE FOR THE HOMELESS: The Rotary Club of Stow-Munroe Falls’ fifth annual coffee drive is underway for the Haven of Rest Ministries homeless shelters in downtown Akron. The Haven of Rest does not receive federal or state funds and relies on the generosity of people in Northeast Ohio. Last year, the Rotary Club collected 278 containers, and its goal this year is 300. Ship or drop off coffee at 381 Silver Valley Blvd., Munroe Falls, OH 44262, or call 330-813-2059 to arrange hand-off.
  

• “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.
  

• If you just subscribed or missed something in an earlier newsletter, don’t fret: Subscribers have access to every edition of The Spotlight at www.stowmunroefalls.com. Check out back issues to catch up on everything that’s going on in our communities — you never know what you might have missed!

⭐ Several stories in this issue are only available to premium subscribers: Stow City Council debates dispensary zoning, Frostbite 5K, StowNut grand opening, and more local news. Full access is just $2.99/month.

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Stow-Munroe Falls

Community grieves tragic death of SMF High School educator Jimmy Mashburn

The Stow-Munroe Falls community is mourning the loss of SMF High School educator Jimmy Mashburn, 32, who was killed in a two-vehicle crash on I-77 in Green early on the morning of Jan. 21.

According to reports, Mashburn was driving his pickup truck northbound on I-77 when his vehicle struck the rear of a disabled semi-truck in the right lane shortly after midnight. Mashburn was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:30 a.m., according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Mashburn was an intervention specialist at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. He also served as an assistant football coach at Green High School the past five years after previously serving as an assistant football coach at SMF.

Mashburn was a graduate of Coventry High School and the University of Akron, earning his bachelor’s degree in education in 2018. SMF Schools released a statement Jan. 22 stating that Mashburn “was a dedicated intervention specialist.”

“Jimmy was a cherished member of the Bulldog Community and also a beloved football coach for Green Local Schools,” Amanda Murray, principal of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, said in the press release. “His passion for mentoring students went far beyond the classroom, leaving a lasting impact on students, players, colleagues and all who knew him.”

The Stow-Munroe Falls City School District Crisis Response Team will have trained counselors available for all Stow-Munroe Falls High School students and staff for the remainder of the week and will continue as needed. Additionally, information about counseling services in Summit County has been posted on the Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools website.

The school district encourages anyone needing immediate support to utilize the 988 Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7.

“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with the Mashburn family, his friends, students, colleagues, players past and present, and everyone in the Bulldog and Green Local Schools communities,” Dr. Felisha Gould, superintendent of Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools, said. “Together, we will navigate this loss with the strength and compassion that defines our community.”

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash.

Stow

Crisis averted: City was facing dangerously low levels of road salt until new shipment arrived

The City of Stow announced last week that due to transportation and trucking delays, it was “currently experiencing a significant road salt shortage” and had a prioritized plan in place to deal with the precarious situation.

That was Jan. 16.

One day later, the nightmare scenario of having no salt for many of the city’s roads for an extended period was thankfully avoided when a new shipment arrived in the nick of time. The salt supply was replenished, and the city now has what it needs for what is turning out to be a brutal winter.

Here’s what happened according to a press release from the city Jan. 16:

• In past years, salt orders typically arrived within 48 hours.

• However, the City of Stow Service Department’s most recent order — placed the week of Jan. 5 — had not yet been fulfilled by the time of the Jan. 16 press release.

• Therefore, with no immediate resolution to the supply-chain issues, the city enacted protocols “to manage resources effectively.”

Here’s what the city’s temporary, priority-based protocols for salt application looked like:

• Priority #1: State Route 8 in Stow.

• Priority #2: Main roads in Stow, including Darrow Road, Graham Road, Kent Road, Fishcreek Road and Stow Road.

• Priority #3: Secondary streets with hills or other hazardous spots.

• Residential roads would not be salted.

• The city would continue to plow all roads as usual.

Fortunately, those emergency protocols weren’t necessary, averting what could have been a dangerous situation for Stow residents. “Thank you to our hardworking road crew who do a great job with our roads every day,” Mayor John Pribonic posted on Facebook as the salt started to arrive the morning of Jan. 17.

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