Today is April 23, 2026.

Hey everybody, this is publisher Ben Wolford here with a quick note before passing it back to Tom. As Tom announced last week, he will be retiring at the end of June after a 40-year career in journalism. It’s been a privilege to have him lead The Spotlight and contribute to The Portager and The Summiteer as an editor and columnist. I’ll miss him a lot and I wish him well. He is leaving a huge legacy in local news and sports in Portage and Summit counties.

With Tom’s retirement, the future of The Spotlight is unclear. The number of readers grew rapidly in the early days but has settled into a very consistent 1,500, with about 200 of you choosing to pay for a subscription. Unfortunately that is not sustainable longterm. I am considering all options and I would like your feedback. By raising the subscription price and gaining some institutional funding, it’s possible we could continue to publish The Spotlight under a new editor. But I don’t know if that level of support exists in the community for local news.

Another option is to merge The Spotlight with The Summiteer, which also covers Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake, and increase our focus on these communities so that you’re not losing much if any of your current level of coverage. The cost of a Summiteer subscription is $10/month, which I believe to be fair. But we could also consider grandfathering Spotlight subscribers in at their current rate or offering a reduced rate.

Anything is on the table, including probably many options I haven’t thought of. So I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please email me your thoughts and suggestions at [email protected]. Thank you!

Now back to Tom…

• Morning, all! You can feel spring trying to gain some traction: The days are steadily getting warmer, but the nights still range from chilly to downright cold. And today pretty much falls right into line: high of 77 and low of 55, partly sunny with a shower in spots in the morning, followed by a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon. Not full traction yet, but it won’t be long now.
  

• RESIDENTS CAN DONATE TO HELP STOW FAMILY RECOVER FROM FIRE: The City of Stow has set up a fire relief collection for a Stow family that lost many personal belongings in an April 17 residential fire that caused extensive damage. Monetary and gift card donations are being collected in the Stow City Hall lobby at 3760 Darrow Rd. from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. now through Friday, May 1. Monetary donations can also be made through the Stow Community Foundation at https://www.smfcommunity.org/donate. For more information, call City Hall at 330-689-2700.
  

• IT’S TIME TO CLEAN OUT THOSE MEDICINE CABINETS: The Drug Enforcement Agency’s 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 25, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day residents can drop off their unneeded/unwanted/expired prescription drugs at the Stow Police Department at 3800 Darrow Rd. Tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs will be accepted; syringes, sharps and illicit drugs will not be accepted. If you’re not sure what you can or can’t drop off, an officer will be on site to answer any questions.
  

• MAY 5 PRIMARY ELECTION: Early voting for the May 5 Primary/Special Election began April 7 and can be done at the Summit County Board of Elections at 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave. in Akron. Go to this page for the full schedule of early voting dates and hours. For information on absentee voting, go to this page. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5.
  

• “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: Feldman will run for mayor, Silver Lake concerts, campfire cooking, spring events and more local news. Get full access for just $2.99/month.

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Stow

Honoring our fallen: Stow Memorial Day Ceremony set for May 25

The City of Stow and Acker-Moore Memorial Post (VFW) will observe Memorial Day with a solemn ceremony from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 25 at Stow Cemetery at 3162 Kent Rd. The program will feature a parade assembly, music and readings.

The public is invited to attend.

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