People looking to the skies this weekend in Kent may have seen several hot air balloons floating by. Eighteen balloons, including one crab-shaped balloon (“Claw’d the Crazy Crab”) participated in the Balloon A-Fair Festival in Ravenna Ohio, from September 15-17 at SUNBEAU Valley Farm.   The festival celebrated its 43rd year with the theme “Carried Up and Away with Community Spirit.”   VIDEO: Time-lapse video of balloon inflation and launch.    Festival events included a children’s parade, a community breakfast, a grand parade and new for this year, a ...

The Kent State University Board of Trustees welcomed the Class of 2026 at the Board’s regular quarterly meeting held Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Kent State University Airport in Stow, Ohio. Kent State’s freshman class began classes on the Kent Campus nearly 7% larger than the previous year with 4,251 students – the eighth largest incoming class in the university’s 112-year history. These newest Golden Flashes arrive as high achievers, boasting an outstanding GPA of 3.5.  Diacon has made supporting first-generation and underrepresented students a priority. One in three (34%) of the f...