
National Park Service temporarily closes Brandywine Falls parking lot amid construction, restroom makeover
Cuyahoga Valley National Park closed the Brandywine Falls parking lot and the upper section of the Brandywine Gorge Trail in early May. A section of the Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail is also closed, making the waterfall inaccessible from that trail. Due to multiple construction projects in the area, this closure will be […]

Students in the News
Highland Middle School sixth-grader Bria Riedy, a Level 5 gymnast at Five-Star Gymnastics in Brunswick, competed at the 2022 Ohio USA Gymnastics State Meet on April 2 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus and emerged as the state champion on Bars. Riedy competed against 16 others across the state to capture the title, with […]

Hinckley centenarian reveals secrets to a long life
By Nancy Ivan The young ballerina balanced on her toes, arms outstretched in a graceful pose. “I began to study ballet at age three or four. I liked dancing en pointe the best. I went on to teach, and several decades ago I owned my own ballet studio,” Hilda Hutchings said. Though she may have […]
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Trustee’s Corner
By the time this article is posted, I am hoping that the roller coaster ride of a winter we have had has given way to the warm sunshine of spring that all enjoy so much. I must thank our service personnel for the great job they did this year keeping your roads safe while dealing […]

Township survey to be distributed to Hinckley residents
by Chris Studor March 15 township trustees meeting Township trustees say residents will soon have the opportunity to weigh in on the future of Hinckley Township as part of the township’s comprehensive plan update. The newly formed steering committee is working with trustees and representatives of OHM Advisors to formulate questions that will appear on […]

Public hearing on former elementary school rezoning continued to May 5
by Melissa Martin April 7 zoning commission/public hearing Several residents attended the April 7 meeting of the Hinckley Zoning Commission to express concern over the future of the former Hinckley Elementary School now that the school district announced its intentions to rezone the property. Representatives of Highland Local School District proposed to sell the 6.8-acre […]

Highland in ‘critical’ need of bus drivers
by Chris Studor March 21 school board meeting “If we had to start the next school year tomorrow, for example, we would be short six bus drivers and the substitute driver situation is no better.” This is what Highland Superintendent Catherine Aukerman told members of the school board at its meeting March 21. “We are […]

Supporting Ukrainian refugees
To the Editor: Thank you so much for your donations to and support of our Ukraine War Relief collection drive. In part, because of your contributions, we have been able to send eight containers of humanitarian aid, 850 containers of medical care and supplies by airplane and a team of five individuals to see that […]

Crowd returns – just like the buzzards – for Buzzard Sunday
by Chris Studor Just like the legendary return of the famed turkey vultures each spring, guests from near and far flocked to the township March 20, proving that even after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, buzzards continue to reign supreme in Hinckley. According to Hinckley Chamber of Commerce President Melinda Mallari Swan, more than 1,500 guests […]
April Trustee Corner- Melissa Augustine
The buzzards are back! I want to express my deep appreciation to the Hinckley Chamber of Commerce for coordinating another successful Buzzard Day celebration. The support of the sponsors, Highland Schools and all the volunteers made the event spectacular. The comprehensive plan audit process is running smoothly. Helping to guide the process is a steering […]

Fire station bay project to be re-bid
March 1 township trustees meeting by Chris Studor Trustee Melissa Augustine announced March 1 that a project to replace the former fire station’s bay doors with energy efficient French-style doors will be rebid after the bids came in $50,000 higher than anticipated. The project is the second step in an overall effort to repurpose the […]

Trustees say township website overhaul could take a year
Trustees say township website overhaul could take a year Feb. 15 township trustees meeting By Chris Studor Providing township residents with a new, more efficient and user-friendly township website “could take the better part of a year,” Trustee Melissa Augustine said during the Feb. 15 township trustee meeting. Before trustees bring website vendors before the […]

Rezoning request for old Hinckley Elementary goes to county planning
Rezoning request for old Hinckley Elementary goes to county planning by Chris Studor An application filed by the Highland Board of Education to rezone the former Hinckley Elementary School property, located at 1568 Center Rd., has been received by the Hinckley Zoning Commission and forwarded to the Medina County Planning Commission for review. The new […]

Highland students to gain global insight through Intercultural Program
Highland students to gain global insight through Intercultural Program Feb. 28 school board meeting by Chris Studor With global understanding playing an important role in today’s world, Highland School officials announced the district plans to re-launch its Intercultural Program in the 2022-23 school year. Members of the Highland Local School Board approved the first part […]
Spring has sprung, well, at least according to the calendar
Last year was a busy year for the fire department. We had 790 calls, which was 15% higher than the year before and the busiest year ever. This year is already trending even higher. We continue to work hard for our residents to keep them safe and well. We are always happy to help those […]
Peninsula Art Academy
The Peninsula Art Academy is seeking volunteers. If interested in becoming a gallery associate, art instructor, or working on the academy’s web design and social media, please reach out. Peninsula Art Academy offers an experience worthy of inclusion on a resume for emerging artists and new business or nonprofit types. Volunteers can work in the […]
General Assembly fellowships available for rising, recent college graduates
State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) said the Ohio Legislative Service Commission is accepting applications through April 1 for the 2023 Legislative and Telecommunications Fellowship program. The commission will hire 24 fellows to serve in the Ohio General Assembly for the 2023 calendar year. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a real difference in the world […]
Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council to provide electric settlement refunds
Consumer advocacy by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council led to a historic settlement at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, resulting in FirstEnergy refunding $306 million in “significantly excessive” profits to 2.1 million customers. The first refund installments, averaging $26.91 for residential customers, appear as bill credits on this […]

Citizen of the Year nominations wanted
The Hinckley Citizen of the Year committee is accepting nominations for the 2022 Hinckley Citizen of the Year. Nominees must be Hinckley residents who have demonstrated an unselfish commitment in helping and providing support to the many needs of the community. The nominations can be for Hinckley Township employees but cannot be for a current […]
Chamber scholarship deadline approaching
Applications are now being accepted for two $1,000 scholarships awarded by the Hinckley Chamber of Commerce. The scholarships can be applied to tuition, books, supplies and other expenses. Applications must be received on or before March 15, and the winners will be announced in April. To check eligibility and download an application, visit hinckleyohchamber.com/scholarships. For […]
Koran named to county library board
Retired educator William Koran, of Hinckley Township, has been appointed to a seven-year term on the Medina County District Library Board of Trustees by the Medina County Commissioners. Prior to his retirement, Koran served as a principal at Highland Middle School and Highland High School and served another 19 years as the Superintendent of the Medina County […]

Township website to get an overhaul, trustees say
by Chris Studor Feb. 1 township trustees meeting Trustee Melissa Augustine, who asked the board to consider revamping the township website last month in preparation to allow public access to meeting footage, said she has received support from her fellow trustees on the initiative. Augustine said that while providing taped recording of township meetings remains […]
Hinckley’s doughnut shop is back in business
by Chris Studor Hinckley Donut. Located at 1388 Ridge Rd., has reopened its doors to business under new ownership after being closed to the public for more than eight months following a car crash last summer that sent an SUV careening through the store’s frontage. In the months since the accident, the store has been […]
Highland students get college admission insight from author
by Chris Studor It’s coming down to the wire for Highland High School seniors who are making their final decisions on where to go to college, while the junior class is focused on getting admitted to the college of their choice – hopefully with some financial aid thrown in for good measure. Students and parents […]

Trustees establish point-of-contact assignments
by Chris Studor Jan. 18 township trustees meeting Hinckley Township trustees voted 2-1 to replace formal liaison committee assignments for point-of-contact assignments Jan. 18. Previously, each trustee was appointed to be a liaison for the various township departments, including police, fire, roads, buildings, parks, cemeteries, administration and zoning. Those liaisons worked with department heads and […]

Highland middle, elementary schools ranked among best in state
U.S. News & World Report recently published its first-ever rankings of public elementary and middle schools, and all three Highland elementary schools and the district’s middle school earned a “Best School” badge. Highland Middle School was ranked No. 69 out of 1,224 middle schools in the state. According to the survey, 86% of students scored […]
Cabin Fever Tour
The Richfield Historical Society is holding its annual Cabin Fever Tour on Saturday, March 19 as a way to support local businesses in the area. Created in 2009, the event showcases local history and entrepreneurship spotlighting art, antiques, cuisine, floral arrangements, gardening, gift items, home furnishings and more in Richfield, Broadview Heights, Hinckley and Peninsula. […]
Book Bag Sale
The Friends of the Richfield Library’s next sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 2. Books will be sold individually 10 a.m – 3 p.m. From 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. visitors can fill a bag with books for $5. The library is again accepting book donations. A two-day book-sale is schedule for June in conjunction […]
Hinckley Women’s Club
The Hinckley Women’s Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Our Lady of Grace Church, 1088 Ridge Rd. In addition to the egg hunt, there will be basket raffles and other fun activities. The club’s March meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, […]
Berry’s Blooms grows into new space
by Laura Bednar What began as a cart of flowers for sale has grown to become Berry’s Blooms, a florist and home décor store at 2060 Granger Rd. in Medina. Store owner Terri Berry has been in the flower business for over 20 years, starting in 1994 when she sold pumpkins and sunflowers out of […]