Ohio in Top 10 for Foreclosure Deals in the Country

Find out what the housing market is like in Kent and Portage County, according to a recent RealtyTrac report.

Ohio places sixth on a list of top 10 states for foreclosure deals in the country, according to RealtyTrac's latest report. There are 80,406 foreclosed homes in the state, according to RealtyTrac. The average foreclosure savings is 46 percent and the average foreclosure sale price is $71,815 in Ohio.  (Note: Savings are measured by comparing average sales prices with average foreclosure sales prices.) In terms of actual foreclosures, Ohio ranks fourth on the list with 10,777. The Buckeye state is behind only: Illinois, with 14,899; Florida, with 28,783; and California, with 36,054, according to RealtyTrac. In Kent, one out of every 679 housing units received a foreclosure notice in October, according to RealtyTrac. Though that number …

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See 2 Days in Kent in Photos

A short look into the lives of Kent residents and workers

Kent's 21 Polling Locations and Other Voting Info

What to know before you go vote today

Polls open today at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Kent has 21 polling locations where voters can head to the polls today. Below is the list of polling places. Click on the link for address and other information. For election results, follow this story throughout the evening for updates after polls close: For candidate information, click here:

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POLL: Where Would you Take the President to Dinner in Kent?

Patch readers are asking the question, so we gave them the forum to answer it

President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at Kent State University today just before 6 p.m. For many Kent residents, that's dinner time. You're asking the question on Facebook — and asking for a poll — so we want to give you the forum to answer it. Where would you take the president out to eat in Kent? If you don't see the place where you would take the president to eat in our poll, add it in the comments.

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Keith Best

8:00 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012

I wouldn't take him anywhere. He's a failure.   more ›

Romney Opens Field Office in Kent

Presidential campaign office located in Acorn Alley

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Portage County campaign office opened in Kent Tuesday. The office, located in Acorn Alley, is being managed by Carla DiBlasio.

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Jason Mason

12:38 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sorry Bitty, but you will find out this crooked vulture is REAL BAD NEWS! Thank God President Obama will be re-elected ! How can you support Fox News and all the lies that Mitt Romney spews from his bully pulpit? Shame on you!   more ›

City Auction Full of Cars, TVs and Other Goods

Online auctions prove beneficial for city, buyers

It's that time of year again — a wide variety of city holdings ranging from TVs to fax machines, office furniture, cars, trucks and outdoor equipment are up for auction. The city's annual auction went live this week online with 55 lots containing dozens more items. Since switching to the online auction service AssetAuctions in 2010 the net sales for the city have more than doubled. That first year, the total sales prices for all 78 lots sold online amounted to $55,000 — compared with the average total of about $10,000 in 2008 and 2009. This year's auction includes images of 238 items for sale. To cast your bid on the items visit the city's online auction site. The inspection date for bidders is Aug. 15, and the auction closes Aug. 16. …

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Kent, Brimfield Visitor's Guide Now Available

Central Portage County Visitors & Convention Bureau official 2012-2013 booklet available

The Kent/Brimfield area's Official Visitors Guide 2012-13, produced by the Central Portage County Visitors & Convention Bureau is now available. The free, 72-page booklet is packed with information regarding where to stay, where to eat, where to shop and what to do in the Kent/Brimfield area. Due to the increase in the number of businesses and attractions in the last 12 months, an additional eight pages were added to this year's edition. "There has been such an increase in requests for the Guide, that production was increased from 10,000 to 12,500 copies," said Lori Wemhoff, executive director of the CPCVCB. In addition to providing incoming Kent State University students with copies of the indispensable resource encouraging them to shop …

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Annual Dachsund Picnic in Kent this Weekend

Lovers and owners of this small dog breed gather at Plum Creek Park

Around Town and Gown

Housing Subject of Strategic Planning Study in Kent

Kent, Kent State University to partner on long-term planning study

If you've read the headlines lately, you know Kent is grappling with an abundance of student housing apartments and how they'll fit into the city's neighborhoods and housing market. That same abundance begs the question: does the city have a plan for all this new student housing or housing in general? It turns out the answer to that question is both "yes" and "no." City and university officials have ruminated over housing, both student and otherwise, for the past few years. But those ruminations have amounted to little more than informal discussions that, I imagine, more or less end with a blanket statement such as "We need a plan for the direction of housing in Kent." Meanwhile, those general discussions were taking place and private …

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Roger Thurman

7:02 am on Sunday, June 17, 2012

We all hope that graduates will find jobs suitable to their education and loan debt. It seems the universities are expanding on borrowed money as if there is no limit to demand. Tuition fees will continue to rise as support from state government stays flat or decreases. Student loan debt (1 trillion dollars) now exceedis credit card debt while the building race between Kent State and Akron State …   more ›

River Day Means Dedication for Plum Creek Work

Kent marks annual event with river improvement tours, pot-luck

Friends of the Crooked River and Co-sponsor Appalachian Outfitters are organizing the line-up of events for the 22nd Annual RiverDay to be held Saturday across northeast Ohio.   River Day aims to raise awareness among everyday citizens concerning the importance of the role that a “free-flowing” Cuyahoga River plays in their everyday lives and to highlight the need to continue the improvement of its water quality. RiverDay 2012 will feature 19 events across Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage and Geauga counties, including: clean-ups; habitat restorations; watercraft excursions; hikes; a bus tour of dam and restoration sites; a free concert and an art exhibition. (Event descriptions are listed in the .pdf attached to this story).  These events …

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