TRAGEDY IN RAVENNA: Ravenna was the center of national attention on Sept. 27, 2000, when Theresa Andrews, a 23-year-old pregnant woman, was killed by Michelle Zonko Bica of Ravenna, who later committed suicide. Andrews’ baby, Oscar Gavin Andrews, survived.
WOODLANDS OPENS: The Woodlands at Robinson, Portage County’s new 100-bed nursing home, opened in 2000, near Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
KSU THRILLER:
The Golden Flashes’ thrilling run to the “Elite Eight” of the 2002 NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March 2002 is easily the most memorable performance of the decade at Kent State. It took one of the most spectacular shooting displays in tournament history to end the Flashes’ run. Indiana earned the South Regional crown with an 81-69 win in the Elite Eight.
KENT
STAGE: The Kent Cinema, a downtown movie house since 1927, gained new life as The Kent Stage, a venue for shows and live music.
NORA AT NEOUCOM: On Oct. 15, 2002, Dr. Lois Margaret Nora was named president and dean of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown. She replaced Dr. Robert Blacklow, who retired at the end of June after 10 years at NEOUCOM.
BIG WIN FOR BEN: Former Kent State University golf standout Ben Curtis defied overwhelming odds at the 2003 British Open in July by becoming the first golfer since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open to win in his major championship debut.
CHEMA TAKES HELM: On Feb. 2, 2004, Hiram College named Thomas Chema its 21st president. Chema had served as a board member at Hiram College since 1992.
TRIPLE MURDER: On a cold, snowy January night in 2005, 45-year-old James Earl Trimble of Brimfield, right, shot and killed his girlfriend, Renee Bauer, 42, and her son Dakota, 7. He fled his home and for the next several hours held police at bay at a Ranfield Road duplex where he held Kent State University student Sarah Positano, 22, hostage, eventually shooting and killing her. Trimble was convicted Oct. 25, 2005 and sentenced to death.
NEW
PARK
IN
KENT:
Heritage Park was dedicated in Kent in May 2005 after a year-long, $5 million construction phase. The six-year project redirected the Cuyahoga River around the historic stone arch dam and waterfall in downtown Kent.
TWO NEW LIBRARIES: In 2006, two new libraries opened to Portage County. On Jan. 17, 2006, the new 35,000-square-foot Reed Memorial Library opened in Ravenna. On Sept. 27, 2006, the new Kent Free Library opened, exactly 103 years after the opening of the original Carnegie library.
LEFTON
AT KSU:
On May 9, 2006, Dr. Lester Lefton was named the 11th president at Kent State University, succeeding Dr. Carol A. Cartwright.
KENT BICENTENNIAL: Kent marked its bicentennial with a yearlong celebration.
FALL OF PAUL JONES:
Former Ravenna Mayor Paul Jones was convicted on federal and state charges of failing to report income from a landscaping business in his son’s name. He was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and 14 months in state prison. He was released Sept. 3, 2009.
RESH, GONDOR FREED: After spending 16 years behind bars for the 1988 murder of Connie Nardi, Randy Resh and Robert Gondor were granted a new trial — and both became free men in 2007. A Portage County jury found Resh not guilty of murder, attempted rape and kidnapping on April 18. The charges of manslaughter and kidnapping Gondor faced were dismissed a week later.
SOLDIERS MOURNED: In 2007, Luke “Doc” Emch and Matt “Doc” Conte were killed in action in Iraq. Their deaths brought the total of Portage County war dead to eight.
PORTAGE BICENTENNIAL: June 9, 2008: Bright colors, explosions and music filled the air in downtown Ravenna as thousands of Portage County residents took part in the county’s bicentennial. A fireworks display from the roof of the Portage County Courthouse capped off the celebration. Portage County’s year-long 200th birthday in 2008 culminated with a time capsule filled with items from area school children. The celebration had a year full of events, including a huge birthday party complete with fireworks in downtown Ravenna, a family history project and publication of a history timeline for the county.
PLAYGROUND OPENS: The community-built playground at Chestnut Hills Park was an idea that became a reality as a result of hundreds of community volunteers. The playground’s architect included ideas from Ravenna children and financial support from city government, local groups, businesses and individuals. The playground opened in July 2008.
ACORN ALLEY: On Sept. 25, 2009, Acorn Alley was dedicated in Kent. The dedication capped the Phoenix Project, which expanded and renovated several buildings along Main Street in Kent’s downtown.
RMH IN STREETSBORO:
Robinson Memorial Hospital expanded its outpatient network in July 2009, opening a new Robinson Health Center in Streetsboro. The center includes obstetric and gynecological services, internal medicine, orthopedics, pediatric, rheumatology and allergy and family practice physicians.