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Ohio lawmakers seek millions for Pro Football Hall of Fame, other Stark projects

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Ohio lawmakers seek millions for Pro Football Hall of Fame, other Stark projects


The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Akron-Canton Airport, downtown Minerva and some Stark County higher education projects are in line to receive a funding boost from state lawmakers.

Ohio House legislators on Wednesday released their list — House Bill 2 — of how they want to spend their half of $700 million allocated for the One Time Strategic Community Investments Fund, which is what lawmakers have set aside from federal pandemic relief funds to spend on local community projects. The Ohio Senate is expected to decide this spring how it will spend its $350 million.

Under House Bill 2, nearly $13 million has been designated for regional projects, including $7 million for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modernization project and $2.5 million for the Akron-Canton Airport’s West Side Development for Aeronautic Activity.

State Rep. Scott Oelslager, a Republican who serves as second-in-command in the Ohio House and who represents the 48th district that includes most communities northeast of Canton, said the proposed Hall of Fame and airport investments also will help boost the local economy as they bring in out-of-town visitors who will stay to shop in local stores, sleep in local hotels and eat at local restaurants.

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“Both of these are transformational in the sense that they have an economic ripple effect for Stark County and the region,” he said.

House Bill 2, which totals $2 billion for the next two years, also includes $600 million for school building projects, $400 million for public works infrastructure projects and $250 million for local jail construction and renovations, all of which Oelslager noted could be used for eligible Stark County projects.

The House also designated nearly $398 million for higher education projects, with nearly $7.2 million slated for projects at Stark County institutions.

Lawmakers from both the House and Senate also are working through which projects to recommend for the state’s two-year capital bill, which has funded roughly $7 million in Stark County projects in each of the last two cycles.

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Here’s what to know about the proposed local projects under House Bill 2:

Pro Football Hall of Fame plans multimillion-dollar upgrade

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum is planning an $80 million modernization project that its leaders say will represent the most comprehensive renovation and expansion project since the museum opened in 1963.

“We believe this project will position the Hall to be the leader in economic development for the area that was envisioned when it opened 61 years ago,” said Hall of Fame President Jim Porter, who thanked Oelslager and the state legislators for sharing the Hall’s vision for how the project would benefit Canton and the entire Northeast Ohio region.

The museum at 2121 George Halas Drive NW, which is separate from the Hall of Fame Village entertainment complex that surrounds it, plans to renovate and modernize its existing 120,000-square-foot footprint, build a new 8,000-square-foot grand lobby featuring high-tech interactive exhibition gallery spaces, create additional office and storage space, and construct an 18,500-square-foot community event center complex that would be available to charity groups at reduced rates.

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The Black College Football Hall of Fame is expected to make the Hall of Fame its permanent home as part of the project.

The first phase of the four-phase project is expected to begin in late spring. The project, which has been nearly two years in the making, is expected to take between three and five years to complete. SoL Harris/Day Architecture and Beaver Excavating Co. have been hired to complete the designs and preliminary work.

Minerva looks to revitalize its downtown

Minerva, which straddles Stark, Carroll and Columbiana counties, is in line to receive $200,000 to revitalize its downtown, which has been an ongoing goal for the past decade.

The village already has plans to create a downtown pocket park along High Street that will hold a music stage, seating areas, landscaping and interactive components such as permanent corn hole boards. The pocket park, which would be between Main and Market streets, would be located within the village’s existing designated outdoor drinking district, according to Village Administrator Benjamin W. Gunderson.

Other regional projects in line for funding include $2.9 million for Columbiana County’s Annex/Drug Task Force Building, $200,000 for Carroll County’s Agricultural Service Center and $2.5 million for the Akron-Canton Airport’s planned improvements to its west side to create additional space to accommodate the growth of its aircraft operations.

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Upgrades planned for Stark State, Kent State Stark

Stark State College is in line to receive $6.5 million in state higher education funds. Among the projects proposed for the college, which has campuses in Stark and Summit counties, are $3.17 million for heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades and replacements; $1 million for roof replacements, $1.47 million for elevator restorations and $842,000 for fire alarm system upgrades.

As part of Kent State University’s $29 million in proposed funding, $652,392 is being recommended to replace Kent State Stark’s chiller plant.

Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.



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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026


CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA girls basketball scores from Friday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Mich. 43, Notre Dame Academy 35

Baltimore Liberty Union 47, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 34

Berlin Center Western Reserve 68, N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 46

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Blanchester 40, Bethel-Tate 37

Chagrin Falls 37, Burton Berkshire 32

Circleville 62, Amanda-Clearcreek 40

Cle. Hay 88, Cle. Glenville 2

Cols. Centennial 78, Columbus International 50

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Cols. Linden-McKinley 54, Cols. Whetstone 28

Cols. Walnut Ridge 73, Cols. Marion-Franklin 12

Delaware Buckeye Valley 50, CSG 43

Delta 48, Bryan 44

Dublin Coffman 47, Cols. Upper Arlington 39

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Hilliard Darby 43, Thomas Worthington 32

Johnstown 47, Johnstown Northridge 41

Mason 54, Cin. Colerain 32

Newark 56, Ashville Teays Valley 42

Oak Harbor 52, Millbury Lake 31

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Ohio Deaf 50, Ky. School for the Deaf, Ky. 9

Pemberville Eastwood 65, Rossford 35

Pickerington North 41, New Albany 33

Springboro 66, Centerville 33

Stryker 54, Montpelier 20

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W. Chester Lakota W. 76, Fairfield 24

Wauseon 55, Swanton 13

Western Reserve Academy 65, Lawrenceville School, N.J. 33

Westerville Cent. 57, Grove City Cent. Crossing 20

Worthington Christian 57, Tree of Life 16

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Zanesville 58, Newark Licking Valley 40



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Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs

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Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs


Students across various majors at The Ohio State University recently gathered at the Fisher College of Business to discuss how study abroad opportunities have helped them hone skills that will benefit their studies and chosen career paths.

Fisher’s Office of Global Business and its Office of Advancement hosted the inaugural Global Experience Luncheon. The event was held at the Blackwell Inn on the Columbus campus.

The luncheon brought together alumni who have donated to study abroad programs with students who have participated in them, said Dominic DiCamillo, senior director of the Office of Global Business.

“We were excited to partner with Advancement for the first time to facilitate this type of personal connection. The families that have created these endowments, oftentimes, they hoped it would have some sort of positive impact,” he said. “This is the first time for them to hear firsthand from the students who recently participated.”

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Xin Lin, a third-year finance student, shared her experiences studying abroad in Hamburg, Germany, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. While in Germany in summer 2024, Lin completed the Fisher Freshman Global Lab with Professor Michael Knemeyer and studied at the Kühne Logistics University.

During Lin’s semester in Germany, her cohort toured the facilities of several international companies, including the Mercedes-Benz auto manufacturer, Seven Senders logistics enterprise, and Jack Wolfskin outdoor apparel.

“This was my first time being in Europe,” she said. “It was a really eye-opening experience and taught me to be curious about exploring other cultures, which is why I made the decision to study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

This past summer in Chiang Mai, Lin completed the competitive Fisher Global Consulting: Nonprofit program, which is funded by an endowment established by Chris Connor, a 1978 Ohio State alumnus, and his wife, Sara. The participating students, called Connor Scholars, gain firsthand insights into the cultures and business practices of countries in developing regions worldwide.

“We were there for two weeks working on the sustainability and the marketing for the local elephant foundation, as well as to support the villagers,” she said. “And my team and I, we worked on the sustainability curriculum for the local school.”

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Lin said participating in study abroad programs sharpened her decision-making and problem-solving skills.

“Leveraging these experiences has strengthened my understanding of international business and macroeconomics,” she said. “Most importantly, it is the growth mindset and the endless learning that these experiences have taught me, and I’m really excited to be carrying these values into my future career and my academic journey.”

Jacob Brodson, a fourth-year marketing major, said participating in the Fisher Global Marketing Lab in Taiwan this past summer was “a transformational, life-changing trip.”

Jacob Brodson (center) said he met more than 25 Ohio State alumni in Taiwan.“If you can go to someplace that’s so fundamentally different from what we experience here on a day-to-day basis, you should absolutely take the opportunity to,” he said. “And Taiwan is that opportunity.”

Brodson said studying marketing and visiting 10 companies in Taiwan gave him a broader perspective on business practices in different countries.

“We went to TSMC, which is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. That’s the 10th largest company in the world that you probably have never heard of, but they make all the phone and computer chips that are in your cellphones,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience to see that.”

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Brodson and his classmates also toured a Kenda Tire facility.

“They actually do a lot of marketing at Ohio State sporting events because their U.S. headquarters is out in Reynoldsburg,” Brodson said. “We got to see their entire manufacturing plant in Taiwan.”

Brodson said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a Buckeye community overseas. He met more than 25 Ohio State alumni throughout Taiwan.

“We are halfway across the world and yet the most beautiful thing is that there are still reminders of home. We’re halfway across the country and there are still Buckeyes there,” he said. “That is one of the coolest things – seeing the Ohio State alumni and the fact that this Buckeye tradition transcends countries.”

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Northeast Ohio Weather: High wind, very warm, showers, and storms today

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Northeast Ohio Weather: High wind, very warm, showers, and storms today


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A powerful cold front will be tracking through today.

A second system impacts the area tomorrow.

It is very warm and very windy today. High temperatures forecast to be above 60 degrees in many towns before the cold front blows through.

Temperatures tumble through the 50s and into the 40s later this afternoon.

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We have showers and a few thunderstorms in the area. The risk of rain will end behind the front. A south wind shifts west and could gust over 45 mph at times today.

Colder and much less wind tonight with a mostly cloudy sky. Early morning temperatures tomorrow will be in the 30s.

The system tomorrow will track across the Great Lakes and will be centered north of us Saturday night.

Moisture gets drawn up from the south. Showers develop by afternoon.

The rain isn’t expected to be heavy with less than .25″ in the forecast. High temperatures make it into the 40s.

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Colder Saturday night and blustery. Southwest winds could gust to around 30 mph at times.

A window is there Sunday for snow showers and lake-effect.

It’ll be very windy on Sunday. West winds could gust over 45 mph at times. Afternoon temperatures around 30 degrees.



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