MASSILLON – The Paul and Carol David Foundation will fund an addition to Massillon City School's Paul L David Athletic Training Facility on the Washington High School campus The Board of Education entered an agreement with the foundation at a special meeting Monday for a two-phase project that includes the new addition that will house a wrestling room "This is an unbelievable donation," Superintendent Paul Salvino said The two-phase project includes the construction of a state-of-the-art wrestling room The space will be constructed between the indoor facility and the Washington High School "You might look at the space and think there isn't enough space," Salvino told the board the addition will provide much-needed storage areas and a locker room with restrooms Construction is expected to begin at the end of May or early June and should be completed around the start of wrestling season in November The second phase is a renovation of the Steve Studer Strength Center in the high school Plans call for removing the wall between the weight room and the existing wrestling room to expand the strength and conditioning area Salvino said a second-floor mezzanine would be added and would house coaches' offices and a cardiovascular area for rehab The project will provide direct access from the weight room to the indoor facility Officials are unsure of the total cost of the project Representatives of the David Foundation did not return calls seeking comment The late Paul David made his fortune selling music The Massillon native started Camelot Music in 1956 then entering the retail business in the early 1970s it was the third-largest music retailer in the country with 368 stores in 34 states he and Carol David started their foundation community and health opportunities for underprivileged or disadvantaged children in Stark County with an emphasis on the communities in the western part of the county Superintendent says district is 'really blessed' with relationship with David FoundationSalvino said discussions about the project began two years ago School officials have worked with the David Foundation and local architect John Patrick Picard "This is an unprecedented project," he said "We are really blessed to have this great relationship It's really going to be completely state of the art That is one thing that has been consistent (with the foundation) the consistent message has been best in show The David Foundation helped bring to life the indoor facility that opened its doors in 2008 The 80,000-square-foot facility houses a full-size football field as well as batting cages and has hosted various Massillon teams from soccer to cheer to football It also welcomes organizations that rent the facility "The momentum we have right now is unbelievable," Salvino said "I want to remind everyone how blessed we are to have an organization that wants to give back to us and how blessed we are to have a community that supports our schools." Salvino doesn't want to lose sight of the state budget bill and future facility plans The district is gearing up to move into its two new pre-K through third grade elementary schools in the fall and Salvino wants to look at constructing a band shell in the north end zone of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium "They deserve the same level of a facility (as other athletes)," he said "This would keep them out of the rain and make that sound boom in the north end zone It's another program led by an outstanding group of adults and a tremendous booster club." the board also approved the replacement of tile on the main floor of the high school entering into a contract with Canton Floors Inc The funding comes from the district's permanent improvement fund Salvino said the ceramic tile floor is original to the school and has held up well but is starting to show wear and tear Replacing the tile is now a safety measure The tile will be replaced with a resin-composite plank that is burnt orange and gunmetal in color Work is set to begin shortly and should be completed by mid-July Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com MassMu History Discussion Group Talks about Favorite Recipes Do you have happy memories of helping your grandmother make noodles Does your family have a traditional spaghetti sauce Do you use your mother’s recipe box full of handwritten recipes on stained index cards The Massillon Museum’s History Discussion Group will meet at 10 a.m when moderator Mandy Altimus Stahl will lead the group’s reminiscences of favorite recipes past and present encourages participants to bring generational cookbooks and recipe cards as well as memories of making the food The History Discussion Group meets in the Fred F Silk Community Room in the museum’s lower level Attendance is free and open to everyone; new participants are always welcome Free parking is available on adjacent streets and nearby city lots Doughnuts and coffee are available for a donation Some people attend to share their memories while others come to learn about the town’s past Some attend every session—the first Tuesday of every month Others attend when the topic piques their interest The Massillon Museum receives operating support from the Ohio Arts Council as well as marketing support from Visit Canton It is grateful to the people of Massillon for their support This event is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts Home Posts News Massillon Releases 2025 Football Schedule Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore has recently released the schedule for 2025 Tigers The squad should feel quite at home this year with nine games slated for the friendly confines of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium The only road game is the annual Week Ten rivalry against Canton McKinley which is just a short eight miles to the east Massillon enjoys a 4-0 record against the Pups including newcomers Rabun Gap from Georgia Cornerstone Christian from Texas and Cardinal Ritter College Prep from Missouri Football North from Ontario returns from last year’s schedule Massillon has scheduled Cleveland Glenville With two recent Division IV championships on the belt Ginn has been jumping up and down for the opportunity to face the Tigers The opponents last year compiled an overall record of 81-40 Moore will begin his 11th year as head coach of the Tigers where he has compiled an overall record of 110-25 Last year Massillon finished with a record of 11-3 while losing 14-7 to Big Walnut in the regional finals The season began with a trip to Oregon to play NFL Academy-London in an event that was sponsored by Nike they defeated 3-time defending Division I state champion Lakewood St It was Massillon’s third consecutive win over the Eagles The regular season wrapped up with a 16-7 victory over McKinley In 2023 the Tigers captured the Division II state championship with a 7-2 victory over Akron Hoban It was Massillon’s 25th state title overall For the 2025 season Massillon will rely on the defense to carry the team early as the offense returns just two starters: an offense lineman and a wide receiver  But the program is strong underneath and several good prospects are in position to step into the starting roles returns seven full-time and several part-time starters a group that last year held opponents to a mere 2.8 yards per carry the schedule top-to-bottom does not appear as strong as last year’s which was perhaps the stiffest slate of competition that the Tigers have ever faced […] Today the Tigers and Head Coach Nate Moore revealed Massillon’s 2025 slate of opponents A quick look at these is below; more detailed analysis will come out over the next few weeks Nine of the Tigers’ ten regular season games will be played at home  Below is a short summary; read Don Engelhardt’s more detailed article here The legal complaint was dismissed late last year The Repository reported on the settlement in March but the amount wasn't disclosed at the time The settlement agreement was provided to the newspaper this week by the school district in response to a public records request made in March An agreement unanimously approved by the Board of Education on Nov. 20 said the amount was to have been provided by the district's insurer, Liberty Mutual of Boston "Keeping our student-athletes safe at school and in school sports has never been more important ― each day school administration and coaches work tirelessly to provide a secure respectful learning and athletic environment," Superintendent Paul J "When we learned of an incident that took place in June 2023 involving students in our football program we immediately reported this matter to local law enforcement and began our own internal investigation." Massillon police investigated after the player was "rushed" by some of his teammates and stripped naked from the waist down at a school practice facility The incident was captured on video and shared with some students told police that while he was mad at the time he "didn't feel any way towards his friends" after the incident He and his mother also didn't want to pursue criminal charges Prosecutor: Prosecutor: Massillon football players' horseplay 'inexcusable' but not criminal Following the June 26, 2023, incident, Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone issued a statement saying that while the behavior was "inexcusable," it didn't rise to the level of criminal action He called it "locker room horseplay that went too far." The agreement settles all claims brought against the district high school Principal David Lautenschleger and head football coach Nate Moore The lawsuit had claimed the officials failed the player by leaving the team unsupervised during a summer practice and he was attacked by teammates during a hazing ritual claimed that the history of the Tiger football team had grown a questionable culture where certain administrators allow inappropriate activities harassment and violations of the Ohio Revised Code as related to training camps for football players More: Former Massillon football player settles suit over being stripped naked by teammates board and coaches firmly denounce any actions that foster support or condone the actions that took place in June of 2023 — that is unacceptable and inconsistent with our policies and the values we hold for our athletic programs," Salvino wrote "Allegations against our employees of involvement in hazing or unrelated violations of rules in the Ohio High School Athletic Association are factually inaccurate and no illegal activity was found by the prosecutor’s office appropriate disciplinary measures were taken," he said Superintendent: 'Firm expectations for student safety'Moore was temorarily placed on administrative leave while officials looked into the supervision of the students He received a letter of reprimand because they were unsupervised between June 19 and June 26 "We have reiterated across the district our firm expectations for student safety and our policies and procedures within our athletic programs," Salvino said "Settling this case simply allows the district and board to put the matter behind us and move forward responsibly." The attorney for the student and his parents previously said he could not comment about terms of the settlement The player and his parents were not named in the lawsuit which was filed in Stark County Common Pleas Court The settlement says each side is responsible for their own attorneys' fees and costs Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com More: Jackson Local teacher gets $450K settlement over pronoun lawsuit MASSILLON – The operator of a planned health center is confident his timeline for opening an emergency room will come to fruition by late spring Chris Zimmerman, chief executive officer of Massillon Community Health and Innovation Center said a licensed provider is in line for a May or June ER opening at the former Affinity hospital "They pretty much need 90 days from the moment we say go," said Zimmerman adding that multiple medical service providers Zimmerman spoke for about 30 minutes Thursday to members of the Rotary Club of Massillon about a plan to reopen the hospital building and provide at least a handful of medical services by May or June Milligan and Zimmerman are not healthcare specialists instead taking on the role of landlords and recruiters of companies in the industry The health hub is to be anchored by a free-standing and provide additional services like radiology committed practitioners planning to come in on day one," Zimmerman said exercise center and "healthy restaurant" are other ideas mulled by Zimmerman and Milligan as well as a hardy focus on personal vitality health and wellness and medical and nutritional education "We're looking more at health rather than illness," Zimmerman said Stark County Commissioner Richard Regula called the health center project paramount for the community "I appreciate these guys (Zimmerman and Milligan) coming on," Regula said prior to the rotary meeting. "Aultman and Mercy (hospitals) have been great but getting the Affinity building back in use is huge." More than $10 million was spent to restore the inside of the main Affinity building and prepare it for medical services New health hub: Former Affinity site to host ER, services in new Massillon Community medical center "The building was saved from an untimely death," he said Mike Farina, the former operator Discount Outlet in Massillon is the owner of the building and property via Farina Companies He funded the restoration effort and will not be involved in day-to-day operations of the health facility The old Affinity building has not been used to treat patients since the hospital's closure in February 2018 Massillon Municipal Judge Edward Elum said saving the hospital building is an amazing feat and will serve much of western Stark County eastern Wayne County and other nearby communities "It's exactly what we need in our little neck of the woods," the judge said Reach Steven Grazier at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @sgrazierINDE Home Posts News Massillon Playoff Run Ended by Big Walnut Massillon’s dream of a consecutive Division II state championship came to a sudden end when they were upset by Columbus-area Big Walnut The Golden Eagles returned a kickoff to start the second half for a touchdown to break a 7-7 tie and that ended up being the difference in the game on the scoreboard although the statistics show a much different story The two teams played at Mansfield’s Arlin Field and they were met with a miserable night of weather The temperature was around 40 degrees and there was a 20 mile per hour wind howling along the length of the field with rain coming down in sheets throughout the contest the Tigers were able to put up 378 yards of offense against 170 yards for Big Walnut Massillon running back Ja’Meir Gamble rushed for 184 yards (8.4 yards per carry) But they couldn’t translate that performance onto the scoreboard as a slew of penalties prevented them from finishing drives The Massillon offensive line was whistled for an unprecedented nineteen false starts at least one occurring during eight of their nine possessions one drive alone saw six flags thrown for that infraction From this writer’s vantage point there appeared to be two possible reasons for this and probably a combination of both The first was that the smaller Golden Eagle line needed to gain some advantage or else be blown off the ball on run plays by the larger Tiger line many times Jalen Slaughter went into his snap cadence the 3-man line in unison quickly shifted a half gap or a full gap to one side or the other That required the offensive linemen to rapidly readjust their blocking plan And it might have been too much for these young minds to handle But sometimes it might have been players reacting to the twitching movements The second was that the Big Walnut crowd was quite enthusiastic throughout the game and brought the noise every time Massillon had the ball It’s possible that the offensive line had difficulty hearing Slaughter’s cadence and they began to anticipate the snap Massillon received the opening kickoff and returned it to the 20  yard line but a pair of false start penalties hampered the try and they were forced to punt Big Walnut returned the favor a few plays later and the Tigers this time started at their own 18 With anticipated difficulty in throwing against the wind they kept it mostly to the ground the goal  may have been  to get through that first quarter unscathed and then turn on the offense took over at their own 45 and proceeded on their lone scoring drive of the night with quarterback Eli Stumpf completing all four of his passes for 30 yards and short runs covering the rest  The score came early in the second quarter when Stumpf was able to elude a heavy pass rush and connect with Brody Hatfield for a diving catch just over the goal line Slaughter went to play action pass on the first play and lofted a beautiful rainbow to a streaking Braylyn Toles He gathered the ball near midfield and raced untouched to the endzone It was a remarkable pass connection given the speed of the wind Nolan Hendrick’s kick was good and the score was tied Massillon had only one other possession in the second quarter and this one stalled out at the Big Walnut 28 but four consecutive false start penalties put that drive in the drawer The Golden Eagle dagger came when Nolan Buirley returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown the Tigers elected to kick short of the goal line and the low kick got there a bit too quickly for the coverage team to get into position to make the stop One quarter remained for the Tigers to take advantage of the wind before the field was reversed But the first attempt was squashed by a false start penalty they had Big Walnut stopped in their side of the field and would have had great field position Two plays later they incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty By the time the Eagles punted they were at the Massillon 34 and downed the ball at the three yard line The Tigers tried to move out from the goal line but were hampered by three false start penalties it was Big Walnut that now roughed the punter Aided by Gamble runs of 17 and 29 yards they advanced to the Eagle nine yard line Mylen Lenix got the call this time and he dove high over the line for an apparent first down But he came up short the drive ended there The Tigers had three more tries in the fourth quarter there were three additional false start penalties during those drives But credit Big Walnut for playing good fundamental football and making sound coaching decisions  The stunting by the defensive line appeared to be an effective technique in causing havoc for the Massillon line And they employed five pass defenders against three receivers to pressure the Tiger passing attack they did only score one offensive touchdown which is the norm for most of the games this year Slaughter ended up completing 7 of 18 passes for 163 yards Dante Malone caught three balls for 66 yards and Toles had two for 76 yards and the score Linebacker Jadyn Williams led the defense with 11 tackles Buirley rushed 24 times for 92 yards (3.8 ave.) and Stumpf completed 11 of 16 passes for 67 yards (6.1 ave.) and the TD The Tigers bow out with a fine record of 11-3 record and can look back at several big wins Edward (for the third consecutive year) and Canton McKinley they move on to the state semifinals to face Cincinnati Anderson Prior to the game; Chris Fair (52); Francesco Salvino (63) Tyler Hackenbracht catches the opening kickoff Ja’Meir Gamble looks for running room; Gavin Kappes (57) with the kickoff return; Judah Stewart (4) Ja’Meir heads to the sideline; Judah Stewart (4) Mylen Lenix with the carry; Logan Allman (13); Clint Stover (8) Jalen Slaughter retrieves the errant snap in the end zone; Ja’Meir Gamble (21) Tyley Hackenbracht is roughed following the punt Ja’Meir Gamble is tackled; Michael Looney (75) Pass to Jacques Carter broken up by Brody Hatfield (2) Ja’Meir Gamble is chased by Big Walnut players; Will Clawson (36); Clint Stover (8); Landon Doan (34) (50); Gavin Kappes (57); Francesco Salvino (63) (This story was updated to add new information.) MASSILLON – Residents and small businesses enrolled in the city's electricity aggregation program will soon see a significant price hike The rate will jump from 4.2 cents to 8.9 cents per kilowatt-hour starting with June meter readings, according to Tony Ramos, relationship manager of the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) People should first see the increase in their July electric bill North Canton's rate is to rise from 4.34 cents to 8.14 cents Last December, City Council approved Massillon's joining the NOPEC an alliance of governments based in Solon made up of around 250 cities North Canton and Paris Township have also agreed to take part Residents and business owners can opt out of NOPEC and choose their own supplier. Letters started being mailed out by the energy group a few weeks ago alerting customers of electric rate changes. Residents can shop for rates at Ohio's Energy Choice (Apples to Apples) site: https://www.energychoice.ohio.gov/ApplesToApplesCategory.aspx?Category=Electric people can still decline at anytime with no penalty after enrollment with NOPEC starts to find their own service provider Enrolled customers can call NOPEC at 1-855-667-3201 to opt out Customers not enrolled can join at any time The electric rate change will affect many of the city's approximately 32,400 residents and an unspecified number of small businesses, said city Safety-Service Director Renee Baker "The city did take a hard look at who we thought would be the best (partner)," Baker said Massillon voters gave the city the green light for an electric aggregate program in a 2009 ballot initiative Rates are slated to be re-evaluated in December and another adjustment could come in January 2026 adding that transmission and distribution fees are part of monthly bills Rate hike: 'People are going to be in shock.' North Canton aggregation electric costs to soar Many Stark communities secured lower electricity supply rates in 2021 Those costs are expiring this year amid soaring electricity rates fueled in part by additional technology centers to drive artificial intelligence and perform massive computing tasks Plain Township, North Canton and other communities have seen electric aggregation rates jump Market changes and higher grid demand are other factors for rate rises The electricity supply rates are different from the rates charged by American Electric Power (AEP) and Ohio Edison for distribution and transmission MASSILLON – Firefighters were called out to residential fire Friday morning along Lincoln Way W that shut down a section of the city's main artery The two-story house at 522 Lincoln Way W was unoccupied and received "significant damage" from the fire, which broke out around 9 a.m., according to Massillon Fire Chief Matt Heck No preliminary or suspected cause of the fire was immediately available "This one will be under investigation for awhile," said the chief "(But) there is significant (property) loss here." About 20 firefighters began working to extinguish the flames moments after the call came in "It took us probably 30 or 40 minutes to get it knocked down and take care of the (main) hot spots," he said Neighbors at two adjacent homes were evacuated noting that those homes did not appear to be damaged The city of Massillon sent a cellphone alert Friday after the fire was reported asking motorists to avoid Lincoln Way W — between Lillian Gish Boulevard SW and Sixth Street SW The area was reopened to traffic a little after 3 p.m Jackson Township firefighters and were called out to assist Massillon at the fire, as well as an ambulance squad from the North Lawrence Fire Department Home Posts News Massillon Loses a Great One in Dave Sheegog Mention the 1964 Massillon football team to older Tiger fans and they will immediately recall the 20-14 comeback victory over Canton McKinley that sealed a state championship And they will fondly remember quarterback Dave Sheegog During his time there he was a 3-sport athlete But it was football in which he made his mark In the victory over the Bulldogs mentioned above both teams entered the game ranked undefeated and they were ranked Nos 1 and 2 in the Associated Press state poll the game may have been a precursor to the modern-day playoff system that began just a few years later; i.e. The Tigers were down 14-0 entering the fourth quarter but managed to tie the score on short touchdown runs by Jim Lawrence and Bob Hewitt quarterback Steve Kanner was forced to leave the field on account of an injury tasked with engineering a final drive in hopes of grabbing a victory After completing a pass to a diving Will Foster at the 14 and was able to propel himself just over the goal line against two defenders for the winning score (see photo) Pandemonium ensued as it was evident that the Tigers had just secured both the game and the state title Sheegog was indeed the hero of the moment He ended the day with six rushes for 39 yards 3 of 4 passing for 41 yards and a punt return of 19 yards Sheegog played two years of varsity football under future Ohio State University head coach Earl Bruce In his junior year he was used sparingly at quarterback but was the primary return specialist on both kickoffs and punts toss three touchdown passes (two against Cleveland Benedictine) and scored twenty points The following year he was the starting quarterback and he led his team to a perfect record and a repeat state championship The team was also ranked second in the nation to go along with a first-place finish in the All-American Conference rushed 106 times for 405 yards and completed 26 of 72 passes for 427 yards He also returned 9 kickoffs for 215 yards and 19 punts for 270 yards including a 94-yard punt return for a TD against Mansfield to go along with two pass interceptions on defense Three times his team was behind at halftime and came back in the second half to win Those games were against conference foes Steubenville during which he contributed greatly with both his rushing and passing skills Following the season Sheegog received a scholarship offer from Kent State University Dave will be sorely missed by the Tiger nation Obituary link The city of Massillon currently has three major economic development projects underway that highlight new opportunities for growth Massillon has always had a strong manufacturing and industrial base and these current projects are great examples of how Massillon continues to be a place where investment and job creation can flourish Akron-based Babcock and Wilcox looks to break ground soon on its $60 million hydrogen plant at the Massillon Energy and Technology Park (METP) This plant will convert natural gas into hydrogen for a range of industrial end users with plans to produce 4-5 tons per day With 10 initial employees and an option for an additional 25 acres at METP we are excited to welcome Babcock and Wilcox to Massillon and will continue to support their growth at this site in the years to come is a longstanding manufacturer of fiberglass and aluminum truck caps in Massillon RealTruck announced a major two-fold expansion at the facility located at 400 Nave Road SE The first part consists of an expansion in their custom molded operations that will add 111 new jobs over a three-year period The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) approved tax credit assistance for this project The second consists of relocating RealTruck’s existing facilities in Dundee and Mount Eaton to the Massillon facility These relocations result in approximately 200 jobs moving to Massillon to further grow the company’s footprint here which produces custom molded fiberglass components is anticipated to relocate here by the end of summer This over-500,000-square-foot expansion in operations takes place at their new facility at 4676 Erie St The company continues to operate their existing facility on Nave Road SE Total RealTruck employment in Massillon will near 900 when the expansion is complete a global cryptocurrency technology company is currently building its $150 million data center in the Finefrock Industrial Park on 9th Street SW This significant investment will create 70 new information technology (IT) jobs in Massillon and is positioned for further opportunities as the bitcoin industry continues to grow there were some questions from the public and members of city council who were unfamiliar with this industry Bitdeer representatives were very accommodating and spent significant time with residents and member of city officials to share information on the industry and what will occur at this site and to build relationships with our community In addition to these major corporations investing in Massillon we are also pleased to welcome CEI Crane & Rigging to Massillon A family-owned and operated company for over 60 years CEI Crane & Rigging relocated its Canton headquarters to Massillon last year after purchasing the former EB Display complex on Sanders Avenue SW In addition to bringing 50 jobs to Massillon this move allowed the company to expand its industrial storage capacity and consolidate four locations into one The current campus consists of approximately 200,000 square feet of industrial space While there are more examples of economic growth in Massillon these specific projects highlight an important fact: Massillon remains a manufacturing and industrial leader in our region And what is good for Massillon is good for Stark County As job seekers look for work in our community they do not see geographic or governmental borders as deterrents to employment — they just want living-wage job opportunities close to home we are fortunate to have the industrial land available for new projects a talented labor pool from which to find employees my administration is focused on growing our manufacturing and industrial base which is a win for all of us in the community MASSILLON ‒ Massillon City Schools officials have confirmed an incident Monday involving fighting students and a knife in a Washington High bathroom Police are investigating but few details have been released School officials said they were notified of a fight involving two students in a bathroom A knife was involved but officials did not comment on whether any students were injured Social media posts from parents of high school students indicated someone was stabbed but those reports were not able to be confirmed by district officials In a statement from Superintendent Paul Salvino he stressed safety and security of Massillon students remains a top priority School resource officers were contacted and the Massillon Police Department is looking into what happned No other details were immediately available (This breaking news story will be updated when more information is available.) NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A Massillon man found guilty of his 13th drunken driving offense has been sentenced to four years in prison Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Judge Michael J He ordered him to pay a $1,350 fine and court costs after Whitt pleaded guilty to two counts of OVI and two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer was charged with his 13th offense of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol following a short chase and crash Jan The Ohio State Highway Patrol accused him of fleeing after troopers attempted to stop him for a traffic violation along U.S He was arrested after he drove off the roadway and struck a ditch The patrol said Whitt has been convicted 12 previous times for operating a vehicle under the influence A message seeking comment was left Thursday for Whitt's attorney More: Massillon man facing 13th operating a vehicle under the influence charge MASSILLON – Times are tough for Ace Conant The 22-year-old said she got behind on her finances and is playing catch-up Things are on the upswing but she could still use a little help to make ends meet That's where City Serve Food Pantry & Cafe comes into play A mission of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship the pantry opened its doors earlier this month The church has offered a variety of family-friendly events including monthly giveaways but wanted to have a more consistent presence serving the community "We knew food security is a real need and it's becoming more of a need," City Serve Director Katie Wilson said "Add to that the loneliness epidemic of not being connected with others and it affects not only the physical but also their mental well-being." Before opening the new pantry, which partners with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Wilson did a lot of research to ensure the pantry was accessible and provided nutritious food that clients sought Meeting the emotional and nutritional needs of the communityLocated in the former Demmer Hardware store at 641 Tremont Ave allowing visitors to choose items they prefer based on their preferences autonomy and the freedom of choice," Wilson said "We really want people to feel the individual ability to live their lives alongside of others that care for them." Allowing participants to select their food also cuts down on food waste and allows the pantry to select the most sought-after items Officials surveyed those attending the pantry if they have items to cook at home and if they have transportation The survey found that many who used the pantry enjoyed being able to tailor their selections They were also pleased to be able to get items such as dairy produce and meat that isn't always offered at other food pantries they visited who is autistic and doesn't always enjoy some foods because of their texture is happy to be able to select her own food "I have a safe list of food and I can get those things (here) instead of what they want to give me," she said "I am trying to expand my food preferences and this allows me to try some new things." "This will make a lot of meals for me," said Conant "I was able to get a lot of stuff I needed Along the grocery aisles filled with canned goods volunteers offered bread as well as a choice of ground beef customers loaded their carts with potatoes All of the signage describing how many items a customer could select is in both English and Spanish They also offer recipes using the items in the pantry A registered nurse for more than two decades Wilson is patient about ensuring dietary needs are being met The pantry offers a selection of items to address dietary concerns such as low-sugar "Your average panty isn't going to have that," Wilson said "Sometimes you can get these (items) from the Akron-Canton Food Bank but most of the time we are going out and buying them." guests also can shop for household and hygiene products Volunteers will then pack up the groceries and assist with putting them in vehicles Because several users live within walking distance volunteers sometimes push the cart full of groceries to nearby homes the pantry has seen a steady increase in visitors growing from 34 families served on the first day to close to 100 families four weeks later "We have about 50% of those who are returning from week to week and the other half is new," Wilson said Wilson said they are seeing more singles and the elderly using the pantry but they also are serving families with multiple children Proof of income is not required but a photo ID is needed guests are invited to enjoy fresh-baked cookies and beverages They can also learn more about services offered in the area an organization is invited to attend including the Massillon Health Department and SPARK Massillon resident Marcia Snyder was happy to travel a few blocks to get groceries rather than having to visit pantries in the Canton area "There aren't many pantries around Massillon and it's hard to get to some because of the times when you go to school and raise kids," the Stark State College student said Wilson said the hours and days of the pantry were important They opted to host the pantry on Thursdays to help get people through the weekend before they could get to another pantry early the next week They also picked the hours to accommodate people who work during the day when most pantries are open The church hosted a large giving campaign over the Christmas holidays to support the food bank but donations from individuals and corporate sponsors are welcome They are also in need of additional volunteers Wilson has trained about 30 volunteers and 14 to 20 work when the pantry is open To donate or sign up to volunteer, visit cityserve@afcfohio.org "Our heart is to serve this immediate neighborhood and community but everyone is welcome," Wilson added Stark County voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide on primary contests in Canton Massillon and Alliance and state and local issues Voters can cast ballots at their local precinct. Check the Stark County Board of Elections website to find your polling place Early voting in person at the Board of Elections Office at 3525 Regent Avenue NE in Canton concludes Sunday If you are returning an absentee ballot by mail it must be postmarked by Monday and received by the elections board no later than four days after the election If returning an absentee ballot in person to the drop box at the elections board office, it must be received by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. A close family member or an assistant to a disabled voter may also drop off your ballot One statewide issue aims to increase funding for public works projects like roads The measure will appear on the ballot as Issue 2 and is a renewal of the state capital improvement program the measure would authorize the state to increase the cap on issuing general obligation bonds from $200 million per year to $250 million per year The money would fund grants to local governments for infrastructure projects More: Issue 2 on May ballot would help pay for roads, bridges - not Cleveland Browns stadium Voters across Stark County will decide on a 1.4-mill replacement levy for Children Services The previous levy for Children Services passed in 2019 and expires this year County officials said the levy is needed to cover care and placement of abused neglected and delinquent children in the county Child placement costs have gone up significantly in recent years The replacement levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $49 per year in taxes and would be billed on new home valuations assigned in the reappraisal last year It would generate $18,733,000 per year for the agency More: Stark County Children Services seeks replacement levy to cover child placement costs Also on the ballot are primary contests in Alliance The Louisville Public Library and Mohawk Valley Joint Fire District also have renewal levies on the ballot To view a sample ballot, visit the Stark County Board of Elections website and click "Show me my ballot" located in the top carousel Primary: 'I wish my successor the best.' Alliance Law Director Caitlyn Weyer drops out of primary Three precincts in Canal Fulton are moving locations due to the elimination of two previous polling locations will now vote at the Northwest Stark Senior Center previously assigned to the Northwest Stark Senior Center and Canal Fulton D previously assigned to Canal Fulton Christian Fellowship will both now vote at the SAM Veterans' Resource Center is moving from Zion Lutheran Church to Canton Baptist Temple Activity Center will move from Crosspoint United Methodist Church to St Three precincts in Lawrence Township have also changed previously assigned to the Northwest Stark Senior Center previously assigned to the Canal Fulton Christian Fellowship will now vote at the SAM Veterans' Resource Center More: Some Stark County polling locations are changing for the May 6 primary. See which ones Ohio law requires in person voters to present an unexpired photo ID An unexpired ID with a former address is acceptable as long as your current address is up-to-date in the pollbook Voters without a valid photo ID can cast a provisional ballot Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16 MASSILLON – Dalton-based 3D Meats opened its new Massillon store Wednesday morning in the former Discount Outlet facility on the city's northeast side The store announced its opening in a morning post on Facebook "We have a bunch of new team members still learning so please give us grace," the message states are the primary focus at a newly renovated 22,000-square-foot building at 1070 First St who said nearly 15,000 square feet of space is for retail and have been getting way more traction than originally thought," Haer said about the large number of customer inquiries about the opening date Posts this week on 3D Meats' Facebook page have been updating followers about getting the store ready Workers have been stocking shelves and receiving deliveries adding that some electrical issues and securing a liquor license delayed original plans to open in late 2024 Haer called this week a "soft opening," noting that many workers are new and inexperienced the Massillon store is starting with 48 employees and will be open 8 a.m 3D Meats began in 2014 at 14740 Lincoln Way E in Dalton Store owner Logan Rohr said more than seven figures has been spent on the building's purchase "Our goal is to open quietly and get the bugs worked out as fast as we can," he said Biz moves: Dalton-based 3D Meats expanding to Massillon, opening new retail store 3D Meats will operate as a "farm-to-table" grocery store chicken and multiple in-house smoked products Massillon Mayor Jamie Slutz called 3D Meats a solid company and quality addition to the city and community "A lot of people are excited for them to open and I know they will do well here," he said including larger bulk beef options for customers; pre-made meals to go such as pulled pork and chicken; larger frozen-food offerings; more samples of dairy products; and produce such as corn Outside or inside dining is possibility down the road A larger opening event at 3D Meats is likely to be set in May Massillon football fans will have plenty of opportunities to see the Tigers play at historic Paul Brown Tiger Stadium this fall which this year is at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton on Oct The Tigers have played in eight consecutive regional championship games dating back to 2017 under head coach Nate Moore They have made it to at the least the state semifinals six times in this stretch Moore will begin his 11th year as head coach at Massillon this fall He has a career coaching record of 110-25 with the Tigers Moore has a playoff record of 32-8 and led Massillon to a Division II OHSAA state championship in 2023 Moore's Tigers also have won nine consecutive games against rival McKinley dating back to 2016 to equal Massillon's longest winning streak against McKinley. The Tigers also won nine in a row over the Bulldogs from 1957-65. Moore has a 9-1 overall record against McKinley in his career CANTON ‒  A 16-year-old boy is facing a juvenile count of felonious assault after a fight inside a restroom at Massillon Washington High School The defendant pleaded "not true," the juvenile equivalent of not guilty on Tuesday afternoon in Stark County Family Court Infantino released him into the custody of his mother Massillon police said they responded to the fight shortly before 11 a.m resulting in one student sustaining an injury to his wrist," the agency said in a prepared statement on Tuesday the other student was placed under arrest for felonious assault and transported to a local juvenile detention center." The criminal complaint filed in court alleges the defendant "sliced" the victim's hand open with a knife The defendant's next court appearance is scheduled for April 14 He is under the supervision of the court's pretrial release program He has been ordered to have no contact with the victim A court record indicates he has been suspended from school schools Superintendent Paul Salvino stressed safety and security of Massillon students remains a top priority "The Massillon Police Department remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents including the students and staff within our schools We continue to work closely with school officials to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone," the police press release said Washington High School: Massillon City Schools officials confirm restroom fight involving a knife (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) MASSILLON ‒ A man is without a home following a Sunday afternoon fire that killed two of his three dogs Assistant Fire Chief Pat Rhodes said the house at 927 Wales Road NE will likely need to be demolished He estimated the value of the loss to the structure and contents at over $100,000 He said he believes the property was not insured The man who lived in the house suffered a minor injury Firefighters from the city's other three fire stations responded 3 went to the fire after completing the medic run The first firefighters arrived at 2:03 p.m to see heavy fire on the outside of the home and smoke crossing Wales "He had a couple dogs that were in the fire that he was trying to get out," Rhodes said He said the American Red Cross offered him temporary housing The cause and point of origin for the fire were under investigation Monday morning Heat damaged siding on the house next door City firefighters were assisted by others from Perry Township The last firefighters left the scene at 6:50 p.m CORRECTION: A fire official had indicated the occupant was a veteran but that information could not be verified by the Repository Jackson Township: Home burns as crews battled flames amid freezing temperatures Massillon racked up four sacks and ten total tackles for loss on Friday as the Tigers defeated Canal Winchester 37-7 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium had two sacks while Logan Allman and Deangelo Zimmerman added one each "I felt like we had a great game as a unit," Wright Jr "Coach Leno told us to be ready to blitz all week in practice He said it was going to be a defensive line and linebacker kind of game tonight because they liked to run The line played well and our linebackers Vito (McConell) and Logan (Allman) played a great game as well." McConnell led the team with six tackles and added one tackle for loss Allman had five tackles and two tackles for loss Zimmerman forced a fumble and recovered it The Massillon secondary also knocked down eight Canal Winchester passes "Coach Leno told us to be ready to blitz tonight," McConnell said "I felt like we did a great job of that as a team We were really able to put some heat on the quarterback We applied pressure to them all night long Massillon limited Canal Winchester to only 138 yards of total offense That included just four first downs and 20 yards of offense at the half "The defense played an incredible game," Massillon head coach Nate Moore said "I think the key for them tonight was how hard they played." The Massillon offense more than did its part while the Tiger defense shutting down Canal Winchester Jalen Slaughter threw three touchdown passes while Ja'Meir Gamble surpassed 150 yards rushing Gamble totaled 154 yards on 15 carries despite facing an eight-man front from the Canal Winchester defense for most of the night "You just have to give credit for our line and to Ja'Meir for still be able to move the ball," Moore said "Our guys did a nice job of blocking and Ja'Meir has the ability to make people miss Slaughter and the receivers also took advantage of the single coverage on the outside Slaughter was 10-of-19 passing for 228 yards with no interceptions "When you're facing an eight-man pressure defense with a cover zero behind it creates some opportunities," Moore said "We were able to catch it a couple of times and the kids were able to make them pay for it." Bryalyn Toles and Jacques Carter caught touchdowns for Massillon McConnell also caught a 3-yard touchdown on offense after a play fake by Slaughter fooled the entire stadium and left McConnell wide open for a score in the second half "We had two tight ends on the play," McConnell said "The corner came up and took the other tight end and no one covered me It was fun to score a touchdown on offense." The Tigers will play its next game at a neutral site meaning it was farewell to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium for seniors such as McConnell and Wright Jr "It was obviously a special night for our seniors," Moore said They aren't done yet though and they have bigger goals they want to achieve." Here is how the game unfolded through our live updates Massillon has defeated Canal Winchester 37-7 here at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium The Tigers advance to the third round of the OHSAA Playoffs Brody Harmon intercepts MassillonThe Massillon backup unit threw an interception on fourth down to Canal Winchester's Brody Harmon at the Canal Winchester 26-yard line Iverson Klusmann just intercepted Massillon in the end zone to end the Tiger threat The ball will come back out to the 20-yard line The backup offense was in on that drive for the Tigers Massillon leads Canal Winchester 37-7 after the third quarter The clock will continue to run once the fourth quarter starts The interior of the Massillon defensive line just sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble The Tigers recover the ball at the Canal Winchester 18-yard line Massillon leads Canal Winchester 37-7 with 1:30 to go in the third quarter Vito McConnell catches touchdown pass for MassillonVito McConnell just caught a 3-yard touchdown pass moments ago on a nice play fake by Jalen Slaughter Slaughter faked out the entire stadium and McConnell was wide open Massillon leads Canal Winchester 37-7 with five minutes to go in the third quarter We will now have a running clock here at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium The third quarter is about to get underway here at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Mateo Herrera makes a 29-yard field goal with no time on the clock to give Massillon a 31-7 lead over Canal Winchester before halftime The field goal attempt was set up by a defensive holding call with no time left on the clock on the end zone by Canal Winchester Canal Winchester was called for pass interference on the play before that Canal Winchester will get the ball to start the third quarter Wide receiver Jacques Carter is back out on the field before halftime for Massillon Carter was shaken up on the previous drive Canal Winchester misses long field goal in final minute of second quarterCanal Winchester just attempted a 50-yard field goal with 45 seconds to go in the second quarter The kick had the distance but was wide left Massillon will get the ball at its own 25-yard line after the missed field goal Jacques Carter shaken up for MassillonWide receiver Jacques Carter just took a big hit on an attempted screen pass and was helped off the field just before halftime Massillon leads Canal Winchester 28-7 with 1:53 to play in the second quarter Logan Allman just made the third quarterback sack of the night The Tigers completely collapsed the pocket on Canal Winchester Canal Winchester is going to punt the ball back to Massillon The Tigers will get the ball back with 1:57 to play in the second quarter The first play after the custodial timeout was memorable for Massillon Ja'Meir Gamble breaks through the eight man front and takes it 57 yards for a touchdown The extra point attempt by Mateo Herrera was good Massillon now leads Canal Winchester 28-7 with 3:57 to go in the second quarter Custodial timeout at Paul Brown Tiger StadiumA Massillon player vomited on the field here at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium so we had a custodial timeout The custodian came out waving a broom to cheers He also received a standing ovation after he was finished is causing the Canal Winchester offensive line a lot of problems just recorded his second sack of the night and he has pressured the quarterback on numerous other occasions early He is having a terrific game for Massillon Massillon leads 21-7 with 4:47 to play in the second quarter Braylyn Toles catches long touchdown for MassillonBraylyn Toles just caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Slaughter Toles caught the pass in the open field and was gone It's hard to give this group of Massillon receivers an open field They have so much speed they are nearly impossible to catch in that scenario Massillon leads Canal Winchester 21-7 with 6:28 to go in the second quarter Caleb Clay comes up with a clutch 3-yard touchdown catch in the flat from Quinton McGhee on fourth down to keep Canal Winchester in this game Massillon leads Canal Winchester 14-7 with 11:12 to go in the second quarter Massillon leads Canal Winchester after first quarterMassillon leads Canal Winchester 14-0 after thee first quarter at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Canal Winchester will have a crucial third-and-goal at the Tiger 4-yard line to start the second quarter Canal Winchester returned the ensuing kickoff down to the Massillon 6-yard line Tiger defense starting with their backs against the wall on this drive with 50 seconds left in the first quarter Mylen Lenix put the cap on a long Massillon drive with a 4-yard touchdown run The Mateo Herrera extra point attempt was good Massillon leads Canal Winchester 14-0 with 1:17 to play in the first quarter Massillon has held Canal Winchester to negative two yards of offense after two drives Canal Winchester's only first down so far came on a pass interference call The Tigers are getting consistent pressure on the quarterback and completely shutting down the run game Massillon leads 7-0 with 5:07 to play in the first quarter Good news for Massillon defenseSafety Tyler Hackenbracht is out on the field in the secondary for Massillon in this game Hackenbracht was injured in the third quarter of last week's first round playoff game in the third quarter and did not return A status update on Hackenbracht was not immediately available after the game last week Hackenbracht entered the game as Massillon's leading tackler Jacques Carter just took a screen pass from Jalen Slaughter 72 yards for a touchdown Carter found himself in one-on-one coverage on the outside and shook the first man and never looked backed Canal Winchester is stacking the line of scrimmage early and it hurt them in that scenario Massillon leads Canal Winchester 7-0 with 8:18 to go in the first quarter The Massillon defense forces a three-and-out of its own for the first drive The Tigers will be getting the ball back with 9:27 to go in the first quarter made a big statement on Canal Winchester's first play from scrimmage Wright immediately sacked the quarterback with a big hit Massillon goes three and out on first driveThe Massillon offense stalls out early on the first drive The Tigers picked up just one yard on the first three plays and will be punting to Canal Winchester We're just about to get underway here at Massillon Canal Winchester will get the ball first to star the second half Massillon defensive statistical leadersTyler Hackenbracht has 91 tacklesMylen Lenix has six sacks and 14.5 tackles for lossDaylan Pringle has three interceptionsLucas Shertzer has two fumble recoveriesReach cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com MASSILLON – The Duncan Plaza amphitheater is set to host more than a dozen live performances this year for the city's Summer Concert Series Kicking off the series June 12 is a new Massillon performer, the Trainwreck Country Band. The summer music bonanza concludes Aug. 16, with Visinata Massillon's July 3 Celebration show features New Wave Nation John Soptelean, who operates Johnny's Music Shoppe at 2492 Lincoln Way E, put together the 2025 schedule with an assist from the Massillon WestStark Chamber of Commerce which is heading-up the series' fundraising effort "We've got a lot of cool stuff happening," said Soptelean I can't wait for the community to come down and have some fun with us." A few other performers for the 2025 series are Imaginary Cookies, which specializes in late 1980s pop and '90s rock, Crossroads Band, a tribute band to rock's greatest hits, and Erin Nicole's Centric Soul New this year are three Monday night shows — July 14 21 and 28 — "to mix things up," said Soptelean noting that most performances will take place on the traditional Thursday nights Two first-time Massillon performers are also on the 2025 docket. They are Whisky Loco and Trainwreck "These are high-energy country bands that are crowd-driven," he said Still rockin': Popular NE Ohio band LaFlavour rolls on after recent deaths of 3 members Not part of this year's concert schedule is LaFlavour Band member Craig DeBock told The Independent that "it's disappointing" the group has been left off the Massillon concert lineup this year Hopefully we can get back on (the list) next year," he said Soptelean said he didn't want to get into specifics on discussions he had recently with LaFlavour but said he'd "love to have them back in 2026." The Massillon Summer Concert Series returns June 12 All shows are free and most run from 7 to 9 p.m MASSILLON – The former city hospital is planning to reopen its doors under a new banner and theme The Affinity Medical Center building has a new operator as the site will be rebranded the Massillon Community Health and Innovation Center NE is to be anchored by a 24-hour emergency room that could be operational as soon as late spring "This (will be) a transformative hub where wellness innovation and community converge to reimagine healthcare and inspire vitality," said Chris Zimmerman "The willpower to do this is 10 out of 10." The health center aims to house traditional medical services from licensed practitioners but also focus strongly on personal vitality "We're not trying to replicate what other hospitals do," he said during an interview Tuesday with The Independent inside the former Affinity building "We want to promote the notion for people to take an interest in their own vigor and self-health." Mike Farina, the former operator Discount Outlet in Massillon He will not be involved in day-to-day operations of the health facility Massillon Mayor Jamie Slutz is enthusiastic about the opportunity put forth by Zimmerman and Milligan "It's an exciting plan they have for the facility and will benefit the community," the mayor said The 24-bed ER — operated by an independent provider — could open as early as May or June along with a handful of related medical services The facility may also serve as a hub for community activities and programs down the road job fairs and business development meetings more than $10 million was spent to restore the inside of the main Affinity building and prepare it for medical services The facility — totaling six floors and nearly 300,000 square feet — rests on an 11.6-acre property as well as a parking lot that sits across the road from the hospital on Eighth Street NE Hospital sale: Former Affinity Medical Center building sells again. What next for the site? Affinity hospital has not been used to treat patients since its closure in February 2018 Massillon took over the building and related properties from Quorum Health in mid-2018 for $1 The city sold the property via auction in 2020 U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, had included the money in the 2025 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. But the funding was not part of the spending bill passed recently by the U.S Funds for more than a dozen Northeast Ohio community projects were canceled in the spending bill "We're disappointed but not surprised," said Ted Herncane, the city's development director "So it's back to the drawing board to look for alternative funding sources." the city still plans to restore the streambank along the northern section of the waterway A $300,000 state grant will pay for the work five-year Reservoir Park project aims to restore a small pond and rehabilitate the streambank as well as provide a facelift to the historic pumphouse The city was relying on federal dollars to fund the second phase which involves restoring the pond we'll have to come up with a new funding plan," Herncane said Multiple future amenities at the park could also be in jeopardy Funding changes: What Akron-Canton projects, programs are at risk in Trump-backed spending bill? Options discussed have included constructing a walking bridge over the northern section of Sippo Creek connecting to an existing trail; a community center inside the old pumphouse; fishing docks along the pond; a new levee; and lakeside fitness area was discouraged by the loss of federal dollars But he is confident a new funding solution will be put forth "Our City Council will work with the mayor's office and Parks Department to ensure we have a wonderful parks system," he said A torrential downpour of rain and a flood of penalties doomed the defending Division II state champions in a regional championship game "Both teams have to play in the elements," Massillon head coach Nate Moore said "There are no excuses when it comes to that You have to play the game that is presented to you and Big Walnut played a great game tonight." The penalties ultimately did more damage to the Tigers than the weather Massillon was called for 26 penalties for 175 yards on Friday That included a key sequence at the end of the first half when the Tigers were driving into the Big Walnut red zone Four consecutive false start penalties turned a fourth-and-1 into a fourth-and-21 and a turnover on downs Here's how the game unfolded through our live updates Big Walnut defeats MassillonJalen Slaughter is forced to dump the ball off short on the final play of the game Big Walnut tracks down the ball carrier and the open field and makes the tackle as time expires near midfield Big Walnut defeats Massillon 14-7 in this Division II Big Walnut vs Massillon reaction: Massillon's OHSAA football title bid stopped by Big Walnut Deontay Malone hauls in another catch and moves it up to the 48-yard line Massillon is called for another false start though Massillon has a nice run negated by a holding call Deontay Malone catches a 23-yard pass to keep the Tigers alive Massillon has it first-and-10 at its own 25-yard line with 30 seconds to play Big Walnut downs punt at Massillon 3-yard lineMassillon will have to drive 97 yards to tie this game with 1:06 to play and no timeouts The Golden Eagles just downed a punt at the Tiger 3-yard line Massillon burns final timeoutMassillon just used its last timeout Big Walnut has it third-and-9 at the Massillon 39-yard line with 1:55 to play in this game The Tigers can't stop the clock going forward Brody Hatfield just intercepted Jalen Slaughter with 2:11 to go and returned the ball to the Massillon 40-yard line That is just the fourth interception that Slaughter has thrown this season Slaughter was throwing into the wind and you have to believe the monsoon we are dealing with out here did not help him on that attempt Big Walnut leads Massillon 14-7 with 2:03 to play and has the ball JaMeir Gamble gets loose for a 16-yard run with 2:20 to play The Tigers have it first-and-10 at their own 44 Big Walnut punts the ball out of the end zone Massillon offense will start with the ball at its own 20-yard line False start backs up Big WalnutA big penalty goes against Big Walnut The Golden Eagles jump offsides on a third-and-2 Massillon stops Big Walnut for a 1-yard loss on third down It's a Big Walnut fourth-and-8 with 3:24 to go Big Walnut chewing up clockBig Walnut is going to running back Nolan Buirley Buirley had a 13-yard gain after the Golden Eagles got possession and followed that up with another nine yards on two carries The Golden Eagles are at the Massillon 36-yard line The Tigers are forced to punt after picking up just 5 yards in three plays Big Walnut leads the Tigers 14-7 with 6:15 to go in the fourth quarter Massillon forces a quick three-and-out for Big Walnut Vito McConnell is back in the game and knocked down the third down attempt Big Walnut gets a favorable bounce that Massillon can't field and it goes as a 54-yard Golden Eagle punt down to the Massillon 32-yard line Big Walnut leads Massillon 14-7 with 7:57 to play in the fourth quarter Big Walnut stops Massillon offense on fourth-and-2After a measurement Massillon comes up half a yard short on a fourth-and-2 rushing attempt by Mylen Lenix Big Walnut will take over with the ball at its own 8-yard line The Golden Eagles lead Massillon 14-7 with 9:36 to play JaMeir Gamble just took off for a 29-yard run that takes it down to the Big Walnut 17-yard line The Golden Eagles are clinging to a 14-7 lead with 11:26 to play in this game Big Walnut leads Massillon 14-7 after three quarters of play The Tigers will start with a first-and-15 at its own 49-yard line here at Mansfield A false start penalty once again backs Massillon up Big Walnut penalty on punt gives Massillon offense new lifeA series of Massillon false start penalties forced the Tigers to punt out of its own end zone The Tigers had three false start penalties on offense on the series You can cue a massive penalty on Big Walnut now The Golden Eagles are called for roughing Tyler Hackenbracht in the end zone and that will give the Massillon offense a fresh first-and-10 from its own 16-yard line with 1:03 to go in the third quarter Massillon defense forces puntA great special teams play by Big Walnut's Brady Taylor pins Massillon at its own 3-yard line with 4:21 to go in the third quarter The punt by Jake Neff lands and is immediately covered up by Taylor to pin the Tigers deep Massillon trails 14-7 with 4 minutes to go in the third quarter Massillon allows Nolan Buirley to pick up nine yards after getting the ball back Massillon is called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play and defensive back Braylon Gamble is down Gamble has his helmet off and is in obvious pain The Massillon training staff is helping him hop to the sideline Big Walnut has the ball at the Massillon 34 with a 14-7 lead with 5:38 to go in the third quarter sacked Big Walnut quarterback Eli Stumpf to force a Big Walnut punt Massillon plants the Golden Eagle punter and is called for roughing the punter Massillon's Vito McConnell is shaken up on the play The penalty gives Big Walnut a first down at its own 38-yard line Eli Helton delivers big sack for Big WalnutEli Helton sacks Jalen Slaughter for an 11-yard loss on a key third down at the Big Walnut 40-yard line The Massillon punt rolls down to the Golden Eagle 13-yard line and out of bounds Big Walnut takes over from there with 10:04 to go in the third quarter Tyler Hackenbracht gives Massillon good field positionTyler Hackenbracht has a 35-yard kickoff return for Massillon and the Tigers will start at the Big Walnut 47-yard line Golden Eagles lead Massillon 14-7 with 11:25 to go in the third quarter Nolan Buirley just took the opening kickoff 96-yards for a touchdown to start the second half Buirley broke a couple of tackles inside his own 20 and was gone Once he broke through that first wave of defenders Big Walnut leads Massillon 14-7 with 11:45 to go in the third quarter Massillon will be kicking off to Big Walnut here at Mansfield I think the weather has somehow gotten worse The rain is still blowing sideways in sheets but I think the intensity of it has increased Massillon will be kicking with that wind to start the third quarter Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter scrambles to the 49-yard line and takes a slide to end the first half Massillon and Big Walnut are tied 7-7 at the break I can't recall a game where it has rained sideways like this for an entire half Massillon defense stops Nolan Buirley on fourth and shortMassillon swarms Big Walnut running back Nolan Buriley for a 3-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play at the Massillon 29-yard line Tigers will take over with eight seconds left in the first half Massillon has turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass from Jalen Slaughter to Braylyn Toles on fourth down Big Walnut takes over at its own 38-yard line with 2:18 to go in the first half It is now fourth-and-21 after all of the penalties at the Big Walnut 38 yard line It was fourth-and-1 at one point on this drive for Massillon This was a fourth-and-1 at one point this drive It is now fourth-and-16 after three consecutive false starts by Massillon Massillon called for a second false start on critical playIt will now be fourth-and-11 after a second false start on Massillon with 2:19 to go Massillon has it fourth-and-6 at the Big Walnut 23 yard line Massillon initially had it fourth-and-1 but the Tigers were called for a false start The Golden Eagles takea timeout with 2:19 to go to talk it over The Massillon offense is driving down the field The Tigers have it second-and-9 at the Big Walnut 26-yard line JaMeir Gamble had a big 25-yard run to set the Tigers up in this position looked to be stopped and reversed field and surprised everyone with his speed getting to the outside the other way Big Walnut 7 with 3:55 to go in the second quarter Big Walnut is able to get one first down on its next drive but the Massillon defense holds fast and forces a punt Big Walnut is called for a false start on the punt backing the Golden Eagles up 5 more yards Big Walnut punts into the wind and it is knocked down at the Tiger 34-yard line Big Walnut 7 with 6:07 to go in the second quarter It takes Massillon just one play to get on the scoreboard Braylyn Toles speeds past the defensive back and catches the perfect pass all alone from Jalen Slaughter for a 75-yard touchdown pass Massillon is called for a 5-yard penalty on the extra point attempt Massillon has tied Big Walnut 7-7 with 10:40 to go in the first half Penalty flag negates big Massillon kickoff returnRicardo Wells returned the ensuing kickoff to the Big Walnut 22 yard line but a block in the back brings the play all the way back to the Massillon 25-yard line Brody Hatfield catches a 6-yard touchdown pass from Eli Stumpf to give Big Walnut the early lead It was a roll out pass that Massillon initially had covered The Tiger linebacker came up to try to make a play on the quarterback and Stumpf was able to hang with the play and complete the pass to Hatfield Big Walnut leads Massillon 7-0 with 11:04 to go in the second quarter OHSAA football playoff scores: Ohio high school football playoff scores tonight | live updates of OHSAA regional finals A big third-down catch by start tight end Owen Pollock has set Big Walnut up with a first and goal to go at the end of the first quarter Nolan Buirley picks up 2 yards on first and goal The Golden Eagles will have it second and goal from the 6 yard line when the second quarter begins Big Walnut forces Massillon punt on second drive by TigersMassillon picks up one first down before the Tigers are forced to punt Big Walnut calls for a fair catch at its own 45-yard line The rain is falling in sheets here at Mansfield and is blowing sideways in the lights Big Walnut is unable to do anything with the good field position A personal foul after the first play on the drive set the Golden Eagles back 15 yards Massillon takes over at its own 18-yard line with 6:30 to go in the first quarter The Massillon offense picked up one first down on the opening drive and was forced to punt Tyler Hackenbracht still not punting for the Tigers The punt goes for negative three yards as the wind knocks it down and Big Walnut will take over at the Massillon 37-yard line Massillon will receive the opening kickoff at Massillon Big Walnut won the toss and elected to defer The Golden Eagles will get the ball first to start the second half Victor and Kathy Mann have an incredible love for one another I noticed the strength and determination each of them shared when I visited their home in Massillon “I could have given up any particular time but then I couldn’t leave her,” said Victor Mann While the couple held hands and shared their story so I'm assuming once that closes I'll be able to sing a little better," he said He’s ready to get back to singing like he once did but his focus now is on recovery after complications from a double lung transplant that put him in the hospital for the majority of 10 months “I got up and was walking the halls after the surgery,” he said “Sometimes patients have these antibodies that build up and no matter what we do for them it’s when it’s going to happen,” said certified transplant nurse at Cleveland Clinic Noelle Armstrong "There’s a whole bunch of different interventions we can do for those sorts of things," she said his was a little bit more complex in what we did to treat him.” Kathy Mann said he was on ECMO for about seven weeks it’s a machine that pumps blood outside of the body to a heart and lung machine It’s used for life-threatening heart and lung conditions [Victor] faced complications including anti-body mediated rejection and life-threatening bleeding,” said Cleveland Clinic Corporate Communications Senior Associate Grant Passell Victor Mann's caregivers at Cleveland Clinic were impressed with his determination and his wife's unwavering support we came in there together and we were leaving there together," said Kathy Mann “Being able to continually tell yourself you can do something and having that right support I think knowing that you can do something when everything else against you is telling you that you can’t I think truly does speak on that part of the human spirit,” said Armstrong Mann remains on oxygen but is grateful to be back home as therapy continues I probably wouldn’t be here right now,” he said “Ask as many questions as you can beforehand we didn’t know half of what we were in for.” Kathy Mann had a transplant of her own years before According toLifebanc one of the original seven independent organ procurement organizations in the United States. There are 2,646 Ohioans on the national waiting list for transplants About 1,150 northeast Ohioans are on the waiting list.You can register to be a donor here MASSILLON – Kate Bowling grew up in Medina and had a love of music for most of her life Kate enjoyed singing and playing guitar for many of her 19 years, according to her uncle, David Thomas. She died from pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer in 2020 Thomas also has a strong appreciation for music and a few years ago started a nonprofit group — K8 Event Team — with music ties to help keep Kate's memory alive the group hosted the Canal Fulton concert series and has shifted its focus to a new venue on the northwest side of Massillon "I have a good team and want to continue (the concerts) for my niece in her name," Thomas said The Massillon Knights Foundation (MKF) is leasing part of its 988 Cherry Road NW property to K8 for live music slated to start in early June "The 21 acres is a (prime spot) and large area for what we're doing There's also plenty of parking (350 to 400 spaces)," said Thomas noting that overflow grass parking availability at the Knight's property is also a perk is hosting 10 shows for the Massillon Knights Foundation concert series which is to kick off June 6 on a mobile stage A permanent stage is planned for the 2026 events because of the ins-and-outs of this year's concerts (will make it tough to build)," Thomas said Construction on a new stage could start following the 2025 concert season Estimated price tag would be around $100,000 to $150,000 Tickets per show at Massillon Knights Foundation concerts will run $10 for adults Youths under age 18 can attend for free if accompanied by an adult Proceeds from the ticket sales are to pay for future MKF shows and purchase musical instruments for kids who can't afford them "We think it's a nice way to honor Kate," Thomas said "Kids can also get (music) lessons out of it and maybe play at a (future) concert we host." A Knights of Columbus employee told The Independent that the organization has no hand into the concert series other than leasing of the grounds to K8 called the coming together of K8 and the MKF a quality collaboration Let the music play: Massillon's 2025 Summer Concert Series lineup is set. Here's a list of performers "The goal is to bring events to communities as partners," Downing said Ticket information for the 2025 MKF concerts is available at the K8 Event Team website is the home of a new music series starting June 6 The civil case is heading to mediation later this month claiming the officials failed him when they left the team unsupervised during a summer practice and he was attacked by teammates during a hazing ritual the player told police that he was "rushed" by some of his teammates and stripped naked from the waist down at a school practice facility The lawsuit — which seeks more than $25,000 in compensatory damages — challenges the "inappropriate hazing culture that has been allowed to exist at Massillon City Schools over the years." filed in Stark County Common Pleas Court in June by Akron-based attorney Edward Gilbert claims the rich history of the Tiger football team has grown a questionable culture where certain administrators allow inappropriate activities The lawsuit calls into question serious hazing harassment and violations of the Ohio Revised Code as it relates to training camps for football players "There were close to 20 coaches and none of them were around scheduled to supervise any of the players," Gilbert said "The principal and superintendent have an obligation to ensure these children are supervised while on school grounds "I just think that it is sad that these things go on period," he added We are really distressed that this has gone this far." Gilbert said his client is suffering from the psychological effects of the incident He's now a freshman in college and playing football and his teammates and classmates are aware of the incident Salvino did not speak directly about the lawsuit but issued the following statement: "Keeping our student-athletes safe is always a priority," he said we take the situation seriously and follow board policies in our response It is important to know that this situation took place some time ago and following a thorough investigation appropriate disciplinary measures were taken at that time." and Moore was placed on administrative leave later returning to coach at the start of the season following a school investigation Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone opted not to charge any of the students involved following a separate police investigation Stone said the behavior was "inexcusable," but it didn't rise to the level of criminal action integrate into the team culture and remain a player on the team the teen contends he was subject to hazing practices The hazing began to escalate in his final year He claims he was under tremendous peer pressure to get along with his teammates and to be willing to participate in the hazing "It's a situation where these things have happened in the past and the system didn't take any steps to corral that or correct the situation," Gilbert said the teen alleges he was involved in "birthday shots" a practice he said involves tackling physical contact to celebrate the person's birthday or other celebratory events On June 26, 2023, approximately 15 of the victim's teammates gave him "birthday shots" during a practice camp session on school property The victim said he was caught off guard as his teammates tackled him and began to strip him of his clothes The victim was photographed and videotaped while naked was on "an extended break" and no one was supervising the students The lawsuit claims at least six other victims endured "birthday shots" and were stripped The administration and coaches were aware of the hazing and did nothing to prevent it It also claims leaders failed to notify authorities for at least 24 to 48 hours after the incident The defendants are mandatory reporters of child abuse and failed to report it in a timely manner allowing more time for images of the victim to be distributed "This was blatant child abuse," the lawsuit said The lawsuit also claims the defendants conspired to "cover up" the incident and they failed to properly discipline the students involved in the incident Reach Amy at 330-224-1662 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com MASSILLON – Four Washington High School alumni will be inducted in April as the 2025 Distinguished Citizens class During a video announcement posted on the WHS Alumni Association Facebook page Principal DavidLautenschlegerannounced the four alumni as Robert Rinehart (1957) Robert Rohrer (1968) and class of 1993 graduate Tina M Rinehart spent his career as an executive-level and field intelligence officer for the CIA He has managed and participated in activities directed at high-risk countries obtaining information of value to senior policy makers His final years with the CIA focused on the collection of economic intelligence Rinehart held various positions at a private university consulted for economic development in the elder care field and was the co-founder of a high-tech company He also served as vice president of a chamber of commerce president of a performing arts center board and is now the president of a senior center board Robinson earned her teaching degrees from West Virginia State University and Kent State before returning to Washington High to teach biology She spent her 35-year career at her alma mater from 1965 to 2000 Robinson was the founder of Success Club and Begin Anew Lautenschleger said Robinson inspired greatness in her students and was an active community member Rohrer served as Washington High's principal from 1995 to 2001 He also was the assistant superintendent and superintendent of the Massillon Digital Academy he established the Top 25 recognition dinner University of Akron and Ashland University he also served as a guidance counselor and most recently supervised student teachers at Walsh He also was an operations supervisor at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Miller has spent nearly 20 years in social work She earned a bachelor's degree in family and child development and is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Florida Recovery Schools of Tampa Bay Events to honor the inductees will be held April 9-11 including the induction banquet on April 9 For more information or tickets, email Chuck Richards at crichards@massillonschools.org CANTON — Eight years had passed since Massillon beat Canton McKinley in a boys high school basketball game "We've been so close," Tigers head coach Josh Hose said Massillon used its harassing defense and some timely shooting to knock off McKinley 74-73 on Tuesday night at Memorial Field House The win snaps an eight-game losing streak to the rival Bulldogs with Massillon's last victory coming eight years ago to the day: a 67-60 Tigers win at the Field House on Jan "I think our guys bought in and believed," said Hose Massillon senior star Chris Knight had never beaten McKinley on any level in basketball and it was the same for many of his teammates But the Tigers looked plenty confident in front of 1,400 fans as they used a 17-4 run to end the second quarter and take a 39-32 halftime lead McKinley fought back to tie the game 50-50 late in the third quarter but senior Terrelle Keyes answered with a 3 and Massillon never relinquished the lead again as it improved to 8-3 "This means a lot to us going forward," Knight said I think we can play with the best of the best."  Knight scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds while sophomore guard Xavier Williams added 16 points Those two Tigers teamed up for the shot of the night Williams threw a crosscourt pass to Knight who drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner with 36 seconds left "It means a lot because in that situation he trusted me and all my teammates trusted me," said Knight who made four of Massillon's eight 3s on the night "I know I can knock that shot down for them."  Keyes and junior Jadyce Thigpen each scored nine points for Massillon including two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to give Massillon a two-possession lead Statement wins usually are intended for those people outside the victor's locker room "This was like a statement game for ourselves," Hose said because McKinley is one of the best teams in the state regardless of division."  The Bulldogs had five players score in double figures with junior Anthony Chavers and sophomore Ed Webster each scoring 16 points Juniors Jayveion Carter and Davey Thompson scored 13 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Reed Sims Jr. went for 12 points and nine rebounds after exploding for 33 points in McKinley's 84-74 win at Massillon last season "I felt like we did a really good job of getting back on defense," Hose said He was hanging on our rim left and right because we were letting them leak out."  "We got outworked and outtoughed," McKinley coach Sean Weatherspoon said "I thought the refs let us play and we were a little timid with all the physical contact We just couldn't get in a rhythm and we were a step behind defensively whose Tigers outraced Mentor 97-85 early this season called Tuesday "definitely our biggest win" in his Massillon tenure It's a glimpse of what Massillon could be capable of as it eyes the Division II tournament later this winter we're a darn good team when we play like we can," Hose said "But we have some spells where we don't play so well It kind of gives us some proof of what we can be getting rid of that inconsistency that killed us last year."  Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com  MASSILLON − Ohio-born poet Paul Laurence Dunbar will be in the spotlight on Feb hailed by event organizers as "your favorite poet's favorite poet." The Wright Brothers were schoolmates and he enjoyed a friendship with civil rights leader Frederick Douglass during the late 1800s a professor of voice and vocal area coordinator at the University of Dayton will perform at a celebration of Dunbar's prose at 4 p.m The soprano is founder of the Dunbar Archive and will sing Dunbar's prose set to music composed by Samuel Colridge-Taylor an associate professor of vocal accompanying at Oberlin College said she has wanted to feature Ohio composers and artists since joining the staff in 2023 She and Daniel-Cox have been friends since they were graduate students at the University of Michigan "The church has had a concert series since 2021 and this the first year that I planned it," she said and I wanted her to come during Black History Month I assumed she would sing settings of Paul Dunbar's poetry because that's her work One of my goals for the series this year was to feature Ohio performers There is so much good music and so much good art happening in Ohio." said she became engrossed in Dunbar's life and work since joining the University of Dayton's faculty "I've become the Dunbar scholar," she said He's the first African-American poet to make his living by his pen and he is part of the first generation of free-born black folks who is this Dunbar guy?' And that started everything because he's from Dayton He's just kind of a big deal that you just don't ever really know about I made it my business to remind people of things that are part of Paul's lineage." Daniel-Cox describes the poet as "deliciously Black and deliciously American." "It was like meeting someone and you realize you've been hearing them your whole life," she said "There were these little snippets of his poems that I knew 'I know why the caged birds sings,' and we know it because of Maya (Angelou) and I realized that she recognized in him parts of American culture Some of our first examples of contemporary musical theater are because of him and his works He just did so many things that were impactful and influential in terms of giving African-Americans literary voice." Daniel-Cox said her favorite Dunbar work is "When Malindy Sings." Haake said her goal has been to showcase music not always heard "I've been really intentional about programming but artists whose performances will not be consistently of music from (one source)," she said "There are just worlds of music that a lot of us Daniel-Cox said she believes Dunbar is not better known because he isn't considered a "cool" poet like fellow Ohioan Langston Hughes She said it is obvious Hughes was influenced by Dunbar's work Dunbar's parents were former slaves from Kentucky He was the only Black student in his 1890 high school graduating class, and editor of the school's newspaper. His friends and schoolmates included Wilbur and Orrville Wright, the latter of whom printed "The Dayton Tattler," a short-lived newspaper Dunbar published for Dayton's Black community His big break came as an invitation to address the Western Association of Writers in 1892 in Dayton After a positive review of Dunbar's presentation was published throughout the Midwest it led to the publication of his first collection of poems He spoke at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago where he earned the friendship and praise of civil rights leader Douglass Following a positive review of his work in 1896 in Harper's Weekly he gained national acclaim and did speaking tours throughout the United States and United Kingdom Dunbar became a research assistant at the Library of Congress but it was a stormy and abusive relationship "There are 360-odd letters between Paul and Alice Ruth Moore," Daniel-Cox said "They are our first (literary) example of a romance between two free black folks They are essentially two young people falling in love Daniel-Cox said that like many gifted people "We are not going to be able to pay him tribute by lying about who he was as a whole complete human," she said This man was working as an elevator operator and was sickly his whole life He's enabled by some substance abuse and some systemic oppression and it's just all this kind of cluster of horrible things that he has to endure that he doesn't always conquer this is a person that gave voice to the Black experience in our literary world In 1899, Dunbar was diagnosed with tuberculosis and took to alcohol The house at 219 N. Paul Laurence Dunbar St. is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com What: Concert to celebrate poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (This story has been updated to add new information.) MASSILLON – City Council is opposing proposed state legislation and any attempts that would change Ohio's recreational marijuana law The resolution was passed by council 9-0 on Monday night Ohio Bill 56 aims to redirect tax revenue from the previously designated Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Fund Backers of the current law touted it as a way to right the wrongs of cannabis prohibition: The statute created a social equity and jobs program to promote diversity in the industry and support those who were penalized by previous laws The city's resolution opposes changes that counter the decision of Ohio voters who supported legalizing recreational marijuana in November 2023 Massillon voters approved the state measure with 57% of the vote "The tax dollar potential is the whole reason why I voted for this (in 2023)," said City Councilman Mike Gregg "We all knew when this (marijuana issue) came on the ballot two years ago that there would be a benefit to the city," Ray said tax revenue allocation is critical for supporting host communities and opposes all formats — including state budget changes — to alter the Ohio marijuana law "We think it's unfair and a bait-and-switch, (with state officials trying to change) the game in the local funding (aspect)," said Ted Herncane, the city's development director Recreational marijuana revenue: Ohio governor wants to build jails, scrap funding for municipalities Two marijuana dispensaries are in line to open this year in Massillon The city's resolution urges Ohio legislators to vote against Ohio Bill 56 and the related House Bill 160 Home Posts History Massillon Downs Canton McKinley in Defensive Battle No high school football program in American does “Rivalry Game-Day” better than Massillon Even most colleges would be envious of the atmosphere on display at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on this sunny Saturday afternoon The parking lots were packed with fans eager to support their teams The dozens of tailgate parties were in full swing The calliope was pounding out Tiger Rag at the stadium entrance The stadium speakers were blasting the music And the fireworks were echoing throughout All to witness a classic showdown between Massillon and Canton McKinley with the partisan Tiger crowd enjoying a 16-7 victory in this 135th meeting The Bulldogs came into the game as an overwhelming underdog And it would have played out that way had they not made any adjustments to the defense in order to hamper the well-balanced Tiger attack they elected to load the box to stop the run and take a risk by playing man-to-man against the wide receivers even the free safeties crept toward the box to aid in the effort thereby placing up to nine players in that zone Massillon never got untracked with their ground game holding 1,000-yard rusher Ja’Meir Gamble to just 52 yards on 20 carries Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter was on the mark completing 13 of 17 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns He was also named by the Great American Rivalry Series as the Player of the Game putting great pressure on quarterback Kam Montgomery who was the catalyst of the Bulldog offense And they held the McKinley rushing attack to almost nothing until near the end of the game The tone was set on the first series when Montgomery sent a tag screen to Dante McClellan at the 21 yard line McClellan was immediately swarmed by a host of Tiger tacklers and stripped of the ball by Lennox Lemon Vito McConnell made the recovery and from there it took Massillon just four plays to find the end zone Rushes by Gamble and Mylen Lenix advanced the ball to the seven Slaughter rolled left and found Braylyn Toles wide open on a crossing route in the back of the end zone for the initial points of the game Mateo Herrera’s PAT was good and the Tigers would maintain a lead for the rest of the game On the Bulldog’s next possession they were forced to punt after gaining just three yards leaped high over a blocker to get a hand on the ball giving the Tigers another chance for a score following three runs and an incomplete pass But Massillon came right back after another Bulldog 3-and-out and drove 52 yards in eight plays for their second score Thirty-eight yards came at the hands of Slaughter who completed a 14-yarder to tight end Deangelo Zimmerman and a 24-yarder to Jacques Carter for the touchdown an unsportsmanship conduct penalty was marched off prior to the PAT and the kick was subsequently missed McKinley finally got their offense untracked and advanced to the Massillon 33 tossed a screen pass to Deejay Britt for a 12-yard score with 2:07 left in the half Slaughter went to work with passing game and completed 5 of 5 for 64 yards The points were huge as it gave Massillon a two score lead the Tigers reverted to the game plan used in last year’s 7-2 state championship victory over Akron Hoban run the ball to burn up the clock and leave it to the defense to bring it home; i.e. play sound fundamental football against the rush blitz sparingly and keep the receivers in check The Bulldogs had the ball only three times in the second half The first ended in a punt from the one yard line McKinley ran off 16 plays only to have a 4th down pass intercepted by Daylan Pringle even after benefitting from a roughing the kicker penalty early in the drive Massillon had one scoring opportunity following the punt from the one but missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt Massillon finished the game with 227 yards of offense Toles caught 7 passes for 88 yards and TD Carter caught 1 pass for 24 yards and a TD Tyler Hackenbracht made 13 tackles and 1 forced fumble including two perfectly placed out of bounds which played perhaps their best game of the season 57 on the ground and 97 in the air (Montgomery completed 10 of 20 Dante McClellen had six tackles and 2 TFLs Once again there was a multitude of penalties 12 against Massillon (5 of the personal foul variety) and 12 against McKinley (2 of the personal foul variety With the victory bell now in possession of Massillon for the ninth consecutive year it resounded loudly for all of Tiger Nation as the players joyfully towed it across the field The Tigers also now lead the overall series 77-53-5 the Massillon (8-2) hosts Licking Heights in a Division II McKinley (6-4) hosts Parma Normandy in a Division I Ja’Meir Gamble eludes a potential tackler (Antonio Stevens) Ja’Meir  Gamble is chased down the sidelines Deejay Britt is brought down by Daylan Prngle Massillon head coach Nate Moore having a friendly discussion with long-time referee Tony Montana Isaaac Maxheimer (87); Lucas Shertzer (26); Daylan  Pringle (6) Social at the Stone House Massillon’s upscale neighborhood dining concept offers a unique eating experience in Ohio — so much so that it's now considered one of the best restaurants in the United States The eatery has landed on USA Today’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year list as one of the top 44 places to eat in America "On behalf of everyone at Social at the Stone House we are thrilled and humbled to receive the incredible honor of being named one of USA Today's 2025 Best Restaurants of the Year," owner Sandy Doll said about the recognition "This acknowledgement validates the heart and soul that our team pours into every dish and every interaction We owe this recognition to our loyal patrons and the incredible community that embraces and supports us every step of the way Thank you for making us a part of your lives — we are forever grateful." More: What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year. More: Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2025 Executive Chef Jeff Herman draws inspiration from fusion cuisine and Social’s carefully curated menu serves creative options craft cocktails and an extensive wine list Social is also an ode to Doll’s deep passion for the magical world of Halloween with a skull motif being a playful nod to the holiday’s mystique adding an extra touch of wonder to this already enchanting place was purchased in 2002 by the Doll and her husband and meticulously transformed The restaurant showcases locally sourced sandstone a grand wraparound front porch that now offers outdoor seating The wood-paneled foyer is adorned with hand-carved trim and features a winding main staircase allowing ample time to enjoy libations and dinner in this historic What to order at Social at the Stone HouseSmall plates Whether you opt for the whimsical and flavorful loaded tot skewers served with sharp cheddar and bacon Meatball Nirvana served with house red sauce and grilled garlic crostini you’ll quickly understand why Social is a must-visit Order several to share and debate your favorites Try a prosciutto and arugula flatbread served with artichoke bruschetta or crave-worthy braised short rib sliders while you enjoy cocktails with friends The homemade vegan black bean burger with vegan chipotle mayo is a tasty option even if you’re not vegan It’s difficult to decide from these options The bourbon-glazed pork chop is a customer favorite served with roasted creole tomatoes and smashed garlic redskins Thai-style shrimp served atop cilantro lime rice or the chili-lime baked salmon are a feast of flavors for seafood lovers but don’t overlook the grilled Portobello mushrooms with an Argentine chimichurri and zucchini noodles But shouldn’t you grab a bite or two of the whimsical Birthday … Or Not Cake (yes The cinnamon-sugar doughnuts are a shareable platter of homemade mini doughnuts served warm with a drizzle of chocolate and caramel the first two floors offer private dining areas while the third floor boasts the cozy Overlook Lounge Sip a Hibiscus Velvet Mule or Black Moon Rise while you catch up with friends The restaurant is a destination you won’t want to miss Details: 824 Lincoln Way E., Massillon; 330-809-0461, socialstonehouse.com Bev Shaffer, The Canton Repository's Food & Drink writer, can be reached at bshaffer@gannett.com or 330-580-8318 Massillon responds to forfeiting 5 girls basketball games after 5-0 startCanton RepositoryThis article was updated to include new information Massillon has forfeited five girls high school basketball wins for using an ineligible player OHSAA Communications Director Tim Stried provided this explanation to the Repository in an exchange of emails: “Massillon Washington must forfeit five wins in girls basketball this season for using an ineligible player This does not affect the team’s participation in the OHSAA postseason tournament “The school did not apply the Midseason Transfer Regulation (Bylaw 4-7-3) correctly and thought the player had to sit out the second half of this season and tournament The athlete transferred midyear last year and sat out some regular season games that season she should have sat out the first eight games this year and then would have regained her eligibility The school caught the situation after game five The Repository's request for a response was followed by the following statement from the Washington High School athletic office: "The Athletic Department at Washington High School is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our educational and athletic programs In keeping with our dedication to transparency and compliance with OHSAA regulations we are addressing a recent violation that has come to our attention "Following a review and subsequent consultation with the OHSAA it was determined that an incorrect transfer bylaw had been applied to an in-season transfer an ineligible player participated in the first five games of our girls' basketball season our girls' basketball team will forfeit the victories from these initial five games "The Athletic Department takes this matter with the utmost seriousness and is implementing corrective measures to ensure full adherence to OHSAA regulations moving forward We are committed to maintaining the integrity of our athletic programs and ensuring a fair positive experience for all of our student-athletes." including a win over the lone Stark County opponent He said the athlete in question is eligible to play after sitting out 11 games Massillon head coach Joe Pierce responded to a request for comment by deferring to his athletic department's statement “The girls have worked hard and there was a lot of excitement about starting the season so well,” she said “It’s not the girls’ fault and I don’t believe they’re the ones who should be punished It wasn’t just one person It was all of them Nicola and Jaryn Wolfe returned and led the 2024-25 team to the fast start One of the forfeited games was against Warren Harding by a 62-40 score Harding entered the weekend 6-0 in games not against Massillon MASSILLON – Mayor Jamie Slutz described the city's finances, safety forces and overall operations as solid in his first formal address to City Council in 2025 Slutz spoke for approximately 20 minutes during Tuesday night's State of the City address as part of council's regular meeting About 15 people — mainly department leaders — attended the session to hear the mayor's words and many more will continue to happen if we have the right attitude," said Slutz adding that Massillon is starting the new year with a nearly $4 million surplus from 2024 "Massillon has a rich history of embracing new technologies and industries," he said "Our economic future depends on our ability to accommodate (them) if we want to be a viable community for future generations A recent embrace includes a planned opening of the Massillon Community Health and Innovation Center at the former Affinity hospital — a move Slutz referred to as paramount "(This health care facility) will provide needed services "My office will continue to work with the property owner and the new operators so they can be as successful as possible here in Massillon." The city is beginning 2025 with a budget surplus "This is sound financial footing," Slutz said "but we must continue to be fiscally responsible and accountable." the city dedicated $2.1 million toward repaving municipal streets At least $1.25 million will be spent in 2025 with work targeted to start in spring Grant funding and carryover dollars could bump this year's total Massillon mayor outlines strong police, fire departments in MassillonThe Police and Fire departments bolstering their manpower in 2024 was also touted by Slutz in addition to a pair of corrections officers The firefighter agency added two members to total 55 "The safety of our citizens is our highest priority," he said The Massillon Parks Department aims to start later this year on a three-phase effort to restore Reservoir Park on the city's northeast side Major upgrade: Project to construct small pond, renovate pumphouse at Reservoir Park may start in 2025 The approximately $1.8 million, multiyear project aims to restore a small Reservoir Park waterway and rehabilitate the streambank as well as give a facelift to the historic pumphouse "I want our parks to be the best they can be," Slutz said "People shouldn't have to go to other communities to enjoy their parks." The mayor concluded his speech by reaffirming his personal "positive outlook" on life in general and for the city moving forward "It is an honor and a privilege to lead our great city into the future," he said and we have the capacity to achieve more for the betterment of our entire community." Massillon to close downtown streets for about 30 days for demolition of buildingsMassillon IndependentMASSILLON – The city is gearing up to start the demolition process for two downtown buildings it acquired earlier this year The preliminary work, which includes final utility disconnections at the vacant buildings, 10 Lincoln Way E and 28 Erie St. N, is to begin as soon as Monday, said city Development Director Ted Herncane Lincoln Way E and Erie Street N lane closures around the work area are also planned to start Monday and run for about 30 days According to a city of Massillon Facebook post both lanes of Lincoln Way E — between Erie Street N and First Street NE — will be closed for demolition preparations the sidewalk on the south side of Lincoln Way is to remain open both lanes of Erie Street N will be closed from Lincoln Way to Federal Street NE The two buildings should start to fall — utilizing heavy equipment — on or about Dec A recent inspection by the city's chief building official Frank Silla deemed the buildings structurally unsound prompting a plan for their upcoming removal Both downtown structures were acquired by Massillon earlier this year after city officials and Towne Plaza Ltd. owner of more than two-dozen properties in the city came to an agreement regarding a federal lawsuit that transferred ownership The estimated cost to demolish both structures is approximately $458,000. The city will use American Rescue Plan Act money for the project Louisville-based Eslich Wrecking Co. has been contracted by the city to do the work Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMASSILLON Ohio (WOIO) - The mayor of Massillon is asking the community to shower a seven-year-old boy with Valentine’s cheer Mayor Jamie Slutz said Vinny is homeschooled due to the physical limitations of his Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and will miss out on the excitement of a class Valentine’s Day party Slutz said a special drop box for Vinny’s Valentines has been placed on the mezzanine level of the administration building situated in the Huntington Bank “Let’s work together to overflow Vinny’s Spiderman box with love and show him that the entire community of Massillon is thinking of him Let’s create a Valentine’s Day he will never forget!” said Slutz Follow along for live updates throughout the afternoon The Tigers win 16-7 to beat the Bulldogs for a ninth straight time in the rivalry The Bulldogs drop a pass on fourth-and-2 from the Massillon 49 Daylan Pringle picks off Kam Montgomery on fourth-and-9 Looked like there was some confusion among the McKinley receivers The Tigers have it on their 30 with 9:35 left in the fourth quarter They have a second-and-10 at the Massillon 36 when the fourth quarter begins Tigers can't take advantageMateo Herrera misses wide left on a 31-yard field goal attempt Massillon's lead stays at 16-7 with 5:17 left in the third quarter McKinley goes nowhere and Massillon almost gets a safety The Tigers get great field position at the 35 after making the Bulldogs punt from their own end zone A great punt by Massillon's Tyler Hackenbracht has McKinley starting on its own 10 Second half underway between the Tigers and the BulldogsThe Tigers start on their 27 Kam Montgomery is 8-of-11 passing for 96 yards and one touchdown for the Bulldogs Jalen Slaughter is 12-of-14 for 115 yards and two TDs Massillon has 10 first downs and 170 yards of offense McKinley has six first downs and 111 yards of offense Ja'Meir Gamble has 66 total yards on 14 touches for the Tigers Braylyn Toles has caught five passes for 51 yards the two teams have been penalized 10 combined times for 95 yards with Massillon being responsible for six of those flags and 65 of the yards Massillon's Mateo Herrera connects on a 36-yard field goal as time expires in the first half who started on their 15 with 2:01 remaining and two timeouts left Jalen Slaughter found Ja'Meir Gamble and Braylyn Toles for key gains on the drive McKinley gets on the board against MassillonDeejay Britt took a nicely designed inside screen pass from Kam Montgomery and scored a 12-yard touchdown McKinley cuts Massillon's lead to 13-7 with 2:07 left in the second quarter A 33-yard hook-up from Montgomery to Darius Hill keyed that drive The Bulldogs drive as far as Massillon's 23 but turn it over on downs The Tigers lead 13-0 with 8:43 left in the second quarter Pretty throw from Jalen Slaughter adds to Massillon leadThe senior lefty dropped in an absolutely perfect 24-yard TD pass to Jacques Carter who was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play Mateo Herrera missed the ensuing 35-yard PAT because of the penalty so Massillon leads McKinley 13-0 with 11:14 left in the second quarter The Tigers will have second-and-12 from the Bulldogs' 26 when the second quarter begins Things looked to be going from bad to worse for the Bulldogs with some help from a couple of Massillon holding calls McKinley's Dante McClellan fumbled on the game's first play from scrimmage and Vito McConnell recovered for Massillon That led to Jalen Slaughter hitting Braylyn Toles for a 7-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal Massillon leads McKinley 7-0 with 9:37 left in the first quarter Both the Tigers and Bulldogs have found plenty of success in the opening quarter this season Massillon is outscoring the opposition 86-30 in the first quarter It's a different story in the second quarter Massillon has bested its opponents 122-42 in the second McKinley actually has been outscored 73-54 in the second The Tigers won the coin toss and chose to defer to the second half McKinley hasn't reached 20 points against Massillon since 2015 The Bulldogs have scored a total of 13 points in the last 10 quarters vs OHSAA football playoffs: Stark County postseason picture in Week 10 Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season QB: The 6-foot-4 Montgomery can make all the throws He completes 65.2 percent of his passes for 1,534 yards the Buffalo recruit has rushed for 759 yards at 5.9 a carry and 11 touchdowns Quincy is a dangerous weapon with 27 receptions for 407 yards and two touchdowns.Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com We occasionally recommend interesting products and services If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently A Massillon officer was injured early Sunday morning after a man suspected of driving under the influence crashed head-on into a police cruiser in Canton a 36-year-old Canton driver is facing felony aggravated vehicular assault and other charges accused of not stopping for police and later causing the collision striking the police cruiser head-on sometime after 2 a.m The officer and the suspect were taken to Aultman Hospital for treatment of minor injuries according to a news release from the Massillon Police Department More: Perry Twp. police: Driver who fled from pursuit, crashed in backyard The officer initially tried to stop the Dodge Ram truck on Richville Drive SE in Massillon That led to a chase that ended with the truck's driving the wrong way on the U.S The Ohio State Highway Patrol is handling the investigation The driver was arrested and arraigned Monday morning Massillon Municipal Court Magistrate Andrea Scassa set bond at $75,000 and the suspect remains in the Stark County Jail Court documents allege the driver was intoxicated and refused to pull over when a traffic stop was initiated Besides the aggravated vehicular assault charge the driver is also charged with felony obstructing official business and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer He also faces traffic charges including operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol operating a vehicle without reasonable control and failure to obey traffic devices The Massillon Tigers had them when it mattered most Friday night In a clash of 2023 state high school football champions Edward 31-21 at First Federal Lakewood Stadium One letdown after the game ended was knowing there would be no rematch between the Division I Eagles and Division II Tigers when stakes are higher Mylen Lenix's 39-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left gave the Tigers and the fans who packed the Bunts Road stands breathing room It helped Massillon (4-1) wrap up a second straight win — its biggest of the season "It's super exciting," linebacker Vito McConnell said "We played them at home the last two years They quickly reversed a four-point deficit later in the first half on Jalen Slaughter's touchdown pass to Braylyn Toles until Lenix's touchdown in the final minutes Massillon's defense spent a lot of time on the field in the second half and persevered "Our defense really answered the bell," Massillon head coach Nate Moore said but what a great performance with their backs against the wall "It was a tremendous performance by those guys." The decisive stop came in the fourth quarter Edward interception swung momentum back in the Eagles' favor McConnell and defensive lineman Mike Wright Jr stopped quarterback Thomas Csanyi short of the marker "Our team is based on our defense," McConnell said The offense capitalized after the defense's biggest stop of the game Lenix moved the chains with a fourth down conversion he bursts through and scored Massillon's biggest touchdown of the night The Massillon offense has weapons everywhere He rushed for a game-high 144 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns The line created a huge hole for him in the third quarter that led to a 47-yard TD run the Tigers knew they also could count on Lenix "That last touchdown put us in a really good position," Moore said "It was a great run and great blocking up front by the offensive line Here's how the game unfolded through our updates His 39-yard touchdown burst gives the Tigers a 31-21 lead with 1:34 left Massillon takes a step closer to a big win The defense may end up winning this game for Massillon the Tigers stop the Eagles again on fourth down bring down Thomas Csanyi at the Massillon 40 Massillon defense makes key stop early in the third quarterA big stop by Massillon's defense The Tigers force a turnover on downs at their own 35 Edward fumble recovery leads to a Thomas Csanyi's 4-yard touchdown pass to Joe Saffold Gamble's 47-yard touchdown run gives Massillon a 24-14 lead Quarterback Jalen Slaughter did a lot of great things late in the first half So did receivers Devontay Malone and Braylyn Toles Slaughter's 7-yard touchdown pass to Toles gives Massillon a 17-14 lead at halftime Zach Hackleman's 69-yard catch and run for a touchdown gives St It felt like Massillon was up 10 like a minute ago Edward cut Massillon's lead to 10-7A costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Massillon gives St Edward a first down a momentum needed to cut the Tigers lead Thomas Csanyi's 14-yard touchdown pass to Bradley Eaton gets the Eagles to within 10-7 Joe Karder's blocked punt gives Massillon great field position at the St Four down conversions from Mylen Lenix and Ja'Meir Gamble help the Tigers increase their lead Gamble's 15-yard run makes it 10-0 with 6:05 left in the second quarter Mateo Herrera's 26-yard field goal on the first snap of the second quarter gives Massillon a 3-0 lead Edward quarterback Thomas Csanyi forces the Eagles to attempt a 42-yard field goal Massillon blocks the kick after a bad snap Edward will have to wait a little longerProblems with the clock has led to a slight delay Massillon won the coin toss and elected to defer Edward will receive the opening kickoff and defend the Madison Avenue goal The Eagles defeated Pickerington North 28-0 and Saint Joseph's Prep 35-21 lost to Boyle County 38-21 and beat Elder 24-17 Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season. Ohio (WOIO) - Police confirm a juvenile was cut Monday during a fight between students at Massillon Washington High School Officers say the incident happened around 11 a.m one student was cut on the wrist with a knife during the altercation According to Massillon Fire Chief Matt Heck Massillon police say officers arrested the other student for felonious assault and took them to a juvenile detention center 19 News has requested a comment from Massillon City Schools “The Massillon Police Department remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents We continue to work closely with school officials to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone.” Ohio (WOIO) - Two teen inmates were arrested from the Indian River Correctional Facility after they allegedly assaulted a teacher with a rubber mallet According to the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) The ODYS launched an internal review into the attack and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is also investigating there were 20 youth-on-staff assaults at Indian River in the first quarter of 2025 a decrease of 31% as compared to the last quarter of 2024 highest need incarcerated youth in the state is an inherently dangerous job that will never be without risks but violence against our staff members is not tolerated” said Aaron Mulvey then up and stared across the street to a driveway "It came from over there," the 78-year-old author and former educator said The last time he stepped foot on that spot but their lives changed irrevocably in an instant emerged from the driveway and approached them "It went right for Lulu's throat," Walker said The pain and violence — and grief — that befell them still haunts him and suffered a blown left hamstring requiring surgery and physical therapy A passing bicyclist helped break up the attack and called 911 and a police officer rushed Lulu to an animal hospital The injuries 11-year-old Lulu sustained were too much to survive The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 4.5 million people are bitten in the United States annually. The number of deaths from being bitten or struck by dog has climbed from a low of 31 people in 2016 to a high of 98 in 2022 putting aggressive dogs into three categories: nuisance the owner can face minor misdemeanor charges for confinement or registration violations; and a felony charge Walker said the dog that killed Lulu was caught and put down and the property owner in Stark County Common Pleas Court in 2019 He settled for $30,000; a portion defrayed medical expenses He claimed the dog owner had a history of having aggressive dogs Walker said there should be restrictions on dog owners He has been attacked by aggressive dogs at least 15 times in his lifetime His first serious encounter occurred in 2015 on Christmas Day with his husky named Gretchen and later died in 2017 from an illness related to the attack "She was never the same," Walker remembered Walker said Gretchen and Lulu came into his life at different times Lulu was rescued from the Carroll County Dog Pound before she was supposed to be put down Gretchen found Walker eating a sandwich on a park bench and cozied up to him "They were very smart dogs," Walker said fondly But Walker said the 2018 attack left him with post-traumatic stress and a crippling fear of all dogs He said he will move to the other side of a street on a walk to avoid dog walkers said the position returned to help reunite lost pets with owners and assist animal-related investigations The old system without the animal control officer when the owner was in Massillon," Baker said Massillon City Council also tightened its dog regulations in 2018 three months after the deadly attack on Lulu There are also restrictions on dangerous animals But Walker said he fully supports bans on certain breeds known to be aggressive He also has other suggestions that state and local officials should consider in regards to dog attacks: The current law has all dog bite incidents reportable to local health departments and police officers and animal control officers get involved Baker said the reporting of dog bites and attacks can be made at a hospital or with police but health officials have the jurisdiction "I don’t know if there is an easy way to streamline it more because so many departments play their role," Baker said Walker said his proposal would not take jurisdiction away from the health departments but it could make it simpler for police responding to an attack Walker said police could look up dog bites on their computers in the cruisers He said a database like his might've helped police investigating the 2018 attack because it was later discovered the same dog That information was not known at the time of the attack on Lulu "You might have thought (police) would have said Instead he went off to West Virginia and that was that," Walker said Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com Massillon Woman’s Club to host holiday eventsMassillon IndependentMASSILLON − The Massillon Woman’s Club will present several events at the historic Five Oaks Mansion which will be decorated for the holiday season The Gift Shop will be open during each occasion Call 330-833-4896 for more information or to make reservations Reservations open to the community three weeks prior to each event The Massillon Woman’s Club is a philanthropic organization open to all women "He has great vision and he made some great cuts tonight," Massillon head coach Nate Moore said Legacy would probably concur after the highlight reel Gamble put together against the Titans "I knew it was going to be a big night after those first two touchdowns," Gamble said "I could feel it the way the offensive line was playing and the way we were playing as a team It felt like we put everything together tonight." The Massillon offensive line led by Nolan Davenport gave Gamble plenty of room to work 280-pound Wisconsin recruit was part of a unit that opened up massive holes all night long "We pride ourselves on being physical and always trying to dominate We did a good job of sustaining our blocks tonight and finishing them off." It was hard to find anything not to like about the performance of the Massillon offense as a whole Friday "Without watching the tape I would say it still felt like one of our better performances of the season," Moore said Our run blocking was good but our pass protection was good as well That was a good team with a lot of big players that were twitchy along the line as well." The Massillon defense also did its part by forcing three turnovers in its shutout Daylan Pringle and Braylon Gamble recorded interceptions while Lucas Shertzer recovered a fumble "That was a nice interception by Daylan Pringle and the first career interception by Braylon Gamble tonight," Moore said "That was a nice diving catch by Braylon on that interception We forced some offensive mistakes tonight." Frustration boiled over for Legacy and a plethora of penalties were called on both teams as a result Legacy had 10 penalties for 87 yards while Massillon had 15 for 140 That included a personal foul on Legacy head coach Michael Bishop Bishop and other members of the Titan coaching staff seemed to be on the field barking at officials after nearly every play before the crew finally had enough and threw a flag in the fourth quarter "It's too bad when a game like this degenerates into a situation where you have multiple personal fouls," Moore said "It comes down to discipline in those moments and we have some teachable moments to go over from this game The key to avoiding those kind of fouls is maintaining your focus." The Tigers also suffered a blow when they lost leading tackler Ja'Dyn Williams due to an injury in the second quarter Williams was able to walk off the field under his own power "He didn't play the rest of the game," Moore said "We're still in the process of evaluating him." Massillon has shut out Legacy School of Sports Sciences 41-0 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Ja'Meir Gamble ran for five touchdowns tonight for the Tigers Peytton Mitchell strikes paydirt for MassillonPeytton Mitchell punches it in for Massillon after the Legacy School of Sports Sciences fumble Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 34-0 after the third quarter Ja'Meir Gamble has five rushing touchdowns tonight Lucas Shertzer just came out of the pile with a fumble recovery for the Massillon defense The Tigers take over at the Legacy School of Sports Sciences 17-yard line That is the third turnover tonight for the Titans Legacy started the drive backed up after a 15-yard penalty on the Titan coaching staff for arguing with the officials Legacy had been warned several times prior to the call Ja'Meir Gamble just scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the night The Tigers lead Legacy School of Sports Sciences 34-0 with 1:42 to go in the third quarter Gamble is closing in on 300 yards rushing tonight Braylon Gamble intercepts pass for MassillonMassillon just intercepted its second pass of the night The Tigers take over at their own 12-yard line Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 27-0 with 2:45 to go in the third quarter It didn't take Massillon long to take advantage of the Legacy School of Sports Sciences turnover Ja'Meir Gamble just ran straight up the middle for a 68-yard touchdown on the first play after the turnover Massillon leads the Titans 27-0 with 9:19 left in the third quarter Gamble has run for all four touchdowns for Massillon tonight Daylan Pringle intercepts Legacy School of Sports SciencesA promising Legacy School of Sports Sciences Drive was cut short by Daylan Pringle Pringle intercepted a Titan pass at the Tiger 6-yard line and returned it back to the Massillon 32 Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 21-0 at the start of the third quarter The Titans will receive the ball to start the second half Ja'Meir Gamble has scored all three touchdowns tonight for Massillon He has run for 112 yards on 10 carries so far good for an average of 11.2 yards per carry Gamble needed just 13 yards to reach 600 yards rushing on the season Now he is just a yard away from 700 with 699 after his first half outburst Massillon holds a 21-0 lead over Legacy School of Sports Sciences at halftime Massillon was forced to go three-and-out at its own 10-yard line but Tyler Hackenbracht just drove a punt down to the Legacy School of Sports Sciences 26-yard line The Titans may regret not fielding that one Massillon leads 21-0 with three minutes left in the second quarter Lennox Lemon just swatted away a Legacy School of Sports Sciences pass in the end zone on a fourth-and-3 play It was an ugly drive with plenty of penalty flags and a lot of pushing and shoving after the play You can really see the frustration building for the Titans Hopefully officials are able to maintain some sense of control Massillon takes over at its own 4-yard line with 3:15 left in the second quarter Ja'Meir Gamble scores third touchdown of the night for MassillonJa'Meir Gamble just added another touchdown to his total Gamble showcased impressive speed and scored on a 36-yard touchdown run put a move on the lone Legacy defender wide and escaped untouched for the score The scoring play was set up by a Ricardo Wells 41-yard reception from Jalen Slaughter on the previous play Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 21-0 with 8:41 to go in the second quarter Legacy School of Sports Sciences had a 25-yard field goal attempt go wide left It was a great stand by the Massillon defense to force the field goal attempt Landon Binford had a 21 yard run to take the ball down to the Massillon 2-yard line for the Titans Massillon stuffed the first Titan run for no gain Massillon safety Tyler Hackenbracht tackled Legacy for a 5-yard loss on second and goal Third-and-goal from the Tiger 7-yard line was an incomplete pass Massillon holds a 14-0 lead over Legacy School of Sports Sciences at the end of the first quarter The Titans will have the ball at the Tiger 23-yard line to start the second quarter Ja'Lyn Dargens recovered a Massillon fumble to set Legacy up with excellent field position for this drive This time Gamble breaks multiple tackles and walks the tight rope on the sideline to score on a 24-yard touchdown run Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 14-0 with 5:39 to go in the first quarter Hard to draw up a better start than this for Massillon The Tiger defense forced a three-and-out to set up that touchdown drive Ja'Meir Gamble scores early touchdown for MassillonJa'Meir Gamble has put Massillon on the board on the first drive of the game Gamble just took off for a 21-yard touchdown run Gamble had some really nice runs on this drive Massillon leads Legacy School of Sports Sciences 7-0 with 8:36 to go in the first quarter Braylyn Toles caught a 33-yard pass from Jalen Slaughter to set up the scoring run by Gamble Massillon will receive the ball to start this game Legacy School of Sports Sciences will get the ball first to start the second half Massillon football defensive stat leadersJa'Dyn Williams leads the Massillon defense with 65 tackles 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles this season.Lennox Lemon leads the Tigers with two interceptions Lemon has also broken up one pass.Safety Tyler Hackenbracht has 50 tackles an interception and a pass broken up.Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com OHSAA football: Perry High School to hire Massillon assistant Spencer Leno as head coachCanton RepositoryPERRY TWP. — Perry High School announced Thursday that Massillon assistant Spencer Leno will be the Panthers' new varsity football head coach Leno would replace Zach Slates who was not brought back after going 16-28 over four seasons as head coach “After an extensive search and careful consideration we are thrilled to welcome Spencer Leno as our new Head Football Coach,” Perry athletic director Kevin Yoder said in a press release “Coach Leno brings not only a wealth of experience but also a deep commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes His passion for the game and his dedication to creating a positive and hardworking environment will undoubtedly provide our athletes with an enriching experience that will prepare them for success on the field and beyond.”  A 2009 Massillon Washington High School graduate Leno was a standout football player for the Tigers before playing collegiately at Wittenberg He coached at Columbus Westland and Urbana high schools before returning to Massillon in 2018 He most recently served as the Tigers' defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for head coach Nate Moore “It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I accept the opportunity to be the next Head Football Coach at Perry High School,” Leno said in a press release “I look forward to joining this tight-knit community that prides itself on toughness It is my mission to maximize the potential of each student athlete in the classroom I am beyond excited to be a Perry Panther and call Perry High School my home.”  live in Massillon with their three daughters Perry Local Schools' next board of education meeting is scheduled for Feb MASSILLON – The operator of a planned health center said he originally planned to purchase the former Affinity Medical Center prior to working out a deal to run the building but financing didn't pan out," said Zimmerman adding that his interest in the facility grew because of the "heavy capital" put into it Farina, the former operator Discount Outlet in Massillon owns the facility and property via Farina Companies He funded a more than $10 million upgrade effort but will not be involved in day-to-day operations of the health facility As was the political goodwill (at the mayor's office) to reopen the place and the presence of large populations (in western Stark and Wayne counties) seeking (medical) services," he said licensed emergency room provider is in line for a May or June opening at the former Affinity hospital are planned to be available around the same time One specific company committed to opening in 2025 at Massillon Community Health is Xmetix which is a tourniquet production outfit from Israel New health hub: Former Affinity hospital site to feature an ER within Massillon Community Health center Zimmerman is not a specialist in providing healthcare he's taking on the role of a landlord and recruiter of companies in the medical industry He said he has experience in managing properties that have healthcare tenants "The goal (in Massillon) is to provide all technical infrastructure for independent practice groups to collaborate," said Zimmerman who plans to have a website up and running in March for the health center Ted Herncane, the city's development director has met with Zimmerman multiple times over the past several months He said is impressed with the health center CEO's energy organizational skill and attention to detail "Momentum has really picked up since Chris got involved say the last six months to a year," Herncane said "He's been able to get the project rolling to the point where we are today (with businesses lining up and opening the facility)." CEO of the Massillon Community Health and Innovation CenterHere are some details about Zimmerman personally and his professional experience: Education: 1986 graduate of Watertown High School Work background and experience: Finance and real-estate; mortgage and commercial lending and private investment funds Some companies involved with: NewCity Capital and Green Street investment properties Quote: "I'm super-passionate about this (health center) and think we can make a difference here (in Massillon) It's a perfect model to scale elsewhere (in the U.S Editor’s note: The Canton Repository is asking leaders in every Stark County township, village and city to share some highlights of what they have in store for 2025 in their communities We will present more community highlights to you in the coming weeks MASSILLON – New health operators occupying the former Affinity Medical Center and a groundbreaking effort to kickstart a popular city park effort are on the radar in 2025 as well some new businesses gearing up to open their doors Here's a snapshot of what's in store this year in Massillon Work on the streambank restoration at Reservoir Park is targeted for late summer A $300,000 state grant is funding the upgrade The city received a setback this month when Congress authorized a new spending bill that omitted funding for community projects including the Massillon Reservoir "Rezzy" Restoration Project Phase one of the effort is bank restoration around Sippo Creek three-phase effort was expected to run five years But phase two (restoring a pond) and three (pumphouse renovation) are now uncertain due to the recent funding loss The city has contracted with Akron-based Environmental Design Group for services related to all three phases of the project, said Ted Herncane, Massillon's development director "We should be able to get started with phase one depending on permitting," he said If new funding is secured, the project aims to add multiple amenities to the park, Mayor Jamie Slutz said Options under consideration are constructing a walking bridge over the northern section of Sippo Creek connecting to an existing trail; a possible community center inside the old pumphouse; multiple fishing docks along the pond; a new levee; and lakeside fitness area The Massillon Community Health and Innovation Center is prepping to open a medical mall at 845 Eighth St which is to be anchored by an urgent care unit that may be operational this summer the health center's chief executive officer said the 300,000 square-foot facility is evolving into a product to offer a mix of services He said strides and setbacks can be expected with a project as large as reopening the building are planned to be available around this summer "Most of the building is accounted for as far as 'use' space," said Zimmerman adding that no leases have been signed yet "Parts will operate as a specialty hospital with other complimentary components." The facility — totaling six floors — rests on an 11.6-acre property A new option Zimmerman said he's been discussing with a local developer involves constructing a senior housing complex at the medical center's southern section The location would be along State Street NE and Eighth Street NE in proximity to the helicopter pad previously used by Affinity Slutz said he's upbeat about having the medical facility occupied and functional after a half-dozen years of dormancy "We talk to Chris weekly about his progress," Slutz said and look forward to them bringing health-care services back to Massillon." Bloom Cannabis is awaiting city approval for space renovations at 354 Federal Ave The location is the former home of Fat Daddy's Meat shop vice president of marketing for the business The business is expected to employ between 30 and 40 people "We have some remodel and compliance things to do," Starr has said adding that three other Bloom shops are opening this year in Ohio The company has locations in Akron and Painesville has targeted the former Payless ShoeSource building at 1930 Lincoln Way E Cannavitz has purchased the structure and property in December for $700,000 according to Stark County Auditor's Office records building plans have yet to be submitted to the city for a design plan because its (design) plan has been approved," said Herncane A building permit has not been issued due in part to a contractor not being selected Akron-based Babcock and Wilcox has plans to break ground on its $60 million hydrogen plant at the Massillon Energy and Technology Park (METP) later this year The facility aims to convert natural gas into hydrogen for a range of industrial-end users The company is to start with 10 to 15 employees and could add workers down the road on its 25 acres at the energy park Slutz said in a recent Canton Repository column that he's excited to welcome Babcock and Wilcox to Massillon and will continue to support the company's growth for years to come