🌱 Patch AM: Kent community reflects on the life of former mayor John Fender.

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In today's newsletter:

• Kent community reflects on the life of former mayor John Fender.
• Which Kent State hassles made this brutally honest top‑10 list?
• How Ravenna's ward overhaul—and Kent's example—could reshape local representation

Also on today's calendar: BLACK TO THE FUTURE-BLACK KSU ALUMNI GROUP HOCO '26 and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a one-legged Big Foot? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and nice, with a high of 74 and low of 53 degrees.
• Wednesday: Cloudy and comfortable, temps: high: 75, low: 60.
• Thursday: A shower in the afternoon, with a high of 80 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Portage County obituaries for Sept. 25-27, 2026 (theportager.com) — Kent residents are remembering John H. Fender, former principal of Davey Junior High and three-term mayor of Kent, who died earlier this month at age 91. His decades of service to Kent schools, Kent State University, and City Hall, along with his deep community ties, left a lasting mark on local civic life.
   

2. 10 Things We Can All Agree Suck At Kent State University (society19.com) — Students in Kent will likely recognize every gripe on this tongue‑in‑cheek list of campus frustrations, from pricey laundry and parking headaches to icy walkways and brutal winter winds around Kent State University. While it's all in good fun, the piece taps into everyday annoyances that shape campus life for many Kent residents and commuters.
   

3. How Ravenna is planning to better balance its city wards (centredaily.com) — Ravenna is redrawing its four City Council wards after learning population shifts have left most residents unevenly represented, and a Kent State University geography professor is helping craft fairer maps. With Kent's own charter process for ward updates cited as a model, the effort could influence how neighboring communities like Kent think about keeping political boundaries aligned with changing neighborhoods.
   

4. College sports notebook: Barker, Whitley score goals; Davis helps DePauw to title (therepublic.com) — Kent sports fans can note that Kent State's football team improved to 2-2 with a 26-13 home win over Ball State, where Garrett Long contributed a solo tackle. The wider college roundup also highlights strong performances by several Columbus-area athletes competing for schools across the region.
   

📸 Around Kent

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Kent

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday October 1
• The Carol King and James Taylor Story →
  The Kent Stage, 175 E Main St, Kent
  7:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday October 1
• BLACK TO THE FUTURE-BLACK KSU ALUMNI GROUP HOCO '26 →
  800 East Summit Street, Kent
• The Carole King and James Taylor Story →
  The Kent Stage, Kent
  7:30 pm
Friday October 2
• Up 'Til 4 Plays Water Street Tavern →
  Water Street Tavern, 132 South Water Street, Kent
  6:00 pm
• Up 'Til 4 Plays Water Street Tavern - Kent, OH →
  Water Street Tavern, 132 South Water Street, Kent
  6:00 pm
• Up 'Til 4 at Water Street Tavern →
  Water Street Tavern, 132 South Water Street, Kent
  6:00 pm
• California Dreams – Sounds of Laurel Canyon →
  The Kent Stage, Kent
  7:30 pm
Saturday October 3
• An Acoustic Evening with John Hiatt →
  The Kent Stage, Kent
  7:30 pm
Sunday October 4
• Before & After with Reiki at Metamorphosis Embodiment Studio →
  Metamorphosis Embodiment Studio & Spa, 126 West College Avenue, Kent
  10:00 am
• Moises Borges Live at Kent Free Library →
  Kent Free Library, 312 W. Main St., Kent
  2:00 pm
• Moises Borges Live →
  Kent Free Library, 312 W. Main St., Kent
  2:00 pm
• An Acoustic Evening with John Hiatt →
  The Kent Stage, Kent
  7:00 pm

📣 Kent Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• When we bought our house nearly 20 years ago, we were daunted by the high maintenance landscaping, but we were young and took on the battle.
  Not so young anymore and the weeds are now winning. We are looking for a landscaper to tear out the overgrowth (and many of the aging exotic… (Nextdoor Forest Lakes)

• Panda Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Shift Leader (P1-1361666-0) in Kent. Apply here.
• Panera posted a job opening for 530AM Shift Breakfast Line Opener & Cashier in Kent. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Kent here.

Ok Kent! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Hop Squatch! (Thank you Terri R. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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